₦airaland Forum

A collection of 1954 Mercedes-Benz Ponton

Carter bridge in Lagos in 1960

Some indigenes of Katsina state, northern Nigeria in 1960s

Spectators on Nigeria’s independence day 1960.

Western House of Assembly, Ibadan.

Tafawa Balewa, Nigeria’s first prime minister with the Queen of England during Nigeria’s independence day celebration in 1960.

Lagos railway in the 1960s

Nigerians from all over the world are celebrating their 56th independence anniversary on October 1, 2016.

This, like previous years, promises to be one that gives many Nigerians that nostalgic feeling as they remember how the years under the colonial masters were and the yearnings of the people.

Nigeria gained independence in 1960 through the British government legislated constitutions and has since tried to hold her citizens together in unity, a task which she has often struggled with.

However, Nigerians regardless of their ethnic background or religion, still belong to the southern and northern protectorates which the country was divided to by Sir Frederick Lord Lugard, who happened to be the country’s first governor general.

Ever since, the new constitution which was legislated by the British government established a federal system with an elected prime minister and a ceremonial head of state.

Today, Nigerians whether happy or sad, will commemorate the 56th year since the country became an independent nation, and NAIJ.com have discovered some amazing throw back pictures of the post independence celebration in 1960.

Source : https://www.naij.com/990407-nigeria56-see-nostalgic-throwback-pictures-of-post-independence-1960s-era.html

True

That's my club and they love my country.

[quote author=Orikinla post=49833533][/quote]Omehn, you are entitled to your opinion.

Haaaleluyah...... .. I never thought my topic will ever make front page, dream come through.

Resilience pays, what a great way to celebrate independence.

Omehn, overwhelmed with joy.

Much love to "our-currency-landers" aka "nairalanders".

I'm motivated.....

Hmmmmmmmm..... I see two horses scampering for safety, an eagle flying off a platform with the speed of light, two rivers drying up all of a sudden, grasses suddenly die as though they poured weed control chemicals on them.


I mean by the looks of the stadium oh(empty) before una go make me go involuntary leave for this network oh.

Opinion: Amaechi, Rivers is not Edo: You're missing the point


Editor’s note: Oraye St. Franklyn, a media aide to governor Nyesome Wike has attacked the Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi as the battle of who controls the oil rich Rivers state continues.

By Oraye St. Franklyn

The embattled Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in a desperate effort to redeem his blighted ego and waned national standing in the APC, which were severely crushed by the overwhelming rejection he suffered at both the General and Rerun elections in Rivers State, as the leader of the APC in Rivers State, has again missed the point in declaring that the rejected Party will win the remaining rescheduled elections in the State that were deliberately postponed in a bid to undermine the stake of Rivers people both at the National Assembly and within the Nigerian federation.

Amaechi’s confidence springs from the recent controversial victory of the APC in Edo State as he said at a recent poorly attended rally in Rivers State. But he misses the point, yet again, as he did when for his personal political survival and vain glory he misled innocent sons and daughters of the State to support a Political party that has turned out to be the worst in the history of democracy in Nigeria.

The points Amaechi should note are that first, he has suffered an established defeat in Rivers State. At the last March 19 court ordered rerun elections in Rivers State in which Amaechi by himself led the hordes of hell and the charge against Rivers people, his political fortune was brutally crushed and his incapacity was effectively exposed to the whole world to see.

What didn’t Amaechi not do at that Election? The military was summoned and went beyond themselves to undermine the will of Rivers people. Supporters of the PDP were attacked and killed in the guise of mopping up arms that no one has to this day seen. Even the State was strategically demarketed by Amaechi himself as a hotbed of crises irrespective of the fact that Amaechi and his party were the instigators of the various crises that characterised what they condemned. Fortunately, every effort failed, including the plot to rig the elections in favour of the APC.

How can Rivers people forget in a hurry that the braggadocious Amaechi who flew into the State like an Emperor coming for a kill in the full glare of the media, had to escape the embarrassing defeat he suffered, in the dead of the night unannounced, dejected, rejected and humiliated?

But the point to be made here is that as Minister, albeit, a ‘super’ Minister with the ears of the President, who rather than attract development to the State, champions the extermination of his own people, Amaechi was defeated and remains so, without any homebase support; and the remainder elections, infinitesimal as they are, won’t change the fact of his defeat and rejection. He and his Party, the APC, would be defeated again.

Amaechi also needs to be reminded that the same will of Rivers people that rejected APC at a time when it had not sufficiently proved itself to be a national error as it currently is, has not abated any bit. It is the same will that will resist all efforts to undermine democracy in Rivers State regardless of whether the entire armed forces of the federation are deployed to the State. And the reasons are not far-fetched. No political party in the history of Nigeria’s democracy has displayed a lack of tolerance for diversity as the APC does.

No party has been motivated by the dire drag for fundamentalism as the APC does. No Party in Nigeria’s history has established a government without an iota of the understanding of the workings of government as the APC is doing. And if the people of Edo, could find no basis to prevent a hijack of their will, the people of Rivers, time after each, have consistently showed no stomach for the maddening malfeasance.

Amaechi’s recent boast is not being treated with levity, he must be informed, as his aversion for political tolerance and democratic tenets are well established facts concomitant with the values of his Political Party, the APC. While the People of Rivers State who have consistently rejected him and his Party are unrattled by his open boast of the deployment of military might to undermine their will, they will stand ready in the full glare of the whole world to ensure that Amaechi and his sponsors in Abuja are guided to answer for charges on genocide and ethnic cleansing at the Hague.

We are determined to put a stop to the political killings being sponsored by the APC in Rivers State with the cooperation of Federal institutions.

It is a matter of public knowledge that Rivers State is deliberately being prodded to be unsafe for anything worthwhile. While the Governor Wike-led administration has consistently made mileage in delivering the needed dividends of good governance to Rivers people irrespective of the distractions and the debilitating effects of the mismanagement of both the economy and governmental powers by the APC led Federal Government.

it has not gone unnoticed that Amaechi has personally stood in the way of peace in Rivers State by constantly inciting tensions with his immature and unsalted political rhetoric, especially in the lead up to elections in the State. The same game is playing out again. But this time around, Amaechi would be helped to sort out his misery. Watch out.‎

Source: https://www.naij.com/990880-rivers-not-edo-wikes-aide-tells-amaechi.html

On September 30, beloved veteran Nollywood actor Elder Maya passed away after months of battling with a liver illness.


Martins Njubuigbo aka Elder Maya was a beloved Nollywood actor who featured in many films, and loved to feature in films which were based on Nigerian villages.


Sadly, the veteran actor is said to have passed away today October 1, after months of battling with a liver related illness. Fellow actor Yomi Fabiyi was the first to announce his death on Instagram.


He said: “RIP Elder Mayah. You were a veteran and a hard-working one at that. Journey well papa. My concerns and sympathy with his families and close colleagues.”


He will be missed by fans and fellow actors. May he rest in perfect peace.

Source : https://www.naij.com/989506-5-things-can-never-forget-8-years-adams-oshiomole-ruled.html

5. Roads

Governor Oshiomhole’s administration seems also to have achieved quite much in the area of constructing roads and infrastructure.

Some of the roads he has been credited for include:

– 7.5 kilometre intra-city roads in Ekpoma, Esan West local government area of Edo central senatorial district

– Irrua-Igueben-Ebudin-Ugbekun-Ujogba Road

– Completed Ubiaja-Okhuesan-Emu-Ohordua-Ewatto-Ewohinmi-Igueben with bridge linking Emu and Ohordua.

– He commissioned a new 8.5-kilometre Uhen-Olumoye road in Ovia North East

– Roads at 2nd East Circular road in Benin City.

As Edo state awaits the swearing-in ceremony of the governor-elect, Godwin Obaseki, there will surely be much to say about Oshiomole’s performance so far.

4. Oshiomole adopts a stoaway

Among his many philanthropic acts was is adoption of Daniel Ricky Ohikhena. Daniel was the boy who stowed from Benin to Lagos in the wheel well of Arik Flight W3 544, on Saturday, August 24, 2013.

He was also bitten by a snake while reading in class. He however came into some good fortune when he was adopted by Oshiomole.

Gillian is the Executive Director of the Edo State Waste Management Board, she is also the person saddled with the responsibility of taking care of the children popularly known as Oshiomhole’s children.

She had this to say about Oshiomole’s charity projects: “At present we have three boys. Two boys came as a result of the Boko Haram problem in 2011. And the stowaway boy came in 2013. They are all in school.

“The Boko Haram boys started from primary school; today one of them is in JSS 2, the other is in SS1. The stowaway started from JSS 1.

“We had to pull him out of his former school as directed by the Comrade Governor who said he wanted the best for the boy.

“So we got him admission in a Model School in Benin. He has picked up now, he is calmer and more focused. Daniel was not as bright as we were told initially; that means I had to do more than ensure that his fees were paid.

“I arranged extra mural classes for him so that he will pick up. I am glad things are getting better. He has indeed improved. Today he is in the third term of his JSS 2.”

Speaking about Oshiomhole’s passion for kids, Gillian said: “The governor loves kids a lot particularly those who are less privileged. He feels bad each time he comes across children like that.

“In fact the governor will rather not eat than to see children suffer and that is why, apart from the children we take of, there there are many out there that the governor sponsors in school with his personal money.”

3. Marriage

About five years after the death of his first wife, Clara Oshiomole, following a protracted battle with cancer, in May 2015, Oshiomole married Iara Fortes a beautiful woman from Cape Verde.

The marriage generated a lot of noise on social media as many wrote articles about the physical differences between the couple.

The wedding ceremony was the talk of the town as the then President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, the then Vice President-elect, Prof Yemi Osinbajo and his wife Dolapo were in attendance.

Also, APC chieftains led by its National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun; governors and governors-elect across the country, Senators Bukola Saraki, Domingo Obende and a host of others and Senators-elect from across the country were also in attendance.

2. Encounter with market woman

In November 2013, a video surfaced online showing Governor Adams Oshiomhole leading officials of the state to sanitize the city of Benin, the Edo state capital.

As the tour continued, he came across a widow roadside hawker. The poor widow knelt before the imperial governor, a former labour leader, begging for her little means of livelihood to be saved, pleadeding that she was a widow.

But her pleas fell on deaf ears. In that moment Oshiomole uttered some words that many will not forget in a hurry, he told the widow to: “Go and die!”

The media went beserk, and Oshiomole recanted, he later invited the widow for tea, and gave her the sum of N2 million.

Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole was born on April 4, 1952. He was formerly the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and he became prominent when he led several campaigns against high oil prices in Nigeria.

He is currently the Governor of Edo state and he actively supported the governor-elect, Godwin Obaseki who won in the recently concluded Edo election.

In his eight years of rule, there were some initially controversial periods, but on the whole, most believe that he did some truly remarkable things, here is a short list of some things we might never forget:

1. Edo University, Iyamo

One of Oshiomole’s achievements during his years of rule was the establishment of the Edo University, Iyamo. However, many cried out due to the exorbitant school fees.

The National Universities Commission (NUC), approved the establishment of Edo University, Iyamho, as the 41st State University and 142nd University in Nigeria. The school began its first academic session on April 11, 2016.

Students who wrote the most recent screening exams of the school and were offered admission were astounded when the school fees were released. To study Accounting and Computer Science in Edo University, a student has to cough out N710,000.

This does not include acceptance fee of N50,000, feeding and buying of books. Other courses in the new institution cost N660,000 minus acceptance fees, feeding and books.

Source : https://www.naij.com/987981-10-things-use-everyday-dont-know-names.html

10. Toothpaste

When you press toothpaste out of its tube onto a toothbrush, that 1″ strip of toothpaste applied to a toothbrush is known as a nurdle.

9. Shoelaces

When you lace your shoes, do you wonder what those sheathes covering the tips of your shoelaces are named? Well even if you don’t, they are called aglets.

An aglet or aiglet is a small sheath, often made of plastic or metal, used on each end of a shoelace, cord, or drawstring.

An aglet keeps the fibers of the lace or cord from unraveling; its firmness and narrow profile make it easier to hold and easier to feed through the eyelets which are the holes for the laces.

8. Wire cage for bottle cork

The wire cage that fits atop the cork of a bottle of champagne is known as either agraffe or muselet.

It fits over the cork of a bottle of champagne, sparkling wine or beer to prevent the cork from emerging under the pressure of the carbonated contents. The muselet comes from the French museler, to muzzle.

7. The dot on an ‘i’ and ‘j’

When you dot an ‘i’ or a ‘j’, you probably give little thought to the name of that dot, surprisingly it has a name. That thing you use to dot a lower case ‘i’ is called a tittle.

6. Palindromes

There are some words, phrases or numbers that read the same way forward or backward. For example: “Mom” or “Taco Cat” or the sentence “Marge lets Norah see Sharons telegram” or “Dad” or “1818”.

These words or numbers are known as palindromes.

5. Area between shoulder blades

That area between your shoulder blades that you can never scratch is called the acnestis. Having an itch in that spot can be the most annoying thing ever.

4. Smell of rain on dusty ground

You know the smell of the first rains when it touches dusty ground? That smell has a name, it is called Petrichor. It was coined from the Greek “Petra” meaning stone and “ichor” meaning the blood of the gods and goddesses.

The term was coined by two Australian researchers in 1964 and really became a word in 2011 when it popped up in a Doctor Who episode.

For example: “Other than the petrichor emanating from the rapidly drying grass, there was not a trace of evidence that it had rained at all.”

3. Skin under your nose

The depressed area of skin under your nose and above your upper lip is called the Philtrum. The Philtrum is the vertical groove between the base of the nose and the border of the upper lip.

The human philtrum is bordered by ridges, and known in medicine as the infranasal depression, but it has no apparent function.

2. Beer foam

The foam that appears at the top of beer in a glass is typically known as beer head or collar. However the proper name is Barm.

It is the frothy foam on top of beer which is produced by bubbles of gas, typically carbon dioxide, rising to the surface of the glass. The elements that produce the head are: wort protein, yeast and hop residue.

This might come across as strange, but there are several things we use everyday, whose names we somehow don’t know, because we have not bothered to find out. Here are some of them:

1. Wine bottle indent

There is an indent at the bottom of most wine bottles. It is known as the punt, Historically, punts were put there by glassblowers to make sure the bottle could stand upright and there wasn’t a sharp point of glass on the bottom. It is also believed that it helps the bottle to be stronger and withstand pressure.