₦airaland Forum

Jarus:
A reasonable and well articulated input, even though it departs slightly from my views in one or two areas.

And on the way forward you proffered, do you think Nigerians are ready to be educated? For example, Ibime is trying to educate some folk here about Islamic banking but they are already with the mindset that it can never bring any advantage to the economy. I wonder how such sealed mind can be educated.

Jarus, I know that many Nigerians and indeed many humans have fixed mindset and view almost anything on earth with a lot of skepticism. However, we cannot force them to change their views.

If such people people go to a bus station and refuse to enter the bus named "I dey leave now" because of their mindset. When "I dey leave now" leaves before their doubtful eyes, no one will tell them to enter the bus "any time I leave make you take am"

Let the banks hit the ground running and people will decide whether to hop on board. The CBN can grant licenses to willing investors and create the enabling environment for the institution to florish, while putting down rules to protect the public and the rest will sort out itself.

Ibime:
Rubbish. . . . demand for houses was artificial. . . . created by unscrupulous lenders who gave mortgages to sub-prime clients knowing that they did not have the capacity to pay them back. . . . these companies then bunched all these mortgages into packages and sold them on to banks as structured products. . . . banks then took CDS positions on these "mortgage packages" and when the underlying failed to pay their mortgages, the system came crumbling. Banks started suspecting each other of hiding faulty loan and CDS defaults in their books and refused to lend to each other, hence the credit crunch.

In summation, under Islamic banking, a lender who offers a subprime mortgage to a client can never sell it on to a bank as it is haraam for a bank to trade anything other than the actual asset ie the lender would never offer the subprime mortgage in the first place cos there would be no one to buy the mortgage from them. Hence artificial demand was created by unscrupulous lenders.

Secondly, the CDS's which caused the financial crisis are forbidden under Islamic banking hence there would have been no bubble to burst.

In other words, you are chatting a bunch of bull.

You are mistaken the inability to pay with demand. Now money lending is based on credit rating of an individual. People need houses all the time and will try to get on the property ladder by all means.

The fact that they may not be able to meet their obligation to pay does not take away the fact that they need a house of their own and that is where common sense should prevail in order to avoid over exposure to high risk customers.

Do you even know what subprime means ? There is always an acceptable (gambleable)risk level based on credit profile and when you lend to people with low credit rating you are going the subprime way. Don't mistake subprime lenders with mortgage brokers as there is a clear difference.

Now financial institutions borrow from each other and subprime lenders like Gmax usually have very high interest rates to "cover" their risk. The irony of subprime lending is the charging of high interest rates to those predetermined as not likely to meet their loan obligations. These debtors defaulted on their loans as there were likely to and in turn the subprime lenders defaulted on their obligation to their lenders. Then the tumble.

When you take a loan from a subprime lender, you own them directly and not that bull shit  of supposedly owing another bank whom the loan was "packaged" for. Banks have their own underwriters !

The main banks have their  rules and underwriters that take a final decision on loan applications while SP lenders have their rules which are not as stringent.

For instance, Financial institutions like Gmax would accept a self assessment from you (prepared by an accountant) as enough evidence of income and ability to pay, while the major banks would require your tax returns and banking details in addition to that.

Now you have really turned economics on its head. Unscrupulous lenders did not create artificial demand but they were over exposed to risk caused by their inability to say no to borrowers with poor credit rating. In other words their exposure to high risk led to high default which crashed the system.

You can juxtapose this statement " Hence artificial demand was created by unscrupulous lenders" with this " Artificial demand for banana was caused because FACE came with a trailer load of good and bad bananas to the banana market"

Now if you say that the ease at which loans were given had a direct effect on the mortgage market, I will gladly accept, but that ease cannot be attributed solely to the SP lenders as many core lenders also exposed themselves in their ratio of income:mortgage loans and LTV loans.

Ibime:
A lot of people misunderstand the merits of Islamic banking.

Islamic banking completely forbids structured products i.e derivatives, futures, options, credit default swaps,  etc. . . . anything that is structured around an underlying asset is haraam. . . . the only thing which is tradeable is the actual asset.

This evidently curtails artificial demand - eg the artificial demand for houses that led to the current economic crisis. Islamic banks always share the risk with their customers. ie they part-own the product until the customer pays it off. This shared risk nuances the bubble effect of speculation.
If Islamic banking was the world standard, it is not hard to argue that all the downturns, recessions and depressions that we have experienced in the world in the last 80 years would have been limited.

Go and study any economic crisis - from 1929 till date - they are always caused by speculative bubbles bursting - mortgages, savings and loans crisis, CDS crisis, tech bubble etc etc etc. . . . . they are always caused by the bottom dropping out of structured product markets.

False Ibime, the demands for houses were real. What led to the credit situation was over-exposure of banks to "non-performing" loans. Many people defaulted on their loan repayments, banks stopped lending to other banks and withheld credit facilities, people stopped getting loans to buy properties, housing values plunged because there were more sellers than buyers because there were no loans, negative equities set into loan securities (properties), people just dey run helter skelter, downward spin , defaults on unsecured loans spiralled out of control and bang ------ recession.

If properties are part owned by Islamic banking following financed purchase, I can assure you that western banks have the first charge on your property where you have secured a loan (mortgage or other) with your property. The problem with the recession was that they could not even sell their securities, because potential buyers could not get finances to purchase (vicious cycle right ?). This made several government to come up with the toxic asset scheme and also to guarantee inter bank loans.

Fact of life: Those that take the most risks are exposed to the most rapid gains or downfall.

While admitting that introducing Islamic Finance at this time will further fuel the ethnic/religious campaign against Sanusi, I believe the enlightened will not object to it.
Islamic finance has been taken to the frontburner in global economic discourse in the last few years. Even in countries like UK, US and other western countries, Islamic banking opportunities are being seriously looked into. The Economist ran a cover story on Islamic finance in a recent edition: http://www.economist.com/sponsor/qfc/index.cfm?pageid=article104

Financial giants across the world like HSBC, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Barclays Capital, Citibank, Standard Chartered have all thrown their weights behind Islamic banking and have Islamic banking units and products.
It does not in any way amount to Islamizing the country. It's expanding the frontier of the country's finance and another way of integrating our financial system into the global trend. This article may as well be enlightening: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/features/s2425127.htm

The part in bold is very misleading Jarus. Of course, Islamic banking system must be profitable and must have its benefits for it to have the success attributed to it. However, you can bring those benefits to the fore without latching onto publicity stunt (business strategy/deceit) by the bank you mentioned designed to maximise their income.

Islamic banking forbids quite a lot of stuff practiced by western banking, so do you not see the irony in Islamic units of western banks? If for instance HSBC group declare a profit and dividend for the year, will they exclude the profit made through their Islamic banking unit ? Will the profit made therefrom be forbidden from further investments by the group as they deem fit ? Will they refuse to pay dividends to shareholders on the  profit made by a business they funded through their shares?

The answer to those questions will expose the business deceit/hypocrisy or sincerity of those institutions. It is like buying petrol from Texaco and Shell into the same tank; at what point in your journey do you determine which petrol is responsible for keeping your car in motion ?

Just like you, I believe that the introduction of Islamic bank will not be a prelude to Islamising the country, however, public funds should not be used to establish such bank regardless of the (academic) benefits.

Jarus:
See wanton display of ignorance about global trend in finance. At a time when countries the world over, even the core capitalist ones, and global financial heavyweights are looking the way of Islamic banking aftermath of the latest financial crisis, Nigerians are attaching sentiments to Nigeria trying not to be left out.

Nigerians will not cease to amaze.

Misleading again. The banks are merely seeking to extend their business reach, which is what capitalists do. They capitalise on things and do not discriminate the source of money, as far as is permissible in existing laws. Approve the use of cocaine today and see how many of them will rush to finance cocaine factories. If they were planning to leave one in favour of the other, then you would have a solid point, but they are just expanding their territories.

If western banking was that bad, you will not see hard core Arab (Muslim) billionaires investing billions into western banks.

I believe that both systems can exist side by side or as a fussion, as chosen by the owners (not CBN).

The way forward is to educate skeptical Nigerians (and rightly skeptical too) on the benefits of Islamic banking, let private investors put their stake down in the market and let Mr A, B and C decide what's good for their finances.

This fight is gradually looking like motor park breaking of bottle fight. Sanusi probably intends to fight the good fight but is going about it in a way that will back fire.

First of all, it was Yaradua asking the police to help retrieve the money from defaulters and then Sanusi decided to go to town with names.

As an educated banker, Sanusi should realise that there is an established process in debt collection.

1. Remind the defaulting party to catch up with payments and apply any penalty for default.
2. Further reminder/demand
3. Advise that legal process will begin if payment is not made
4. Go to court
5. Obtain judgement
6. Obtain an execution warrant if there is no appeal
7. Get bailiffs or agboro and start seizing stuff.
8. Start auctioning stuff

Now the above is for good ole simple civil case, but there is certainly going to be a criminal aspect to a case of this scale and that is where he should start going for individual jugular. This also must be done through the right channel (EFCC or Police) and he/CBN can only be a prosecution witness.

There is no gain in fighting on newspaper pages as it amounts to grandstanding as far as I am concerned and all you gain for your effort is a counter attack for slander. Be wise as the serpent !

There is no point in "talking" a good fight. Good fights must be fought not "talked"

I may have missed one or two steps but you just cant start throwing punches for your money.

Jarus, It's funny how you took David out of the other thread and the manner you did it. Now that came straight out of my secondary school days when:

If we wanted to settle a score (fight) we took the argument straight to a place we called "Land of Settlement" or "Land" for short. At Land, you were guaranteed of uninterupted fight with spectators and supporters watching.

Sorry for interupting this fight, but una must fight to finish today. No one has keeled over yet and you are all throwing good punches. A beg make nobody put hand.

@ Larez,

I bet you feel that you can demand for sources from others but not required to provide your own sources.

Make up your mind whether oyibo assessments are to be taken as flawless or not. Being a hypocrite may be forgiven at times but dumb hypocrisy is plain stupid.

In your mind the British are still trying to unravel the sophistication of the Yoruba language and even consider it to be the most developed in Africa with "idioms" and all the rubbish you claimed. I bet the Egyptians and Ethiopians are not Africans in your warped view.

Let me burst your bubble mate, the Hausa/Fulani (Kano to be precise) have written-documentation of their history dating back to The 10th century and they also had scholars and poets including Usman Dan Fodio. That is the only culture in Nigeria with preserved written account of their history before the arrival of the Europeans. Other ethnic groups may have written stuff as well if we are to go by their art works , but they were not preserved. So stop making silly claims that you cannot substantiate.

Another silly claim of yours was that the Yorubas were considered a threat to the western world due to their advanced thinking and strategies. Dude how delusional can you be ? OK lets agree for one moment that you truly believe that rubbish, tell me what the Yorubas did to become a threat to their world and how they were stopped.

Dude, you are the one truly suffering from "my own better pass your own syndrome", but hey its your world view and your prerogative.

larez:
Sources please, quote your sources. The British recently unsealed a whole lot of documents regarding their involvement in colonial Nigeria. There are new facts coming out that there was in-fact a conspiracy to shut down Awolowo by the British, and Yorubas generally because they  were regarded as a threat even to the British Kingdom. Yorubas were considered very advanced in their thinking and strategies and if allowed to develop unchecked would become a threat to the dominance of the Western world.

It is unfortunate that even today, certain Nigerians feel like whatever Oyinbo said back then was flawless. They fail to think of who's interest Oyinbo was working for. It is clear that the British decided to sabotage Nigeria which they have successfully done, and we can clearly now see the weapons that they used. Propaganda is a major tool of warfare, and why will Nigerians let the British to continue judging who was in-fact qualified for professorship at a time that they were carefully orchestrating a ploy to sabotage Nigeria.

Language has been linked directly to sophistication in logical clarity. Oyinbos have recently confessed that the Yoruba language is the most advanced that they encountered in sub-saharan Africa and Africa as a whole. The extensive sophistication in both vocabulary and idioms shocked Oyimbo, and is still a subject of ongoing research in different parts of the world. This is the closest Oyinbo will ever get to admitting that an African language is more sophisticated than English. You guys need to stop being pawns and start finding joy in sharing the hidden wealth of africa. It is not everything that you try use your aggressive competitive energies to kill.

In the United States, a world of cultures are celebrated in different parts. My own better pass your own, na him dey kill Africa and na de reason wey we no grow be that. Yoruba towns continue to exist in many parts of the world. This is clearly because of the fact that it is a very strong culture that mere slavery could not stifle. Nobody had to travel to these countries to start trying to force them to accept new facts and doctrines to propagate this culture. It still lacks any central body that holds it together, and yet it survives. Just accept these facts and let's move on. We will have to create a Mecca of sorts in Ile Ife to accommodate this unquenchable culture that just won't die. I don't blame Biafrans for trying to go out and steal parts of it to boost their image.

Afam , Dede 1 and co. You have done well holding your own with good skills based on sound knowledge and without bias. You have been very patient indeed and I must commend you for that.

People come on here and make accusations they cannot substantiate and when challenged they beat a hurried retreat.

Negro Nation, please make up your mind about who you are quarrelling with. Stop shifting grounds like a landslide. You made your accusations against the Igbos and when challenged with superior argument by knowledgeable people you beat a hasty retreat and have now started switching your attack to the British and Housas without being man enough to hold your hands up and accept the errors of your original position.

That is exactly how you lose wars, by opening so many fronts at the same time, beating endless retreats and hoping that the trouble you started would just go away. I could take the issues you raised apart and tear them into shreds, but capable people have already responded to the absolute rubbish you talked about.

Now I did not hawk any thing but my older brother put up a 5 man masquerade squad consisting of my bros, three friends and myself. I was like 7 or 8 yrs old

We weren't even proper masquerades. we knocked up one face cover (mask) from a coconut tree branch, hijacked a gong from our friends mum's music instruments for their meeting + empty cans from around the corner to make up our musical instruments. Getting a cane wasn't a problem; we simply got one from the nearby mango tree.

We did masquerade from 27th Dec to 5th January until one man gave my bros a knock on the head, seized our "mask" and asked "christmas never finish for your end" ?

Thank God for that man cos my brother was ready to carry on masquerading until the next xmas. We made some bucks sha and thank God my dad ( now that was a cane loving man) didn't catch us.

We bought Jersey and football with the cash and formed our own football team "5 Golden Club" playing 5 a side matches with other kids in the neighbourhood. I still yab my bros till this day.

Ola ne, ola gwu gwu (??) E don tay sha. Did my NYSC in Igala land in a town/village called Okura and I stayed in Admiral Ogohi's house. Okura is about 30KM away from Ankpa and their market is known as Nkwo market.

Kobojunkie:
Again, the IBO states ARE NOT the only states fighting for resource control so I DO NOT see why this should be granted IBOS just cause they are IBOS. Simple!!

Resource control means resource control by every state.

No one is asking for special consideration here. With full control of their resources, Plateau state people will be able to develop their Tin industry and pay taxes to FG while Akwa Ibom people will also be able do the same with their oil.

Ok, put another way ; do you think that all states should be allowed to control and develop their own resources while paying taxes to the Federal government ?

God Father
Good Fellas
Casino
The last Don
The Untouchables
El-Cid
Quo Va Dis
Menace 2 society
For a few dollars more
The Good the bad and the ugly
pay check
Armistad (mu ne mama mu ye - set us free) Now, that was some film !!! Baaaad !!!

RuddyG:
Absolutely elRazur! labbiyemmi needs to substantiate that claim.

Exclusivity rights to that many maps in one market? It is unlikely that these key players in the same industry will grant one organisation sole rights in one market
By the way there is currently a Garmin mobile navigation application that works on your mobile phone. Its called Garmap. Affordable (only N10,000.00) works perfectly well from my experience. Its powered by Garmin. Is this also an infringment?

The dude is not talking about having exclusive rights to all maps in Nigeria. Just like you are free to draw Aso rock from your own perspective and others are also free to do same. But once you have drawn your own Aso Rock, others cannot go about reproducing and selling your own drawing without your permission.

Some copy rights must be sought and some are assumed and I suspect that personal works like music, books and maps have assumed rights.

The man is saying that you can produce as many maps as you like, but do not reproduce his maps without his consent and I think he is right.

Alabiyemi, there is no need to fight your war here and give away your game .  I hope that you  realise that you have also made a personal threat to Gaminechic on this forum. It is not the man that talks the loudest that wins the battle. Talk is cheap and may be to your disadvantage. There is no good in "talking" a very good fight and unable to execute when the chips are down because you shot your self on the foot.

Your fight is mainly with COTEC unless Gaminechic is a director in that company.  You do not know what is in COTEC's armoury and you do not want to expose what you have in yours.  A wise General once advised his men never to underestimate the strength of their opponents, but it a shame he died because he did not heed his own advice. He underestimated the strength of his opponent and died in the ensuing battle !!!

Like Elrazur said, you don't have much case based on the screen shot obtained from this forum, but I trust that you have gathered other relevant evidence to support your case.

Its none of my business how you carry yourself, but I think it is very Childish to talk about where you have been and who you have met and implying that others can only dream of such. That is a type of complex I guess. Many people on this forum are very successful in their own rights and do not find the need to be obnoxious. Those people that you take pride in having met are fellow humans like you and I wonder if they get up every morning saying "I can't believe I am Barack Obama" "It is not possible that I am Bill Gates" etc.

Elrazur, it is not fair to keep requesting proof from Mr Alabi. Like he rightly pointed out, none of us ( I presume) will have the privilege of deciding the case, so any proof he has is useless to us.  If you were in his boots , would you provide your opponent with weapons to fight you and also expose your weak side to the opponent ?

@labiyemmy:
9ice sang a song, he said, the owner of a mouth can use it to say anything, this is realy true. You can open your mouth wide, as wide as it can go, and shout insults on top of your voice, do you think those insults realy get to me? Honestly speaking, ask yourself again and again, do you think I care a hoot about what you write, think or say about me? You can keep on saying what yo like. As for using the word "bitch". I will ue it over and over again on whoever deserves it, why not? because "bitches" know themselves.

As for you who thinks you can pop your mouth open and write anything you think, I dont have time for ants lke you, insinuating I am a junior exec at a company i built up with my own sweat and hardwork and God's blessings is amounting to nothing but jealousy, and mark my words, you are on your way to destruction, the way you speak to people you dont know.

As for looking for the court cases, dont worry, keep waiting, dont move, stand still and see the effect loud mouths like you bring to development when meaningful people are talking.

This is why the black man is so backwards, undeveloped and full of self pity and delusions. A fellow black man makes a statement, a proud statement about what he has done, a lofty achievement, but a fellow black man, without any contrary proof that what he has said is wrong, he comes up to disprove what the other has said, calls him names, abuses him out of no other reason but jealousy, and the whole thing just turns sour from there, but the white man, makes an announcement, his fellow white men beleives his words instantly and even lends his full support to help and encourage him to do more. Why is the black man like this? I need answers.

I was going to mind my own business until you brought black and white men into this. I am also black so I have the right to be offended by such blanket judgement of the black man.

You have to accept that people can challenge you without being jealous of your "achievement". How can someone be jealous of someone that exists only in  space; as far as this forum is concerned ?  

Contrary to your view that:

"but the white man, makes an announcement, his fellow white men beleives his words instantly and even lends his full support to help and encourage him to do more",

most scientific laws, postulates, theories, theorems etc have faced vigorous challenges before being accepted. Most of these challenges were by fellow white men.  Did you know that some white men were killed by fellow white men for saying that the world was round ? Ridiculed for saying that meteorites came from outer space ?

My point is that you can make your points without resorting to making derogatory remarks which will affect innocent folks going about their own business.

Alabiyemmy, this is your first taste of capitalism. Enjoy it. Just because you have something in Nigeria do not mean it is yours, we do not have comprehensive laws that protects rights like you are claiming. Besides, it is hard to judge that these maps are yours on the basis of what you see on the internet.  I have read the entire thread, and personally I think you are barking up the wrong tree and wrong in your approach with the whole matter at hand.

Elrazur, I hope that when someone steals your car, you will accept that as your "first taste of communal sharing"? Do unto others as you know what ?

TWO, This Alabi Fellow has been scamming people, selling ordinary Garmin devices for 60K, Maps for 20K, installation for 15K
its no wonder i got to know that people have been soiling this maps and selling them. i could walk into his office today and buy one system,
hack it by tomorrow and begin selling on Wednesday, its that easy But im not that desperate.

Gaminechic. The capitalism that Elrazur referred to encourages competition but not stealing. Mr Alabi has the right to sell his products for $1 Million a piece but should not complain when you  buy from his next door neighbour instead of buying from him. However, nobody is allowed to steal Mr Alabi's products and sell them like they are the rightful owners. By the way , you don't know his overhead costs and cannot determine how much he should sell his products.

Ibime:
This is a regular occurence. Thats why I dont mourn when Nigerian soldiers are killed. Those justifying JTF's bombing in Gbaramatu know that the press reports JTF give is not what is happening on the ground. When they say they have killed a militant, it just means that they shot any able bodied man they found in the town. Meanwhile the real militants are still bombing the oil flows. I cannot blame Oga Seun for not wanting to watch the video for I know where he stands on this issue. . . . but if it some thread disparaging Saro-Wiwa, we will see it on the front page.

Two wrongs don't make a right ! Have you considered that there might not have been any bombing of Gbaramatu by JTF if they had not been shot at and killed by the militants ?

We gotta hold our hands up and concede that the criminal activities of MEND have brought more hardship upon the majority while lining the pockets of a few.

I don't care if that man was a militant or even a serial killer; he was captured alive for goodness sake but was not given any chance to have his day in court. He was defenceless and was shot in cold blood !!!

Now, this is a violation of all  human rights laws that I know of. Men captured at war or similar situation have a fundamental right to fair treatment. Total disregard for life, but that is Nigerian military and police for you.

I believe in karma and what goes around comes around. Those cold blooded men must get their recompense at some stage.

Sisi Jinx:
What the. . . .

You guys stole our song!!!

Just change Maiduguri to Bakori and Viola. . . You got the Anthem for FGGC Bakori, Funtua. Katsina.

A'ight do you remember the 2nd and 3rd verses?

Pro Unitate let this be our song
Pro unitate sing it loud and strong
From all parts of our country
yet gathered in one school
we're learning in Bakori
that life has one great rule
pro unitate is our all in all

Pro unitate let this be our prayer
work games and hobbies
all these things we share
theres unity in knowledge
and trust and friendship too
and unity in efforts
as our song we renew
pro unitate loud and clear and true

Pro unitate hearts and hands and brains
working together, lifes great prize we gain
we strive for one Nigeria and truth is all our choice
declare we all together and sing it with one voice
pro unitate in this we rejoice

Same anthem for FGC Kaduna. Just replace Bakori with Kaduna. Can't remember 2nd verse though or maybe I never knew it.

Now FGGC Bakori, Kazaure and Gusau. Plus FGC Sokoto, Azare and Kano babes. Loved going to those schools for one thing or the other. Going back home for hols by train with all those schools must have been my best times at school. Gosh, those were the dayz.

Jarus:
SANUSI LAMIDO SANUSI( now CBN governor) answers your question in this article he wrote around 1999/2000.

The Igbos, The Yoruba and History
By Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

sanusis@ubaplc.com



Every moment in life is a moment of history. Every present action immediately becomes past and roles played today will be remembered tomorrow with pride or shame, satisfaction or regret. Yet some moments are clearly more momentous than others, and represent far greater opportunities and dangers. These are often moments of crisis, a word which in its Japanese form is written with two characters, the one representing danger, the other opportunity.

The deaths of ‘Yar Adua, Abacha and Abiola plunged Nigeria into a crisis. That is, a period portending great danger for the corporate body called Nigeria as well as near limitless opportunities for progress, for a departure from the tension, the stagnation, the corruption and the injustices associated with the dark period known as the Abacha days. For the leaders of Southern Nigeria and, in particular, the two dominant tribes, the Igbo and Yoruba, it represented an opportunity once more to make a move for the presidency, and shift power (whatever that means) [b]away from the North which has come to be portrayed as the source of all the problems of the nation. [/b]The desire to win over power is the natural goal of political activists. The use of propaganda, blackmail, lies, bribery, deception, even threats of secession has been the hallmark of many an astute political strategy aimed at attaining set goals. Yet the choice of which method is appropriate to a specific polity in a specific historical context is a difficult one, requiring a high sense of perception, a knowledge of history, a natural intelligence and political sophistication. In choosing the path of black-mail and ethnocentric diatribe, the leaders of the South have once more displayed to the world their political naivete, and set the stage for another defeat that may see them remaining in opposition for the next four years.

One marvels at the never-ending cycle which sees Southern Politicians play into the hands of their northern counterparts. For a people who take pride in the depth of their Western Education and who have often expressed contempt for the “backwardness” and “illiteracy” of their northern brothers, southern politicians have presented to the world the ever-present proof that “book – knowledge” and intelligence are not necessarily correlated. One recalls Chief Awolowo’s description of Shagari as a “glorified Grade Two Teacher”. It was missing on Awolowo’ that the more contemptible the adjectives he used to describe Shagari, the lower he sank in the eyes of perceptive watchers, as the man he was describing had clearly shown that he was better by defeating him in a race both participated in from start to finish.

Western Liberal Democracy is a product of the nation-state. It takes as given, the corporate existence of the state and establishes institutions and the rule of law such as to ensure that the system, rather than an individual, is relied upon for safeguarding individual rights and societal values. To the extent that Nigerians have decided to pursue the path of the Western Nations (or at least those in power have decided that this is the way to go) participants would do well to bear this fact in mind. A democratic system is primarily about Institutions and the rule of law. It is not about individuals. We need a system, based on laws and a constitution agreed upon by all, that guarantees each and every Nigerian wherever he is from the right to full political participation and unfettered expression. A system that protects each and every one of us from the tyranny of an individual. A system in which our dignity and liberty are not protected only when the president comes from our own part of the country.

Abacha was a corrupt, ruthless dictator – period. Where he was from is immaterial. All Nigerians, Northerners and Southerners, Muslim and Christians, suffered from the corruption and injustices of his regime with the exception of a small band of family members, sycophants and traitors who joined him in looting the coffers of our nation. Those who stood against his tyranny and spoke out for freedom and equity suffered: among them Obasanjo, Yar Adua, Abiola, Rimi, Ige, Lamido, Nwakwo and Ken Sarowiwa. A cursory look at the list of those detained, framed, murdered, lied against, pauperized and otherwise abused in the last five years will prove to honest persons that Abacha was no respecter of region or religion and that he represented the least form of humanity degenerating dangerously close to bestiality, which is why, like Pharaoh, he is remembered today for his evil rather than his good, for no good of his can obviate the memory, etched in the individual and collective consciousness of Nigerians, of what it is like to live in an environment of terror, not knowing who next will be struck with impunity.

In pretending that these are not the issues, in teaching their followers to oppose Abacha not for his corruption, greed and cruelty but for his ethnic origins, in portraying the annulment of the June, 1993 election as an act against the Yoruba, in pretending that Abiola’s death in prison was in some way different from ‘Yar Adua’s death in prison, in claiming that the solution to this country’s predicament lies in changing the ethnicity of the president and producing a “Southern” President: in all this, the political leaders of the South have displayed the highest degree of naivete, the lowest sense of responsibility and the crudest application of their intellectual faculties. Worse than all this, they have played straight into the hands of their political rivals, the Northern Politicians.

The history of Nigeria since independence is too recent, too many real-life participants are still alive, for it to be rewritten with impunity as a political strategy. It was only in the 1960’s that the Nigerian Army’s officer corps was predominated by officers of Igbo extraction. It was only in 1966 that a group of such officers decided to destroy the peace of this nation and wage a war against other tribal groups. That was when the five majors decided to eliminate the Premiers of the North and West while letting the Igbo Premier go scot-free, to assassinate the Prime Minister who was a northerner after having advised the Igbo president to flee and letting the Igbo Senate leader go scot-free. To execute the Minister of Finance who was from the Mid-West; to execute the most senior military officers from the North and the West while letting the most senior military officer and army commander who was Igbo go scot-free. Not one prominent Igbo leader, military or civilian was touched . All the prominent civilian and military leaders from other regions were executed. The Igbo senate leader, acting for the Igbo president in his absence was, by the constitution, mandated to swear - in the most senior NPC minister as Prime minister. He did not. Instead, having consulted his Igbo President, and the president alone, he handed over power to the Igbo GOC in flagrant disregard for the provisions of the constitution. The speech of Nzeogwu, the magazines and newspapers published in the six months of the Ironsi government, his declaration of a unitary state, the provocation of northerners by Igbo traders who laughed at them in Sabon Gari markets, all of these are too recent, too well-documented to be rewritten.
The Igbo people were responsible for the first military coup in this country; They were responsible for the first attempt at ethnic cleansing; They were responsible for the first violation of constitutionally laid down succession procedures; they were responsible for the destruction of the federation and the creation of the unitary system of which they are now victims (since the initial objective was for the Igbos to dominate the other groups); they were responsible for Nigeria’s first civil war.

It makes no sense, in the face of these facts, repeat facts, for the Igbos to shed tears today and claim to have always been an aggrieved party. It will convince no one. Granted, the Igbo people as a whole must not be punished for the action of some. Granted, there can never be full reconciliation without justice and equity. Granted, the Igbo people, like all Nigerians, have the right to fight against perceived injustices. The way to do this is by integration into the country, by joining broad-based parties and establishing a system that guarantees all individuals and groups their rights and liberty. It is not by crying Biafra again. It not by following the man who led them to defeat and ran away to come back later and enjoy his wealth. The Igbos have always had alliances with other parts of the country. The astute political strategy is to go into one now. Tribalism will lead to defeat, once more, and even more humiliation.

As for the Yoruba, they have not been known to call for secession or the break-up of the country until recently in the aftermath of the June 12 crisis and Abiola’s death. One may not agree entirely with their description of themselves as peaceful people, but they clearly are a peace –preferring people, consistent with their well-known nature of seeking maximum enjoyment from life at minimal personal cost. The Yoruba instinctively know that more can be gained in peacetime than in war. Being business people, they have an acute sense of the risks of war and its implication in terms of destruction of accumulated wealth and property.

Yet in spite of this, the Yoruba have in their politics displayed two consistent streaks that have consistently kept them in opposition and cost them opportunities for coming to power. The first is vanity – a dangerous state of self-delusion borne of imagined intellectual and academic superiority over opponents and rivals alike. Thus, Yoruba politicians have consistently underestimated their northern opponents who thrive on wily intrigues and far-sighted manipulation of the political process. They have also assumed to their peril that other southern tribes would naturally acquiesce to their leadership and be lured into a southern alliance whose objective is to help secure supremacy and power for the south – west. Even the so-called Oduduwa republic assumes that the people of the former mid-west who had fought for an independent region in the sixties will willingly resubmit themselves to Yoruba domination. This is all in addition to the recent utterances of Afenifere calling for excision of the Yoruba of the north from Fulani domination, a call dismissed by a prominent northern Yoruba leader, Sunday Awoniyi, for its banality and presumptuousness.

The second streak is self-centredness. Of all the tribes in Nigeria who sometimes fight for parochial reasons, the Yoruba are the only group who clearly believe they are Nigeria. When they have what they want, Nigeria is good. Otherwise it is bad. When a Yoruba candidate loses an election (like Awolowo did in 1979 and 1983) it is rigging. When he wins (like Abiola in 1993) it is a landslide victory in a free-and-fair election. When Buhari overthrew a democratically elected and sworn-in government headed by Shagari, he was hailed as a reformer who came to fight corruption. When his tribunals jailed ‘progressive’ Yoruba governors for theft he became unpopular. When Babangida dissolved the election of Adamu Chiroma and Shehu ‘Yar Adua as flag-bearers of NRC and SDP the decision was hailed as patriotic and courageous even though it led to an extension of military dictatorship. When the same man annulled Abiola’s election it was a travesty of democracy. The list is too long to go through.

As a result of these two characteristics, the Yoruba have tended to be received by all other groups in Nigeria with one sentiment: mistrust. The Igbo people believe to this day that the Yoruba led them into the war pretending to be with them and dumped them at the last moment. During the Second Republic, a grand alliance of four opposition parties capable of winning power from the NPN achieved nothing when it became clear that for the Yoruba the issue was not one of supplanting a conservative government and installing a progressive one, but of securing the presidency for a Yoruba candidate – Chief Awolowo.

NADECO, whose members had been strident opponents of Abiola branding him Babangida’s boy, suddenly look up June 12 and tribalised the cause. Subsequent to Abiola’s death, the memorandum NADECO submitted to the Government of Abdulsalam Abubakar was such a comical exercise in vain hallucination and naïve optimism that one wonders if those that drafted it were in complete possession of their mental faculties.

The Yoruba have become Nigeria’s wailing tribe, detaching themselves from the rest of the country and alienating the people they hope to rule; abusing other Nigerians through their vociferous media and hoping for votes from the same Nigerians on ballot day.

The lesson in all this is that the Igbo, Yoruba and all Nigerians must learn by now that no one can win a national election on a tribal platform. Those clamoring to join Ojukwu’s Igbo party, and those attempting to transform Afenifere/NADECO into a tribal party are heading for a resounding defeat at the polls.

The presidency can, and perhaps should, move to the south. But it will be to a southerner who contests on the platform of Nigeria, not of his tribe. A southerner committed to the system, to the rule of law and to the principles of peace, justice, equity and freedom, not of avenging real or imagined wrongs; a Southerner like Chief Abiola who stands the chance of winning.

This is an opportunity to make (or unmake) history. But, sadly, it is being thrown away once more in what may be the commencement of a new cycle of defeat, frustration and wailing.

Those who portray themselves as neutral judges must apply same standards to everyone in passing their judgements.

The parts in bold are very contradictory. Why is it a taboo to judge the whole north by the deeds of the past power holders from the north but acceptable to heap the blame on the entire Igbo race because of the misadventure of 4 Igbo officers.

So the Igbo civilians deserved to be massacred in the north because traders "laughed" at northerners at Sabon Geri market ? Yeah, just like the Igbo provocation by that cartoon in Denmark.

I presume it is also acceptable to pass a collective judgement on the Yorubas because of those he mentioned ?

Bravo ! I will know when I see an unbiased opinion, but I will pass on this one.

Enough holes in the story to put a basket to shame.

Eziachi:
I might be your fool, but I rather be that than having your sort of wisdom. Unlike you evoking the sad memories Biafra bring to you mother, I saw the war myself, I fought in it at the age of 17. I was in Ogoja sector when the so-called ceasefire was signed. Me and five of my mates walked for days from Ogoja to Ikot Ekpene and then Aba and days later to Owerri navigating Nigerian soldiers still executing guys returning from the war front.

Biafra doesn’t represent war, war was declared on Biafra and we had to fight to defend the dignity you are enjoying today spewing rubbish on the internet. So don’t tell me about your mother’s sad memories because no Jew ever stopped talking about the holocaust just because it brings bad memories. The day they stopped talking about it, they are finish. Today across western Europe and the U.S they are remembering the D-Day that happened 65 years ago, it was a jolly good memory for the allied nations either.

Quoting Ojukwu as a non believer in Biafra at present shows your total ignorant and crass appeal. The same Ikemba that opened the seven storey Biafra house 2001 in Washington DC? That is not even the point because Ojukwu is not and will never be the beginning and the end of Biafra nation that is choices should determine for all of us. You may love Nigeria more than your grandmother but that is your cup tea as I neither hate the Nigerian state either but what I hate the is the present statue of Nigeria were everybody is fused together in a unitary state by the northern oligarchs drinking the Southern crude oil without let up with their southern collaborators.

Nigeria is a country of Nations, that should be allowed to exercise their right of independence with less powerful centre in Lagos and not Abuja and that was what everybody signed at the independent and the day they changed it, no one was consulted or asked. Not even the northerners will have signed for the type of Nigeria we have today at the London conference of 1958. That is what Biafra is all about and stop been sick as some of your generation will still be asleep even if the son of Dan Fodio drive them into the Atlantics. Wake up and smell the coffee.

Dede leeee !!! A na m ekele ooo !!!

I had uncles that fought all over the place as well and I have absolute respect for you all. One of them was a major and was killed at Nsukka sector. His younger brother was also at Ogoja Sector (Calabar ?) He was a 2nd Lt. and was among the last to pull out from Calabar. His story about how he was holed up at SPC Calabar for days is a classic to me.

I have also sat with many Biafran veterans ; good combat soldiers with war scars to show for it and their stories are amazing. These men should be heard, those that fought on both sides for there were many unsung heroes from both ends.

Biafran war had to be fought at that time because it was an act of self defence by a people facing total anhilation and humiliation. We fought and we lost in the end but not in shame.

Yes, I stand with you that "one Nigeria" must be a just entity where the dignity of man must be upheld at all times regardless of the ethnic nationality.

chidichris:
@ohazulike,
u have succeeded in telling a childish story that suits the primary school old days. with money, u can organise a ceremony that will attract bush, clinton and even obama. with the names u mentioned in ur childish story, they can gather and reverse the lagos state govt's decission. in politics, u can visit anybody u consider useful for ur interests.
if the ibos gathered to choose ur ohazulike, was it by election or what? what is the name u give to this process that saw him in as the ezendigbo? where is his palace? will his children inherit this title after his death or will this palace be shifted after his death? is it possible for u to go and inform ur ohazulike that the ibos are nolonger interested in him again?
come to the think of it, is there any ibo word like ohazulike? the answer is no as the correct ibo word shld be ohazurike.
if he is a type that helps others, thank God for his life but he is not qualified in any manner to make himself the ezendigbo in lagos as i and many others are not even aware of his existance till this time of banning.
like i said somewhere, other govs must borrow a leave from the lagos state govt and start banning other self acclaimed ezes both in nigeria and outside.
a semi lunatic in dubai goes about calling himself ezendigbo in dubai and i know all over the world, anambra/enugu ppl share this same madness as they think they are born to rule.
if we want to have any eze ndigbo anywhere, we must first of all define who the ibos are and seperate that from anambra/enugu ppl before we will know the ohazulikes.

Not to take anything away from what you have said, but you are wrong on that one. Different dialects will have the same name in these variations: Ohazuruike, Ohazuluike, Orazuluike etc.

Just like someone speaking in central Igbo cannot tell mu nwa bu onye Afara, Ibeku-Umuahia not to say Chi du mma, or Owerri Nchi Ise guy not to say Chi ri mma. Different dialects but standardised to Chi di mma. Get my drift ?

dnex:
I get quite confused when some individual comes onto a thread and boldly brandishes their ignorance by referring to Surface to Air Missiles as top secret U.S intelligence. I bow to you my fellow Nigerian. The following parts in bold are even more ignorant than presuming that SAMs are top secret US weapons.

I have said this before. When ordinary Mai Tatsine was disturbing the peace in the North, everyone claimed that the Nigerian Military could not defeat his army of kids. OPC came and people claimed their Juju could not be surmounted. There are all sorts of armed groups that have made their mark, but they were still quenched.

The Biafrans were the best prepared, the best organised, the most armed and with the largest armed forces. Besides also having an Airforce, they had Mercenary Swiss, French and Swedish fighters. They had as much supply of arms and communition as they wished to acquire from France, through Guinea, Cameroun and various other nations. They had a well organised propaganda media structure in Europe which drew foreign support, they had Radio Biafra at home and they were fighting a more genuine cause with more dedicated personnel. There was also discipline, for once in a while, Generals who failed woefully were sent to the firing squad. I know most of you are unaware of that.

Tell me, could it even have been possible for MEND or and band of kidnapping touts to challenge just a percent of that ruthless Biafran Military and survived?

I have said it before. If we want to end this melee in a week, all we need do is promise our Chinese allies that CNOOC would get a couple of oilwells, and they will set up a thermonuclear incident whose fallout will span Rivers to Ondo and take out every mammal that remains in the zone. All this JTF vs MEND is just for show.

When it hits the fan, MEND know they're no match. Let's all continue to hope somebody in Abuja is not taking this matter personal.

Please dont say what you know nothing about.

SubMacGun:
You get head for Neck and rest of headless chicken wey dey nairaland who cant think ( well them no get head sef ) It is symbotic relationship even with state of decay in nIgeira a large chunk of the food still comes from the north. Tanker drivers coming from the northern part to load petrol from NNPC in Rivers state bring down a large quantity of Yam tubers into the state and that is just one example.

I have never disputed the fact that food is cheaper in the north and there is a lot of food stuff flowing from the north to the south, which are fully paid for by the buyers in the south in any case. Southerners will probably have to device another way of cooking jollof rice without the tomatoes from the north. However, there are also food baskets in the south like Abakaliki, Afikpo and Ohaji in the south east.

With regards to food sustainability of the south, should either side stay on their own, the north will lose and poverty will increase further in the north if they refuse to sell to the south. They need the market in the south to continue to earn an income. On the other hand, if the south cannot get food from the north, they can either get them from Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Garbon or better still increase their production of food stuff just like Israel does not depend on the Arab states for food.

Like I said before, every part of Nigeria has something to offer, but lets try not to overstate southern dependence on the north for food as if the north is giving away the food stuff free of charge with no benefit to the producers.

Kobojunkie:
I don’t know how old your father is or where he lived, but I remember quite clearly that my monthly allowance in primary school could buy me up to 6 solid tubers of yam with no sweet. Back then, 10 kobo bought you good solid bread. I lived in Lagos, and we bought bread directly from the bakery at 10 kobo each during the break or in the mornings.
The north was in charge of food in that country and they did a good job supplying the country. Problems started when government started paying too much attention to oil and less on farming.

So, yeah!! Ask him why he lied to you.
That is up to your dad to decide.

By the way, It was not just peanuts that came from the north back then. Wheat, Sorghum, Rice, Tomatoes, Onions, Yam, Cheese etc came from the northern states back then.

Hmmm, I didn't realise that he was only bragging when he insisted on "Akaeze" rice from Afikpo or Abakiliki rice or Abakiliki and Afikpo yams. Those ohaji farmers must have been selling fake yams too. All those garri must have come from the north too. Too bad the south can not produce any of the three main staple foods in Nigeria.

Oh my gosh, they even imported plantains, bananas, egusi, ugu, ukazi, bitterleaf, okro, crayfish, fish, chicken and palm oil from the north .

Umuahia was a major railway town because it was a major palm oil depot in Africa. I guess they were just selling water in pretence. As far as I knew, ogbo mmanu (oil depot) in Umuahia formed a large chunk of the town back in the days but maybe my eyes were deceiving me.

Cashew, rubber, timber and Coacoa also came from the north.

I also bought bread at 10k. In fact my 50k lunch time money got me a combination of bread, coke + egg or bread, coke + groundnuts. N4.00 also took me back home from kaduna to Owerri at the end of the term. I also used to watch my mum hand over N1 in exchange for 54 cups of garri, which probably came from the north. Why the north had to stop planting eggs, bread and coke, I can never tell.

O.K that was in mid 80s, but by the time I left UNN in 96, N3 still got me a meal while my chilled bottle of star only set me back by N5.

Silly me, I thought I could do all those things because the economy was good and Naira had some value. I did not realise that those prices were possible because the north gave away free food to the south.

I did not realise that the cost of petrol rose from 70k/litre to N3.50 and then to N11 / N22 (days of parallel pricing) to what ever it is now because the north stopped supplying food to the south and stopped planting petrol as well !!! What do you expect from me when I shunned economics for further maths at secondary school. The errors of my ways, just moi to blame !!!

Lesson taught, lesson learnt; the high cost of things has nothing to do with the fall of Naira from N7 to $1 in 1990 to whatever it is now. Nothing to do with non-functional lnfrastructure and incessant petrol scarcity. Nothing to do with high cost of manufacturing as a result of unsteady power supply, leading to collapsed factories, which makes Nigeria more dependent on imports which adds even more pressure on the already weak naira. Once the north stopped being the food basket, everything went to pieces.

Thanx for unschooling me in just one day !!! What a feat.

Every section of the country has something to offer if they apply themselves to do so and I am an advocate of a united Nigeria, but that Nigeria has got to be fair to all.

SubMacGun:
look at these fools talking trash as usual.  Before the Oil exploration was perfected was the north not the food basket of Nigeria. Remember the groundnut pyramids.

Kobojunkie:
You dey mind them? Up till the early 80's, majority of the food in that country came from the north oo!!!

I didn't realise that southerners received free food allocation from the north in the past and my papa had the effrontery to complain about cost of yam and co. Thanx for exposing him; now , I need to ask him why he lied that he was paying for all those onions that came from the north when he received them free of charge.

On the other hand, if he was paying for the food stuff he bought; should he give special thanx to the trader who just took his money off him in exchange for food stuff ? Or maybe, next time he should just buy from the Cameroonian who realises the importance of his custom .

noblezone:
Biafra Government in Exile (BGIE) Position Statement on Nigerian Military Murdering Civilians in the Niger Delta May 20, 2009:

BGIE decries the recent and ongoing military expedition of Nigeria’s Armed Forces in the Niger Delta region starting this past week, which predictably has resulted in the indiscriminate killing of a large number of unarmed civilians, destruction of their homes and property, and the displacement and dislocation of hundreds of thousands of hapless men, women, children, youth, and elderly of the Niger Delta. BGIE strongly condemns this crime by Nigeria, a crime against the people of Biafra and against humanity.

Since the end of the Nigeria Biafra war in 1970 the Nigerian government has habitually and systematically been slaughtering innocent men, women, and children in Biafra and sacking towns and villages using its armed forces. Sadly the world has kept quiet. The Nigerian government aware that the world will remain silent and not pay attention and using her lobbying firms to shield these atrocities from the news media will continue with impunity its genocidal policy and actions against Biafrans.


However, BGIE expects men and women of goodwill of the world to finally take notice of the operative State policy of Nigeria which institutionalizes the rape of the Niger Delta and ongoing genocide against Biafrans. Nigeria Government Decrees: “Petroleum Resources Decree, 1969”; “Land Use Decree #6, 1978”; and “National Inland Waterways Decree #13, 1997,” unilaterally and incontestably took away the land, mineral resources and water resources and other property ownership and management rights of the peoples of the Nigeria Delta and Biafra without consultation or consent. Not only has the State of Nigeria impounded these resources from their rightful owners, but also the Nigerian military and political oligarchs have used the enormous financial resources accruing from these resources to amass huge financial fortunes for themselves while the rightful owners of the land and resources have been condemned to a life of poverty, misery, squalor, and privation. To add salt to injury, whatever is left after the oligarchs have looted the treasury they use to develop other parts of Nigeria while neglecting the Niger Delta, Biafra Region; all to the calculated, pernicious detriment of the Niger Delta and Biafra. The Niger Delta problem is not a “development problem.” It is a “justice problem.” Restore the land, mineral and water resources to the rightful owners and the Niger Delta problem will end very quickly.


BGIE expects courageous and practical people of the world to acknowledge the fact that the UN has adopted a principle that will be the centerpiece of the goal of restoring peace, security and stability to the region. In adopting Resolution A/61/295 supporting Self Determination of nations, races and peoples, the UN provided a mechanism for oppressed peoples and those, like the Niger Delta and Biafra, who are threatened by a failed and brutal State such as the State of Nigeria, to regain control of their respective destinies and dignity. While still reeling from the shock of the current Nigeria’s bloody attack on innocent and unarmed civilians of the Niger Delta, BGIE hereby dutifully offers a practical and effective way out of the quandary: the UN Self Determination resolution ought to be applied to the situation in Nigeria. We urge the peoples and nations in Nigeria to take this UN Resolution seriously and press for their respective Self Determination agenda. We urge the people, governments and institutions of the world to respect and support this Self Determination agenda for the people of Biafra and for peace in the Niger Delta. Thus, we can all invest in, and harvest, peace and stability in the region, while saving the lives of innocent humanity; thus, we can stop the ongoing second wave of genocide on the people of Biafra by Nigeria. Signed:

Dr. Emmanuel Enekwechi, Prime Minister


Government of the Federation of Biafra
Biafra Provisional Government: Biafra Government in Exile; Biafra Shadow Government


http://www.saharareporters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2799:biafra-government-in-exile-bgie-position-statement-on-nigerian-military-murdering-civilians-in-the-niger-delta&catid=114:press-releases&Itemid=362

People really need to stay clear of weed if they can't handle it - prime minister ko westminster ni.

kshow1:
@ poster: it is nearly imposible for money to be withdrawn from your account with your ATM card except there is a compromise somehow.
1. your ATM card was used by someone who has access to your card and PIN.
2. The card holder has released card details to scammers who usually send mails to the suspects to reveal to details cos they are upgrading the software.
3. The card holder have planned with a third party to use card, then go back to the bank to logde a complain.
4. The card holder have decided to defraud him/herself by withdrawing and going back to complian to the bank that money has been withdrawn from his/her account.
5. A bank official might have compromise your card by having all your card details.

All these are statement of facts cos i was once a head of operations in a nigerian bank.

ensure you follow up on them with the investigation cos the culprit might be someone you know.

Good luck.

Ever heard of card cloning ? Id theft + impersonation and obtaining a duplicate card ? Well, you can let Michael Akinlaja and his mates inform you the hard way. Must say I was lucky to nip it in the bud when Michael tried to hit me for six.

It is absolutely necessary to speak in a manner that most people will understand without straining their ears.

Most English speakers in Nigeria will understand the English spoken with US or British accent as long as the speaker speaks in a clear manner; in other words plain English or the TV English as I call it. The reverse is not the case as more Nigerians are exposed to English spoken with British or US accent than Americans and Brits exposed to Nigerian english.

Now if an American speaks only in heavy southern accent, other people will have to tune their ears into that speaking frequency to understand the speaker. The same applies to UK if someone speaks with heavy Scottish, Welsh, Irish or any of the northern accents. This brings the need to speak a common English that everyone understands.

Now, Americans, Brits and other English speakers will find it even more difficult understanding English spoken with heavy Nigerian accent.

Therefore, if anyone with Nigerian accent tries to speak in such a way that he is understood without having to repeat himself all the time, the person should be commended rather than criticized; afterall a Yoruba or Igbo Hausa-speaker does not go about saying "I am not going to make an effort to improve on my Hausa language because I prefer to speak Hausa with my Igbo or Yoruba accent, lest people say that I am speaking Hausa with a fake Hausa accent"

$osisi:
Oh sharap! kweku amponsah
you should be happy our people are coming over there to bring some beauty into Ghana
bunch of ugly  red lipped creatures
I hope your pedestrians wear neon signs at night since you all practically blend in with the night
It should be a law

I dont know what to make of you $Osisi. Sometimes, you are nice and sensible and other times you are like a raging lunatic. There are many psychos on Nairaland, but I have picked on you because I think you are really a nice person but those moments of   really take the shine off you.

Please disappoint me by not returning fire for fire, cos I've said all in good faith and against my principles.

What is worth doing, is worth doing properly. I do not think that it is unreasonable to demand to know the findings of an EIA before the commencement of the project for which the EIA was done.

There is always a solution to most problems and any recommendation by the EIA should be addressed in the method statement or method of work.

The project will add value to the Nigerian economy and hopefully the dredging will extend to Lokoja in the future.