₦airaland Forum

I need power to work and relax my nerves. It is my belief that NEPA/PHCN/IBEDC cannot solve Nigeria's electricity challenge. Thus I am looking for affordable renewable energy sources.

I don google tire and I keep coming across Saroda solutions on e-commerce sites (though still not friendly to my pocket). Does anyone know how reliable they are?

All is set for Season Three of the Goldberg Ariya Repete Roundtable, an annual intellectual discourse that focuses solely on Yoruba music. The roundtable, themed “Evolution of Yoruba Traditional music and the influence on modern Nigerian pop culture” is slated to hold on Tuesday, 6 March, 2018 at Park-Inn by Radisson, Abeokuta.

This year’s event is expected to attract key stakeholders in the Nigerian music industry including musicians of the Fuji and Juju genre, music producers and record label owners, music enthusiasts, historians, art reviewers, critics and members of the academia from across the Southwest of Nigeria.

Emmanuel Agu, Portfolio Manager, Mainstream Lager and Stout Brands of Nigerian Breweries Plc, said that the Ariya Repete Roundtable is a Goldberg initiative aimed at preserving the Yoruba Tradition and Culture through music.

According to him, “The Roundtable seeks to promote a robust intellectual discourse among key stakeholders in the music industry including Fuji, Juju and Hip-hop musicians across Yorubaland. This year’s edition will dissect the Yoruba music and how it has impacted and continues to impact on the modern pop culture of Nigerians.”

The keynote speaker at this year’s conference is Dr. Kola Adesina, Head, Department of Mass Communication of the Crescent University, Abeokuta, who will be complemented by an eminent group of panelists including Sir Shina Peter, Mr. Lekan Babalola, Mr. Muyiwa Osinaike, Prof. Olawole Fadipe, Wasiu Ayinde – K1 Ultimate, Taye Currency, Jawon, Clement Ige, Wole Sorunke (MC Murphy), and Hakeem Adenekan as they discuss the various dimensions of the theme.

Speaking on Ariya Repete Roundtable 2018, Senior Brand Manager – Regional Mainstream Brands of Nigerian Breweries, Funso Ayeni said: “This edition promises to be another highly-educative conference of stakeholders drawn from the academia, the entertainment industry and the media.

We are aware that the roundtable has become an important platform for discussing vital aspects of the music and culture of the Yorubas, so we have put everything in place to ensure a successful event.”

As is usually the case, the Roundtable will be followed by the annual Ariya Repete Audition holding across eight cities in the South West, including Ilorin. The audition stage will mark the beginning of an expanded music talent hunt for upcoming Fuji and Juju artistes.

The upcoming artistes selected from the audition exercises will proceed to the Ariya Academy where they will be trained on Yoruba music instruments, Fuji and Juju music by some prominent Juju and Fuji musicians to help hone their musical skills.

These renowned artistes will make presentations on fundamentals relating to appearance, composure, creativity, vocalisation, stage craft as well as other aspects of Fuji and Juju music to guide the contestants in their preparations for the semi-finals as well as the finals of the talent hunt.

It will be recalled that King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM1), and King Sunny Ade were among the panelists that mentored some of the contestants last year.

The winners of the competition in each category will be awarded the star prizes of two million naira each.

The Ariya Repete Roundtable is an initiative of premium quality lager beer, Goldberg, and is the first ever roundtable discourse on Yoruba music in Nigeria attracting stakeholders from traditional institutions, the academia, the entertainment industry and the media to provide informed thoughts on sustaining and promoting the rich heritage of Fuji and Juju music.


cc lalasticlala, Mynd44

http://thepunditng.com/goldbergs-ariya-repete-kicks-off-roundtable-conference-yoruba-music-abeokuta/

I’ve been natural for three years and it’s been a journey. And a not-so-easy one too, there are many things I wish I had known before embarking on this journey but it took a lot of learning and re-learning to get me this far. There are lots of content on the internet that will leave you misinformed especially when you’re new to the natural hair game. So here is my personal gift to you, a simple beginners’ guide to going natural.


Simple is the way to go
If you were looking for a long post about some complicated natural hair routine or natural hair regimen, then you’ve come to the wrong place. In fact from past experience, I can say that doing the most with your hair only impedes your hair health and growth. The simplest regimens are the best. My last-born sibling is just 5 and her hair is longer than mine (and she’s cut it twice). So we have both been natural for roughly the same number of years. But if there’s one thing I’ve learnt from her hair it’s that the simpler the better. All we do is moisturize and protect her hair and I started applying the same method to my hair too.

Step 1: Moisturize
Bantu knot out

Natural hair needs moisture, especially in our harsh weather. Dry hair is the number one cause of hair breakage, so you might think your hair is not growing but in reality it’s breaking faster than you can retain the length. The most popular technique for keeping your hair moisturized is the LOC method also known as LCO method. The L in LOC stands for liquid. Your hair needs water, water is life; so your liquid can either be water or a water-based product. You first spray water over your entire hair. Next is O, which stands for Oil; the oil is a sealant that keeps the water sealed into your hair strand, you can use coconut, olive oil or any other oil of your choice. While the final C stands for Cream; the cream helps to close the hair cuticle and keep both oil and water sealed in. You can use a leave-in conditioner for your cream, shea butter or any moisturizing natural hair cream.

Step 2: Protect


The next step is to do protective styles. The key to letting your hair grow is keeping it protected, you can leave out your afro once in a while but over-exposure to sun and harmattan really is not good for the hair. There are numerous protective natural hair styles to choose from; bantu knots, twists, finger coils, flat twists, thread and our usual African styles like all-back, etc. If you like variety, I’ll suggest doing all-back and rocking wigs, but don’t forget to keep your hair moisturized. For hair growth, low manipulation is key, instead of changing hairstyles every day or week, you can try one protective style every month, do this regularly while keeping your hair moisturized and I promise you, your hair will grow. Unfortunately, I love manipulating my hair a lot and I don’t mind the length because it’s not a competition, I just like to style my hair in different beautiful ways, you can say I’m obsessed. My point is, if you’re worried about length, keep manipulation minimal.

Natural Hair Beginners Kit
There are some things you’d need for this journey, let’s just call it a starter kit.

Satin pillowcase or bonnet – The usual cotton pillowcases are bad news for your hair and even skin. Satin silk reduces friction so using it will reduce friction, keep your hair neat and minimize tangles. It is also great for your facial skin because unlike abrasive material like cotton, wool, etc, satin doesn’t draw in moisture from your skin, it simply glides instead of pulling on your skin thereby reducing wrinkles and acne. Keep in mind that you should wash your pillowcase every few days or at least once a week to remove natural oils from your face/hair and product residue as this can clog your skin pores.
Leave-in conditioner
Deep conditioner
Spray bottle
Oil
Moisturizing Cream
Wide-tooth comb
Edge control and small brush – To get those sleek edges
Satin/silk scarf – To lay down those sleek edges, can also be used in place of bonnet or pillowcase
Hair clips, pins and accessories





http://yorubachic.ng/simple-beginners-guide-to-going-natural-in-nigeria-starter-kit/

Valar Morghulis Calabar Witch. Hanging out with you that Sunday afternoon in Abeokuta will be a cherished memory forever

The support for Kemen or TBoss in the alleged attempted rape in the house of Big Brother Naija has continued on social media, comedy shows and other channels, with many claiming that if Kemen was in a first world country, he would have been charged with attempted rape.

Now it seems that brands have thrown their hat in the ring as a confectionery outfit, Buttercup Cakes, has come out to support Kemen's actions on Twitter - despite the former housemate unreservedly apologizing for his act that led to his eviction.


Check out what the brand said in the screenshots.

Please listen to the heartbreaking story of Kolade Olajide Fowoshere, who claims to be an Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) ex-medical student at Ibara Prisons in Abeokuta waiting to be hanged since March 14, 2014 as broadcast on Rockcity 101.9 FM Special Report.


[OAU MEDICAL STUDENT IN IBARA PRISON WAITING TO BE HANGED](https://clyp.it/dvtxlrmd)



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmyAqT-rOvw

ToLet.com.ng is Nigeria's fastest growing online real estate start-up. We provide a property rentals platform that helps Lagosians navigate the stressful, frustrating and unstructured Lagos property rental market.

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Truck Drivers (https:///forms/86GfeP1Rp7zC2DOC3)
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Internship roles are also available for those who haven't completed NYSC. Apply here: https:///forms/86GfeP1Rp7zC2DOC3

2016 has been a good year for Nigerian pop singer Wizkid, with his latest conquest at the recently-held MTV African Music Award (MAMA) in South Africa – winning 3 awards including the Artist of the Year – cementing his place as the reigning king of African music scene.

He has been an undeniable force in 2016, exporting African sound to global audience especially with the chart-topping record-breaking collaboration with Canadian rapper Drake on One Dance. He’s on top of his game.

What can Starboy (Yes, Mr Weeknd, you are a cheap thief) do to take his game to the next level on his forthcoming album?

Stop writing lousy lyrics.

I love Wizkid’s music since the days of Pakurumo and Love My Baby – which I consider an evergreen – and he’s constantly dropped hits that I love so much, like On Top Your Matter.

However some of his other songs including Tease Me, Jaiye Jaiye and In My Bed would have been very great pop songs…except they are thematically incoherent.

Let’s examine some of the lyrics of the three examples:

Tease Me is a song of seduction and wooing of a girl which devolves into a praise-singing tune of himself and his friends.

In Jaiye Jaiye, we have a lovely Afrobeat (the real Afrobeat) tune accentuated with masterful saxophone by Femi Kuti with lyrics talking about his dreams, aspirations and thanking God for his triumphs…until it tries to infuse too much Fela – “If you call her woman, African woman no go gree”.

In My Bed has a good club tune unfortunately watered down when he started praise-singing politicians and moneybags.

These are just some examples of why many of Wizkid’s songs will be ridiculed in the next 20 years or so like we do to Remedies’ Shako mo nowadays.

What Starboy should do is stick to just one subject per song in his forthcoming album, and his musical legacy – what we’ll remember him for when the light is off and the noise of the crowd has died down – will be that of a singer who made evergreen music.

Like he did on Ojuelegba.

http://revue.ng/wizkid-stop-writing-lousy-lyrics/

Cucumber is a great fruit. I just don’t know why many people really don’t like it much, especially ladies.

So here are a couple of reasons which hopefully will change your minds about the lovely long multifunctional and widely advantageous fruit.

Health advantages: Duh, does this even need to be discussed? From the fact that they contain water hence helps hydration to the vitamins the give, helps fight toxins, great for cancer patients, helps lose weight etc. Look, cucumbers are great and I doubt there is one nutritionist out there that will make an argument against cucumber (except the ones that have a chronic case of bad belle)
Cheap: Unlike pineapples, apples and the likes, cucumbers are cheap. You can get one medium-sized cucumber for as low as 80 Naira. You don’t have to break your purse going out or having to go on dates with the hope that the guy will give you his cucumber. Aunty, just go to Mama Chidinma down the road and get one. No sweat.
Availability: You don’t have to go far to get a cucumber. Sure there is that bachelor neighbour that is always doing shakara because he has a lifetime supply of cucumbers or your best friend always taunting you with tales of how her boyfriend gives her cucumber. Buy yours. And unlike “seedless grapes” you don’t have to go to the abroad to get them. Just remember Mama Chidinma has quality ones
Fun sized: Have you seen watermelons or breadfruits? Huge things that are big and difficult to carry. Even eggplants have nothing on the size of cucumbers. They are sleek and can be hidden from those nosy friends that love to borrow any and everything. They can even get to hard-to-reach areas including those places eggplants can’t touch. Cool huh?
They Fit in your bag: Remember how you were at that party in Anambra and everyone was served except you? If you had a cucumber in your bag, you could have just enjoyed it in your room and you wouldn’t have gone to bed thirsty [sorry meant hungry] while listening to your friend in the next room eat.
They Fill You Up: Cucumbers don’t leave you hungry once you know what size does it for you and you get them. You just wash them up and get started with them.
No Heartbreaks: Cucumbers don’t break hearts, they are reliable and will always be available to satisfy your thirst or hunger whenever you get hungry. No need to call anyone to bring food and the person does not come or gives the food to someone else leading to you becoming heartbroken – and hungry.
They can be shared: What’s better than eating cucumbers? Sharing them with your girlfriends. Do I even need to explain this?

http://revue.ng/a-few-reasons-why-ladies-love-or-should-love-cucumbers/

“Visit is free.” That is the first thing you see as you walk into the waiting area of Ikoyi Prisons. It is on an A4 sheet pasted on the wall; black and white; possibly, Times New Roman font, size 28.

The mocking nature of those 3 words hit me when I enter the waiting area. On my left are two benches with several people sitting on them — male and female. Across from me, close to a window at the other end of the waiting area is a desk with two prison officials sitting on chairs and attending to four people in front of them. I leave the nylon bag with the food I got for my brother at Chicken Republic on Awolowo Road on the last bench and join the queue in front of the officials’ desk.

“Number 47,” official one behind the desk calls out. A woman gets off one of the benches, walks to the desk and stands in front him. “Write your full address on the letter,” he tells her and hands her a piece of paper. It gets to my turn and I tell him I want to see my brother. He rips out a sheet of paper from a ‘Higher Education’ notebook and writes “number 55” at the top of it. He tells me I need to write an application to visit.

“If you don’t have change I can give you,” says official two sitting behind the desk when someone tells him he doesn’t have change. As I turn back to sit and write the letter, I notice that on the wall facing the office, is an almost identical A4 sheet, with “Visit is free” in landscape format. I shake my head and laugh quietly at the audacity and ‘satire’ unveiling right here. They don’t care. They are telling you to your face, “What are you going to do about it?” “No pay nah make we see how you wan take enter here today.”

A man is sitting on the bench where my brother’s food is, holding a letter, and I ask to see it so I will know the information required for the application. As I finish asking, someone says wo ni be yen” (look at it there) as he points at a part of the wall close to the entrance. I notice a higher education sheet of paper pasted on the wall, thank him and walk there to read it. It is the format for the visit application letter.

I finish writing the letter, and join the queue again. I hear official one telling a woman the minimum he will collect is ₦200. She pleads with him saying that’s all she has. He ignores her at first, but attends to her after attending to two other people. He looks at the letter and says, “how many people are visiting?” The woman says four. He replies, “your money nah ₦800” and puts her letter away while the woman pleads with him along with her three companions. As if it’s some kind of sick humour, official one starts getting upset because people are handing over money to him in plain sight. He orders everyone on the queue to put the money inside their letter, and fold it before handing over to him.

When it gets close to my turn, I am thinking about how I can avoid giving him ₦200. So I tell him I don’t have change. Official two replies, “change dey.” There seems to be no other option. I hand over a ₦500 note to him and he hands backs two ₦200 notes and ₦100. I put ₦200 inside the letter, hand it over to official one and he tells me to sit down until my number is called.

A few minutes pass and another prison official comes into the waiting area and starts calling out numbers. Mine is one of them. We are 8 people in all and he tells us to follow him. We get to the gate of the prison. As I enter, I can see the prison courtyard through another gate a few metres in front of me. There are inmates everywhere — walking around, sitting down in small groups — some in prison uniforms. Then I see my brother talking to his colleague who was arrested with him.

On the left of the entrance is an office. In front of the office is a prison official sitting behind a desk and chair. There’s a queue in front of him. I join the queue. On the wall above the desk is another paper — “Visit is free.” It gets to my turn. He asks for my phone, collects it, puts a piece of paper that has a number written on it on the back of the phone and wraps a rubber band around it. There is a duplicate piece of paper with the same number which he gives to me and tells me to hand over ₦100. I hand over the money and proceed to the second gate that leads to the prison yard.

On the right side of the gate is a small entrance for people to walk through into the courtyard. On the left, against the wall is a man and woman, both prison officials, who search the food and other items visitors bring. If it’s food, they say you should taste it. I stand in front of the woman and greet her. The man, who is busy with another visitor, finishes with the person and asks me what I have in the nylon bag. I say rice, and he says I should taste it. I don’t think he really cares whether I do or not because I open the pack of food, but I don’t taste it. He doesn’t notice this — I am sure all he is thinking about is the money he will get from me. Immediately I tell him I am done, he says, “wetin dey for the boys nah?” I stick my hand into my pocket and give him ₦100.

Everyone who has been searched is told to move to the right. A prison official holds our letters in his hands and starts calling out names. After calling out each name, he passes the letter through the courtyard gate to an inmate. I quickly realise the job of the inmate is to get the inmate who is being visited and take him to the warden’s office. My brother’s name is called and I enter the courtyard while the inmate sets off to get him.

There’s a building on the right and an entrance leading into what is the warden’s office. Some inmates tell me to go in there. Inside, there’s an outer office which leads to the main office. Inside this office, there are benches on all sides against the wall and benches opposite those benches with space for people to walk through. There is a desk where the warden sits facing the benches. The benches against the wall are for inmates while the others are for visitors, so you will know who is a visitor and who is not. I look around the office — there’s a calendar, the “visit is free” poster and some pictures. I see a board for roll call. There are 2,500 inmates in Ikoyi prisons on that day.

Minutes later, my brother has not come. I look around for the inmate who went to get him. I spot the guy, we make eye contact and I signal with my hand that he should come close. When he does, I say, “you never see am? Hin dey sit on top that stone wey dey that side,” pointing to the part of the courtyard where I saw my brother. “Hin wear brown native.” He heads out again.

Moments after, my brother walks in. He sits down and tells me everything that happened in court, including the bail conditions. “Do everything you can to get me out of here tomorrow, he says, after the narration. I tell him I will do my best.

Today is Sunday.

https://medium.com/@iskminov/welcome-to-ikoyi-prisons-part-one-d7570d7bcaa8#.khfve742p

All is not well with Ogun State and has not been for about five or so years. Forget the bridges built in places without a history of traffic jam or media jamborees like the one of hosting President Buhari to mark 40 years of the state's creation (as if we were the only one celebrating such) and the model schools that have not been completed 5 years after they were started. Some fundamental/primary things are being left to rot while needless grandiose things have become the raison d'être of the government.

The one that is highly shocking is that of the unannounced "suspension" of promotional examination in all government secondary school. My little cousin has come home four days in a row a little more dispirited than the previous day because the examinations scheduled to start on the 18th of July has not yet commenced as at yesterday 21st. Children prepare to go and do PROMOTIONAL examinations and are met with hand-wringing teachers who are also devoid of information of what exactly is going on.

This begs the question: WHY DID THE AMOSUN ADMINISTRATION MOVE TO CENTRALIZE EXAMINATION FOR ALL SCHOOLS? Since the start of this new system by the administration, it has been bedevilled and plagued with shodiness, ineptness and unpreparedness. Many say this is an example of many half-baked policy that has been churned out which take no cognisance of realities on ground or the real suffering and yearnings of Ogun people, but that is a matter for another day.

All we want is that our children learn in good schools and do exam when they are scheduled to without the additional emotional roller-coaster of "Will exam hold?". If the Ogun State Ministry of Education cannot conduct a standardized examination for all students as scheduled, then it's a shame. It should accept defeat and bring back decentralized examinations. We will forgive them. For a while.

Dear Sir,

I am writing to you because I sincerely believe you have the best interests of Nigerians at heart and that you are working to ensure that Nigerians get the best healthcare possible.

There have been some disturbing events in recent times, emanating from the office you oversee; the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH).

I will highlight a particular one which is currently sending a message to Nigerians that there are some elements in the Ministry of Health who do not have the goal of giving Nigerians access to the best possible healthcare.

Nigerians greeted the news that the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) was on inspection of Medical Laboratories in Lagos with joy. As reported in many newspapers/dailies, substandard medical laboratories were shut down while borderline offenders were sanctioned and given a grace period to correct the errors observed in their facilities.

This was starting to become reminiscent of the glory days of NAFDAC under the late Prof. Dora Akunyili when the Pharmaceutical industry was sanitized during her watch.

The Medical Laboratory arena in Nigeria is in dire need of a similar cleaning of the Augean stables. A situation where quacks and unethical practices run unchecked and continue to proliferate is terrible and a major contribution to the abysmally poor health indices of our dear country, Nigeria.

To later read that the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) was stopped by the Federal Ministry of Health from carrying out her legitimate duty (as backed by law) is shocking to say the least.

That the inspection which was a step in the right direction was stopped and a disturbing removal of the MLSCN CEO/Registrar happened at about the same time sends negative signals. Are there sacred cows in the Nigerian healthcare system whose toes are being stepped upon by the inspection?

In this era of change, Nigerians need reassurances that those at the helm of affairs have their best interests at heart. A failure to get this, portends grave danger for the polity. We should not get to the point where Nigerians completely lose trust in the Nigerian healthcare system; we are already dangerously close to that.


It is my hope that this letter spurs a reversal of the letter that directed the halting of the Medical Laboratory inspections by MLSCN. Doing this will send a message to Nigerians that the Federal Ministry of Health truly cares about the quality of results generated by Medical Laboratories across the country; and thus the health of Nigerians.

Thank you very much Sir for taking the time to read and reflect on this issue.


With the very best regards,

Arike O.


P.S.

This is not my official name (though my name) as my intention is not to put a focus on my person but to put a spotlight on the matter at hand.

Ajala is a short form on Alajala... Which means Victor. The Ajalas are warriors and are therefore Ogun worshippers, hence the statement: "Ajala al'aja n'ibon"

Is the 2 gig ram expandable?

This list is sooo flawed. How can P-square's "No one be like you" be higher than "Oruka" by Sunny Nneji? If Tony Tetuila's "My Car" is here, where is "Gongo Aso" by 9ice?

Mynd44:
I don't know the other contestants so.....

Well I vote Temigrace abi na Temigracie.

I vote for this person too

As the 2015 general elections draw closer, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could have one or two lawsuits to contend with over the insistence of some of its members to contest its presidential primary with President Goodluck Jonathan even after the party’s organs had endorsed President Jonathan as the sole presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2015 elections.

Two of the aspirants, Dr. Abdul-Jhalil Tafawa-Balewa and Prof. Akasoba Duke-Abiola, were at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja on Tuesday to purchase the forms, but they were turned back, Punch reports.

First to arrive was Tafawa-Balewa, who hails from Bauchi State. He is also the son of Nigeria’s First Republic Prime Minister, the late Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa.

Tafawa-Balewa had on September 21 condemned the action, which he said was a plot by the leadership of the party to frustrate other presidential aspirants.

He insisted that he would not be intimidated by such a decision and vowed not to be cowed.

He wondered the type of democracy that was being practised by the PDP.

“What type of democracy do we have? Is the PDP a communist party? Where is the place of internal democracy?”

Tuesday, Tafawa-Balewa stormed the party’s national secretariat with his supporters and bank tellers, with which he had hoped to purchase the presidential nomination and expression of interest forms.

The bank tellers indicated that he deposited N22million into the account of the party with Zenith Bank.

The breakdown of the fees showed that he paid N20million as nomination fee and another N2m for the expression of interest form.

He paid the money into the party’s account Number 1012436478 with the Zenith Bank.

Rather than being issued his forms, the aspirant claimed that he was told by officials of the party that the forms were not ready.

The party is expected to stop the selling of forms to all the aspirants on Thursday (tomorrow).

Tafawa-Balewa said he was told that all other forms were on sale except the presidential nomination and expression of interest forms.

“I have paid for my forms. I was however told that they don’t have the forms ready. No matter, I am still here. I will send some of my people here on Thursday to come and pick the forms.”

He said he went to the office of the Secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, and the National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, but was denied the forms.

Asked whether he was not aware that all the party organs had endorsed the President, Tafawa-Balewa said those organs were mere little organs of the party and were not superior to its Constitution.

Speaking on the refusal of the party to present her with her forms, Duke-Abiola, who is one of the widows of the late Chief MKO Abiola, described the action of the party as questionable.

Displaying the Diamond Bank Teller with which she paid her N2m to the party’s bank account, Duke-Abiola wondered why the party would issue her receipts and refused to sell the forms to her.

Female aspirants, like her, are expected to pay just N2m for the expression of interest form while the nomination form is free for them.

The party claimed it took the decision to encourage female aspirants to run for elective offices.

The presidential aspirant said she was told by the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu and Mustapha that the party printed only one form.

“I have the receipt from the party after paying my money. But they said they printed only one presidential nomination form, even though the guidelines do not say that.

“The NOS and the National Chairman said the party printed only one form. I asked that they should give the one they printed to me since I was there. They laughed and said whether I didn’t know who they printed it for. This is a fraud,” she said.

She said that she would not ask for a refund of her money, but that the party must sell the forms to her, having paid for them since she said there was vacancy in Aso Rock.

In his reaction, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, said he was not aware that the aspirants came.

He said he would need to find out from Mustapha before he could react to the allegations.

Asked if the party would sell presidential forms to other aspirants, he said he would also consult Mustapha.

“I will have to find out from the National Organising Secretary, because I’m not directly involved in the selling of forms. I’m only involved in the management of the image of the party,” he said.



Source: http://www.ekekeee.com/pdp-prints-just-one-presidential-nomination-form-yet-receives-money-aspirants/

It is my firm belief that Over-population, and not corruption, is the main problem with Nigeria. Our endemic corruption stems from our being over-populated.

What do you think will happen when say a hundred million people are to use resources that are meant for 10 million people to live to survive? People will try to game the system since their personal survival and comfort will be tied to how much of the system they can bend. Hence preponderance of corruption. People will bribe, seduce or even do some religious something hoping a God/god will drive the system in their favour....hence our madness a la religion. MAULAG, UI, OAU etc were built for a population size of how much? Juxtapose that to the number they have to cater for now. Now multiply that for very Institution. Before you qoute other countries, let's do their analysis: USA is on its knees economically; China is trying...and also has a very strict one-child per couple policy for years now; India slums are the worst in the world, closely followed by Brazilian and Indonesian (sex tourism nation o) slums...all their so-called economic growth is Johnny Bravo style (top-heavy) and resembles the "Africa Rising" nonsense every sane individual is tired of.


Now take a look at Kuwait, Ghadaffi's Libya, Botswana, Namibia, Brunei, Bahrain and tell me what you see.

By Tim Cocks

OTA Nigeria (Reuters) - When a guesthouse belonging to one of Nigeria's leading Christian pastors collapsed last month, killing 115 mostly South African pilgrims, attention focused on the multimillion-dollar "megachurches" that form a huge, untaxed sector of Africa's top economy.

Hundreds of millions of dollars change hands each year in these popular Pentecostal houses of worship, which are modeled on their counterparts in the United States.

Some of the churches can hold more than 200,000 worshippers and, with their attendant business empires, they constitute a significant section of the economy, employing tens of thousands of people and raking in tourist dollars, as well as exporting Christianity globally.

But exactly how much of Nigeria's $510 billion GDP they make up is difficult to assess, since the churches are, like the oil sector in Africa's top energy producer, largely opaque entities.

"They don't submit accounts to anybody," says Bismarck Rewane, economist and CEO of Lagos consultancy Financial Derivatives. "At least six church leaders have private jets, so they have money. How much? No one really knows."

When Nigeria recalculated its GDP in March, its economy became Africa's biggest, as previously poorly captured sectors such as mobile phones, e-commerce and its prolific "Nollywood" entertainment industry were specifically included in estimates.

There was no such separate listing for the "megachurches", whose main source of income is "tithe", the 10 percent or so of their income that followers are asked to contribute.

As the churches have charity status, they have no obligation to open their books, and certainly don't have to fill in tax returns -- an exemption that is increasingly controversial in Nigeria, where poverty remains pervasive despite the oil riches.

The pastors argue their charity work should exempt them.

"We use the income of the church to build schools, we use the income of the church to serve the needs of the poor," David Oyedepo, bishop of the popular Winners Chapel, told Reuters in an interview. "These are non-profit organizations."

PASTORS ON FORBES LIST

Nonetheless, the surging popularity of the megachurches among the Christians who make up half of Nigeria's 170 million population has propelled their preachers into the ranks of the richest people in Africa.

In 2011, Forbes magazine estimated the fortunes of Nigeria's five richest pastors. Oyedepo topped the list, with an estimated net worth of $150 million.

He was followed by "Pastor Chris" Oyakhilome of Believers' LoveWorld Incorporated, also known as the Christ Embassy and popular with executives and politicians, on $30 million to $50 million.

TB Joshua, pastor of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, at the center of the recent diplomatic storm over the deaths in its guesthouse, was thought to have $10 million to $15 million.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) declined to comment on how churches fit into their GDP figures, but a source there said they were included as "non-profit", which falls under "other services" in the latest figures. In 2013, the category contributed 2.5 percent of GDP, the same as the financial sector.

A former banker at Nigeria's United Bank for Africa, who declined to be named, recalled being approached five years ago by a church that was bringing in $5 million a week from contributions at home or abroad.

"They wanted to make some pretty big investments: real estate, shares," he said. "They wanted to issue a bond to borrow, and then use the weekly flows to pay the coupon."

In the end, he said, the bank turned down the proposal on ethical grounds.

Yet Nigerian churches do often invest large amounts of their congregations' money in shares and property, at home and abroad, he and another banking source said.

One pastor bought 3 billion naira ($18 million) worth of shares in the defunct Finbank, which later merged with FCMB, after it was rescued in a bail-out in 2009, a fund manager who handled the deal told Reuters. The pastor used a nominee trust account to keep his name off the books.

In 2011, Oyakhilome was investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and charged with laundering $35 million of contributions to his church in foreign bank accounts. He denied all wrongdoing and the case was dismissed for lack of evidence.

Oyakhilome was not available for comment and Joshua's media team declined a request for an interview with him.

MIDAS TOUCH

Oyedepo's headquarters, "Canaanland", is a 10,500-acre (4250-hectare) campus in Ota, outside the commercial capital Lagos. It comprises a university, two halls of accommodation, restaurants and a church seating 50,000 people, with a total overflow capacity of five times that.

"You can see that everything this man touches turns to gold," Nigerian Agriculture Minister Akinwumi Adesina said in a speech at a reception for Oyedepo's 60th birthday at Canaanland last month.

"May the grace of God abide with you," he added, to a rapturous "Amen!" from the guests in a marquee.

Other dignitaries present included twice-president Olusegun Obasanjo and former military ruler Yakubu Gowon. A choir sang gospel songs as the guests cut an elaborate six-tiered cake and popped fizzy grape juice out of champagne bottles in golden wrapping -- alcohol is banned in Canaanland.

The next day, he delivered four Sunday services in a row to tens of thousands of cheering followers, his white-suited figure projected onto large flat-screen televisions all around.

"From today, no evil spirit, no demon will survive the Almighty!" he shouted, and the crowd roared "Amen!".

A spokesman said the church has 5,000 branches across Nigeria, and 1,000 more in 63 other countries across five continents. But Oyedepo's empire also includes two fee-paying universities that he built from scratch, a publishing house for Christian self-help books, and an elite high school.

Other pastors have similarly diversified ways of getting the Gospel of Christian salvation out.

Oyakhilome owns magazines, newspapers and 24-hour TV station, and Joshua draws miracle-seekers from all over the world with claims that the holy water he has blessed cures otherwise incurable ailments such as HIV/AIDS.

Before Joshua built his 10,000-seat headquarters at Ikotun-Egbe in outer Lagos, the area was part swamp, part abandoned industrial estate.

Now, it is a boom town with shops, hotels, eateries and bars catering largely to the travelers who come not only from West Africa but also from all corners of the globe to hear his sermons. Joshua also runs a TV station.

"BLESSED BY THE LORD"

Guests entering Oyedepo's birthday marquee in Canaanland would have seen a picture of the poor household in southwest Nigeria where he grew up, testament to a rags-to-riches story that many Nigerians would love to emulate.

Like U.S. televangelists, Winners Chapel preaches the "prosperity gospel" that faith in Jesus Christ lifts people out of poverty, and that message partly explains the explosion of the Pentecostal movement in sub-Saharan Africa, where misfortune and poverty are often seen as having supernatural causes.

"We see giving as the only way to be blessed. Blessing other people is a way of keeping the blessings flowing," said Oyedepo, whose blessings include a Gulfstream V jet and several BMWs.

Giving to support the church and its work is something the faithful are encouraged to do, a Christian tradition that was a pillar of the Roman Catholic church in medieval Europe, just as it has been a major money-spinner for U.S. televangelists.

Aneke Chika, a business analyst in an oil services company, told Reuters on the steps of Oyedepo's church that she set aside 20,000 naira of her 200,000 naira ($1,218) salary every month.

Asked about Forbes' estimate of his fortune, Oyedepo told Reuters: "For me, to have fortune means someone who has what he needs at any point in time. I don't see myself as having $150 million stacked up somewhere. Whatever way they found their figures, I am only able to say I am blessed by the Lord."

He said he could not estimate the church's total revenues or expenditure on items such as salaries because the various departments, including education, were too diverse.

The enterprises on the Canaanland campus, from the shops selling cold sodas and bread, to a woman boiling instant noodles and eggs for breakfast in a lodge, to pop-up book stalls hawking Oyedepo's prolific literary output, are owned by the church's estate, which employs their staff on its payroll, workers at all the outlets told Reuters.

Winners Chapel's Corporate Affairs department said the church employed more than 18,000 people in Nigeria alone.

Oyedepo says the wealth the church gathers is invested in expanding it, and that if he did not use a private jet, he would be unable to oversee its many foreign operations and still return to Ota every week in time for Sunday's worship.

Britain's Charity Commission says it is reviewing potential conflicts of interest in his finances, and last month the Home Office (interior ministry) barred him from Britain, though it declined to say why.

Oyedepo said he knew nothing of the commission's review, nor had the Home Office explained to him why he was barred.

A national conference to debate Nigeria's constitution this year proposed that the megachurches should be taxed.

But with an election coming up in February, it is debatable whether President Goodluck Jonathan, who is close to several megapastors, would risk upsetting these influential men and their hefty congregations with a fat tax bill.

"There is no single government input on this premises," Oyedepo told Reuters in the interview. "We supply our water, we make our roads, then you ... say: 'Let's tax them'. For what?"

(1 US dollar = 164.2 naira)

(Additional reporting by Chijioke Ohuocha in Lagos and Ahmed Aboulenein in London; Editing by Pascal Fletcher and Kevin Liffey)




From: http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0I104F20141012?irpc=932

Is Ebola the ISIS of biological agents? Is Ebola the Boko Haram of AIDS? Is Ebola the al-Shabaab of dengue fever? Some say Ebola is the Milosevic of West Nile virus. Others say Ebola is the Ku Klux Klan of paper cuts. It’s obvious that Ebola is the MH370 of MH17. But at some point the question must be asked whether Ebola isn’t also the Narendra Modi of sleeping sickness. And I don’t mean to offend anyone’s sensitivities, but there’s more and more reason to believe that Ebola is the Sani Abacha of having some trouble peeing. At first there was, understandably, the suspicion that Ebola was the Hitler of apartheid, but now it has become abundantly clear that Ebola is actually the George W. Bush of being forced to listen to someone’s podcast. Folks, this thing is serious. The World Health Organization calls it the Putin of Stalin. In layperson’s terms, that’s like saying it’s the Stalin of U2. Now we are seeing the idea thrown around that it could be the Black Hand of the Black Death, not to mention the Red Peril of the Red Plague. If you don’t want to go that far, you have to at least admit that Ebola is the Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb of Stage IV brain cancer. At this point, it’s very possible that Ebola could become airborne and turn into the Tea Party of extreme climate events. Throughout the country of Africa, Ebola is the Abu Ghraib of think pieces. Look, I’m not the politically correct type, so I’m just going to put this out there: Ebola is the neo-Nazism of niggling knee injuries. The kind of threat it poses to the American way of life essentially makes it the North Korea of peanut allergies. I’m not going to lie to you, and I don’t care what color you are, you could be red, green, blue, purple, whatever; you need to understand that Ebola (the Obama of Osama, but don’t quote me) is literally the “Some of my best friends are black” of #NotAllMen. But the burning question no one has raised yet is whether Ebola is the Newsweek of halitosis. We’ll go to the phones in a moment and get your take on this. But first let me open the discussion up to our panel and ask whether Ebola is merely the Fox News of explosive incontinence, or whether the situation is much worse than that and Ebola is, in fact, the CNN of CNN.



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