Someone around should help me dish a hot slap to Femi Fani-Kayode, the overnight human rights activist who is seeking relevance at all costs.
I actually gave up reading his dry attention-seeking piece which represented the musings of a bitter opportunist who is shocked at his being out of favour with the current set of vampires.

I agree with dmainboss on the fatal errors made by labour in challenging the oil subsidy removal without being strategic.
Personally, I would have liked labour to embrace subsidy removal but use the opportunity provided by the mass support for the strike to compel Jonathan  to  institute far-reaching measures to entrench good governance, minimize waste in government and tackle corruption frontally.
Imagine if labour had compiled a list of projects for the government to complete within 12 months of 50% subsidy removal like Abuja-Lokoja expressway, Kano-Lagos railway line, Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Owerri-Port Harcourt expressway, Ajaokuta Steel Company etc. Imagine the benefits these infrastructural interventions would have on our lives as Nigerians. I also expected them to have insisted on the prosecution of Nigerians indicted in the Halliburton, Wilbros and Siemens scandals. But they went ahead, gored on by angry politicians like Bakare and El Rufai, (who happily hugged the opportunity to get back at their nemesis - Jona') to insist on N65 or nothing.
Now we have lost a golden opportunity to extract something tangible from this aimless government.
At the end of the day, Jona' is a loser having squandered the opportunity provided by the mass nationwide resentment to win back the hearts of the people.
Labour is another loser having started a war  in which  obstinacy prevented clear thinking and strategic approach thereby leaving the citizenry frustrated and disenchanted. My word to describe NLC and TUC: retards.
Nigerians however are the biggest loser having being forced to live with a 50% increase in petrol price without concrete enunciation of what will be done with the money generated.
In all, I believe in working towards what I call "incremental revolution" in Nigeria, not this idyllic kill-all-politicians mantra being mouthed by sweet-talking and eloquent Marxist demagogues.

@occupy2day:

If An Okada Man Was Buying One Litre Of Fuel @ #97 And He Pays #100 Who would Give Him Change Of #3?

This argument does not hold water.

People usually buy petrol by stating the amount (in naira) that they want. They don't have to state it in terms of litre.

In other words, you can buy N100, N500 or N850 worth of petrol and the pump will automatically dispense to you the appropriate quantity in litres.

Nice statement.
Except that we did not get to read something similar from Governor Fashola when Lagos State government decided to brutalize protesters at the Lekki Toll gate a few weeks ago using armed policemen.
Hypocrite!

In my view, what Jonathan should have done are in 3 parts:

1.) Gradual subsidy withdrawal over two years: This will achieve two things: make the pains more bearable by the public and generate public confidence on the benefits to be derived by them from what the proceeds could be used for. If for example, 30% withdrawal was implemented and within 6 months the Abuja-Lokoja expressway is completely dualized, Lagos-Benin expressway rehabilitated, Owerri-Port Harcourt expressway rehabilitated and Abuja-Kano rail put in place, we can be hopeful that the subsidy is for public good.

2.) Let the sacrifice come from both the government and the people: [/b]The way it is now, I can't see the government officials making any sacrifice. Salaries of all political office holders at all levels should be cut by 50%, constituency project allowance removed from the pay of parliamentarians and overseas travels banned for the next one year for all government officials. I fully endorse Buhari's recommendations in this regard. Remember Nigeria had the largest delegation to the 2011 Commonwealth meeting in Australia at 120 and no one knows what we benefited.

[b]3.) More transparency and accountability in governance and improved anti-corruption efforts: Ensure the audit of NNPC by an international audit firm with labor representation, ensure the enactment of relevant laws to enable the public access the asset declaration records of all government officials, prosecute everyone indicted in the Halliburton, Siemens, Wilbros and many other scandals even including the Okigbo panel reports. A Jonathan that spent 50 billion naira on the 2010 independence day celebration and purchased 3 aircraft to add to the presidential fleet does not look like someone with cash problems.

I am fully in support of fuel subsidy removal if all these are done.

The way the fight is raging on now, labour appears not to be focused by obstinately insisting on the continuation of subsidy which I am convinced does not benefit the Nigeria economy overall. In addition, erstwhile government officials like Fani-Kayode and El-Rufai who were part of the Obasanjo regime which also increased fuel prices are also saying no to subsidy now that it is convenient. Even babangida (deliberately written in small case) that oversaw the implementation of the economic tragedy called SAP where our refineries were left to collapse and fuel importation was the order of the day is opposed to subsidy removal. Too many hypocrites and emergency activists around.

I am also uncomfortable with the fact that the protests are more intense in the north that had no antecedent with civil society activism in recent times (June 12 and the Yar'Adua saga are great reminders); the same north that had never unreservedly condemn the genocidal Boko Haram and never led any protest against it.

Quote from: Kabikala on October 30, 2011, 08:26 PM
@High Chief:

No. Jimoh Ibrahim did not practice that type of law even though he is a lawyer. He was never Abacha's family lawyer.

Quote from: High Chief

But made money from Abacha's looted wealth, cos I remember he was granted a plea bargain

@High Chief:
I am not aware of him entering any plea bargain under any regime. But you may be right that he made money under Abacha as he got some contracts to train Local Government officials nationwide during that era. He might also have had other deals with Abacha as Jimoh is not known for any level of ethics.

If the poster had touted Obasanjo as the greatest living Nigerian President, I might just live with it as I consider him a disaster in the midst of calamities. But to recommend him as the greatest living Nigerian in the same land that sprouted Tai Solarin, Gani Fawehinmi, Obafemi Awolowo, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and MKO Abiola? Men who denied themselves for the betterment of other people's lives.
Over my dead body!

@High Chief:

Is Jimoh Ibrahim not the same guy that was Abacha's family lawyer and also helped Abacha family loot the country silly

No. Jimoh Ibrahim did not practice that type of law even though he is a lawyer. He was never Abacha's family lawyer.

1.) Dr. Tai Solarin
2.) Chief Obafemi Awolowo
3.) Chief Gani Fawehinmi
4.) Chief MKO Abiola

These guys inspire me a lot and, as far as I am concerned, were the greatest Nigerians of all time!

The Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (2008), the Human Development Assessment Report (2009) and the Nigeria Education Data Survey (2009) all showed that the north is seriously lagging behind the south in all ramifications except for a disease like HIV which tends to manifest in hot spots nationwide. In fact, the 2009 Human Development Report described the Nigerian situation as "northernization of poverty". So by all indices of development, it has to be a northern state.
Meanwhile, the number of students writing JAMB in a state like Imo is more than the total number for about 8 northern states.
Having visited about 30 states so far in Nigeria, I pick Sokoto State as the worst place to be and the most backward state in Nigeria.

Hypocritical rogue!

Daily Trust is the most useless newspaper in Nigeria today. It never pretended to be a purveyor of truth but rather a promoter of primordial sentiments and anti-progressive positions. From the Yar'Adua-is-drinking-kunnu era to Boko-Haram-is-fighting-injustice and now to Post-election-riots-due-to-governance-failure.
I would have tolerated this newspaper if they had been anti-Yar'Adua when the guy was leading us to nowhere and then transfer that criticism over to Jonathan. At least, no one can accuse Saharareporters of ethnic bias; they are simply anti-government whether Obasanjo, Yar'adua or Jonathan. For Daily Trust  to celebrate the ineffectual Umaru even when he was  half-dead while mounting relentless attacks on Jonathan from Day One simply because they think he took what rightly belongs to them shows anything but objectivity.

I don't know what is wrong in a Soyinka commending an unusually good decision by the Nigerian President.
Is it out of place for Soyinka (or anyone for that matter) to acknowledge that Jonathan could be right on some things, as dumb as he may appear? Or is it totally unexpected that a social critic can see any good in government?
Several newspaper columnists who are rabid government critics (Simon Kolawole of This Day and Idowu Akinlotan of The Nation for example) had also commended this same decision by Nigeria to recognize the NTC although they don't see eye to eye with Jonathan on a lot of issues.
I also concur with Jonathan on this and history will be kind to him for taking a noble stand on this matter.
Gaddafi represented the last generation of despots in Africa and shame on the AU who dithered when the Libyan people needed them.

While on the surface it may appear discriminatory to deny Muslim students admission to Covenant University, we need to put ourselves in the place of the CU Management.

You offer several Muslim students admission and before you know it they want to form Muslim Students Society. And then they want a separate location for their prayers. And they want the school time-table modified to allow them pray five times daily. Then they would want to build a mosque. And then they want to have Jihad week and invite El Zak-Zaky as their guest lecturer. And they can wear T-shirts with "I love Osama" inscription. And every male begins to spot a beard, and the females gets covered in black from head to toe.

On the other hand, if CU decides to offer them admission and insist they must attend church services several times a week like every of their student does, we will all come here and shout discrimination.

Let the guy go to Fountain University in Oshogbo, Al-Hikma in Ilorin or Crescent in Abeokuta. Or government-owned University.

This dumb response by Madam Ngozi had made me to conclude that she might not be as smart as we all assumed. Detractors? Rather than leave the rebuttal to I-never-influenced-anyone-to-award-contracts, or I-don't-know-any-Jon-Jon, she has to pin it at the door of some imaginary enemy.
Personally, I choose to believe this story.

This is one instance where our police deserve some commendation. I just hope good performances like this do not get too few and far between for the Nigerian Police Force.

Worst customer service is offered by Standard Chartered Bank. I was made to wait for 8 and a half hours (8 am to 4.30pm) to withdraw cash from my own account just because I opened an account in Lagos and tried to withdraw over the counter in Abuja.

Every other thing is right with the idea except for its name.
It shouldn't have been called Islamic banking.

REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY DURING KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT YOUNG AFRICAN WOMEN LEADERS FORUM

Regina Mundi Church
Soweto, South Africa

10:16 A.M. (Local)

MRS. OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you so much. It is such a pleasure and an honor to be here with all of you today.

I want to start by thanking Graca Machel for that just gracious, kind introduction. It is overwhelming. And I want to thank her for her lifetime of service as a champion for women and children. And from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for all of the kindness and generosity that you have shown my family for our visit here. Thank you so much. (Applause.)

I am also honored to share the stage with another remarkable leader, Baleka Mbete. (Applause.) She has played a vital role in advancing equality and promoting development here in South Africa. Thank you to the both of you for joining us here for sharing this moment with all of us.

I also want to thank the Archbishop of Johannesburg for honoring us today with his presence.

And of course, I want to recognize our guests of honor –- these 76 extraordinary young women leaders from here in South Africa and across the continent. (Applause.)

These are young women transforming their communities and their countries, and let me tell you I am so impressed by all of them. I am so proud of everything they have achieved.

And finally, I want to thank the leaders and the congregation of Regina Mundi for hosting us in this sacred space today. It has been more than three decades, but those bullet holes in the ceiling, this broken altar still stand as vivid reminders of the history that unfolded here.

And you all know the story –- how 35 years ago this month, a group of students planned a peaceful protest to express their outrage over a new law requiring them to take courses in Afrikaans. Thousands of them took to the streets, intending to march to Orlando Stadium.

But when security forces opened fire, some fled here to this church. The police followed, first with tear gas, and then with bullets.

And while no one was killed within this sanctuary, hundreds lost their lives that day, including a boy named Hector Pieterson, who was just 12 years old, and Hastings Ndlovu, who was just 15.

Many of the students hadn’t even known about the protest when they arrived at school that morning. But they agreed to take part, knowing full well the dangers involved, because they were determined to get an education worthy of their potential.

And as the Archbishop noted, that June day wasn’t the first, or the last, time that this church stood in the crosscurrents of history. It was referred to as “the parliament of Soweto.” When the congregation sang their hymns, activists would make plans, singing the locations and times of secret meetings. Church services, and even funerals, often became anti-Apartheid rallies. And as President Mandela once put it, “Regina Mundi became a world-wide symbol of the determination of our people to free themselves.”

It is a story that has unfolded across this country and across this continent, and also in my country -- the story of young people 20 years ago, 50 years ago, who marched until their feet were raw, who endured beatings and bullets and decades behind bars, who risked, and sacrificed, everything they had for the freedom they deserved.

And it is because of them that we are able to gather here today. It is because of them that so many of these young women leaders can now pursue their dreams. It is because of them that I stand before you as First Lady of the United States of America. (Applause.) That is the legacy of the independence generation, the freedom generation. And all of you -– the young people of this continent -– you are the heirs of that blood, sweat, sacrifice, and love.

So the question today is, what will you make of that inheritance? What legacy will you leave for your children and your grandchildren? What generation will you be?

Now, I could ask these questions of young people in any country, on any continent. But there is a reason why I wanted to come here to South Africa to speak with all of you.

As my husband has said, Africa is a fundamental part of our interconnected world. And when it comes to the defining challenges of our times –- creating jobs in our global economy, promoting democracy and development, confronting climate change, extremism, poverty and disease -- for all this, the world is looking to Africa as a vital partner.

That is why my husband’s administration is not simply focused on extending a helping hand to Africa, but focusing on partnering with Africans who will shape their future by combating corruption, and building strong democratic institutions, by growing new crops, caring for the sick. And more than ever before, we will be looking to all of you, our young people, to lead the way.

And I’m not just saying that to make you all feel good. (Laughter.) The fact is that in Africa, people under 25 make up 60 percent of the population. And here in South Africa, nearly two-thirds of citizens are under the age of 30. So over the next 20 years, the next 50 years, our future will be shaped by your leadership.

And I want to pause for a moment on that word -– leadership -- because I know that so often, when we think about what that word means, what it means to be a leader, we think of presidents and prime ministers. We think of people who pass laws or command armies, run big businesses, people with fancy titles, big salaries.

And most young people don’t fit that image. And I know that often when you try to make your voices heard, sometimes people don’t always listen. I know there are those who discount your opinions, who tell you you’re not ready, who say that you should sit back and wait your turn.

But I am here today because when it comes to the challenges we face, we simply don’t have time to sit back and wait.

I’m here because I believe that each of you is ready, right here and right now, to start meeting these challenges.

And I am here because I know that true leadership -– leadership that lifts families, leadership that sustains communities and transforms nations –- that kind of leadership rarely starts in palaces or parliaments.

That kind of leadership is not limited only to those of a certain age or status. And that kind of leadership is not just about dramatic events that change the course of history in an instant.

Instead, true leadership often happens with the smallest acts, in the most unexpected places, by the most unlikely individuals.

I mean, think about what happened here in Soweto 35 years ago. Many of the students who led the uprising were younger than all of you. They carried signs made of cardboard boxes and canvass sacks. Yet together, they propelled this cause into the consciousness of the world. And we now celebrate National Youth Day and National Youth Month every year in their honor.

I mean, think about the giants of the struggle –- people like Albertina Sisulu, whose recent passing we all mourn. Orphaned as a teenager, she worked as a nurse to support her siblings. And when her husband, Walter Sisulu, became Secretary-General of the ANC, it was up to her to provide for their family. When he was imprisoned for 26 years, it was up to her to continue his work. And that she did. With a mother’s fierce love for this country, she threw herself into the struggle.

She led boycotts and sit-ins and marches, including the 1956 Women’s March, when thousands of women from across this country, converged on Pretoria to protest the pass laws. They were women of every color, many of them not much older than all of you. Some of them carried their babies on their backs. And for 30 minutes, they stood in complete silence, raising their voices only to sing freedom songs like Nkosi Sikelel iAfrica. Their motto was simple, but clear: “If you strike a woman, you strike a rock.” (Applause.)

Ma Sisulu, the students of Soweto, those women in Pretoria, they had little money, even less status, no fancy titles to speak of. But what they had was their vision for a free South Africa. What they had was an unshakeable belief that they were worthy of that freedom –- and they had the courage to act on that belief. Each of them chose to be a rock for justice. And with countless acts of daring and defiance, together, they transformed this nation.

Together they paved the way for free and fair elections, for a process of healing and reconciliation, and for the rise of South Africa as a political and economic leader on the world stage.

Now, I know that as your generation looks back on that struggle, and on the many liberation movements of the past century, you may think that all of the great moral struggles have already been won.

As you hear the stories of lions like Madiba and Sisulu and Luthuli, you may think that you can never measure up to such greatness.

But while today’s challenges might not always inspire the lofty rhetoric or the high drama of struggles past, the injustices at hand are no less glaring, the human suffering no less acute.

So make no mistake about it: There are still so many causes worth sacrificing for. There is still so much history yet to be made. You can be the generation that makes the discoveries and builds the industries that will transform our economies. You can be the generation that brings opportunity and prosperity to forgotten corners of the world and banishes hunger from this continent forever. You can be the generation that ends HIV/AIDS in our time -- (applause) -- the generation that fights not just the disease, but the stigma of the disease, the generation that teaches the world that HIV is fully preventable, and treatable, and should never be a source of shame. (Applause.)

You can be the generation that holds your leaders accountable for open, honest government at every level, government that stamps out corruption and protects the rights of every citizen to speak freely, to worship openly, to love whomever they choose.

You can be the generation to ensure that women are no longer second-class citizens, that girls take their rightful places in our schools. (Applause.)

You can be the generation that stands up and says that violence against women in any form, in any place -- (applause) -- including the home –- especially the home –- that isn’t just a women’s rights violation. It’s a human rights violation. And it has no place in any society.

You see, that is the history that your generation can make.

Now, I have to be honest. Your efforts might not always draw the world’s attention, except for today. (Laughter.) You may not find yourself leading passionate protests that fill stadiums and shut down city streets. And the change you seek may come slowly, little by little, measured not by sweeping changes in the law, but by daily improvements in people’s lives.

But I can tell you from my own experience –- and from my husband’s experience -– that this work is no less meaningful, no less inspiring, and no less urgent than what you read about in the history books.

You see, it wasn’t that long ago that my husband and I were young, believe it or not -- (laugher) -- just starting out our careers. After he graduated from university, Barack got a job as a community organizer in the struggling neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago. A lot of people there were out of work and barely getting by. Children had few opportunities and little hope for their future. And trust me, no one thought that this skinny kid with the funny name -- (laughter) -- could make much of a difference.

But Barack started talking to people. He urged them to start working on the change they wanted to see. Soon, slowly, folks started coming together to fight for job training programs and better schools and safer housing for their families.

Slowly, the neighborhoods started to turn around. Little by little, people started feeling hopeful again. And that made Barack feel hopeful.

And I had a similar experience in my own career. Like my husband, I came from a modest background. My parents saved and sacrificed everything they had so that I could get an education. And when I graduated, got a job at a big, fancy law firm -- nice salary, big office. My friends were impressed. My family was proud. By all accounts, I was living the dream.

But I knew something was missing. I knew I didn’t want to be way up in some tall building all alone in an office writing memos. I wanted to be down on the ground working with kids, helping families put food on the table and a roof over their heads.

So I left that job for a new job training young people like yourselves for careers in public service. I was making a lot less money. My office wasn’t so nice. (Laughter.) But every day, I got to watch those young people gain skills and build confidence. And then I saw them go on to mentor and inspire other young people. And that made me feel inspired. It still does.

See, my husband and I, we didn’t change any laws, we didn’t win any awards, get our pictures in the paper. But we were making a difference in people’s lives. We were part of something greater than ourselves. And we knew that in our own small way, we were helping to build a better world. And that is precisely what so many young people are doing every day across this continent.

These 76 young women are outstanding examples. Take Gqibelo Dandala from here in South Africa. She left a lucrative career in investment banking to found the Future of the African Daughter Project, an organization that lifts up young women in rural and township areas. Of her work, she says: “…we are building a legacy which will outlive and outgrow us…”

And then there’s Robyn Kriel. She’s a young reporter from Zimbabwe who has written about corruption and human rights abuses in her country. She was beaten by police; her home raided, her mother imprisoned. But she still hasn’t lost her passion for reporting, because, as she put it, the people of Zimbabwe “want their stories to be told.”

And then there’s Grace Nanyonga, who joins us today from Uganda. Hey, Grace! (Applause.) You go, girl. (Laughter.) Orphaned at the age of 13, she started cooking and selling fish during her school vacations to support her six siblings. Determined to get an education, she founded her own company, and she made enough money to put herself through university. And she’s now started an organization that trains local women to work at her company so that they can support their own families. (Applause.) Of her achievements, she says, simply -- these are her words -- “I made it against all odds” and “I want to be an example for girls in my country and beyond.”

Now, Grace could have been content to make lots of money, and just provide for her own family. Gqibelo could have climbed the corporate ladder, and never looked back. Where is she? Please stand. Grace got to stand. (Laughter.) Come on, where is she? Is she out there? (Applause.) And no one would’ve blamed Robyn -- where’s Robyn? (Applause.) No one would have blamed Robyn if after all she’d been through she decided to quit reporting and pursue an easier career. But these young women -- and these are just examples of stories that go on and on -- these young women could not be content with their own comfort and success when they knew that other people were struggling.

You see, that’s how people of conscience view the world. It’s the belief, as my husband often says, that if any child goes hungry, that matters to me, even if she’s not my child. (Applause.) If any family is devastated by disease, then I cannot be content with my own good health. If anyone is persecuted because of how they look, or what they believe, then that diminishes my freedom and threatens my rights as well.

And in the end, that sense of interconnectedness, that depth of compassion, that determination to act in the face of impossible odds, those are the qualities of mind and heart that I hope will define your generation.

I hope that all of you will reject the false comfort that others’ suffering is not your concern, or if you can’t solve all the world’s problems, then you shouldn’t even try.

Instead, as one of our great American presidents, Teddy Roosevelt, liked to say, I hope that you will commit yourselves to doing “what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are,” because in the end, that is what makes you a lion. Not fortune, not fame, not your pictures in history books, but the refusal to remain a bystander when others are suffering, and that commitment to serve however you can, where you are.

Now it will not be easy. You women know that already. You will have failures and setbacks and critics and plenty of moments of frustration and doubt. But if you ever start to lose heart, I brought you all here today because I want you to think of each other.

Think about Grace, supporting her family all by herself. And think about Robyn, who endured that beating so she could tell other people’s stories. Think about Ma Sisulu, raising her kids alone, surviving banishment, exile, and prison. When reflecting on her journey, Ma Sisulu once said, with her signature humility, she said, “All these years, I never had a comfortable life.”

So you may not always have a comfortable life. And you will not always be able to solve all the world’s problems all at once. But don’t ever underestimate the impact you can have, because history has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.

It’s what happens when folks start asking questions -- a father asks, “Why should my son go to school, but not my daughter?” Or a mother asks, “Why should I pay a bribe to start a business to support my family?” Or a student stands up and declares, “Yes, I have HIV, and here’s how I’m treating it, and here’s how we can stop it from spreading.”

See, and then soon, they inspire others to start asking questions. They inspire others to start stepping forward.

And those are the “ripples of hope” that a young U.S. senator named Robert Kennedy spoke of when he came here to South Africa 45 years ago this month. In his words, he said, the “numberless diverse acts of courage and belief which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

And that is how a church can become a parliament. That is how a hymn can be a call to action.

That is how a group of young people with nothing more than some handmade signs and a belief in their own God-given potential can galvanize a nation.

And that’s how young people around the world can inspire each other, and draw strength from each other.

I’m thinking today of the young activists who gathered at the American Library here in Soweto to read the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King for their inspiration.

And I’m thinking of how Dr. King drew inspiration from Chief Luthuli and the young people here in South Africa.

And I’m thinking about how young South Africans singing the American civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome” in the streets of Cape Town and Durban.

And I’m thinking of how Nkosi Sikelel iAfrica echoed through university campuses in the U.S., as students -– including my husband –- planned boycotts to support students here in South Africa.

And I’m thinking of this church and how those stained windows depicting the struggle were donated by the people of Poland, and how the peace pole in the park outside was donated by people from Japan, and how every week, visitors from every corner of the globe come here to bear witness and draw inspiration from your history.

And finally, I’m thinking of the history of my own country. I mean, America won its independence more than two centuries ago. It has been nearly 50 years since the victories of our own civil rights movement. Yet we still struggle every day to perfect our union and live up to our ideals. And every day, it is our young people who are leading the way. They are the ones enlisting in our military. They’re the ones teaching in struggling schools, volunteering countless hours in countless ways in communities.

And in this past presidential election, they were engaged in our democracy like never before. They studied the issues, followed the campaign, knocked on doors in the freezing snow and the blazing sun, urging people to vote. They waited in line for hours to cast their ballots.

And I have seen that same passion, that same determination to serve in young people I have met all across the world, from India to El Salvador, from Mexico to the United Kingdom to here in South Africa.

So today, I want you to know that as you work to lift up your families, your communities, your countries and your world, know that you are never alone. You are never alone.

As Bobby Kennedy said here in South Africa all those years ago: “…you are joined with fellow young people in every land, they struggling with their problems and you with yours, but all joined in a common purpose…determined to build a better future.”

And if anyone of you ever doubts that you can build that future, if anyone ever tells you that you shouldn’t or you can’t, then I want you to say with one voice –- the voice of a generation –- you tell them, “Yes, we can.” (Applause.) What do you say? Yes, we can. (Applause.) What do you say? Yes, we can!

AUDIENCE: Yes, we can!

MRS. OBAMA: What do you say?

AUDIENCE: Yes, we can!

MRS. OBAMA: Thank you all so much. God bless you. (Applause.)

END 10:50 A.M. (Local)

TB Joshua's prophecy of July 2010 appears to have come to fufilment with the news that former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has been diagnosed with cancer of the stomach.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/06/20/egypt.mubarak.cancer/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

This same piece was posted in a Kenyan website (designed just like nairaland) a few hours after it was posted on nairaland with a simple change of Nigeria(n) to Kenya(n).

http://www.semaniseme.com/forum/index.php?topic=3314.0

What is this thing about sponsoring a bill to ensure that every state has an airport? Is Ngige reasoning from his anus?
I had assumed he was going to be one of the cerebral minds we will have in the new senate but I am afraid I might have been mistaken.

TURAI WAXING POETIC FOR UMARU AT ONE YEAR REMEMBRANCE
(Page 60 of ThisDay today May 5, 2011)

Sometimes I feel that you are still with me, then peacefully I come to knows (sic) as I am thinking happy thoughts of you, your loving memories fill my arching (sic) heart, until a pearcing (sic) pain of losing you come tumbling down. Then clearly I can hear a voice deep down inside me telling me to say, Alhamdulillah and be comforted, for you are now in a better place and you have found peace at last.
Alhamdulillah for the legacy you left behind.
Alhamdulillah for the loving memories you left.
Even though death leaves a headache that nothing can heal, not even death can steal the loving memories of a devoted Husband, father and grandfather.
May Aljannat Firdausi be your final destination amin. May Prophet Muhammad (SAW) be your neighbour amin.
Rest in peace my loving Husband and best friend

SIGNED: HAJIYA (DR) TURAI UMARU YAR'ADUA

If we continue to make excuses for people who failed to do what is right just because they are now dead, how do we expect to make progress as a nation?

Yar'Adua is better forgotten. Because anytime I try to remember what he did and failed to do as president, he is not worthy to be remembered as a patriot. He actually represented a disaster to the country called Nigeria.
Yar'Adua was the one who was shielding Ibori from prosecution and gave him unfettered access to Aso Villa, claiming, he could not abandon his friends. Now Ibori is eating the humble pie under a less friendly Jona' regime.
Umaru also appointed the notorious Andoakaa who did his best to scuttle the prosecution of corrupt people.
Umaru dithered so much on the Uwais Report on electoral reforms for almost two years such that we had very little time left in 2011 to have a credible election. The near constitutional impasse in Imo State would have been totally avoided had Umaru been decisive and sincere enough about electoral reforms.
This was a man who left the country rudderless by failing to comply with the provisions of the constitution to hand over to his deputy when he was leaving the country for medical treatment.
Too many things to say. Umaru was a sheer waste of space.

My major issue with this write-up is the unpardonable number of grammatical errors in the poster's initial message and his subsequent comment. It is either he was in a hurry to post this, or he simply doesn't know any better. Just take a look at the #3 issue for example, "the visibility", or "vicinity"!!!
Is the poster living in Ukraine?

@azeezengr

MY OPINION ARE SIMPLY AS STATED BELOW:

1. RIGGING IS A UNIVERSAL PHENOMENON AND YOU CAN ONLY RIG SUCCESSFULLY WHERE YOU ARE POPULAR
2.IF YOU RIG WHERE YOU ARE POPULAR, THE ELECTION IS FREE AND FAIR AND IF OTHERWISE ELECTION MAY STILL BE FREE BUT NOT FAIR

I completely disagree with your positions in 1. and 2. above.
If that were true, the courts would not have reversed the electoral victories of the governors of Edo, Ondo Ekiti and  Osun States.
It has actually been proven severally here in Nigeria that you can successfully rig where you are not popular.
Was Yar'Adua popular? Wasn't he elected before our own very eyes? Do you think the AC would have swept the south west in this 2011 elections if it were to hold under Obasanjo (the do-or-die apostle) with Maurice Iwu at INEC?
Let's not encourage such fallacies, it actually emboldens those with the intention to rig to brazenly carry out the act, latching on to the lame excuse that they would still have won anyway.

@noblezone:
Gowon became Head of State at 26.

No. Gowon became Head of State a few months to his 32nd birthday.

Wuse Market was evacuated earlier today due to a bomb scare. No riots whatsoever in Wuse. This was a first hand account.

I am actually afraid to join in the celebration of the collapse of the PDP as I do not believe these PDP guys will give up without a fight. This is all too good to be true, but I prefer to wait till the official announcement so I won't be disappointed.

I am amazed at ROSSIKE's attempts at justifying Shekarau's costly decision to stop polio vaccination in Kano State which came with heavy human consequences.
There are some facts you must know:
1.) Polio vaccination was done worldwide and many countries have eradicated the disease using these same tested and certified vaccines. The polio vaccination campaign effort was not a clinical trial so it was not in any way comparable to the Pfizer/Trovan case.
2.) The same vaccine was being used in the entire country and southerners had no issue receiving the free vaccine to protect their children.
3.) Small pox was eradicated through vaccination.
4.) Many diseases including poliomyelitis have been controlled and minimised through vaccination.
5.) Many Muslim-dominated countries including Saudi Arabia,  Egypt, Senegal, Iran, Kuwait etc have successfully eradicated polio using these same vaccines.
6.) Shekarau's decision to stop polio vaccination in Kano State led to large-scale rejection of the vaccine in many northern communities even beyond Kano State such that the number of victims of that irrational action is way beyond the 259 being quoted.

My conclusion:
Shekarau's decision was irrational and silly. After confirming that the vaccines were indeed safe, did he institute a mechanism for rehabilitating the unfortunate kids who became paralysed as a result of his folly? Why didn't he deploy the same energy to cater for the victims of his stupidity the same way he battled Pfizer to demand compensation for the victims of the Pfizer/Trovan tragedy? If he is only to be found in the vanguard of retrogressive decisions that promote religious fanaticism and primordial sentiments, then he is not fit to be a president of a diverse country like Nigeria.
In my opinion, the guy is a disaster to Kano State and will leave Kano State with more disabled people than he met in 2003.

Thanks Mayor.
Will get in touch.