₦airaland Forum

^^^ With the New Deal FG has struck with its French Partner, Nigeria will never refine crude again, we shall have others refine it for us  

http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/201002030357.html

Lagos — Government may have adopted a novel measure in tackling the acute fuel shortages in the market as Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) now trades crude oil for refined petroleum products from offshore refineries.

The move which is seen as a desperate measure to cut huge import bills involves earmarking crude for processing in refineries abroad under special deals.

Exchanging crude for much needed products comes after vsenior officials of NNPC denied reports of investments in foreign refineries when domestic plants lay moribund.

Business Champion gathered from sources close to the arrangement that NNPC has already pumped the first cargo for BP of Britain under a new contract that allows the oil multinational which also operated robust refining complexes across the globe to take crude for refining at equity cost.

Under the arrangement, NNPC which dispatched the first crude oil cargo on January 23 is entitled to a fair share of products that comes out of its crude oil supplies to BP.

The arrangement is coming after the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Rilwan Lukman, told stakeholders in the nation's downstream petroleum industry that government was working to restream Warri and Kaduna refineries at the end of January.

Checks on the two refineries at the weekend did indicate resumption of operations eventhough a source at the Kaduna Refinery said the management was only priming the plant for test runs after with available crude stock.

The refineries were brought down by crude feedstock outage after militants in the Niger Delta blew up the feedstock conduits in the heat of sustained campaign against the industry.

The Warri Refinery is expected process about 100, 000 barrels of crude oil per day out of installed capacity of 125, barrels per day, but the expected output would not meet 30 percent of the estimated average daily peak demand of about 35 million liters of products.

Stakeholders at a forum organized by the ministry last month had called for recovery and expansion of the nation's refining capacity as the only reliable way to phase out supply crisis and associated ills from the domestic fuel market.

Major oil marketers represented at the forum by the Deputy CEO of the Oando Group, Mr. Mofe Boyo, had declared that speedy growth of the nation's internal refining capacity was non-negotiable if government was sincere about solving supply problems in the country.

Group Executive Director, Refinery and Petrochemicals, at NNPC, Mr. Austin Oniowon, had declared at a forum in Lagos that "a lot of things have gone wrong with the management of the nation's refineries." He said the key problem with internal refining was the security issues in the Niger Delta.

According to him, the refineries could not work for four years due to 55 damaged spots along a 60 kilometer feedstock pipeline. He said while the conduit lines were being fixed, the corporation would explore use of vessels to ferry crude supplies to the refineries through the inland waterways.

He also said that proximate joint venture production sites could be linked for direct supplies to refineries to minimize their vulnerability to pipeline attacks.

The Group Executive Director, Commercial and Investments, NNPC, Mr. Aminu Babakusa, had pledged at the forum that all measures would be deployed to keep the market wet.

He, however, lamented that government was struggling with huge costs in meeting market demand through massive importation of the products.

Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Rilwan Lukman, declared that NNPC was working on investment plans with foreign companies to boost internal refining capacity with greenfield plants, tasking local refinery licencees to utilize their licenses in assisting with additional capacity.

He however pointed at huge capital layout as part of the major impediments to local refinery projects.

A visiting trade delegation from India told officials of NNPC in Abuja penultimate week that Oil and Natural Gas Company (ONGC) Mittal Consortium would participate in any joint venture for a greenfield refinery in Nigeria.

Indian Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said the Indian consortium would also build a 180,000 barrels per day refinery in return for two Nigerian deepwater oil blocks.

ONGC-Mittal Energy Ltd (OMEL), the joint venture of OVL and Mittal Investment Sarl, landed two Nigerian blocks -- OPL 285 and OPL 279 -- in the 2006 round bid in return for downstream commitments either in power, rail or refining.

OMEL is the operator for the two blocks. OPL-285 is a deep-water block, where OMEL, through OMEL Energy Nigeria, holds 64.33 per cent interest and operatorship.

The other partners in the block are local Nigerian company EMO (10 per cent), and French firm Total (25.67 per cent interest). In OPL 276, Total has 14.5 per cent.

Earlier reports that government was investing in foreign refineries for offshore refining of Nigerian crude were denied by senior officials of NNPC.

The latest deal with BP may be part of the string of arrangements by NNPC to resolve the supply failure in the domestic market of Africa's biggest oil exporter, a situation which the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, said was a national embarrassment.

Mr. Ajumogobia had said at a separate forum with marketers that the current situation was going to be the last time Nigeria would suffer the embarrassment of acute scarcity of products.

The Bermuda Triangle is actually a rip in the Time-Space continuum. The BT dimension (as known in secret circles of those who know) is actually the location of the Garden of Eden that was hidden from the world since the dawn of time. apparently the guardians have either failed to monitor minute anomalies in the biopolar-cloaking deflector shields. This has caused a collapse of the Anti-matter gravity rods. rapid fluctuations in the fields wave-lengths have made it extremely difficult to gauge the true coverage of this damage hence the myth that it is constantly moving.

unconfirmed reports have it that in BT you will find Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Darth Vader.

Whether we complain on Nairaland or Facebook on from our homes, we will always remain the Majority that could not do anything to change the course of Nigeria's History. We are united in our opinions but not in our actions. we claim to have Faith in Nigeria but our works are empty

The Oracle has poor vision seeing that one of his eyes is smokey with wee wee Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pocketed ACN Lagos, unfortunately he is also a stingy retard who cannot allow his followers to prosper from his leadership. 8years of retardation of ACN Lagos

I seriously see no reason why we should be blaming Atiku or GEJ or even the horrid situation of this country, in the past we blamed our forefathers and Shagari and co, then we blamed IBB now we blame Atiku and GEJ, when are we going to stop blaming and start solving. The problem with Nigeria is that our Leaders understand that we always play the blame game and never do anything about it, which is why they will continue to arse-ra.pe us blind while we blame them in the process

@@e36991 Happy New Year !

Let’s scrutinize Matthew 14:22-33 together and do things orderly (i.e. one after another)

I am scrutinizing the passage in question and I am also cross-referencing it with other passages with Faith events in the Bible. It will take a while but in the end i shall have a tidy list of Faith events with their demonstrated levels of faith and actions preceding the completion of Faith. (You had to make me do the grind work)

I might also come up with suitable adjectives for common denominators that make up the Faith formula, and about where i am headed; I promise i won't turn faith into an over-the=counter prescription that people can just swallow and make miracles but my won't that be a trip

@InesQor, I recall I still have an unanswered question you posed before Christmas. I shall get to it soon enough. 

@e36991
By the way, note there are different kinds of faith though
Namely: No faith, little faith, absurd faith, pseudo-faith, amazing or baffling faith, big faith etc

@Joagbaje
That means also that a man with zero faith is a man that lack necessary knowledge or understanding of Gods word. A man with litle faith has little understanding  and a  man with great faith has great understanding.

@e36991, @Joagbaje Thanks for your insightful contributions especially on varying levels of Faith. It is my first challenge in trying to establish a baseline necessary for Faith to exist in Man.

I refer to this quote from Mathew which goes so.

Matthew 17:20 He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

This comparison is just sublime - it demonstrates the infinitely powerful force that brought the world into being or caused the Sun to "Stand Still" or raise the Dead and so forth. I can understand that Man has Faith challenges which is why I am specific regarding Faith from Man's perspective. - God and Jesus obviously have no problems there  they can just do it without a moments thought.

because "How Does Faith Work . . ." can easily fall victim of oversimplifying
I like your approach (i.e. involving synergies . . .) but faith is not exclusive to only those synergies (i.e. substances and evidence) alone
There are a few other missing common denominators in the equation
I'll leave the other missing common denominators to your imagination to suss out . . .

I am aware of the temptation of Over-Simplifying How Faith Works and have witnessed Faith activating methods from MFM, Cele and Catholics. IMHO it forms a ritual of repeated affirmations that makes it look like you will need a mountain of mustard seeds to move a pebble. (Keep Banging on God's door until he answers) I do not see how that relates to the stellar examples in the Bible.

Self-Affirmations are a very potent tool of suggestion, motivation and belief, it can have a powerful effect on behavior-modification of the practitioner and in some of my experiments it has affected non-related persons at various levels. but this is not Faith because Faith has a completing Effect e.g Dead to Live, Sick to Healed and Nothing to Something there is no in-between.

It can be mentally taxing unlocking Faith which is why i ducked here  - Common denominators are essential in establishing a hypothesis so it can be tested. I really need those common denominators. any takers?

I have a somewhat sketchy basis for Faith summarized below
1: It is Present-tense and speech-driven (See my list of Demonstrations of Faith)
2: It requires regular operation to keep it at Peak levels
3: It requires action on the unseen

Primarily from these verses

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. (Proverbs 18:21)

Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith. (James 2:18)

I reason there are three steps involved (which are actually specific questions for Joagbaje)
1: Acquiring Faith: Spawning the seeds of belief that will manifest into substance (How do you acquire Faith)
2: Acting by Faith: Operating that belief on a subject of choice (How do you operate/grow Faith)
3: Activating Faith : Completing the operation confirmed by the manifestation of belief into substance (How do you switch it on)

Unfortunately my simplified version has not been able to put out a candle in months which is why I preferred Healing as the subject matter. there have been countless reports from Bible days till date so someone definitely has the formula locked-down

Easily the pivot of Christianity from the very 1st Chapter of the Bible - FAITH; and for the sake of dis-ambiguity (foreclose unnecessary arguing to discover my true intent) :

1: FAITH as defined in the Bible Not Faith as-in Practice of Religion (5 pillars of Faith) or Motivational and Personality-improvement programs
2: My intention is not to prove FAITH a false paradigm but to propose a demonstration where FAITH can be either be proven TRUE or proven FALSE using a simple test condition e.g Healing an ailment

This is not intended to degrade into a Science vs. Religion or Science vs. God melee and for the sake of clarification, i state categorically that (IMHO) science is mostly about "tentatively proven" hypotheses given the possibility that some valid experiment could prove the hypotheses incorrect (not the same as being proven UNTRUE) so it can be rejected or corrected. So in science, absolute proof is usually impossible. From what we know today, there are some truths which are beyond the reach of science. FAITH is one of them.

As I looked for what i could term a concise definition, it came as a surprising find that there are several different (confusing) perspectives of what FAITH is made up of. So i shall default to the Biblical definition found in the book of Hebrews (seems to be the most comprehensive book on the theme)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1, KJV).

I intentionally highlighted some words in RED because they represent key elements that describe FAITH from a Bible perspective. It is also an area I require a concise (unambiguous) answer on their specific synergies before I make "uninformed" and "uneducated" Bible interpretation that may detract from the purpose of the post.

Demonstrations of Faith
[list]
[li]And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. (Genesis 1:3, NIV) my personal favorite  [/li]
[li]When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." (John 11:43, NAS)[/li]
[li]Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered. (Mathew 21:19)[/li]
[li]A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean. Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. (Mark 1: 40-42)[/li]
[/list]

There are evidently numerous examples of God and Man exercising and activating Faith in the Bible so my questions are

1: How exactly does it work from Man's Point of view
2: How can we consistently apply it and get results using a test condition e.g Healing

Regards

The truth is; be it science or religion, I don't think we are closer to the truth we stretch the limits of our understanding and make-up theories along the way. unfortunately for Man, we are the most curious (for knowledge) lot even our own findings find no depth to completely answer questions of our own making. e.g how did we get here, where are we headed, is there a God, why did he put us here etc.

@OP You fail to mention that the current trend towards "islamophobia" is not without cause.

Can you remember the so called Hate Speeches from notable Islamic figures in the UK? do you recall how they spewed un-islamic venom and declared the UK will be islamized whether they choose to or not and that it will be by violence as well. Did you remember the threats before the Train Station Bombings,

How dare you come into a country as an immigrant, enjoy health and social benefits it has to offer, even enjoy the religious tolerance that UK gives you then you dare to open your sand-mite camel dung-filled and scarab-brain-scratching mind to say that the UK belongs to Islam and will be converted through violence. (not directed at the OP)

I dare say Islam is not about violence, Islam is a message of Peace but its messengers are obviously drunk on Blood and Violance and fail to see the Truth preached by the Prophet Mohamed (PBUH)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/political-leaders-condemn-islamic-protest-march-1857088.html

Sadly, the continuous acts or religious and ethnic violence in Nigeria are only symptoms of a much deeper problem called Poverty and Corruption, I do not see the Emir of Zaria or the Sultan of Sokoto supporting such extremist/non-tolerant Islamic views. however the Elite core of Muslim North have used Islam as a tool for mass religious subversion of the economically, socially and intellectually impoverished northerners. It stems from their selfish and dubious Political ambitions on Nigeria. It is hardly a problem for the Muslim south to tolerate and live with their non-Muslim neighbors in Peace.

It is also a Nigerian Leadership problem, while this carries on, Governor Jonah Gang has not in his regime identified or established a strategy for reducing such conflicts or better yet, ending it totally. and GEJ is busy rallying his mindless minions to the presidential primaries while the Blood of Nigerians continue to be abused with wanton recklessness and disrespect.

Sadly by the new year 2011, it will all but remain a faint memory just as the killings  of innocent children and mothers in their sleep seems like 5 yrs ago  

InesQor:
@lagerwhenindoubt:

How does autotheism (a person’s elevation of himself into being his own god) relate to Polytheistic Deism? 

Or do you mean the other definition of autotheism (theism emphasizing only God's own self-existence), which is a brand of Deism?

For Lack of a better-fitted categorization (I would consider myself auto-theist) I believe there is a super-sentient being(s) and Man is a genetic replica of God save we are at a primordial level of evolution. Our purpose in this life and dimension is to attain that level of God-awareness that we essentially become gods hence my liking to the rastafari movement.(not all its ideology though)
Polytheism because I also reason that there must be more than 1 God (super-sentient beings) in the known and unknown universes. Besides the idea that God is solely focused on life on earth is simply self-serving; with literarily millions of multiverses with galaxies and possibly life-supporting planets, why would he just be focussed on earth alone.?  Unless there are other God(s)

^^^ @VOLTRON, your Blazing Sword might have turned the Tide during the Civil War

seyibrown's interpretation is easier to accept but does not make it any clearer (give it purpose). unless dreams have no purpose

@toba, I would consider myself an Autotheist but I flow fairly well with Rastafarians and Deists (of the Polydeistic flavor) regardless I have an open mind (what is the use of having such large brain without having an open mind )

Will this affect how you interpret the dream?

satani22:
do you like us to contribute to you this thread

by all means do

Sweetnecta:
^^^^^^^ And mom said one of her child should remain on line to hell fire.


This reminds me never to marry a disbeliever. they are just a step better than Awo whose ifa has condemned him and made his aso on his back Pon like that of Aparo.

It may be the path to revelation that was previously hid

@sweetnecta, thanks for the reference, I almost forgot my early Muslim roots 
@toba and @PASTOR AIO what is your take on the matter? I do appreciate any perspectives no matter how blunt

@Negro_Ntns

Thanks for being pointedly blunt the only reason i focused on Islam/Christianity is that both religions have a lot of dream/vision events in its history. and yes I was brought up Christian in a Muslim family Mum said at least one of her kids will remain Christian I am not familiar with other traditional religious when it comes to dreams and i hardly see reference posts when i searched NL.

But back to your analysis. it is quite interesting (revealing) and I am relieved it was not some spiritual attack of sorts (one can't be too sure these days)

Let me mull your interpretations awhile
Thanks

@InesQor  I have not dabbled in 3 months now and all i am on a diet of mixed fruits for supper.

i normally don't bother my head over dreams since i typically influence the outcome of events that transpire and i think i understand the symbolism attached (anxiety, excitement etc) but this one was straight out of a movie (almost). My present worry is that this one affected me at a psychosomatic level. (the numbness on my left palm has vanished) I have not read any part of the Quran since 2005. I have not watched Islamic scholars present any controvesial theme of late and i am wondering why the obviously symbolic reference.

I googled it up and i have not seen similar dreams of this sort. The old man was not dressed in the usual northen or arabic fashion, in fact he looked like a yoruba native.

The urge to read the Quran has levelled off completely and i am finding it hard to even whisper Allahu Akbar.

I had a dream this morning that has unsettled me right to this very moment.

I found myself in a Northern-Style settlement (Open plains, mud huts and thatched roofs) I was seated on some make-shift stool from a tree stump holding a wooden cane in my hands.

Two men approached me; an elderly person and a young man. The young man pointed to me and said "That's him" they asked me to hold up the cane and i noticed some Arabic markings on it in white paint and i could not read it. The Old man took the cane from my hand and looked at it then said "Allahu Akbar" strangely, i repeated after him "Allahu Akbar". He asked me to close my eyes and open my mouth then it started to rain and get this. I could taste the water. After the water had collected in my mouth, the old man asked me to swallow it. At this point i was now wary of swallowing but was to embarrassed to spit it out, so faked swallowing by gulping down air. and I woke up.

It has not been my usual morning because from the point i woke up, I have had this irresistible urge to say "Allahu Akbar" and read the Quran. I have actually called a friend to buy one for me. I also have a numb spot on my left palm as if i have hit it against a blunt object.


Please is there anyone with skills in interpreting dreams, I am open to suggestions.

Thanks

@OP How far, take it easy naoow,haba!!. ave you considered that Wedding Rings can wear-out the skin around your finger till it turns into a sore?

It is simply a tradition and can become a bore, I have not worn mine in a year, but you can clearly notice the fair-skinned mark it has left behind. and get this! Single and Married Girls do prefer married men who proudly wear their weddign ring. Curiously, i never notice any marks on fingers of women who wear their rings all the time? is there some Bojuoo Bojuoo going on? 

SIAOne what did you expect from NFF, you cannot dine with the Devil and refuse to Drink Blood A pledge of free-hand is just a by-word. NFF will always be in your BIG Picture , you win some and you lose some. Unfortunately NFF is not truly mature and confident enough in you to give you free-hand to do what you think is best for the Senior Team, Goodluck and Patience is what you need right now

Give Nigerians enough time and they will absolutely forgive SATAN and hug him with loving arms.

In Africa, it is usually a hard decision, even for the well-informed and educated Man. African Culture/Tradition is hardly ever going to fade away completely from African Societies. In most cases, the Man's family will object furiously and usually the Man will accept happiness of his parents rather than his own. Strange thing though, Africans have very little apprehension to child adoption so why not accept a child that is not yours to begin with

I will marry her though, as long as she's got a PHAT backside

^^^ the famous UNILAG by-pass. If you fail to see it, I pity you.

Whenever I am in doubt, I turn on my hazard-warning lights and start jerking my car like it has problems. By which time I can scout for any hidden sign-posts

Get a pic of the Mileage please

and where in Lagos so i can come for inspection, but the price is at least N150k expensive for a 99 Accord

I was really starting to get worried some Hot helpers we have in Naija. my youth was not so exciting .

But yes we should watch out for pervs

Chei!!!  this is one of the greatest achievement in Nigeria since June 12

EFCC have recovered 21% of the proposed national budget of NGN4.2 Trillion. This surely amazing. kudo ignominious mallam 

Using an exchange rate of NGN100 to $1

Current trends are changing for Corporate women in Nigeria. My office has quite a lot of young, intelligent, rich and beautiful women but only few look like they are getting married anytime soon. It has become a silent issue, each year passes without an engagement, wedding or babies. I am beginning to believe Nigerian Men are afraid of Ambitious women or is it that the Standards Ambitious Woman are now to high for us

Nigeria is indeed a stranger than a basket case

GEJ forgets he often makes unguarded statements (as a matter of fact) and he does not see them as treasonable. the same GEJ that had to be tutored by Sanders on what to do with Maurice Iwu.

How often we forget so easily

^^^ the debate can go on forever . (and i don't mean literally)

For me, I have long abandoned the quest to discover why Evil Exists and simply accepted the Lazy-man's deduction and to quote Sherlock Holmes

“Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.”

Evil is compatible with Good thus God is the source of Pure Evil and Pure Good.

1: Since we agree that Evil exists before Creation, we cannot suppose it existed before God (otherwise God will not exist to start with)
2: Since creation, Man has always had Free-will (even before the Fall at Eden) so the debacle from Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was simply an exercise in KNOWING the consequence of Free-will. I ask then, Why give us Free-will and continue to intervene (Divine Intervention) in decidedly everything Good and stay your hand when it comes to Evil, Why not make sure Evil does not prosper at all? (His Mysterious ways are surely a wonder to ponder)
3: Evil will still exist in the New Heaven IMHO - If Man is created higher than the Angels, would it not make us less human and more robots to do away with PAIN, (Emotional and Physical hurt) SADNESS (Sorrow from the knowledge that a loved one did not make it to Heaven).

The last time I posed my dilemma to a very tolerable Muslim scholar, he simply surmised his answer thus
You cannot know what is on God's mind just like a Child cannot understand why his Father lets him touch fire knowing full-well that it will cause him pain. At the time of Judgment we shall all understand truly why God does what he does

toba:
Just as i've alleged. Jenwi You re openly exhibiting your hatred for christianity. And will ask u the same question as i did asked earlier. How far do u think u can go with this?

@toba, leave some credit to (jemwi) his non-bias for his hatred for the diabolic trio (forgive my categorization, i have just watch classic cartoons Dog-Wonder and Blue Falcon), perhaps his choice of words betrayed his aversion towards religion, but to call it "Open Hatred" [/b]is such a strong accusation. Not that people cannot hate religions.

If we are to believe in God who is All-Everything (IAMTHATIAM) then it seems irrational and downright contradictory to believe that he would allow evil to carry on at the astounding rate it does across centuries till date. I mean looking at the slaughter of children in Jos challenges (always challenges) God's claim of Love for Little children, what mysterious reason has he allowed Man to suffer at the hands of Satan since the Fall of Adam till date  The Option of Jesus still does not free us from the assault of EVil, it only gives believers hope that at some Near (unrevealed) Future date, the Savior shall come down from the Heavens to deliver his final Judgment (thus Banishment) on Evil. It smacks of Masochism if you'd ask me 


Goodness me!!  This is my 1,[b]666 post and it happens to be on Satanism, how ironic

^^^ any ideology is fraud of sorts because ideologies always have an agenda. It may claim a selfless intention but the end-game plays out the agenda that the ideology is based on. Such is the way of religion and most faith-based ideologies.

An ideal however, transcends the hypocrisy of ideologies. If an ideal is birthed without preference to race, creed or color, it becomes a universal truth that does not require an agenda to sustain it through the ages. For example. LOVE