₦airaland Forum

Just spot one of Abacha children

The Supreme Court ruled against the President. He does not have absolute immunity.

They however gave him a breather until the next election.

USA you see your life. You think you are doing me. You are doing yourselves

If Ngozi does not get it, it is discrimination against Igbo.

International organizations like to discriminate against Igbo. They have never followed Federal Character.

That is how Chinua Achebe was cheated out of Nobel Prize. Nonsense.

(CNN)International students who are pursuing degrees in the United States will have to leave the country or risk deportation if their universities switch to online-only courses, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Monday.

The move may affect thousands of foreign students who come to the United States to attend universities or participate in training programs, as well as non-academic or vocational studies.

Universities nationwide are beginning to make the decision to transition to online courses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. At Harvard, for example, all course instruction will be delivered online, including for students living on campus. For international students, that opens the door to them having to leave the US.


"There's so much uncertainty. It's very frustrating," said Valeria Mendiola, 26, a graduate student at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. "If I have to go back to Mexico, I am able to go back, but many international students just can't."

In a news release Monday, ICE said that students who fall under certain visas "may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States," adding, "The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States."

The agency suggested that students currently enrolled in the US consider other measures, like transferring to schools with in-person instruction. There's an exception for universities using a hybrid model, such as a mix of online and in-person classes.

Brad Farnsworth, vice president of the American Council on Education, said the announcement caught him and many others by surprise.

"We think this is going to create more confusion and more uncertainty," said Farnsworth, whose organization represents about 1,800 colleges and universities. "What we were hoping to see was more appreciation for all the different possible nuances that campuses will be exploring."

One concern with the new guidance, Farnsworth said, is what would happen if the public health situation deteriorates in the fall and universities that had been offering in-person classes feel they have to shift all courses online to stay safe.

Visa requirements for students have always been strict and coming to the US to take online-only courses has been prohibited.

"These are not some fly-by-night universities, these aren't scams, these are legit universities who would normally have in-person curricula but for coronavirus," said Theresa Cardinal Brown, director of immigration and cross-border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center. 

"The bigger issue is some of these countries have travel restrictions on and they can't go home, so what do they do then?" she added. "It's a conundrum for a lot of students."

Harvard University President Larry Bacow said in a statement Monday evening that "we are deeply concerned that the guidance issued today by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement imposes a blunt, one-size-fits-all approach to a complex problem giving international students, particularly those in online programs, few options beyond leaving the country or transferring schools."

The guidance, Bacow continued, "undermines the thoughtful approach taken on behalf of students by so many institutions, including Harvard, to plan for continuing academic programs while balancing the health and safety challenges of the global pandemic."

"We will work closely with other colleges and universities around the country to chart a path forward," he said.

The Trump administration has made a litany of changes to the US immigration system, citing the coronavirus pandemic, that have resulted in barring swaths of immigrants from coming to the country.

Last month, the White House issued an immigration proclamation dramatically curtailing legal immigration to the US sending hundreds of people and businesses into a scramble to understand whether their future plans are derailed.

In the proclamation, the administration argued that the "extraordinary circumstances" posed by coronavirus called for the suspension of employment-based visas. But immigrant advocates, industries and experts say the administration is taking advantage of the pandemic to make sweeping immigration changes and advance its agenda to slash legal immigration.

Monday's announcement, like the changes that preceded it, could similarly result in many foreign students who often pay high tuition to have to return to their home country.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, a think tank based in Washington, DC, about 1.2 million students who fall under the affected visas were enrolled and registered at more than 8,700 schools nationwide as of March 2018.

Farnsworth said he sees the announcement as part of a larger pattern of moves by the administration that "have not set the right tone."

"This is going to create I think more anxiety on the part of international students, and for those who are still thinking about where they're going to go in the fall, I think this may push them in the direction of attending a university in another country," he said.

While students might have the option to transfer to a college or university offering in-person courses, it might be difficult to come by amid continued concerns over coronavirus. Some schools have announced plans to bring students back but shorten semesters, as well as cancel nearly all in-person classes through the semester.

This story has been updated with additional quotes and information.

CNN's Catherine Shoichet contributed to this report.

The move may affect thousands of foreign students who come to the United States to attend universities or participate in training programs, as well as non-academic or vocational studies.

International students may need to leave US if their universities transition to online-only learning

CNN Reports

toplinetrtrend:
You said Tinubu is keeping yorubaland clean and I asked you if he is doing that by protecting corrupt politicians.

Just answer or shut up.

What has Tinubu done that I am ashamed of that has not been done and made even worse by you?

You nor dey shame? Go to Asia, they know you by name, Go to South Africa, they know you by name. Please get off Tinubu your saviour and your kin by DNA crimes genes and face reality of abused of accommodation and tolerance in Yoruba land.

You should be praising Tinubu you have more in common with for not going to Asia to risk death penalty like you. Ask him for counsel.

Nna, abegi yemefe nah! Stop using Tinubu to defend yourself.

I don Tanya for una. Na only one land I get and nobody stand a chance for insulting me on my land.

If you insult or do not know your place, Americans say go back home, South Africans say go back and even Anambra told Abia to go home.

A dey for my own land, why you dey hate me in disguise for Tinubu for my own land nah?

A beg o, I wan peace of mind. Biko nna, Go Home and let those who want to live with us in peace loving amola with ewedu and gbegiri (ofe manu) stay. They bear Yoruba name, speak Yoruba and love Yoruba people.

Chinike me. Na by force?

toplinetrtrend:
And Tinubu supported Obasa, the confirmed thief?

Is that how Tinubu keeps yorubaland clean? By supporting and protecting his corrupt cronies?

Stop making a fool of yourself.

Look, I am challenging anyone of you to bring out from anywhere that I ever support Tinubu. Infact, I can't stand him.

But he has a job to do and you guys are testimony that he does it well. Again, fire for fire.

We have stray dogs infected with rabies virus trying to destroy our land. Tinubu has proven be very effective keeping Yoruba land free demonstrated by your hate, not only for him but anything Yoruba.

Yet, he did not quarantine stray infected dogs by dumpling them on the other side of the Niger or throw them into the sea.

You see, Tinubu love you back.

Seriously, if this guy was Evans some people here will be apologizing, crying discrimination, asking if nah your money, nah only him dem see

Some even went as far as calling him brave. Asked if Yoruba man would do that in your land.
They answered: because Yoruba nah coward!

The guy working with FBI from inside his gang is a Yoruba man.

Yoruba do not harbour criminal so we prefer soldier to fight soldiers, fire to fight fire and Tinubu to repulse you. As long as you hate and fear him, we have a job for Tinubu.

You got that?

RTSC:
Are you supposed to get a medal for despising a criminal?

Clowns.

In Nigeria you should since criminals are the heroes of many.

You don't get it.

Your obsession with Tinubu make him useful as fire to fight fire. The more you hate him, the more useful he is but only up to a point.

To knock you off. Capish?

toplinetrtrend:
You don't apologize for hushpuppy, but you apologize for Tinubu, who is also a criminal.

So, how is your life better than those supporting hushpuppy?

Boy, you belong to the same category like them. You are both supporting criminals.

How many Yoruba do you know celebrating or apologizing for the bastard as some people do

Criminals have no sanctuary in Yoruba land. No one is as vicious on Hushppupi.

Even when they use you as fire against fire, they will put you in your place if you aspire beyond your areas of competence.

this is the best i have ever read on nairaland, if only everybody means well for this country let all the youth join IPOB and send all our politicians abraod home, inrespective of his religion or tribe, atleast ipob start with one of their own.my brothers you will see development in Africa and wealth will circle fast and the western wolf will respect black man when he sees him, and our youths will stop crime , we can do it friends .

Covid-19 has brought our leaders home and some of them are dropping dead like flies.

Be careful what you plan for fellow countrymen, it may come back and haunt you.

Even Oga at the Top has not travelled for medical checkup.

Lost Nkrumah & Nigeria: The Safe Haven We Relied On

What happened to Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana and how did Nigeria lose its Potential Power as the place to be for all Africans at home and from Diaspora? Seriously, both cease to exist when we need them most! It must not be left to Nigerians and Ghanaians alone to wonder how we lost both. All African countries must learn from those glorious past and use the lessons constructively before we can move forward progressively.

We have had some successes in Africa but we woefully refused to sustain or build on them. Sustainability of progress takes successive generations to redouble their efforts, not to relax, live off the fat and be complacent as we face persistent enemies.We were told Nkrumah stole so much money, he had houses and girlfriends all over. He died with very little in his possession.

One of Nigeria's leaders once said money was not the problem but how to spend it. The money he was bragging on was not ours but printed in Europe and America as vouchers in exchange for our resources. We could only spend them in their countries, on their terms, on their inflated finished goods and services creating jobs overseas while we got hooked as consumers and patrons.

African Youths have been led to lose focus because they hardly know the causes and contributions of Nkrumah as a world respected leader, invited as peacemaker outside our Continent and Nigeria as the Potential Regional Power that could have displaced international powers' menace in Africa. This generation has no respect for one another, they lack confidence in their own talents but are too eager to seek salvation from the same colonialists that kept us in the Dark for almost 500 years.

Africans or Black people melancholy at home in Africa and abroad must not end in feeling sorry for ourselves but reinvigorate our survival spirits. How we survived after so much denigration to overcome is a testimony of our resilience itself. The George Floyd treatment has been going on for about three to five centuries but this one shocked the heck out of black and white conscience. Some blacks claimed most of the crowd protesting are black and white.

But we must give credit to those few brown protesters as well, especially those that did protest in their own countries. It is time to unite all the ethnic races regardless of color. Remember, they had divided us into colors to prevent further revolts and now in order to spite one another with the progress some of us are making. They used the Jamaicans as the richest at one point, then moved on to Nigerians. Now they are using the Indians and Chinese as evidence of progress in diversity. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/29/world/indians-migrant-minority-black-lives-matter-intl/index.html

While Nkrumah established reorientation schools for most professions including musicians in Ghana, a few countries like Nigeria stopped teaching history until it was reversed when most people raised alarm. The damage was already done because the notion that led to it is still manifested in our new generation of Youths.

Africans! We once had sterling leadership and country that were potential Regional Super Power. The world might not like Kwame Nkrumah because of his ideology and principles but they respected him. The same world was cheering on Nigeria as a regional power to take blackman's burden off them. We lost both opportunities in Nkrumah and Nigeria as we watched the poverty basket of the world move from Asia to Africa.

The world powers did it by Economic fiat unless someone can explain how a country that was named Gold Coast lost the value of its currency by Gold Standard or how Zimbabwe currency became worthless. Yet, our Oxford and Harvard trained economists have not got it right. What have we learned?

Nkrumah and Nigeria at the time had the foresight to look beyond Ghana and Nigeria to provide financial and material support for all African freedom demonstrators regardless of country while confronting police and dogs trained abroad. Our local currencies had value then more than American currency. They used the World Bank and International Monetary Fund for Structural Adjustment to destroy our standard of living while providing "Foreign Aids" and loans from the huge profits they make in Africa. Who is fooling who?

It is surprising how ignorant some of our Youths still think that their talents are appreciated in Europe or America and are being "rushed" when in fact they sell themselves cheap as our raw materials. It is even sad when our best trained go abroad and refuse to come back because they enjoyed a higher standard of living outside when better conditions were provided to those that returned home when our countries were functional. Jerry Rawlings during his first coming actually detained at least one of them on vacation, as an example to others until he paid back his grants and scholarship.

There used to be a time when those who paid their ways, went to full time school and worked full time, could not wait to come back home. Now those that leave with Government scholarships, whose exorbitant school fees depleted Foreign Reserves and those that laundered money as business men, abscond. It is debatable if one set of students should be pampered with money from home while other African students work to pay their fees and send money home to parents and siblings our Governments refused to take care of.

Africans have to study the reasons we lost Nkrumah and why we lost Nigeria as the Safe Haven for Africans before we lose it all. Only then can we discover how Africans were re-colonized again in the name of Foreign Aids and Development. Until we come to our senses and rescue Africa from within, our Youths will continue to self-hate, internalize derogatory names and no black folks worldwide will be respected.

It is difficult to distinguish the difference between activists, politicians and the militias that started as freedom fighters these days. They demand meetings and concessions from politicians. As soon as their bank accounts are loaded, they forget the causes that propel them to notoriety leaving their bases in the same shambles.

If we do not know where we are going, we must reach back and learn from where we are coming from. Unfortunately, Nigeria never had a conscientious President like Nkrumah.

Jul 3, 2020 | Farouk Martins Aresa Nigerianvoice

You are right on point.

Yet headless Nigerians worship the coconut head.

Jimi24:
Yes he did. He has successfully divided the country.
Most Republican Presidents are fiscally conservative but Trump has piled even more debt on Americans with his tax cuts for the rich.
What about restrictions to H1B Visas, highly skilled talented people now head to main Europe, China and believe it or not.. Turkey.

The US will give way to China and Trump is the instrument to actualize that. Already hundreds of thousands have died from his tepid response to coronavirus.
Did you watch his last campaign rally?. Even by the lowest of standards, his rhetoric was low brow. If you doubt it watch it again. Biden is not even campaigning. Probably does not need to. Trump will talk himself out of office.

Afrobeat to Award to Burma Boy.

So he plays Afrobeat?

The only relevance Tinubu has for Yoruba is that he knows how to make Igbo happy and comfortable.

Jonathan single handedly elected Buhari.

It could be worse, look at America!

no country in the world is so gifted with talents and skills including cheap labor and F...ed Up big time as America.

Not even Nigeria!

God gave Ghana Nkrumah, what did they do with him?

Believe me, we all knew Buhari. It was a choice between two devils.

The question, if you want to go there is:

How did Jonathan lose all the goodwill from North to South that got him Acting President and got him elected as President?

Back to the topic, no country in the world is so gifted with talents and skills including cheap labor and F. Up big time as America.

Not even Nigeria!

You are right, thanks

EzzyCarter:
Op, I'm sure God didn't create you to punish us with your English . Check ur topic heading again

Do you remember Rev. Wright the former Obama Chicago Pastor.

His words are ringing true.

America worst enemy could not have impose what is happening right now in a country full of talents and skills but that are wasting or unheeded.

Even if read the article, you will not understand it.

Carry your wahala go

curfew:
There is no oil in Lagos. There is non in any of the local governments in Lagos, non at all. There is also no oil in any waters near Lagos.

What they have done was to pipe oil from Imo state and empty it in Lagos, just as they piped natural gas. Lagos has no oyeli.

You people are fraudster, oluwole people. One day we'll just go and switch off that pipe. Owon brawo.

When We Were Lagosians - Before Oil Income
Mar 14, 2019 | Farouk Martins Aresa


Many Nigerians, Ghanaians, Dahomeans, Sierra Leoneans, Liberians to South Africans were happy as one family; they would gladly tell you gleeful stories when we were Lagosians. But that was before the Oil Income which turned politicians into greedy, selfish and uncaring souls. Luckily we thought dreaming, we would get the old Lagos back once the bureaucrats and Federal politicians moved out to Abuja! For whia?

You ge[i]t money o, you no get money o, na soso enjoyment. Lagos na soso enjoyment: released by Osita Osadebe in 1959[/i]. It was an obvious testimony that you could never be destitute, even as a beggar, within Yoruba generosity in Lagos. Before that song went viral to the later years, were Bobby Benson, Sam Akpabot, Victor Olaiya, Zeal Onyia, Roy Chicago, Eddie Okonta, Rex Lawson rocking our souls in Lagos. Then Uwaifo and Fela.

Ghanaians influence on the music scene in Lagos cannot be denied, if anything we were proud of it. E. T Mensa’s Bobobo Bonsue caught fire. Sammy Obote once led the professional Uhuru Dance Band of Ghana before he came to Lagos. But it was Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah that directed all members of Ghanaian music groups to undergo a six-month training in African music, at the Arts Council of Ghana in 1960. It certainly influence the appeal of highlife, not only to Lagos taste but in Africa.

Lagos area was mostly within walking distance unless you wanted to cross Carter Bridge. But why would you want to do that? The older Lagosians were so mad when University of Lagos was constructed all the way, in Akoka. They fumed: these folks could not find land anywhere inside Lagos, but had to go into the swamp outside to build a university. They prayed - God, please never should we see anything that would make us cross Carter O! Olohun maje ka ri ohun to ma gbe wa koja Cater Bridge O!

Many Lagosians even refused to move to Surulere, called New Lagos. A new development with indoor bathroom, flower garden in front, farm garden at the backyard and paved road with good distance to houses front entrance. LEDB (Lagos Executive Development Board) created special areas for recreation and club houses for youths. Government or mission schools were within walking distance. No need for scholly bus.

However, if there was heaven, it could not be better than Lagos for children. Our ingenuity spoke for itself. We manufactured and constructed our own toys. Something African countries are still trying to do with all the money wasted on technology, imports and “boskona” oyinbo used clothes killed local tailoring business. We made our little boats out of papers and used them to compete inside free-flowing clean gutter without obstructions. Of course, gutters were regularly cleaned by the “Town-Council” workers.


Kites were made out of newspapers and bamboo. But clothing threads for machines of our mothers disappeared into the sky. “Stations” were made from agbalumo seeds and ikoto, the dancing cones were used, which could spin smoothly or rotate on floors. The longest spin with the twist of two fingers won. We made our own Y shaped slingshot to trap or capture birds, fish slings and swings (janguava). City Council provided parks for recreation at Race Course, Ajasa playground and swimming pools by Onikan Stadium.

“Felele” as soccer balls were locally made cheaply from rubber and we practiced on some streets. When cars came, we gave them the right of the way and continued playing until the next one arrived. We had tournaments on soccer fields located in most neighborhoods from Campos, Towry, Onola, Elegbata and Evans Sq. to White Sand.

Oh, the girls created their lines on the floor to step on squares by certain rules; they skipped on ropes in acrobatic display of inventions. They also devised a way of clapping their hands while shuffling with some impressive feet moves, oya. The girls played netball while boys played handball. There were inter house-sports in primary schools and soccer matches. By the time we got into secondary schools, Onikan Stadium was where we played qualifying knockout matches.

Those of us that spent early years either in boarding schools outside Lagos, or Government Reserved Areas (GRA) in Ikoyi, Ikeja, Ibadan, Ondo to Warri (GRA) could not wait to get back once schools closed for holidays. We could not miss the taste of good life in Lagos Island. You have to understand that GRA were dry and not built with children in mind. It used to be called European Quarters since most white people left their wives and children in Europe. Those that had families with kids did not play like us. European kids were dull. Their fun was building toy houses on trees.

Lagos Island was also rich in food and cultural activities. Fanti, Kareta and some religious festivals like Catholic Corpus Christi, Muslim Weree; and our Eyo were too much to miss in Lagos. Some of us even started our own Fanti. This writer was the captain until one of our mothers warned us that if we were caught by police without a license, nobody would bail us out of police station. The fear was enough to cut it out!


The food were something else, made in heaven like tuwo, kenki, ewa Agonyi and abodo. There were two types of abodo: one made from corn by Yoruba and the other made by Ghanaians. Some food were also sold on the street but there were specialties like frejon made from black beans and coconut during Easter, special salted meat during Muslim festival and on special occasions. So were Jollof rice, pounded yam and amola. If you do not like amola, ewedu and gbegiri, what are you doing in Lagos?

Other food and snacks were tinko; meat pies and sausage rolls from Kingsway, De Facto and suya specials from Obalende; gurudi and kushkush from Tinubu Square. Race Course featured Atowotunra, (taste it and buy more) special buns. On Sunday mornings, there was a lady selling seke-shi, fried dough across Catholic Church Cathedral on Mission Street where we deposited some change on our way to Church. Note: nobody said it came out of the money given to us as offering during collection O!

Until we got older, we never knew some of our friends parents came from Calabar, Ghana, Benin, Onitsha, Togo etc. In those days, nobody dared stop Yoruba crossing from Benin Republic Cotonou to Badagry to Lagos. Our parents gave us first any name they liked, even names that were not from their ethnic base. How else could we reconcile first names like Kobina, Kwesi, Latee, Lati, Etim, Sule, Ajua, Sonji etc with Yoruba names in Yoruba land? They were better than Arab and English names!

Lagos architecture were imposing from Brazilian Quarters to Olowogbowo. The returned free men and women from Americas and Europe had different skills to build bridges, roads, electricity and Water Works. London tailors could make a complete suit with needle and thread! Unfortunately, the same skills that African countries are paying so called “expatriate engineers” with all our foreign incomes today. After all Yoruba gave the world Terracotta.

Da Rocha (1860-1959), the first Nigerian millionaire in British pounds started several businesses from banking to Water Works that were eventually sold to the City Council. Businesses under papa’s “Petesi” were flourishing. Every Lagosian knew one another and their kids dared not get out of line. We never disgraced our family names. Ma ba oruko je!

Adebayo Ojo Ogun Martins that died 8th Febuary 1857 had a street named after him in the center of Lagos by the then Governor Glover for his business enterprise at home and abroad. Aso-Matin so named because Adebayo Ojo Ogun Martins imported them, was popular among the rich and famous in Lagos. His tombstone, those of Taiwo Olowo and Maja were moved to Breadfruit Street. Other families, too many to mention here but for later article.

After all, Lagos was a small village comfortable and prosperous before the curse of oil.

News Sports Lifestyle Showbiz

So what are you? Republican abi na conservative.

If you only know what you are. Did you say boast?

You must be one of those Nigerians beating your chest all over the world pointing one finger at others as stupid while four fingers point back to you.

I am sure you are a loser who could have achieved more if you only and only.....

Charity begins at home.

Elimon:
I know you are these pro African liberalists and claim Africa could have fend for themselves... but its a lie we all know...
Even Asia that far developed that us fell to the need of globalisation (Westernisation)..
We boast more about the glories of Egypt and the rest while we forget that we ourselves never appreciated or developed what we had till the Explorers came
AFRICA WAS A DARK CONTINENT

I really enjoyed the Kenny's Abia story.

Did you and those that like what you wrote below think hard? It is what you consider adventure and exploration that turned you into Dark Continent for 500 years!

Elimon:
Africa itself is here today because of peoples efforts and crazy ideas about adventuresand explorations of the wild..the unknown..
please lets take a of silence for those who died on crazy adventures to make the world what it is today

Where will the war star?

Can someone please quote where she praised any criminal or Ramoni so that I can hammer Abike Dabiri.

One quote is enough.

Still waiting.

Can someone please quote where she praised any criminal or Ramoni so that I can hammer Abike Dabiri.

One quote is enough.

It could be worse. She could have accused a black man for RAPE.