₦airaland Forum

Joyful

Ex-Ghanaian president Jerry Rawlings absent at Dino Melaye’s book launch

Author: Kess Ewubare


- The intended keynote speaker at Senator Melaye’s book launch, Prof Femi Odekunle, did not attend the event

- Odekunle says he did not attend the book launch because he had more important things to do

- The member of the presidential advisory committee against corruption called for Senate president Bukola Saraki, who is facing corruption charges, to step aside like the SGF Babachir Lawal

Ex-Ghanaian president, Jerry Rawlings, who was one of the important persons invited for Senator Dino Melaye’s book launch was absent at the occasion.

Also, the intended keynote speaker for the occasion, Prof. Femi Odekunle, did not attend the Abuja event on Monday, May 15, The Punch reports.


Odekunle, who is also a member of the presidential advisory committee against corruption headed by Prof. Itse Sagay, said he did not attend the book launch because he had “more important things” to do.

Speaking in an interview on Channels TV, Odekunle said most of the people who attended the launch were “a congregation of deplorable” people.


He said: "Yes, I was supposed to be the keynote speaker, but because of commitments, I could not be there.

“But from the information I have read, most of the people who were there, the senators and other National Assembly members, in terms of fighting corruption, I will call them a congregation of deplorable.”


Odekunle said every arm of government was fighting corruption except the National Assembly.

He called on the Senate president Bukola Saraki, who is facing corruption charges, to step aside like the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal.

NAIJ.com recalls that some of the attended the occasion included: Bukola Saraki, the senate president, his counterpart at the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, deputy president of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, the minister of Federal Capital Territory, Alhaji Bello Mohammed, his labour and productivity counterpart, Dr. Chris Ngige and former secretary to the government of the federation, Dr. Anyim Pius Anyim.

Others are clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Molori, serving and past members of the National Assembly, with Former President of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings and chairman of Dangote Groups, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, ably represented.

Another top dignitary said to be at the occasion is former first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.

https://www.naij.com/1105502-ex-ghanaian-president-jerry-rawlings-absent-dino-melayes-book-launch.html

https://www.wealthresult.com/business/olaudah-equiano-is-first-nigerian-and
Olaudah Equiano Is The First Educated Nigerian and First African Author

Olaudah Equiano was born in 1745 to the Igbo people in the region now known as Nigeria. The youngest son, he had five brothers and a younger sister. When he was eleven, he and his sister were kidnapped and sold to native slaveholders. After changing hands several times, Equiano was taken to the coast where he was held by European slave traders. He was transported with 244 other enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to Barbados in the West Indies, from where he and a few others were soon transferred to the British colony of Virginia.

He was bought by Michael Pascal, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. Pascal renamed the boy as Gustavus Vassa, after the Swedish noble who had become Gustav I of Sweden, king in the 16th century. Equiano had already been renamed twice: he was called Michael while on the slave ship that brought him to the Americas; and Jacob, by his first owner. This time Equiano refused and told his new owner that he would prefer to be called Jacob. His refusal, he says, “gained me many a cuff” – and eventually he submitted to the new name.

Equiano wrote in his narrative that domestic slaves in Virginia were treated cruelly, suffering punishments such as an “iron muzzle” (scold’s bridle), used around the mouth to keep house slaves quiet, leaving them unable to speak or eat. He thought that the eyes of portraits followed him wherever he went, and that a clock could tell his master about anything Equiano did wrong. Shocked by this culture, Equiano tried washing his face in an attempt to change its colour.

As the slave of a naval captain, Equiano was trained in seamanship and traveled extensively with his master. This was during the Seven Years War with France. Although Pascal’s personal slave, Equiano was expected to assist the crew in times of battle; his duty was to haul gunpowder to the gun decks. Pascal favoured Equiano and sent him to his sister-in-law in Great Britain, to attend school and learn to read.

At this time, Equiano converted to Christianity. His master allowed Equiano to be baptized in St Margaret’s, Westminster, on February 1759. Despite the special treatment, after the British won the war, Equiano did not receive a share of the prize money, as was awarded to the other sailors. Pascal had promised his freedom, but did not release him.

Pascal sold Equiano to Captain James Doran of the Charming Sally at Gravesend, from where he was transported to Montserrat, in the Caribbean Leeward Islands. He was sold to Robert King, a Quaker merchant from Philadelphia who traded in the Caribbean. Pascal had instructed Doran to ensure that he sold Equiano “to the best master he could, as he told him I was a very deserving boy, which Captain Doran said he found to be true

Equiano travelled to London and became involved in the abolitionist movement, which had been particularly strong amongst Quakers, but was by 1787 non-denominational. As early as 1783 he had been passing information about the slave trade to abolitionists such as Granville Sharp, and the publicisation of the Zong massacre (a cause célèbre for the abolitionist movement) can ultimately be attributed to Equiano. Equiano was a Methodist, having been influenced by George Whitefield’s evangelism in the New World.


Equiano was befriended and supported by abolitionists, many of whom encouraged him to write and publish his life story. Equiano was supported financially by philanthropic abolitionists and religious benefactors; his lectures and preparation for the book were promoted by, among others, Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon.

His account surprised many with the quality of its imagery, description, and literary style. Some who had not yet joined the abolitionist cause felt shame at learning of his suffering. Entitled The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, it was first published in 1789 and rapidly went through several editions. It is one of the earliest known examples of published writing by an African writer to be widely read in England. It was the first influential slave autobiography. Equiano’s personal account of slavery and of his experiences as a black immigrant caused a sensation on publication. The book fueled a growing anti-slavery movement in Great Britain.

The autobiography goes on to describe how Equiano’s adventures brought him to London, where he married into English society and became a leading abolitionist. Equiano’s book became his most lasting contribution to the abolitionist movement, as it vividly demonstrated the humanity of Africans as much as the inhumanity of slavery.

Equiano records his and Granville Sharp’s central roles in the movement. As a major voice in this movement, Equiano petitioned the King in 1788. He was appointed to an expedition to resettle London’s poor Blacks in Sierra Leone, a British colony on the west coast of Africa. He was dismissed after protesting against financial mismanagement.

The book not only was an exemplary work of English literature by a new, African author, but it also increased Equiano’s personal revenue. He traveled extensively throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland promoting the book. The returns gave him independence from benefactors and enabled him to fully chart his own purpose. He worked to improve economic, social and educational conditions in Africa, particularly in Sierra Leone.

Related to the abolitionist cause, Equiano was also a leader of the Poor Black community in London. Because of his connections, he was a prominent figure in the political realm, and he often served as a voice for his people. Equiano’s reactions and remarks were frequently published in newspapers like the Public Advertiser and the Morning Chronicle. He had more of a voice than most Africans, and he seized various opportunities to utilize it.

ifyan:
Countries Highest Lowest Crime Rates

https://www.nairaland.com/3806043/countries-highest-lowest-crime-rates#56644736

Robert Lindsay need to see this.

Great

igbodefender:
Are you referring to the Chinese or to the US?

From around the world

Yes

Grace

Greenbullet:
you assessment is highly illogical and sentimental, from your write up it shows that you are trying to use Religion as a proof that you are not a scumbag, well that's pathetic because we all know the man is saying the truth, what do you make of an 18 year old boy whose father is on a 50k per month salary owning an highlander jeep. We all know what he did to buy that car so stop ranting like you Dont know that the average Nigeria has corrupt tendencies

Who's this brain?



How could he be saying the truth. And I am so amazed that you didn't know either the truth. Yet you are calling truth religion. What then is truth if you are still thinking like this.

Evil is universal.



Why not call Bamuda Nigerians

Sure

Check

Prayers

900warriorz:
bro, you're right but I still assert, america is way more worse than any country on this earth. They've killed so many even more than the African continent as a whole....why do they have to judge us all the time? because we don't talk doesn't mean we are stupid.

Great

11 crucial facts about Buhari's corruption war - Saraki

Author: Soonest Nathaniel


The fight against corruption is the major boast for the Buhari-led administration.

Nigeria's Senate president, Bukola Saraki, on Monday, May 15, revealed 11 crucial talking points of the anti-graft war.

Saraki said the war under President Muhammadu Buhari had recorded successes and that all Nigerians must play their part to help the government and anti-corruption agencies.

In a release by his media office on Monday evening, Saraki answered some questions on what the legislature was doing to curb corruption and highlighted a few things Nigerians must know.

Excerpts:

1. On the relationship between corruption and development:

“What got me thinking was the chicken and egg puzzle that that statement immediately raises. Do countries become more corrupt because the people are poor or are the people poor because their country is corrupt? We may never be able to answer this question to everybody’s satisfaction.”

2. On why corruption needs to be viewed through the lens of ‘human development’:

“If the purpose of government is to improve the quality of lives of its people, then any conversation about corruption must focus primarily on how it affects human development, whether it is health, wealth or education.”

3. On the progress Nigeria has made with fighting corruption under President Buhari:

“…one area I believe we have made remarkable progress in the past two years of the President Buhari-led administration is that corruption has been forced back to the top of our national political agenda.

Every single day, you read the newspapers, you listen to the radio, you go on the internet, you watch the television, the people are talking about it.

The people are demanding more openness, more accountability and more convictions.

Those of us in government are also responding, joining the conversation and accepting that the basis of our legitimacy as government is our manifest accountability to the people.”


4. On why governments across all levels must join the fight against corruption:

“We acknowledge that if we want Nigerians to trust their government again, then government at all levels must demonstrate that we are not in office for the pursuit of private gains, but to make our people happier by helping them to meet their legitimate aspirations and achieve a higher quality of life… Nigeria and Nigerians have not accepted corruption as normal; we recognize it as a problem; that we are determined to make a break with our past and live by different rules.”

5. On why deterrence is a better approach to fighting corruption:

"I am convinced that we must return to that very basic medical axiom that prevention is better than cure. Perhaps, the reason our fight against corruption has met with rather limited success is that we appeared to have favoured punishment over deterrence… We must review our approaches in favour of building systems that make it a lot more difficult to carry out corrupt acts or to find a safe haven for corruption proceeds within our borders. In doing this, we must continue to strengthen accountability, significantly limit discretion in public spending, and promote greater openness.”

6 On what the National Assembly is doing to fight corruption:

“We in the National Assembly last week took the first major step in this direction towards greater openness. For the first time in our political history, the budget of the National Assembly changed from a one-line item to a 34-page document that shows details of how we plan to utilize the public funds that we appropriate to ourselves.”


7. On anti-corruption legislation being considered by the Senate:

“At the moment, we are considering for passage into law the following bills:

The Whistleblower Protection bill, which I am confident will be passed not later than July 2017.

The Proceeds of Crime bill

The Special Anti-Corruption Court, which would be done through constitutional amendment and;

The Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill."

8. On what the National Assembly intends to do moving forward:

“…the National Assembly is driven by the saying that “whoever comes to equity must come with clean hands.” Having demonstrated our commitment to transparency and a more open legislature, we will be operating on a higher moral ground in carrying out our oversight duties as prescribed by the constitution.”

9. On bureaucratic processes and corruption:

“We need to simplify our bureaucracy and administrative procedures. Because it is in the complexity and red-tapes that corrupt officials profit. However, I also strongly suspect, while not justifying anything, that majority of these low level corruption are largely powered more by need even more than greed.”


10. On how providing more opportunities, Nigerians will fight corruption:

“If we are able to build a quality public education system, especially at the basic and secondary level, which would not require parent to pay through their nose for their children’s education; if we are able to build an efficient public health system that provide insurance covers to ordinary citizens so that when they fall sick, they can access quality healthcare without running from pillar to post looking for money; if we are able to build a system that guarantees food and shelter to everyone; if we are able to do all these, we would have gone a long way in removing much of the driving force for corruption at this level.”

11. On transparency international’s corruption perception index:

“On the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index. It is important to note… that the year-on-year report does not fully reflect or account for the progress being made in the fight against corruption. I believe the key challenge here is also because ‘perception’ is largely subjective… while relying on perception, I think it is important for TI and other such organisations to improve on their methodology by developing more robust parameters that reflect the progress that some countries are making in respect to corruption.”

https://www.naij.com/1104859-11-crucial-facts-buharis-corruption-war-saraki.html

Grace

Grace

igbodefender:
Let us not forget that China's economy is only returning to its previously held position as the world's biggest economy. They have been there before. In 1820 they were the world's biggest economy. China has been around for about 5000 years. In fact, these guys traded with the Roman Empire at a time when Britain, the ancestor of the United States was still a Roman colony.

They probably look at the present day world powers and say, 'the new guys'.

Judgement: In my own opinion, the US should occupy that position. An enterprising nation that gave us the internet, space travel, Disney, iPhone, and so many other great things that make life sweet.

The beautiful creatures are yet to come...

BiafranBushBoy:
He didn't wake up and type all those.

When I was a kid, I thought Chinese people could fly and do their karate. But when I became older, I knew they were all tricks.

All of the Nigerians he met exhibited same qualities. And remember he hasn't visited Nigeria, so how do you expect him to know that he is generalizing??

Instead of trying to show yourself as one of the good Nigerians, tell our igbho bros to stop drugs.

Tell our yoloba bros to stop internet scam

Tell our politicians to make the country a good one and stop being corrupt

Tell our norten to stop being fanatics.

Preach to your kinsmen and tell them to change!

When it happens, the white men will see us for our new self.

I am not a nigerian tho

And understand[b][/b]



Please read it again. Thanks

Here if you missed it:https://www.nairaland.com/3803379/why-dont-like-nigerians-robert


First of all I think and I know that most learned folks in the united states including president trump wouldn't buy the thoughts and experiences of Roberts Lindsay's Assessments​ about Nigerians, which is anchored in recent maybe fall out with one out of permit me to say billions of Nigerians which is scattered all over the whole planet. Thank God I am a Nigerian. You may not know how fortunate enough I am to come from this unique and diverse ethnic variety state called naija.

Back to Roberts Lindsay's Assessment, someone who is a great example of how super smart people can suck at math and not do well on the SAT. He writes:

Yes, I have a genius IQ (over 140) but I have never, I mean never been good at math, especially higher math. And that means algebra and geometry. All of my family except my Dad have or had genius IQ’s, and we are all awful at math. I barely got through Algebra in high school, and I sucked at geometry. My math scores were so poor that they kept me out of the UC system, much to my father’s dismay and anger as he wanted to me to go to UCLA. My sister barely got through Statistics to get her social sciences degree. My SAT scores are not even that great.
According to Lindsay, his 140+ IQ is well authenticated, having been obtained on both the WISC and the WAIS-R (the Wechsler scales are probably the best IQ tests in existence, having g loadings of 0.9+). And you can tell he’s extremely bright because he can write very long interesting posts about many different kinds of topics from psychology, to anthropology to politics. He just knows so much about so much, and general knowledge is one of the strongest signs of IQ. He even looks intelligent with the glasses (myopia is genetically linked to IQ) and the pale skin.

Not only is his IQ extremely high, but it’s extremely lopsided with his social IQ > logic IQ. This is a pattern you see more often in women and blacks than in white or Mongoloid men, and I believe it’s a throwback to a more primitive stage of evolution when humans were more sexual and schizophrenic; less nerdy and autistic. A commenter here felt that Lindsay and I are kind of opposites on this spectrum I describe.

So even though Lindsay wears glasses (a nerdy trait), he has dated many women and is hyper aware of the signals they are sending him. One problem with a high social IQ is having such a strong Theory of Mind makes one perceive minds even where they don’t exist, putting one at risk for believing in God, ghosts, UFOs and Sasquatch, and indeed Lindsay’s blog posts about Bigfoot are wildly popular.

I saw firsthand how acute Lindsay’s social IQ can be when he banned from his blog for so-called “right-wing politics”. This was before I was famous of course. No one would dare ban me now. At the time I decided to sneak back onto his blog pretending to be an old lady. Lindsay immediately saw through the ruse. “NO WAY IS THAT GUY A WOMAN!” he screamed. “NOT IN ANY POSSIBLE UNIVERSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”


And so after the super IQ which is a whooping 140+, it's unbelievably strange he still can't recognise that evil and good people are universal and not associated only to Nigerians alone. My people I am talking to the humble and hardworking, the good ones, don't allow any stranger make you feel bad of your home. Home is beautiful and there is no where like home where you are first citizen. I never said there are no bad people in Nigeria, not. There are. As there are also everywhere of man territory after the fall of man and the rise of the Prince of the world, Lucifer. Thank God he is judged now.


I am warning Blogger Lindsay Robert to as a matter of national importance withdraw such outdated assessment and out of course saying forth with. And I am using this medium to ask the appropriate authority to as matter of national image laundering to compel Robert Lindsay to issue an apology to us the good Nigerians. There is only one teacher who came down from heaven sent by our master CHRIST JESUS, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of truth, who is giving birth to good men all over the whole world. I don't believe Robert Lindsay have met this person, if not he would have removed the darkness in him so that he can be able to see that the whole world is a global village. And that evil has been and will be until men learn how not to yield to evil thought​ and present their bodies a living sacrifice to the Holy Spirit to build them up for the work of love which is the greatest.


We match on..........

We must speak

Grace

Do it

Good

Sure

Great

Truth

If you doubt

Try it

All through the time of humanity on earth after the fall of Adam and Eve from the glory life all fell short of manifesting the destiny of gods. And they lived and died like beasts till this day. Why parish for the lack of knowledge when knowledge of the truth is glaring and not hidden from men. I know, because you have refused to yield your heart to know. As long as you pretend you are alright by yourself and don't want to see that your world is fallen, you will keep reaping what you sow.

Didn't you hear that you are at peace with your heavenly father, why is your heart still burdened and heavy with matters of meeting your daily needs? Why do you consider the needs of your body more than the ultimate nourishing of your true nature? Do you realise what you are depriving your inner self from joyous fellowship with the source. Is it because you see everyone not interested in the way of the beyond, that you are also so busy trying to achieve your bodily tasks. It's meaningless and a chase after the wind.


I have never seen anyone as rich, flamboyant, decorated, advanced, merely​ satisfied, that's​ fulfilment in the natural eyes of men, and entertained like King Solomon David. He was not just excessively wealthy, but wise and filled with witty inventions knowledge. But in all his experiences​ he has this to say

" I sought in my heart to give myself to wine, yet acquainting my heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

I made myself great works; I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards: I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made myself pools of water, to water there with the wood that brings forth trees: I got myself servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: I gathered myself also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I got myself men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

And whatsoever my eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that comes after the king? even that which has been already done.

Then I saw that wisdom is more excellent than folly, as far as light as more excellent than darkness.

Everyone speaks as he has been granted. Solomon David in all his glory as a natural man was not arrayed like the flowers on the field which are here today and tomorrow destroyed by the sun. More than three thousand years later another man has this to tell us about earth and man

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he has purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

In whom ye also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that you believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Amen

Marvelous words of glory which never loses its potency and operations which was hidden from ages past but now revealed to us the mystery of his goodness and mercy. Are you going to lay hold on to this mystery or you will keep dwelling on sinking sand? Time will tell.

Do you

Because

Yes