₦airaland Forum

Woman found alive in rubble of last month's Bangladesh factory collapse that killed more than 1,000 people, dis also depicts the bible quotation that“ I shall have compassion on whom I want to have compassion on, I shall have mercy on whom I want to have mercy on says the Lord” & and his mercy endureth forever.

HALLELUJAH! Woman Rescued From Collapsed Bangladesh Factory After 17 Days (PHOTOS)

By Author: Christina Coleman on Date: 5/10/2013



Miracles do happen.

It's been 17 days since a factory in Bangladesh collapsed, tragically killing nearly 800 people. But this morning, the fire department was in for a surprise when they heard someone groan underneath the crushing rubble.

Source :http://m.globalgrind.com/news/woman-rescued-collapsed-bangladesh-factory-after-17-days-photos

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*******INSPIRATION STORY**********

A doctor entered the
hospital in hurry after being called in for an urgent surgery.
He answered the call asap, changed his clothes & went directly to the surgery block.

He found the boy's father pacing in the hall waiting for the doctor.
On seeing him, the dad yelled: "Why did you take all this time to come? Don't
you know that my son's life is in danger? Don't you have any sense of responsibility?"

The doctor smiled & said: "I am sorry, I wasn't in the hospital & I came as fast as
I could after receiving the call. And now, I wish you'd calm down so that I can do
my work."

"Calm down?! What if your son was in this room right now, would you calm down? If your own son dies now what will you do??" said the father angrily

The doctor smiled again & replied:" I will say what Job said in the Holy Book
'From dust we came & to dust we return, blessed be the name
of God.'
Doctors cannot prolong lives. Go &intercede for your son, we will do our
best by God's grace"

"Giving advises when we're not concerned is so easy "
murmured the father.

The surgery took some hours after which the doctor went out happy,

"Thank goodness!, your son
is saved!" And without waiting for the father's reply he carried on his way
running." If you have any question, ask the nurse!!"

"Why is he so arrogant? He couldn't wait some minutes so that I ask about my son's state" commented the
father when seeing the nurse minutes after the doctor left.

The nurse answered, tears coming down her face:"His
son died yesterday in a road accident, he was in the burial when we called him
for your son's surgery. And now that he saved your son's life, he left running to
finish his son's burial."

Moral-Never judge
anyone.....because you
never know how their life is &what they're going through"

If you have ever judged anyone wrongly before
comment "Forgive me
God"..Ignore if you don't care..

FORGIVE ME GOD!!

Posted May 6, 2013 by newsbytesnow in News. Tagged: Banks, Central Bank, Death, economy, Funds, House of Reps. Leave a Comment

⁠⁠

Palpable fears have gripped banks over the resolution of the House of Representatives to probe the inability of relatives of deceased Nigerians to access the funds of their departed loved ones, put at between N400 billion and N1 trillion.

A top bank executive who pleaded anonymity confirmed last week at a venue of the bank’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, that if such probe come to effect, none of the banks would be exonerated.

Though he put the blame on the nation’s legal system, he, however, admitted that banks have not done well to simplify the process.

In his comment, an ex-banker now Managing Director, Twinsronk Consulting, Okechukwu Amadi, said the probe will expose banks a great deal, stating that the amount put forward by the sponsor of the motion was conservative.

While calling for holistic probe, the former banker regretted that the probe might not see the light of day as banks would do all it takes to frustrate the process.

“This is definitely a good move. But I wonder if the banks will not frustrate the process. The lawmakers should ensure the probe is carried out to save many Nigerians from the agony of recovering the funds of dead relatives,” he said.

It is recalled that the House of Representatives last week passed a resolution to probe delays usually encountered by relatives of deceased Nigerians while attempting to have access to the funds of their departed ones.

The Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, directed the Committees on Judiciary, Justice and Banking to convene a stakeholders’ meeting to find a way out of the situation which is believed to be very common.

The sponsor of the motion, Abiodun Abudu-Balogun, said there was the need to stop the pains and trauma beneficiaries of such funds usually go through in their efforts to access their funds.

He said while the process of obtaining letters of administration by such bereaved families at probate divisions of state and federal high courts was very cumbersome and corruption-ridden, banks that were custodians of the funds often use both official and unofficial hurdles to frustrate beneficiaries.

Abudu-Balogun stated that unofficial statistics put the figures of such unaccessed funds with banks at between N400 billion and N1 trillion, adding that obtaining a single letter of administration usually lasted over a year.

All the members that commented on the bill agreed that there was the need to address the issue because of the harrowing experiences such beneficiaries go through and in most cases, unable to access the fund, describing it as unfortunate that family members whose lives had been made miserable by death of their bread winners would be subjected to more pains by these undue bottlenecks.

Courtesy Nigerian Tribune

Africans stand to lose as US axes visa lottery

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April 30, 2013 | 8:51 pm

News, Vanguard breaking news alert sms

WASHINGTON – Africans could be the big losers as the United States reforms its immigration laws and eliminates the green card lottery, of which Africans are the main beneficiaries.

Half of the 50,000 residence permits handed out at random each year are earmarked for Africans. It is a hugely popular program that has allowed hundreds of thousands of Africans to settle in America since the mid 1990s.

But the ambitious reform project under debate now in Washington, which would provide papers for million undocumented immigrants, contains a clause that would do away with the lottery.

In its place would be a more selective immigration system based on skills, career and family ties.

For years the lottery has been in the crosshairs of Republicans, who control the House of Representatives and say it adds no value to the American economy.

“It’s clear that there are better ways to allocate visas than to randomly give them out through a lottery system,” said Bob Goodlatte, the Republican who leads the House Judiciary Committee. “Our immigration laws shouldn’t be based on the luck of the draw; rather, they should be designed strategically to benefit our country.”

The ‘diversity visa,’ as it is known formally, is set aside for people from countries that do not experience a lot of emigration. So Mexicans, Chinese and Filipinos, for instance, are not eligible. Africans quickly became the main ones to cash in.

All applicants need is a high school diploma or two years of work experience.

Between 2010 and 2012, one in five Africans who came to the United States to stay did so through the lottery. That made it the third most common method, at 21 percent of the total, after family reunification (43%) and refugee status or asylum seekers (23%).

By comparison, in the same period only 10 percent of Europeans who became permanent residents and 3% of Asians did so through the lottery.

“It has proven to be a way of helping those who come from the continent of Africa, those who come from a number of other areas where it is very difficult to get a visa,” said Sheila Jackson Lee, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, whose members are all Democrats.

But in an effort to preserve the comprehensive reform being negotiated for months by the two parties, the Democrats and President Barack Obama agreed to ditch the lottery.

Representative Charles Schumer, who authored the program in 1990, said it was impossible to keep it.

Schumer said the system that will replace it in 2017 is merit-based and will also give Africans a chance. On average they are more educated than people from other continents. And English-speaking Africans would get a boost because of that language skill.

But Michael Fix of the Migration Policy Institute said, “It really probably won’t admit enough people to offset the effects of the loss of the diversity visa for some years after that. It’s a long time away. It won’t be immediately offset by any means.”

The diversity visas would vanish starting next year under the reform being negotiated.

Only four percent of African immigrants — compared to 21 percent of Asians and 22 percent of Europeans — received a green card for employment reasons in 2012.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People says the number of African immigrants will go down even with the merit-based system.

“In essence, we’re concerned,” said Hilary Shelton, the NAACP Washington bureau director.

Dame Babou, who hosts a radio show that caters to Senegalese people in New York, said the scrapping of the lottery is disheartening for Africans.

“Every year many people thought this was going to be their year,” Babou said. “Again, what is being eliminated is hope.”(AFP)
Source :http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/04/africans-stand-to-lose-as-us-axes-visa-lottery/

Your diet can give you haemorrhoids

2013-04-25 23:00:10



One health issue that is always discussed in hushed tones is haemorrhoids, also called piles.  It actually refers to a mass of inflamed veins in swollen tissue at the margin of the anus or within the rectum.

Among the Yoruba, it is loosely called irobo, and wrongly diagnosed as being caused by eating sugary foods. However, physicians say people develop haemorrhoids when they don't get enough fibre in their diets, which can lead to constipation.

According to General Practitioner, Dr. Goke Jacobs, haemorrhoids is a very common complaint and it affects both male and female.

He explains that adults whose ages fall between 45 and 65 and women during pregnancy and after childbirth do develop this health issue. Common symptoms, he says, include itching and pain, especially when the sufferer sits down, and bright red blood on toilet tissue or in the toilet bowl after you strain to have a bowel movement.

Jacobs warns, though, that sometimes, rectal bleeding can be a sign of a more serious problem, such as colon, rectal, or anal cancer. "So, if you see blood stains when you wipe your backside after using the bathroom, don't just reach a spurious conclusion that it's piles; see your doctor without wasting time," he counsels.

While doctors say haemorrhoids are rarely dangerous, they also agree that it can be a recurrent and painful intrusion.

A U.S-based gastroenterologist, Dr. Dada Afijabi, says traditionally, haemorrhoids are associated with chronic constipation, straining during bowel movements, and prolonged sitting on the toilet -- all of which interfere with blood flow to and from the area, causing it to pool and enlarge the vessels.

"This also explains why haemorrhoids are common during pregnancy, when the enlarging uterus presses on the veins," he says.

According to online portal, webmd.org, rushing to complete a bowel movement can lead to excessive straining and increase pressure on rectal veins.

Again, physicians say, persistent diarrhoea or constipation, which may cause straining and increase pressure on veins in the anal canal, can eventually lead to the painful condition.

It's like we can never have enough warning on the health problems posed by being overweight, especially in the abdomen and pelvis. Physicians say the extra weight in those parts of the body may increase pressure on the pelvic veins and cause haemorrhoids.

Pregnancy and labour are biological processes that any woman of child-bearing age can experience at any point in time. However, aside from the 'normal' issues associated with even a healthy pregnancy, doctors say hormonal changes during gestation increase blood flow to the pelvis and relax supportive tissues, while the growing foetus causes increased pressure on blood vessels.

"During labour, haemorrhoids may develop because of the intense pressure on the anal area while pushing to deliver the baby," Jacobs enthuses.

He says further, "Other medical conditions such as long-term heart and liver disease may cause blood to pool in the abdomen and pelvic area, enlarging the veins and resulting in haemorrhoids."

Despite the inconveniences associated with this health issue, Harvard scientists are of the opinion that it could be taken care of when the sufferer adopts healthy lifestyle.

To start with, they advocate getting more fibre into the diet from food. "Along with adequate fluid, fibre softens stools and makes them easier to pass, reducing pressure on haemorrhoids," they say.

High-fibre foods include broccoli, beans, wheat and oat bran, whole-grain foods, and fresh fruit. They also suggest intake of fibre supplements under the supervision of a competent physician, to help decrease haemorrhoidal bleeding, inflammation, and enlargement.

"Meanwhile, water is the best remedy to cure piles naturally," Afijabi says. He suggests taking between eight and 10 glasses of water every day.

Banana is also a fruit of choice in tackling constipation and piles, and Jacobs suggests that it is recommended every day after each meal or early in the morning before you eat anything.

 Spicy and alcohol are no-go areas for piles patients. Jacobs says alcohol leads to dehydration, which will further worsen piles symptoms.

Other fruits recommended for 'treating' haemorrhoids  include tangerine, apples, mango, tomatoes, lime and pawpaw, which, when taken regularly, improve defecation.

They also advise reduction of caffeine products, as they reduce water in the body, leading to dehydration.

In addition to foods, the physicians also recommend moderate aerobic exercise, such as brisk walk for about 20-30 minutes daily to stimulate bowel function.

Jacobs also says postponing stooling when you first feel the urge can lead to faeces becoming hard in the anus, leading to difficulty when you eventually make up your mind to use the bathroom.

Doctors also say over-the-counter haemorrhoid creams containing a local anaesthetic can temporarily soothe pain. Says Jacobs, "Creams and suppositories containing hydrocortisone are also effective, but don't use them for more than a week at a time, because they can cause the skin to atrophy
Source : http://mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/healthwise/your-diet-can-give-you-haemorrhoids/

US Secretary Of State Report Massive Corruption In Nigeria

By Aliyu Kolo on April 21, 2013







The Secretary of State, United States of America, John Kerry, has alleged massive corruption at all levels of the Nigerian Government in the new report he submitted to the United States Congress.



The Report titled: “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012,” was prepared by the Department of State using information from US embassies and consulates abroad, foreign government officials, non-governmental and international organisations, and published reports.

According to the report revealed over the weekend, the section 4 that featured Nigeria under “Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government,” disclosed “Massive, widespread, and pervasive corruption affected all levels of government and the security forces.”

Although the Nigerian law provides criminal penalties for official corruption, the report stated that: “government did not implement the law effectively, and officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity.”

The judiciary was also analysed and the report stated; “There was a widespread perception judges were easily bribed and litigants could not rely on the courts to render impartial judgements. Citizens encountered long delays and alleged requests from judicial officials for bribes to expedite cases or obtain favourable rulings.”

Furthermore, all major financial scandals within the period under review and how the issues were handled by government reflected in the report. “On April 18, a House of Representatives Committee led by Representative Farouk Lawan and charged with investigating the fuel subsidy programme from 2009 to 2011 released a report showing massive fraud, corruption, and inefficiencies in the operation of the program. The report alleged misappropriation of nearly half the subsidy funds, with poor or nonexistent oversight by government agencies.

“The report estimated government money lost to “endemic corruption and entrenched inefficiency” amounted to N1.067 trillion ($6.8 billion). The committee recommended reform of the oversight and enforcement mechanisms and further endorsed investigation and prosecution of culpable officials.”

“In July, the government released a list of those who had benefited illegally from the subsidy programme, which included relatives and colleagues of key government officials. In late July the EFCC began arraigning suspects, first with a group of 20 indictments, including six oil companies and 11 individuals.

“By year’s end the EFCC initiated prosecutions of approximately 50 cases related to the subsidy scam. The majority of these cases involved companies and individuals who had fraudulently received subsidy revenue. Investigations and trials had not produced any convictions by year’s end.”

Similarly, during the subsidy probe in June (2012), “allegations and a video surfaced, allegedly showing Lawan accepting a N94.2 million ($605,000) bribe from Entrepreneur Femi Otedola, who had advised Lawan on the investigation but whose company had not received fuel subsidy payments.

“After Lawan solicited the bribe from Otedola, the latter approached the SSS to record the hand-off as part of a “sting” operation. The attorney-general referred the case to the police for further investigation. The allegations initially overshadowed the committee’s findings, but the EFCC continued with investigations at year’s end.”

It also cited the stealing of 32.8 billion naira ($210 million) Police Pension Fund, which led to the arraignment of six suspects including a director at the Police Pension Office, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, who later rose to become permanent secretary in the Ministry of the Niger Delta, and the criminal charges against former Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, for laundering close to five billion naira ($32 million) of funds belonging to state.

Other corruption cases reported were the arrest of the former minister of Works and Housing, Hassan Lawal, for 24 counts of fraudulently awarding contracts, money laundering, and embezzlement of 75 billion naira ($480 million); arrest of Mr. Dimeji Bankole, former speaker of the House of Representatives, and Deputy Speaker Usman Nafada for the alleged misappropriation of one billion naira ($6.4 million) and 40 billion naira ($256 million) respectively; arrest of former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former Oyo State Governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, former Nasarawa State Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma, and former Gombe State Governor, Muhammed Danjuma Goje.

“The four (governors) allegedly misappropriated or stole 58 billion naira ($372 million), 25 billion naira ($160 million), 18 billion naira ($115 million), and 12.8 billion naira ($82 million), respectively. Their trials began in December 2011 and continued at year’s end”, the report disclosed.

It also cited the guilty plea entered by former Delta State Governor James Ibori in the Southwark Crown Court in London to charges of money laundering and other financial crimes totalling 12.4 billion naira ($79 million) he had committed during his eight years in office.

It, however, noted that, “Soon after the court announced Ibori’s conviction, the EFCC issued a statement it intended to pursue a case against Ibori in Nigerian courts.”

On the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), signed into law in May 2011, which allows any person to request information from a government office, the report said “Civil society groups continued to introduce an increasing number of cases at the national and state level to test the FOIA during the year. Despite the number of cases introduced, there was only one reported successful prosecution during the year.”

The report also contained the declaration of assets by Nigerian public officials in pursuant to the constitution, “Public officials, including the president, vice president, governors, deputy governors, cabinet ministers, and legislators (at both federal and state levels), must comply with financial disclosure laws, including the requirement to declare their assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) before assuming and after leaving office. Violators risked prosecution, but cases rarely came to conclusion.”

“In June the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project and other groups demanded President Jonathan disclose his assets from 2007 to 2012. On June 24, the president refused the request.

LESSONS FROM BOSTON

⁠Our Reporter⁠ ⁠April 21, 2013⁠ ⁠



To millions across the world, Martin Richard, the eight-year-old killed in last Monday’s terror attack in Boston, United States of America, is the face of that tragic failure in human wisdom. Full of life, and imbued with the vision of a violence-free world, the dream of a world without inhibitions, a world where love flows like an endless Spring, the boy had gone with his sister and parents to watch the Boston marathon. They had strategically positioned themselves close to the finish line, perhaps, to gain a vantage view of the winners. But it was death, the grim reaper, that emerged the winner. Two bombs planted by two warped minds, Dzhokar Tsarnaev, 19, and his elder brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, effectively ensured that Martin Richard will never, ever realize his dream of a wonderful world he had so hoped for. Before the two sons of the gun brought death to him in pressure cookers, Richard had dreamt and worked for a world where no one would ever be hurt, a world where all men would seek peace, a world where everybody would be his brother’s keeper. Although the massive manhunt that followed the attack ended Friday with the arrest of Dzhokar Tsarnaev, and the killing of his brother, it was Richard, and not the FBI or the police that smoked out the terrorists, that emerged the winner. He was the tragic hero, if you may. Through his death, the world learnt and saw the message of love and peace that the little boy had been canvassing in his little corner in Boston. About a year ago, Richard had unconsciously immortalized his campaign, when he wrote those inscrutable words on marble: “No more hurting people”. On another occasion, the boy had underscored his vision by holding up a bright blue sign decorated with hearts framing the word “Peace”. These are the pictures that tragic Richard left with the world. They are the truths he sought and worked so hard to impart on our world in church, at school, at play, wherever he found himself. Young as he was, he could not understand why our world should hang upside down like the bat of the night. He, within the short span his life lasted, emphasized the commandment in Hebrew 12:14 – “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (King James Version (KJV). That boy who our wicked world so cruelly treated taught us to “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14).

These are the truths I recommitted myself to yesterday, even as the Lord gave me the grace to add another year to my years on earth. I turned 57 yesterday, and it was a wonderful feeling. In the spirit of this renewal, I profoundly apologise to those that I have wronged, hurt and caused pain, especially my beautiful wife, Funsho. Back to Boston, and, like I said, the most important message that came out of the ashes of that tragedy is the wonderful message of love that has resonated around the world since we began to see those beautiful images by Richard. As a nation, and I’m talking about our beloved country,

Nigeria, the Boston bombing brought home some other lessons. The first, and the second most important lesson is the rapidity of the response by first responders, the security agencies and the seamless synergy among them. The response was swift, and pointedly focused to one goal: saving lives, taming terror. Although some experts have argued that the attack ought to have been amputated before it got to that fatal stage, but for fatigue or over-confidence by the security organs that ‘we’ve got everything fixed’, the casualty figures would have been higher but for the swiftness of the initial response. First responders and security agents poured to the scene of crime as if they had a foreknowledge of the tragedy.

They responded with ‘automatic alacrity’ as the late Chief Eleyinmi of Oja Village (in the popular soap, Village Headmaster) would have described it. But for this, the fatalities that would have followed would have far outweighed the three deaths and the 170 with varying degrees of injuries recorded. Our security agencies and NEMA should take something home from this. Timeliness is of the essence in search and rescue operations. It prevents avoidable deaths. Even if you were the most cynical of all sadists, you cannot but be impressed by the promptness with which the police and the FBI swarmed the crime scene. Apart from saving lives, their early arrival also helped substantially to secure the crime scene and procure possible leads for their investigation. That’s the way it should be.

To my compatriots, I also commend the selfless reaction of volunteer-fans of he marathon, students, doctors, and other caregivers (amateurs and professionals) to the attack. They surged to the scene to help victims. Unlike others, they didn’t flee from the chaos, they plunged into it. They were never bothered by the potential danger the attack could also bring to them. They were quick and unselfish in their quest to help brothers and sisters in pains and in the throes of death, hence the low casualty. As usual, President Barak Obama demonstrated leadership with his prompt reaction and empathy with the American people.

He assured Americans of their safety and security, stating that Americans can never be terrorized. And he never jumped into any conclusions. Even when there were copious evidences that indicated that the Boston bombings were an act of terrorism, he never mentioned the word ‘terror’ in his initial response. He never said ‘we know who did it or why they did it’. He waited to have all the facts from his security chiefs. It wasn’t until he got that that he mentioned the word ‘terror’, and that was some 24 hours after. Still, he simply said ‘we don’t know who did it’ but that America will get to the bottom of the matter and bring the individual or group of individuals responsible to justice. To me, that is very presidential. It is the right thing to do and say. He never said anything that would prejudge or streamline investigations and handicap investigators. He allowed the experts to do their job.

He never blabbed. That is the way it should be. And I do hope our leaders are taking note. Lastly, and most importantly, is the resources – human, machine and might – that America deployed to assure and protect its people, as well as smoke out the masterminds. The Washington administration didn’t say because ‘only three Americans died’, and therefore, consign the investigations to the local authorities in the State of Massachusetts. No. It never did. Rather, the central administration deployed its awe-inspiring federal might to hunt the monsters. The result came in swiftly on Friday. Even if ‘only one America’ had died, the administration would still not have behaved differently. It would still have done the same thing.

The soul of every American is precious anywhere, everywhere, and America would stop at nothing to save just one citizen. Even if no American had died in the Boston tragedy, the approach would still not have been different. America would still have considered it as a serious national security breach and treated it accordingly. Contrast that with what happens in our country and draw your inferences. To me, the story of Boston is the story of love. It is the story of courage and resilience of Americans in the face of adversity. It is the story of the indomitable spirit of America and Americans. It should also be our story in Nigeria anytime we are faced with adversity. God will help us.

Source : www.sunnewsonline.com

Without prejudice to aftermath of the bombing in boston, I can now affirmed why an american will always prays and say GOD BLESS AMERICAN!!!
Obama's govt response to the bombing in all ramifications was phenomenal . The question now is when will a nigerian be able to say GOD BLESS NIGERIA
In america aftermath of terrorism = justice
In nigeria aftermath of terrorism = amnesty

My Candid Take on 2015

20 Apr 2013

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By Dele Momodu

Fellow Nigerians, please allow me to set the records straight before I go into the main meat of this letter. On a personal note, I have no problem with President Goodluck Jonathan seeking a second term in office. It is his legitimate Constitutional right. It does not matter if he truly reached an unwritten gentleman’s agreement with some members of his political party, openly or clandestinely. When did it become a criminal offence for Nigerian politicians to renege on their promises? At the very worst, he would have committed a moral offence of being a reprobaterather than a gentleman who keepsto his words. Finito! But that is an act of indecorum which is not punishable under any of our Acts or Statutes.


My take is simple and straight-forward: let Jonathan run, if he wants to. It is cowardly to stylishly force him out of the race. The essence of democracy is to give every aspirant a chance except we can establish legal reasons to debar him. The Nigerian Constitution permits a President to run for two terms if he can win the presidential race twice. So be it. This Constitution is definitely superior to that of any humongous political party. If the President has decided to exercise that right, there is nothing anyone can do to stop him from running if he gets his party ticket which I suspect won’t be any problem for him given the way things work in Nigerian politics.


However, difficult as it may seem, there are options open to those who don’t want him to be the next PDP candidate if they are ready to fight all the way. But they can only achieve that through Constitutional means. Members of his party can decide to change him for another aspirant, and they are not in short supply, by ensuring he doesn’t get the party nomination during their National Convention. As far-fetched as this may seem, it cannot be totally ruled out if they can muster enough resources to match him dollar for dollar. The only snag in that calculation is that I’m not sure any Nigerian currently has access to such a monstrously deep pocket, as Alhaji Atiku Abubakar discovered on his night of the long knives at the Eagle Square in Abuja barely two years ago.


First, the law enforcement agents would be encouraged to lock up the delegates in their hotel rooms and ensure that no other aspirant can reach them. Two, the incumbent President would easily receive the support of every businessman worth his salt in Nigeria and beyond without even asking. The President of Nigeria has the power of life and death and would never waste any time before deploying it. He can turn a billionaire into a pauper overnight and turn a certified pauper into a billionaire before you pronounce Jack Robinson. No wise businessman ever fights government in Nigeria. It is an unwritten code you learn from kindergarten school.


Three, Mr President understands the weakness of most Nigerians. It is the special craving, craze and propensity for political appointments. That obsession is so insatiable that even at 80 many Nigerian politicians would sacrifice anything and everything to obtain government appointments no matter how degrading or demeaning. The reason is not far-fetched. Returns on investments are usually high in Nigerian politics. Economic recessions hardly affect them. Right now, most Nigerians are moaning and groaning, yet the politicians have no cause to complain. They are awarding themselves stupendous remunerations and allowances with infinite opportunities to globe-trot on very outlandish estacode. This is why most people want to be in the good books of the President including those who abuse him in public. At the right time, the President would call them in and speak the original dialect they all understand. Money!


I believe it is for those reasons some people want to elbow the President out before the race begins. My prediction is that Jonathan will get the PDP ticket again, no matter what it takes. And my advice to those who don’t want that to happen is to either support him or quickly leave the party for him. Unfortunately, there are not too many stronger parties in contention. The only one available for now, if and when it gets registered, is APC. But even here, there are formidable obstacles to scale. How easy would it be for our dear Atiku Abubakar to return to APC with all his former AC allies in firm control? How easy would it be for a Waziri Aminu Tambuwal to persuade General Muhammadu Buhari to jettison his voluptuous dream of ruling Nigeria again? How simple would it be for a Sule Lamido to risk all his investments in PDP and hope to upstage our own BAT, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu in APC? By what magic would Governor Babangida Aliyu control enough influence in APC? These are technical issues that those leaving PDP would have to confront sooner than later. It is a dilemma offering no easy escape route.


I see four clear options. The first is there will be the original PDP under the firm grip of Jonathan. But that Jonathan-PDP may become a shadow of itself if most of the Northern Governors, members of the Senate, House of Representatives and other State legislators collectively pull out and join the Obasanjo renegades in the South Westand leave the dry shell for Jonathan and his die-hard supporters in the South-South, South-East and parts of the Middle-Belt. That is the Second option. The third is for APC to risk a Muslim Muslim ticket in Buhari and Tinubu and hope to garner enough crowds from the North West and the South West.


The fourth is for Buhari and Tinubu to sacrifice everything and reach out to Tambuwal and Rotimi Amaechi, or a similar formidable duo, and hope to break the monopoly of Jonathan in the South South. This is possible, where a bigger Rivers is already feeling oppressed by Bayelsa, Cross River is feeling emasculated by Akwa Ibom, the Ibori crowds are feeling marginalised in Delta and the godfathers are being rendered irrelevant in Edo by Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole. This scenario seems the most likely permutation to ease out Jonathan. Political pundits believe this is why Jonathan is already fighting like a wounded lion in Rivers State. Rivers has the hefty resources and more than enough electoral figures to threaten Jonathan’s ambition.


Tinubu and General Olusegun Obasanjo would have to bury their differences and rescue Nigeria from the brink of collapse. Many Nigerians still blame Obasanjo for giving Nigeria a weak and ineffectual leadership. They fail to understand why he couldn’t come up with a star-studded team of Donald Duke, Nasir El Rufai, Dora Akunyili, NgoziOkonjo-Iwealla, NuhuRibadu, Bukola Saraki, Julius Ihonvbere, Charles Soludo, Emeka Chikelu, Oby Ezekwesili, Akin Osuntokun, Frank Nweke Jnr., and others, when he left power in 2007. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar had a pool of young and vibrant technocrats like Chris Mammah, Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo, Garba Shehu and Adeolu Akande who could have been groomed for the new Nigeria of our dreams. However they were all exterminated like irritants by Obasanjo who squashed them underfoot. Had power been transferred to such upwardly mobile people, Nigeria would have had its own version of Obama and Cameron by now. The decision to swim and drown with the weakest links robbed us of a more energetic government.


We have no idea yet what the general electorate might do after 14 years of narcoleptic leadership of PDP. Will they put a final stop to Jonathan’s voluble ambition by casting their votes for the new-look opposition or stick fervently to the devil they already know?


While it is tempting to be bought over by the lack of performance argument against Jonathan, it can be safely assumed that one’s man’s meat is another man’s poison. There is no other way to put the lack of performance to test than at the polls. Nigerians hardly vote like normal people do. We often base our decision on primordial sentiments that include the whiff of money, ethnicity, religion, position and so on. Who knows, despite our excruciating pains in the hands of the PDP hawks, Jonathan might still manage to hypnotise enough Nigerians with his Fresh Air razzmatazz? Elsewhere, PDP would have long been consigned to the dustbin of history but not in our long-suffering and eternally resilient and reticent country called Nigeria.

I won’t be surprised if all the PDP Governors line up behind Jonathan when tomorrow comes. What will shock me is if they don’t. A lot of government money is already being stockpiled for our type of rainy day. Loads of cash will jump out of the vaults when the time comes, as it certainly will, sooner than later. How many politicians born of women can resist the lure of money in a country where money speaketh all languages and conquereth all territories?


As for me and my house, the best option for Jonathan is to ignore all those putting pressure on him to run. Truth is he has nothing to prove again. God has showered him with too much kindness. He has entered the history books for life as Nigeria’s President and Commander-in-Chief. It does not matter how long he stays in power. What would ultimately matter is what he does with it. If I were in his shoes, I will concentrate on what legacy to bequeath to future generations and worry less about the distractions of a Second Term malady. He has nothing to lose if he does not seek a second term but he has everything to forfeit if he runs and fails to win. The best way to win or lose with dignity is not to make it a matter of life and death. It would even be worse if he has nothing tangible to point at as his achievement when his tenure expires, whenever that is.


If I were Jonathan, I will take off my hat, jump into some casuals and hit the ground running. I will work like a donkey and try to prove my enemies wrong. I will make sure I conclude the power projects. That alone will instantly turn any Nigerian leader to an all-time hero. I will cut the cost and burden of governance. I will keep a lower profile and kick out most of the deadwoods in government. I will concentrate on those projects I can complete as soon as possible. I sincerely believe all the energy he’s wasting on pursuing Rotimi Amaechi and company can be better utilised. He had never fought for anything in his life. Whatever he is today was at the instance of uncommon good luck and enduring patience. Why not allow God to decide his next destination in life instead of stopping others who want to try their own luck.


It is not too late for the President to ease the tension in the land. He has nothing more to ask of God. He became Nigeria’s President without much ado. It is for him to compensate Nigerians for that unusual favour. What I see is his proclivity for enjoyment and the good life. His government is too bloated and full of unserious elements. Those goading him on today,and encouraging him to fight on all fronts, would soon abandon him perchance he fails in this mission. They are his real enemies out to preserve their pecuniary interests only.


Where are those who said Obasanjo was their god a few years ago and daily swore by his name? They have since moved on to otherclimes in search of new gods, and I doubt if they even remember how to get to the Hill Top mansion in Abeokuta.


There is no better lesson for the wise.

Source : http://thisdaylive.com/articles/my-ca…

My Candid Take on 2015

20 Apr 2013

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By Dele Momodu

Fellow Nigerians, please allow me to set the records straight before I go into the main meat of this letter. On a personal note, I have no problem with President Goodluck Jonathan seeking a second term in office. It is his legitimate Constitutional right. It does not matter if he truly reached an unwritten gentleman’s agreement with some members of his political party, openly or clandestinely. When did it become a criminal offence for Nigerian politicians to renege on their promises? At the very worst, he would have committed a moral offence of being a reprobaterather than a gentleman who keepsto his words. Finito! But that is an act of indecorum which is not punishable under any of our Acts or Statutes.


My take is simple and straight-forward: let Jonathan run, if he wants to. It is cowardly to stylishly force him out of the race. The essence of democracy is to give every aspirant a chance except we can establish legal reasons to debar him. The Nigerian Constitution permits a President to run for two terms if he can win the presidential race twice. So be it. This Constitution is definitely superior to that of any humongous political party. If the President has decided to exercise that right, there is nothing anyone can do to stop him from running if he gets his party ticket which I suspect won’t be any problem for him given the way things work in Nigerian politics.


However, difficult as it may seem, there are options open to those who don’t want him to be the next PDP candidate if they are ready to fight all the way. But they can only achieve that through Constitutional means. Members of his party can decide to change him for another aspirant, and they are not in short supply, by ensuring he doesn’t get the party nomination during their National Convention. As far-fetched as this may seem, it cannot be totally ruled out if they can muster enough resources to match him dollar for dollar. The only snag in that calculation is that I’m not sure any Nigerian currently has access to such a monstrously deep pocket, as Alhaji Atiku Abubakar discovered on his night of the long knives at the Eagle Square in Abuja barely two years ago.


First, the law enforcement agents would be encouraged to lock up the delegates in their hotel rooms and ensure that no other aspirant can reach them. Two, the incumbent President would easily receive the support of every businessman worth his salt in Nigeria and beyond without even asking. The President of Nigeria has the power of life and death and would never waste any time before deploying it. He can turn a billionaire into a pauper overnight and turn a certified pauper into a billionaire before you pronounce Jack Robinson. No wise businessman ever fights government in Nigeria. It is an unwritten code you learn from kindergarten school.


Three, Mr President understands the weakness of most Nigerians. It is the special craving, craze and propensity for political appointments. That obsession is so insatiable that even at 80 many Nigerian politicians would sacrifice anything and everything to obtain government appointments no matter how degrading or demeaning. The reason is not far-fetched. Returns on investments are usually high in Nigerian politics. Economic recessions hardly affect them. Right now, most Nigerians are moaning and groaning, yet the politicians have no cause to complain. They are awarding themselves stupendous remunerations and allowances with infinite opportunities to globe-trot on very outlandish estacode. This is why most people want to be in the good books of the President including those who abuse him in public. At the right time, the President would call them in and speak the original dialect they all understand. Money!


I believe it is for those reasons some people want to elbow the President out before the race begins. My prediction is that Jonathan will get the PDP ticket again, no matter what it takes. And my advice to those who don’t want that to happen is to either support him or quickly leave the party for him. Unfortunately, there are not too many stronger parties in contention. The only one available for now, if and when it gets registered, is APC. But even here, there are formidable obstacles to scale. How easy would it be for our dear Atiku Abubakar to return to APC with all his former AC allies in firm control? How easy would it be for a Waziri Aminu Tambuwal to persuade General Muhammadu Buhari to jettison his voluptuous dream of ruling Nigeria again? How simple would it be for a Sule Lamido to risk all his investments in PDP and hope to upstage our own BAT, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu in APC? By what magic would Governor Babangida Aliyu control enough influence in APC? These are technical issues that those leaving PDP would have to confront sooner than later. It is a dilemma offering no easy escape route.


I see four clear options. The first is there will be the original PDP under the firm grip of Jonathan. But that Jonathan-PDP may become a shadow of itself if most of the Northern Governors, members of the Senate, House of Representatives and other State legislators collectively pull out and join the Obasanjo renegades in the South Westand leave the dry shell for Jonathan and his die-hard supporters in the South-South, South-East and parts of the Middle-Belt. That is the Second option. The third is for APC to risk a Muslim Muslim ticket in Buhari and Tinubu and hope to garner enough crowds from the North West and the South West.


The fourth is for Buhari and Tinubu to sacrifice everything and reach out to Tambuwal and Rotimi Amaechi, or a similar formidable duo, and hope to break the monopoly of Jonathan in the South South. This is possible, where a bigger Rivers is already feeling oppressed by Bayelsa, Cross River is feeling emasculated by Akwa Ibom, the Ibori crowds are feeling marginalised in Delta and the godfathers are being rendered irrelevant in Edo by Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole. This scenario seems the most likely permutation to ease out Jonathan. Political pundits believe this is why Jonathan is already fighting like a wounded lion in Rivers State. Rivers has the hefty resources and more than enough electoral figures to threaten Jonathan’s ambition.


Tinubu and General Olusegun Obasanjo would have to bury their differences and rescue Nigeria from the brink of collapse. Many Nigerians still blame Obasanjo for giving Nigeria a weak and ineffectual leadership. They fail to understand why he couldn’t come up with a star-studded team of Donald Duke, Nasir El Rufai, Dora Akunyili, NgoziOkonjo-Iwealla, NuhuRibadu, Bukola Saraki, Julius Ihonvbere, Charles Soludo, Emeka Chikelu, Oby Ezekwesili, Akin Osuntokun, Frank Nweke Jnr., and others, when he left power in 2007. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar had a pool of young and vibrant technocrats like Chris Mammah, Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo, Garba Shehu and Adeolu Akande who could have been groomed for the new Nigeria of our dreams. However they were all exterminated like irritants by Obasanjo who squashed them underfoot. Had power been transferred to such upwardly mobile people, Nigeria would have had its own version of Obama and Cameron by now. The decision to swim and drown with the weakest links robbed us of a more energetic government.


We have no idea yet what the general electorate might do after 14 years of narcoleptic leadership of PDP. Will they put a final stop to Jonathan’s voluble ambition by casting their votes for the new-look opposition or stick fervently to the devil they already know?


While it is tempting to be bought over by the lack of performance argument against Jonathan, it can be safely assumed that one’s man’s meat is another man’s poison. There is no other way to put the lack of performance to test than at the polls. Nigerians hardly vote like normal people do. We often base our decision on primordial sentiments that include the whiff of money, ethnicity, religion, position and so on. Who knows, despite our excruciating pains in the hands of the PDP hawks, Jonathan might still manage to hypnotise enough Nigerians with his Fresh Air razzmatazz? Elsewhere, PDP would have long been consigned to the dustbin of history but not in our long-suffering and eternally resilient and reticent country called Nigeria.

I won’t be surprised if all the PDP Governors line up behind Jonathan when tomorrow comes. What will shock me is if they don’t. A lot of government money is already being stockpiled for our type of rainy day. Loads of cash will jump out of the vaults when the time comes, as it certainly will, sooner than later. How many politicians born of women can resist the lure of money in a country where money speaketh all languages and conquereth all territories?


As for me and my house, the best option for Jonathan is to ignore all those putting pressure on him to run. Truth is he has nothing to prove again. God has showered him with too much kindness. He has entered the history books for life as Nigeria’s President and Commander-in-Chief. It does not matter how long he stays in power. What would ultimately matter is what he does with it. If I were in his shoes, I will concentrate on what legacy to bequeath to future generations and worry less about the distractions of a Second Term malady. He has nothing to lose if he does not seek a second term but he has everything to forfeit if he runs and fails to win. The best way to win or lose with dignity is not to make it a matter of life and death. It would even be worse if he has nothing tangible to point at as his achievement when his tenure expires, whenever that is.


If I were Jonathan, I will take off my hat, jump into some casuals and hit the ground running. I will work like a donkey and try to prove my enemies wrong. I will make sure I conclude the power projects. That alone will instantly turn any Nigerian leader to an all-time hero. I will cut the cost and burden of governance. I will keep a lower profile and kick out most of the deadwoods in government. I will concentrate on those projects I can complete as soon as possible. I sincerely believe all the energy he’s wasting on pursuing Rotimi Amaechi and company can be better utilised. He had never fought for anything in his life. Whatever he is today was at the instance of uncommon good luck and enduring patience. Why not allow God to decide his next destination in life instead of stopping others who want to try their own luck.


It is not too late for the President to ease the tension in the land. He has nothing more to ask of God. He became Nigeria’s President without much ado. It is for him to compensate Nigerians for that unusual favour. What I see is his proclivity for enjoyment and the good life. His government is too bloated and full of unserious elements. Those goading him on today,and encouraging him to fight on all fronts, would soon abandon him perchance he fails in this mission. They are his real enemies out to preserve their pecuniary interests only.


Where are those who said Obasanjo was their god a few years ago and daily swore by his name? They have since moved on to otherclimes in search of new gods, and I doubt if they even remember how to get to the Hill Top mansion in Abeokuta.


There is no better lesson for the wise.

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Without prejudice to aftermath of the bombing in boston, I can now affirmed why an american will always prays and say GOD BLESS AMERICAN!!!
Obama's govt response to the bombing in all ramifications was phenomenal . The question now is when will a nigerian be able to say GOD BLESS NIGERIA

The shoes are part of atiku's amnesty gesture for boko harams & the abokis!!!


Vision 2015»»»

Obama: "We also come together...to reaffirm that the spirit of this city is undaunted & the spirit of this country shall remain undimmed.""

President Obama: "I am here today on behalf of the American people with a simple message...every one of us stands with you.""

President Obama: "One of the reasons the world knows Boston so well is that Boston opens its heart to the world."

Obama: "Whether folks come here for just a day or stay here for years they leave with a piece of this town tucked firmly into their hearts""

President Obama: "In this moment of grief, we join you in saying—'Boston, you’re my home.'""

President Obama: "Today our prayers are with the Campbell family of Medford—they're here today. Their daughter Krystle was always smiling.""

Obama: "Our prayers are with the Lu family of China who sent their daughter Lingzi to BU so she could experience all this city has to offer""

President Obama: "Our prayers are with the Richard family of Dorchester—to Denise & their young daughter Jane""

President Obama: "Our hearts are broken for 8-year old Martin—with his big smile and his bright eyes.""

Obama in Boston: "Your city is with you. Your country is with you. We will all be with you as you learn to stand & walk & yes, run again.""

President Obama to the people of Boston: "Your resolve is the greatest rebuke to whoever committed this heinous act.""


President Obama on the bombing in Boston: "It should be pretty clear by now that they picked the wrong city.""

President Obama: "You have shown us, Boston, that in the face of evil, Americans will lift up what is good.""

President Obama: "In the face of those who would visit death upon innocents, we will choose to save and comfort and heal.""

President Obama: "That’s what you have taught us, Boston. That's what you've reminded us. To push on. To persevere.""

President Obama: "We carry on. We race. We strive. We build and we work and we love.""

Obama: "When the Sox, Celtics, Patriots or Bruins are champions again...the crowds will gather & watch a parade go down Boylston Street.""

Obama: "This time next year, on the 3rd Monday in April, the world will return to this great American city...for the 118th Boston Marathon.""

Obama: "Tomorrow, the sun will rise over Boston...the sun will rise over this country we love. This special place. This state of grace""

Obama: "May God hold close those who have been taken from us too soon...and may He continue to watch over these United States of America.""

Source: http://whitehouse.gov
NB : please that the obama speech was quoted from the whitehouse twitter handle; @whitehouse

2015: Bombings’ll stop moments Jonathan declines to contest – Cleric



April 17, 2013 | 12:47 am

Worship

By Dayo Johnson Akure
THE President of the Ondo State Unification of Cherubim and Seraphim, Primate Ademisokun Turton, has said that the killings by the dreaded Boko Haram religious sect will come to an end if President Goodluck Jonathan speaks out on his 2015 ambition.

Primate Turton said in Akure at the inauguration of the Unification of the Churches in the state that the insecurity in the country will come to an end ”the moment President Goodluck Jonathan make it public that he is not re-contesting in 2015.

According to him, “amnesty or no amnesty, the activities of the sect will continue until our President speaks out on his political ambition come 2015.

The religious leader who heads the Success Cathedral of the Church in Akure, Ondo state alleged that Northern leaders are behind the insecurity in the Country believing that they can make it a campaign issue.

He said that it is part of the plan of the North to regain power in 2015 adding that he was against the granting of Amnesty to the faceless group who are bent on breaking up the country.

Describing the activities of the dreaded religious as political, the President of the churches said that “in the first instant how can amnesty be given to faceless sect of people whose purpose of fighting is unknown

Source :http://www.vanguardngr.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi6aT6pfCD4

Nigeria’s uphill battle to spread the country’s wealth

By Samuel Burke & Claire Calzonetti

Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria, is full of promise. But fulfilling that promise is often a struggle.

Plagued by corruption and mismanagement, the resource-rich country has a poverty rate of over 50%.

Maternal mortality is shockingly high and more than half of Nigerians don’t have access to electricity, according to the World Bank.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the country’s finance minister and the former World Bank official has been lauded as the reformer Nigeria needs.

But she too isn’t immune from Nigeria’s problems – her own mother was kidnapped for a terrifying five days before being released.

President Goodluck Jonathan promised to address corruption in the country. Nevertheless, a former governor – an ally of Jonathan – has been convicted of embezzling million in public funds and has since been pardoned.

“Nigeria does have a problem with corruption and so do many other countries,” Okonjo-Iweala told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an interview that aired Tuesday. “I don’t like the fact that when people mention the name Nigeria the next thing they mention is corruption.” 

Technology could be the answer the problem, Okonjo-Iweala believes.

“We must build electronic platforms. We must distance people from the money. These things were recommended by the world bank and IMF,” she told Amanpour. “We are doing them.”

President Jonathan is calling for the judiciary, the legislative and the executive arm to meet together about this issue all together for the time first Okonjo-Iweala said.

“Because even if you catch somebody, if they go to courts and they are let off lightly the president can’t do anything about that. The judicial system also has to be strengthened,” she said.

“This is a country of 170 million people; 99.9 percent of them are honest, hard-working citizens who just want to get on with their lives,” Okonjo-Iweala said, proudly. “And they want a government that delivers for them.”

Oil should be Nigeria’s saving grace, but oil leakage causes a significant drain on the economy.

“We are still a poor country,” she admitted. “We can’t afford any leakage.”

On tap of that, there is immense oil theft, which Okonjo-Iweala puts at 150,000 barrels stolen a day. She compared the situation to Mexico, which sees tens of thousands of barrels stolen each day.

“We need them to treat this oil like stolen diamonds. The blood diamonds,” she said – calling on the international community for assistance. “Make it blood oil. Help us so those people don’t have a market to sell this stuff.”

Nigeria is also plagued by problems with its electrical grid.

When the country’s president last appeared on CNN, he told Amanpour, “That is one area that Nigerians are quite pleased with the government, that’s a commitment to improve power. It’s working. So if you are saying something different, I’m really surprised.”

That interview caused an uproar in Nigeria, with many of the county’s very active social media citizens taking to Twitter and Facebook to voice their frustrations with the power grid and President Jonathan’s comments.

Okonjo-Iweala said the power problems all come down to previous government’s lack of investment.

“If you’ve neglected a sector for that long, you’ve not invested, you’ve not even maintained your basic facilities, it’s not going to happen that fast. It takes time,” she said.

While Nigerians often complain of power outages – telling CNN they often have to use generators to watch the news channel –  Okonjo-Iweala maintained there has been improvement.

“That month, when you interviewed the president,” she said, referring to Amanpour’s previous interview of Jonathan, “the polls showed, independently, scientifically that they are in technical partnership with dialogue. That 54 percent of Nigerians felt there was some improvement,” she told Amanpour.

“Nigeria is not the only country. Almost every developing country has a problem with power, as you know. India has it. South Africa has it. South Africa is far better off because they’ve invested much more.
But many developing countries, even China, they are struggling with keeping up with infrastructure,” she said.

Okonjo-Iweala said that the administration has accepted that the government is not the best place to run the power sector.

“If we want this country and this economy to do better, we just have to get out. And Nigeria is pursuing one of the most sweeping privatization programs in any country in the world,” she said. “We are selling off everything.”

That said, the lights even went out on President Jonathan during a speech he gave a speech in front of cameras just this past Easter day.

Source : http://amanpour.blogs.cnn.com/2013/04/16/nig…

Full Transcript

AMANPOUR: Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, welcome to the program.

NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA, NIGERIAN FINANCE MINISTER: Thank you for having me.

AMANPOUR: Great to have you.

OKONJO-IWEALA: Thank you.

AMANPOUR: Nigeria is a huge and important country. We have many, many viewers from Nigeria, always very active and very interested. So it's great to have you here.

OKONJO-IWEALA: Thank you.

AMANPOUR: You have said and others have said, that 2013 is going to be a real game-changing year, a turning point year for Nigeria, particularly in your area of finance and economics.

How?

OKONJO-IWEALA: Well, it's going to be a game-changer and a turning point, because this is the year we are going to produce results. And we're already producing results within the administration.

First, on the economic side, I just want to say that macroeconomic stability has been restored. Now, nobody should minimize that. Remember, there were two lost decades in Africa, in the '80s and '90s, where there was so much macro instability that people could not even focus on sectors that could create jobs.

Now things have gone right. We've got growth that is at 6.5 percent last year and we're projecting for 2013, also, around the same number compared to average 5 percent on the African continent.

Now, I just want to say that when you mention GDP growth, people immediately say we can -- in my country, they say we can't eat growth; because we have unemployment challenges, we need to create more jobs. We have a challenge of inclusion. We have problems of inequality.

All those are challenges we face.

AMANPOUR: You are obviously a passionate defender of your country. You are a person who calls for transparency and honesty and best practices.

There is a huge problem with corruption in your country. The president promised to address this stuff. And the latest is that an ally of his, a former governor who was convicted of stealing millions of dollars, has been pardoned, embezzling $55 million in public funds.

Now, the U.S. calls that a setback for the fight against corruption.

I mean how do you answer that?

OKONJO-IWEALA: How do I answer that question?

OK, listen to what I have to say on corruption. And I think I have quite a bit to say. I wrote a book recently where I also had a whole chapter on that issue called, "Reforming the Unreformable."

Nigeria does have a problem with corruption. And so do many other countries, including developed countries. I don't like the fact that when people mention the name Nigeria, the next thing they say is corruption.

This is a country of 170 million people; 99.9 percent of them are honest, hard-working citizens who just want to get on with their lives and they want a government that delivers for them.

What we've said is that in order to help block any leakages and help to, you know, stop any attempts at corruption or taking monies, we must build electronic platforms. We must distance people from the money.

These things were recommended by the World Bank and the IMF. I used to work at the World Bank. We are doing them.

And I strongly believe that we lack institutions. We lack processes.

Now, what President Goodluck Jonathan has done now is to call the judiciary, the legislature and the executive arm for the first time to meet together on this issue and say, this is not just about government, this is about all of us coming together, because even if you catch somebody, they go to the courts and they are let off lightly.

The president can't do anything about that. The judicial system also has to be strengthened.

Legislators also have to crack down. They themselves have to work at also being transparent and helping the executive.

But for me, also, in addition to doing that, we need to stop talking and identify the specifics, like you mentioned oil leakages. Let me mention two things quickly.

The first one is the oil theft that is 150,000 barrels a day --

AMANPOUR: Which is huge.

OKONJO-IWEALA: -- a month -- which is huge. Yes. I admit that. And we can't afford -- I'll tell you; my thesis on corruption is we are still a poor country. We cannot afford any leakage.

We also need the international community to weigh in. We have -- Mexico and Nigeria are suffering from this problem, you can check. Mexico has (inaudible) losing 25,000 barrels a day. And they found (inaudible).

In our case, we have international people who also buy that stolen oil. We need them to treat this stolen oil like stolen diamonds, the blood diamonds. Make it blood oil. Help us so that those people don't have a market to sell this stuff.

That's one. And we ourselves should commit to fighting -- and we are fighting that.

AMANPOUR: Let me ask you about that, because you also have challenges with electricity. You mentioned you're very rich in oil and people just simply don't understand why there still seem to be so many problems with electricity.

And it might seem, you know, weird to pick on that one thing, but it is very prevalent. I asked your president about this during an interview I did by satellite when he was at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Let's just see what he had to say to me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOODLUCK JONATHAN, PREISDENT OF NIGERIA: That is one area that Nigerians are quite pleased with the government, that's a commitment to improve power. It's working. So if you are saying something different, I'm really surprised. That is one area, one area that we will -- civil society members agree that government has kept faith with its promise.

AMANPOUR: Now, that interview caused a bit of a hullabaloo, as I think you know, in Nigeria. And yet, the World Bank has said that half -- more than half the Nigerian population doesn't have any access to the power grid.

OKONJO-IWEALA: As you know, Nigeria became a democracy again when President Obasanjo came into power in 1999. Two decades prior to that, there was hardly any investment in electricity.

If you've neglected a sector for that long, you've not invested, you've not even maintained your basic facilities, it's not going to happen that fast. It takes time.

That month, when you interviewed the president, the polls showed, independently, scientifically (inaudible) that they are in technical partnership with dialogue. That 54 percent of Nigerians felt there was some improvement. They do it monthly.

Now this month, they've surveyed and they've showed this going down, because 800 megawatts has been taken off the grid, which is while they are maintaining the grid.

AMANPOUR: Well, let me ask you, because businesses apparently say that this problem with electricity is causing them to, you know, be reluctant to invest.

(CROSSTALK)

AMANPOUR: They need this investment...

OKONJO-IWEALA: Nigeria is not the only country. Almost every developing country has a problem with power, as you know. India has it. South Africa has it. South Africa is far better off because they've invested much more.

But many developing countries, even China, they are struggling with keeping up with infrastructure.

Now, what we are doing in Nigeria?

We have accepted that the government is not the best place to run the power sector, that if we want this country and this economy to do better, we just have to get out. And Nigeria is pursuing one of the most sweeping privatization programs in any country in the world.

We are selling off everything. The generation capacity, the distribution capacity in the country, government is only retaining one thing -- transmission.

AMANPOUR: Well, on that note, Madam Minister, thank you for joining me.

OKONJO-IWEALA: Thank you, Christiane, for having me.

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Can anyone guess which African leader can do what David Cameron, British Prime Minister did talkless of mentioning nigeria?

He travelled in a public train along with ordinary citizens. There was no more seat, so he had to stand. How can u describe dis kind of leadership quality becos I see it as a food for thought for nigerian politicians.

To court should have added 3yrs to the 24yrs to make it 27yrs so as to be @ par with nelson mandela jail term

I remember vividly the usual saying of the ex-IG aftermath of any bombing that the POLICE FORCE IS ON TOP OF THE SITUATION, so its so clear now that the SITUATION IS ON TOP OF THE POLICE FORCE.

Front page pls



Paper Based Applications Scrapped As UK Reviews Visa Application Procedure For Nigerians

March 23, 2013   ⁠

The United Kingdom is reviewing its visa application procedure which now requires all applicants to complete an online application form rather than a paper-based application form from March 25, 2013.

A document from Hooman Nouruzi, the Political and Press Secretary at the British High Commission in Abuja says advice on the visa application process and a link to the online application system could be found on dedicated Nigeria webpages at www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/countries/nigeria

According to the document, the visa application centres in Abuja and Lagos run by the official commercial partner, VFS Global, will no longer accept visa applications which have not been completed online.

“The UK Border Agency and its commercial partner, VFS Global, are committed to providing an efficient visa service for all customers, and delivering a range of optional services to make the visa application process as convenient as possible. To help modernise the UK visa operation in Nigeria, from 25 March 2013, all visa applicants must complete their application online before attending one of our visa application centres to submit documentation and provide biometrics”, the document added.

It advises applicants to only submit genuine documents in support of their visa application as submitting forged or fraudulent documents could result in a 10 year ban. The UK is the destination of choice for Nigerian tourists and business travellers. More information about UK immigration and customs information is available at

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/countries/nigeria/applying/?langname=UK%20English

Sacked workers protest Wahum's alleged inhuman treatment

2013-03-21 23:00:29



Hundreds of ex-workers of Wahum Packaging Limited, Ogba, Lagos, picketed the company on Thursday.

 It was the second time in the week that they would be protesting their alleged maltreatment by the management of Wahum.

Although the company called the policemen to disperse them, the effort was not successful as the workers merely moved to a junction near Wahum, where they continued the protest.

One of the protesters, Wale Olaleye, said the company sacked them because they dared to ask for an increase in their salaries.

He said, "I work in the maintenance section of Wahum. The salary of each contract staff, (N16, 600) barely cover the cost of transport and we work 12 hours every day. The day shift is 7am to 7pm; the night shift is 7pm to 7am. And if we come a minute after 7, we are locked out and forced to forfeit the salary of that day, which is N820.

"We are about 500 contract staff who suffer this exploitation. We started agitating since last week for increment in wages. We met with the management of Wahum and they told us that the company could only pay N18,000, but we insisted that they must pay above N20,000. Suddenly, they sacked all of us. So, we requested that they should pay us off with this month's salary, but Wahum called the police to chase us away."

Wisdom Alphonsus, who worked in the boiler section for five years before he was sacked, said he started as a casual employee and he was paid N20,000 monthly. He said afterwards, Wahum placed him on contract, and the salary was reduced.

He said, "In the contract we signed, as we were represented by agents, Wahum stated that they would increase the salary yearly. But they haven't done so. Though leave period is included in our contract, we are not allowed to go."

Alphonsus said that what he found very unfortunate was the fact that their agents earn N28,000 per worker, while the worker earns a "pitiful" N16,600.

Edet Williams, 23, another sacked worker, said, "We would like to take them to court but we cannot afford it. I call on government to help us fight this injustice."

Our correspondent was denied audience and entry into Wahum Packaging Ltd by guards who said journalists were not allowed into their premises. Source : http://www.punchng.com

Adieu. To a literary icon; THINGS ARE FALLING APART . LORD av mercy

Farouk Lawan is being tried for corruption.

The embattled Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Education, Farouk Lawan (PDP-Bagwai/Shanono) was on Thursday replaced by Aminu Suleiman (PDP-Kano).

The Speaker of the house, Aminu Tambuwal, announced this on Thursday in Abuja.

No reason was given for the replacement of Mr. Lawan who had headed the committee for more than 12 years, having been a ranking member since1999.

The house suspended Mr. Lawan in 2012 in the wake of the $620 million alleged bribery between him and a Nigerian business man, Femi Otedola.

Mr. Lawan and Boniface Emenalo, the Secretary of the ad hoc committee investigating the fuel subsidy regime, have since been arraigned before a court for receiving the bribe.

The Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Rose Oko (PDP-Cross River), took over as acting chairman after the suspension of Lawan.

Meanwhile, the house has urged the Federal Government to make a supplementary budget for the Nigeria Police Force.

It also urged the government to begin the construction and expansion of police barracks, to take care of the accommodation needs of the personnel in Abuja.

The resolution followed a motion by Ini Udoka (PDP-Cross/Rivers) which was unanimously adopted.

Moving the motion, Mr. Udoka said most police barracks in Abuja had been constructed before the relocation of the nation’s capital from Lagos to Abuja.

He said the personnel in the Abuja Command lacked decent accommodation, unlike others in other parts of the country.

The lawmaker said some policemen posted to the Nigerian capital had resorted to living in disused and abandoned construction sites owing to high rents demanded by landlords for befitting apartments.

He expressed concern that more than 2,000 policemen in the Garki Police Barrack and their household lived in the Abuja wing of the Garki Police Barracks.

Mr. Udoka said the police headquarters and the environs now housed some policemen posted to Abuja.

He appealed to the House to support the motion as it would ameliorate the hardship of the police in obtaining accommodation in the Abuja.

The speaker referred the motion to the Committee on Police Affairs for more legislative inputs.

In the meantime, the house mandated the committees on power, reform of government institutions, finance and privatisation, to investigate the ownership of power distribution companies.

This followed a motion by Patrick Ikhariale (PDP-Edo).

The motion is entitled: “Need to revise the zero budget allocation to the distribution companies and generation companies of Power Holding Company of Nigeria by the Executive in the 2013 budget.”

It was unanimously adopted after secondment by Chris Azugbogu (APGA-Anambra) and supported by Fort Dike (PDP-Anambra).

The committees are also to investigate the issue of monies allegedly not being appropriated and report back to the house in one week.

(NAN). Source : http://www.premiumtimesng.com

The police force,sss & jtf will soon come out to say they are on top of the situations not knowing that it is the situation that is on top of them.
It is only the lord almighty that is on top of the situation!!!

Dis is pathetic, becos I saw it on nairal and today dat aer o contractor is recruiting whereas dey are just trying to fill in d space of d sacked staffs
In conclusion , av come to realized dat most of nigerian companies dat are doing well are owned directly or indirectly by corrupt politicians e.g banks, telecom,aviation (arik, aero e.t.c),oil and gas, power plants, cement coyies,private universities,broadcasting stations: AIT,TVC, lekki tollgate concession coy,alpha betta, obasanjo farms, abdulsalam farms, mikano; all in the name of PRIVATIZATION(dis I call political shenanigans)
NIGERIANS WHICH WAY FORWARD

Aero Contractors staff protest today

By SaharaReporters, New York

It has emerged that troubled airline Aero Contractors, which suspended all of its flights last week, may be in deeper trouble than was previously revealed to the public, SaharaReporters investigations show.

Those cancellations stemmed from a dispute with workers at the airline regarding operation and pay.

Over the weekend, about 95% of the company’s workers confirmed that they received emergency sack letters from the management, and they today began a labour protest over their sacking.

Some of the staff members who spoke anonymously with SaharaReporters said the decline of the troubled airline started a while ago when convicted rogue banker, Mrs. Cecilia Ibru came into Aero at the time she held sway at Oceanic Bank and was one of the most powerful figures in the economy.
It would appear that in her bid to seize full control of Aero and to use it as a tool to engage in money laundering from Oceanic Bank, Mrs. Ibru's actions put her at loggerheads with the majority shareholder and technical partner at Canadian Helicopters (CHC).

After a series of misunderstandings and in attempt to avoid involvement in shady business deals, CHC withdrew from Aero Contractors, leaving Mrs. Ibru with her desire: complete control of the airline and the opportunity to deploy it effectively as a conduit from money laundering.  Perhaps as a result, several of the so-called investments Mrs. Ibru brought into Aero remain undocumented.  

In essence, financial officers say, some of those investments only existed on paper, plunging Aero into debts from which it never recovered.  
By the time Mrs. Ibru was convicted of bank fraud and money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), she completely owned Aero Contractors.  Curiously however, the EFCC did not list Aero Contractors as one of the assets to be confiscated by the agency, although the commission claimed to have retrieved assets that were stolen by Mrs. Ibru.

A company letterhead shows that Chief Michael Ibru and Mrs. Cecilia Ibru remain the co-chairs of the company, while her sons, O.V Ibru and O.J Ibru are co-owners. At 82, Chief Ibru is in a vegetative state, close family sources say, and has no idea what is happening to the company.

Regardless of Mrs. Ibru’s criminal conviction, the Central Bank of Nigeria gave huge amount of relief funds to bail Aero Contractors out of its difficulties even though expatriates in charge of the company in Port Harcourt and Lagos had been sacked in 2010.

After Mr. Obaro Ibru was named acting Managing Director, he hired Enyi Omoke who had retired from the United Bank of Africa (UBA).  Before Omoke, two other Heads of Finance who were brought in for that position  were sacked from office because they failed to play the fraud game the way Mrs. Ibru wanted it.

Another notorious character and long-time stooge of Mrs Ibru in Oceanic Capital, Feyi Akinbile, was also brought in to handle Aero's Human Resources on contract.

When the CBN relief funds arrived, they were balkanized and laundered by Mrs. Ibru, her children and their lackeys the same way Mr. Ibrahim Jimoh laundered defunct Air Nigeria's funds through his so-called "Energy Bank" in Ghana.

In an effort to avoid an obvious violation of aviation laws, which forbid the appointment of a non-Aeronautic expert as Managing Director, one Captain George was made a figure head MD of Aero Contractors, but staff members say “Captain George” answered as MD only when it comes to operational matters, while the criminal trio of Obaro Ibru, Enyi Omoke and Feyi Akinbile had a free hand in milking the company as it suited them, while Mrs. Ibru called the shots from the shadows.

Meanwhile, Aero Contractor’s debts continued to mount, while the rotary wing of the business in Port Harcourt collapsed gradually.
As a result of the company’s debts, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), the country’s debt management agency, took over 60% of Aero Contractors’ shares.  

But while workers at Aero expected AMCON to leverage their stake in the new ownership structure and take control of the company, the agency connived with the Ibrus and left in place the management put in by Mrs. Ibru and her sons. That development made workers and aviation experts wonder if the AMCON debt buy-back was simply a ruse to help the Ibrus escape investigation for squandering CBN bailout funds.

Within the company, with six months to the expiration of Akinbile’s contract, Temitope Fagbemi (the current Human Resources manager) was employed from defunct Air Nigeria to understudy Akinbile.  Because of the atrocities perpetrated or condoned by these Managers, the Managing Director in Lagos was sacked and Enyi Omoke took up courses in IATA in preparation to becoming taking up that position, because of the consciousness that the NCAA would not approve of a non-professional assuming the position.  For now, Obaro, Mrs. Ibru's son, continues as acting MD.

But the General Manager of the rotary wing in Port Harcourt was sacked, and Akinbile seconded to the position after the expiration of his contract in Human Resources in Lagos.   It was another sleight of hand that the NCAA ought to have rejected as well but the agency has yet to be made aware of it.
Staff members who spoke to SaharaReporters say they have continued to suffer in the company under a weird management structure that has jettisoned merit for nepotism, noting the absence of salary increases.

They attribute the current mayhem to the contracting staff to a private coy without discussing it with staff Union.   They lamented that the current managers brought in by Mrs. Ibru and her scions know absolutely nothing about Aero Contractors, and accused them of coming in simply to defraud one of Nigeria’s oldest and safest airlines, and in the process, to ground it.
Source : http://www.saharareporters.com