₦airaland Forum

ezeagu:
Reply me directly with an explanation of your view point, or don't type at all.

babapupa:
Trust me, we have lot of dumb thinkers on NL.

Mind you the same characters yelled and cried the same negative songs before BRT, it was labeled white elephant and other ridiculous nonsense.

babapupa:
Some are just yelling for tribal reasons because their villages are relics like stone age settlements.

Elaineh:
But Ezeagu, how many times have paddy_lo and co. stated that this is NOT a government project? It is being undertaken by PRIVATE companies for their own benefit.

OAM4J:
trust me, I read from the 1st post to the last, apart from few seeking clarifications, most of the argument against are ridiculous to say the least.

Mariory:
More people poor in India than the combined poorest in the whole of Africa? Holy Crap!

Kobojunkie:
The measure considers just the poorest African countries.

Eight Indian states account for more poor people than in the 26 poorest African countries combined, a new measure of global poverty has found.

The Indian states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, have 421 million "poor" people, the study found.

This is more than the 410 million poor in the poorest African countries, it said.

davidylan:
peace activists must all be in Israel

[size=16pt]More than 340 children in the Kurdish south-east of Turkey have been given long prison sentences in the past three years.

Most of them were detained for taking part in anti-government protests, under a law banning any show of support for the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party, or PKK.

The government says it knows the law, which requires a minimum five-year sentence, is too harsh, but it has yet to change it.[/size]

MILITARY JOINT TASK FORCE FREE KIDNAPPED SAILORS AFTER FIREFIGHT

Joe DeCapua

VOA NEWS

05 July 2010

In Nigeria, a military raid has freed 12 foreign sailors abducted by militants over the weekend in the Niger Delta.

VOA reporter Chinedu Offor, who’s on assignment in Nigeria, says, “The announcement was made by the spokesperson for the Nigerian joint Military Task Force….  He did not release details of how these sailors were freed, but sources told us there was a firefight between the Nigerian military and members of the militant group.”

Reports say a number of militants were killed and their camp destroyed.

After being freed, the sailors were taken to Bonny, where their Antigua-registered ship is anchored.  Bonny, located in Rivers State, is the main oil terminal in the Niger Delta.

The sailors, including the captain, were abducted Saturday.  However, the captain was able to radio for help before he and the others were taken aboard boats and into the creeks where the militants hide.  The sailors include Germans, Filipinos and Africans.

Ships in the Delta sometimes have little room to navigate.  If a vessel slows or stops, it becomes vulnerable to attack.

EXERCISE DESERT FOX: NIGERIAN CADET OFFICERS DESERT WARFARE SIMULATION

Daily Trust (Abuja) Nigeria:

Yobe – Mock War Over Uranium

Hamza Idris

29 June 2010

Yusufari —

Though the road from Gashua, the headquarters of Bade emirate and Yusufari, which shares a border with Niger Republic, is less than 25 kilometres, it always takes close to two hours for ‘Lenge-lenge,’ the popular desert proof truck to cover the distance, because of the nature of the road. “We thought a blissful life will never happen here again, because our agricultural lands hardly witness enough rain. The trees and oasis have been swept away by deserts, and our houses have been literally swallowed by sand dunes,”

Alhaji Mustapha, an opinion leader in Yusufari said. “Wherever you see the military, especially when they move along with their cache of arms and ammunitions, the tendency is that there is a war or serious unrest…but we are living with our neighbours here peacefully, even though we have a common enemy which is environmental degradation,” Mustapha, who is in his 50s said.

When Exercise Desert Fox was introduced last year, it took place at a high field situated about 2km to Yusufari, and therefore only few people around the area knew what was happening. This year however, the event took place at another elevation situated at about 2.5km after Yusufari, and therefore the NDA which temporarily relocated to the area, had to pass through the village, a situation which sent jitters into the nerves of the residents, despite many days of enlightenment campaigns. Jume Bukaram, a 22 year old pregnant house wife, had to run away to Nguru for “safety.” Her husband, Bukaram Aliyu said his wife was afraid, especially when the exercise which entailed military training with attendant gun shots and movement of armoured carriers, with war- ready fierce looking military officers and men, began on the 19th June, 2010.

“My wife said if I didn’t allow her to go, she may likely give birth to a still born baby,” Bukaram recounted, but was quick to add that Jume finally returned to her matrimonial home three days after the exercise began, when she was convinced that it was a “mock war,” meant to equip the final year army cadets of 57 Regular Course of the NDA. Musa Abubakar, a trumpeter at the palace of emir of Yusufari said immediately when the cadets of the NDA arrived, he vowed never to go to the bush or climb the sand dunes to answer the call of nature.

“At the beginning, we were told by rumour mongers that several explosives have been buried along the sand dunes area. But officials of the NDA later allayed our fears that all the ‘bombs’ and fireworks are for the exercise, and adequate safety measures had been taken,” Musa said. “The arrival of the military in our villages has turned out to be a new window of hope for all of us. In fact, the desert and sand dunes which we see as a curse, is now gold for us, because we learnt that a military base will be built, which means we would soon have electricity, roads, water and other utilities,” he added.

The Commandant of the NDA Major General Mahmud Yarima said the introduction of desert training in the curriculum of the academy, was because of inadequate proficiency in special terrain, and unconventional warfare training had remained a serious challenge to the Nigerian Armed Forces, against the background of the ongoing operations in Darfur and the Niger Delta. According to him, the 57 Regular Course cadets had during the one week exercise learned how to practically deploy armoured personnel carriers and recce vehicles, in desert patrol and ambush operations. “We have all experienced the peculiar nature of the desert environment, and have seen its effects on troops and equipment. We have also observed that operations, command, control and communications in desert terrain are quite unique and challenging,” the commandant observed.

He said Nigeria’s armed forces had sent its personnel in terrains and climate such as in the Sudan and Somalia, where they were not adequately prepared for. “Similarly, the northernmost part of this country is largely semi-arid. Whereas in the past, deserts were considered primarily as obstacles to invasion, the discovery and exploitation of mineral resources in these regions, have compelled governments to secure their assets against potential threats from hostile neighbours,” he said. General Yarima noted that the desert was a punishing environment to both men and equipment. “In order to survive, fight and win battles, the limitations imposed by the terrain and climate need to be understood,” he added. “Before the commencement of the exercise, communities around the training site were sensitized not to panic whenever they hear gun shorts, bomb blasts, rocket release or movement of armoured tanks, which are some of the features of the exercise. “We also told them that the one week training is not a war, but a training session,”

Lieutenant Colonel Nwachukwu Onyema, the NDA Public Relations officer told Daily Trust. The peak of the exercise which took place on 25th June, stole the hearts of hundreds of guests and villagers, who were thrilled by the performance of the cadets during the “mock war.” Most of the dignitaries, senior army officers, the cadets and journalists who covered the event, wore army desert camouflaged uniforms, which made the final ceremony look like a real battle ground, akin to what obtains in the Darfur. The Director of Military Training (DMT) of the NDA Brigadier General Kenneth Agboola Vigo, gave a vivid description of the “war” which was between two fictitious Republics, the Federal Republic of Gashua (FRG) and the Democratic Republic of Tulotulo (DRT) before the cadets practicalized it. According to him, the two countries share an extensive land boundary and both attained their independence in the 1960, after colonization by Britain and France respectively.

Hypothetical description of the war showed that Gashua’s economy was dependent on agriculture, while that of Tulotulo was based on industry, specifically on the production and export of steel. Electricity which was the major sustainer of the industrial activities in Tulotulo, is generated hydro-electrically from “River Nguru” which was located in Gashua. To further boost its agricultural based economy, the Gashua government constructed a Mega Dam at Nguru for irrigations. This resulted in the falling of water levels flowing, which grossly affected hydro-electric based industrial activities of Tulotulo. Several industries folded up and the economy of the “country” was grounded, and the government of Tulotulo placed the cause of the mishap on Gashua.

Shortly thereafter, a large deposit of uranium was discovered at Yusufari, a border town in Gashua. This discovery prompted Tulotulo to lay claim over the rich site, as a strategy for reviving its ailing economy, stressing that the uranium area was ceded to Gashua by “an arbitrary delineation by the colonialists.” While the case taken to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the African Union (AU) Tulotulo deployed its troops to Yusufari with a view to fully occupying the uranium region and threatened to open further into Gashua. Irked by the move, the “President” and Commander-in-Chief of Federal Republic of Gashua, Auwal Suleiman, alias Tommy Jay, ordered his forces who in the mock war are the NDA cadets, to employ all necessary force “to halt, contain and expel the invading Tulotulo army from Gashua territory.”

The “war” was a sight to behold as the Gashua forces (cadets) conducted a series of eight raid operations on enemy camps, six ambushes and went on both foot and long range patrols in vehicles around the sand duned region , which led to the sacking of the “enemies” albeit the Tulotulo forces. The cadets totalling 179 in number including 45 Navy, 33 Air force and 103 Army, equally showcased their ability in weapons handling and Bayonet fighting. Some even dismantled AK 47 rifles and Machine guns, and assembled them with their eyes covered with red cloth. The guest of honour, Speaker of the House Of Representatives Dimeji Bankole who was represented by the House leader, retired Lieutenant Colonel Tunde Akogun, says as a special and highly professionalized institution, the Nigeria Armed Forces had proved itself worthy on many occasions.

According to the Speaker “I must also not fail to acknowledge the efforts of the armed forces, in the sustenance of democracy in the last 11 years. Exercise Desert Fox has exemplified the commitment of the military to uphold its enviable status. The tactics were right, the command was sharp, the control was well focused, and the team work was well articulated,” he said.

Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, earlier granted audience to the NDA commandant at the Government House Damaturu, acknowledged a request, and directed the chairman of Bade local government area to give a befitting land to the academy, for the establishment of a permanent desert base camp for the annual exercise. In their separate remarks at the closing ceremony, the minister of police affairs Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri and the minister of state for defence, Alhaji Murtala Yar’adua, commended the NDA for introducing the exercise. For the people of Gashua, Yusufari, Nguru and even some villages in Niger Republic, the coming of the military to the desert was a good omen. “We hope that very soon, the road linking Gashua and Yusufari would be tarred, so that taking our children and pregnant women along it, would be easy,” Ya Kanna, a 57 year old woman who watched the final exercise, prayed.

An Iranian fashion organization has issued a new list of culturally appropriate haircuts for men, possibly indicating a new crackdown on male attire after years of strict rules for women, Iranian media reported.

Although the Ministry of Culture has yet to officially adopt the styles presented by the Veil and Modesty Festival, the private organization said approval is pending. It would be the first such rules for men's hair styles since 1979 Islamic Revolution.

tkb417:
common sense evades you

tell me of any attempt at purging the Police, the education sector and other sectors like we are doing with NFF?

if the govt of the day and his ministers channels half of the energy they are dissipating on football to other key areas where quality of life can improve, then Nigeria would be a better place.

Maybe you dont know winning the world cup will not improve the GDP nor tilt the standard of living in our favour

Misplaced priorities- a wanton display of unnecessary aggro

if football needs our attention so much why not the other sectors

Thats my case

canuck:

Managing Director, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Engr. Wolfgang Goetsch testified on the alleged “padding” of the controversial project at the House of Representatives. He gave his testimony before an Ad-Hoc Committee of the House which opened investigations into the processes leading to the award of contracts.

According to Goetsch, whereas the company made bids of N58.6billion and N48 billion for Lots 1 and 2 of the road project, the contracts were awarded to the company at the cost of N59.2 billion and N49billion respectively.
He, however, attributed the additional sum on the contract cost to “mathematical errors” and requested for some time to enable him reconcile the figures.

Ehoi:
Everyone may have their own definition of an army. Or maybe the term fighting force would be more suitable. You call one army and the other gang. Well, army went to the creeks to destroy gang but they couldn't. It ended in a stalemate. That there is very instructive. If you believe the militants surrendered their arms, I have a bridge to sell you. I believe there are more arms in the niger delta now than before the amnesty. The government is busy paying each militant 60K a month. The government even gave contracts to them worth billions. I believe most part of the money is being used to buy more arms.

tkb417:
it means, the corruption in NFF is not an isolated case

it mirrors what happens in other parastatals and other govt agencies

selective purging and restructuring will bring us back to square zero cos whoever will fill the vacuum will still be a govt nominee.

do i need to spell it in yoruba or your language?

tkb417:
.
Thats what Mariory dumbo cannot understand

he needs some spiritual bath in river ogun

Akainzo:
Finding evidences of impropriety is the primary job of the EFCC. If you don't know this, then you have no business discussing about corruption.

Akainzo:
To your post contents: Government interference is the reason why NFF is corrupt! The nominees that run sport and being elected to NFF are all nominated by the government, either through the sports ministry or the state associations. Thus the corrupt NFF is a reflection of the corrupt government.

Akainzo:
So in your opinion, the best way to get rid of a certain trio, was to rubbish the image of the country. To send the signals that our leaders do no think of consequences of their actions, or to portray the President as lacking depth of thoughts. Me and my friends over a round of drinks would have advised the President better and the same trio would be out in a jiffy.

if NFF is corrupt, is that the only corrupt institution in Nigeria?
the corruption in NFF will be found in Presidency, all ministries and parastatals, armed forces, police, OPS, and even the religious houses

NFF mirrors the country Nigeria
clease 9ja first of its iniquities, then all will be well

tkb417:
see this suegbe?
so the rot in NFF is a one off in Nigeria? what about the rot in other govt establishments in the country?
who says when the sports ministry  completes the restructuring , the NFF will be free of corruption?


if your comprehension is faulty, my point is: A corrupt entity called Nigeria cannot successfully eliminate all the anomalies in the our football if the macro world still reek of filth

which school u go sef? abi den no teach u common sense for the polythecnic wey u go

bloody rat

Ehoi:
Sad as it may sound, there are now two armed armies in nigeria. I reckon its a recipe for disaster.
The army and militant seem to run in parallel paths hence i doubt its a checkmate. But from reports, it is clear the army do not enjoy going into the creeks because they are coming up against militants with same firepower and numbers as them.

tkb417:
Home grown idi.ot

if the statement "cleanse Nigeria if its iniquities first" is backward thinking, then apply to the Nigerian Open University for Adult classes

and talking about education, im sure i am much more educated than the king of your clan

Akainzo:
Working under the premise that Sani Lulu and co have committed grave misconduct, here are other options open to him that would have not caused either him or the country this kind of embarrassment.

1. Get EFCC or even the police to present the evidences to a magistrate and get an order against them, they could even be remanded in prison while asking for bail. Note FIFA statutes does not prevent a sovereign state from investigating, prosecuting or sentencing an FA official.
2. Lean on the other members of the board with these evidences to get the trio impeached.
3. Present the evidences of mismanagement to FIFA and then move using national instruments against the affected people.
4. For the August elections, the NFF constitution has provisions for postponement. Also nothing says an elected official can not be removed later. Abi dem no dey change governor, so long as it is within the provisions of the law.

So my friend there are better ways to handle national matters than go washing your linen in public and throwing your hands up in the air. So when PHCN does not meet it's 6000MW target, he would poo down all power stations in Nigeria to enable us rebuild? Haba!

The good thing is that he has accepted his folly and changed his mind. Good thinking.

tkb417:
LOLOLOLOL

if NFF is corrupt, is that the only corrupt institution in Nigeria?
the corruption in NFF will be found in Presidency, all ministries and parastatals, armed forces, police, OPS, and even the religious houses

NFF mirrors the country Nigeria
clease 9ja first of its iniquities, then all will be well

The Nigerian Football Federation's top two officials have been sacked in a bid to appease the country's president who suspended the team after the World Cup.

NFF President Sani Lulu and vice-president Amanze Ugbulam were fired as the federation asked president Goodluck Jonathan to reconsider his ban.

james1:
@poster and co-travellers.we are here to educate each other,enlighten and share views.I still don't get it,are you guys saying the kurds shouldn't fight for independence or that turkey leave the PKK who obviously are ready to die fighting for independence, alone?