₦airaland Forum

The ceremony is holding right now at LATTER RAIN ASSEMBLY,PLOT 4 AKILO ROAD OGBA LAGOS

Pictures

APCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC!

At least the unemployment rate will be reduced!

I wouldn’t advice any atheist in this part of the world, and at this period, to be open about it, especially if the atheist’s socio-economic and or political support structure are strongly influenced by religion, it could make getting the simplest tasks, especially those requiring cooperation, into the most complicated of challenges.

I must confess one thing though, I don’t exactly see myself as an atheist in the sense the lay man considers it to be, that is one who professes that there is no God. I’ve never made that claim anywhere before and I’m not making such a claim even now.

For one to say there is no God, I think you’d have to have prove, else do not feel offended if you’re referred to as an idiot when you make such an unverifiable claim. I however see the other side the same way too, if you say or claim there is a God somewhere out there, then you’d just have to prove it, or accept whatever ridicule you receive in response to your claim.

I don’t think the fact that I do not consider the contents of the leading holy books, especially as regards history, as non-factual, makes me an atheist, but then again maybe it does, after all, it’s all in the way you look at it, no?

Again, maybe I am, and maybe I’m not.

The truth is we’re all atheists, agnostics, theists and what have you, towards one belief or the other, no one is exempted.

A muslim is an unbeliever to a Christian, likewise a christian is an unbeliever (Kaffir) to a muslim.

An Ifa practitioner is an unbeliever to both the christian and the muslim.

AA former Super Eagles star player, Wilson Oruma, it has been confirmed lost his mind for two years battling with insanity after he was duped by fraudsters introduced to him by a Lagos-based frontline Pentecostal Pastor, (name withheld) whose church (name withheld) is located in the Suru-Lere area of the state.

Oruma’s travail started in 2012 when the Pastor in question invited the former victorious Golden Eaglets captain to a private meeting in the church to discuss the possibility of investing heavily into what he described as a lucrative business where he promised to invite the mega bucks investors to the church a week later. A date was fixed for this.

It was at the second meeting, it was gathered that the former Atlanta 96 Olympic gold medallists was introduced to some well-dressed gentlemen who were said to be in possession of some oil blocks they were ready to sell to the rich ex-international. Oruma, who acted alone without consultation with any of his lawyers and his close friend, Mr. Emakpor Dibofun, believed the story of the fraudsters and never suspected any foul play as they were introduced by his Pastor.

He was advised to invest heavily so as to yield heavy profit. The two-time African Nations Cup bronze medallist, withdrew funds from all his investments across Europe in three months and withdrew his life savings to ensure he pumped enough money into the oil business. He did not suspect any foul play as the Pastor kept assuring him that, the people are credible and are God fearing business investors.

In all, Oruma paid a whopping N1.2billion into the dedicated bank account given to him to make payments which he did over six months. The ex-soccer star that played alongside Frank Ribery and Samir Nasri in his days at Olympique Marseille FC of France started suspecting foul play when he did not hear from the people again and they failed to pick their mobile phones on days scheduled for important updates. He ran to his Pastor for possible succour and reassurance that all was well, but instead the Pastor rebuffed Oruma and told him that, he was a full-time minister of God who knew nothing about oil business, but only introduced him to those he believed could help make his business empire larger.

The Pastor asked if he was involved in the business dealings all the while and the answer was a capital no. He thus divorced himself from any blames leaving the soccer star to lick his own wounds but he was not strong enough to withstand the attendant psychological pressure. A few weeks after this ordeal, Oruma started behaving funny. He started talking to himself and had hot altercations with his wife at their Victoria Garden City home in Lagos.

It was gathered that, it was after one of the series of altercations with his wife who blamed him for the family’s misfortune and huge loss of money that Oruma busted out of their home in VGC and stormed a popular supermarket where he destroyed valuables. He was wrestled to the floor, with his legs and hands tied to avoid further destruction.

From this day in 2012, Oruma’s unstable mind became pronounced. His close friend, Emakpor with his hands and legs tied took the soccer star to a church in Warri, Delta state for spiritual healing. After destroying valuables in the church, Oruma escaped to his VGC home in Lagos where he continued to disturb residents. It was also learnt that with his unstable mind, he gave out one of his expensive SUVs worth N14million to a friend who speedily drove away the vehicle.

To avoid further embarrassments of VGC residents, Oru-ma’s family agreed to take him to his Suru-Lere home near Brown Street in Aguda, Lagos where secret treatments continued. He was first taken to the church where he was duped, which was nearby his Aguda home. Here, the culprit pastor after some failed attempts to heal the player advised that he should be taken back home as Oruma had been hit by a strange mental illness which defiled all known treatments.

The ex-international was tied and closely monitored in his Aguda home for over one year as the family sought spiritual healing for him. The player, who started his football career at Tamuno Babes FC of Warri, was not taken to an orthodox mental hospital in his family’s attempt to conceal his ailment from the public.

Oruma suffered untold hardship for two years as his family with the help of his close friend and former teammate, Emakpor Dibofun, took him to number Pentecostal churches in Lagos seeking spiritual healing. The much desired healing eventually came few weeks ago when he was given a clean bill of health as he overcame the mental illness. He has started walking again as the sores on his legs from long period of being tied down in one place are healing fast.

In the words of Oruma’s kid brother, Dominic a former Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles goalkeeper; “Wilson is recovering fast, he now recognizes his family members and he has returned to his house in VGC under the care of his wife. We are very happy about this. It was not easy seeing him suffer so much in the last two years after his money was taken away. We give God the glory for the gift of healing.

“He has told us not to press charges against the pastor who brought fraudsters to dupe him heavily as he said the incident is now in the past. Another good thing is that all his properties are intact and most of his major investments are doing fine.” Oruma was captain of the Nigeria Under-17 team that won the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Cup where he emerged the tournament’s top goal scorer with six goals. He played 19 international matches over 11 years for Nigeria and was part of the team that participated in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, where he scored in the only appearance he made in the tournament against Paraguay. He was also a part of the squad that won the Olympic gold medal in 1996, a year after he debuted for Nigeria.

He played for the Eagles at the 2002 and 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, finishing both competitions at third place. Oruma played most of his club career in France, after arriving at RC Lens in 1994. He was loaned to Nancy a year after. He returned to Lens and played in their 1997-98 Ligue 1 title campaign.

He moved to Turkish side Samsunspor in 1998 and returned to France one year later to play for Nîmes. In 2000, he was transferred to Swiss side Servette, played two seasons before coming back to France again, where he played until 2009 for Sochaux, Marseille and Guingamp, winning the 2003-04 Coupe de la Ligue with Sochaux and the 2008-09 Coupe de France title with Guingamp. The former Nigerian international announced his retirement from football at the age of 33 on November 26, 2010.

He last played his international football for Kavala FC of Greece, before bidding farewell to football.

http://newtelegraphonline.com/n1-2-billion-mess-how-fraudsters-ruined-wilson-oruma/

Nigerians can Boast of anything!

Imagine someone boasting of a toothbrush he's been using since 2003! Haba! Ki lo de!

Story of The 8 Monkeys
(This is reportedly based on an actual
experiment conducted in the U.K.)
Put eight monkeys in a room. In the middle of the room is a ladder, leading to a bunch of bananas hanging from a hook on the ceiling.

Each time a monkey tries to climb the ladder, all the monkeys are sprayed with ice water, which makes them miserable.
Soon enough, whenever a monkey attempts to climb the ladder, all of the other monkeys, not wanting to be sprayed, set upon him and beat him up. Soon, none of the eight monkeys ever attempts to climb the ladder.

One of the original monkeys is then removed, and a new monkey is put in the room. Seeing the bananas and the ladder, he wonders why none of the other monkeys are doing the obvious. But
undaunted, he immediately begins to climb the ladder.

All the other monkeys fall upon him and beat him silly. He has no idea why. However, he no longer attempts to climb the ladder.

A second original monkey is removed and
replaced. The newcomer again attempts to climb the ladder, but all the other monkeys hammer the crap out of him.
This includes the previous new monkey, who, grateful that he’s not on the receiving end this time, participates in the beating because all the other monkeys are doing it.

However, he has no idea why he’s attacking the new monkey. One by one, all the original monkeys are replaced.
Eight new monkeys are now in the room.
None of them have ever been sprayed by ice water. None of them attempt to climb the ladder. All of them will enthusiastically beat up any new monkey who tries, without having any idea why.

And that is how traditions, religions and
systems get established and followed.
Think twice before following a tradition,
religion or system blindly .. it would make
more sense if u get
your own understanding to it.
LIBERATE YOUR MIND

The ifs that readily come to my mind are:
1. If the NCNC and the AG had teamed in the federal elections of 1959, there would have been no basis for the coup of January 1966;
2. If Awo had not resigned as Premier to vie for office in the center, contrary to the advice of A.G. chieftains, there would have been no crisis in the Western Region;
3. If SLA’s offer of resignation as Premier after his eldest daughter’s death had not been rejected, he would not have been killed by the coupists in 1966;
4. If Zik had not gone for medical check-up abroad, he would have been killed by the coupists;
5. If Aguiyi-Ironsi had not gone out to have fun, he would not have gotten wind of the coup on his way back home on Carter Bridge, and he would not have been able to go to Ikeja Barracks to mobilize the soldiers who eventually quashed the coup;
6. If Sir Adetokunbo Ademola had not impressed it on the British not to allow Murtala Muhammed/northern Nigeria to secede in July of 1966, other regions would have followed suit, and there would have been no Civil War;
7. If Gowon had not travelled to Ethiopia for the O.A.U. Summit, the coupists would have had a hard time overthrowing him;
8. If Murtala Muhammed had not been killed by Dimka and co., he would have midwifed a better Constitution and transition to democracy than Obasanjo did;
9. If Justice Fatayi Williams and other Supreme Court justices had not come up with their 12 2/3 abracadabra, Awo would have defeated Shagari in the electoral college;
10. If Buhari/Idiagbon had not overthrown Shagari, the civilian administration would have self-corrected itself, and Lagos State would have had a metro line;
11. If Idiagbon had not gone on pilgrimage to Mecca, Babangida would not have succeeded overthrowing Buhari;
12. If Gideon Orkar’s coup had succeeded, northern Nigeria would have been excised from the rest of the country, and the rest of the country would have lived happily thereafter;
13. If Babangida had handed over to Abiola and if he had retired Abacha when he retired other high-ranking soldiers in his cabinet in 1993, Abacha would not have been able to overthrow Shonekan;
14. If Costacurta and Albertini had not taken out Amunike and Amokachie at U.S.A. ’94, Nigeria would have beaten Italy;
15. If Abdusalami had not delayed the release of Abiola, Abiola would not have died in prison; and
16. If UMYA had not died, given Nigeria’s set-up, it would have been almost impossible for someone from a minority ethnic group to be President.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will depart Lagos Friday to undertake a brief pilgrimage to Israel.

The President, who will be accompanied by the Chaplain of the Presidential Villa, Venerable Obioma Onwuzurumba and his principal aides will, in addition to visiting Christian Holy sites, join other Nigerian pilgrims in a prayer session for the well-being and progress of the country at an Inter-Denominational Service in Jerusalem on Sunday.

He is expected back in Abuja on Monday.

Before leaving for Israel, President Jonathan will participate in the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the Seme-Krake Joint Border Control Post on Friday morning.

The President will be joined at the event by President Boni Yayi of Benin Republic and officials of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The Seme-Krake Joint Border Control Post is being constructed under the ECOWAS Transport Facilitation Programme which has the objective of boosting trade and economic relations among member countries.



Reuben Abati

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

October 23, 2014
http://reubenabati.com.ng/2014-10-23-PRESIDENT-JONATHAN-LEAVES-FOR-PILGRIMAGE-TO-ISRAEL-TOMORROW.html

OAM4J:
Our dear historians,

Another Yoruba war I would like to know more about is Ogun Adubi. Any information.

When I was younger, I used to like the song: Ogun Adubi to to ju mi ja . . ." i still remember part of the song. . . very funny especially the part "Iya re n be lo bi ewure, baba re nbelo bi igala"  

Bi e ba n gbo gbagada gbagada (band repeats)
Bi e ba n gbo gbogodo gbogodo (band repeats)
E ma ya s’otun, e ma ya s’osi (band repeats)
Ile olowo n’oro ngba lo (band repeats)
Ogun adubi s’oju re ja (band repeats)
Ogun adubi le lopo lopo (band repeats)
Iwo nikan n’odagba shoja mefa (band repeats)
Oro o wo mo, o pada seyin (band repeats)
Opada s’eyin, o wa n fi ewe bora (band repeats)
Iya re nke lo bi ewure (band repeats)
Baba re nke lo bi aparo (band repeats)
Iwona n be lo bi igala (band repeats)
Omi ireke l’en bu sebe (band repeats)
L’en bu sebe, l’etun fin r’omo (band repeats)

O o o oya o, eni omo wu, oya kalo o (band repeats)
Oya o o, eni omo wu, oya kalo eh (band repeats)
Oya o o, eni omo wu, oya kalo eh eh eh eh (band repeats)
Oya o o, eni omo wu, oya kalo eh eh ye eh (band repeats)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCql2yWnASU

omololu2020:
M

Booking space tinz.

Yakubu Gowon led our country at a most difficult period in the course of which we fought a three-year civil war, it stands to reason that he would definitely represent several things to several people. I am also aware of the charge against Gowon, especially with regard to some of the choices he made as a leader the repercussions of which we are still grappling with today. While those are legitimate issues that deserve interrogation, they are not the essence of this intervention which is about the person of Yakubu Gowon.

For a man who ruled this country for as long as nine years and has been around in Nigeria for more than three decades after he returned from exile abroad, it is amazing that there has never been any scandal (financial, political or moral) around Gowon or members of his family. In the particular case of his wife, you hardly see her in any event except those attended by her husband and we are talking of a woman, if we believe all that are in the history books, who once commanded the attention of our nation by her beauty and grace.

In a milieu where the ethos of the leadership elite is that enough is never enough, the Gowons are in a class by themselves. In all the stories of fuel subsidy payment scams, there has not been a Gowon involved and you will not find that name among the private jet owners. In none of the public enterprises that have been privatized has the name of Gowon (or his children) ever been mentioned as one of the buyers or promoters of the bidding companies. I am also not aware of any big edifice anywhere in Nigeria to which someone would point and say “Gowon owns it”.

As a former leader, Gowon carries himself with so much dignity that you cannot but admire him while he lives an almost-perfect family life that you wonder why he chose the military rather than follow his parents into the Christian missionary field. Whatever may be anybody’s misgivings about the stewardship of Gowon as Head of State, what is not in doubt is that he commands respect by the exemplary manner in which he has lived his life outside public office. Therefore, all factors considered, he deserves a big celebration as he clocks 80. I wish him happy birthday in advance as we Go On With One Nigeria!

Soooooo, the Federal Government of the ruling PDP reached a 'cease fire' agreement with Boko Haram? Awesome news, right? I'm just a bit confused as to why representatives of 'Janjaweedians' were not invited? Isn't APC the terrorist arm of BH anymore?

If many Nigerians on NAIRALAND were thinkers,they should have been wondering how this meeting held in the first place. But if they couldn't think and ask why the FG couldn't arrest the 'Janjaweedians' for funding BH and even running it, I don't expect anything better from them.

Zombie ooo, zombie, zombie ooo, zombie. Jonathanians just run around with any propaganda and feed it to fellow hare-braineds as them. Zombie no dey reason, e no dey think, e no dey analyse. All zombie does is jorojarajoro from wall to wall, group to group....

Thank you Keshi for all the memories...
First and only Nigerian to win the African Nations Cup.
First Nigerian to qualify and coach the Super Eagles at the World Cup.
First and only Nigerian to equal all the achievements of foreign managers in record time.
First Nigerian coach to qualify the country for CHAN.
Thank you big boss.

This is how the states will vote come 2015.
1.Abia - Goodluck
2. Adamawa - Buhari
3. Akwa Ibom - Goodluck
4. Anambra - Goodluck
5. Bauchi - Buhari
6. Bayelsa - Goodluck
7. Benue - Goodluck
8. C/River - Goodluck
9. Delta - Goodluck
10. Enugu - Goodluck
11. Ebonyi - Goodluck
12. Gombe - Buhari
13. Imo - Goodluck
14. Jigawa - Buhari
15. Kano - Buhari
16. Kaduna - Buhari.
17. Edo - Goodluck(small margin)
18. Kebbi - Buhari
19. Borno - Buhari
20. Lagos - Buhari
21. Niger - Buhari
22. Ondo - Goodluck
23. Oyo - Buhari
24. Ogun - Buhari
25. Osun - Buhari
26. Ekiti - Goodluck
27. Plateau - Goodluck
28. Kogi -Goodluck (small margin)
29. Kwara - Buhari
30. Rivers - Goodluck (small margin)
31. Sokoto state - Buhari
32. Nassarawa - Buhari(small margin)
33 Taraba - Buhari (small margin).
34 Yobe - Buhari
35. Zamfara - Buhari
36. Katsina - Buhari
37. FCT - DICEY....
As we can see Buhari has 20 states as against Goodluck's 16 states and if considering that the larger population of the electorates reside in the North and Southwest it stands to reason that Buhari will be our next president, but that is if the contest is going to be free and fair.

Courtesy: Salisu Tanimu

The rider of the bike I took this morning on Iju Road expressed his ignorance of the HORN FREE DAY.He also added that compliance is impossible in Nigeria.

Our elective public officials following the footsteps of President GEJ.

This picture was extracted from Page 6 of Today's edition of New Telegraph newspaper.

The caption of the picture according to the newspaper reads:THE DEPUTY SENATE PRESIDENT,IKE EKWEREMADU BEING ANOINTED BY REVD. FR EJIKE MBAKA AND CATHOLIC PRIESTS FOR 2015 SENATORIAL ELECTION.WITH HIM IS HIS WIFE,NWANNEKA...AT THE WEEKEND

WHAT THE SUPER EAGLES PLAYERS SAID BEFORE THE SUDAN GAME

EFE AMBROSE: "We don't want to know the kind of pitch we will be playing in Sudan, whether it's a rock or stone, three points are sure."

AHMED MUSA: "We are not scared of the weather, I'm an African and can adapt. I promise to score on Saturday".

VINCENT ENYEAMA: "We will beat Sudan in front of their fans, home and away."

ELDERSON ECHIEJILE: "We are first and foremost Nigerians and born in Africa, we will cope with the weather or pitch".

The players spoke with Emma njoku of the Sun Newspapers on Saturday. That's my source.

My take
Imagine Mikel and Emenike blaming the pitch for Nigeria's defeat?

The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered “Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recu­perate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not en­joy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; He lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

1. Both Presidents were born in 1961
2. Both First Ladies were born in 1964
3. Both President Uhuru and Obama are left handed
4. Both don’t have Christian names.
5. Both are said to be smokers
6. Both men's fathers had four wives each.
7. Both Uhuru and Obama have relatives in almost every continent.
8. 2 Pointies *Coloreds* (Obama & Maggie) 2 black Uhuru & Michelle)
9. Both men have the same height
10. Obama is the 44th president of US while Uhuru is the 4th President of Kenya
11. Both First Ladies' names begin with an ''M''.

‘What I object to, to be straight about it, is journalists who take the position that they are purer than all other people.’

– Jim Lehrer

Sometime in February, at an interactive session– in Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort– with Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti State, one of the participants– as many raised-hands jostled—was picked by the moderator to ask the governor his question. Nicholas Ibekwe, he would announce as his name. With an aura of confidence, he added, “I work with Premium Times.” His voice carried so much energy and his question[s] was punchy. Nicholas appeared as the pugnacious type. You would notice this immediately he began to talk, gesturing more frankly. Where I sat, a close distance to his seat, I nodded in admiration. This guy should replace one of those journalists who babysit Goodluck Jonathan during the presidential media chats. It is not certain if Goodluck will survive Nicholas.

There was something I was going to ask Nicholas after the session.

A month earlier, Nicholas’ Premium Times published an investigative report, Inside Nigeria’s Ruthless Human Trafficking Mafia. It was a report that overwhelmed one with sadness. A few days later, however, critical observers began to expose the faults in the story everybody had bought. The most vocal of these observers was the literary critic, Ikhide Ikheloa. “This story is a faabu,” Ikhide, on his Twitter and Facebook timelines, screamed morning, day, and night. He would eventually produce an article, Tobore Ovuorie’s story: Fact or fiction? The critical pieces of evidence Ikheloa provided in that piece to suggest the story a fiction, are too weighty to be discarded. He ended with the line; ‘There are many reasons to confront this story, its veracity being the least, but still a crucial reason to deal with it. The credibility of a nation is pretty much gone, but once our journalists lose their credibility, it is all over.’

Day in, day out, Ikheloa would not relent. In every of his Facebook post, he pulled out the Managing Editors of Premium Times– Dapo Olorunyomi and Musikilu Mojeed– by the nape of their neck, to apologize to Nigerians for publishing what he called a fake story.

Later that evening in Ikogosi, as participants trooped to the poolside, where we go to lounge, I hastened my movement to meet Ibekwe who was ahead.

“Someone is discrediting an investigative report by Tobore Ovuore, one of your reporters at Premium Times,” I opened the conversation with Nicholas after we had exchanged handshakes. “He calls your bosses out every day in his Facebook mentions to whip them. I don’t like the way Ikhide is going about; rubbishing your newspaper which had become a household name, being a reliable news source.”

I needed a point from Nicholas (the man I had seen as a no-nonsense journalist from Premium Times), which I intended to use in a Facebook post to rebut Ikheloa’s criticism.

Nicholas looked at me, almost dismissively. He, however, managed to tell me that he knew nothing about all that. We couldn’t talk further as I left his side. That was the first and only time I had seen Nicholas Ibekwe.

If you do not know Nicholas Ibekwe, he is currently the most talked about Premium Times journalist who ‘exposed’ the bribery deal between popular Nigerian pastor, T.B Joshua and the journalists who went to his Synagogue Church of All Nation, where a collapsed building killed many. I have followed Nicholas’ tweets as they were consistently retweeted into my Twitter timeline. He is angry about many things; that Lagos Governor Fashola met with Joshua behind closed doors, and after the meeting, dodged reporters, and perhaps his most prioritized anger; how Joshua offered N50,000 bribe to each journalist at the press conference of September 14. He soon released a recording of the bribery deal he had alleged. And then, on the 23rd of September [yesterday], he eventually came out with his story: “Why I exposed T.B. Joshua for bribing journalists.”

So, why did Nicholas publish the audio? “…when I woke up last Saturday morning and saw the picture of President Goodluck Jonathan shaking hands with a grinning TB Joshua with headlines like ‘Jonathan consoles TB Joshua,’ I said damn it! I couldn’t stomach this blatant impunity.”

“Journalists shouldn’t be seen or heard telling the prime suspect they would write ‘just like you said’ after he offered to buy their consciences with N50, 000,” he also said.

I hadn’t listened to the audio. But in Nicholas’ story published in Premium Times, the audio was reproduced. I reached for my earpiece and gave that audio a rapt attention. Four minutes or there about. Perhaps I didn’t get the real thing, I played it again. And then, again. Time wouldn’t allow me, I would have transcribed here. Only first-class thinkers would agree with me. That audio I listened to has nothing to do with a bribery deal. Wait, you can call for my head later. Go back to that audio and listen again! In the audio, we hear Joshua announcing some 750k; to be shared, 50k each to journalists, to fuel their car. Some ask questions about the issue at hand, and Joshua– in a tone that depicts sobriety– answers them. And, as they round off, Joshua asks, ‘So, what are you going to write?’ and they all laugh at what seem a sarcastic remark from Joshua. I laughed, too.

In his story, however, Nicholas argued, “He clearly meant for the money to influence the reporting of the event, ‘So what are you going to write?’” he had asked. That makes it a bribe. Simple.’

Your head is in the air. Such is the problem when you are highly opinionated. By what logical conclusion do we pronounce that bribery?

Let me quickly state that it is wrong for Governor Fashola and President Jonathan to be seen patting Joshua’s shoulder over the collapsed building that was largely his fault. And of course, this is not an attempt to write in defence of Joshua. If you care to know, I may soon renounce my membership of the Pentecostal movement, following many atrocities within this Movement that do not stand well with me.

We are only stupid to assume 750k is money enough a bribe from T.B Joshua to hush journalists. The story was already in the mainstream media. I have watched NEMA PRO on Channels TV lamenting the difficulties they were having with T.B Joshua’s church authority. All had become clearer that there was illegal addition of storeys to the building which eventually resulted in the collapse. And even Joshua himself knows that the ‘hovering craft’ tale is not buyable. So, why exactly would he bribe journalists with 750k?

What is my point? That 50k is appropriately called honorarium. If after the announcement of that 50k for journalists to fuel their car and that Nicholas had rejected, he was then called back to further negotiate an increase, then it becomes a bribe! They are desperate about hiding something! Oxford dictionary helps us with the definition of an honorarium: ‘A payment given for professional services that are rendered nominally without charge.’ T.B. Joshua is no fool to think 750k is okay to bribe journalists so the story is not exposed. That is simply honorarium, and it follows the tradition of the church.

On the other hand, Oxford dictionary says this about bribe: ‘A sum of money or other inducement offered or given to bribe someone.’ Is Nicholas insinuating that 50k to fuel his car poses a bribery threat? Is it that Nicholas couldn’t have accepted that 50k and still go ahead to publish his investigative findings? When such honorariums are doled out, no journalist is held by any obligatory terms to accept. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the story, I, as a [freelance] journalist may accept or reject such honorarium. It would take the next lifetime to have me bribed so I won’t expose a story. If you decide to force the ‘honorarium’ on me, I will take it. I have a network of friends whose stomachs are an empty tank of beer. They will beer with that money and that story you are desperate in hiding from the public would have a smooth ride to the press.

Many people are aware of my affiliation with the APC, and admiration for Kayode Fayemi. The report I did for The Scoop after the Ekiti governorship election did not, in a single sentence, favour APC and the party’s flag-bearer, Fayemi. My editor was worried. He wanted a balanced feel in the report. “Do you mean you couldn’t find anybody who spoke well of the APC candidate?” he asked me before pushing the report for publishing. I knew I could not write it with the bias I have for the APC.

In the May 1994 edition of the American Journalism Review, Alicia C. Shepard writes; ‘Critics say that taking money from groups falling under a reporter’s purview raises all sorts of potential conflicts of interest or, at least, the appearance of one. The money also raises questions about a reporter’s objectivity.’ So, like Nicholas, if I were at the meeting with T.B Joshua, I would have rejected the honorarium offer. But, I will not refer to it as bribe.

The globally recognized Associated Press, AP, recognises this honorarium thing. On its website, under the heading, AP News Values & Principles, we read this: ‘Associated Press offices and staffers are often sent or offered gifts of other items—some of them substantial, some of them modest, some of them perishable—by sources, public relations agencies, corporations and others.’

‘Sometimes these are designed to encourage or influence AP news coverage or business, sometimes they are just ‘perks’ for journalists covering a particular event. Whatever the intent, we cannot accept such items; an exception is made for trinkets like caps or mugs that have nominal value, approximately $25 or less. Otherwise, gifts should be politely refused and returned, or if that is impracticable, they should be given to charity.’

End of discussion? I know some would say this is an attempt to euphemistically rebrand bribe as honorarium. If you are of this thought, I borrow the words of Nicholas and I throw them at you, ‘I can’t help you if you can’t decipher that. I am a reporter not a brain surgeon.’

Well, bribery is a criminal offense. And if Nicholas insists this is a bribe deal, he shouldn’t hesitate in writing the lawyer, Femi Falana, on the need to take this case up.

It is no news, that journalists in Nigeria are underpaid. Nicholas, in his story, admits this. According to www.payscale.com, a [USA] journalist earns an average salary of $36,834 per year. According to me, a Nigerian journalist’s pay in a year is around $6,000. It is not totally a bad pay. What is bad is the delay and irregularities in the payment. While I was covering Osun election, I interviewed an academic, Babatunde Bakare, at the Bowen University. I didn’t know him from anywhere. After the interview, he asked me how I was surviving as a journalist. I told him I have other things that I do that pay my bills. Even though I wasn’t seriously investigating any story, I was just seeking the opinion of an academic on the election, Babatunde felt obliged to give me something to support my transport and logistics. He would later tell me that until his recent appointment as an academic, he was a senior producer/scriptwriter for one of Africa’s largest TVs, AIT. And he wasn’t paid salary in the last ten months he had worked with AIT.

I also stopped taking Sam Nda-Isaiah’s presidential ambition seriously the day I heard he owed his reporters at Leadership Newspaper, four month salary. It took a Twitter/Facebook protest to get Sam to bow to his employees’ demands. These delays, irregularities, underpayment, are not justifiable reasons to accept bribe. No, they are not. These reasons, however, justify the collection of an honorarium, such type that does not mean you should report a black story as white.

Nicholas, then, advises journalists to ‘explore other related and legitimate means of making money like researching, writing, and editing reports for NGO…’ This is the silliest of all advices. Journalism is a professional job. The burden of researching, investigating a story, is already time consuming. News are time bound, and Nicholas risks his job with Premium Times if he fails to beat deadlines for the kind of ‘pending stories’ he mentions in his piece. I make money as a private academic researcher. The months I have more than two research jobs, I suspend my journalistic activities. And the day I become a full time journalist, I should resign as a researcher. Journalistic work is enough work to get enough pay if things were right.

As I conclude, I should raise an issue. After the three day media/blogger interactive forum in Ekiti in February, participants were each offered 50k honorarium by the organizers. My name is Femi Owolabi. I received the N50,000 (of course it never influenced my subsequent criticisms. Many who also accepted the money had asked Governor Kayode Fayemi harsher questions during the forum and even wrote critically about his policies after we had left). However, Stanley Azuakola, the editor of The Scoop and Chinedu Ekeke, the editor of Ekekeee in their separate critical reports, revealed that they politely rejected the N50,000. Out of about thirty participants, Nicholas Ibekwe inclusive, I am yet to read of any other apart from Stanley, Chinedu and Stanley Achonu (the Operations Lead of BudgIT), who didn’t take that N50,000 honorarium. It is, therefore, logical to believe that Nicholas Ibekwe, who now accuses his fellow journalists of bribery when it was honorarium, received such in February in Ekiti.

If he didn’t receive that money, here is my apology in advance.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @fEMIoWOLABI

http://www.thescoopng.com/femi-owolabi-nicholas-ibekwe-tb-joshua-n50000-bribe/

MID TERM EXAMINATION. ANSWER ALL
QUESTIONS, 45mins. Your time start now!
Q1. The jet caught in S/A belongs to who?
A) APC
B) Ayo Oritsejafor
C) PDP
D)Sultan of sokoto
E) All of the above
Q2. How many amount is the suit case containing?
A) 9.3M(USD)
B) 9.3M(Naira)
C) 9.3M(Saudi riyals)
D) 9.3M(Euro)
Q3. Why are the names of the Nigerian involved not yet released?
A) The media are afraid
B) Because they are not Muslims
C) The media forgot their names
D) Their names is hard to type & publish
Q4. The Foreigner involve is from which country?
A) Ghana
B) Saudi Arabia
C) Pakistan
D) Israel
Q5. What is the name of the company involve?
A) Qatar airways
B) Dangote group
C) Eagle Air
D) Etihad Airways
Q6. Where was the jet actually caught?
A) South Africa
B) UAE
C) Saudi Arabia
D) Pakistan
Q7. When the jet was caught, whose name did
they mention?
A) Sa'ad Abubakar III
B) Gen. Buhari
C) Sheikh Gumi
D) Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor
Q8. From question 7, what is tittle of the person
involve?
A) Imam
B) Pastor
C) Politician
D)Aboki
E) Civilian
Q9. Where were the insurgents operating when all
the above happened?
A) Niger Delta
B) Middle belt
C) North
D) south south
Q10. What should be the best move of the
President to the the person involve?
A) Involve spiritual deliverance
B) Give him an award
C) Face the law
D) Burry the case
I wish you Good luck.

National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, finally returned to Nigeria on Thursday evening after weeks of speculation over his health. His plane touched down at exactly 9.47pm at the Execujet hanger, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. He left the country early August, first going to the US before heading for UK. In the meantime, rumours were circulating that he was in coma and could no longer recognise his family members. There were also wild rumours on the social media that he had died on Tuesday night. But TheCable reported on Monday that he would return to Nigeria this week, although the former governor of Lagos state moved his arrival from Tuesday to Thursday as a result of a series of business meetings, sources said.

Read more at: http://www.thecable.ng/just-in-tinubu-finally-returns-to-nigeria | TheCable

I am not interested in what the arrested jet was doing in South Africa...

I already know and do not need any confirmation again.

My position, however, is about the ownership of the jet which is Pastor Oritsejafor's.

A statement released this afternoon showed that he is the owner of the jet which has been leased to an organisation for commercial purposes part of which was how it got to South Africa supposedly on a business trip...

That is not my concern also.

My worry now is that the principal justification Pastor Oritsejafor gave for the acquisition of the private jet then( a gift from an undisclosed person) was to aid him in preaching the gospel and reaching out to places that could not be reached via the land..

How come what was intended for private use has suddenly become a money-making machine to the punk-wearing pastor? This is my worry.

What explanation will the Pastor give this time? Perhaps his footsoldiers on the cyberspace can assist us...

Waiting!!

No matter how small your soup is,if it finishes before your eba,you can never be a good manager.

The combined effect of poor planning, sloppy budgeting process, corruption and lack of absorptive capacity in the Ministry of Works has pushed up the cost of road construction and maintenance in Nigeria, making it the most expensive in Africa.

A report on Road Infrastructure Development in Nigeria (2009-2013) which benchmarked the cost of road construction in Nigeria against what obtained in some African countries showed a remarkable difference that suggests an abnormality in Nigeria.

The report, published by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Abuja, was based on an earlier study Mark insists on state creation and benchmarking conducted by the World Bank in 2000. In Nigeria, the CSJ report said a kilometre of road costs between N400 million and over N1 billion, an amount the report described as outrageous.

According to the report, a 9.52 kilometre Ibadan Township road in Oyo State was awarded at the cost of N5.8 billion, which is approximately N609.24 million per kilometre. Similarly, the contract sum for the Abuja/Abaji/ Lokoja road, a 196 kilometre project being handled by the Federal Government was awarded at an estimated cost of N42 billion in 2006.

It was however reviewed upward to N116 billion in 2011, an increase of 176.2 per cent. This was in spite of the declining rate of inflation at an average of 2.52 per cent within the five-year period.

With the total cost of the Abuja/Abaji/Lokoja road project, the cost of the project per kilometre is approximately N591 million, which exceeds the upper bound benchmark cost of $1,374,429.60 per kilometre recommended by the World Bank as cost of constructing a kilometre of paved road.

In the earlier study by the World Bank, a set of indicators were constructed to perform comparative assessments of the contract procurement and implementation processes in the road sector across 13 countries in Sub- Saharan Africa. The countries used in the study were Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

The research generated a specialised data set for 109 road and bridge works contracts and 76 supervision consultancy contracts in projects financed by the World Bank and “the highest cost overruns” were observed in Nigeria, where the contracts increased their original value by an average of 39.7 per cent during implementation.

On the other hand, the average cost overrun in Ghana was 34 per cent; about 18 per cent in Mozambique and Tanzania while there were no cost overruns in Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya. In the Limpopo Province of South Africa, the average cost of constructing a kilometre of road falls within the World Bank road construction benchmark.

The CSJ report attributed the abnormal cost of road construction in Nigeria to insufficient budgetary allocation and other associated problems. “There are too many road projects and resources are so thinly spread. There is a great differential between insufficient budgetary allocations to road infrastructure and the releases and cash -backing necessary for MDAs to utilise the funds. This is not good for road infrastructure development in Nigeria.

The continuing and further differentials between the amounts cashbacked and their eventual utilisation show lack of absorptive capacity in the MDAs.

“It can be seen that the level of funding does not match the timeline within which the road projects should be executed. Roads that should have been completed within two years or less are still undergoing construction after five years.

The delays lead to variations at sometimes about twice the value of the original award. This creates enormous challenges to the fiscal system, especially with the huge amounts posted for augmentation of road contracts,” the report stated.

It recommended the need for enhanced investments and a fresh thinking to get new funds for the road sector while existing laws and policies such as those governing the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement and the Infrastructure Action Plan needed to be implemented immediately.

Besides, it recommended that budgetary funding for the road sector should be progressively improved. Beyond appropriations, the Ministry of Finance should ensure full and timely release and cashbacking of budgeted funds to the Ministry of Works and other MDAs involved in the road sector.

It also called for the reduction in the cost of road project implementation through benchmarking with African and international prices.

According to the report, the cost of building roads in other countries such as Ghana, which has nearly the same soil environment as Nigeria, will put extant cost in its proper context.

http://newtelegraphonline.com/nigerian-roads-most-expensive-in-africa-report/

If she was not automatically a "woman of God," why assign her to head a church. Could a woman "of flesh" "pastor" a church of God?

cramjones: The heart is a 4 chambered organ that pumps blood around the body! The heart does truly matter!

-CramJones

4 CHAMBERS-LEFT AND RIGHT VENTRICLE,LEFT AND RIGHT AURICLE.

Reuben Abati is arguably one of Nigeria's youngest PHD holder.He was 25 in 1990 when he acquired a doctorate degree.