₦airaland Forum

What is the justification to release Nnamdi Kanu?
What of all the hate and incitments against the Nigerian state that he championed?

Really, I struggle to undertand why the guy should be released.
He does not represent peace? He has no worthy accomplishment or antecedents..so what exactly would his release achieve?

The government should not create a bad precedent by releasing him.
The trial should be hastened and the court should decide his fate. Simple!

What do you have to say about Ezekiel 16? God even said he will put rings in their noses?

This advice is more for people that might fall into situations similar to yours:

"Do not be among those who give pledges [involving themselves in others’ finances], Or among those who become guarantors for others’ debts." Proverbs 22:26.

A personal experience was when I borrowed a loan on behalf of my friend...In summary, I regretted it.

Na wa for this man o! Don´t these guys think. Passport issuance is not to be commercialized. Why should it be issued at all local governments? What percentage of Nigerians need international passports ?
This reeks of selfish interest.Period!

Then Herod, with his [c]men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 [b][/b]That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.[b][/b]Luke 23:11-12.
Questions :
1.Were Herod and Pilate involved in Jesus' death?(Acts 4:27)
2.Was Jesus not killed?
3. Did Pilate and Herod not become friends?

If Herod was such a fine fellow, why did he try to kill Peter? Acts12:1-3

The basis of the "epistle" from Reno could be examined from the above.

Interestingly, Jesus gave a warning in Mark 8:15"...beware of the leaven of Herod".

If a man will come out to justify Herod, beware of such people.

Are you less than 23years old? Ready to learn a new language? And you have NABTEB?

You can strategically plan your relocation to Germany.

Learn German up to B2 level and it will open up opportunities for you.

Opportunities like getting a paid 3-yr technician training(theory & practical) ...

It will require grit and determination. But you do it if you really want it.

All the Best!

If you are planning to move abroad legally and you are married - Your best plan is to leave with your family from Day 1!
Leaving your family behind either the husband or wife is not just worth it.
I have experienced this and I know what I am talking about.

God help you if the time difference is huge.

If that's your plan reconsider and look for that option that allows you to move abroad with your wife.

Please let us be real! How much are the Students paying for accommodation? is it still not N90 ? (Ninety Naira). Obviously , the prize money had also not been reviewed to reflect current realities.

Amozism: if his contract with Etisalat has expired what stops him from advertising for MTN?

The contract must have been badly written. There should have been a clause that will prevent him signing for their competitor within a specific period of time. The advert is ingenious from MTN. About Saka ...well without being privy to the details it could be disingenuous or just smart!

My initial reaction on seeing this are twofold:

1. 'It is not real' : The car is not actually a FG car.That someone used the number plate in order to move around unhindered.But who will stop the owner of such a car on the road in nigeria? The person must be such a big man! And why should it be possible that someone can just 'pick-up' an FG number plate to affix on his car. So I discard this option.

2. ' It is for real' : So why should someone in his right sense buy porsche as an official car in Nigeria (Porsche panamera 2013 model : $75,000).With all the procurement bill, due process unit etc.

What happened to the policy of using Peugeot as official cars in Nigeria. The last time I checked PAN is still in Kaduna.We have missed our way big time in this country.
God have mercy!

Sincere 9gerian: What can you say about corruption in Nigeria today? Is it reducing or increasing?

The truth about assessing corruption is that it is very SUBJECTIVE, unlike roads, stable power, railways,etc that can be SEEN and TOUCHED. Going by accounts in the media, one would think corruption is increasing. Unfortunately, the media is still reinforcing the age-long PERCEPTION of high level of corruption in the country.

But what are the sources/avenues of corruption in Nigeria?

In my opinion, the MAJOR sources/avenue of corruption in Nigeria, based on the structure of the budget, include:

* from the capital side
1 over-inflated contracts
2 poorly executed or abandoned projects

* from the recurrent expenditure side
1 ghost workers/pensioners
2 security votes
3 ambiguous budget sub-heads

There are other avenues(eg subsidies like fuel subsidy, fertilizer subsidy) but these are the ones that readily comes to mind.

Since we know the MAJOR avenues/sources for corruption we can attempt a slightly more OBJECTIVE assessment of whether corruption is increasing or decreasing in Nigeria by working from the KNOWN to the UNKNOWN

First lets assess if the level of over-inflated contracts is increasing or decreasing. If its increasing, it implies corruption is increasing and if its decreasing, it implies corruption is decreasing. In the last 2yrs, it is difficult not to have noticed the practice at the federal level of publishing the contract sums, name of contractor, location of project, project specification,etc of every project awarded for ALL to see and take notice, and complain of over-inflated contract where such is suspected. In the absence of such complaints from any quarter, it is safe to assume most of the projects awarded in the last 2yrs or so were REASONABLY costed. If that is the case, it is an INDICATOR of reducing corruption. Now the challenge is for such practice to trickle down to the states and local govt level.
http://peoplesdailyng.com/fec-approves-n47-8bn-for-13-road-contracts/
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/fed-govt-awards-n28b-contracts/

Next, lets assess the level of project execution in terms of quality and completion in the last few years. If the FG and states are churning out COMPLETED physical projects, of expected quality, it means the funds are indeed WORKING and not entrying private pockets. If the level is increasing, it implies corruption is reducing but if its decreasing (ie more projects are being abandoned or more projects are being poorly executed) it implies corruption is increasing.

For instance, if N20billion was budgeted to complete the Lagos-kano rail line, and when we SEE the Lagos-kano rail line has been completed, it means the N20billion did its WORK, and did not enter private pocket. Again, If N500million was meant to rehabilitate Enugu-Ph road, and we can SEE the work being done and later completed, it means the N500million did its WORK, and did not go into private pocket.

The massive, good QUALITY, projects being completed by federal and state govts nationwide is the MOST IMPORTANT testimony to REDUCTION in corruption in Nigeria.

On the recurrent side of the state and federal budgets, the menace of ghost workers is being tackled frontally. The federal govt for instance, through reforms in the civil service, have so far flushed out a total of 45,000 ghost workers who earned over N100billion had been uncovered from about 251 ministries, directorates and agencies. This singular reform has saved this country about N100billion (more than the annual budget of some states)
http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/thread-830385-1-1.html

Several states have also flushed out thousands of ghost workers in their payroll.

Sadly, on the issue of security votes, not much progress has been made besides isolated media reports(unconfirmed) that governor Rochas Okorocha reduced his security vote by about 70%. The challenge is to pressurise more public officers to give up their bogus security votes.

From all of the above, it is safe and FAIR to conclude that corruption is reducing in Nigeria.

However, this does not mean corruption has been eradicated. There are still several loopholes at particularly the state and local govt level, not exempting the federal govt. Bogus allowances, albeit lawful, should also be drastically reduced.

Therefore, the claim that corruption is increasing in Nigeria is dubious, baseless and fallacious. Corruption can only be increasing in the imagination of some opposition elements and compromised media organisations.

The initial reaction on reading this type of post is to think you are trying to 'paint-brush' the Federal Government. However, if we one would take your comments as being sincere, then you should KNOW that currently in Nigeria corruption cannot be said to be reducing or increasing. Rather, (sadly) it has become our way of life! This way of life is being reinforced by granting pardons to unscrupulous elements in the society and statements that corruption is not our problem in Nigeria(actions directly attributed to the president-#1 Citizen!). In essence, all those indicators you are referring to are therefore not significant to change your purported perception of corruption as being only 'subjective' in Nigeria .

ocelot2006: Alright, I own up to my mistake. But you equally made a mistake on the MAGLEV. Yes the technology originated from German,but only the Chinese adopted it for commercial use. The French use the GTV and the Japanese the bullet train. But yeah, we can adopt the electric train system, particularly that of the French produced by Alstom. But we have to start from somewhere.

I am thrilled by this comment. We all have so much we can learn from one another.
To contribute to the discussion:
1. The MAGLEV is not a technology that is being actively implemented even in the developed countries.
2. The main traction mechanism(locomotive) used in Railway is either the Diesel Driven or the Electricity Driven. I will say both can be implemented in Nigeria. However, Diesel Locomotives can be used since we are an Oil Producing country (assuming our refineries are working and we are not importing diesel)and it will be cheaper since providing the Electricity infrastructures comes at significant additional costs.
3. I guess the locomotives are being rehabilitated because most of the new ones are designed to work on the Standard Gauges while our old tracks are the narrow gauges. There is a limit to the maximum speed achievable by the train on the narrow gauge.
4. While, the new standard gauges are yet to be completed, I believe there are major improvements that could be made in providing a humane customer - friendly service. I hope the current operation can be reviewed for better performance. It is however a good test-run if we are really sincere in providing good service that will be cost-effective, efficient and sustainable.
4.

To access the FGN bonds or FGN Treasury bills contact your Bank and discuss with them. They will advise you on the minimum amount required to start with.

The writer in the article believes so. She rather thinks celebrating/ accepting Mediocrity is a greater problem in Nigeria than the much touted Corruption.
What is your take? Is this a cultural thing?

Celebrating Mediocrity In Nigeria By Femke van Zeijl
I used to think corruption was Nigeria’s biggest problem, but I’m starting to doubt that. Every time I probe into one of the many issues this country is encountering, at the core I find the same phenomenon: the widespread celebration of mediocrity. Unrebuked underachievement seems to be the rule in all facets of society. A governor building a single road during his entire tenure is revered like the next Messiah; an averagely talented author who writes a colourless book gets sponsored to represent Nigerian literature overseas; and a young woman with no secretarial skills to speak of gets promoted to the oga’s office faster than any of her properly trained colleagues.

Needless to say the politician is probably hailed by those awaiting part of the loot he is stealing; the writer might have got his sponsorship from buddies he has been sucking up to in hagiographies paid for by the subjects; and the young woman’s promotion is likely to be an exchange for sex or the expectancy of it. So some form of corruption plays a role in all of these examples.

But corruption per se does not necessarily stand in the way of development. Otherwise a country like Indonesia—number 118 on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, not that far removed from Nigeria’s 139—would never have made it to the G-20 group of major economies. An even more serious obstacle to development is the lack of repercussions for underachievement. Who in Nigeria is ever held accountable for substandard performance?

Since I came here, I have been on a futile search for a stable internet connection that does what it promises. I started with an MTN FastLink modem (I consider the name a cruel joke), and then I moved on to an Etisalat MiFi connection (I regularly had to keep myself from throwing the bloody thing against the wall), and now I am trying out Cobranet’s U-Go. I shouldn’t have bothered: equally crap. And everyone knows this. They groan and mutter and tweet about it. But still, to my surprise, no one calls for a class-action suit against those deceitful providers.

A one-day conference I attended last year left me equally puzzled. Organisation, attendance and outcome left a lot to be desired, if you ask me. But over cocktails, after the closing ceremony, everyone congratulated each other over the wonderful conference—that started two hours late, of which the most animated part was undeniably lunch, and in which not a single tangible decision had been made. This left me wondering whether we had attended the same event.

I thought these issues to be unrelated at first, but gradually I came to see the connection. Nigeria is the opposite of a meritocracy: you do not earn by achieving. You get to be who and where you are by knowing the right people. Whether you work in an office, for an enterprise or an NGO, at a construction site or in government, your abilities hardly ever are the reason you got there. Performing well, let alone with excellence, is not a requirement, in fact, it is discouraged. It would be too threatening: showing you’re more intelligent, capable or competent than the ‘oga at the top’ (who, as a rule, is not an overachiever either) is career suicide.

It is an attitude that trickles down from the very top, its symptoms eventually showing up in all of society, from bad governance to bad service to bad craftsmanship.

Where excellence meets no gratification, what remains to be celebrated is underachievement. That is why it is not uncommon to find Nigerians congratulating each other with substandard results. It is safer to cuddle up comfortably in shared mediocrity than to question it, since the latter might also expose your own less than exceptional performance. Add to this the taboo of criticising anyone senior or higher up and it explains why so many join in the admiration of the emperor’s new clothes.

I have been writing this column for the last year, and after ten months I realised my angles were getting more predictable and my pieces less edgy. I figured newcomers do not remain newcomers forever and therefore decided to round up the ‘Femke Becomes Funke’ series this month, a year after it started. Ever since I announced the ending, tweeps have been asking me to change my mind and in comments on the columns and through my website I get songs of praise that make me feel my analyses of Nigerian society are indispensable. If I had no sense of self-criticism, I might be tempted to reconsider my decision to discontinue the series and start producing second-rate articles. Who would point this out to me if I did?

The hardest thing to do in Nigeria is to continue to realise there is honour in achievement and pride in perfection. I imagine the frustration of the many Nigerians who do care for their work, who take pride in their outcomes and who feel the award is in a job well done. When you know beforehand that excellence will not be rewarded, you are bound to do the economically sane thing and limit your investments to accomplishing the bare minimum. This makes Nigeria a pretty cumbersome place for anyone striving for perfection.
source:
http://saharareporters.com/article/femke-becomes-funke-celebrating-mediocrity-nigeria-femke-van-zeijl

How often we let life pass by without really living.

Since your spouse is the person you'll spend the rest of your life with, it makes sense to invest in your marriage now.

Commit today to spend more one-on-one time with your spouse—you won't regret it

Celebrate a monthly anniversary. Each month on the same date you were married, —can do a lot to keep the flame burning. You're not likely to forget the reason you got married when you're both celebrating it monthly.

Attend a marriage/couples' retreat. usually on weekends, these retreats often include inspirational speakers, beautiful scenery, good food, activities, and plenty of time to be alone with your spouse.

Give the gift of time. A gift of time speaks volumes and can do a lot to strengthen your marriage.

Attend a wedding together. As you attend the wedding with your spouse, discreetly exchange your rings and silently renew your vows together while holding hands as the bride and groom say their vows. It's a great reminder of the marriage covenant and of all the reasons you got married in the first place.

Pull the plug. Talk about your goals, dreams, and desires. Plan a future getaway. Spend some time talking about what you appreciate about each other.

Walk the block. The evening walks not only are invigorating but also allow for good, private conversations.

Schedule a mandatory weekend getaway. Each year, make it a tradition to get away for a weekend alone with your spouse. Schedule a specific weekend just for the two of you, and don't change it for any other event.

Read to one another. Book discussions have ignited many new adventures for us as well as constructive changes in our marriage that we are so thankful for.

Take advantage of small moments. Don't overlook those small blocks of time that you can spend with your spouse. These small snatches of time really do add up to a closer, more intimate relationship.

Share memories. If possible, return to your childhood towns—if not physically, then mentally. Talk about the streets you walked, the homes you lived in, the schools you attended, the playgrounds you played at, the friends you had, and so on.

Create a romantic space. Make your bedroom "off limits" to kids' stuff. Place scented candles and flowers throughout the room, and leave each other love notes under the pillows or sheets.

Plan a sunrise picnic.

Arrange a midweek dinner for two.Along with your spouse, prepare a romantic dinner for the two of you. Listen to classical music, dim the lights, and light the candles. It's so relaxing to have a quiet, uninterrupted meal—especially in the middle of a hectic workweek.

Pre-plan dates. Buy season tickets to your spouse's favorite sporting event, symphony, or theatre. This ensures many pre-packaged dates where the two of you are together, and since neither will want the tickets to go to waste, these dates aren't easily cancelled.

To a fulfilling and happy marriage,read full article at link below:

http://www.todayschristianwoman.com/articles/2013/march/couple-time.html?utm_source=marriage-html&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=12260663&utm_content=160727181&utm_campaign=2013&start=3

The German Education minister resigned over allegations of plagiarism. She tendered her resignation four days after [/b]her PhD was revoked by the university. It is interesting because her doctorate degree was awarded over 30years ago.
She stated in her resignation letter, that she is leaving because[b]"the office cannot be damaged".
Is this possible in Nigeria?
Can a university withdraw the degree of the supervising Minister?
Do Nigerians office holders care about the dignity of such positions?

source:
http://www.dw.de/a-chronology-of-the-schavan-plagiarism-affair/a-16589171

My Police College Is Better Than Yours By Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo

Posted: January 22, 2013 - 20:15

Two years ago, a friend of mine dropped out of circulation without the slightest warning. He was someone I spoke to, at least, once a month, though, most times, we spoke once a week. So his disappearance was traumatic to me.


My friend graduated from one of those elite schools in America and went on to work for the greatest corporations of the world. In a way that I could never fathom, he understood the world properly – its politics and economy. He was also a master of human behavior. When the likes of Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and Sanusi Lamido make their fancy statements about macroeconomic indicators, default swabs, and adding value and capacity building to things that have no way of retaining either, he was the one who translated such jargons for me.

On a tangible level, when Nigeria’s foreign reserve went down, he would tell me even before the newspapers filed their reports. He even knew what the money was used for. When it went up, he also knew why. When my postulations were off mark, he would educate me. When my conclusions were an overreach, he would pull me back. He was well plugged in politically and otherwise. Invariably, he was doing something very important for me – crosschecking my reality.

So he disappeared. I tried to contact him by all the means I knew but he would not respond. In over ten years that I had known him no month had ever passed that we were not in touch. Even when he was traveling all over the world, as he often did, he found a way to keep in touch – even if it was just as simple as sending a note about something I wrote.

One day, I heard through a source that he had joined the government in some capacity. Though surprised, I wasn’t alarmed. I had always felt that he knew more than those running the country so it would not be a bad thing for him to go inside and make the changes he had proposed in several of our conversations. I made further efforts to reach him but no luck. He would have been able to explain in a layman’s language why we are borrowing money from China, day in day out, when we have $46 billion in foreign reserve. Also, he would have been able to map out for me the political intrigues playing out within the PDP.

Nine months after I first heard that he had joined the government, he contacted me. He confirmed that he was working for the government but said he was not at liberty to keep the communication line open. Then, in a parting shot, he noted, “my friend, government is worse than you ever imagined.”

Coming from him, that statement meant a lot to me. Though I may sound confident most times, in my quiet moments, I often question if I was not being dribbled by events. At night I’d wonder if I was not being beaten aerially. Every now and then, I needed to hear the state of things from trusted people who are in the know -people who have in their palms the stories behind the stories.

Many months ago, I sincerely concluded that President Jonathan’s presidency, when it is all said and done, will be a wash. But I did not know that he is worse than I can ever imagine.

President Jonathan made a surprise visit to the Lagos Police College to see for himself the despicable images of the institution that Channels TV had broadcast. He came. He saw. And he shot himself in the foot.

Instead of picking a fight with the people in authority who allowed such an institution to degenerate to that level, he picked a fight with the TV station that brought those images to the world. He questioned how the TV station was able to get inside the institution and record such shameful living conditions. Like a sinking man who feels perpetually under attack, he conjured up the emotion that the goal of that exposé was to embarrass him and his government. Why would anybody bother to embarrass a man who does a good job embarrassing himself each time he opens his mouth?

Like I said, at best, President Jonathan is a wash. The real surprise for me in the whole drama was the reaction of the Nigerian people. I have always known that the Nigerian people are smarter than their president. Now I fear that the dumb down is beginning to affect we, the people.

I was surprised that Nigerians seemed outraged by the state of the Police College. It made me question, for the very first time, where in the world my people have been. When you read that this Inspector General of police stole billions and another one stole a fraction of a trillion, what did you think the billions were meant for? These things are all connected. That we are not conscious of these connections really troubled me.

When a pension fund is embezzled, it simply meant that hundreds of thousands of retirees are going to go without their pension at the most vulnerable period of their lives. You don’t have to know a retiree to feel their pain. You don’t have to visit their homes to understand their sufferings. You don’t have to watch them drop dead on a line waiting for their pension to get outraged. But it appears that our people, in our undying quest to get our own share, have lost the capacity to value others by putting ourselves in their shoes.

When Nigerian government officials or their associates are flown abroad for treatment, the fund is coming from our limited commonwealth. That is from the same pot that was initially designated for something that would have served the greater good. There is no way of eating your akara and having it. The billions in foreign exchange that we spend sending the kids of beneficiaries of government largesse abroad to study; wives of government officials on medical excursions; attending unnecessary jamborees abroad, are the same funds we should have used to provide services to our people. This gross mismanagement is what makes all the difference between one oil producing country and another. The earlier we understand these connections, the better for us.

I was also shocked that Nigerians were disgusted by the poor state of the Police College dormitories. Maintenance of infrastructures is not the forte of Nigerians. Wasn’t our billion naira National Stadium abandoned right in the neighborhood of the president? Even on individual level, haven’t you noticed that many homes in Nigeria don’t get maintained ever? Some buildings in FESTAC have never been repainted since 1977. And it wasn’t that the owners could not afford to do so. Ever noticed how fast the once magnificent 1004 Flats in Lagos turned into a dump?

When you visit the homes of Nigerians abroad, most times, they are in disrepair. I often joke that you only need to know the street where a Nigerian lives and not the house number. Once on the street you can identify the house of a Nigerian by the state of the lawns. Once you see over grown lawns or a lawn with patches of dead grasses, you may be looking at the home of a Nigerian. In the winter, un-shoveled walk ways will give the Nigerian home away.

I regularly ask Nigerians abroad to pay a visit to their secondary school or even university whenever they travel home. A visit to your secondary school dormitory, where you once lived, will put the Nigerian situation in the right perspective for you. That is, if there is still a dormitory. And if it is better than the picture from the Police College, then, you are one of the exceptions.

The Nigerian decay is vast and deep. To begin to extricate ourselves from the abyss we have fallen into, we have to first of all enforce a paradigm shift. We have to stop deceiving ourselves that it was God who put these wasteful spenders in power. God had nothing to do with it. And once we accept that, then we will regain the strength to question them. Except we belong to those whose philosophy is that we should not disturb the comfortable – in fact, that we should worship them so that our turn will come.

Those who treat police recruits as “poultry chickens” should not be stunned that as full fledge cops, they treat citizens as compost. If a police college is in that horrible shape, imagine the shape our prisons are. Do you also need a camera to go into the Nigerian prison before you figure it out?

The moment I see a police officer on a road checkpoint wearing a pair of bathroom slippers and holding together parts of his gun with ropes, I knew what to expect in their living quarters. If there is a Nigerian English dictionary, the best image to illustrate filth is the picture of a police barrack.

Over the years, Nigerians have been reduced to a mere greedy bunch. For us, the only games in town are; whose property is bigger; whose vanity is superior, whose grandeur is larger. The measure of success has been reduced to some silly mantras: My bank accounts are larger than yours; my hummer is bigger than yours; my kids are in more elite universities abroad than yours; my pastor’s temple is larger than yours; my convoy is longer than yours. This greed breeds corruption and the corruption in turn feeds the greed. And the vicious cycle continues. Self-aggrandizement has become a substitute for self-actualization.

The commandant of the Lagos Police College said something apt when faced with what should have been an embarrassing situation. His answer was basically simple: my police college may be bad but it is better than yours. The president seems to understand. And Nigerians seem to understand, too.

In Nigeria, things are really worse than you ever imagined. If you haven’t realized it, it is only because you have not seen the video clip yet.
Source;http://saharareporters.com/column/my-police-college-better-yours-rudolf-ogoo-okonkwo

hi, I will appreciate further info about working with an NGO for someone that wants to make a career change with prior engineering background.you may please contact me at abeeyntyn@yahoo.com.thanks

Aisha,Yemisa,Arshy,Bamboke.

Found your lines an interesting read. can u pls expatiate on these:
1.Do one need a foreign degree to get an offer in an Ngo esp International ones
2. How easy is it for someone from an engineering background to get work in such estabs.
will appreciate your comments. thanks