₦airaland Forum

I see nothing new here afterall UNN has introduced that about 4 yrs ago (am sure some other schools too). Its either the Education Minister is ignorant of that or he is talking of Primary and Secondary schools.

A society that expects a LG councillor to build a new house six months after election or risk being called a failure is surely encouraging her leaders to steal. Yes he should stand firm against such people but that does not take away the facts that the entire Nigerian community is awashed wt corrupt expectations.

Chai, this headline should read "How the North violated Nigeria to death". I can't believe the entire Niger Delta has aready been allocated to Boko Haram progenitors. Where was my father when Nigeria was being shared? 

The article on CNN shows that Bino and Fino has been aired on CNN and Sky TV, pls what of NTA and channels? Its time to appreciate and encourage our own. kudos!

Since BH started I'v never heard of 9 (NINE) people going to bomb one church. How can such a large number of people go for one target (bombing) when they are not going there to shoot AK47. Its either they are insane or the story is a cheap propaganda.

Has the world lost the fight against curruption or are the criminals getting more sophisticated? I used to think that plea bargain is an EFCC's tool when they are too lazy to do their job until I read this.

Dramatic twist as Ibori, London Police reach plea bargain pact
By Our Reporter 17 hours 24 minutes ago
Font size: Decrease font Enlarge font
James Ibori James Ibori

The long-drawn corruption trial of the immediate past governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori in London may be resolved through plea bargain.

Unless there is a change of heart by either the London Metropolitan Police or Ibori, the agreement may be concluded over the next 24hours.

It was gathered last night that all that is now left the vetting of the plea bargain agreement.

A source close to the deal said: "Apart from the basic fact that such a thing will only come into being through a court proceeding, one would be right to say the plea bargain between Ibori and the London Metropolitan Police is already a done deal. It has been discussed, agreed upon, the terms already settled; all that remains is a court pronouncement. "

According to the source, the seven years of the investigation and trial of Ibori has taken a heavy toll on both the prosecution and the accused.

The police investigation, involving extensive travelling round the globe, is said to have cost the British tax payer over £14 million and is bound to cost more should the trial last the whole hog.

Ibori himself, sources said, is beginning to show signs of fatigue – as he has been attempting to fight off multiple suits at the same time – in Nigeria, Dubai and now Britain, both for himself and some of his associates.

The legal fees are said to be outrageous for him.

The Federal High Court Asaba, had ruled that the EFCC case filed there lacked any evidence – and they had nothing beyond what EFCC fed them.

Ibori was said to have been at first opposed the plea bargain option but his lawyers told him that the British jurisdiction had changed considerably since the war on terrorism began.

In more advanced criminal justice systems like the US, UK and Japan, plea bargain enjoys a prominent role. Its use is actively sought by the parties more directly involved in criminal trials. These are the Courts, the Prosecution and the Defence as it brings a quick end to a trial –cutting out unnecessary delays and prohibitive costs.

It is also a quick way for the courts to dispose of cases, which could otherwise have been very long drawn, time consuming and with potential for erroneous judgements. For the prosecution, plea bargaining gives them the opportunity of securing convictions particularly in instances where a conviction is highly desired, yet the outcome of a full trial is unpredictable or tricky. "

This may have influenced Ibori to end lingering court defences across three continents.


http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/37916-dramatic-twist-as-ibori-london-police-reach-plea-bargain-pact.html

If it will guarrantee us a better security in the country, then am in support. Why should an incompetent fellow be made AG just cos he is the most senior?

koolkamzzy:
This thread brought back some funny memories of my toasting fnckups. Remembered this gurl I use to eye in my area, she sometimes assist her mother to sell in the evening market after school. So one day me and my friend decided to go and toast her. Unfortunately the mother was at the kiosk so we had no choice than to wait for the mother to leave. As soon as the mama leave, I began walking towards the kiosk na so my liver begin dey fail me, but I had no choice cos my frnd was watching and I don't want to fall my hand. As I get closer, my liver come dey fail me the more na so I just reach there not knowing what to say, I had no choice than to start buying what I don't need. I bought salt onions and maggi. My frnd laff me so tey I almost cry

this guy has injured my liver wt lafta 

T8ksy:
Yeah right! I guess he was defending his people when he invaded the mid-west region

and impose a mid-west ibo on them as their military administrator.

Just as he was defending his people when he sent his rag-tag soldiers into yorubaland.

I was told while in primary school that the best form of defence is attack.

Thank God this prophet has been recognised by his own people, RIP Ikemba! You have changed history.

Right information is power in deed, 9c post.

@ Ayodele, I think you got some of your information on Catholics wrong, even though am not a catholic bt I grew up as one and I can tell you with all certainty that they believe in Heaven and Hell. I once was in this your current stage of always pointing out doctrinal differences in our denomination until I understand that unity in doctrine alone does not save a sinner. Search and discover that you may never see two denominations that believe exactly thesame. Our message should be based on salvation from sin and not which denomination is right or wrong (except those that fail to believe in the existence of Heaven and Hell for mankind, IMO)

Back to the Topic,
I know a couple presently who got married from different denominations and are currently happy even though it may not be easy especially coming from Orthodox and Penticostals angle. If the woman is willing to join me in my church, I will gladly accept.

1 Cor 7: 12-13
12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away
13  And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him

What will you do if your husband or wife changes denomination after ten years of marriage?

Sanusi, Boko Haram and Northern Nigeria’s poverty
Perhaps the most controversial statement to come out of Nigeria in recent weeks is Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s linkage of the mass killings of innocent citizens in Northern Nigeria by the Boko Haram sect to the nature of distribution of oil revenues in Nigeria.
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi-Governor Central Bank of Nigeria

A statement like this coming from the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and a prominent personality from the North should not be taken lightly. Since the statement, as if on cue, a spread sheet showing the distribution of revenues among different states in Nigeria has suddenly surfaced on the internet in an apparent bid to show the uneven distribution of crude oil earnings in Nigeria.

I have read the original story as written by Financial Times, and the original story also quotes figures that show this so called uneven wealth distribution in Nigeria between Southern and Northern Nigeria. In the story by the Financial Times, Sanusi is quoted to have said “There is clearly a direct link between the very uneven nature of distribution of resources and the rising level of violence (in Northern Nigeria)”
Explaining further Sanusi states that “When you look at the figures and look at the size of the population in the north you can see there is a structural imbalance of enormous proportions,” Mr Sanusi said. “Those states (referring to the North) simply do not have enough money to meet basic needs while some states (referring to South South States) have too much money.”

Both statements from Sanusi are baffling especially when it is considered that they are being made by the governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank. Sanusi’s assertion that there is “clearly a direct link between the uneven nature of wealth distribution and rising level of violence in Northern Nigeria lacks merit. Elementary statistics teaches us that correlation does not necessarily mean causality except Sanusi is in possession of some proven work that establishes this link. If the above statement is to be valid, then Sanusi must be able to prove not only that the incidence of violence in Northern Nigeria has gone up as the resource distribution to the South South Nigeria went up.

However, we all know that there is no “rising” level of violence in Northern Nigeria. What we have in Northern Nigeria at present is just “another wave” of violence. History of violence in Northern Nigeria is as old as when Nigeria became an Independent state. It is violence in Northern Nigeria that plunged Nigeria into a civil war in 1966. Since the end of the civil war, there have been various incidences of violent riots in Northern Nigeria that have claimed the lives of thousands of Nigerians over the years. The statement by the CBN governor seems to suggest that violence is a stranger to Northern Nigeria. That certainly is not true.
Also the nature of violence in Northern Nigeria has never been poverty induced. It may always have been fuelled by the level of poverty but violence has always been religion induced. The victims in most cases of violence in Northern Nigeria has been primarily because they profess another form of religion and not because they were better off economically than their neighbours.

It is also sad that the CBN governor’s statement only reinforces the revenue sharing mentality that has been the bane of economic development in Nigeria over the years. The CBN governor seems not to see anything wrong in state’s running to Abuja every month to collect monthly allocations to share in their states without making efforts to develop the productive economic base of their states. It is not the money gotten from Abuja that will develop the states; it is the restructuring of the economic base of each of the state that will develop them.

As the CBN governor knows, the billions received by the South South have not necessarily changed the poverty profile of these states. As can be seen in the recently released poverty figures by Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the gap in the incidence of poverty between the money rich South South and the money poor North is not that wide. For example, the NBS figures shows that the number of people living below a dollar a day in South South stood at about 56.1 percent of the population of the South South. This is only slightly lower than that of the North Central where 59.7 percent of the population live on less than a dollar a day. The incidence of poverty is higher in the North East where 69 percent of the population live on less than a dollar a day while 70 percent of the population in North West live on less than a dollar a day.

However, the NBS figures does not factor into its calculations that fact that a South South resident who lives on less than a dollar a day has a higher health bill than his or her Northern counterpart and most likely shorter life expectancy due to the environmental degradation suffered from crude oil exploration which is the source of 90 per cent of the distributable revenues in the Federation that the CBN governor considers unfair. The implication is that the South South resident living on less than a dollar a day is even poorer than his Northern counterpart who does not have to face the peculiar environmental and health challenges faced by its Southern counterpart.

The CBN governor suggests that “It is necessary to focus funds on regenerating other regions if Nigeria “wants to secure long term stability.” Where are these funds going to come from? Is the governor suggesting that the Federal Government take money from other regions of Nigeria and use it to develop the North? Is he asking for revenues to be distributed on the basis of regional development needs? Or is he saying that since the South South “has too much money (based on his assumption) than they need”, this money should be taken from the South South and redistributed to Northern Nigeria? This suggestion completely ignores the fact that 90 percent of the revenues come from just one region at significant cost to their livelihood and environment.

From a CBN governor, one would have thought the suggestion should have been that States look critically at how to mobilize internally generated revenues like Lagos has done successfully. Mobilizing internally generated revenues is what drives development, not sharing revenues at the centre. Years of revenue sharing has only increased poverty and income inequality as the latest NBS poverty figures show.

[b]The lack of merit in Sanusi’s argument linking the uneven distribution of Nigeria’s revenues and the current violence in Northern Nigeria becomes even more obvious when distribution of revenues among states is examined more critically. The gross revenue distribution among State’s from 2008 to 2010 for example shows that Borno, the hot bed of Boko Haram activities got more revenues from the Federation account than Edo State in the South South part of Nigeria even when the 13 percent derivation revenues were added to Edo State’s revenue from the Federation. Borno State has had more revenues within the same period than each of the five states in South Eastern Nigeria.

Adamawa State, which has also had high incidence of Boko Haram activity has one of highest revenues per population in the country only lower than the South South States benefiting from 13 percent oil derivation. Adamawa has higher revenue per population than any of the South Eastern states and any of South Western States. It is also interesting that Bauchi, another hot bed of Boko Haram activity has higher revenue per population than several States in Southern Nigeria including Ogun State, Oyo State, Lagos State, Anambra, and Enugu among others. The residents of these Southern states have not taken to violence to resolve the low amount of revenues gotten from the Federation account; rather their governments have put in place strategies to increase internally generated revenues to support the dwindling revenues from the Federation account.

The CBN governor position sounds more sentimental than fact based. A man in his position should not make statements that have the tendency to incite the current unjustified killing of innocent Nigerians[/b]

http://osae-brown-insights..in/2012/02/sanusi-boko-haram-and-northern-nigerias.html?spref=fb

I don't believe this offer is meant to ridicle the Igbos, they are probably putting on their thinking cap. The only thing I will suggest is for a certain monetary price to be paid on the said land with a concrete agreement signed. The Igalas have been part of Igboland for decades and as earlier said the Headquarters of Anambra-West LGA (though in the Northern part of the state) is in Nzam which is an Igala town.

I really hv mixed feeling about this oil news cos if its not well utilised it will make us lazy, I hope it wouldn't get that bad.

I can now see why two roads are suddenly being tarred simultaneously in Anambra West LGA for the first time since its creation (the Location of the wells). Thank God for the news but let them not make the mistake of polluting our farmlands. Kudos!!!

"With Nigerian police all things are possible".

How did embattled Commissioner of Police (CP) Zakari Biu get back into service after being away for 12 years?

This is the poser the panel probing him and five others over the escape of a Boko Haram chieftain, Kabiru Abubakar Dikko Umar, aka Kabiru Sokoto, from police custody on January 16, is expected to unravel before concluding its assignment.

Kabiru Sokoto has since been arrested.

Biu and others are being tried by the Force Disciplinary Committee (FDC).

The panel, it was learnt, has admitted in evidence the report of a committee raised by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Owoye Azazi, on Sokoto’s disappearance.

Although Biu is insisting on his innocence, the FDC may look at how he returned to the police to determine whether he ought to be given such a “sensitive assignment” by former Inspector-General of Police (IG) Hafiz Ringim.

It was learnt that after being rested for about 12 years, Biu should not have been given the assignment.

It was also gathered that because of his alleged insubordination to former President Olusegun Obasanjo during the General’s interrogation for a 1995 phantom coup, Biu should not have been re-absorbed.

A top police source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The FDC is continuing with its investigation of Biu and others but it may be a comprehensive one. There are many gaps to be filled in the ongoing probe.

“The CP has told the panel that he is innocent of all the allegations because he was not in Abaji where Kabiru Sokoto escape.

“Biu said he did his best to ask ‘tested’ policemen to take the suspect to Abaji to search his residence. But as a leader, he has to account for what happened, especially the steps he took immediately the incident happened.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “The ongoing probe is not just only about punishment, it may as well cover the procedural error committed by ex-IG Ringim in managing the arrest of Kabiru Sokoto. The police would have to learn some lessons from this incident.

“Ideally, when Kabiru Sokoto was picked up on January 14 at the Borno Governor’s Lodge, he should have been in the custody of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) instead of Zone 7 Police Command.

“The FCID has been keeping Boko Haram suspects without any history of cell or jail break. The panel will want to ascertain how Zone 7; Biu and his team got involved in the Kabiru Sokoto saga.”

Another source added that Biu’s reinstatement into the Police is a major issue that the panel may consider.

The source said: “Ordinarily when an officer is rested for 12 years whether due to court process or disciplinary matter, he or she cannot be re-integrated into the Police because he would have become rustic.

“As a police officer, he was allegedly ‘harsh’ in handling ex-President Obasanjo while interrogating him during the phantom coup of 1995. He was rude to a General.

“This antecedent did not encourage ex-Presidents Obasanjo and Umaru Yar’Adua to reabsorb Biu into the Police.

“But because he was a classmate of Ringim, the former IG decided to re-instate Biu on compassionate ground to enable him retire this month.

“But Ringim could have prevailed on the Police Service Commission to reinstate Biu and retire him accordingly. Before his reinstatement, Biu was assumed to have ‘lost touch’ with the service that was facing the task of combating terrorism.

“I think he was not equipped enough to manage the task of fighting the Boko Haram menace.”

At press time, a source in the Police Service Commission said: “I think we may receive the report of the FDC on Biu next week in the light of the re-arrest of Kabiru Sokoto.”


http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/36877-more-troubles-for-biu-as-panel-probes-his-recall.html

Live responsibly, abstinence is still the key.

[quote author=ndu_chucks link=topic=871259.msg10198546#msg10198546 date=1329283836]I wonder why you didn't find it compelling to express your outrage, in a vigorous manner, at the corruption in question, but found it necessary to explain why Sanusi should be criticized. I think you just buttressed my point, pally.[/quote]I believe by calling Nigerians who criticise Sanusi "Foolish" in your topic, you have made a mess of the wonderful issue you just raised. If I have my way I will liken Sanusi's action to those of our MDAs who believe that our annual budget is nothing but a festival of waste. I am completely disappointed with the leadership of this country. Can't the National assembly reveal the names of the Agencies involved? I don't trust this half baked info.

Jarus:
The Central Bank of Nigeria on Tuesday explained why it donated N100m to victims of Boko Haram bomb blasts in Kano, saying the move was within the purview of its Corporate Social Responsibility.
The explanation was in reaction to criticisms that had followed the donation since Friday when the apex bank boss, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, gave out the amount.
Civil society groups had on Sunday slammed the CBN governor, wondering why he did not make similar donations to bomb blast victims in Borno, Yobe, Plateau and Adamawa states.
While some of them urged the National Assembly to invite the governor for questioning, others argued that the donation contravened the provisions of the CBN Act.
But reacting to the criticisms, a board member of the CBN, Prof. Sam Olofin, said the donation was in line with the apex bank’s mandate.
He said the donation was not made because Sanusi was from Kano State, adding that the huge damage caused by the bomb blasts prompted the apex bank to make the donation.
Olofin said that the management of the apex bank had last Friday decided to visit Kano and Madala, Niger State, to make donations to victims of the Christmas day bomb blast there.
Unfortunately, the CBN board member disclosed that the Parish Priest of the St. Theresa Catholic Church, Madala, Rev. Fr. Isaac Achi, was not available when the team decided to visit the church to make the donation.
He said since the parish priest was not available, the governor decided to lead the delegation to the palace of the Emir of Kano to make donations to the victims in the state.
Olofin, however, hinted that the donation to the victims of the bomb blast in Madala would be made on Monday.
“The CBN intervention in Kano is very much within the scope of what the board had approved for the management. We did not go out of the mandate of the bank,” he said.
Quoting from the CBN Act, he said, “The Act in functions of management said that the governor, or in his absence, the deputy governor nominated by him shall be in charge of the day-to-day management of the bank and shall be accountable to the board for his acts and decisions.”
Olofin added, “So, there is no single action that the governor takes to which he is not accountable to the board or does not entail clearance from the board.
“Like what happened in Kano, the board is aware that the provision they made was for two donations, one in Madala and the other in Kano. They were to visit Madala first, but the priest was not available because he had travelled and that is why they went straight to Kano.”
“So, at the moment, they are trying to arrange to ensure that when the governor is available, the priest in charge of the church in Madala will also be available and some members of the board are aware that this has been rescheduled for Monday and they will go to Madala to make the donation.”
http://www.proshareng.com/news/16310

If the CBN made the donation cos of the damage of the Kano incidence why are they now extending it to the church blast victims, or is it for cover up. The Madalla blast happened about 2 months ago why must CBN wait for the Kano incidence before they can give their donations (funny enough making the donations on same day)? Something is not adding up here.

It will be funny if after 5yrs yrs the only major achievement of Sanusi is the purported cleansing of corruption in the banking sector. which means we can recommend him as our next EFCC chairman .  Can we even say that when the next CBN governor takes over that he will not accuse Sanusi of corruption with the way he has turned CBN to an NGO?

In as much as I don't believe in subsidy but I don't think this is a bad policy. Imo's 2012 budget stands at #174,316,400,000 (ie 174 billion naira), if 1 billion as we saw in previous posts is used to finance the education of her citizens in a yr I believe its an investment in the right direction. Yes we need to be more concerned with the quality of education being offered but who says he is not looking in that direction too. The southwest today is adjudged as the most educated in Nigeria cos of Awo's free education why was his critics then not able to convince him to upgrade the schools back then in the 60s rather than give his people free education?

I believe the direct merits of this policy will far outweigh its demerits in the long run if its sustained.

Abeg when are the victims of the attack in Adamawa recieving their own donation? I heard that 12 of them came from one state. Very soon all the Almajiris in the north will start recieving donations from our very rich CBN

In as much as Soludo was not a perfect man at CBN but every honest Nigerian knows that his achievements can not be compared to Sanusi's. I can even believe that Sanusi has just one more yr left in CBN. Within thesame time has spent as the Governor, Soludo made impact in the lives of almost every Nigerian. That one can confidently talk of putting his money in banks today is cos of soludo. Fr those who said that our banks would have collapsed, I have this questions for you.
How many banks collapsed in Ghana, Cameroun and Togo?
How many banks collapsed in the entire West Africa?
How many banks collapsed in Africa?
How many banks collapsed in the entire world?

How then do you believe that it was Sanusi that prevented about 10 Nigerian banks from total collapse?

I want to wait till August next yrs to see Sanusi's report card but right now I thinks he has been more of a politician than a technocrat. he has caused more contoversy than Solution. I hope he gives Nigerians just one thing we can remember him with. Nigerians remember Soludo for his consolidation no matter how imperfect but for now I can only remember Sanusi for Islamic banking,

I almost posted a topic yesterday on the check point that is constantly mounted along Lagos Airport road (by Under bridge bus stop). Can you imagine Poilcemen begging for #20 along an airport road that is said to be the busiest in West Africa. Its so bad to see these men block the road around 7pm daily with sticks and stones which reminds one of Federal Highways in the East. For me, I will use that particular check point to know the effectiveness of this order.

I have neva heard of a CBN gov as controversial as SLS the world over, it shows that its either he is the wisest of them all or the most foolish. I leave u to judge.

Is this international embarrassment the best way to correct him? How many of us talking here can sit in that his seat and talk for that long without making one or two blunders?

I taught i heard him say on NTA that Jan salaries should be paid on the 20th of January, maybe i didn't hear him well or was it 20th of Feb? Nawao, Can u imagine that most civil servants will be in Vals mood on Tuesday ?

sheyguy:
when High _chief thinks like this then it is not hard to see why Nigeria is where it is today. The article says "while paying kano stata a condolence visit". What makes u think he is not going to visit other states. 
Could it be that the Igbos are pained that Soludo, their son, is no longer the CBN governor? 
Even the fact that the grieviances shown in Page 1 of this thread is quite different from that of Page 2 says alot.
If there is not a single ibo victim in the kano state attack or SLS does not visit any other state then SLS can be said to be wrong outrightly, however the man never said he is not visiting other states. If our ibo groups/pple keep expecting everyone to follow their unpopular actions on issues like this then they are in for a 'long thing'. That siddon-look and blackmailing-whoever -act approach will not work this time just like in subsidy protest.
Let ohaneze go wake up and be proactive like other groups.


[quote author=sheyguy link=topic=868992.msg10180272#msg10180272 date=1329062893]^^^And what ir wrong if he waits for the heat to come down like it is now b4 going round. [b]Think of a situation where sls gives money out for each attack carried out say at a rate of 1 every 2 weeks, don't u think that would av resulted in most south cities being bombed by now? [/b]That will be like a mini-amnesty every 2 or 4 weeks. SLS waited for the heat to go down considerably b4 acting. If Ohaneze ham made all these noise for SE governors by now there would av been no noise at all.

I was about questioning the level of ur understanding of morality until u made the two bolded statements above which proves that something might be wrong wt ur reasoning. Its unfortunate that freedom of expression comes with a cost of thinking that everyone thinks aright, cos ordinarily u have nothing reasonable to offer in this topic.[/quote]

I was told by the learned men at the court that justice must not only be done but must be seen to hv been done.
The Madalla blast recorded 98% victims from the south and possibly 95% from the south east yet our CBN gov did not even send a condollence message to d victims. Borno, Yobe and Adamawa have been on fire for over a yr, our intelligent Gov did not donate to NEMA to help d victim for obvious reasons. About 10 young graduates were mercilessly cutdown in their prime, some of who may hv ended up as our next CBN Govs bt our smart CBN Gov did not think it necessary to compensate their families. Now the HEART of the North, Sanusi's hometown suffered a tragidy and am being told that since they had the greatest casualty, our money should be given to thesame people that sponsored it in the first place. Does it mean that those that died in other places are not Nigerians enough? So we must wait for high casualties especially the type that will make our Emirs to cry before we do what is right?