₦airaland Forum

This is so sad and funny. Lokoja Kogi capital is so close to Abuja, even in this day of GSM, can a clear instruction be given?

saxywale:
but how is downsizing a callous move, should I run at a loss by keeping more staff than my business needs.

Hmmmmm, I think that's quite common with all Nigerian banks not just intercontinental. I was in Zenith the last time I was in Nigeria, was there to update the KYC stuff they recently introduced. The customer service was appalling.

nothing bad with downsizing. however, after merger or bought over you don't lay off staff from only one heritage companies. you put all staff of the new company together and right sized from the poll.

stagger:
Good move.

Let us see how the bankers will now apply themselves to entrepreneurial skills. Many of them look down on those who come to the bank to ask for loans. Now let them taste the other side of the coin.

that is a very sad comment. are you celebrating another person's misfortune?  anyway job loss is not end of life.
Shame on Access for this callous move.

^^^ Nigeria as become a huge filling station ooooooooo

RIP.

If bullet that killed him hit at chest maybe a bullet proof vest would have saved him. Nigerain employers and lack safety concerns for their employees.

So sad, Inna lilahi wa inna ilaehi rajiun

An Appeal To Nigerians By Matthew Hassah KUKAH*
Posted: January 16, 2012 - 17:50
Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah
By Matthew Hassah KUKAH

On the occasion of the Carol of Nine Lessons organized by NTA and Radio Nigeria on December 10th last year, I was invited to deliver the message. I chose to speak on the theme, Do Not Be Afraid as a means of encouraging our people against the backdrop of fear and frustration that was mounting at the time. Since then, it would seem that things have gotten progressively worse in our country.
In the course of my reflections, I sought to encourage my fellow citizens not to be frightened by the events of the time.

I insisted that despite these tragic and sad events and the situation of our country, we needed to conquer fear. I argued that the message of Christmas was a message about the good news of the birth of the Prince of Peace, Emmanuel, (God-with us) and the Saviour of the world. Against the backdrop of other developments in the country at that time, I concluded by calling on the federal government not to carry through its plans for the removal of fuel subsidy.

Since then, things have gradually snowballed well beyond what one had either feared or hoped. On Christmas day, a bomb exploded at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, in Niger State, killing over thirty people and wounding a significant number of other innocent citizens who had come to worship their God as the first part of their Christmas celebrations. Barely two days later, we heard of the tragic and mindless killings within a community in Ebonyi State in which over sixty people lost their lives with properties worth millions of naira destroyed and hundreds of families displaced. In the midst of all this, on New Year’s Day, the President announced the withdrawal of fuel subsidy and threw an already angry and frustrated nation into convulsion.

Right now, I feel that perhaps like the friends of Job (Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar), who came to visit their sick friend and found the burden beyond comprehension, we find ourselves in the same situation.  For, as we know, when they came and found Job in his condition, they spent seven days and seven nights, and uttered not a word (Job 2:13). Right now, no one can claim a full understanding of the state we are in. However, even if we cannot understand the issues of the moment, our faith compels us to understand that God’s hand is in all this. The challenge is for us to have the patience to let His will be done.

The tragedy in Madalla was seen as a direct attack on Christians. When Boko Haram claimed responsibility, this line of argument seemed persuasive to those who believed that these merchants of death could be linked to the religion of Islam. Happily, prominent Muslims rose in unison to condemn this evil act and denounced both the perpetrators and their acts as being un-Islamic. All of this should cause us to pause and ponder about the nature of the force of evil that is in our midst and to appreciate the fact that contrary to popular thinking, we are not faced with a crisis or conflict between Christians and Muslims. Rather, like the friends of Job, we need to humbly appreciate the limits of our human understanding.

In the last few years, with the deepening crises in parts of Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, and Plateau states, thanks to the international and national media, it has become fanciful to argue that we have crises between Christians and Muslims. Sadly, the kneejerk reaction of some very uninformed religious leaders has lent credence to this false belief. To complicate matters, some of these religious leaders have continued to rally their members to defend themselves in a religious war. This has fed the propaganda of the notorious Boko Haram and hides the fact that this evil has crossed religious barriers. Let us take a few examples, which, though still under investigation across the country, should call for restraint on our part.
[b]
Some time last year, a Christian woman went to her own parish Church in Bauchi and tried to set it ablaze.  Again, recently, a man alleged to be a Christian, dressed as a Muslim, went to burn down a Church in Bayelsa. In Plateau State, a man purported to be a Christian was arrested while trying to bomb a Church. Armed men gunned down a group of Christians meeting in a Church and now it turned out that those who have been arrested and are under interrogation are in fact not Muslims and that the story is more of an internal crisis. In Zamfara State, 19 Muslims were killed. After investigation it was discovered that those who killed them were not Christians. Other similar incidents have occurred across the country.

Clearly, these are very troubled times for our country. But they are also very promising times. I say so because amidst this confusing debris of hate, anger and frustration, we have had some very interesting dimensions. Nigeria is changing because Nigerians are taking back their country from the grip of marauders. These stories, few as they may be, are the beginning of our song of freedom. Christians are now publicly crossing the artificial lines created by falsehood and bigotry. Let us take a few examples of events in the last week alone:[/b]

In Kano, amidst fears and threats of further attacks on Christians, a group of Muslims gathered round to protect Christians as they worshipped. In Minna and recently, in Lagos, the same thing repeated itself as Christians joined hands to protect Muslims as they prayed. In the last week, Christians and Muslims together in solidarity are protesting against bad governance and corruption beyond the falsehood of religion. Once freed from the grip of these dark forces, religion will be able to play its role as a force for harmony, truth and the common good.
Clearly, drawing from our experiences as Christians, we must note that God has a message for us in all this. To elicit what I consider to be the message, I will make reference to three lessons and I know there are far more.

First, these times call for prayer. At the height of our confusion during the Abacha years, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria composed two sets of prayers; one, Against Bribery and Corruption and second, for Nigeria in Distress.  Millions of Catholics have continued to recite these prayers and we must remain relentless in the belief that God hears our prayers and that God’s ways are not our ways. We know that our Muslim brethren and millions of other non-Christians feel the same and are also praying in a similar way for our country.

Two, these times call for solidarity of all people of faith. We are a nation of very strong believers and despite what anyone else may say; millions of our Christians and Muslims do take their religion very seriously. However, you might ask, if that is true, why do we have so many killings in the name of God and of religion? My answer is that we have such killings because we live in an environment of a severely weak architecture of state, which allows evil to triumph. It is this poverty that produces jealousy and hatred, which leads to violence.

We live in a state of ineffective law enforcement and tragic social conditions. Corruption has destroyed the fabric of our society. Its corrosive effect can be seen in the ruination of our lives and the decay in our society. The inability of the state to punish criminals as criminals has created the illusion that there is a conflict between Christians and Muslims. In fact, it would seem that many elements today are going to great extremes to pitch Christians against Muslims, and vice versa, so that our attention is taken away from the true source of our woes: corruption. As Nigerians, Christians and Muslims, we must stand together to ensure that our resources are well utilized for the common good. This is why, despite the hardships we must endure as a result of the strike, the Fuel Subsidy debate must be seen as the real dividend of democracy.

Three, religious leaders across the faiths must indeed stand up together and face the challenge of the times by offering a leadership that focuses on our common humanity and common good rather than the insignificant issues that divide us. We therefore condemn in very strong terms the tendency by some religious leaders to play politics with the issues of our collective survival. Rather than rallying our people, some of our religious leaders have resorted to divisive utterances, wild allegations and insinuations against fellow adherents of other religions.  In the last five or so days, text messages have been circulating across the country appealing to some of our worst demons. We are told that many senior clerics either believed or encouraged the circulation of these divisive and false text messages. We must condemn this for what it is; a grand design by enemies within our folds who are determined to destroy our country. Whatever they may call themselves, they are neither true Christians nor Muslims.

For those Christians who have reacted in fear, they require conversion. If we wait for these evil men or women to decide when we shall stand for Christ, then we have surrendered our soul to the devil. If we fear to stand up for Christ now, let us remember that He has already said: Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my father in Heaven, Whoever denies me before others, I will deny him before my father in Heaven (Mt 10: 32). Again, Jesus warns that rather than fear at times of uncertainty, adversity or upheavals, we should be confident. He said: When these things begin to take place, stand erect; hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand (Lk. 21: 28). Furthermore, St Paul has assured us that; If we die with Him, we shall live with Him. If we endure with Him, we shall reign with him (2 Tim 2: 11-12). Surely, those who are asking us to go under our beds, to flee in the face of persecution must be reading a different Bible.
These are difficult times but they are also times of promise. Our country has turned its back on all forms of dictatorships. Our hands are on the plough and we are resolutely committed to democracy. Like a Catholic marriage, we may not be happy but we cannot contemplate a divorce. God does not make mistakes.

Although the freedom and growth promised by democracy are not here yet, we must remind ourselves that a better tomorrow is possible; a more united and peaceful Nigeria is possible. The challenges of the last few days have shown the resilience of our people and their commitment to democracy and a better life. We believe this is possible. The government must strive to earn the trust of our people. All sides must take lessons from the demonstrations and resolve to build a better and stronger nation. Let us hold on to the words of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI when he told the President, religious, traditional rulers and people of the Republic of Benin in the Presidential Palace on the 19th of November: Do not cut off your peoples from their future by mutilating their present,  There are too many scandals and injustices, too much corruption and greed, too many errors and lies, too much violence. All peoples desire to understand the political and economic choices which are made in their name; they wish to participate in good governance. No economic regime is ideal and no economic choice is neutral. But these must always serve the common good.

* Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese

Monday, January 16, 2012

lapazarian:
Probably condensate from the gas. It would probably vaporize on its own.
They are really lucky this was not an oil well,

maybe the environment is. but this is a great loss, especially for the families of 2 or 3 persons still missing. this a brand new rig, less than 2 years out of shipyard, owned and run by a Nigerian company. This is not a good for development of Local Contents initiatives.

sucre cruz:
what are they protesting for they should go and sleep they have lost focus and i will that kind of protest the protest of losers ;d

FYI, this was the same way they got military out power, it was their past actions that allowed the likes of Jonathan to leave academia to politics. They were the same people that rescued GEJ from the shackle of Turai to make him Acting President.

identified:
Pls house who knows the exact location of OML 86. I've been searching for a higher resolution map of Nigeria's concessions and licenses all day.

OML 86 is arrowed in black

^^ you already have a disaster in your hand, it does not get worse, you can only prevent disaster before it occurred. there is fire burning on water that is all you have now, for sure it can not dry up the sea. as for relief well, it takes the same amount of time and tech to drill all wells in the same drilling zone, so you don't expect that to happen in less that 6 weeks, depending on depth of target and the ability of the directional drilling company to hit the well bore on first  attempt.

lapazarian:
Not funny people.

Remii, I read on the news that it was a gas kick on an exploratory well, it probably wasnt handled well.
Any details on why it couldn't be contained? How do they intend to stop the fire?

until official report is out, you can only speculate. gas kick expands as it moves to surface as the volume double with half TVD distanced moved upwards (from gas law PV=K), if not detected of released in a controlled manner, it could lead to explosion on surface.

Killing: One option is drilling a relief well into the same wellbore with another rig to pump in kill mud. The well could also die on its own if the reservoir got depleted.

identified:
Pls house who knows the exact location of OML 86. I've been searching for a higher resolution map of Nigeria's concessions and licenses all day.

that is former texaco field, somewhere offshore bayelsa / delta state.

surveycash:
@Remi,

154 POB, on a single wellhead? Pls expatiate.

All but two of the 154 workers on the rig and a nearby support barge were evacuated and treated on a nearby platform. They were expected to be taken ashore on Monday evening.

check this link: http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article298186.ece


@surveycash: That is an offshore rig, obviously, they are at end of drilling phase, so you would have both Drilling and completions crew on the the rig. Also due to harmmartan, it is possible you have personnel over flow because of helicopter delays or having personnel on the rig days before their operation. It is cheaper to keep personnel longer the rig than having downtime due to inadequate or non availability of required expertize. I hope I have communicated.

alj harem:
Umuechem was by OBJ nothing pesin no go see for this site

Please go reseach on Umuechem and stop this lies, also Odi was were militancy started and[b] they killed a soldier and OBJ as[/b] an ex military man did what he thought was right.

Go learn what happened OK

they killed many policemen. The last act before OBJ struck was killing of 12 policemen at once, not to talk of many innocent killing of passengers on stop and search along Patani Warri road.

rig on fire

larez:
What is so funny about this news? At least 30-60 Nigerians were probably on this rig assuming 2 shifts, and you guys laugh about them losing their lives. You should feel ashamed. I wonder what caused this. Blow out preventer (BOP), or inadequate mud mix/adjustment to kick.

there were about 156 POB, 153 already accounted for, 3 missing.

xwolverine:
^^
whatever helps you sleep at night.

GEJ won the fight, simples.

next topic please.

2015

This is a no victor no vanquished situation. read GEJ speech again, he would have won, if the strike called of without any govt concession, wake up man. Even Labour would not expect govt not to negotiate. Each sides conceded substantially. Aim of strike was not to bring Govt down, get it ooo.

honeric01:
labor has lost its relevance in the history of nigeria. no more no less, most nigerians won't respect them again.

labour can never loose relevance, they remain the only group recognized to negotiate for registered employees in Nigeria. they are protected by ILO, calling off strike is not a cowardice approach, How many people can even face their managers to demand any right, not to talk of facing the President of a country.
The aim of the strike was not to bring the govt down, and I can say this strike achieved a lot. We will see in 6 months time. At least we now have some promises to take govt on if promises are not met.

stagger:
At this point, what does protesting in Ojota achieve?

Why not go and turn off the oil pumps and MAKE A BETTER IMPACT?

achieved the following at least:

1. N141  to N97
2. Promise to reduce cost of governance
3. Promise to probe cabals if they exist
4. Created awareness of what people can do
5. Nigeria is under world watch now
6. Politicians should have learned to behave better now
7. Govt should now know that there promises are no longer taken without scrutiny.
8. GEJ now knows that musicians worked for their money only.
9. Nigerians now know everyone can be tribal, depending on which side divide he or she belongs.
10. There may be baby boom by Sept, 2012 in Nigeria
11. State of emergency can be declared without announcement of approval from NASS.
etc etc

Beaf:
All over the Niger Delta, people are mobilising very strongly. I believe we will soon come up with a strong set of demands or begin the process of formally withdrawing from the union.

beaf, you don't need to destroy the union because GEJ is in power today, you may need them in future, moajority of NUPENG are Niger Delta citizens. There was a protest before GEJ was made Acting President by the same people you are castigating today. Remember the North has used the similar agitation to entrench Tambowa as leader of HoR, which now gives the North No 2 and 3 and 4 positions in the country. let us see beyond ethnic and tribal sentiments.
Lagos crowd was not 100% Yoruba oo and not all SS & SE are in favor of subsidy removal as being proposed by the govt.

maclatunji:
GEJ is a reactionary leader. He cannot drive the process, he is only reacting to it. He has played his last card. The strike continues, soldiers cannot resolve that. I am interested in seeing what the NLC/TUC will come-up with today.

Sadly the military is not trained to arrest, they maintained peace anyhow, either by making you keep silent or they keep you silent.

e be like say Labour still no gree, AIT hinted that they said they would make further consultations. Labour also would make press release tonight.

Nchara:
Keep ranting, Yoruba folks, while we keep circulating your plans to decapitate an Ijaw presidency out of ethnic hatred.

Every Ijaw man is now aware whom their enemy is.

Is the Niger delta developed? They have chunk of the allocations, they have fund from oil coys, FGN, NDDC, states, LGA yet, Port Harcourt is still a big village compared to its pairs in other lands.   by  PHC and Warri should be like Aberdeen and Houston Tx. While Yenogoa Forcados, Brass should be like New Orleans, Galveston , Texas and Newcastle or even Labuan, Malaysia. Apart fine schools built by Amechi, transport is zero, you need to leave town about 4hrs not to miss your flight at Omagwa, a normal driving time of 30 minutes.

anyway, militants can only shut down and blow up, they can't run rigs. 80% of rig and offshore workers are from Niger Delta, so its a catch 22 situation for them. You need to drill wells before you have to sell. BOP work  is not only open and close of valves.
Yes, they can get, foreigners to run them, but that is still to collective disadvantage. We need to get behind all these ethnic and religious sentiments for us to collectively move forward.

Is the Niger delta developed? They have chunk of the allocations, they have fund from oil coys, FGN, NDDC, states, LGA yet, Port Harcourt is still a big village compared to its pairs in other lands.   by the way PHC and Warri should be like Aberdeen and Houston Tx. While Yenogoa Forcados, Brass should be like New Orleans, Galveston , Texas and Newcastle or even Labuan, Malaysia. Apart fine schools built by Amechi, transport is zero, you need to leave town about 4hrs not to miss your flight at Omagwa, a normal driving time of 30 minutes.

sbeezy8:
Who wants GEJ dead? yorubas want the feul subsidy removal reversed like EVERYONE in the country including the Niger deltans who protested in Benin city warri and sapele.

Do Nigerians want him removed cause BH are killing igbos senselessly ?

Don't mind them, what about the house of reps members from both Iboland and Niger Delta that supported the bill to reverse the hike?

after all some people would say occupy nigeria no work, if there was no protest after fuel price increase all the "we go", "we go" go come out, mschewww, even if all na lie, at least dem know  say some people talk.

Nchara:
Ijaws now know their enemy outside: the core North
They now also know their enemy closer home: Yoruba.

lol, how can Yoruba be your enemy and you wanted Wole Sotinka to be your mediator during crisis. Have you forgotten these same Yoruba matched on the street of the same Lagos to make sure this same GEJ was confirmed Acting President when Yar Adua would not be declared dead by his people?

Anyway according to Winston Churchill, “In time of war, when truth is so precious, it must be attended by a bodyguard of lies”.

Jarus:
Well, I'm a PENGASSAN(downstream) member and we've been on strike since Monday and not aware of any directive calling us back.

tell them, only field is operational for now, all oil companies offices are a closed and all workers at home.

[quote author=Okija_juju link=topic=845535.msg9968024#msg9968024 date=1326620742]I dey laff o.

make pengassan try am first. By the time dem return, there will be no rig for them to work on.

Goodluck is in charge and fuel price must be 141 naira. chikina[/quote]anyway, militants can only shut down and blow up, they can't run rigs. 80% of rig and offshore workers are from Niger Delta, so its a catch 22 situation for them. You need to drill wells before yuo have to sell. BOP is not only open and close of valves.
Yes, they can get, foreigners to run them, but that is still to collective disadvantage. We need to get behind all these ethnic and religious sentiments for us to collectively move forward.
Is the Niger delta developed? They have chunk of the allocations, they have fund from oil coys, FGN, NDDC, states, LGA yet, Port Harcourt is still a big village compared to its pairs in other lands.   by  PHC and Warri should be like Aberdeen and Houston Tx. While Yenogoa Forcados, Brass should be like New Orleans, Galveston , Texas and Newcastle or even Labuan, Malaysia. Apart fine schools built by Amechi, transport is zero, you need to leave town about 4hrs not to miss your flight at Omagwa, a normal driving time of 30 minutes.

asha 80:
i people said jonathan is weak?

what do you call someone weak against the few strong and strong against the multitude weak? Eni a le mu laa ledi mo, lol