₦airaland Forum

A former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, may be paid billions of naira, even though he had been convicted and granted state pardon.
The money is said to be the value of the assets seized from him after his trial for money laundering.
The reason behind the refund is that the
presidential pardon he got from the current administration has restored his status pre- conviction, meaning he is now a free man.
Property and laundered money which were seized and sold to government are expected to be returned to him. Meanwhile, failure to achieve this on the part of the government means he must be paid equivalent of the worth.
After his pardon, since his rights and privileges will be restored according to Nigerian law, it is still uncertain if he will retrieve the items or the value of the items he corruptly acquired from the
Nigerian government.
Meanwhile, legal practitioners have said the ex- governor under his new status can re-claim his lost assests.
Rights actvists, Femi Falana, SAN, said the precedence of an Appeal Court ruling on what pardon means, implies Mr. Alamieyeseigha can ask for his asset to be returned. “This is the implication of a full pardon,” he said.
He cited the case of Olu Falae versus Obasanjo. Falae had challenged the eligibility of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to contest for presidential election in 1999 saying the former
Military head of state was not granted full pardon by the then military junta.
“According to the Court of Appeal in the case of Falae V Obj, it means that a man who has been pardoned is a new man (homo novus) in the eye
of the law. The conviction and sentence are wiped out and he is entitled to the full restoration of his rights and privileges as well as the return of his seized assets,” Falana stressed.
Mr. Falae, challenging the result of the 1999 presidential election in the suit, argued that Chief Obasanjo did not get “full pardon” from Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar after his conviction
for involvement in the 1995 coup plot and therefore was not qualified to contest the election.
But the Court of Appeal while dismissing Mr. Falae’s argument had ruled that:
“The word used under Section 161 (1) and Exhibit 11 is “pardon”, and in this context, pardon may be with or without any conditions. It is clear from Exhibit 11 that the pardon granted to the 1st Respondent was not made subject to
any conditions. In my view, under the Nigerian law, a “pardon” and ”full pardon” have no distinction. A pardon is an act of grace by the appropriate authority which mitigates or obliterates the punishment the law demands for the offence, and restores the rights and the privileges forfeited on account of the offence. The
effect of a pardon is to make the offender, a new man (novus homo), to acquit him of all corporal penalties and forfeiture annexed to the offence
pardoned. I am of the view, that by virtue of the pardon contained in Exhibit 11, the
disqualification of the 1st Respondent was to suffer because of his conviction, has been wiped
out.”
Lagos lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, also argued in his article that based on the Appeal Court’s ruling, which was not upturned by any superior court,
Mr. Alamieyeseigha can demand the return of his asset. He said the ruling of the court suggests that Mr. Alamieyeseigha is free to make a claim
for the property or their value.
However, some other lawyers disagreed with his interpretation.
Bamidele Aturu in his reaction said, “The
forfeitures were made before the pardon was granted, so what happens if the properties forfeited to the Federal government have been
sold to a third party.”
“When you forfeit something, it is what you forfeit that you will get back. Those goods have been forfeited to the Federal Government there is no way this act of pardon can release that. So I don’t know by what legal abragadabra that
anybody will say that the forfeited goods should be handed over to him unless they want to perpetrate serious fraud on Nigerian people.
Those properties have been forfeited and
forfeited for life,” he added.
Another lawyer, Charles Musa, said forfeited asset cannot be returned to their former owners irrespective of a presidential pardon. But he said
Mr. Alamieyeseigha can contest this in court.
“If you have suffered any punishment, the punishment remains,” Mr. Musa said.
“It’s left for his lawyers to argue that. He can go to court, but I doubt if he will succeed. What of those who served time, can they get the time back?” he questioned.
The National Council of States headed by Mr. Jonathan, had last week Tuesday, pardoned Mr. Alamieyeseigha and seven others.
Below are the asset seized
from Mr. Alamieyeseigha which he could
possibly reclaim.
Assets fraudulently acquired by Alamieyeseigha forfeited to the state
a. Account number 10659347 with Barclays Bank Plc, United Kingdom with a balance of GBP203, 753.34 as at 15th February 2005;
b. Account number 3239940 with UBS Warburg AG, 1 Curzon Street, London, W1J 5HB with a balance of $2.5 million as at September 2005; account number 338931 in the name of FALCON
INC. with UBS Warburg AG, 1 Curzon Street, London, W1J 5HB;
c. Account number 7341553/7341596 FOR us dollars with Barclays Bank Plc at International Banking Unit, 88 Dighemis Akritas Avenue 1644, Nicosla, Cyprus; account number 7341588 for GB pounds Sterling with Barclays Bank Plc at
International Banking Unit, 88 Dighemis Akrltas Avenue 1644, Nicosia, Cyprus ;
d. Bank account number 5005220454-7 in Denmark with JYSKE Bank at Bseterbrogate, 9, DK-1780, Copeenhagen V with a balance of at $2.5 million;
e. Bank account number 005482562491 with Bank of America United States of America in the name of Peter Aklamleyeseigh with a balance of
$160,000.00
a. Property known as Water Gardens, London W2 2DG which I bought at GBP1.75 million in the name of my company known as Solomon & Peters Ltd;
b. Property at 14 Mapesbury Road, London, NW2 4JB which you bought at GBP1.4 million;
c. Property at 14 Jubilee Heights, School Uphill, London, NW2 2UQ, which you bought at GBP241,000;
d. Property at No. 68-70, Regent’s Road, London, N3 bought at 3 million Pounds Sterling.
Chelsea Hotel Abuja worth of N2 Billion for which N1.5 Billion was paid;
Two block of luxury flats at Plot 26 Bashir
Dalhatu Close, Abacha Estate, Ikoyi worth of N45;
c. Acquired a property at John Kadiya Street, off Jose Marti Crescent, Asokoro, Abuja worth N350 million;
An Estate of six luxury duplexes at No. 1
Community, Road, off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos worth N200 million
One Billion Naira worth of Shares acquired in defunct Bond bank
• Plot 916 & 917, Wuse II District, Abuja
• Plot 7, Cadastral Zone A6, Maitama Abuja
• Plot1267, Amazon Road, Abuja
• Plot 3375, cadastral Zone A6, Abuja
• Plot 1372-1374, Cadastral Zone A7, Wuse II, Abuja
• Plot 1281, cadastral Zone A4, Asokoro, Abuja
a. A personal bank account with Barclays Bank Plc which was opened on 5 January 2004 and the balance stood at £203,753.34 as at 15th February 2005.
b. A personal bank account with HSBC, London, but the account was closed sometimes in March 2003 while all the money in the account was transferred to Santolina Investment Corporation’s account with National Westminster
Bank, London.
c. Personal account with Bond Bank in Lagos which was opened sometimes in January 2004 and the balance stood at N105-14.942.61 as at 16th September 2005 and another personal account in Oceanic Bank Plc (The Salo Trust) in
the names of Enitonbrapa Alamieyeseigha, Embelakpo Alamieyeseigha, Ebipadei Alamieyeseigha, Oyamuyefa Alamieyeseigha,
Saleaka Alamieyeseigha and Margaret
Alamieyeseigha.
d. Account with Bank of America in the name of Peter Alamieyeseigha with account number 0054 8256 2491 which balance stood at $1, 600,000.00 as at August 2003.
• 247, Water Gardens, London, W2 2DG, which is the registered address of Solomon & Peters Ltd.
This property was purchased for £1.75 million on 20/8/2003
• 14, Mapesbury Road, London, NW2 4JB. This property was purchased for £1.4 million on 6/7/2001.
• Flat 202, Jubilee Heights, Shoot uphill, London, NW2 3LJQ, purchased for the sum of £241,000.00 on 28/10/99.
• 68-70, Regent’s Park Road, London, N3 which was purchased in July 2002 for the sum of £3 million.
All the properties listed above have a combined value in excess of £S 381million
• A property at V & A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa worth over £1 million.
• Royal Albatross Properties 67 a company registered in September 2005 in Cape Town, South Africa.
• A property in 504, Pleasant Drive, King Farm Estate, Maryland USA, and another one in 15859, Aurora Crest Drive, Whither, California, USA, 906

Like everyone else in the country, I was informed about the death of the Waziri of Ilorin, Dr. Olusola Saraki, on Thursday morning that he passed on and the news saddened me immensely. This is because he was one of the greatest, kindest, most compassionate, most generous and most selfless leaders that we have ever had in this country. His power and influence stretched from the Second Republic when he was the Leader of the Senate on the platform of the NPN up until today. He made the dreams and aspirations of many come true and throughout his life he brought nothing but smiles to many faces. He was my late father’s close and loyal friend and he was like a father to me and so many others. This is not a good time for him to go because Nigeria needs him now more than ever and we shall all miss him dearly. My heart goes out to the Saraki family. I mourn with them and I stand shoulder to shoulder with them today. Like the biblical David said about the passing of King Saul, I am constrained to say about the passing of the great Oloye Olusola Saraki, ”how are the mighty fallen in the midst of battle. How are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war perished”.

In Shakespeare’s famous play ”Julius Caesar”, whilst trying to warn Caesar about the prospect of death, Calpurnia said ”when beggars die there are no comets seen. The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes”.  Caesar responded promptly and appropriately by saying ”Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once”.  Dr. Olusola Saraki was not a beggar or a coward. He was a prince in every sense of the word and since his passing not only have many comets been seen, not only have the heavens been blazing forth his death but the whole of Nigeria has been mourning him. What a befitting honour this is and none is as deserving of such honour as the Oloye. Like Julius Caesar, he did not fear death even though he must have known, like Mark Anthony said in that very same play, that ”the evil that men do live after them, the good is often buried with their bones”. With Saraki, there was no evil but plenty of good. And those of us that he left behind must not allow that ”good” to be ”buried with his bones”. It is just one example of that ”good” which I intend to share with you in this essay.

If the truth be told many wonderful things are often said and written about great and powerful leaders in Nigeria after their passing. Some of these things are true and some are not. Yet In Saraki’s case, I assure you that these things are really true. The following story that I am about to share with you is not only an eloquent testimony to that but it also proves the fact that Dr. Saraki was not only a truly great, compassionate and kind man but that he was also selfless and sensitive to the suffering of others. In early 1998, during the turbulent yet dying days of General Sani Abacha, a promising and brilliant young journalist by the name Tunde Oladepo, who at that time was the Abeokuta Bureau Chief of the Guardian Newspaper, was brutally murdered by agents of the Federal Military Government in his home in Abeokuta and in the presence of his wife and two very infant children. The murderers wore masks and committed the crime in a terrible way that is best left to the imagination of readers. I will not repeat those sordid details here. What I will say is that no one deserves to die that way. After butchering Tunde, the three murderers went over to the wife and children, who had been in the same room whilst the killing was taking place and who witnessed the whole event, and removed their masks so that she could see their faces clearly. They seemed to relish in the pain they were causing her and the fear that they were instilling in the children. The point that they were conveying to the young bereaved widow, like all predators and beasts often do after their kill, was one of total impunity. They were saying that ”we have done this to you and your family, you have seen our faces and yet you are utterly powerless to do anything about it”. This was the height of cruelty and after their horrendous display of callousness and brazen power and control they left the house. Yet the torment for the Oladepo family had only just started.

A little background would be helpful here. Tunde had been murdered simply because of his stringent and uncompromising support for NADECO and the fight for the realization of the mandate of Chief M.K.O Abiola who had won a free and fair presidential election in 1993. Nigeria was in turmoil in those days and there was literally a war going on between those that supported NADECO and Abiola and those that supported Abacha and military rule. Thousands of young men and women, mostly unsung and unknown, were murdered, tortured and driven into exile by the government of that day simply because they stood on the side of righteousness, justice and truth. Tunde was one of such people. He was a great supporter of NADECO and he took great risks for his country, the cause of freedom and the cause of democracy. Sadly, in the end, he paid the supreme price for his stand. It was in  that context, for that reason and with that background that Tunde Oladepo was murdered. Yet the torment of the Oladepo family did not end with his murder. As a matter of fact it had only just started.

I say this because what happened next beggars belief. During Tunde’s burial ceremony many came to honour him and of course they were most welcome. However to the utter shock and chagrin of his young widow and two young children, the three butchers that had killed her husband and that had also shown their faces to her after the murder turned up at the burial as well. Not only did they turn up but they also went over to the young widow and, with a wicked smile, whispered their ”commiserations” into her ears. This was frightening, bizarre and macabre but it also had the intended effect. Mrs. Oladepo was completely terrified and was frozen into silence by fear and trepidation. Had they come back to kill her and her children too? Did they have unfinished business with them? Was the pain and torment they had inflicted on her family not enough? These were the questions that shot through her mind. Yet she had the presence of mind, courage and discipline to hold her peace knowing that if she didn’t she might invite instant death upon herself there and then and upon her children. What a strong lady she was. Once again she got the message from her tormentors loud and clear. And the message was the following- ”we kill, we bury, we destroy, we are above the law, we are untouchable, we control everything, we can get away with anything and there is NOTHING that you can do about it”. Such was the nature of those that killed for Abacha and such was the clime of those dark, evil and dangerous days.

After the burial and after all the mourners left, Mrs. Oladepo soon found out that she and her two young children were all alone in the world. Not only did she fear for her life but she also feared for the future of her children. She had no means to live. She had no business and she was finding it difficult to get all the dues that were owed her husband. Worst still, all those ”big men” (and I have their names) that her husband had supported and fought for in NADECO and most of his old friends turned their back on her and offered her nothing in terms of encouragement, substance, protection or support. She had no money and no way of surviving in a country that was exceptionally dangerous and that was in deep conflict and turmoil. Worst of all she knew that it was only a matter of time before the assassins came back for her and her children because she had been forced to see their faces, not once but twice. She and her two children were the only living witnesses to their homicidal butchery and therefore they presented a real threat to them. The ”system”, like the mafia, does not leave witnesses alive for long and they always tie up loose ends. It was only a matter of time and she knew it. Her only recourse was to secretly flee from Nigeria, just as many other NADECO widows and fighters had done, and seek greener pastures and safety elsewhere until the evil had passed. Yet for this, she needed resources and support and there was none forthcoming from anywhere. She was literally in despair and every day was a nightmare for her. All deserted her and she literally had to fend for herself and her two little children on a daily basis. These were indeed difficult days for the young widow because she had no money and all hope seemed lost. All she could do was cry, hope against hope and pray to God. Then things suddenly changed.

She was sitting in her house one afternoon and there was a knock on her door. She welcomed the strangers in with some trepidation, not knowing who they were or who sent them. There were two men. They told her that they worked for Dr. Olusola Saraki and that he had sent them to her. They said that he did not know her husband and had never met him before but that he had read about the murder and terrible tragedy in the newspapers. They said that he felt moved by the fact that Oladepo had left a young widow behind and two infant children and that consequently he had sent a token of sum of money  to them to help them at that difficult time. They handed over 250,000 naira cash to her (which was a lot of money in those days) and then promptly left. Mrs. Oladepo was overwhelmed and she knew that this was an answered prayer. Now she had the resources to leave Nigeria and, with the support of the NADECO network, she could move to the relative safety of Ghana and from there, with the support of NADECO and the Canadian Embassy in Accra, get a visa to Canada and settle there permanently with her family. This was her dream and it was the only way in which she felt that she could survive and protect herself from the madness that had gripped Nigeria at the time. She made all the necessary arrangements and effected her plan within a matter of days. Mrs. Oladepo was smuggled through the NADECO routes and arrived in Accra in early 1998. That is where I had the privilege of meeting her and hearing her remarkable story. She was taken care of in Ghana by a tightly knit, dedicated and committed group of NADECO operatives there led by Mr. Bunmi Aborisade and Chief Tunde Edu. Bunmi is a good friend of mine and he was a brilliant and fearless journalist in Accra who was at that time the editor of the Ghanaian Independent Newspaper. Sadly and ironically Bunmi’s own dear mother was also murdered in brutal circumstances not too long after this as well. Many paid a heavy price for the democracy we enjoy in Nigeria today and most of them are not appreciated. Yet patriots like Aborisade were rare and utterly fearless and selfless. Without them the struggle against Abacha could not have been kept alive and they, more than anyone else, with their strong links with the Ghanaian government, the Americans and the Canadians ensured that Accra remained a safe-haven for NADECO sympathizers and operatives and a tough and very dangerous place for the supporters of Abacha.

It was these same NADECO operatives that helped Mrs. Oladepo to stay in a safe house in Accra, protected her, encouraged her, supported her and, most important of all, liaised with the Canadian Embassy over there to ensure that she got the necessary permits and visa to be able to relocate to Canada as a political refugee with her two children permanently. During her stay in Accra, Bunmi, Mrs. Oladepo and her two beautiful children did me the honour of joining me and my family in our home for dinner. As she told her story tears ran down her face, just as they did that of my darling wife Regina. We were all moved and as she spoke there was pin-drop silence at the dinner table. She kept saying she did not want anyone’s pity because she knew that God would see her and her children through. This was a woman of tremendous beauty, dignity and remarkable faith. Furthermore this was a powerful and moving testimony of God’s power and grace. It was clear that given the circumstances that she was in and all that she had been subjected to, the fact that she managed to even get out of Nigeria safely with her children was in itself a miracle. We all gave thanks to God and then she said the following. She asked me whether I knew Dr. Olusola Saraki and I told her that my family had been associated with the Saraki family for many years and that he was a good friend of my late father. I also told her that my younger sister, Mrs. Tolu Fanning (nee Fani-Kayode) was the best of friends with Mrs. Gbemi Saraki-Fowora who was Dr. Saraki’s first daughter. She was very happy when she heard that and then she told me that had it not been for the kindness and generosity of this man that she had never met before and that had never known her husband, that she and her children would never have been able to escape Nigeria with their lives. She asked me to please thank him for her whenever I saw him again and to convey their deep gratitude to him. After that she prayed for him for almost twenty minutes and we all thanked God for Dr. Saraki’s compassion and kindness. God had used him to touch their lives and deliver them from evil. It was a wonderful evening and we had a great dinner.

A few weeks after that, Mrs. Oladepo and her children were granted all the necessary permits and they flew to Canada where they live safely and happily till this day. I had not heard from her in almost 10 years and then all of a sudden she sent me an email almost two years ago and told me that she and the children were very happy and that they were doing very well in Canada. Once again she thanked God for the kindness shown to her by the NADECO operatives in Ghana but most of all she thanked God for Dr. Olusola Saraki. She also asked me if I had conveyed her message to him and to my eternal shame, even though I actually saw Dr. Saraki on many occasions after my return to Nigeria from self-imposed exile in 2001 and especially after I joined President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Government in 2003, I had failed to do so. I told everyone and anyone that cared to listen this story whenever Dr. Saraki’s name came up anywhere over the last 12 years and some time back I told the beautiful Senator Gbemi Saraki-Fowora the story over dinner and I conveyed the message to her. Yet sadly I must confess that till the day Oloye passed on, I never told him the story or expressed the young widow’s deep gratitude to him directly. This was a failing on my part and that is one of the two reasons I feel that it is appropriate to share it with the whole of Nigeria today by writing this article in his honour and relating the facts. It is now a matter of historical record.

The other reason that I have shared this story with members of the public is because it is a resounding and eloquent testimony to and proof of Dr. Olusola Saraki’s generosity and kindness. He did not know the widow or her children and yet he helped. He did not know that in helping he was literally saving their lives. He did not know that I or anyone else would ever find out. He did not know that this would be a subject of discourse or an essay after he passed on. He did it out of his love for God and humanity and it was done quietly without any fanfare. I have little doubt that Oloye did the same and perhaps much more for many others whilst he lived and I wonder how many of our leaders have the same kind of charitable and compassionate spirit as he did. That was Dr. Olusola Saraki for you and it is that kindness, that selflessness and that warmth of heart that spoke before God on his behalf all the days of his life. That was the secret of his success. He gave his substance that others may live their lives. He brought smiles and hope to many faces and families. He helped both the high and the low. Of him Shakespeare’s Mark Anthony could never say that his ”good are buried with his bones”. Dr. Olusola Saraki’s ”good” will speak for him forever. Not just for him but also for his dear widow and the matriarch of the Saraki family, Mama Morenike Florence Saraki, and each and everyone of his distinguished and illustrious children and grandchildren. May the Lord reward him for his good works, may the Lord forgive him his sins, may the Lord honour him with Heaven and may the beautiful soul of this kind, generous and charming son of Nigeria rest in eternal peace.

———————

tellwisdom: He's a doctor and still cant cure himself....Nansense

are alrite? So Doctors don't die?

tellwisdom: He's a doctor and still cant cure himself....Nansense

are alrite? So Doctors don't die?

Just like every other day here. I thought the heavens will open when this man dies. There's radio silence here. The Media stations are mute.

CyberG: I think the judges should do justice to this case, so let us see. In my opinion though, let the ibos secede but their will be conditions which will NOT be negotiable:

1. Every ibo man will NOT have access or be allowed to live anywhere else that is current Nigeria, except iboland: Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi. They shall have ONLY 3 months to relocate to iboland. Every ibo who is not will be in contravention of secession agreement, will be liable for grave penalty, treason, become a legitimate target which includes capital punishment with all other options on the table.

2. They will be responsible for their local debts to banks, etc in their new country

3. If Nigeria is NOT good enough now, it WILL NOT be good enough for them later on ANYTHING, so no access to Nigeria's ports, airspace, oil reserves not on iboland, coast, currency, etc.

4. There will be NO economic cooperation with it and ANY parts of Nigeria.

5. Their military will be limited to 50,000 or a number as deemed fit by agreement at secession. Like Iran and other states, they shall not be allowed to make or buy heavy weapons, nuclear technology, etc.

6. There shall be an international body (including representatives from Nigeria) to monitor their compliance to 5 above.

7. Any break to the agreement will be met with BLUNT, BRUTAL FORCE that is not aimed at correction as Nigeria will not waste any efforts or resources bogged down in a stupid war over a land less than the size of Benue State. Also, Nigeria shall maintain permanent military bases, missile shields, and forward operating bases in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta, Edo, Benue and Kogi States. Nigeria will also assemble new military divisions to be stationed off the Atlantic coasts with a fleet of aircraft carriers, battleships. Dive bombers and heavy bombers shall be stationed in all states mentioned above. Drones shall be allowed to roam biafran skies and fly at not less than 18,000 ft.

8. The agreement shall remain in perpetuity and immutable for NOT less than 100,000 years!

Guy you harsh no be smaLl O!

Life is nothing without you. People may
run away from you, despise you, but in
their hearts they know, they need you.
You are the one who saves the day: the
woman stranded with an overheated car
in a hold up, the lover whose car
threatens to truncate his hustle, the
transporter who needs his cars back in
the road to make money. You get the
desperate calls, you see their worried
faces. You arrive and gaze like a
prophet into the engine. You spend more
time than it actually takes, but you
get it done. Like magic, the car comes
back to life. People don’t think about
you unless they are in trouble. I am
here to give you the prominence you
deserve and teach those who intend to
learn the trade just what they must do.
You need to appear dirty. A mechanic
gains nothing by having presentable
work clothes. How else will the car
owner know you have worked on his car
if he doesn’t have grease stains on his
seats, steering wheel, dashboard,
everywhere?
As a mechanic, you must prefer women.
Not the restless, jobless ones who
pretend to be men and try to truncate
your hustle by coming to sit with you
in the workshop and ask, ‘this one, na
wetin; that one na wetin; show me
wetin you change’. Not the ones who
want to follow you to where you bought
the spare parts. Those ones are bad
market. You must avoid them like a
debtor avoids his creditor. When they
come tell them you are busy. The women
you must prefer are good trusting women
who call you to take their car. Those
ones call to monitor progress only
asking: ‘dat one na how much?’ And that
is all you need to hear, ‘how much?’
That is what puts a smile on your
greasy face. That is when you invent
parts and problems that do not exist
and inflate the prices of the ones that
do. This is not wrong; your conscience
must not judge you. She is only paying
for the ease with which she does
business with you. After all do people
not go to hotels and buy a bottle of
beer for as much as 1,000? Why don’t
they complain? God will judge those who
sit in their offices and say bad things
about you.
The people who come for regular checks
or servicing, these ones are not your
main target. You do not make much from
the engine oil and oil filter. People
who are very careful about their cars
like that are usually stingy. But you
need that steady flow of money, so keep
them. However there is a way to deal
with the really stingy ones. Just
notice a problem. Tell them that, it is
not so serious, but in the near future
it will need to be worked on. Even
though you have told him that it is OK
for now, you have already planted the
seeds in his heart. Forget to tie some
bolt or tie it loosely. In about a week
it will come off and his car will stop
on the way. He will call you and
describe the problem to you. This is
when you will remind him that you had
mentioned it before. He will feel
guilty and foolish. And when a stingy
man feels guilty, he temporarily stops
being stingy.
If you finish fixing a car in the
evening, never call the owner. Try all
you can to make the car stay overnight.
Especially on a Saturday. Especially
when Sikirat, the daughter of the woman
selling agbo, who is your new
girlfriend has told you of this
gbedu she needs to attend. You need a
car for this. The customer will
understand when you tell him that you
do not like to rush your work. The
problems of the car were so much that
you had to ‘drop engine’. He may
grumble, but Sikirat will get driven to
her gbedu and will show her gratitude
afterwards. Try not to bash the car or
forget Sikirat’s things in the back.
Spare parts are where to make a
killing. Nnamdi your favourite spare
parts dealer knows how this works. He
knows that you have certain customers
who always demand to see receipts. He
knows to ask you how much to write, or
even give you a blank receipt. Nnamdi
and his boy Emeka don’t care as long as
they get paid. You laugh when the
receipt-demanding customers stare hard
into the paper to make sure they have
not been cheated.
When a customer complains about how
expensive the spare parts are, tell
them, if they like they can go buy it
themselves. Tell them where they can
get it- all you want is to fix the car.
Say that in fact if he buys the spare
parts he will lighten your burden.
Most people will be satisfied that you
are not trying to cheat and just give
you the money. But some are stubborn
and will visit the spare parts dealer.
Don’t panic. Nnamdi and Emeka know how
to deal with those ones. They will have
so much problems that eventually they
will realize that they were kobo wise
Naira foolish. You don’t like Nnamdi
and Emeka, but they understand the
business and you get along fine.
To keep a new customer, especially the
ones you think will not be stingy, you
must impress them. Fix their problem
quickly and tell them that in fact you
noticed that three bolts were missing
which you replaced. Tell them the
implication of those missing bolts. It
is God who made them come because it
might have caused bigger damage. But
you are not charging for the bolts,
just being a good mechanic. As they
struggle to count the cash, tell them
how some mechanics are shoddy like
that, forgetting to put back bolts and
all. You are not like that. You take
your time and solve both seen and
unseen problems.
When a customer comes the first time
and you want to keep them, never tell
them how much your ‘labour’ or
‘workmanship’ is. Tell them, ‘Oga, just
gimme anything’. He is bound to
be grateful for all the extra things
which you emphasize you did for free;
for saving him from his last evil
mechanic. He is bound to be generous.
Even if he isn’t, you have already made
a killing from the spare parts.
As you work, I pray that God will
intervene in your greasy hustle and
bless it, immensely.

Even though the one year jail term for traffic offenders sound draconian, I must confess the attitude of some drivers warrant this draconian laws. How on earth will some1 drive against traffic because he's in a hurry or because he doesn't want to be robbed. If banks cant cope with Lagos traffic, I think they should make use of Helicopters.

Chk ur status. Glo gave 3days extension. Chk ur status. Glo gave 3days extension.

You can now call the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammadu Dahiru Abubakar, directly on 08059666666.

Diesel fumes cause
cancer, the World Health
Organization’s cancer
agency declared Tuesday,
a ruling it said could
make exhaust as
important a public health
threat as secondhand
smoke.
The risk of getting cancer
from diesel fumes is
small, but since so many
people breathe in the fumes in some way, the science panel
said raising the status of diesel exhaust to carcinogen from
“probable carcinogen” was an important shift.
“It’s on the same order of magnitude as passive smoking,”
said Kurt Straif, director of the IARC department that
evaluates cancer risks. “This could be another big push for
countries to clean up exhaust from diesel engines.”
Since so many people are exposed to exhaust, Straif said
there could be many cases of lung cancer connected to the
contaminant. He said the fumes affected groups including
pedestrians on the street, ship passengers and crew,
railroad workers, truck drivers, mechanics, miners and
people operating heavy machinery.
The new classification followed a weeklong discussion in
Lyon, France, by an expert panel organized by the
International Agency for Research on Cancer. The panel’s
decision stands as the ruling for the IARC, the cancer arm
of the World Health Organization.
The last time the agency considered the status of diesel
exhaust was in 1989, when it was labeled a “probable”
carcinogen. Reclassifying diesel exhaust as carcinogenic
puts it into the same category as other known hazards such
as asbestos, alcohol and ultraviolet radiation.
The U.S. government, however, still classifies diesel
exhaust as a likely carcinogen. Experts said new diesel
engines spew out fewer fumes but further studies are
needed to assess any potential dangers.
“We don’t have enough evidence to say these new engines
are zero risk, but they are certainly lower risk than before,”
said Vincent Cogliano of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. He added that the agency had not received any
requests to reevaluate whether diesel definitely causes
cancer but said their assessments tend to be in line with
those made by IARC.
Experts in Lyon had analyzed published studies, evidence
from animals and limited research in humans. One of the
biggest studies was published in March by the U.S. National
Cancer Institute. That paper analyzed 12,300 miners for
several decades starting in 1947. Researchers found that
miners heavily exposed to diesel exhaust had a higher risk
of dying from lung cancer.
Lobbyists for the diesel industry argued the study wasn’t
credible because researchers didn’t have exact data on
how much exposure miners got in the early years of the
study; they simply asked them to remember what their
exposure was like.
Further restrictions on diesel fumes could force the
industry to spend more on developing expensive new
technology. Diesel engine makers and car companies were
quick to point out emissions from trucks and buses have
been slashed by more than 95 percent for nitrogen oxides,
particulate and sulfur emissions.
“Diesel exhaust is only a very small contributor to air
pollution,” the Diesel Technology Forum, a group
representing companies including Mercedes, Ford and
Chrysler, said in a statement. “In southern California, more
fine particles come from brake and tire wear than from
diesel engines.”
A person’s risk for cancer depends on many variables, from
genetic makeup to the amount and length of time of
exposure to dangerous substances.
Some experts said the new cancer classification wasn’t
surprising.
“It’s pretty well known that if you get enough exposure to
diesel, it’s a carcinogen,” said Ken Donaldson, a professor
of respiratory toxicology at the University of Edinburgh
who was not part of the IARC panel. He said the thousands
of particles, including some harmful chemicals, in the
exhaust could cause inflammation in the lungs and over
time, that could lead to cancer.
But Donaldson said lung cancer was caused by multiple
factors and that other things like smoking were far more
deadly. He said the people most at risk were those whose
jobs exposed them to high levels of diesel exhaust, like
truck drivers, mechanics or miners.
“For the man on the street, nothing has changed,” he said.
“It’s a known risk but a low one for the average person, so
people should go about their business as normal … you
could wear a mask if you want to, but who wants to walk
around all the time with a mask on?”