[b]Baga: the carnage, inaccurate reportage and Government ‘indifference’ (2)

To the credit of Goodluck Jonathan though, he has embarked on one of the largest military overhauls in the history of the African continent. Never, since the times of the Murtala-Obasanjo administration (when with Gen TY Danjuma as Chief of Army Staff, the country reduced its army from 250,000 to 90,000, mechanised the entire force, ordered several warships including the MEKO Frigate NNS Aradu and other missile carriers, most of which arrived during the time of President Shehu Shagari) has any country begun the kind of procurement of modern equipment now being supplied to the Nigerian military. Though he dallied, Jonathan has since ‘woken up’ and obtained state-of-the art helicopter gunships (latest Mi-35) not found in any African inventory except perhaps in that of the Algerian Air Force; and modern T-72 tanks for the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps as well as Stealth Frigates for the Nigerian Navy. The Air Force is also reportedly expecting delivery of JF-17 Thunder fighter jets—the first country after Pakistan and China—who jointly built the aircraft, to induct the airframe.

These procurements have had a great impact in reversing the gains of Boko Haram. What is not helping is President Jonathan not having a clear policy on the political component to the military campaign. Many Nigerian, and indeed, domestic and western media, fail to acknowledge that there is nowhere in the world where an insurgency of this nature, fuelled by such extremist ideology, can be defeated on the battlefield and this explains why the gains of the Nigerian military are not rightfully understood and have not been complemented by an appropriate political plan. Indeed, anyone with even a basic knowledge of strategic studies will admit that the military strategy in this situation should simply be to frustrate Boko Haram, make it realise that it cannot win on the battlefield, and consequently force it to negotiate and concede its hardline demands. Last October, the Nigerian army seemed to have achieved just that with the rout of the insurgents at the Battle of Konduga, to which the insurgents had committed massive equipment and personnel and during which the group’s leader at the time, Abubakar Shekau II was killed (he has since been replaced by another version, a treble). Rather than ride that victory, political aides advised the Nigerian President to halt the military advance and start negotiations, ostensibly to free the Chibok girls. Not a few experts in Nigeria agree that that was the greatest mistake this administration might have made since full-scale military operations against Boko Haram began. The lull gave the insurgents a breathing space and recover they surely did!

The aftermath of those ‘negotiations’ supposedly midwifed by President Deby of Chad, as well as the reported arrest of a close ally of his by Sudanese authorities for illegally purchasing arms for Boko Haram on Sudanese territory, clearly suggested that Chad may not be an honest ally of Nigeria’s in the on-going campaign against the insurgency. Furthermore, Chad’s reputation has not been helped by the reported withdrawal of Chadian forces from Baga two days before the latest deadly attack described at the top of this analysis was launched by the extremists. This definitely strengthens the hand of those observers and civil society groups who demand tougher action by Nigeria and the international community against Chad.

The role of the United States of America and France in the Boko Haram crisis—as well as how relations with these powers have been managed by President Jonathan— have also been called into question by some domestic observers and a section of retired Nigerian military officers. To begin with, when the group abducted the Chibok girls and Western countries offered to help search for them, the Nigerian government ought to have been specific and focused on the type of help it would need, especially because what was finally offered—the use of surveillance aircraft—was the type already available and that had been deployed extensively to no avail by the Nigerian Air Force (conducting Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance- ISR- operations with its ATR surveillance aircraft). The Nigerian political authorities thus gave the impression that they were not even aware of the capability of their own forces! It was no surprise therefore when the western air forces could not do better than the NAF!

Read the conclusion at http://www.gaskiya.net/[/b]

[b]Baga: the carnage, inaccurate reportage and Government ‘indifference’ Part 1

Last week, the world was inundated with news of the attack on Baga town by the extremist group, Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'Awati Wal-Jihad ("People Committed to the Prophet's Teachings for Propagation and Jihad", otherwise known as Boko Haram. Baga is in the north-eastern Nigerian Borno State, close to Lake Chad. It lies north-east of the town of Kukawa which is the headquarters of the Kukawa Local Government Area. The town is approximately 196km from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.

Indeed, Baga is more or less a border community and this played a significant role in its being chosen as headquarters of the Multinational Joint Task Force MJTF, comprising troops from Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon—put together as a multilateral response to neutralising the menace posed by Boko Haram. To the residents of Baga town, and given the various brushes they have had with the extremist group, it is doubtful if this joint force is actually worth the piece of paper containing the instruments that decreed its existence.

The attack last week came on the heels of the withdrawal of Chadian forces from the base at Baga, two days before Boko Haram came calling. According to Nigerian security sources quoted by domestic media, the Chadians claimed they were rotating their troops. The Cameroonians have never contributed to the force, while the Nigeriens, in the aftermath of the attack in question, have announced that they will not be sending troops anytime soon. According to foreign media sources, Niger’s foreign minister, Mohamed Bazoum, has clearly affirmed that his country would not step in to help recapture the area.

At this very moment, Nigerian forces are involved in coordinated ground and air operations to dislodge the terror group from Baga, discountenancing any regional support for such effort. If past history is anything to go by, they will prevail soonest but what often happens after that (revenge attacks by the group in the face of poor garrisoning efforts by security forces) is raising apprehension already. Perhaps, relying on a regional strategy was useful for mobilising against Boko Haram in the first place, but domestic observers of Nigerian diplomacy have always felt that such regional effort should only be political, while Nigeria single-handedly provide a military response, something they believe she is capable of doing as long as the local population in areas sympathetic to Boko Haram sided with the authorities.

So how did Nigeria get to this sorry pass? Indeed, several successes have been made by Nigerian forces against Boko Haram, but these are hardly reported, even by the domestic press in Nigeria. Should Boko Haram take a town somewhere however, it is often reported with glee by both local and foreign media. The pattern of the insurgency over the past year has been such that Boko Haram, with the exception of a few towns, actually is not controlling the expanse of territory ascribed to it by the press. It is usually flushed out of any town or village it has taken, often a few days after such ‘capture,’ by Nigerian forces. The group is however quite adept at propaganda and seems ahead of the Nigerians in utilising this to maximum advantage.
Read more at http://www.gaskiya.net/[/b]

[b]A large number of people who start their own business do not realize how much work and time will be involved. They fail to carry out any primary research and as a result become quickly overwhelmed.

Perhaps the first question to ask yourself then is whether you are in fact ready to start your own business. Do you have an entrepreneurial mindset? Are you committed to spend all the time you need to succeed? And are you ready to take massive action?

At first, you will have to wear many different hats; you will be the CEO, the general manager, the accountant, the salesperson, the computer technician, the secretary, the receptionist. You must therefore prepare yourself because there will be days when you are disappointed, depressed, or frustrated. You have to realize that success will not happen overnight. And it may take a year or two before you achieve your expected results.

To avoid these disappointments, here are ‘The 12 Most Common Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Make & How to Avoid Them':

[/b]Mistake # 1 – Failure to spend enough time researching the business idea to see if it’s viable

Numbers of new entrepreneurs have often failed because they were not truly interested in the business; they were more interested in making money. It is important to start something that you really like, because you will be spending a lot of time on it.

Your assignment – Spend all the time you need working on your business plan, which should include: your mission statement, your business strategy, research on your target market (demographics), industry analysis (size, economics, trends, success factors, challenges, etc.), your marketing plan, your financial projections and sales.

Mistake # 2 – Failure to determine whether the business actually adds value

The most sustainable businesses, those that withstand the test of time, provide value by performing a service that people need.

Your assignment – Make sure your products or services provide value and benefit to your clients. Be ready to solve any business problems that your clients may have.

Mistake # 3 – Failure to gain a complete and total understanding of the business

Every business has drivers; hot buttons and key levers. What drivers exist in your business?

Many business leaders, executives and management consultants would say that success largely depends on attention to detail.

Red the rest at https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8989869891426103499#editor/target=post;postID=9109027195783313402;onP

[b]I was particularly moved when I read the story of Brian Gita and his friends (known as Code Eight) at Makerere University in Uganda who worked together to build the app for testing for Malaria one of the greatest killers in Africa. Just a few months before that, Brian was bedridden suffering from Malaria. It was while he was on his sick bed that he conceived the idea to build the app with the help of three other friends Josiah Kavuma, Simon Lubambo, Joshua Businge.

As a mentor, I often tell my mentees that the existence of problems / challenges should not mean the end of the road but instead should be seen as opportunities to propel us towards overcoming the challenges. No other story captures this better than this story. Brian could have resigned himself to fate or prayed and wished that somebody else somewhere will do something about Malaria. But he took up the challenge and today the world has Matibabu - the painless and bloodless test for Malaria.

In his 21 years Brian Gitta has had malaria too many times to count. And over the years, because of the numerous times he has had to have his blood drawn to test for the disease, he has developed a fear of needles. It is little wonder then that he and three of his fellow computer science students worked hard to develop a mobile phone app that detects malaria – without the use of needles.

“I was two or three years old when I first contracted it,” says Gitta, who is studying computer science at Makerere University in Kampala.

“It’s very unusual to meet people in Uganda who haven’t had malaria. If you go to a clinic, you might find that 90 percent of patients have it.”

Annually an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 Ugandans die from the tropical disease, which is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite. That makes it the country’s biggest killer, according to the NGO Malaria Consortium Uganda. Experts say nearly half (about 42 percent) of Uganda’s 34.5 million people are host to the malaria parasite, although they do not display any signs of being ill.

Read full story at https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8989869891426103499#allposts/postNum=0

[/b]

[b][b]Principles to Remember

Do:

Start with a short summary of who you are and why you’re the right person for the job
Emphasize accomplishments over responsibilities
Create a new version of your resume for every opportunity

Don’t:

Use clichés — explain what makes you a good candidate in concrete, specific words
Cram text in or use a small font size ­— it has to be readable
Cut and paste your resume into your LinkedIn profile

Case study #1: Tailor your resume to each job
When Glover Lawrence was searching for his next job in the fall of 2013, he started by dreaming up the ideal position. “I asked myself what attributes, roles, and responsibilities I wanted,” he explains. He even crafted a job description for that made-up role using snippets of actual postings he’d seen, then drafted a resume to fit it.

As a senior executive, he doubted he’d find work through help-wanted ads or job boards. “It was going to happen through my network,” he says. So he also created a one-page version of his resume to use in networking meetings and to send to contacts who had offered to help him. It included a one-line summary, five notable accomplishments, a list of the companies where he’d worked for and the titles he held at each, one line about his education, and then a brief “Career Focus” section that described the types of jobs he was seeking.

He also developed a longer, more traditional resume to use when he formally applied for a position. “I tailored it to the company based on where I was in the process, what I knew about the people there, and the company culture,” he says. “Having the right resume for each specific opportunity, as tedious as it was, was important to me.” For his LinkedIn profile, he created yet another version, presenting the same information but in a more conversational tone. Over his months-long search, Glover sent out over 50 resumes and met with over 100 people. In early 2014, he landed a job very similar to the one he’d dreamed about.

Case study #2: Get an outside perspective
Several months into her previous job, Claire Smith* realized that she needed a change. “The job, the industry, and the institution were not the right fit for me. It just wasn’t where I wanted to be in my career,” she explains. She started to look at job descriptions, honed in on positions or organizations that were interesting to her, then decided to work with a professional resume writer. “I tried to do a little changing and reshaping on my own at first but it didn’t feel all that different from where I began,” she says. Working with someone else helped her see that the resume was not about explaining what she’d done in her career but why she was the best person for a particular job.

Claire started with one resume and then tailored it to each position. “You have the same raw materials — the accomplishments, the skills, the results you achieved over time — but you have to pick and choose to shape those things into a different narrative,” Claire says. The summary, which on her resume consisted of three bullet points, was the element she tweaked the most. For example, when she applied to be an editor, the first bullet point read:

Versatile writer and editor committed to speaking directly to readers’ needs.

But when she applied for a marketing position, she tweaked it to emphasize her ability to recruit customers and be a brand champion:

Innovative brand champion and customer recruiter in marketing, product development, and communications​

Then, before launching into a chronological list of her jobs, she highlighted “selected accomplishments” related to each point in her summary. For example, under “writer and editor,” she included three achievements, including this one:

Based on customer data and email performance metrics, wrote new email series to provide prospective students with more targeted information about Simmons and to convert more of them to applicants. Improved performance over past emails producing average open rates of more than 20%.

Claire equates collaborating with a resume professional to working with a personal trainer. She felt challenged to keep rewriting and improving. And the hard work paid off. She recently landed a full-time job, which she starts next month.

https://hbr.org/2014/12/how-to-[/b]write-a-resume-that-stands-out
[/b]

[b]The outgoing year witnessed several momentous developments—in politics, economy, sports and entertainment—to mention but some. The most visible of these would perhaps be the civil war in The Ukraine, which saw that country lose one part of its territory, Crimea, while effective control of the bulk of its eastern frontier presently hangs in the balance. Israel and Hamas were at each other’s throats again, but the ferocity of the war between both—and the scores who paid with dear life across both sides—shamed statesmen everywhere for their failure to halt the carnage. The Islamic State (IS) also emerged in full force on the political consciousness of the world, throwing whatever calculations there were on Syria into the dustbin, while effectively threatening the nascent democracy and well-being of the Islamic Republic of Iraq. The periodic beheading of innocent hostages by the IS, broadcast in colour on social media, became a frightening reminder of how graphically weakened the international security system has become.

Sustained conflict and terrorism in Afghanistan, Pakistan and The Philippines made the world perpetually unsafe, as did the growing influence of ‘copycat’ terrorist groups in Algeria, Mali and Nigeria, which became a sad reminder of the failure of western ‘solutions’ to crises in the world and particularly in Libya, a country that completely failed to function as one in 2014. There are many who would concur that weapons dropped into that country by the North Atlantic alliance in the war to remove Colonel Gaddhafi from power have played no small role in destabilising West Africa. Across the continents, peace seemed to have eluded many. From those who pick up assault rifles and go spraying schoolmates with lead in the US, to ‘lone wolf’ terrorist attacks in various parts of the world, including, in Australia of all places, prove that the menace of the 21st century terrorist seemed to have become a permanent feature of our everyday life.

The growing incidence of nationalism in the world, coupled with shrinking economies will likely instigate more tensions in the global arena in the in-coming year. China, Japan and other Asian states proved this much by their aggressive contest for land in the South China sea. Furthermore, the crash in global oil prices in the dying moments of 2014 and the failure of most oil producing countries to correctly anticipate and properly respond to this phenomenon serves to remind the world of how temporary certain indices of growth could be in the face of unpredictable trends in global trade.

Rea more at http://www.gaskiya.net/[/b]

[b]Part of our evolutionary process is learning how to communicate
more effectively and efficiently. Few of us have had much
training in the matter, and most of us have experienced the
consequences of communication breakdowns. We all know what
doesn’t work, and how badly it feels to be unheard and
misunderstood.

I learned how to speak from a man who didn’t know how to listen.
I once worked for a CEO who had no space or time for my emotions
or conversational process–so I wrote an article called “Who’s
Listening?” for a newsletter I created every month. Since I had
been so thrown off guard by his apparent disinterest in the
“whole” me, I was led to question what it was about my own
communication style that made it hard for us to talk.

These are the questions I asked myself and ultimately included
in the article. I hope they help.

1. Are you being negative? Nobody enjoys being in the presence
of negative energy. Try listening to yourself as you speak. Pay
attention to your tone of voice. If you are whining, stop it. If
you are being cynical or complaining, stop it. For one week, try
turning your complaints into requests and see if you notice a
difference in how your ideas are received.

2. Do you share opinions, but not your inner self? When’s the
last time you were in the presence of a powerful speaker? What
do you remember about what the speaker said? Chances are,
whoever was talking was sharing some personal story,
illustrating a point with an anecdote. Listeners get enrolled in
a conversation when the speaker actually shares something
meaningful about his or her life. Rich communication never
occurs by accident. It takes intention and attention. Think of
the most engaging conversationalist you know. Next time you hear
that person, listen for how much of themselves they really
share. Try sharing something personal next time you’re in a
conversation with someone who’s important to your life. Trust
them enough to admit a fear of yours, to tell a story from your
childhood, or to share a vision you have for the future. We are
all waiting to have these conversations, but no one wants to go
first. Try going first.

3. Are you planning what you want to say while others speak,
instead of listening? This one always backfires. It’s a dead
giveaway. People know when you’re doing it because your
responses to their speaking are usually inappropriate, and
communication breaks down rapidly. No one listens back to
someone who hasn’t listened to them. Instead of spouting off
your opinions immediately after a person has spoken, ask them
something about what they just said. Pay attention to their
speaking and they will pay more attention to yours.

4. Do you live up to your word? Did you ever know someone who was always going to do this and always promising to do that and never came through? Did you stop listening to that person after awhile? The world is full of dreamers and planners, but it’s people’s actions, not their dreams, that inspire us. Open up and share something you’ve accomplished that you’re proud of. If you have something you want to accomplish, ask for support. People will not take us seriously if they see we do not take our own words and commitments seriously.

5. Have you created an environment for listening? It is not
easy to listen to someone in a room where TV’s and radios are in
competition with humans. If real communication is important to
you, try turning off the tube and finding a commercial-free FM
station that plays music conducive to conversation. Classical
music stimulates the alpha waves in our brains, and keep our
creative juices flowing.

6. Do you speak as a victim of circumstances or as a creator of possibilities? People who speak as if the world were out to get
them have a difficult time finding listeners. No one wants to
get pulled into the emotional quicksand that a “victim” seems to
be buried in. Consider how you respond as a listener to other
people’s tales of woe? Do you tire quickly in that context? Do
you get depressed and feel burdened? Energy is contagious. If
you speak as the one who’s designing your life, rather than as a
victim of other peoples’ actions, you will empower yourself and
others

Read more at https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8989869891426103499#editor/target=post;postID=2712379503022608522;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=0;src=postname

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8989869891426103499#editor/target=post;postID=2712379503022608522;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=0;src=postname[/b]

[b]The Nigerian music industry of yore decidedly rested on four genres: Highlife, Juju Music , Afro-pop and Reggae (without any disrespect to greats like Fela Kuti and Orlando Julius who played and kept Afrobeat in the limelight). But it was reggae—the Nigerian brand of it—that gained mass appeal and dominated the country’s domestic music scene in the 1980s. It produced not only great stars like Ras Kimono, Orits Williki, Sonny Okosuns, and Majek Fashek, but also generated monster hits like ‘Under Pressure’ (Kimono), ‘Conqueror’ (Williki), ‘Fire in Soweto,’ (Okosuns) and ‘Send Down The Rain’ (Majek).

Undoubtedly shot into global reckoning by Bob Marley himself after the pioneering effort of Jimmy Cliff, reggae sent the Nigerian population into a frenzy, becoming the vehicle of choice to protest social, political and economic inequalities. While there were several reggae artistes across the land, such as Gibb Magib, Too Low for Zero, Alex Zitto, Black Rice, Waleman, to mention but a few, the Majeks, Willikis and Kimonos shone like a million stars and became cult figures. Majek would later become a hot property contested by an international label, Interscope Records (owned by CBS) and Tabansi music, a Nigerian label specialising in the release and promotion of international and domestic reggae acts. The court case between both labels regarding whose property Majek Fashek was, was as unprecedented in the annals of the African music scene as it was symptomatic of the global phenomenon that the Nigerian music industry would become.

As if it had not gained sufficient clout and impact as the foremost music genre in Africa’s largest economy, the debuting Lekki Sunsplash—the first ever music concert of its type in magnitude and scope anywhere on the continent at the time—held on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean on one of the beaches of the exclusive, 52 kilometre Lekki Peninsula in Lagos, and attended by a crowd conservatively estimated at 350,000, heralded the arrival of Nigerian reggae as the brand icon of the country’s music industry.

If anyone thought this rising profile would be sustained, such a person might have been excused for harbouring ambitions in the realm of fantasy. Indeed, two out of the three main ambassadors of the genre (Majek and Kimono) would leave Nigeria for the United States on big contracts, while Orits Williki was left at home to continue flying the flag. Though he also travelled frequently, his band largely remained at home. Sonny Okosuns (now late) flirted with a variety of genres and though he released several songs in the reggae idiom, many would not ideally classify him as a true prophet of the genre.

The depleted ranks of the reggae ambassadors in Nigeria opened the door for other continental acts to emerge, notable ones being the great Alpha Blondy of Cote d’Ivoire and the inimitable Luck Dube of South Africa (and of blessed memory). Blondy made some inroad into the huge Nigerian market but was not officially sold in the country, while Lucky Dube attained respectable commercial following with the end of apartheid.

Read more at The Nigerian music industry of yore decidedly rested on four genres: Highlife, Juju Music , Afro-pop and Reggae (without any disrespect to greats like Fela Kuti and Orlando Julius who played and kept Afrobeat in the limelight). But it was reggae—the Nigerian brand of it—that gained mass appeal and dominated the country’s domestic music scene in the 1980s. It produced not only great stars like Ras Kimono, Orits Williki, Sonny Okosuns, and Majek Fashek, but also generated monster hits like ‘Under Pressure’ (Kimono), ‘Conqueror’ (Williki), ‘Fire in Soweto,’ (Okosuns) and ‘Send Down The Rain’ (Majek).

Undoubtedly shot into global reckoning by Bob Marley himself after the pioneering effort of Jimmy Cliff, reggae sent the Nigerian population into a frenzy, becoming the vehicle of choice to protest social, political and economic inequalities. While there were several reggae artistes across the land, such as Gibb Magib, Too Low for Zero, Alex Zitto, Black Rice, Waleman, to mention but a few, the Majeks, Willikis and Kimonos shone like a million stars and became cult figures. Majek would later become a hot property contested by an international label, Interscope Records (owned by CBS) and Tabansi music, a Nigerian label specialising in the release and promotion of international and domestic reggae acts. The court case between both labels regarding whose property Majek Fashek was, was as unprecedented in the annals of the African music scene as it was symptomatic of the global phenomenon that the Nigerian music industry would become.

As if it had not gained sufficient clout and impact as the foremost music genre in Africa’s largest economy, the debuting Lekki Sunsplash—the first ever music concert of its type in magnitude and scope anywhere on the continent at the time—held on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean on one of the beaches of the exclusive, 52 kilometre Lekki Peninsula in Lagos, and attended by a crowd conservatively estimated at 350,000, heralded the arrival of Nigerian reggae as the brand icon of the country’s music industry.

If anyone thought this rising profile would be sustained, such a person might have been excused for harbouring ambitions in the realm of fantasy. Indeed, two out of the three main ambassadors of the genre (Majek and Kimono) would leave Nigeria for the United States on big contracts, while Orits Williki was left at home to continue flying the flag. Though he also travelled frequently, his band largely remained at home. Sonny Okosuns (now late) flirted with a variety of genres and though he released several songs in the reggae idiom, many would not ideally classify him as a true prophet of the genre.

The depleted ranks of the reggae ambassadors in Nigeria opened the door for other continental acts to emerge, notable ones being the great Alpha Blondy of Cote d’Ivoire and the inimitable Luck Dube of South Africa (and of blessed memory). Blondy made some inroad into the huge Nigerian market but was not officially sold in the country, while Lucky Dube attained respectable commercial following with the end of apartheid Read more at www.gaskiya.net[/b]

[b]The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the hastily formed opposition ‘coalition,’ the All Progressives Congress (APC) both concluded their presidential primary elections recently, preparatory to the forthcoming general elections scheduled for February 2015. The PDP chose incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan to fly its flag, in what can hardly be called a primary election—because the President had no single opponent—the first time that would happen since the party started ruling the country after the return to democracy in 1999.

The APC had to endure a gruelling primary election that pitted former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and three other candidates—a newspaper mogul, Isaiah Ndah, a rather lively character who currently is governor of the South Eastern Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, and former Defence Minister, Rabiu Kwankwaso. Efforts by party elders to reach a consensus did not work out, as did their plans, after this failed, to prune the number of candidates down before the electoral showdown.

The party faithful(slightly over 5’000 accredited delegates) had been worried that going into a bruised electoral contest may not work well for the party, given the stature of at least three of those candidates—Buhari, Atiku and Kwankwaso. Nonetheless, the contenders were destined to go through a tough polling process, which, after the results finally came out, gave overwhelming backing to Buhari (with over 3’000 votes) to become the party’s flag bearer. Atiku, initially considered as someone, given his antecedents, who could spring a surprise, was beaten to a distant third position (with slightly over 900 votes) by Kwankwaso (who also scored in the same region). Ndah fared terribly and will need to ask questions of his entire campaign team (some of whom may not even have voted for him considering that he had scored only 10 votes in such a national contest)!

While the PDP relished its national convention which threw up the candidacy of President Jonathan, it had to contend with significant bickering within the party which had seen such heavyweights as Olusegun Obasanjo, former President and former Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, stay aloof from proceedings. Some political watchers fear too that even some of the Governors supposedly working for the President in this unfolding electoral contest may not be entirely loyal. Going for the incumbent though is the fact that the party still controls most of the States of the Federation, has the insurgency in the north east seemingly under control for now and has better financial muscle to fight federal elections that are very expensive to say the least.

The APC also has its own fair share of internal bickering. Most of the disagreement within the party has to do with the process through which candidates for positions other than the Presidency were picked. The topmost echelon of the party seems united, despite the tough and divisive elections they had to pick the presidential flagbearer, but down the ladder, some party members accused local stalwarts of imposing candidates on them. The party however seems more focussed on consolidating the presidential ticket, which can only happen with the selection of the best Vice-Presidential material that can help cement Buhari’s stature ahead of the polls.
Click here for more http://www.gaskiya.net/[/b]

[b]I have been an ardent follower of reggae music throughout the ages and the tribulation we go through just to have this music accepted by ordinary people in the country but most people frown at it especially the older folk claiming it’s the devil’s music.
But anytime this music plays in the church you see the whole place erupt with joy and all manner of dancing. Suddenly the congregation start smiling, swaying from side to side to the drum and the bass. Even old Pastor A at almost 89 years gets up and start to praise God.
The feeling in the church when they are playing a reggae praise and worship song is nothing short of euphoric. You wonder where Brother Nath who is always quiet and hardly smiles suddenly got his energy from. Sister N starts shaking her imaginary dreadlocks. Before you know it the spirit descends on God’s people. Brother Nicodemus starts jumping landing on each leg. What a sight to behold.
If I had my way every praise and worship song will be played on reggae rhythms.
[/b]

[b]NIGERIA has been excluded from the list of nine countries that are offered British Super Priority Visa Service as part of plans by UK authorities to encourage inward investment from abroad.
Under the scheme, certain countries considered major investment partners enjoy a special regime under which their citizens get UK visas within 24 hours of applying. At the moment, citizens from Turkey, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, the US, China, India and France enjoy the service and only this week, The Philippines was added to the list.
In most other countries, the visa processing time is about 10 days but for those in the scheme, it is just 24 hours. A UK government spokesman said that the 24-hour visa service would attract more business leaders, investors and wealthy tourists to the country.

He added: This is part of the government’s efforts to support British businesses and to deliver our plan to secure the long-term economic recovery.” Despite the fact that Nigerians are the third largest spenders in the UK, the country was omitted from the list.

With an average of £628 per transaction, Nigerians known for their frivolous spending became the third foreign spenders after the Middle East Arabs and Chinese. Finance company Global Blue, which conducted the survey, encouraged British businesses to renew their emphasis on strategies to entice these individuals and encourage high level spending
- See more at: http://www.nigerianwatch.com/news/5815-nigeria-excluded-from-list-of-uks-fast-track-visa-partners-despite-being-big-spenders

http://www.nigerianwatch.com/news/5815-nigeria-excluded-from-list-of-uks-fast-track-visa-partners-despite-being-big-spenders[/b]

Culled from www.gaskiya.net

Background
From the very 'first' wars fought in Congo Kinshasa (later Zaire) and Nigeria (the so-called Biafran war), Africa has experienced several incidences of armed conflict over the years.The1970's witnessed the 'wars of liberation' in places like Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, while similar actions firmed up in South Africa.
The international community prefers the phrase 'armed conflict' to 'war.' Nonetheless, according to Carl von Clausewitz, the foremost theorist (and one of the greatest military strategists of all time), this phenomenon is intricate and is made up of rational and non-rational forces. Although he defined it as relating to policy and should therefore be a tool of that function, in Africa, it was not exactly controlled and was therefore not a tool of its political masters. At best even when it was 'controlled,' it often went awry and was more of a loose cannon that landed on unintended targets. This could be seen in the large civilian population (non-combatants) who ultimately paid with their lives even if they were never involved in combat, in the large population of the maimed and psychologically traumatised populace and in the huge destruction visited on non-military infrastructure and items indispensable to the survival of the civilian population by the belligerents. In effect, war took a great toll on the African people, their environment and infrastructure, their livestock and their wildlife.

Armed Conflict and its impact on Africa's economies

As a 'developing' continent, Africa has had its growth stunted by these wars, even if some of them were, in the view of several scholars, defensible (those fought to liberate the continent from colonial, especially Portuguese rule). The cost of those liberation wars were underwritten by many generous supporters, ranging from the early independent African regimes (Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea etc), Diaspora elements and with material support coming from the then 'eastern' bloc (he defunct USSR and Cuba). Those opposed to these wars also provided support to the establishment that was challenged by the liberation movements. In effect, states like the United States, Portugal, Israel and the United Kingdom in particular provided support to the regimes being opposed by nationalist movements and this scenario continued until the end of the cold war when the atmosphere became more pliable to ending what was left of the wars that had continued to rage. It is doubtful however, if the actual cost in financial terms has been precisely denominated in Naira, Rand, Franc, Shilling, Dollar, Leone, Dinar or Pound.

The civil wars of the 1990s that were fought ostensibly with a view to changing regimes the armed opposition considered as 'recalcitrant' (in Chad, Liberia, DRC etc) were financed by illegally mined mineral resources within the territories where the wars were being fought, including the war launched in Sierra-Leone to 'wipe out corruption.' These minerals included uranium, diamond, gold and the unquantifiable wealth of the Congo, ranging from timber to an assortment of precious stones. Perhaps the cost of purchasing weapons, platforms and devices used to prosecute these military campaigns remain a good index of providing an insight to the overall cost of armed conflict. In 2007, a report by the British Charity, Oxfam, put the cost of weapons used to prosecute campaigns on the continent between 1990 and 2005 at USD18 billion a year—an aggregate of USD 300 billion—over the period. Perhaps this was the very first graphic illustration of the financial implication that armed conflict has on development in Africa.

Examining the problem in detail, the report, which focused on twenty-three African states (with the exception of Somalia), argues inter alia that:

Compared to peaceful countries, war-battered African nations have "50 per cent more infant deaths, 15 per cent more undernourished people, life expectancy reduced by five years, 20 per cent more adult illiteracy, 2.5 times fewer doctors per patient and 12.4 per cent less food per person," the report estimates.
On average, the economies of African countries affected by armed conflict contracted by 15 per cent and the impact generally worsened the longer a war lasted, the report further said.
The report based its figures on the ill effects on economic growth by estimating what growth might have been in countries if they had not suffered conflicts. During Guinea-Bissau's 1989-99 war, for example, projected growth was five per cent, but the economy decreased 10 per cent, it said.

"This methodology almost certainly gives an underestimate...It does not include the economic impact on neighbouring countries, which could suffer from political insecurity or a sudden influx of refugees. The study only covers periods of actual combat, but some costs of war, such as increased military spending and a struggling economy, continue long after the fighting has stopped."

Corroborating the above thesis, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, the United Nations Secretary General, during a special security council debate on preventive diplomacy initiated during the Nigerian presidency of the council in 2010, informed the gathering that:

''According to recent studies, 15 years’ worth of development aid to Africa has been effectively cancelled out by the cost of war on the continent..''

Conclusion

While the exact cost of armed conflict on the economy of African states is debatable and still rising (Nigeria is reportedly spending USD1 billion in 2014 to completely upgrade its military in response to the on-going insurgency in her north-eastern region), reports such as the one quoted above, gives us a reasonable idea of what the continent has lost over the years following incessant conflicts. It is worrisome that several insurgencies have either persisted, expanded or began anew in such theatres as Mali, Libya, Algeria, Central African Republic, DRC, Somalia, Kenya, Nigeria etc. In view of this seemingly unending phenomenon, the challenge before Africa's leaders today is to intensify preventive diplomacy as this has the potential for significantly minimising the recourse to armed conflict.

It is gratifying to note that with growth rates in Africa averaging 5% of GDP, many states on the continent appear set for a golden future—provided armed conflict is vehemently discouraged as a means for settling disagreements and judicious use is made of this favourable economic condition.

Gaskiya.net is grateful to the International Network of African Researchers (INAR) as well as the author, Adebayo Olowo-Ake, for permission to publish this article and the views expressed therein are the personal opinion of the author. They do not represent those of his employers.

Disaster Watch Nigeria is a humanitarian organization and think thank focusing primarily on disaster management issues in Nigeria. Recently she launched the Disaster Management Report for 2013. Following the launch gaskiya.net met with the Executive Secretary Mr Abiodun Orebiyi. Excerpts below.

[b]Gaskiya.net: Congratulations on the release of the Nigeria Disaster Report 2013.

Abiodun Orebiyi: Thank you.

Gaskiya.net: What are the highlights of your report for 2013?

Abiodun Orebiyi: The DWNI 2013 Disasters Report for Nigeria made attempt to analyse patterns of emergencies in Nigeria, state by state. The report also tried to focus on the prevalence of each emergency and its impact on the economic and social life of the people of Nigeria. The critical issues of deaths, injuries, displacement and property destroyed have been given attention to enable us understand the devastating impacts of disasters on the environment, economy and social life. This will also enable us to determine the required disaster risk reduction strategies to be put in place.

Gaskiya.net: What has changed between 2012, when you issued your first ever report and 2013 in terms of the types of disasters we saw and the way Nigeria managed them?

Abiodun Orebiyi: Between 2012 and now, we have noticed that early warning strategies, community mobilisation and sensitisation for some disasters such as flooding, fire, building collapse, road accidents, pipeline vandalisation/explosions have improved likewise their management in terms of information, coordination, search and rescue and evacuation, but we still need to do more to achieve better disaster risk reduction. However this can not be said of conflict related emergencies which still lack proper early warning mechanism, good and adequate information management and mitigation strategies. People affected or under the threat of violent conflicts are still under serious danger of being caught unawares and in a confused situation. Most often the affected population are usually not sensitised or mobilised to understand the danger they are exposed to face.

Gaskiya.net: How serious is the impact of the insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria in terms on the civilian population?

Abiodun Orebiyi: The insurgency in the North East has devastated about 45% of the region. There is no doubt that this development has brought the region's economy, education, social life and agricultural activities to their knees. The region is practically struggling for breath. To date four out of the six states in this region are under the serious attacks of the insurgents, while one is under the burden of endemic communal conflicts. Even the remaining state in this region is not immune from the insurgent attacks since it had been attacked severally although not regularly like others. It is instructive to note that the development in the North East will definitely impact negatively on the economy social and education well-being of Nigeria in the nearest future. We should not pretend that all is well.

Gaskiya.net: Yours is probably the only organization publishing this type of report in Africa, are you planning to do the same in other countries?

Abiodun Orebiyi: Yes, we,are planning to publish the report in Liberia,Sierra Leone and Benin Republic very soon. However our ultimate aim is to have a West Africa- wide publication that will assist the people in having safe, secure and sustainable environment.[/b]

Read More at http://www.gaskiya.net/

BREAKING NEWS Ghana appoints Avram Grant as new national Team Coach

http://www.gaskiya.net/

[b]The week beginning 13th October 2014 saw the Nigerian political authorities announce a ceasefire with Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'Awati Wal-Jihad (People Committed to the Prophet's Teachings for Propagation and Jihad), otherwise known as Boko Haram. That announcement came as a surprise to many, especially because the Nigerian military was finally and almost in total dominance of the zones of engagement with Boko Haram and had put the insurgents on the run.
Those in favour of the surprise cessation cited the need to free the over 200 girls abducted earlier this year by the violent Islamic sect (the said release being the most critical part of the ceasefire deal). Furthermore, they contended that most of the young men being used as fighters by the sect were hapless Nigerian citizens who had been abducted against their will and who needed to be given a reprieve, which would come if hostilities ended. They also said that the economic ruin that the conflict has visited on northeastern Nigeria would take several years to rebuild and the longer the conflict continued, the more difficult it would be to do that hence the need to start exploring a political solution.

For those against the deal, it was unthinkable that an emerging victorious power would suddenly trade away its hard won victories on the battlefield, especially when it had not sufficiently dealt the type of blow needed to force Boko Haram acknowledge that it cannot win a military campaign and thus force it to renounce violence and opt for negotiations. To this group, it was unacceptable to consign the sacrifice of the troops and most recently, the sad and alleged brutal killing of a very courageous Nigerian Air Force fighter pilot by the insurgents into the dustbin.
Furthermore, those in this group aver that the rumoured demand for the release of certain Boko Haram commanders as part of the ceasefire deal would be counter-productive on the long run, as these hardened fighters are likely to return to the battlefield. Not a few, even outside of this group, believe that such commanders should be candidates of a war crimes trial. Fears were heightened that the recent deal between the Cameroonian authorities, in which thousands of dollars were allegedly paid as ransom to Boko Haram to secure the release of the wife of that country's Prime Minister (earlier kidnapped this year, and previously rumoured to have been freed by Cameroonian special forces—a mere propaganda it now seemed) and 10 Chinese nationals, had gifted the insurgents with badly needed cash with which to re-arm and recoup losses in the hands of Nigerian forces.
[/b]
Read more at http://www.gaskiya.net/

eleojo23:
Good post. A child needs both father and mother to become a balanced individual.

Although a mother’s love is undoubtedly irreplaceable, children need their fathers to develop healthily, too.
Reports show that even from birth, children who have an involved father are more likely to be emotionally secure, be confident to explore their surroundings, and, as they grow older, have better social connections.

That is why a father needs to create time for his kids despite his tight schedule.

You are spot on with your valued response. Most children need the two parents to effectively maximise their potentials. A child with a father that is involved will enjoy an extra buzz.

[b]Fatherhood is beyond bringing forth a child, paying their way through life and providing other material support. Fathers play an important role in the lives of their children. In fact I dare say one of the tests of real fatherhood lies in the ability to help your child maximise their potentials to the fullest through conscious efforts which includes guidance, support etc.
To put this in perspective let’s look at a few statistics :
• Over 90% of all runaway and homeless kids are from fatherless homes.
• 85% of children who exhibit behavioural disorders are from fatherless homes.
• 71% of secondary school drop outs are from fatherless homes.
• 70% of youths in prison are from fatherless homes. ( Wilson 1999) *
( US Department of Justice)

Unfortunately this is one area where a lot of fathers are finding it challenging to make an impact for a number of reasons. There are fathers who believe that this role is beyond them. They feel inadequate and unqualified because they do not occupy any seemingly high position in society. But fathers as mentors is about transmitting values such as honesty, integrity, faithfulness, hard work , etc to their children. Remember children learn a lot from what they see and so it is imperative that fathers lead by example. By being mentors to their children, fathers are also helping to raise a nation of good citizens as their children go on to become peer mentors.
Mentoring is not only an official / formal engagement as some have to come to see it. It is not for the non -governmental organizations alone or some other blue chip establishments. Within the family context it is one of the surest ways of ensuring that good values are well entrenched in the society via transference .
Today’s kids are going to need more than the basic education they are currently receiving to make any meaningful impact on their generation. They are going to need mentors – fathers as mentors.

Sina Adelaja-Olowoake
Parenting Strategies Consultant
The Hands On Daddy Initiative
[/b]

[b]Last week we talked about fathers getting involved in the lives of their kids. That article drew a lot of interest from the public with a lot of accompanying comments paramount amongst which was how fathers can build great relationships with their children.
Therefore this week we will spend time to look at some helpful tips.
First I would like to state clearly here that a parent / child relationship does not have to be an expensive project. This is one area a lot of parents get it wrong and are still missing the point. They think to build a good relationship with their children they need to spend a fortune. This is wrong. My personal experience and the experiences of other parents including the results of professional studies show that what children crave most from their parents is ATTENTION. Kids like other humans, crave acceptance. They want to feel accepted and wanted especially by their parents. That is their number one need and if fathers can recognise this, it can be a very good place to start to build a great relationship with their kids.

SPECIAL TIME. Depending on the age of the child, fathers can create a special time where they give their kids undivided attention for maybe 10 minutes everyday. Explain to the child it is a time just for the two of you to play. Let them share their world with you and you just play along. If the kids are slightly older and your time can permit it, it might taking them or picking them up from school. If the environment permits, a game of football or table tennis might do the trick. The main thing is that you do these regularly with your kids.
Look for something that you can fit in. There is an activity that you can fit in no matter your schedule.
I would like to emphasise that fathers get involved in their kids lives very early. Yes I am aware of situations where there has been a breakdown in the relationship. In such circumstances, the father involved needs to patiently try to win the trust of the child(ren) involved. This is bound to be time consuming but he needs to work at it slowly until the kid(s) are able to trust him and open up their lives to him.
The biggest advantage of having a good relationship with your kid from an early age is that it forms the bedrock of your future relationship with that same child and just continues like that. I have seen this many times that even when the child grows into an adult, they still have a wonderful relationship with their father.

COMMUNICATION. Men seem to struggle generally with effective communication. But no matter how trips you make to the shopping mall or how many football games you play with your son, if there is no communication between you, I am afraid there can't be a relationship. Communication is an essential ingredient in any relationship whether between father and son or any other parties. Listen to your children. They love to be heard. Take on board their fears. Reassure them. When you speak to them ensure they understand you. Use language that paints a positive picture. One thing fathers must understand is that their children are influenced by their fathers. Therefore project a successful outlook so that you can sow the seed of success in them.

Spending time with the kids, communicating with them and reinforcing positive role models are just some of the ways fathers can build loving and meaningful relationships with their children.

Sina Adelaja-Olowoake
Parenting Strategies Coach
Hands On Daddy[/b]

Those moments spent with our Dad's are priceless

[b]Parenting is a role most people have come to perform without any formal training or previous experience. The transition to parenthood is often likened to waking up and suddenly realizing that one had become a parent.
As various aspects of life witness and embrace changes, parenting too has undergone a lot of changes with a view of helping to produce well balanced kids and wholesome families.
In most western climes, more and more men are taking on traditional roles previously associated with housewives. It is now common to see a high percentage of men involved in every facet of the children’s lives from school runs to cooking them meals and even accompanying them on school trips.
But this is yet to catch on in Africa where most men attach those roles to women ( these include grandmothers, mothers aunties and even house helps) and would not engage with their children unless it is absolutely necessary. The thought that the role of a lot of black men within the household is limited to the provision of finances and disciplinary strategies is wrong.
The children long for your touch. They long to hear you talk to them – not just when they’ve done something wrong but also when they excel. They want to hear daddy’s praise.
Men who continue to shy away from interacting with their children on a daily basis are depriving themselves of some of the joys of fatherhood. That old belief that men should not express emotions is nothing but a big fat lie and should be seen for what it really is.
Men all over the world have a lot to contribute to parenting and African men should not see themselves as exceptions. [/b]
Sina Adelaja-Olowoake
Parenting Strategies Coach

[b]Is Automation Responsible for Unemployment?
SAO The Employment Coach

Following the wave of unemployment that swept through many countries around the world recently, many researchers have hit the road trying to find out what was responsible.
The first major cause often advanced is the credit crunch. While some believe that this cause alone is responsible for the current high unemployment, there are those that say this plus a host of other factors are the reasons why many people remain unemployed today.
One of those other reasons advanced is automation. Wikipedia describes automation as various control systems for operating equipment such as machinery, processes in factories etc with very minimal human input.
It is plain to see immediately that as human input decreases in the production of goods and services, it is bound to have a negative effect on the labour market.
Click below to read more
http://saotheemploymentcoach..co.uk/2014/09/is-automation-responsible-for.html[/b]

Two things I used to miss living outside Nigeria were food and music. Somehow we overcame the food big but the music was still far from what I longed for.....until yesterday when I was privileged to be a guest at a 50th birthday celebration. Food was good but I was indeed shocked to get authentic owambe music through a new kid on the block -Olusegun Ologo & his band.
These guys look relaxed and in control dishing out Nigerian Golden Oldies. For once I felt I was back home. The sound engineer was tight ensuring clean clear sound reproduction. Soon Olusegun Ologo will be a household name. Until then I will just keep playing back those moments in my head

WOW. Why do we Nigerians love to beat ourselves over the head so much? Yes there are issues with this site and as honest Nigerians we want a transparent and honest system to trade on but there are many sites abroad that are just like OLX. One of them is www.gumtree.com In the UK gumtree users have suffered exactly the same kind of losses that people have suffered on OLX but I have not heard the British calling themselves a country of scammers. We need to be careful as to how we describe ourselves on social networking sites.
All said it would be great for OLX to improve it's security features.

His
Imperial
Majesty
Emperor Haile Selasie

Jah Rastafri !!!!!

This was the kind of confusion that led to the last world war. Hmmmmm.

Hi All,
Sorry for the late response to your personal requests. I have just sent some samples to the email addresses you left here.
I have already posted the cv and cover letter samples in the previous pages but I have also been sending these to individuals. But recently I have been overwhelmed by a lot of requests and because of my short course at the University of Maryland which only ended on November 11 2013, I have not been able to reply as quickly as I would have wanted.
The CV's can be adapted for any industry same for the cover letter.
I am sorry I can't do a tailor made CV for every industry. Individuals can simply adapt using the format I have given. It is that simple.
Thanks once more for your messages.
Wishing you all the best in your search.

Hi guys. CV's sent. Check your email boxes

naijacutee: Ecommerce is still quite new in Nigeria, & is experiencing lots of challenges. However their failings present opportunities for competitors to enter the market and thrive. At least, if you decide to set up yours, you know key areas where you can make changes to improve customer experience.

Even in the UK where people have been buying online for many years, I know of NO stores that offer same day delivery. The best I've seen is a next day delivery policy, which is only valid when you buy before a certain time. Amazon is one if the best at this because they run on one of the most sophisticated inventory systems in the world. Their plans for the future include using robots to pick customers orders. If you take into account the process behind an order coming through to the back end, the process behind finding the order and dispatching it, you'll see it's not easy for large online retailers (unless you have a better idea). Recently, i found that Austin Reed, the high end UK clothes retailer offer delivery times of 5-10 days with NO next day delivery option. Here's a link which explains Amazons logistics system, and how they plan to improve it even more.http://www.geekosystem.com/amazon-kiva-robots/

NEXT has raised the bar. Order from NEXT before 10pm and get the items delivered the next day. You can even specify when you want it. That is a 24 hour turn around. But we have to take into considerations the environment in Nigeria. I guess Jumia will get there someday soon. I worked for one of the pioneer online retailers serving Nigeria and Ghana which sadly is rested now. What we have today is a slight improvement on what we did then. So things will surely get better

Fear of the unknown is a very present factor most entrepreneurs have to face. Sometimes it is the determinant between remaining stagnant or moving forward. You have done well to have gone to acquire additional skills. As the other contributor has posited, perhaps you need additional resources that will help you launch the business on a sound footing. These you can get by further study - not necessarily by going through another course but by self study and analysing current trends.
Are there others in the business you intend to pursue? Study them. Why are they doing well? Why are they struggling?
Is it the range of products?
Is it their location?
Is the shop welcoming enough?
Do you really need a shop or are you thinking of introducing a new sales strategy?
Most banks / insurance firms have Monday management meetings. Perhaps you want to introduce cup cakes to them which they can have at the end of the meetings.
Open yourself to a lot of good influence. Read wide. I am sure thete are success stories in your field on Google. Do all that is necessary. I am sure you will know when you are ready.
I am a personal development coach and business mentor. Contact me if you need further help.
Wishing you all the best.

WHY DID YOU DUMP THAT IDEA?
SEE HOW CRAZY IDEAS MAKE MONEY TODAY

How many times have you thought of a money making idea only to abandon it half for being too dumb. When the idea hit you the first time you were sure it was the idea that would bring you the millions but as you thought about the process more intensely, you became more and more convinced the idea wouldn’t stand in the face of tough scrutiny.
Well maybe if only you had persevered on a bit your idea would have been part of the ones we will be looking at below. Some of those who went on with “those dumb ideas” have found themselves laughing all the way to the bank.

FRIEND RENTAL SERVICE
We all grew up being someone's friend, but we never got paid for it. Well, today is an entirely different era. You can now get paid for being a friend. All you have to do is create your profile in RentAFriend.com, set your hourly rate, and wait for somebody who is interested in hanging out with you. It's a win-win situation right there.
Rent A Friend allows you to create a free friendship profile, where you can charge up to $50 an hour to be rented for social events and activities such as weddings, sporting events, concerts, movies, operas, hiking, biking and dining.
Site owner Scott Rosenbaum got the idea from dating sites. He noticed that nobody was offering mere friendship and he wanted to "go a step back" from dating sites. Therefore, this is a strictly platonic website.

SELLING BUTTERFLIES
Selling butterflies and making millions? It doesn't seem conceivable, but Jose Muniz has managed to pull it off. You can get your very own live butterfly from Jose, who started the business based on a bet.
It all began when a friend bet him $100 that he could not sell butterflies for a living. Now, seven years later, the former business consultant and his wife, Karen, own Amazing Butterflies (amazingbutterflies.com), a live-butterfly distributor with offices in Tamarac, Fla. and San Jose, with a projected $1 million in revenue in 2006.

HAND BAG RENTAL
This is one of the fastest growing internet based business ideas. Renting a purse makes a lot of sense for those who want a luxury handbag but can't afford to spend the hundreds of dollars required and will probably tire of it after a few months or even weeks anyway. The owner of From Bags to Riches, a purse rental company, says their average customer "is between 26 and 35 years old with an annual income between $50,000 and $75,000," and if not for rentals, which cost as little as $20/month could afford no more than one designer bag a year.
Read more
http://www.yookos.com/community/ukzone2/blog/2013/09/20/live-blogwhy-did-you-dump-that-idea-by-shyne-sina-o-ake

While the release of BlackBerry's new smartphones running the BB 10 OS have so far failed to generate widespread interest, one product that actually kept millions waiting has hit the pause button. The much-awaited global rollout of BlackBerry's BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) app for Android and iPhone has been stopped by BlackBerry citing technical issues.

Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/blackberry-pauses-bbm-for-android-and-iphone-rollout-blames-leaked-app/423778-11.html?utm_source=ref_article