₦airaland Forum

safarigirl:
She should be banned. Why tell lies? Does C. Ronaldo resort to lies to skip obligations? It's only in Nigeria such unethical behaviour is condoned and encouraged. Make we go mark attendance, no wahala, abi Blessing been no dey London in 2012? She win medal? She can sit home next year and watch others in Rio. And please, she can't make the US team

I respectfully disagree. It is not only in Nigeria that this happens. I don't know why you people are quick to condemn your country. It happens in England. Alex Ferguson Yes Sir Alex has been accused by the English FA of telling his players to duck national duty. Mourhino of Chelsea has told English players to duck national duty especially where it's a friendly. So why not blame these managers too? Stop jumping the gun.

[b]How Do You Choose A Good School For Your Child?

It's September and the school gates will open to students again. Some of these students will be attending these schools for the first time while others will be returning to a familiar environment. For a number of parents and guardians, the holiday period and even before that had been dedicated to finding “ a good school” for their children.
So how does one go about finding a good school?
There are those who will choose a school based on the national and international examination results. There are others who will choose a school based on the fees it charges believing in the unsubstantiated saying that ” if it’s expensive then it must be good”. Yet there exists another group who will only go by testimonials from parents who already have kids in these schools. Some will however adopt a mix to help them arrive at a decision.
As a parenting skills strategist and youth mentor I believe your child is the most important factor and therefore should be at the centre of your decision making. But first, this will entail that you know your child very well. Then and only then can you start looking at schools that will support him or her in his learning process. Are there any particular needs that may affect learning? If so which school offers the best support ?
If your child is about to go to nursery or preschool, what you want to consider most is the relationship between the teacher and these little children most of whom are leaving their parents for the first time. Is the classroom a loving, caring, environment? Do the children feel safe and secure? Does the teacher demonstrate an understanding of the needs of these little ones? The worst thing that can happen is to get this foundation wrong and throw the child into a harsh learning environment where their self confidence and emotional well being suffer terribly. In really bad cases this has been known to affect some children right up to their teenage years.

Click on this link for more http://cpandb..co.uk/2015/09/how-do-you-choose-good-school-for-your.html
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Opportunities for resale are available. Call the numbers attached.

Next time this is what you should to try and identify the driver. Describe vehicle with details of make colour and model time of accident and direction in which the driver was heading.
Circulate via social media and ask individuals to look out for such vehicle looking out particularly for dents, broken lights and cracks on windscreens. When a car hits a human at anything over 50 kilometres per hour, it usually leaves huge dents on the vehicle. Hopefully we can apprehend the culprit this way.
Just my 2 kobo

Suleiman Baba Ali SBA- The Change That Works.................

5 pages long and yet very little or no comments at all from Naija babes. Hmmm. Are they are like this babe in the story?

[b]P R E S S R E L E A S E


The Youth Mentor – Just What The Youths Need

June 01 2015 - If you are looking for a new and fast way to get inspired and stay motivated, then you need The Youth Mentor

Available to download for free from the Google Play store for all android The Youth Mentor is already creating a buzz - and rightly so, it’s one of the most original mentoring apps the Google Play store has seen in months.

Most simply, The Youth Mentor is an app that acts as a one stop shop for young people seeking inspiration and motivation. The user has unrestricted access to a variety of resources contained in buttons under various headings such as Success Nuggets, Simply Inspiring, Blogs, Question and Answer, and even it’s own YouTube channel containing a number of inspirational videos. Users say every time they use the app it’s like being with a real mentor.
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Download free from Google Play. Follow this link https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.TheYouthMentor&hl=en

Connect with us on Social Media!
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theyouthmentor
Twitter – www.twitter.com/TheYouthMentor
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[b]It’s true that no one is perfect, and this shows itself in the business world as much as it does anywhere else.
While entrepreneurs strive to do their best, mistakes are sometimes unavoidable. However, we small business owners can take some comfort in the fact that we’re not at the helm of a massive corporation where a mistake can cost millions. As you’ll see, even CEOs of some of the world’s biggest corporations get it wrong sometimes.

Bill Gates: Ignore upcoming areas of your business at your peril
There’s no denying that Bill Gates is a visionary, founding Microsoft in 1975 and monopolizing the tech industry for decades. However, one area where he fell short was in ignoring the search engine market. While Microsoft introduced MSN Search in 1998, the site purely used an existing search engine, Inktomi, to gather results. It seems all Gates’ attention was focused on browsers, allowing Google to come along and become everyone’s search engine of choice. In 2009, Microsoft introduced Bing, but it has never measured up to the popularity of Google.
If we can learn anything from Gates’ mistake, it’s that you shouldn’t ignore your competitors or an upcoming area in your field, particularly in the technology sector. Technology is evolving all the time, and it’s in your best interests to keep up, adapt quickly, and stay one step ahead whenever possible.

Ronald Johnson: Know your customers, or face losing them
When Ronald Johnson took the helm of the failing J.C Penney corporation in November 2011, he received a warm welcome. Many were intrigued to see what the former head of retail at Apple would bring to the company.
Unfortunately, a series of bad judgments followed, including firing the company’s long-time ad agency, laying off 10% of its corporate staff and thousands of middle managers, and ridding the stores of sales and discounts. The company saw its revenue drop by 25% in 2012, and Johnson was unceremoniously ousted from his position in April 2013.
While Johnson’s radical changes may have worked elsewhere, in this instance it shows the importance of knowing your audience. Avoid making the same mistakes by carrying out focus groups, speaking with your customer base, and keeping communication open to see how your customers would react to big changes in the way you operate.

Richard Branson: Don’t underestimate your competitors
With over 100 companies under his “Virgin” brand, it’s not surprising that Richard Branson will have had a few failures along the way.
One of his biggest mistakes since starting his business came in 1994, in the form of Virgin Cola. Originally only available in Virgin cinemas and on their planes, the market shares for the drink peaked at only 0.5% in the three years it was on sale in the US, while the UK producers went bust in 2012. While Branson could afford to make such a big mistake, it’s unlikely the majority of businesses could. Branson said, “I’ll never again make the mistake of thinking that all large, dominant companies are sleepy!”
Branson’s mistake demonstrates the importance of never underestimating competitors, and shows that it’s vital to carry out detailed market research before releasing a new product into an already saturated market. However, perhaps the biggest lesson we can take from Branson is that we shouldn’t be afraid to take risks, but we should be aware that they might not pay off![/b]
See more at http://saotheemploymentcoach..co.uk/2015/05/10-ceos-who-made-huge-mistakes.html

YOUR FOOD OR YOUR MONEY: SURVIVAL TIPS FOR STUDENTS

by Carol Akiwumi & Angelica Udueni (www.Money4Youth.com)

Food is both essential and enjoyable, so often we don’t like to compromise our spending on it. A survey by moneysavingexpert.com saw that students prioritised spending on food above all else. However, it need not be expensive. It is entirely possible to have a varied, healthy and delicious diet whilst on a budget. Here are five easy tips to help you get more money-savvy with food:


1. Plan meals in advance

If you schedule your meals on a daily or weekly basis, it will make it easier for you to allocate your money accordingly so save one day a week to do a budgeted big shop. Whilst having spontaneous lunches and coffees with friends is okay once in a while, you should pay attention to outings like these because if they become a habit, they will negatively impact your finances over time. So try to plan your meals so you don’t get tempted to overspend.


2. Make the most of student discounts and loyalty cards

If you do plan to eat out, it’s worth investigating if the restaurant or café you go to offers a student discount. Often you can get 10% off your meal if you show a valid student ID. Also, most supermarkets offer some kind of points based loyalty card scheme, where points can be saved up as you shop and substituted for money off groceries in the future.

3. Invest in a flask

Rather than wasting money on overpriced cold drinks from Stores, why not make your own cold drink and take it out and about with you? You can purchase a 500ml flask from most markets, which is excellent value for money. They often last for years and can hold more liquid than the average coffee cup from high street Cafés.

Read More

http://www.theyouthmentor.org/blog

[b]Jonathan or Buhari—Are these the issues to decide the poll?

In the run up to an election, various issues might dominate the political space but only a few key ones tend to have any significant impact on voters to the extent that they influence how these would vote. Also, those issues which have a potential for influencing voters are often not static and could change severally between when electioneering began and when voting actually took place.

When he won the 1999 election, President Olusegun Obasanjo—who in Mandela’s absence appears to be Africa’s most visible statesman today—was essentially expected by voters to keep the country together, given the tendency of the country’s south-west to break away following the perceived injustice of the annulment of the 1993 election that was won by the late African business mogul and billionaire, MKO Abiola. He was also expected to lay the foundation of what would ultimately keep the military out of politics for good. In a rather unexpected turn of events, Obasanjo appeared to have indeed constrained the military, douse separatist tendencies, and by the time he left office, had also paid off the country’s external debt—which never even featured in any campaign manifesto!

The issues that tended to dominate the political space in the elections that have been held after Obasanjo’s exit often revolved around the poor quality of health care, growing unemployment and significantly embarrassing low power generation (which resulted in the shut down of many factories and contributed to worsening the unemployment situation). In the election that brought the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua to power, one more item made up the list drawn up above—Niger Delta militancy as it was then called. That militancy led to reduced oil production that, for a spell, saw Angola overtake Nigeria as Africa’s biggest producer.

With just a few days to go to Nigeria’s re-scheduled Presidential election being contested by incumbent Goodluck Jonathan and very strong contender Muhammadu Buhari, Gaskiya.net can authoritatively report that from its own investigations, analysis of the prevailing situation in that country and interviews with knowledgeable Nigerians and foreigners with good knowledge of the country, it would appear as if those issues that will decide who gains access to Africa’s most fortified State House—the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja—are the ones identified and discussed as follows:

· Security

(a) Threats to Nigeria’s sovereignty—the insurgents who have made life a harrowing hell for many in Nigeria’s north-east invariably re-wrote the manifesto of the two main political parties (the ruling People’s Democratic Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress), firmly inserting threats to the nation’s existence into them. By seemingly adding conventional warfare to their doctrine, they played into the hands of the Nigerian military and were decisively routed in several campaigns, after usually and briefly occupying some territories. The initial setbacks of the army gave way to better organised operational assaults against them and the government came back looking good. The resurgent military action assuaged Nigerians who had been terribly aghast at the seeming lack of an appropriate response by the authorities—military and civilian—to the insurgency. It is a plus for President Jonathan who has had to contend with Gen Buhari’s rising electoral profile boosted by the perception by many Nigerians that as a retired army chief, Buhari would better secure the country.[b][/b]

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

Before I post this story, I will advise your people who travel by air to be careful regarding what you eat before boarding a plane. See what one passenger caused now? And he or she will sit down quietly as if no be im do am.
Well God knows this passenger's address O. Ehen
But wait...The poo must be really bad for pilot to turn back O claiming that if he continued it can affect peoples health. Father God hep us.

A British Airways flight to Dubai was forced to return to Heathrow Airport when a “smelly poo in the toilet” became unbearable for passengers.
The pilot announced that the long haul flight had to be aborted, after cabin crew were unable to prevent the pungent odour emanating from an overflowing toilet.
Around 30 minutes in the seven-hour flight, the plane returned to London amid health and safety concerns.
Hertsmere councillor Abhishek Sachdev, who represents Potters Bar Parkfield was on the plane and said it was “insane” that passengers had to wait 15 hours for another flight due to a “smelly poo in the toilet”.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/aviation/11472627/British-Airways-flight-to-Dubai-forced-to-return-to-Heathrow-due-to-smelly-poo-in-toilet.html

WRONG SPELLING OF MARCH........................It is not MATCH. Young people. See what has happened to our education?

Hi Guys I am back again. My last article on CV's had over 17,000 views on nairaland alone, 20,000 views on my blog SAO The Employment Coach and I was getting close to 30 CV requests a day. Obviously I am only one man doing this to help young people out there so I had to slow down cos I couldn't cope. Also took time out to update and upgrade myself by attending a few courses. Well here is an opportunity to have all those questions you've always had regarding your CV answered. I have also attached copies of really captive one page CV's for fresh graduates. Sometimes it's not what is in the CV it's the way it looks. Spend sometime and be creative with your CV. Take time to visit my website and follow me on twitter @sinatwitt. Wishing you all the best as always.[i]
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Q: Does a CV always need to be only one page?

A: CV length should not exceed two sides of A4 paper. How much of those two sides you fill depends on how much you have done. Undergraduates and school leavers may be hard pushed to fill two sides of A4 simply because they may not have very much experience, if this is the case one side of A4 will suffice. Conversely candidates who have established a career history will have to be selective as to what they include so that it all fits on, in this case make sensible use of margin and paragraph sizes.

Q: Should the education section always be near the top?

A: If you still are in or have recently completed formal education your academic achievements will form a major part of your qualifications, and it is recommended to place these near the top of your CV. Also some industries, notably communications, value related experience above degree work and therefore, place your academic qualifications further down the page.

Q: Is an objective always necessary?

A: No, it is not crucial, however an employer will be impressed if you have a focused idea of where you want your career to be heading, especially if it is in line with their planned development.

Q: What if I haven’t done very much to fill up my CV?

A: This does not matter, everyone has to start somewhere, if sparse content is a problem use sensible formatting and fonts so that you comfortably fill one side of A4.

Q: Do hobbies and personal interests need to be shown?

A: It is not imperative to show your interests however it can provide an employer with an insight into your personality. This will undoubtedly be covered at interview so the more you can prepare them the better.

See more questions at http://www.sinaolowoake.com/q--a.html

[b]It was precisely on the morning of February 2, 2013. We had landed in the city of Gao on board a Nigerian Air Force aircraft carrying Seyni Garba, the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Niger and many senior officers in the military hierarchy. The plane landed at an airport still bearing the scars of the strikes of recent battles but well secured by the Nigerian Army.

Lieutenant Colonel Roger Gabriel Issa, the Commander of the Nigerian battalion, did not know we were gone Gao to stay a little longer than initially planned, along with his men. (This he only discovered when the plane took off to return to Niamey with the rest of the delegation). But this was only a postponement. When we informed him that we wanted to just do our job as journalists, the officer received us warmly at the location where the Nigerian soldiers had erected their headquarters. His men immediately accepted, housed us and ensured we were secured.

We would be pleasantly surprised when we were allocated a room complete with beds and other facilities to ensure our comfort at their base (a vocational training centre that had been destroyed and vandalised in the fighting). Men and weapons cohabit. One surprise, though, was that we were p[b]ut under close observation by the soldiers, while on our part, we recalled previous warnings ''… to beware of the military, to get away from it as if it is dangerous.” The first hours of observation passed.

As journalists, we watched them with a sense of suspicion and fear, while some of the soldiers, not also understanding who we, civilians dressed in simple shirts, were doing in such a place—a theatre of war. To them, we must have seemed a little odd at first. But the mutual suspicion soon dissipated and mistrust gave way to confidence. We were accepted without eventually, the officers and troops became quite friendly in every way available and were very courteous.

The men of Lieutenant Colonel Roger Gabriel adopted us as their own, and gave us everything we needed during the two weeks we were to spend with them. We ate together and spent hours together in an atmosphere of familiarity. We accepted each other the more with each passing day, so much so that on the day of departure, we parted with remorse, like old friends who came together after a long separation and wanted to spend just a few more days to record many more good memories (to be recalled later). They were particularly fussy about our living conditions and our security. All our trips were done under escort and with much care.
Read more http://www.gaskiya.net/[/b][/b]

“Gaskiya.net will find it difficult to believe in such claims, but given the way issues relating to this election are playing out and in the interest of Nigeria’s peace and stability—which has direct implication for the entire African continent—the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan needs to do a quick re-assessment of the negative reactions trailing the postponement and take urgent and credible steps to re-assure all Nigerians and the international community that there will be no interference in the work of INEC, that Nigeria’s security forces will remain absolutely neutral, and that that a stable environment will be created for the polls.”

[b]Over the weekend, domestic and foreign media reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC) had announced the postponement of the country’s general elections that had been scheduled for 14 and 21 February 2015. The sole reason given was insecurity in Nigeria’s north-east, a tacit reference to the insurgency unleashed by the Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'Awati Wal-Jihad ("People Committed to the Prophet's Teachings for Propagation and Jihad" also known as Boko Haram. Reportedly, this insurgent group controls 17 local council areas in that part of Nigeria (out of 774 local council areas in the whole country) and going ahead with the elections would deny citizens in those places of voting in the said elections.
At the Council of State meeting just days before the announcement by INEC, the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had called for a postponement. That Council comprises of current and former Heads of State / Presidents of Nigeria, former Chief Justices of the Federation and current State Governors. According to the reportage of its proceedings by most domestic media, only President Goodluck Jonathan and the Service Chiefs (Chief of Defence Staff, heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force) had called for a postponement. Most former Presidents asked that the elections proceed as scheduled, while Governors from the two main parties—PDP and the All Progressive Congress (APC) were naturally divided. Some smaller political parties—who do not control any tier of government in the country—had also been divided on the issue.
It is instructive to note that according to the same reportage, the Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, had insisted on proceeding with the elections, though he admitted that the situation in the north east was not conducive. He was said to have been contradicted by military chiefs who openly said they could not guarantee security in those areas. Gaskiya.net will return to the assertion of these chief in a moment.
Not a few Nigerians are already getting seriously worried with the way issues relating to these elections are playing out, especially the way its postponement has been arrived at. For a start, they argue that several weeks before, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) had called for a postponement of the elections, in far away London, and the barrage of criticisms that greeted that call resulted in the INEC responding that it was going ahead with the polls as planned. That they would be re-scheduled as Dasuki had called for, according to them, suggests that it was contrived.
On the resistance by Nigeria’s military chiefs to elections being held as planned on grounds of insecurity, such resistance flies in the face of their own very claims that several towns taken by the insurgents had been liberated in on-going joint operations with Chadian forces. What is immediately interesting here too is that these same military chiefs, through the spokesperson at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, had painted a rosy picture of on-going joint operations to rout the insurgents. Critics would wonder therefore if, given the ‘success’ of those operations, the same military could now insist it can not guarantee security in areas it has supposedly ‘liberated.’ In effect, given the role it has played in the postponement of these elections, the neutrality of the leadership of Nigeria’s own security forces will be under critical and intense spotlight within and beyond the country and it becomes necessary. Needless to add that, being the professionals that they are, Nigeria’s military must take steps to quickly re-affirm its neutrality now.

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

REALHEROES
Fellow Nigerians, as you can see these soldiers came from all parts of Nigeria, different religions and died serving their fatherland. Out of respect to them, let us refrain from tribal and religious colouring and come together to celebrate Nigeria.
Only we can make Nigeria great again.

God Bless Nigeria

[b]By JOHN MUCHIRI THE NATION


During the requiem service for the late Fidel Castro Odinga at the All Saints Cathedral last week, his younger brother, Raila Odinga Jnr told the congregation that Fidel loved his toys, which included sleek cars and licensed firearms.

This elicited laughter from the congregation but what they didn’t know was the depth of that statement.

With a palatial home in the leafy suburbs of Karen, Fidel had a wide range of vehicles, most of them sports utility vehicles.
If one can afford such a lifestyle, the only other thing to possess would be a firearm to protect yourself and your belongings.
This has become the trend for many young Kenyans Fidel’s age roughly between 30 and 40 years, mostly sons of politicians, successful celebrities and rich businessmen.

What is interesting is the fact that these relatively young heavy spenders have formed a tightly knit network among themselves that transcends tribe and could loosely be described to hinge more on class than anything else.

Most of them only “hang out” with each other on a regular basis, blocking anyone who does not fit in or belong to the same class regardless of tribe or religion. To fit in, you must be from a similar social and economic stratum.

But how heavily do they splurge and where do they spend the money?

Lounges
The answers can be found in high-end clubs in Nairobi and other major urban centres across the country. Other than the Capital Club, which is a members-only club, other venues they frequent regularly include Ebony Lounge, Skyluxx (VIP) Lounge, Mercury Club (ABC Place), Havana Club, Sohos, Vineyard and Cedars Restaurant, among others.

In these clubs, the average cost of a bottle of Hennessy, Martell, Remy Martin, Glenfiddich or Johnnie Walker brands like the Black Label, Gold Reserve and the Blue Label is anything between Sh10,000 and Sh30,000.

“An average of three to four bottles would be drunk on a night out,” says one of the club managers, who requested anonymity.
“These people are big spenders, they always reserve tables and they spend heavily. In one evening, they would spend anything between Sh60,000 to Sh150,000, depending on how many they are.”

Other than Fidel, who was not only known as a heavy spender but also a philanthropist, there are others like Jeff Kiboro, Robert Gichuru (son of former Kenya Power managing director), John Muhoho (son of former Kenya Airports Authority chairman George Muhoho), Mabior Garang de Mabior (son of former South Sudan leader John Garang).
Others include James Karanja, popularly known as Jaymo Keroche (son of Keroche Breweries CEO Tabitha Karanja) and John Malogo, a popular young Nairobi businessman, among others.

According to Amor Thige, the proprietor of Ebony and Skyluxx lounges, this group does not stay in one club during a night out.
“In one sitting only they spend anything between Sh20,000 to Sh40,000. Now you can imagine how much they would spend if they went to four or five different joints in one night,” says Amor.

However, most of these heavy spenders don’t like frequenting clubs where there is the attendant risk of loss of privacy, especially when they want to avoid paparazzi.
They prefer private parties in the leafy suburbs, says Morris Kihang’u, who has previously organised some of these parties.

Private party
“Almost every weekend, there is a private party in Lavington, Kileleshwa, Karen, Gigiri, Westlands and so on,” says Morris. “If the parties don’t happen, an out-of-town road trip to Kajiado, Magadi, Naivasha, Nanyuki or Mombasa, happens.”

He adds: “If they haven’t organised their own events, they target outdoor events like the Rhino Charge, Lewa Marathon or Safari Rally, among others, where they bring out their big toys (read SUVs) as well as women to accompany them and a wide variety of expensive liquor.

“I remember attending one of the recent Lewa Marathons with John Malogo and his very close friends where we spent over Sh300,000 on drinks only in one weekend.”
Malogo, popularly known as Johnny Subru, owns the Subru Motors car yard, located at Lavington Green Centre in Lavington.

http://www.gaskiya.net/[/b]

[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.