Since physical presence has become a challenge up North, why can't churches there consider online services?

Is it about infrastructural challenges or sheer lack of will?

I have a two-and-half- year son who is really wonderful and amazing. I love him with the whole of my heart and keep praying he comes out better and more successful than me.

But my son is an independent-minded, strong-willed personality. He is also stormy. When angry, he slams the doors and throws objects. Now, my wife and I have never been in these acts. We are Christians and very careful of what we do every time.

For this and also some of his obnoxious acts, I spank my child really hard. Amazingly, he is realising it is wrong and keeps off slowly these days.

So, how is it with your children? How do you pass on positive values and discpline them?

Harakiri, so sorry I muddled things up. But your sounded like a woman with your argument. So sorry again. Thanks

Soft touch, thanks. I appreciate your advice. I have chosen not to tell her anything I do for my siblings and family again.

Harakiri, I like the feminine angle you bring to this discussion. I must say you are one in a million if you are doing all you claimed to be doing. I wish all women were like you.

Let's keep the discussion going. I am really learning.

From personal experience and after aggregating the views of many married men, I realised our women are never grateful no matter what you do for them.

They always feel shortchanged and crave for something better. For example, I have established a business for my wife, taken her abroad for vacation and fended for her family as little as I can. Yet, she is always complaining I have not done enough. She feels my immediate family gets more from me. In all honesty, I am certain I have been more generous to her family than mine.

Can fellow married men share their experiences and discuss why our women can't seem to have enough. They never say thank you and expect you to do more whether or not you are capable.

Oyb,

I am impressed. Exactly what I have always known but hardly practise.

Thanks for proving it is workable.

Well, King Solomon was richer. Yet he said all is vanity. Vanity upon vanity.

How much will Toyota Avensis 2000 cost?

Please mail shinystarontop@gmail.com

Please how much will it cost to clear Toyota Avensis 2000 and 2002 from Cotonou?

Kindly mail shinystarontop@yahoo.com

The Bible is clear marriage is forever. God frowns at divorce but what if a Christian's partner leaves?

Should he or she remarry?

I have read and studied recent calls for the convocation of a SNC by several interest groups.

According to them, the nation will not move forward until Nigerians decide how they want to co-exist and fashion out harmonious relationships.

The House of Reps and Senate have condemned such calls, saying they are the elected representatives of the people.

An SNC is only applicable when structures of government have collapsed or revolutions have just taken place.

Do we even need a SNC? Have we not had enough talk shops?

Will an SNC ever happen in Nigeria?

Thanks sir. Check my reply please.

Hello.

I need 2003 Toyota Corolla. How much can it fly? Please mail shinystarontop@gmail.com

shinystarontop@gmail.com please

We should blame tenants for not testing the law then. Government had done the much it can do by providing the law. The onus is on tenants to report defaulters for prosecution.

Maybe it's because tenants are too scared to make reports or something.

By now, there should have been conviction or prosecution.

How China is taking over Nigeria
By Sunday Oguntola 30/10/2011 00:00:00
Font size: Decrease font Enlarge font

CHINESE INVASION China is quietly investing in major sectors of the economy and offering seemingly innocuous, low interest infrastructural loans with dire consequences, reports Sunday Oguntola

It is a classical case of the more you look the less you see. Last Wednesday, it was all quiet at　 China Town in Ojota, Lagos. Vehicles, people and goods moved in and out without drawing much attention. A first-time visitor is bound to dismiss sales at the highly-protected business complex as poor. But looks can sometimes be deceptive. The volume of cash exchanging hands in the business environment is really massive.

Nigerian traders confirmed that sales cannot be better. ‘’You may see few people here but what we make is big,’’ Ngozi, a shop attendant, said. She oversees a clothing shop that turns in nothing less than N250, 000 per day. According to her, the bulk of the sales is ordered by wholesales buyers. ‘’We merely display the clothes here while we make money from wholesales traders. They come from as far as the North to place　 orders here. My boss has gone to deliver one of those orders,’’ she revealed.

Trading boom

Most shops visited showed signs of low sales. But the town has evolved in a just few years. It is now patronised exclusively by big-time retailers and wholesalers. This, many attendants said, has reduced human traffic. But what China town lacks in human traffic, it has abundantly in vehicular movements. Many trailers and containers were uploading and offloading goods. Some of the ‘motor boys’ revealed most goods were on the way to different states.

‘’I am going to Abia state,’’ said one of the drivers. He said he travels every other day to deliver container full of clothes, housing utensils and cosmetics imported from China. Another is assigned to moving shoes, belts and antiquities from China to different parts of Nigeria. They also disclosed that there is sales boom. ‘’What we supply cannot but sell. They are what people need everybody. As long as you live, you must wear clothes and use shoes,’’ one of them volunteered.

Checks at China town’s administrative office revealed that a shop space goes for N700, 000. Many prospective tenants were waiting last week to pick forms to get their own chunk of the complex’s gold mine.

Strategic incursions

As it is in China town, so it is elsewhere. Chinese are taking over strategic sectors of the economy, making unimaginable money and displacing local firms. Over 800 Chinese firms have made inroads to key sectors of the nation in the last ten years. On the contrary, over 20 textile domestic companies have folded up since clothes manufactured in China started finding their way to Nigeria. No fewer than 150,000 textile workers have lost their jobs in the process, 　

President of China Institution of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), Mr. Cui Liru, said　 the volume of trade between Nigeria and China is now in the neighbourhood of $13.3billion. That was early this year. He spoke in Abuja during a visit. Liru added that over 117 construction projects have been completed in Nigeria by Chinese as at last November. Most of them were executed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

At a time many indigenous construction firms are lamenting low patronage, many state governments are turning to Chinese firms for road construction. A few days ago, Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, met with officials of Hongye Construction Group to perfect talks on road construction. Hongye Construction Group has been given the task to open up and construct some selected roads in Osun State.

The projects include Igbajo-Iresi road in Boluwaduro Local Government; Ajegunle-Orileowu-Gbongan-Apomu-Ikire road in Ayedaade local government and the road linking Iloko-Ijesa – Ijebu-Jesa in Oriade Local Government, which also serves as a link to Aramoko-Ekiti in Ekiti State.

Investments in Oil and Gas

The Chinese also have a huge investment in the nation’s oil and gas industry. In 2006, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Nigeria. He got four oil drilling licences for his country. In return, he pledged China’s investment of $4 billion in oil and infrastructure development projects in Nigeria. China has also expressed interest in buying controlling stake in Kaduna refinery, which has a daily production output of 110,000 barrel. Chinese state oil firm CNOOC also completed a £2.3bn deal to buy a stake in an oil field.

A huge loan has also been granted by China for building of three refineries in Nigeria. In 2005, Nigeria agreed to supply Petro China with 30,000 barrels per day (4,800 m3/d) of oil for $ 800 million. In 2006, CNOOC purchased a share for $ 2.3 billion in an oil exploration block owned by a former defence minister. These moves have consolidated China’s access to crude oil for its energy needs back home. Unconfirmed reports said China is now the second largest buyer of the nation’s crude oil.　

In transportation, Chinese workers have been engaged in rail projects across the nation. Using Chinese workers, critics said, is counter-productive. Pa Rotimi Ige, a retired railway worker, said it is unfortunate Nigerian workers will not earn a living from such huge projects. There are concerns in many quarters that the workers might be prisoners back in Chine bought to Nigeria to execute such important projects.

Made-in-China products are flooding markets across the nation. From cosmetics to mobile phones, shoes and bags, China is importing goods at rock-bottom prices to Nigeria. Nigeria’s highly price-sensitive consumers are swelling China’s foreign reserves, picking its imported goods without questioning their quality. The popular Computer village in Ikeja, the capital of Lagos, has become almost a Chinese colony. Computer accessories and mobile phones from China have become the stock in trade. Chinedu Okoro, a trader, said Nigerians are increasing preferring Chinese products.

‘’Their phones have many features and come very, very cheap. So they are ‘moving’ here a lot,’’ he stated last week. Currently, he receives supplies from a ‘big boy’ in the market. But he is also saving towards becoming a big-time importer from China. ‘’In the next few months, I should have enough to travel,’’ he confirmed. He needs less than N1 million to import sizeable goods from China. His contacts in China have assured him of little problems with visiting factories, hotel reservations, making orders and freighting. This is why flights to China are now daily in Lagos.

China’s staggering population of 1.6 billion needs new trading routes for industrial goods. Nigeria, the most populous black nation, has a big capacity to absorb many of these goods without much ado. So it is a win-win for China. It exports industrial goods and imports crude oil, timber and other natural resources much needed for its swelling domestic energy needs.

Beyond trading

The investments and infrastructural developments across the nation are most welcome. But Chinese are spreading their influence beyond trading borders. An estimated 100,000 Chinese are resident in Nigeria. They are in expensive estates in the commercial cities of Lagos, Port-Harcourt Kano and Aba. Magodo Estate in Lagos plays host to a sizeable Chinese. Residents complained that rents have skyrocketed since they started arriving. ‘’Getting accommodation here now is tough. The Chinese are ready to offer triple whatever Nigerians struggle to offer,’’ Gbenga Ariyo, a resident lamented. Checks revealed that getting a duplex in Magodo has shot up to between N2-2.5m per annum.

To the average Chinese businessman, this is nothing. Nigeria’s large market presents a golden opportunity to make this much in few days. While Chinese tenants are smiling, their Nigerian counterparts are groaning in their own land.

Paying to learn Mandarin

To underscore growing Chinese influence in Nigeria, many prospective businessmen and traders have started paying to learn Mandarin. The Confucius Institute has opened shop right inside The University of Lagos to teach basic knowledge of China’s major language. The centre opened two years ago. It is to provide Chinese language teaching at various levels, teaching Chinese language instructors and Chinese language teaching resources.

Other services are the holding of HSK examination (Chinese proficiency test) and tests for the certification of the Chinese language teachers, providing information and consultative services concerning China’s education, culture, and so forth, conducting language and cultural exchange activities between China and Nigeria.

Director of the Centre, Professor Taiwo Akinyele, said at the formal commissioning ‘‘Our aim is to popularize Chinese language so that our people will not be short-changed in the evolving global political economy in which China is bound to play an increasingly significant role.’’

While many local languages are vanishing, Nigerians are paying to learn Mandarin right in their land of birth. Confucius Institutes are state-funded Chinese ‘cultural centres’ to spread Chinese influence all over the world. Many of such centres exist in African countries. Last May, ten public schools in Lagos State were selected for the pilot scheme of learning Mandarin. Former Deputy Governor, Sarah Sosan, said the plan was to position students for global challenges.

Corporate malpractices

A tax consultant confided that many Chinese firms are defaulting government in tax remittance. ‘’They people are smart traders who have learnt the rope in many other countries. They offer falsified tax certificates or under pay to maximise profits. Unfortunately, many government officials are part of the scam and Nigeria is losing billions yearly,’’ he said.

Few weeks ago, a Chinese firm (name withheld) involved in IT infrastructure based in Victoria Island, Lagos sacked a staff in the finance department for raising an eyebrow over falsification of account records to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). After he reported to relevant government agencies, the firm instructed everyone in the department to delete some vital documents. Some hard wares, according to staff, were also destroyed to get away from government’s officials.

Such practices, investigation revealed, are rife among Chinese firms operating in the country. Many Nigerians have accused them of bribing officials to get contracts, an allegation that has always been dismissed as envious.　　　

Inferior products

Many made-in-China products have been found to be substandard. Traders who spoke with our correspondent in China town and computer village alleged that those goods are only cheap but inferior. ‘’Truth is they don’t last that much,’’ a mobile phone seller said of made-in-China phones. Same is true of many other products supplied from China, many importers confided.

Investigations revealed that Nigerian traders collude with Chinese manufacturing firms to make cheap, inferior products for onward export to Nigeria. ‘’They (Chinese manufacturers) don’t mind because they make money while the Nigerian traders also smile to banks,’’ a source in computer village said.

Efforts to get Chinese authorities to comment on these allegations failed. Our correspondent was at the Nigeria-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry office listed online at Adeniran Ogunsanya, Surulere last Wednesday. The chamber, it was learnt, had relocated to an undisclosed location. Attempts to speak with the Chinese Consulate in Lagos also did not yield results. Twice our correspondent was turned back at the gate. ’’There is no one to talk to you for now, ’’ a security officer said.

Source: www.thenationonlineng.net

Just wondering if this new law is working at all.

Are there tenants that have tested the law?

Any conviction or prosecution?

Or are there tricks landlords are devising to beat the law?

‘Our ordeal in Chinese firms’
By Sunday Oguntola 30/10/2011 00:00:00
Font size: Decrease font Enlarge font

For many Nigerians, working with Chinese firms is as bad as living in hell, reports Sunday Oguntola

Juliet Ibeh sells not less than N250, 000 worth of clothes every day in China town. The booming business however has no direct bearing on her take-home. The Secondary school leaver earns a meagre N8, 000 monthly. She resumes 8.30 and closes 5.30pm everyday. She works except on Sundays.

According to her, ‘’This is not what anybody should be doing but what can I do? I have to make do with it. My boss talks to me anyhow but what can I do?’’

She is one of the poorly paid Nigerian workers in Chinese firms. But her condition is still better. In Ilupeju, a Chinese firm that manufactures cosmetics pays production staff only N6, 500k. Those who spoke with our correspondent painted gory details of maltreatment and poor working conditions.

‘’We resume 7am and close 6pm,’’ a lady in her 20s began. ‘’None of us is a staff. We are just casuals. We can come tomorrow and they will ask us to go. We observe only ten minutes of break after which we are ordered back to work. They say we are lazy and that is why Nigeria is not doing well.’’

Another staff said many male production workers have been incapacitated by accidents on the job without compensations. ‘’Just last week, someone lost his hand as he tried to work on a production machine. He was only given first aid after which he was dismissed without pay. We cannot protest because they will send us packing,’’ she lamented.

Another female worker complained of sexual harassment by the Chinese owners. ‘’If you want them to pay you well as a lady, then you have to be sleeping with them. Those of us who cannot do have remained at the same level for years. They are so crazy about sex that they can do anything to get it’’.　　　　

A Chinese plastic firm in Isolo Lagos is even worse. It employs mostly females for production activities. For toiling day and night, they get only N5,000. This is worsened by poor working conditions. A staff who spoke under strict anonymity said, ‘’our production hall is very stuffy. Many have collapsed from heat. You cannot complain because they will chase you out and somebody will take your place immediately’’.

In Abuja, Maaji Meriga almost lost his manhood early this year after he was assaulted by his Chinese boss. The 62-year-old casual worker and father of 6, was a water tanker driver for CCECC. While spraying the ground around Karamajiji village, near Abuja Airport, Meriga said another Chinese stopped him. He was asked to fill two drums with water instead.

Meriga obliged, turned off the main spray machine, opened the side tap and began filling the drums when Old Soldier came and queried him. Just then, CCECC’s transport manager, Marcho Chin, popularly called ‘old soldier’ confronted him.

"He said I am wasting resources that I wanted to spoil the tanker. I told him that I can’t spoil it. I told him that it is his brother that asked me to fill the drums.

‘’I bent down to switch off the spray machine when he then kicked me from behind on my scrotum and testes. I immediately fell down. As I got up and asked him ‘master why?’ he then blew me on the ear before entering his jeep and drove to the yard.’’

When Meriga reported to the company’s personnel manager, Mr. Austin, he was ordered out of the premises without any medical attention given to him. His testicle soon started swelling, leading to a surgery for which the company failed to be responsible. The Nigerian is still awaiting justice in his fatherland.

On February 5, 2010, another of the company’s water tanker drivers, Michael Francis, a casual staff for over a year, told ‘Old Soldier’ the pump of the tanker for wetting was faulty. He was asked to manage it. Hours later, the assistant transport manager, Mr. Lie, better known as Bedebede wanted to reduce his daily wage as the ground he was allotted was not properly wet.

　"He held my shirt, slapped and kicked me in the penis when I refused to give my wages card for him to cut some hours from the work I had done that day," said the 29-year-old.

"The pay is N600 a day and we can work from 7am to 5pm. I refused since it wasn’t my fault, because they can cut your money by half, then how much do I have left?"

Francis fainted on the spot and was hospitalised for over a week at Access Hospital located along Police Barracks Road, Gwagwa, Abuja.

President General of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Peter Esele, recently lamented the maltreatment of Nigerians by Chinese firms.

He said, ‘’There are a lot of Chinese firms in Nigeria. One of our challenges is how to make the Chinese companies in Nigeria respect Nigerian law and workers’ rights.

‘’They must respect our labour laws and treat our workers well. We want to build a relationship that will benefit China and Nigeria.’’

I am keenly interested. Any issue with the car I should know?

He can't escape conviction and jail terms. Excited to have him back.

We all know military rule was an aberration but not all Military Heads of State were bad. Some of them executed programmes that worked for us.
Besides, our national life was dominated more by juntas. So, we are only assessing and comparing what each regime did well for Nigeria.

This is by no means an endorsement of the aberration, which is no more fashionable anyway.

Mine too used to. It was mostly electrical fault. Guess you should ask your rewire mechanic to have a look at it.

Much as we all agree that Military rule was counter-productive for Nigeria, some Military Heads of State stood out in terms of performance and personal attributes.

For me, Gowon came out for humbly accepting his overthrow and earning a degree thereafter. He also supervised the Civil war with resounding success and forgave all secessionists.

Who is your own best Military ruler?

I have taken the pain to read through this thread. I think we expect too much from the church. We all believe a church should be perfect and faultless but I have read through the Bible and realised at no time was the church without faults. We saw a Judas among Jesus disciples. We had the greedy Sapphira and her husband among the first church. Over and over again, we see the church failing and letting people down. But God has not given up on the church. He is cleansing it and making it better.

If we expect a perfect church, we'd be disappointed and frustrated and become cynical, even critical. We should all just live as truly as we believe we should. We should do our bits and speak up against injustices and oppression among God's people. But we must be corrective and lovely about it, lest we become arrogant and judgmental.

We should learn to know God on our own and read up the scriptures so that we don't fall prey to false teachers and prophets. We should not overrate a man of God simply because he is anointed. At his best, he is still a man and we should expect he can be wrong on issues at times. If we do all of these and many more others can espouse, I think we would be fine. But we must never leave the church or forsake the community of God's people. The Bible clearly urges us not to. If we do, we are on our way down.

I leave others to our good consciences and judgment.

Can this ride fly for N900k?

I am a damn serious buyer. Cash available.

Is this car in Lagos?

Hello,

I need a property lawyer to verify and handle acquisition of plots of land in Ota, Ogun State.

Whoever can should contact me on suntolaontop@yahoo.com or 08034309265

Tinubu endorses Fashola for second term

it was jubilation galore at the secretariat of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) located in Acme road ,Lagos when the former Lagos State Governor and Leader of the party for the first time endorsed the Incumbent , Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) to run for a second term.

Raising Fashola's hands, Tinubu said: “By the power reposed on me by ACN and in consultation with all party leaders I announce the endorsement of Babatunde Raji Fashola for reelection as governor in the forthcoming election.” I’ve endorsed him for second term. He has done us proud, he has set standard of governance for others to emulate.”

Party supporters who besieged the venue of the meeting shouted and jubilated at the announcement.

Tinubu scored the governor 85 percent on his performances in the past four years and reiterated Fashola remained the best man for the job of state governor.

He also debunked reports of frosty relationship between them.

He said: He is my son .Those that were peddling the rumour are those that did not know how I knew him. What endeared him to me. The agents of destruction, political rodents, enemies and scavengers in the corridors of power that wants to continue to loot state funds without working to deliver dividends of democracy. They said i was jealous of his achievements and all sort of things. If you have a son that has surpassed your records you celebrate him. I am the pathfinder. He is the Navigator. I am the one that identified the talent.”

Tinubu who was flanked by other party chieftains like the chairman of ANC in Lagos state Otunba Henry Ajomale, Senator Olorunibe Mamara, Senator Ganiyu Olarenwaju Solomon , Senator Muniru Muse , Prince Tajudeen Olusi, the Lagos state governor Mr. Babatunde Fashola , Otunba Bush Alebiosu , Cardinal James Odumbaku .

He stated that the last four years the governor has been in power in the state has been very impactful, while assuring that a brighter and more rewarding future awaits Lagosians in the next four years the governor is expected to be in power in the state.

He urged Lagosians to come out en-masse to participate in the voters registration exercise billed to commence across the country very soon, saying the people can only elect their desired leaders when they register to vote.

The ousted Chairman, Oyo state chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers { NURTW} , Alhaji Lateef Salako a.k.a. Eleweomo was yesterday shot dead .
Eleweomo , a staunch supporter of governor Adebayo Alao-Akala of the state was shot at close range on his head and heart region of the body by yet to be identified hoodlums suspected to be members of the state NURTW while monitoring the People’s Democratic Party { PDP} local government congress .
His lifeless body soaked with blood , it was learnt has been deposited in a morgue at a nearby private hospital , Ibadan.
The incident occurred at Olunloyo, Akaran area of Ibadan where about 30 buses loaded with loyalists of the sacked NURTW chairman had gone to monitor the local government congress in the area . They were said to be carrying cutlasses, guns and other dangerous weapons as they drove carelessly on the roa
The killing however sparked off violence in different parts of the city as hundreds of his supporters took to the streets and major roads with clubs, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons to avenge the killing .
Violent protests by members of Eleweomo faction of the NURTW were witnessed in some areas of the city, assaulting innocent citizens , and burning vehicles. No fewer than eight cars were said to have been smarched and burnt at Olunloyo area of the city.
Several people were also injured and wounded in violence that erupted in some parts of the city , while some of the injured have been rushed to nearby hospital for treatment.

Security personnel were said to have moved in to secure the houses of some prominent politicians in the state as fears were ripe that hoodlums may begin to burnt houses of the opposition.



When the Oyo state Police Public Relations Officer was contacted yesterday , he said “ I heard about the killing, but I cannot confirm it to you until I get signal to do so”.