₦airaland Forum

PACESETTER………. I STILL GOT TO READ
THEM IN THE 90S

TESLIM THUNDERBOLT BALOGUN

Obasanjo In Aba During The WAR

Owanbe the Lagos way! BACK IN THE DAYS

KINGSWAY SUPERSTORE. BROAD STREET,
LAGOS

nobody fit ruin jagaban oooo

An Igbo man was withdrawing money
from ATM,a
hausa man was behind him,d hausa man
said:hahaha chinedu u b mumu,i saw ur
password,ur password are 4 stars
xxxx,den d Igbo man said:Nonsense na u
b mumu my password is “2233” who b
mumu among dem.Share the joke abeg

step by step I must confess you are dying,with everything harden you are getting closer to your final rest.Yesterday you will one day get closer to your grave.But today who will know if you will make it home OK .I just hope you are ready for your final examination. Until dat day don't you dare die until you speak ISLAM,heaven or hell that is choice we have to make.My friend make your choice.Salam

Einthoven
IF you have ever looked for a job, you will
discover that all the positions you ever wanted
required previous experience. But experience is
acquired through making bad decisions.
Experience is a tough teacher, it gives you the
test first and the lesson later. God looks for
experienced help. That is to say God helps
experienced people desiring divine visitation.
When you are working for Jehovah, He uses
everything you have been through, seeing it as
learned obedience, making you perfectly
equipped to serve Him.
However, perspective changes every thing,
especially when you learn to see your life
through fresh eyes. Experience isn’t what
happens to you, as much as what you do with
what happens to you.
Which is why your pain and other people’s
pain become someone else’s gain. Experience
of others are kept in books, biographies and
memoirs. Immediately you read them, they
become part of your experience.
The saying: ‘‘Experience is the best teacher”
isn’t correct. The correct statement is that
evaluated experience, is the best teacher. It is
what you do with your experience that
matters.
Everyday you have the opportunity to record
new experiences. With each page you gain
more understanding. As you grow your
notebook of experiences you fill it with
observations.
The issue is that few of us make the best use
of our notebooks. Some of us leave our
notebooks closed, rarely going through them
again. We rarely reflect on them and gain
greater wisdom.
Reflection turns into insight, so that we not
only live the experience, but learn from it.
There are people with lots of knowledge but
little understanding. They have the means but
they do not understand what to do with their
knowledge.
When 25 years go by, they don’t gain 25 years
experience, they gain only one year of
experience 25 times.
To win in life, you must turn your experience
into wisdom. So slow down, wisdom is
gleaned over time, not overnight. We all
experience more than we understand. And
experience enables you to recognize the
mistake when you make it again.
Sadly, too much happens to us in life for us to
be able to understand it all. No matter how
smart you are, your understanding will never
catch up with your experience. Which is why
you must make the most of what you can
understand.
Your attitude towards unplanned and
unpleasant experiences determines your
growth and the fulfillment of your life
ambition. Life is full of unforeseen detours.
Learn to turn such detours into delights.
Treat detours as special excursions and
learning tours. Do not fight them or you will
never learn their purpose. Later you will get
back on track, becoming wiser and stronger.
Lack of experience is costly, but our greatest
ignorance isn’t of what we have yet to learn,
but of how little we really know. The arrogance
of the young is the direct result of his
ignorance of consequences. You cannot avoid
making mistakes but you can avoid them,
grow through them b y not making the same
errors. The cost of experience is enormous.
You cannot gain experience without paying a
price. You can only hope that the price isn’t
greater than the value of the experience
gained. Besides, you cannot determine the
price until you have gained the experience.
However, it is tragic to pay the price for
experience and not learn the lesson.
Remember, evaluated experience lifts you
above the crowd. Winners make it a practice
to reflect on their experiences and learn from
them.
A particular quality you need to overcome
opposition is zeal. It is another word for
passion. Zeal keeps you going when others are
quitting. It pushes you through the toughest
times and gives you energy you don’t know
you possessed.
Opportunity cannot take the place of zeal.
Opportunity can open the door, without zeal,
you can’t make the most of your
opportunities.
Knowledge cannot replace zeal. Some of the
world’s worst leaders are the smartest, but
some of the greatest, such as Abraham
Lincoln, had very little formal education.
A resume may get you past the door but
won’t secure you outstanding performance.
Even talent won’t replace zeal. Many people
with great talent who never achieve
professional success.
Talent is like money, it only grown when you
put it to work. You will never be successful
without the help of others. But being
surrounded by rich people doesn’t guarantee
you success. Thus, zeal is the game-changer,
it attracts the grace of God.
Our champion this week is Williem Einthoven,
the Dutch physiologist who was awarded the
1924 Nobel prize for medicine for his
discovery of the electrical properties of heart
through the electrocardiograph, which he
developed as a practical clinical instrument
and an important tool in the diagnosis of
heart disease.
Born in May 1860 in Java, Dutch East Indies,
Einthoven graduated in medicine from the
University of Utrecht and served as professor
of physiology at the University of Leiden from
1886 until his death in 1927.
In 1903 he devised the first string
galvanometer. With that he was able to
measure changes by contractions of the heart
and record them graphically.
He coined the term electrocardiogram for this
process. From 1908 to 1913, he studied
patterns of records of normal heart activity in
order to gain precision in recognizing and
interpreting deviations.
Einthoven continued to develop electrode
arrangements and the present-day standard
limb leads were originally described and used
by him. He died on his work-bench in his
office in 1927.

AFTER the euphoria of their electoral victories,
one of the major challenges that will confront
the President-elect, Major-General
Muhammadu Buhari (retd), and 20 or 21 new
governors is the level of debt stock the out-
going administrations will leave behind.
According to the Debt Management Office,
DMO, the Federal Government has a stock of $
6.445 billion in external debt (N1.29 trillion at
the rate of one dollar to N200)) and another
N7. 9 trillion domestic debt totalling N9.19
trillion, as of December 31, 2014. This is the
equivalent of two years budget.
The huge debt stock, if not properly managed,
can hamper the delivery of democracy
dividends.
According to external debt figures released by
the DMO, Lagos State is the most indebted
state in the country with a debt of $
1,169,712,848.65 (N233.94 billion). The state
had also borrowed N167.5 billion from the
bond market. Thus, Lagos is owing at least
N401.44 billion. This is one of the issues that
Governor-elect, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode will
confront when he takes over from Governor
Babatunde Fashola, next month.
Among the 29 states where governorship
elections were held last Saturday, new persons
will take over in 20 states, if Governor Rochas
Okorocha of Imo State is re-elected after the
April 25 supplementary elections otherwise the
number of newcomers will be 21.
The other states where fresh men will take
over are Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi,
Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu,
Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Lagos,
Niger, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto and Taraba.
Most of these states are highly indebted.
Following declining oil prices in the
international market and inability to boost
their internally generated revenue, many
states, in addition to obtaining loans and
overdraft from banks, had approached the
capital market in the last four years to raise
funds. The amount of money they borrowed
through the issuance of bonds has tripled over
the period, rising to N673 billion from N298
billion in 2011. About 12 states have issued
bonds totalling N375 billion, surpassing the
total bonds issued by all states in the country
since 1978. Lagos State tops the list of
borrowers from the bond market, at N167.5
billion. Rivers recently launched a N100
billion bond. Delta State is third with N50
billion. Others include Gombe (N30 billion),
Ekiti (N25 bn), Niger N21 billion), Bauchi
(N15 billion) and Benue (N13 bn).
As of last December, Nigeria’s total public
debt stock, according to the DMO stood at
about $67.73 billion and N11.24 trillion,
which is about N1.2 trillion higher than the
2013 figure of N10.04trillion.
A breakdown of the figures showed that
external debt, including those of the states,
was $9.71 billion and N1.63 trillion. The
Federal Government’s domestic debt was $
47.05 billion and N7.9trillion, while those of
the states stood at $10.97 billion and N1.708
trillion.
Most indebted states
Using the DMO’s external debt figures without
adding domestic debts (see tables), Lagos
tops the chart of 10 most indebted states in
the country with $1.17bn or N233.94 billion
debt. It is distantly followed by Kaduna
(N46.88 bn), Cross River (N28.29 bn), Edo
(N24.63 bn), Ogun (N21.83 bn), Bauchi
(17.51 bn), Katsina (N15.79 bn), Osun
(N14.81 bn), Oyo (N14.47 bn) and Enugu
(N13.79)
Least indebted states
Leading the states with little exposure to
multilateral and bilateral loans are Taraba
(N4.56 bn), Borno (N4.61 bn), Delta (N4.85
bn), Plateau (N6.19 bn), Yobe (N6.25 bn),
Benue (N6.62 bn), Abia (N6.76 bn), Zamfara
(N7.11 bn) and Kogi (N7.16 bn).
However, if domestic debts are added, states
like Taraba, Borno and Abia, which have not
issued bonds are the least indebted. World
Bank Consultant and Abia State Finance
Commissioner, Dr Phillip Nto, said Abia State
is reluctant to take bonds like many other
states because it would mortgage the future of
Abians.
He said: ‘’Ordinarily when you collect bond,
you are mortgaging your future because you
pay over a long period of time but our
governor is one that feels that it is not proper
to mortgage the future of the state. Abia State
is trying to come out from the mess, the
monumental difficulty which it was pushed
into in early 2000, so for the state to be
mortgaged again means that the state will be
declared insolvent. It is the reason the
governor (Theodore Orji) is not enthusiastic
about going to the bond market. But what
some other states are achieving with their
bond money, Governor T.A. Orji is also
achieving with the amount he gets from the
federation account and the IGR.’’
South-West, North-West emerge as most
indebted zones
Broken into geo-political zones, the South-
West and North-West geo-political zones are
foreign debt-most exposed zones. The South-
West is owing N304.88 billion while the
North-West has on its neck, a foreign debt of
N106.61 billion.
Least indebted zones
Conversely, the South-East is the least
indebted zone with a debt of N49.25 billion
followed by North-East (N50.20 billion).
Enugu is the most indebted state in the
South-East with N13.786 billion debt. The
legislative arm of the state government is
currently at daggers drawn with the executive
over a fresh N11 billion local debt.
The South-South zone is owing N85.46 billion
while the North-Central has to repay N56.77
billion.
Implications of FG’s debt
Analysing the Federal Government debt, the
DMO said that the debt is sustainable as
sustainability analysis showed that the debt/
GDP ratio is 11.6 per cent and Nigeria is at a
low risk of debt distress, if the reforms
embarked upon by the present administration
in key sectors were retained and fully
implemented. The bulk of the federal
government loans were concessionary with low
interests and long moratorium.
Currently, the Federal Government spends
N700 billion yearly on debt servicing
FG moves against ‘unproductive’ loans
Disturbed by the insatiable appetite of state
governments for loans, the Federal
Government, last year, directed Deposit Money
Banks not to grant fresh loans to state
governments unless they got approval and
clearance from the Federal Ministry of
Finance.
NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA
The Minister of State for Finance, Bashir
Yuguda, said the decision is not aimed at
stalling the development efforts of the state
governments, as alleged, but to protect the
states from excessive accumulation of debts.
“The domestic debt profile of some states is
scary. The states are so much in debt that
only a small amount of their allocations get to
them at the end of the day because most
times money for debt servicing is removed
from source,”
Addressing participants in Course 23 for
security agents at the National War College,
Abuja, Yuguda said most of the states have
been experiencing difficulties in servicing their
existing debts and it would not be advisable
to allow them take fresh loans.
Rather, he stressed the need for the states to
continue to look inwards for other sources of
revenue to pursue their development
programmes.

Olubadan congratulates Ajimobi on his re-
election
April 15, 2015 • By
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Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel
Odulana, has congratulated Governor Abiola
Ajimobi of Oyo State on his re-election during
the governorship election conducted on April
11.
A statement issued by the monarch’s Personal
Assistant, Chief Isiaka Akinpeli, in Ibadan on
Tuesday quoted the Odulana as giving his
royal blessings to Ajimobi for a successful
second-term stay in office.
The Olubadan also expressed delight at the
peaceful conduct of the election.
He said “I pray for God’s guidance and
protection throughout his tenure as governor
of the state. We are also delighted that the
election was largely peaceful, indicating that
the people are making impressive strides in
our democratic journey.
“I also commend the people for exercising
their civic responsibility in a peaceful and
orderly manner.”
The monarch, however, urged Ajimobi to be
magnanimous in victory by extending hands of
love and friendship to his competitors in the
race so that peace would continue to reign in
the state.
“Ajimobi must use the opportunity of his re-
election to increase the tempo of development
in Ibadanland and the state in general.
“I call on other candidates to eschew
bitterness and embrace peace, love and
conduct themselves within the ambit of the
law at all times,” he stressed.

THE saying that victory is sweet to the one
that has once tasted failure reflects the
political events that heralded last Saturday’s
Governorship and State House Assembly
election in Bauchi State.
The outcome of the election has become the
topic of virtually every political discourse in
the state as it has proved to political
watchers how the mighty can fall while
underdogs run the affairs of the state. One
question political analysts are still asking is:
how did an opposition party has been
relegated to the background for many years
edge out a ruling party that has held sway for
long? Is it miracle, magic or just sheer luck
that gave the opposition the advantage this
time around?
A critical assessment of the victory of the All
Progressive Congress (APC) Governorship
Candidate, Barrister Mohammed Abdullahi
Abubakar over Auwal Jatau, the governorship
candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) showed that the PDP made some
dangerous moves that led to its failure.
Pointer of defeat
Besides the fact that the calculations of the
PDP in Bauchi state went wrong this time
around at the governorship and State House
Assembly elections, the pointers of defeat were
glaring even before the conduct of the
election. The mistakes of the party were to
grievous that it is now learning it’s lessons
through the hard way.
Many factors that shot the PDP down have
been identified. They include imposition of
unpopular candidate
Gov Yuguda & Muazu
During the conduct of the PDP’s governorship
primary, Auwal Jatau contested alongside four
prominent politicians in the state which
include former Minister of State for Health, Dr
Ali Pate; former Secretary to the Government
of the Federation (SGF), Yayale Ahmed;
Senator Adamu Gumba and Senator Babayo
Gamawa.
The result of the election did not go down well
with the people of the state because they felt
that Jatau was not only a neophyte in the
politics affairs of the state, he had no
experience at the national level when
compared with other contestants. There were
also allegations of rigging of the primaries in
favour Jatau, said to be Governor Isa
Yuguda’s anointed candidate.
So, the choice of Jatau did not go down well
with many PDP stakeholders and
heavyweights, who defected to opposition
parties, especially the APC and thereby
weakening the ruling party.
Govt’s alleged insensitivity and poor
performance
Many observers see Governor Yuguda’s
performance as poor. In the last eight years,
they said he did not do enough to address a
series of economic and social challenges
which range from poverty, unemployment,
insecurity, poor workers’ salary and
deteriorating state of companies. So, the
people felt that it was only a change of
government that could address their
challenges and when they got that opportunity
at the polls, they effected the change swiftly.
The Buhari factor
The emergence Muhammadu Buhari as the
APC presidential candidate and subsequently
the president-elect was a major factor that led
to the defeat of the PDP at the governorship
and State House Assembly election in Bauchi
State. During his campaign visits, Buhari
urged his supporters to vote out the PDP
government and vote for only APC candidates
to usher in a new government that will deliver
the dividends of democracy to the people. The
people obeyed as reflected in the results,
where the APC swept the polls.
APC’s credible candidate
The governor-elect completed his law studies
in 1978, attended the Nigeria Law School from
1978 to 1979, had his mandatory National
Youth Service Corps and joined the services of
Bauchi state government as a Pupil State
Council, Ministry of Justice. The key positions
he held while serving with the state
government were Head of Legal Drafting
Department, Bauchi State House of Assembly
(1983), Director, Public Prosecution, Ministry
of Justice (1988) and Commissioner of Justice
(1990 to 1993.)He was also the Chairman of
Nigeria Bar Association, Bauchi State, from
1996 to 1998.After leaving the services of the
state government, Abubakar was at different
times, the INEC Resident Electoral
Commissioner in Kogi, Delta, Plateau and
Rivers, and afterwards elevated to the position
of National Commissioner in charge of Borno,
Jigawa and Yobe.
Jatau on the other hand, was a member of the
Zaki Federal Constituency in the House of
Representatives. Jatau, with his 16 years
experience in politics, has held various
positions in the State House of Assembly,
including his emergence as the Speaker and
served in many committees in the House of
Representatives.
A comparison of their portfolios by political
pundits in the state showed that Abubakar is
more experienced, educated and has held
leadership positions in and outside the state.
They said he possesses what it takes to lead
the state than Jatau.
Fears that Jatau will be another Yuguda
One of the greatest fears of people of Bauchi
was that if Auwal Jatau emerged as the
governor of the state, he will continue with the
legacies of Yuguda and the state will be
further underdeveloped. With this mind, the
people were determined that every trace of
PDP must go for change to come.
So, it was not shocking that Jatau lost in his
zone, Katagum, which consists of Katagum,
Shira, Giade, Jama’are, Itas Gadau, Zaki,
Gamawa, Misau, Damba. Some stakeholders
have been agitating that the next governor
should come from Katagum zone because
both Yuguda and Mu’azu are from Bauchi
South Zone, making the zone to have had
governors of the state since 1999.
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POLITICIANS live for themselves. Conviction is
not a value to associate with people, whose
professed ambition is to access power, and its
expansive opportunities, minding neither costs
nor consequences. Nothing is new in the
speed with which politicians change camp in
their search for relevance in the new
governments that would be formed.
What may be new is the excuse that informs
their decision. They complain about the
absence of democratic culture in their former
parties. While they were in-charge and
managed the circumscription of the rights of
others, there were no issues. Now that they
are losers, they seek refuge in new platforms.
Nigerians may be worried about the
implications of this habit for the future of our
democratic experiment. Politicians only believe
in “now”. Their convictions are solely about
issues that benefit them, possibly, the only
time they are consistent.
Some notice the “belief” of politicians now
because for the first time in 16 years, a
massive change in control of political power
occurred. It left many, who enjoyed the
“stability” of being in control, stranded. They
are so used to the “comforts” of power that
they cannot contemplate being outsiders in
the control of Nigeria’s resources which is
their abiding interest in politics.
Mr. John Oyegun, the national chairman of All
Progressive Congress, APC, latest target of the
political migrants, said the moves were not
good for Nigeria’s political development.
“Many opposition party members have
defected to APC just because they lost out,
that is not good for political development.
Opposition members should stay where they
are, and form a formidable opposition,” Mr.
Oyegun said.
The APC chairman could be faulted on several
scores. The forte of his party is the arrival of
“defectors” from Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, principally the five governors who left in
one day and took their “followers” with them.
He could not have forgotten that so quickly.
Other defections in quicker successions,
including those who left APC, helped in
“stabilising” APC as it progressed to national
prominence. Defectors would go where the
opportunities appear, APC was a major
beneficiary of this phenomenon.
Under the freedom of association the 1999
Constitution provides, it would be illegal to
deny people party membership, because of
their earlier associations. However, our
democracy cannot develop without convictions
or with politicians who are in pursuit of
momentary gains.
Changes of political garbs highlight the greed
of parties that want power quickly, even
immediately. They have no membership that
has imbibed their values. Standards for
membership and participation in elective
offices, if strengthened, instead of the current
short-term criteria, can rescue our flagging
democracy and check the emergence of a one-
party state.

List of Nigerian looters released by World
Bank. looted money discovered in foreign
banks
Below are names of depositors in London,
Swiss($) USA ($), Germany.
GEN IBRAHIM BABANGIDA 6.25bn 7.41bn
2.00bn 9.00bn
GEN ABUBAKAR 1.31bn 2.33bn 800M
REAR ADMIRAL MIKE AKHIGBE 1.24bn 2.42bn
671M 1bn
GEN JERRY USENI 3.04bn 2.01bn 1.01bn
900M
ALH ISMAILA GWARZO 1.03bn 2.00bn 1.3bn
700M
ALH UMARU DIKKO 4.5bn 1.4bn 700M 345M
PAUL OGWUMA 300M 1.42bn 200M 500M
GEN SANI ABACHA 9.01bn 4.09bn 800M
3.01M
MOHAMMED ABACHA 300M 1.2bn 150M
535M
ABDULKADIR ABACHA 700M 1.21bn 900M
471M
ALHAJI WADA NAS 600M 1.32bn 300M
TOM IKIMI 400M 1.39bn 152M371M
DAN ETETE 1.12bn 1.03bn 400M 1.72bn
DON ETIBET 2.5bn 1.06bn 700M 361M
MAJ AL MUSTAPHA 600M 1.001bn 210M
ANTHONY ANI 2.9bn 1.09bn 360M 1.66bn
BASHIR DALHATU 2.3bn 1.001bn 161M
1.43bn
GEN WUSHISHI 700M 1.301bn
ALH HASSAN ADAMU 300M 200M 700M
T Y DANJUMA 300M 200M 700M
GEN ISHAYA BAMAYI 120M 800M . You can add yours

On the one year anniversary of the abduction
of over 200 Chibok girls, the National Security
Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki has assured
that the girls will be rescued by the military,
adding, that the Sambisa Forest will be
liberated before May 29.
In a statement by PRNigeria, the NSA said,
the movement of the terrorists is being
monitored and the military is leaving no stone
unturned to “rid the country of the last bastion
of terrorists’ infestation”.
“Right now, all Boko Haram camps, except
Sambisa Forest have been destroyed. The
forest would have since been liberated but for
the unfavourable weather condition prevailing
in the area as all needed reconnaissance
activity and necessary deployment of troops
have been made for the operation. ”
“Every movement of the terrorists is being
monitored and every necessary detail is being
taken care of to rid the country of the last
bastion of terrorists’ infestation”.
“Aside the Chibok girls, other Nigerian girls,
boys, men and women were abducted by the
terrorists and all efforts are being made to
rescue them all.”
While appealing for a little more time to
complete the routing of terrorists, Dasuki
recalled that before elections were postponed
in February, over 20 local governments were
occupied by Book Haram and that most
Nigerians were pleasantly surprised that so
much was achieved against insurgency within
six weeks.
Commending President Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan on the successful conduct of the
2015 elections, the security adviser however,
noted that nobody pressured the President
into conceding defeat in the presidential
election.
“President Jonathan had already given his
words to all the security and service chiefs
before the election that he would abide by the
decision of Nigerians. At the meeting, he also
told them to perform their duties
professionally during the polls.
“While we anticipated that he would
congratulate his opponent if the result is
announced in favour of opposition candidate,
he gratuitously without prompting of anyone
conceded defeat to the surprise of all.”
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Fresh indications emerged on Monday that the
South-West geo-political zone would produce
the next Deputy Senate President based on the
ranking rule of the upper chamber which gives
preference to returning senators.
A critical analysis of the incoming 8th Senate
indicated that with a simple majority in the
chamber, the All Progressives Congress’
members are expected to emerge as, Senate
President; Deputy Senate President; Senate
Majority Leader; Chief Whip; Deputy Majority
Leader and Deputy Chief Whip.
A ranking senator, who preferred anonymity,
told our correspondent that the APC Senate
Caucus members were pushing for the Deputy
Senate President slot to be filled by the
South-West since the North-Central and the
North-East were currently battling to produce
the Senate President.
He said South-South and the South-East
would only produce the Minority Leader,
Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip, and
Deputy Minority Whip because none of the
senators from the zone, either new or old, was
a member of the APC which would constitute
the majority in the 8th Senate.
He said the North-West was expected to fill
the slot of the Senate Leader, because there
were many ranking APC senators from the
zone.
But further investigations by our
correspondent in Abuja revealed that there
was a simmering battle among members of
the incoming 8th Senate, as some new
entrants were allegedly insisting that the
ranking rule be set aside during the
composition of the Senate leadership.
A ranking senator confided in our
correspondent on Monday that some fresh
senators, believed to have strong godfathers
were also lobbying party elders to be elected
as principal officers.
The returning senators, he added, were
however insisting on the application of Senate
Standing Orders 2011 (as amended) during
the inauguration of the 8th Senate on June 4.
The rule stipulates that any senator who has
been elected and has been re-elected into the
chamber, has advantage over a member who
is newly elected into the chamber.
Chapter II (2) of the Senate rules specifically
removes any ambiguity about the status of
Senators in the chamber.
The rule titled, “Election of presiding and other
officers states that in determining ranking
states that, “the following order shall apply:
(i) Senators returning based on number of
times re-elected; (II) Senators who had been
members of the House of Representatives; and
(iii) Senators elected as Senators for the first
time.”
Based on this ranking rule, only senators who
had been re-elected based on the number of
times he had won elections in to the Senate,
are expected to form the nuclei of the
leadership.
Attempts to find out details of the meeting
allegedly held in Abuja by the APC Senate
Caucus were unsuccessful as some of the
senators contacted denied knowledge of the
meeting.
For instance, Senator Robert Boroffice (Ondo
North) said, “I am in Ondo State at the
moment. We are resuming tomorrow
(Tuesday), and I don’t have any invitation to
attend any meeting.”

Verily, Verily I say unto you, Children of
Nigeria: Unless you consciously change your
ways and attitude and fully embrace Science
and Information Technology, God may
surprisingly shock the nation and her
citizenry, if Nigeria fails to take advantage of
the Digital promise and opportunities of
knowledge automation presented by 21st
century information society!
Indeed, if we have faith in God and his recent
election message to Nigeria – for transparent
leadership and governance throughout Africa,
then, this is the time to listen to the wakeup
call of making Information Technology the
centerpiece of our national development
mission or perish?
The above subject matter was informed by my
informal discussion with ‘Uncle Sam Amuka’ –
Publisher of Vanguard News Paper – an
accomplished and inspirational Nigerian
knowledge model, better described as a citadel
of monumental humility and bundle of wisdom
– after my recent appearance on Channels
Television to discuss “Technology, 2015-
Election and Governance in Nigeria”.
In the feedback encounter with Uncle Sam
Amuka one significant thing was identified and
perhaps reveled. That is: The audacity to belief
and build trust. According to Uncle Sam, “In
life, there is need to believe in something.
Nigeria has started to have faith and build the
trust for the future of sustainable democracy”.
Indeed, the outcome of Nigeria 2015
Presidential Election is a sign of God –
applying and using Information Technology to
commence the delivery of free and fair
election. Secondly, the most critical lesson
learned from the 2015 Presidential election is
that all the problems of Nigeria (incorporating
Corruption, Terrorism, Technophobia,
Nepotism, Ignorance, Tribalism, Anti-Merit
syndrome, Hate and Excessive Greed, etc)
translate into ‘the absence of the culture of
truth and contentment’ and indeed, the
absence of a credible institutional umpire to
administer truth, fairness and justice at all
levels – in the face imperialism and the
blatant failure of the custodians of the rule of
Law!
While we congratulate INEC & Nigerians, there
is need to unequivocally emphasize that
Information Technology is the CENTRE of
gravity of the current success of electoral
processes in Nigeria! Today, the world is
electronically connected with over 16billion
devices on the Internet – providing access to
knowledge transmission of quantum of trillions
of terabyte of data, (IPv4 to IPv6). Relevant
white papers show that, five (5) years from
now, over 40 billion devices will be connected
to the Internet.
God help the nation that neglects to
strategically respond to the current challenges
of building commensurate capacities and
innovative capabilities for her survival. Nigeria
be warned! If we have the privilege to mine
existing electronic Data in the Nigeria IT
Space, – It will reveal that the 2015 election
was technologically decided 4 Years ago on
Social Media, going by the post election data
on the 2011 election. With 70% of Nigeria’s
population who are youth and equipped with
more than 80 million smart phones of the
available over 134 million Mobile phones, it
no surprise that the 2015 election is and will
predominantly be decided by mobile
technology interface.
General Buhari as CEO is elected to govern
180 million Nigerians, but he may not deliver
the dividend of Democracy, unless Information
Technology and IT Professionals are at the
centre of his leadership program. It is
practically impossible today to govern
effectively and transparently without
Information Technology. Paper Ballots: The
first use of paper ballots to conduct an
election appears to have been in Rome in 139
BC, and the first use of paper ballots in the
United States was in 1629 to select a pastor
for the Salem Church.
All in All, Information Technology has made
the great difference in the 2015 Presidential
election. It has relatively rescued transparency
and restored truth as the ultimate currency for
the prosperous future of Nigeria. Therefore,
sustaining the critical path and role of
information technology to deliver peoples-first,
smart and innovative governance is a strategic
imperative for our survivability and global
competitiveness.
I am concerned, just like other IT Professionals
and Practitioners that while technology is at
the centre of the electoral processes, Nigeria
IT professionals have been totally eclipsed out
of the process – against the spirit of Nigeria
Local Content ACT 2010 and CPN Act 49 of
1993.Whereas, more than 40 Years ago, a
Nigerian Dr. Issaic Odeyemi, became the 1st
African to earn a PhD in Computer Science.
Today, we have only 129 Universities for 180
million people. Whereas, the city of Hanoi
(Vietnam) with 7 million people has about 103
Universities and Mexico has more than 300
Universities. Those countries have clusters
and centres of excellence for Software: OS,
Applications, Bandwidth, Embedded Systems,
Firmware, Utilities, etc. No wonder therefore
that Nigeria is currently at the end of looser
ladder in global IT e-Readiness rating.
The word Technology is a compound name of:
two Greek words: Techne meaning Art Skill or
Craft AND Logos – which means “To Speak”
centered on the collection of Techniques,
Methods and Processes required for the
production of goods and services. Having said
that: Science is concerned with ‘HOW and
WHY things happen’, whereas, Technology is
concerned and focuses on making things
happen. Nigeria’s e-readiness ranking over
the years remains unimpressive. We need a
bold and extra sharp vision to re-focus the IT
profession and Industry for national
survivability. Thanks to Information
Technology, the snatching of electoral ballot
Boxes has diminished from over 90% in the
past elections in Nigeria to an insignificant
percentage in the 2015 election. However,
there are still much work to do on electoral
infrastructure and ICT Tools, Software
Application and Database Management.
Technology is the application of knowledge to
the practical needs of human life. The norm of
the civilized world is: Train a doctor, build
hospital, train Lawyers, build Court Rooms,
train Computer Scientists and Technologist
and empower them with local content
laboratories and national tasks to create
digital solutions. The worlds has moved on,
and now talk about IPv6, Embedded Systems,
Trojan Horses, e-Innovation, CyberSpace
Intrusion, e-Warfare, Automated Government,
Superlative Start-ups etc. while we are busy
wasting precious knowledge time defining
Card Reader out of context and talking about
calculator- based election results! IT and
Software-Nigeria has come of age and must be
trusted, empowered and challenged to perform.
Resolving the National IT Challenge:
*Mandatory automation of all Government
processes, functions and operations (long
overdue)
*Create a consolidated and centralized
National Database (overdue 40 years ago)
*Establish Office of the Chief Information
Technology General of the Federation
*Approve the pending National Software
Strategic Policy and Cyber Security Bill. (long
Overdue)
*Create 10 IT or Knowledge Innovation Parks
in the 1st 100 Days in Office
* Establish 2 Software Engineering Institutes
(SEI) within 2 years in Office – in fulfilment of
the spirit of the Local Content Development
ACT
*Convert the NYSC to an IT Retooling Camp
as IT Capacity Disaster Recovery Strategy
*Create a meaningful Stimulus Package to
empower the IT Industry.

Manchester City's heavy loss to Manchester
United in the derby at Old Trafford on Sunday
was further evidence of the decline suffered by
the reigning Premier League champions this
season.
Instead of defending their title they are now
thrust into a battle to ensure they remain in
the top four places to secure Champions
League football next season. If Liverpool beat
Newcastle United at Anfield on Monday they
will close to within four points.
Irrespective of how this season ends, City's
ageing squad is in need of a serious overhaul
and speculation continues to surround the
future of manager Manuel Pellegrini.
So who should be in or out at the Etihad next
season?
Willy Caballero (goalkeeper)
Age: 33; Signed: 2014 (£6m); Appearances: 2
Caballero was very much Manuel Pellegrini's
man as a signing to understudy Joe Hart,
having had him at Malaga. The Argentine
keeper is unlikely to see a great deal of active
service barring injury - so could make the cut
as a dependable second in line to Hart.
Verdict: May get another season
Did you know? Caballero conceded two goals
in each of his two appearances yet still ended
up on the winning side in both games
(Sunderland and Hull).
Joe Hart (goalkeeper)
Age: 27; Signed: 2006 (£500,000);
Appearances: 30
Not at his best against Manchester United but
England's goalkeeper has maintained his form
this season while others around him have lost
theirs.
If, as expected, City reconstruct their squad
this summer, Hart will surely remain as a
centrepiece in the future.
Verdict: Certain to stay
Did you know? Hart has played more minutes
in the league (2,700) than any other player in
the City squad this season.
Gael Clichy (full-back)
Age: 29; Signed: 2011 (£7m); Appearances:
23; Goals: 1
Once a fine player with a good attitude but
past his best and City need to do better at
left-back if they are to reboot and challenge
for major honours next season.
Verdict: Fine as a deputy but not first choice.
Could be the summer to make a change.
Did you know? Clichy has the best success
rate of anyone to make 50-plus tackles at City
this season, 81%.
Martin Demichelis (centre-back)
Age: 34; Signed: 2013 (£4.2m); Appearances:
25; Goals: 1
Much derided at the start of his City career
but has been their best defender this season -
age may count against him if they decide to
give an ageing squad a fresh look.
Verdict: Done well for City and no hurry to
rush him out of the door but hardly a long-
term bet.
Did you know? Demichelis has made a team-
high 131 clearances in 2014-15.
Aleksandar Kolarov (full-back)
Age: 29; Signed: 2010 (£19m); Appearances:
15; Goals: 0
Now very much a peripheral figure and hard to
see how he would seriously play a part in any
long-term strategy.
Verdict: Time to go.
Did you know? Kolarov is yet to score a goal
this season, he has scored at least one in
each of his previous four campaigns with City.
Vincent Kompany (centre-back)
Age: 29; Signed: 2008 (£6m); Appearances:
23; Goals: 0
The club's inspirational leader and captain
has had a poor season punctuated by injuries
and loss of form that has revealed a
vulnerability that has not been in evidence
before.
Kompany, however, may benefit from a
summer without football following a hectic
schedule, including the World Cup, and City
will hope a period of rest can restore some of
his old powers.
Verdict: Too early to call time on a quality
defender and personality. Will still be around
next season.
Did you know? Kompany has been booked
more often (seven times) than any other City
player this season.
Eliaquim Mangala (centre-back)
Age: 24; Signed: 2014 (£32m); Appearances:
19; Goals: 0
Desperate disappointment after his £32m
move from Porto. The central defender has
looked ill-at-ease and unsuited to the rigours
of the Premier League - one of the signings
who pose questions over those making the
transfer decisions at the Etihad.
Verdict: Does not look up to the job and
cutting losses could be wise but who would
take him at anywhere near a price City might
accept so soon after paying such an
astronomical fee?
Did you know? Mangala has completed 94% of
his passes in his own half this season, the
best rate by any City defender.
Bacary Sagna (full-back)
Age: 32; Signed: 2014 (Free); Appearances: 9;
Goals: 0
Sagna is nearer the end of his career than the
start and is on a three-year deal after making
a free transfer move from Arsenal. He has
been trusted by Pellegrini in many of City's big
games in the Champions League but younger
options may be sought.
Unlikely to be a regular next season but could
still be of use - and would he get a better deal
elsewhere?
Verdict: Hardly one for the future but could
survive as a squad player.
Did you know? Sagna has made just nine
Premier League appearances in his debut
season with City, winning just four of those
games.
Pablo Zabaleta (full-back)
Age: 30; Signed: 2008 (£6.5m); Appearances:
23; Goals: 1
Not a vintage year for the Argentine right-
back who has been one of City's outstanding
performers in recent years and is a hugely
popular figure with their fans.
Zabaleta is made of stern stuff and will be
determined to put matters right next season
and prove he has not passed his peak.
Verdict: In the same category as Kompany. He
has been of such importance to City in their
years of success that it would be rash to cast
him aside after one indifferent season.
Did you know? Zabaleta is the only outfield
player for City to make more than five
appearances and not be either subbed on or
off this season.
Fernandinho (midfielder)
Age: 29; Signed: 2013 (£30m); Appearances:
27; Goals: 2
Not a spectacular player but reliable and
certainly counts as someone worth having
around in the squad. May not be so effective
against the truly top-class European
opposition but worth keeping.
Verdict: Should still be part of plans next
season.
Did you know? Fernandinho has contested
(347) and won (173) more duels than any
other player at the club this season.
Fernando (midfielder)
Age: 27; Signed: 2014 (£12m); Appearances:
21; Goals: 2
Another poor signing at £12m from Porto.
Looks sluggish and seems to be allergic to a
forward pass. What has he brought - or was
meant to bring - to City's team? This is a
question that has not been answered.
Verdict: Out if a buyer can be found.
Did you know? Fernando has a 62% win rate
this season, but when he has not played City
have a 46% win rate, winning just 5 of 11
when he has not featured.
James Milner (midfielder)
Age: 29; Signed: 2010 (£26m); Appearances:
27; Goals: 3
Excellent, under-rated player but could well be
on his way out at Manchester City after no
deal has been agreed on a new contract. A
manager's dream and there will be no
shortage of takers should he move on.
Verdict: Should be kept - but looks
increasingly like he will not be.
Did you know? Milner has been involved in
nine goals this season, a personal record for
him at City in a Premier League campaign.
Samir Nasri (midfielder)
Age: 27; Signed: 2011 (£24m); Appearances:
22; Goals: 2
The odd contribution apart, this has been a
season of under-achievement for a gifted
individual who should contribute so much
more than he does. This has mirrored City's
season and it may be patience has run out.
Verdict: Served his purpose at City and would
not be a huge loss if a good fee can be
recouped.
Did you know? City have had a 59% win rate
when Nasri has played this season but just
50% when he has been absent.
Jesus Navas (winger)
Age: 29; Signed: 2013 (£14.9m); Appearances:
30; Goals: 0
Highly prized on arrival from Sevilla but has
failed to deliver on his promise. The statistic
of 30 Premier League appearances this season
and no goals is damning.
Verdict: Could be in danger if the right offer
comes in. Now 29 and will not get any better.
Did you know? Navas has made a team-high
seven assists this season in the league.
Yaya Toure (midfielder)
Age: 31; Signed: 2010 (£24m); Appearances:
24; Goals: 8
The big dilemma - the driving force behind
City's years of success but has looked
laboured, jaded and occasionally disconnected
this season. He has looked a shadow of his
former self.
He has also failed to impose himself when City
have needed him. No-one should ever under-
estimate what he has done for City but the
time comes for everyone and it may have
come for Toure.
Verdict: If a club such as Inter Milan offer a
decent deal, time to sell and move on.
Did you know? Toure has made more touches
(2,456) than any other player in the squad
this season, ranking fifth league-wide in this
category.
David Silva (forward)
Age: 29; Signed: 2010 (£26m); Appearances:
26; Goals: 11
Maybe not quite touched the previous heights
this season but still a magical footballer
capable of making decisive contributions. A
player and personality who has graced the
Premier League and will continue to do so.
Verdict: Staying.
Did you know? Silva has created 77
goalscoring chances for his team-mates this
year, the most at City and only Eden Hazard
and Cesc Fabregas have created more in the
entire league.
Sergio Aguero (striker)
Age: 26; Signed: 2011 (£38m); Appearances:
27; Goals: 19
World-class, despite a failure to produce his
very best after picking up a knee injury in
December - something that hit City hard.
Aguero is as close to a guarantee of Premier
League goals as you can get and is crucial to
everything City want to achieve.
Verdict: Indispensable. Irreplaceable.
Did you know? Aguero has attempted more
shots (93) than any other player in the league
this season.
Wilfried Bony (striker)
Age: 26; Signed: 2015 (£28m); Appearances:
5; Goals: 1
Brought from Swansea City to give Manchester
City extra cutting edge but has made a slow
start then picked up an injury. He has,
however, proved his Premier League pedigree
and City will expect to see his best next
season.
Verdict: Part of the future.
Did you know? Bony has played just 219
minutes for City this season, making just two
starts and not completing 90 minutes once.
Edin Dzeko (striker)
Age: 29; Signed: 2011 (£27m); Appearances:
21; Goals: 4
Miserable season for the Bosnian whose goals
did so much to bring the title to Manchester
City - just four in 21 Premier League games
reflects his poor form.
The decision to bring in Bony for £25m from
Swansea City was perhaps an admission of
Dzeko's decline and reduced impact. Evidence
suggests City have had his best years.
Verdict: May just have outlived his usefulness
at the Etihad.
Did you know? Dzeko has just four goals so
far this season in 21 appearances, his last
three seasons saw him score 16, 14 and 14
goals respectively.
Stevan Jovetic (striker)
Age: 25; Signed: 2013 (£22m); Appearances:
17; Goals: 5
He is a gifted Montenegrin who has shown
quality in flashes but nowhere near often
enough. Lacks consistency and is another big
buy who has to be classed as a failure.
Verdict: On his way out.
Did you know? Jovetic has been involved in a
goal every 98 minutes for City (five goals,
three assists, 787 mins), only Aguero and
Frank Lampard have a better goal involvement
rate for the club.
Manuel Pellegrini (manager)
A season of disappointment for the manager
who brought the Premier League and League
Cup to Manchester City in his first season -
which means speculation about his future is
now inevitable.
If City, as is still a prospect, finish outside the
top four then it is impossible to see how he
can survive after such investment in his
squad.
And if City could somehow lure Bayern Munich
coach Pep Guardiola to the Etihad he would
also be in peril - no huge appetite for change
as yet but his prospects were not helped by
the manner of City's capitulation against
Manchester United.
Verdict: On thin ice. Uncertain times.
And who might City bring in?
Operating on a money-no-object wish list,
here are three players Manchester City might
love to add to their squad.
Paul Pogba (Juventus)
The brilliant France midfielder is the one who
got away from Manchester United - and it
could take £60m to prise the 22-year-old
away from Juventus.
Powerful, skilful and driven, he would be the
perfect addition to a City midfield that has
looked pedestrian this season.
Complication: If Juve show any inclination to
sell, an orderly queue will form, probably
including Real Madrid and possibly even
Manchester United.
Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)
Just the sort of young English statement
signing that Pellegrini says City are looking to
make. He would add pace to City's attack and
be a creative force.
Complication: Despite an increasingly messy
and public contract impasse, Liverpool insist
he will not be sold this summer.
And when Liverpool owner John W Henry said
the same with Luis Suarez in 2013, he was
true to his word.
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)
The sort of signing that would tell the football
world Manchester City mean business. For all
his supposed struggles at the Bernabeu, a
world-class talent.
Complication - Real insist he will not be sold
and Bale has expressed no wish to leave but
things change by the hour at the Bernabeu.
Also Bale has constantly been linked with
Manchester United should he return to the
Premier League. Chelsea would also show an
interest but City could match any financially.
All appearance stats are from the 2014-15
Premier League season

Construction of the mosque and tomb dates
back to the 16th Century. The central arch is
decorated with inscriptions from the Koran.
Share this story About sharing

The mihrab, the niche in one of the walls
indicating the direction of Mecca that
worshippers face.

The Jamali Kamali mosque and tomb in the
Archaeological Survey of India park at
Mehrauli, south-west Delhi.

Hakeem says that some Muslims in the city
would like all the heritage mosques to be open
for prayers.

The Mohammadwali mosque was built during
the Lodi period (1451-1526).

Some of the 64 domes have collapsed, and
others are cracked and holed.

The Begumpur mosque is based on a design
by Iranian architect Zahir al-Din al-Jayush.
The large courtyard is bounded by cloisters
and a prayer hall.

Photographer Hashim Ahmad Hakeem
travelled across the Indian city of Delhi to
capture what he describes as its forgotten
heritage with pictures of mosques that have
fallen into disrepair.

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BBC News Magazine
13 April 2015
From the section Magazine
There are calls for the US and Canada to put a
woman on a banknote. A similar campaign in
the UK successfully convinced the Bank of
England to put Jane Austen on the £10 note.
But is just one woman per country enough?
American bills have portraits of the country's
Founding Fathers and former presidents.
Chinese notes have Mao Zedong and Indian
ones have Mahatma Gandhi, but none of them
feature any women. Many other currencies
also stick to men, sometimes including a
token woman or two.
Now there are calls for the US to put a female
on the $20 bill. "The United States needs to
show the world that we, too, recognise and
value the contributions of women," says Susan
Ades Stone, executive director of the campaign
group Women On 20s.
"Our money says something about us and
what we represent as a society. So if we're all
about gender equality and diversity and
inclusion, let's walk the walk."
The US currently has seven bills in circulation,
all of which feature distinguished, deceased
American statesmen.
Women On 20s conducted an online poll and
asked people to choose which of 15 historical
female leaders they would most like to see on
the note.
The candidates included civil rights activist
Rosa Parks, birth control pioneer Margaret
Sanger, suffragette Susan B Anthony and
Harriet Tubman who escaped slavery and went
on to lead other slaves to freedom.
More than 200,000 people voted in the first
round, and the second round - set to last a
few weeks - is currently underway.
Eleanor Roosevelt, pictured during her time as
a representative to the United Nations...
... and Rosa Parks are both finalists in the
Women On 20s online poll.
Once the final poll closes, the group will
petition President Obama to replace Andrew
Jackson with the chosen woman.
Many wonder why Jackson - the seventh
president of the US - hasn't been removed
from the $20 bill already. He is especially
unpopular with Native Americans due to his
signing and enforcing the Indian Removal Act
of 1830, which forced tribes off their land.
Thousands of Native Americans died on the
journey west - known as the Trail of Tears -
from exposure, starvation and disease.
His controversial legacy is one of the reasons
why Women On 20s chose to target this
particular bill for change.
Meanwhile in Canada, more than 54,000
people have signed a petition to put a woman
on a banknote there after the sole female to
appear on the country's currency, Therese
Casgrain, was replaced in 2011 by an
icebreaker ship.
"When we open our wallets and see the faces
of four male prime ministers and Queen
Elizabeth, the subtle message is that
Canadian women aren't worthy of being
celebrated," says author and historian Merna
Forster who started the Canadian campaign.
"Sexist banknotes are unacceptable in a
country that boasts of being a world leader in
promoting gender equality… If women are
equal to men in Canada, they should be
equally represented on our banknotes."
A similar petition was launched in the UK in
2013 after it was announced that Winston
Churchill would replace Elizabeth Fry - a
social reformer and philanthropist - on the £5
note. More than 36,000 people signed it and
convinced the Bank of England to put the
author Jane Austen on the £10 note from
2017.
In both the UK and Canada, the Queen's
portrait is on many banknotes. But, critics say
this doesn't count because she appears as a
monarch rather than for her achievements.
Plus, she will eventually be replaced by a male
heir.
Although the UK petition was a success,
campaigners in all three countries - the US,
Canada and the UK - have called for only one
woman on a note. But is that enough? Should
half of all portraits on currencies be of women,
better reflecting the makeup of the
population?
That's what's happened in Sweden. "We
thought it was very important to feature an
equal number of men and women," says
Susanne Eberstein, the chairman of the
General Council at the country's Riksbank. "It
was well in line with our aims. It was very
natural."
Women appear on three of the banknotes
there, although one of those depicted is
Mother Sweden. A new line of Swedish notes,
to be introduced in 2015 and 2016, will feature
three men and three women - actress Greta
Garbo, Pippi Longstocking author Astrid
Lindgren, and opera singer Birgit Nilsson.
Australia, too, has an equal number of men
and women on its banknotes - each one has a
male on one side and a woman on the other,
apart from one with the Queen on it which has
parliamentary buildings on the reverse.
So why isn't Women On 20s petitioning for
more than one woman to appear on American
dollar bills?
The organisation does believe there should be
more women on notes but wanted to be
realistic about its initial goal. "We hope this is
just the beginning," says Stone.
But if bills should equally represent men and
women, shouldn't they also reflect a nation's
racial diversity? Again, this isn't usually the
case, although there are exceptions. Australia,
for example, has five bills in circulation, one of
which features David Unaipon, an Aboriginal
man. Unaipon was a pioneer for Aboriginal
rights as well as a distinguished inventor and
writer.
Every US note features a white man, albeit one
of the country's presidents or Founding
Fathers, even though the US population
comprises many races - notably, 13% are
black and 17% Hispanic. The US Census
Bureau lists seven different races, although
Americans no doubt identify with many more
ethnic backgrounds.
When the Women On 20s selection committee
compiled their list of female candidates, they
were conscious of diversity, but they did not
set out to fill any particular quota, Stone says.
Instead, they focused on the candidates'
overall impact and trusted that a diverse
group would result from the selection process.
It did. The 15 female candidates include
African, Asian and Native Americans as well
as Caucasians.
Another finalist in the vote - Wilma Mankiller,
first female principal chief of the Cherokee
Nation
"I feel that the money that we have now is
very last century," says Stone, adding that the
US has changed enormously.
"We're more diverse. We're more inclusive. And
the money should reflect that." However, "It
would be unrealistic to imagine that we could
have a female representative of every ethnic
group on the bills," she says. "That's for
another campaign."
Perhaps a country can't fully represent the
diversity of its population on a handful of
notes. Euro bills - tasked with representing a
huge span of people, cultures and history -
depict stylised images of windows, doorways
and bridges. Not even actual monuments, let
alone portraits of real people.
So could this be the solution - no portraits at
all?
Norway currently has women on two of its five
banknotes. "In a society where gender equality
is an important value, having both male and
female portraits on the banknotes is a matter
of course," says Hilde Singsaas, from Norges
Bank.
However, Norway will soon be getting rid of
both men and women when it introduces a
new series of notes which will have a sea
theme. The specific designs are not yet
finalised but proposed motifs (below) feature
ships, water and fish. This wasn't because of
difficulty reflecting the diversity of Norway's
population through portraits though, Singsaas
says.
Designs proposed for one side of the
Norwegian banknote are based on the
Beaufort wind speed scale
"All the previous banknote series featured
portraits as the primary motif, without any
clear connection between them," she explains.
"This time, the aim was to find a recurrent
theme binding the banknotes together into a
coherent whole."
Similarly, Denmark recently introduced a new
series of notes featuring bridges and
prehistoric objects rather than people. Its
previous series of five bills had women on two,
men on two and one with a woman and a
man. On its website, the Danish National Bank
explains that the bridges symbolise links
between various parts of Denmark and
between the past and present.
Putting bridges instead of people on the notes
did not have anything to do with difficulty
depicting a diverse population, says the
bank's spokesman Lars Luth Mikkelsen.
Another reason it might be easier to choose
landscapes or buildings over people is that
prominent figures are often controversial in
one way or another, like Jackson in the US.
Every person that you put on a banknote will
garner some negative and some positive
feedback, says Sweden's Eberstein. She and
the Riksbank received criticism about the
decision to put opera singer Birgit Nilsson on
one of Sweden's new notes. Nilsson is pictured
singing an opera by Richard Wagner, whose
works are sometimes associated with Nazi
Germany.
Eberstein pointed out that Nilsson most often
performed Wagner, who is still very popular
today.
"She was a world famous singer," Eberstein
says, "and a good representative of Sweden at
that time."
And Women On 20s' Stone admits, "You can
never please everyone."