₦airaland Forum

felifeli:
Fact : [/b]Nigerians who have gone abroad for whatever reason did not make the system function efficiently ; the met it [b]functioning efficiently because the people living there solved problems

They don't just meet it running efficiently, they help it to continue running effectively by paying taxes and they respect laws designed to prevent excessive wear on the facilities. This, sadly, is a culture lost on many Nigerians.

felifeli:
you have the choice of being part of the solution by getting involved in as little way as you can or contributing to the problem by becoming an evangelist of woes.

Put some more thought into this; by providing constructive criticism they help to revive issues in people who have been so long immersed in the wrong that they are jaded to things around them. This is why Nigerians are satisfied with the half-job ribadu did as EFCC boss. This is why we are appreciative when a Governor delivers even when it turns out that he stole massively.

This is why the navy could tell Nigerian and the Nigerian Senate that Uzoma Okere was beaten for snatching the Naval rating's horsewhip. Yet no one had the balls and common sense to be outraged at why armed personnel carry horsewhips in the first place.

When you travel out, you see things from a fresh, different perspective. You then have a benchmark to compare and contrast with what's going on in Nigeria. we have rich human and natural resources and it's only decent (and patriotic) to be appalled at the state of the Nation.

[quote author=bronx_dog link=topic=216084.msg3316414#msg3316414 date=1231402763]So what the hell? You own NairaLand? Envy? Loud mouth - FYI, I live in the diaspora - go wipe your butt hole with sand paper - loud mouth.[/quote]Keep up the infantile outbursts. They only serve to amuse me!

[quote author=bronx_dog link=topic=216084.msg3315243#msg3315243 date=1231371384]Most of the diasporic Nigerians find it realy easy to compare everything they have seen abroad to things in Nigeria, without realising that where they lived before travelling can determine the way they look back at Nigeria when they travel, example below:

If you lived in places like Ajegunle, Iyana Ipaja, Auchi, Obolo Epie, Azare, etc before you travelled out - - When you get to London say, everything will be like paradise to you, but if you lived in places like Lekki, Victoria Island, Abuja, Calaba, PH - etc, you will find nothing alluring on the streets of London and co.[/quote]Most of us see how things are supposed to be when we travel outside the country. We see how the rail system could improve our transportation. We see 24/7 electricity. We see roads without massive potholes etc

but i fail to see the point of your article. What percentage of Nigerians live in places like VGC?

This backlash against Nigerians in diaspora has some element of envy in it, IMHO. Sigmund freud would have had a field day with you.

Now, give me one good reason why this is in the 'Politics' section?


Disclaimer: I'm not a 'Nigerian in Diaspora'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avivim_school_bus_massacre

Avivim school bus massacre

The Avivim school bus massacre was a terrorist attack that took place in Israel on May 8, 1970 near Moshav Avivim on the border with Lebanon. Palestinian gunmen from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) attacked the town's school bus, killing twelve people, mostly children.

Early in the morning, the bus departed from Avivim heading with its passengers to two local schools, as it did every morning following the same route. This route had secretly been scouted by the Palestinians in the weeks leading up to the assault, and a careful ambush was prepared. As the bus passed the ambush point, just ten minutes after leaving Avivim, it was attacked by heavy automatic gunfire from both sides of the road. The driver was amongst those hit in the initial barrage, as were the two other adults on board, all three being killed as the bus crashed into an embankment, the gunmen still firing into the vehicle.

By the time rescue parties from Avivim arrived, the assailants were gone, and it also took some time for ambulances and military vehicles to arrive, allowing the attackers time to escape, unfortunately failing to arrive in time to save some of the wounded children who died at the scene. In all nine children (aged between six and nine) and three adults, all civilians, were killed in the attack. Nineteen other children were seriously wounded by the gunfire.
The attack is often mentioned alongside the 1974 Ma'alot massacre, also carried out by the DFLP, in which 26 civilians, most of them high school students, were murdered.

The gunmen were believed to be operating from southern Lebanon, and it was the increasing volume and violence of attacks such as this which prompted Operation Litani, the Israeli invasion of Southern Lebanon in 1978.

Typical cycle of violence. These people provoke the israelis long enough until they react brutally. At least in this article you can see where it states that the deliberate target of children was planned meticulously.

Despite the blockade of gaza, it's clear that hamas has managed to smuggle enough rockets and arm into the territory. If only they had spent that effort bringing in food. So what's clear is that any ceasefire is used by Hamas to stockpile more weapons.

The rockets they are firing are simple and unguided. They are of little use engaging an army inmotion. All they are used for is killing civillians.

So while Israel observed the ceasefire, hamas had been stockpiling and upgrading weaponry primarily meant for killing civillians including women and children.

Child Killers, eh?

@airroseice
Sorry, but no. Your phone has DVB-H, but MTN and DSTV have restricted the service to the ZTE phone, so they make money from the subscription and the crappy chinese phone.

doyin13:
This goes way beyond more than Ribadu the man. This is more
about the people who feel they are untouchable, a cabal whose hornet
Ribadu undoubtedly disturbed. A message is being sent, that we are simply
pawns, pieces on a board, while the Kings and Queens cart off the loot.

Surely you see the irony in your post, considering the fact that Ribadu went nowhere near the untouchables you refer to. All the people arrested were disposable in one way or another.
Anenih, Bode George, Andy Uba, Danjuma, Jerry Useni, Babangida. . .all these people went scot free.

Who did he arrest? spent forces like Tafa balogun, out-of-favour governors like Alams? Yahoo crimelords like Ajudua with little political capital?

You people claim that our problem is from our leaders. Why did Ribadu do nothing to curb babangida who stole billions of dollars?
You claim Ribadu's dismissal is sending a wrong signal. What kind of signal is it when you arrest only the weak and leave the strong cabal to enjoy their stolen loot?

Please let someone asnwer the above question in bolded font.

Ibime:
Any buffoon should know that there are certain untouchables in this country, and one cannot expect Ribadu to go after them. They are beyond his jurisdiction.

There's little wonder why we're in such a sorry state when people have this kind of mindset. Ribadu was hired to head the EFCC, given sweeping powers and provided with an armed force to go with it. His jurisdiction involved proscuting all cases of Economic and financial crimes. We expected him to do just that. Pity some Nigerians have such low expectations.

Ibime:
With the remit he was given, he performed admirably, to the point that "The fear of EFCC was the beginning of wisdom".

Performed admirably? i think not. of all the Governors he claimed to have dossiers on, how many were prosecuted. At least he stayed on in the EFCC job for a while after the Governors lost their immunities at the end of their terms. Where were the flurry of arrests e led Nigerians to believe he was going to carry out?

Only the weak feared Ribadu. The inner PDP caucus moved unhindered.

Nigerians are easily satisfied with rhetoric. Play to the gallery and they'll be eating from your palms. Perhaps Yar'Adua should hire a better publicist.

mikeansy:
I still don't know why Festus Keyamo is a leader of thought in Nigeria

Why is what he says news worthy?

i'm sorry, but i'm going to have to call you out on this.
Why does someone have to be 'newsworthy' before you ponder what he says?

We're talking about the legality of Ribadu's dismissal. keyamo is a lawyer. I'm not, and i'm pretty sure you aren't too.
Pick issues with his logic and not with his personality.

Apologies for the long post. It's an interesting read, though.

Gents, your thoughts on this is needed

http://www.huhuonline.com/news287.html

WHY RIBADU’S DISMISSAL IS LEGALLY CORRECT
BY FESTUS KEYAMO

There has been so much legal and moral misinformation, emotions and sentiments flying around over the dismissal of Nuhu Ribadu from the Nigerian Police Force. Some of my friends have called to say that because I have started to prosecute some alleged corrupt persons on behalf of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission a few months ago, it may be misinterpreted that my support for Ribadu’s dismissal may be because I am anxious to please the E.F.C.C. I have laughed at such insinuations. Those who have followed my views know that my positions have been consistent for some years now, even when Ribadu was still Chairman of E.F.C.C.

For instance, as a reminder to Ribadu’s supporters who are now crying “denial of fair hearing”, some Nigerians woke up one morning early in 2007 to see a list released by Ribadu’s E.F.C.C., called “list of indicted politicians seeking elective offices”. Many of them were neither called to answer any question nor were they aware of any on-going investigation involving them. In my column in Sunday Sun of February 11, 2007, I called it the “Evil List”. I also took a swipe at Ribadu’s E.F.C.C. for doing the dirty bidding of Obasanjo and the P.D.P. Very many of my public comments, before and after then, notably on the inability of Ribadu to bring to book the likes of Andy Uba, Bode George, Kenny Martins, e.t.c. have shown my consistency on Ribadu’s E.F.C.C. for many years now. Again, despite the fact that I was well acquainted with Ribadu long before he became Chairman of E.F.C.C., I never applied or went to him, even once, for any brief when he was chairman of E.F.C.C.

But we have it on record that some very prominent lawyers who were consultants to the E.F.C.C. under Ribadu supported Ribadu all the way in breaking constitutional provisions when impeaching Governors and indicting persons to prevent them from contesting the 2007 elections. Some even said it was right for as small as six or even two legislators out of twenty four (24) to remove a Governor from office. Yet, no one accused them of being tongue-in-cheek because of the fat consultancy fees they were getting from the E.F.C.C.

Therefore, those uninformed persons who are inclined to pour invectives on anyone who dare support the dismissal of Ribadu from the Police Force are on very weak grounds in the argument. When anyone resorts to personal abuse in any controversy, it is most likely the person is losing ground in respect of the strength of his argument.

But despite my previous position on Ribadu, I have taken a passionate look at his dismissal from the Nigerian Police Force and I have come to the conclusion that the dismissal was legally correct and constitutionally sound. This is because as a lawyer and a victim of rights abuse many times by the authorities, I know that it is not in all cases that the authorities are wrong when they are in conflict with individuals. In some cases, the individuals may be wrong. In this case, some people in authority may have intended to “deal” with Ribadu, but Ribadu, due to a combination of bad advice and arrogance, presented himself on a platter of gold to be “slaughtered”, and the authorities readily took advantage. These are my reasons:


It however took the intervention of the United States Consulate before Asiwe was released on bail on the 4th of November, 2008.


The facts of the case is that sometime earlier this year, some police officers numbering about 139 were demoted in rank because their promotion, in the first place, was not sanctioned by the Police Service Commission that is constitutionally empowered to promote these Officers. Nuhu Ribadu was affected as he was demoted from A.I.G. to D.C.P., the rank which his course mates were still wearing. I am still at a loss as to what gave Ribadu the impression that he was the target amongst these other fine officers who lost their rank in similar circumstances. He must have felt more important than his colleagues because he had been placed on a high horse by the over-hyped attention he received for a few years. He never wanted to come down from that high horse.


Anyway, this demotion happened when he was undergoing a course at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS). Ribadu, unlike his colleagues, did not accept the decision. He reacted by doing the following:


(i) Refusal to put on the Police uniform again, notably during the visit of his course mates to the President and Commander-in-chief, President Yar’Adua, and during the graduation at NIPSS. On both occasions he wore an “agbada”.


(ii) He instituted court actions against the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigerian Police Force, the E.F.C.C., the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Police Service Commission, etc. In all these, he did not get the consent of Government as required by law (we shall discuss the constitutionality of this later).


(iii) He refused to report to the office of the Inspector-General of Police after he finished his course, despite several signals sent to him.


(iv) He refused to report at his duty post in Benin to which he was posted after completing his course.


(v) He refused to report to the E.F.C.C. to give an account of his stewardship as directed by the Inspector-General of Police.


It is not in doubt that all of these acts mentioned above are known offences under the Nigerian Police Regulations and the Public Service Rules.


TThe controversy that has arisen is whether Ribadu was justified in behaving this way and whether the requirement of consent to institute legal action is constitutional. Let me address these preliminary issues first.


The excuse for and on behalf of Ribadu has been that since he did not accept his demotion and was challenging it in court, he did not know the uniform to wear and could not have resumed in a duty post not befitting of the rank he is claiming. But is that also the reason why he did not obey the summons of the Inspector-General of Police to report in his office?


Anyway, the point is that Nuhu Ribadu had sought an injunction in court to restrain the Inspector-General of Police from relating to him as a Deputy Commissioner of Police. The court turned down that request. As a result, it behoved on Ribadu to maintain the status quo ante. This has been defined in many judicial decisions as the position of both parties just before hostilities begin in court. In the case of Ribadu, that position was that Nuhu Ribadu had been demoted to a D.C.P. Afterall, that was why he went to court. He therefore had a duty to continue to relate with the Police Force with that rank, whilst awaiting the decision of the courts.


What he tried to do was nothing but self-help. It would have been a different thing if he had rushed to court to try and stop a planned demotion. In that case, the Police would have had a legal duty to maintain the status quo ante by relating with him as an A.I.G. Therefore, there was nothing wrong in Ribadu continuing to obey lawful instructions as a D.C.P., whilst awaiting the decision of the courts. His act in refusing to obey orders just because he was challenging an action in court was nothing but gross indiscipline. If all Policemen take the Force to court and stay away from duty to await the court decision, the Police Force will instantly collapse.


Now, the next question is whether it is unconstitutional to seek the approval of government, as a Civil Servant before instituting legal proceedings, as Ribadu did not do.


Regulation 367 of the Nigerian Police Regulations states as follows:


“ (1) Except with the prior approval of the Government, no police officer shall institute any legal proceedings in his own personal interest in connection with matters arising out of his public duties.


(2) A police officer who receives notice of the intended institution of legal proceedings against him in a matter arising out of his public duties shall immediately report the matter to the Inspector-General of Police for instructions.”


This regulation, it is submitted, is not a bar to legal proceedings. If it is a bar, then it would be against the provisions of the constitution, especially Section 6(6)(b). But it is merely a “condition precedent” to institution of proceedings.


A number of decisions, by the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court have held that such provisions are not unconstitutional.


The following cases are instructive in this regard:


(1) Gambari v. Gambari (1990) 5 NWLR (Pt. 152) 572 (2) Anambra State Govt. v. Nwankwo (1995) 9 NWLR (Pt. 418) 245 (3) Afolagbe v. Awuni (1999) 9 NWLR (Pt. 522) 536 (4) Shuagba v. U.B.N. Plc (1999) 11 NWLR (Pt. 627) 459


At this stage, one may argue that since the regulation subtly gives the Government the right not to give such consent to sue then the provision can be a bar to a right to litigate, and as such it is unconstitutional. However, it will be the refusal of the government to give consent to the action that will be unconstitutional and challengeable in court and not the provision requiring the consent. In this regard, the seeking of consent must be seen as merely routine, which will mean no more than to have record of such cases going to court.


Having dealt with these preliminary issues, it is necessary to consider what happened next. As was well reported in the media, the Inspector-General of Police then issued Ribadu queries regarding his conduct. This was followed by the setting up of a Force Disciplinary Committee, which was set up to try erring Police Officers, including Ribadu. As it turned out, Ribadu was invited, first in Kaduna to defend himself. He declined to appear. Another invitation was extended to him in Abuja. He again declined to appear. The Committee then submitted its report to the I.G.P who forwarded it to the Police Service Commission. The Commission met, considered the report and dismissed Ribadu from the Police Force.


The issue that has arisen since this decision is whether the procedure adopted in dismissing Ribadu was proper in law. To answer this question, one has to look at all the relevant provisions of the law.


AIt is not in doubt by all parties concerned, that the Police Service Commission has powers to discipline any Police Officer, which includes dismissal from the Force. The major complain has been the procedure adopted in doing this and whether it accords with the principles of fair hearing.


The Police Service Commission is one of the Federal Executive bodies established by Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution. Section 30 of the Third Schedule to the Constitution states as follows:


“The commission shall have power to – (a) appoint persons to offices (other than the office of the Inspector-General of Police) in the Nigerian Police Force; and (b) dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over persons holding any officer referred to in sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph.”


Now section 160(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which deals with how these Federal Executive bodies will operate (including the Police Service Commission) states as follows:


“(1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, any of the bodies may, with the approval of the President, by rules or otherwise regulate its own procedure or confer powers and impose duties on any officer or authority for the purpose of discharging its function.”


Question: Does the Police Service Commission have rules for regulating its own procedure?


The answer is that the provision of Section 160(1) of the 1999 Constitution is replicated, albeit in a slightly different language, in Section 46(b) of the Police Act, which states as follows:


“46. Power to make regulations The President may make regulations on the recommendation of – (a) …………………… (b) the Police Service Commission with respect to appointments to offices in the Force, promotion, transfer, dismissal and disciplinary control of officers.”


Pursuant to this section, the Police Service Commission, with the approval of the President, made the Nigerian Police Regulations, 1968. Part XVI (or 16) of the Regulations provides for Discipline. Regulation 369 states as follows:


“369 Disciplinary proceedings against superior police officers (1) Superior police officers, in addition to the code of conduct set out in Part XV of these regulations shall, where applicable, be subject to the discipline prescribed by chapter 4 of General Orders for officers holding offices in the Civil Service of the Federation save that where provisions are made in respect of the same matter by both the said Chapter 4 of General Orders and Part XV of these Regulations the provisions of Part XV of these regulations shall apply.


(2) Where a superior police officer is charged with any misconduct contrary to the provisions of Part XV of these regulations or of chapter 4 of General Orders, the conduct of any disciplinary proceedings shall be in accordance with the rules specified in Chapter 4 of the General Orders and the competent authority shall be the Nigerian Police Council of the Federation.”


The General Orders referred to therein are now known as the Public Service Rules, 2006. And Chapter 4 referred to therein is now chapter 3 dealing with discipline.


“It is submitted that since the Police Service Commission has not provided elaborate rules to regulate its proceedings for discipline, the Provisions of Chapter 3 of the Public Service Rules shall apply mutatis mutandis to the Nigerian Police Force.


Rules 03/03/02 of the Public Service Rules, 2006, partly provides as follows:


“As soon as a superior officer becomes dissatisfied with the behaviour of any officer subordinate to him, he shall be his duty to so inform the officer in writing, giving details of unsatisfactory behaviour and to call upon him to submit within a specified time such written representation as he may wish to make to exculpate himself from disciplinary action…”


I have cited this rule to show that a “superior officer”, in this case the Inspector-General of Police, can initiate the disciplinary proceedings against any of his subordinates by serving him a query and ensuring that the subordinate is heard regarding allegations against him. This is not against the provisions of Section 30 of the Third Schedule to the Constitution because by exercising this power, the Inspector-General of Police merely ensures that the officer is heard in respect of the allegations, but he does not usurp the constitutional powers of the Police Service Commission to impose sanction on the officer.

The provision of Section 369(2) above that the “competent authority” shall be the “Nigerian Police Council of the Federation” is null and void for its inconsistency with Section 30 of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution which makes the Police Service Commission the appropriate authority.

Now in Ribadu’s case, in line with the Public Service Rules, the Inspector-General of Police set up a committee to ensure Ribadu got a fair hearing regarding the allegations against him. But in line with the Constitution, the Inspector-General of Police declined to exercise the power to dismiss Ribadu. Rather, he passed the proceedings and recommendations to the Police Service Commission which took the decision, in exercise of its constitutional powers, to dismiss Ribadu.

Let us note very well that the Police Service Commission can regulate its own procedure with the approval of the President. THERE IS NO STATUTE PRESCRIBING HOW THE POLICE SERVICE COMMISSION SHOULD ARRIVE AT A DECISION TO DISMISS AN OFFICER. Therefore, it has a discretion not spelt out by legislation on the matter. By virtue of Section 160 of the Constitution, the procedure adopted can be by “rules or otherwise”.

If the Police Service Commission then accepts the procedure whereby an officer is given fair hearing by the Police and the recommendation passed on to it to take the final decision, can we challenge that exercise of discretion by the Police Service Commission? The simple answer is NO. The superior courts have held in many cases that you cannot challenge the exercise of discretion by a body legally empowered to exercise that discretion. What is important is that in the procedure approved by the statutory body in exercising its discretion, the twin principles of natural justice are fully observed. These principles are nemo judex in causa sua (no one ought to be a judge in his own cause) and audi alteram partem (hear the other side).

In this case, Ribadu was given the full opportunity to defend himself (twice) and he declined to appear. The principle of fair hearing does not demand that you must be heard at all cost. All you need is an opportunity to be heard. If you fail to take the opportunity, then you cannot complain later that you were not heard.

Even in the case of Ribadu, since he is a member of a disciplined Force like the Police, failure to appear before the Force Disciplinary Committee itself is an act of gross indiscipline. It is a different thing if he had appeared, but on protest regarding the composition or powers of the Committee. This he did not do. If you disobey lawful orders within a disciplined Force, you are liable to be dismissed. There are no two ways about it. If Ribadu had been left alone, then all officers will take the Force to Court and cite Ribadu’s case as a bad precedent. No Inspector-General of Police worth his office will tolerate that kind of nonsense.

If you really look at it, what Ribadu’s friends are saying, in essence, is that Ribadu should be an “untouchable” because he is perceived to have fought a few people in the past. They are really saying he should get away with disobedience, insubordination, indiscipline, unaccountability - all because of some puerile argument that some “powerful forces” or “unseen hands” are after him. Please, spare me these arguments. Did those powerful “corrupt” forces tell him to disobey lawful orders? Did those powerful forces predict correctly how Ribadu would behave so that he would be charged and dismissed?

Many in this government may be accused of corruption and encouraging corruption. I will never defend them on that score. Infact, all previous governments, including the one Ribadu served, only paid lip service to the anti-corruption crusade. So I totally agree that accusation may not be incorrect.

But to say a Police Officer should be allowed to get away with insubordination because the government is anxious to prove it is prepared to fight corruption is arrant nonsense.

The pain and cry of Ribadu and his friends remind me of the pain and cry of the family and friends of those who were indicted by Ribadu and disqualified from the 2007 elections without hearing from them or giving them a fair hearing.


But two wrongs do not make a right. He was given a fair hearing unlike those he indicted. But he refused to take the advantage. The authorities were, therefore, right by showing him the way out of the Police Force.

Guys,
I claim to be cynical and somewhat jaded, but i still have hope that Nigeria can be fixed. And i'm really pleased we've all brought logic to the table in this discussion so far.
Well done all!

From some replies, i see many are still convinced that tackling corruption from the head is the only option. But if we're to give this matter some thought, let's take a careful look around and see if there aren't many things going wrong that can be fixed by the ordinary citizenry.

I admit that a charismatic spearhead like Ribadu can be a big motivator, but we should be able to function without that. We should be able to fight for decency, for honesty and for progress.

I didn't always have this mindset; I too placed all the blame on our leaders. But shock also is a good motivator. Permit me to narrate an example from my past.

In 2007 i was in Schipol Airport in amsterdam after a transit flight from france. I approached a passport officer and pointed out to him that the stamp imprint from the French immigration people at CDG airport was too faint to be legible. It was my first visit to a Schengen country and i wasn't sure if that could be an issue later on. next thing i knew, the guy summoned two police officers and i was detained for one hour while they were busy reviewing my documents, calling my company, the hotel i had booked, checking my finances etc.
it didn't matter to them that I was the one who even approached them with the issue. As far as i was concerned, I was nigerian and that was evidence enough of my potential for mischief.

As i sat shivering outside the office between two armed policemen, it occurred to me that my travails had nothing to do with corrupt leaders, but with ordinary Nigerians who had been sneaking into the country with forged passports only to enter a world of crime.

perhaps we all have 'shock' moments like these that we can reflect on so we know what we're against.

here's another angle; we agree the fight against corruption must go on. But we're not nearly as empowered as Ribadu was under Obasanjo. So why don't we focus on doing what we can, helping to stamp out coruption in our spheres of influence?

Frizy:
No, there is no proportionality when we know this warfare is just a guerrilla war. Israel with the aid of the United States have been able to secure a military complex. However, whenever Palestine seeks to acquire weapons in order to protect itself, it's seen as illegal. In there own land? The air strikes Gaza suffered in days would not have happened if Gaza had self propelled heat seekers to blast off the F-16. So there is no proportionality, Israel's blockage to all humanitarian efforts, Israel's red alert on newly achieved weapons by Hamas, and Israel's control of land, sea, and air therefore- for a proportionality they need to allow the free flow of weaponry and arsenals particularly from Iran and other Muslims State. For proportionality they need tanks, and fighter jets, for proportionality they need to allow Palestinians master the art of war rather using stones as a form of defense.

Because, why must the US equip Israel and lay sanctions on any individual/country/organization that has his pledge to the Palestinians. Why?. Why must you think you're right and call others terrorist? . Don't you think you're also a terror to them?

You've been ranting that Israel's response to the Hamas rocketry is disproportionate. I asked you how you think Israel could have reacted 'proportionatley' and here you are talking about more weaponry for Hamas?
Inject some more intelligence into this, please!

Funny enough, by telling us all that open borders to Gaza means more weapons for Hamas, you're actually making a case for why Israel should continue the blockade.

Lagosboy:
I was at a rally in london on saturday Jewish rabbis were there to protest against Zionism and israel's war crimes. The rally was addressed by Tony Benn a cgirstian, George Gallowey a christian. Bishops and reverend protesting against the aggression of israel and here we are black Nigerians out of hatred for islam supporting every action of the Israeli state.

And how many muslims have you seen ever going against the actions of Hamas/hezbollah et al?
Naive people who have never been under the cosh before. You think the british people who endured the blitz in World War two had much sympathy for the Germans during the siege of berlin?

Lagosboy:
Israel have been killing palestinians before Hamas was founded. Remember the Jenin massacre in 2000 if anyone remebers. Remember Goldstein who entered a mousque and killed 18 people while saying their prayers in the 90's.

And what do you call the Munich killings of Israeli Athletes? The suicide bombings, the hijackings. Assisted suicide?

@frizy
it does not say well for you that you've continously avoided the question.

"What, in your opinion, is a proportional response, and how does Israel go about it"?


Stop dodging the shoe bullet by ranting about 'Zionists'.

Apologies for starting with a quote

LFJ:
Nigeria's problem as far as corruption is concerned is a generational curse. The way some of us express ourselves on this issue is another clear indication that Nigeria's future is in danger.

We ought to be crying for what has befallen us as a nation, Our generation seems to be another wasted one and based on the existing structure, our children may not see a brighter future too except by 'God's intervention'.
How do we see a better tomorrow or a brighter future when the man that sacrificed a lot to put things right by prosecuting corrupt public office holders as well as corrupt citizens is now an enemy of the state.

Anyone who has read thus far should appreciate my point. Why exactly do we think the struggle against corruption should be down to one man, one role as the EFCC boss?

Nigeria can be made better if we all tackle corruption around us. Instead Nigeria is full of cowards who wait for a messianic figure to rise up and do all the dirty work. This, i feel, is the real reason why many people are burning with outrage here.

You all know yahoo boys in your neighbourhood. We all continue to buy fuel from the guy who sells at N15 above the normal selling price. We all know the butcher who adjusts his scales. We know the lecturer that takes bribes. Yet we do nothing. Yet we wait like craven cowards for a messiah to rise up and save us when we can do something positive ourselves.

Ribadu is one man. Forget about him already! Do we need recognition for doing the right thing? Do you not realise that while it hurts you when your Governor steals money, it hurts your children perhaps even more when the secondary school's bursar steals money meant for upgrading the lab. Yet some of you smile and pout at the PTA meetings then go home to insult the President.
The petty trader is far more affected when her trader uses a trick cup to cheat her when buying rice for her starving kids than what happened to the gulf War winfall that IBB stole. Corruption exists everywhere but Nigerians have long turned a blind eye to the grassroots corruption that is strangling our people.


I can already imagine people coming up with the oft-repeated excuse of 'fighting corruption from the top'. Even if we jail all the corrupt leaders, where does the feeder stock come from? Is it not the same hopelessly corrupt youth you see all around you? or the cynical, greedy Nigerians that you talk to everyday?
More to the point, does it not make more sense for a full frontal, full spectrum war on corruption, instead of waiting anxiously with bated breath for then next 'big fish' to be convicted.

Of all the retuned monies from the 'Big fish', how much has come back to improve the lot of the masses? Despite the billions recovered, did the price of Garri fall? or Rice? or Beans? Cement? Any reduction in price of fuel?
Nope.

Now imagine the benefits that can be reaped if concerned parents get together during a PTA session and kick out a corrupt Bursar, freeing up money to upgrade the school and give their Children a better education. Imagine what would happen if people stop buying fuel from those that sell above N70. The price would have to fall to normal. Imagine if back in 2001 people shunned yahoo Boys, we'd have a much better image now as a country and as individuals.

but that can only happen if we overcome our cowardice, our selfishness, our desire to have someone else do our dirty work. Which is why we've placed a Halo on Ribadu's head. Which is why we flock to midnight vigils hoping that men of God would lay hands on us and make us alone rise above the filth.

We can reduce corruption in Nigeria if we all act in our spheres of influence. We need to stop focusing on Ribadu and Waziri et al and start holding our ground against corruption at whatever level we find ourselves.

People blame Mugabe's reallocation of prime farmland to ex-rebels who knew nothing about farming for the famine sweeping through Zimbabwe. And that's true. but there have been several universities of Agriculture in Zimbabwe for many years. What were the graduates from those schools doing when they saw rich famland being abused cruelly? What may have happened if concerned citizens had come forward in an advisory role to rescue a declining situation? Do those people with expertise in irrigation, crop fertilization etc not share some blame for standing idly during this decline?


Happy new year, everyone.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-03-22-christians-iraq_N.htm

Although they make up only about 5% of Iraq's population, Christians make up nearly 40% of the refugees fleeing Iraq, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Lately, Sunni militants have forced Christians to pay a jizya (or "donation" to the insurgency, or be targeted themselves, al-Naufali said. Still, like Zanbaqa, he urges Christians to stay.

"We were here 600 years before Islam and have archaeological sites in Iraq from the first century of Christianity," he said. "I'm really surprised when someone asks me why we're still in Iraq."


http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/10/15/iraq.christians.mosul/index.html
The number of Christian families who have fled the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in the past week has reached 1,350, authorities said Wednesday.

The families fled, reportedly frightened by a series of killings and threats by Muslim extremists ordering them to convert to Islam or face possible death, Iraqi officials said.

Fourteen Christians have been slain in the past two weeks in the city, which is located about 260 miles (420 kilometers) north of Baghdad

@Frizy, JustGood
When your Imam talks about Palestinians robbed of their lands, does he touch on the issue of Christians now being forced out of many places in Iraq by adherents of the 'religion of peace'?

Strange that no Arab leader or country has come out to protest this injustice, or encouraged the displaced Christians to begin an 'Intifada'.

Hamas released a statement palestinian TV saying:

"The aggression continues against our people, universities, mosques and everything that is there. The Zionist enemy targeted the houses of worship, the mosque -- and the worst was today when they targeted the Ibrahim Maqadmeh mosque, killing dozens of civilians," said Radwan.

My question is, where was this asswipe when Churches are being burnt in Nigeria and worshippers hacked to death?

Frizy:
@davidlyan

Your continuous justification of what cannot be justified only shows your heartlessness.

Typical. You dodge all valid points raised against your argument in favour of the same tired lines Imams have been feeding you lot for years.

JustGood:
Its very good.

An armed robber steals ur home and gives your family the boys quarters to live in. . . are you expected to smile every time you go past the main house? You'll be breaking everything breakable. That's what the Palestinians seem to be doing.

Israel should end the occupation of Palestinian territories so that everyone will then be able to see that Hamas is evil. At the moment Israel is the one provoking the Palestinian action by robbing Palestinians of their land and expecting them to keep quiet just because they possess superior fire power.

Look, there will be no peace as long as you lot keep going back to that line. Israel was given the land by the United Nations, and at that time they thought they were making a fair judgement. Were the roles to be reversed, the israelis would have long been butchered.

[quote author=Negro_Ntns link=topic=211705.msg3300430#msg3300430 date=1231005527]Why does it take the presence of US, NATO, Greek, China and a host of other countries in the Gulf of Aden to combat piracy?

Any connection of their presence to something much more interesting in that zone? Any imbalance elsewhere around the globe that need to be countered by establishing presence in the Horn of Africa? Sovereign interest, security access,. . . etc??

Instead of exercising vision against unecessary invasion of Africa by non-entities of foreign capital interests, you all are scuffling and entertaining yourselves about Chinese martial arts.[/quote]*sigh*

It's never a good idea to be too paranoid. that route is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Every nation has a vested interest in keeping it open especially for Oil tankers and vehicles carrying goods.
It's also a large expanse of water and it would be difficult for one country alone to bear the cost and resources incurred while policing the area.

auwal87:
500 Innocent People were killed in 9 days of Israel attacks on Gaza
10 People were killed in Hama's 2 years of firing rockets into Israel

There's little difference between Hamas and Yourself. Imagine referring to the Palestinian dead as 'innocents' whereas the people killed in their homes in Israel must be guilty, eh?

Life is not about comparing numbers. Any responsible nation must place more value on their own. if an armed robber gave you a choice, either he kills one of your sibling or he wipes out the family down the street, what option will you take?

All the people protesting have never had rockets aimed at them.

Port Harcourt has long been one of the most dangerous places in the delta, and throwing hundreds of street-smart, able bodied men out of work is hardly the way to go about making millitancy unattractive.
Don't get me wrong, i'm not a fan of Okadas. I've had to fix my side mirror twice and have had to do some cosmetic repairs to my vehicle thanks to their attentions but has anyone realised that

1. Okada men, fresh out of a means of livelihood are now more likely to turn to kidnapping, with a focus on houses where they've dropped people off before
2. Replacing Okadas with buses and taxis will make a congested road network even more congested. So where i've spent an hour and half getting home from work, i should now start looking forward to 2.5 hours in holdup.


amaechi is in little danger of being kidnapped, and his MOPOL attendants will always force a path for him in traffic jams, so it's easy for him to make such decisions.

Surprised none of you guys question the N40 billion figure.

flyuche:
congrats! now i am getting the $99 iphone.

You were too busy trying to score points here that you did not realise that it's $99 with a two year contract. And believe me, AT & T aremeticulous in making sure that you do not walk out of the store without a 2 year contract signed, especially on the refurbs which are usually hot sellers.

@Djcn
1. The 2.2 Jailbreak has been out for a while now. what the Devteam has been working on is a software unlock for the iPhone 3G. You imply that a 'recent software update' had plugged the exploit, whereas no update till date has closed the exploit used in the first gen iPhone. At least i assume you're referring to the first gen iphone because prior to now, no software unlock method has been available for the 3G.

You may want to do some more research before calling out Inferis.

Djcn:
They have locked down the OS on these devices very tightly, and provided no documentation on how to access the OS or write applications for it.

So what do yo call the Appstore apps and the iPhone SDK? Isn't the SDK a means to develop third party applications for the iPhone? Developers using the SDK swear that it's far far far more accessible than most out there.

I think you need to fully grasp a topic before you start arguing about it. a

lol
you never give up, do you?
Sony's oft-delayed Home has been largely poorly reviewed, and in fact is suffering a wave of criticism for it's inane censorship and the infANTILE behavior of most of the users who happily mob any female avatar they run across.
We need the PS3 to functionfirst as a games console before we start talkingf about chat

Your link ain't working, man.

@bosstdiamonds

is this

[flash=425,355]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fjGcQBXFR8[/flash]

possible on your Symbian phone?
a
@Inferis
Leave Djcn alone on the 'Naughty Boys' thingy. Seun's nairaland word censorship turns h'ackers into 'Naughty Boys'. lol
Kinda like Sony's Ps3 Home censoring 'Hell', so 'Hello' turns to '****o'. Lots of puzzled guys out there wondering why people they meet have ****o in their speech balloons.
Also censored in Home ar the words 'Jew, 'Christ'.

@flyuche
There's something sad about someone going out of his way to run down what he does not own or understand. You could not afford an iPhone 3G, so the only way for your soul to be at peace is to seek out articles thatreassure you you aren't missing much. Hence your 'crusade' here.
Naturally, since you do not play video games yaou blather on about 'games being for children'.  

Kinda like you going on DEf Jam forums trying to persuade everyone why your woman is so much hotter than Beyonce, while throwing darts at a Jay-Z poster in your basement.  

I'm almost tempted to buy you an iPhone out of pity, put you out of your misery.
Almost.

@congoshine

El Rufai? So it's accepted now that it's ok to be disonest and fraudulent as long as you 'deliver', huh?

[quote author=Xavier. link=topic=212852.msg3285319#msg3285319 date=1230647773]Kobojunkie

It becomes my problem when u paint my country in bad light.[/quote]lol
Kobojunkie seems to be the biggest target for the 'do you hate Nigeria' brigade.

but seriously, that seems sort of retarded.

Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka can criticize Nigeria all they want and people call them heroes.
Kobojunkie makes constructive criticism and people here get all in arms and start screeching with rage.

Now i know both Achebe and Soyinka are way more illustrious and respected than Kobo, but there's still a smidgeon of hypocrisy in this.

As someone once said, evil prospers when Good men do nothing. People who find nothing wrong with Nigeria are far worse for the country than people who are always critical.

Most of the people spouting the 'why do you hate Nigeria so much' crap go home and listen to a Fela CD where he lambasts Nigeria and (sometimes) Nigerians. Pity they lack the sense to see the hypocrisy in it all.

babeface3:
I now understand why many Nigerians are not prospering. They tend to increase their liability base instead of their asset base. I'm not saying that car is liability, nay, it a necessity. From the tone of the threads overthere, many seem to misplace prority. This is a place where people use their last money saved over donkey years to buy expensive car just to impress who is not watching them. The folk that needs a good car with all facilities just for 250k or 300k, I'm sure, that might be all hes got in his account. We need to have a re think. Let us watch the attitude of people in these countries ahead of us

That's the thing about Nigeria. Not everyone has just 300k in his account. Besides, you get what you pay for. A 300k car is likely to take you to the mechanics' pretty soon. Not sure when you mean when you say 'all facilities'.
Also i'm not sure where your wild assumptions come from, when you talk about people 'using their last money saved over donkey years'.

this is the 'cars and autos' section in nairaland. it's bound to draw many people who are financially stable and can afford some expensive cars. for your peace of mind, may i recommend the 'Jokes' section?

[quote author=lance_vader link=topic=206711.msg3288043#msg3288043 date=1230685906]Wats hapning in hèrê[/quote]Just move along, you dolt. I've never seen you contribute anything intellectual to any nairaland discussion, and there's the small matter of your reputation for theft.

Boss Ttdiamonds:
End of discussion. . . . . . . . . . . .
The only thin'y 'bout the Iphone is the is the operatin' system. . . .that's what gives em' the edge. . . .

But the OS is everything in a smartphone, isn't it? With each successive symbian OS being a tired rehash of the previous generation (what's the big change in menu from 2005's 6600 to the N78? What's changed since N93 and N96?) some people needed something new. Apple's slick, innovative UI has earned it the tag of the most user friendly smartphone in recent times.

Strange though, that you do not mention the hardware that won numerous awards for design and reliability. From the classy good looks to the virtually unscratchable glass screen, to the brilliant capacitive touchscreen, to the powerful processor, the iPhone has rightly scooped awards for style.


Inane statements like 'other phones also browse' make me laugh. You may as well compare the video playback on the Nokia N series to the old Sagem My x5.
Both Inferis and I have Nokia N95s, and we've said it many times over; the iPhone still remains the preferred option.

Boss Ttdiamonds:
Nokia users. .get bk to ur thread's and simply leave this threadflyuche. . . .leave the mac os x guys alone. . .

The way to enjoy life is to experience everything as much as possible so you don' t turn your back on cool opportunities. Get an iPhone to use for a short while before slagging it. Most people who rail against the iPhone have either never used it, or have used it for an extremely short period of time.

Don't end up a troll like flyuche who needs the reassurance that the generic Nokia he could afford may be better than the iPhone, hence he spends his time trawling the net fo negative stories about the iPhone. What this troll fails to realise is that

1. It's just a Phone
2. The meager vindication he may feel from reading and posting such negative stories is nothing compared to the mounting suspicion among listeners that his attitude conceals insecurity borne of want.


The iPhone was awarded the best invention of 2007 by TIME Magazine. Since when did TIME hand out those awards to crappy devices?

Need to grab the picture browser. Looks cool.
With the fastlane update I can now win races. Yay!

London is bloody cold, have to take off my gloves to use the iPhone. Damn capacitive screen! At this rate I'll lose fingers :-(

We refuse to admit to ourselves that we're so hooked on PES that we forget the fact that the Pro Evo Series is now markedly inferior to Fifa and in fact are heading towards crapware.

Konami should be ashamed of themselves for such lazy efforts