₦airaland Forum

The 2016 edition of the MTV Africa Music Awards, which took place today, October 22, 2016, at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg, South Africa saw the host country dominate the list by winning six awards, while Nigeria went home with five. See the full list after the cut….


Best Live Act – Cassper Nyovest (South Africa)

Best Lusophone –C4 Pedro (Angola)

Legend Award –Hugh Masekela (South Africa)

Best Female Award – Yemi Alade (Nigeria)

Best Francophone Award – Serge Beynaud (Ivory Coast)

Best Group – Sauti Sol (Kenya)

Best Pop & Alternative – Kyle Deutsch& Shekhinah (South Africa)

Best International Act – Drake (United State of America)

Best Male Act – Wizkid (Nigeria)

Listeners Choice – Jah Prayzah (Zimbabwe)

Video of the Year – Youssoupha Niguer Ma Vie (Congo)

Best Collaboration – DJ Maphorisa ft, Wizkid & DJ Bucks (South Africa & Nigeria)

Personality of the Year– Caster Semenya (South Africa)

Best Hip Hop – Emtee (South Africa)

Best New Act – Tekno (Nigeria)

Song of the Year – Patoranking ft, Wande Coal (Nigeria)

Artiste of the Year – Wizkid (Nigeria)

A wise man once said “Life isn’t fair” and yes, it isn’t. Nothing is definite; Wealthy people lose money and become poor, healthy individuals fall sick and die. Stories like this and more seem to be ever present in Nigerian news updates.

In the same vein, it is not a guarantee that being a smart and knowledgeable leader precludes you from making mistakes that can ruin your company. You might not have set out to harm your business, but a little mistake here and an oversight there can culminate over time to wreck an enterprise you started on such a promising note.

It is still a fascinating sight to watch businesses, conglomerates and organizations that were once seen as trailblazers in certain fields wither away over time. These companies are usually run by some of the smartest people around, surrounded by a team of well-motivated minds but somehow they lose their way. Companies such as Kodak, Blackberry, Yahoo and Motorola, once household names, are presently a shadow of themselves.

Manuals are not normally created with the intention of teaching you how to wreck your business, but as a leader, if you indulge in any of the mistakes listed below, you will most definitely ruin your company, irrespective of the number of MBAs you acquire from Harvard.

• Overconfidence

In leadership, it’s easy to cross that thin line between self-confidence, and over-confidence. If you ever find yourself getting caught up assuming you can figure out all the solutions by yourself, then you need to watch it.

According to a new study from the University of Missouri, Georgia, Tech University and the University of Texas-Arlington, CEOs with over-confidence can involve their companies in riskier ventures and put investors’ funds and employee jobs at risk. The same study revealed that leaders with individualistic tendencies tend to tilt towards being cocky, often ignoring the power of teamwork.

• Refusing to let others win

The first mistake will usually lead to this, a disregard of the men behind the scene. Finding good ideas begins with a willingness to listen to all ideas. It is easy to brush this aside, and claim that in running your enterprise, you carry your team along, but do you really give other ideas a chance? Do you let other ideas win? Do you acknowledge the source? Do you take credit for success even when an open reference to the source could mean a lot to that staff?

Being a leader comes with its dark sides sometimes, one of which is the illusion that you are the head because you are the best. That’s a lie, your stint at the top is just a marriage of opportunity and preparedness as given other circumstances, some other person on your team could actually fare better.

• Myopia

It is great to focus on short term targets, but it is often more rewarding to always keep the bigger picture in view. Sometimes a leader fails to recognize a shifting industry and acts far too late.

The 20th and 21st century will go down in history as the era of speed and evolution, an era that has given rise to great businesses that storm the scene with cutting edge ideas that can become blunt as time goes on and often times, this is because of myopia.

Kodak’s former Chief Executive Walter A. Fallon was alerted in 1981 of shifting tides; of the rise of digital photography, he was equally warned that this would inevitably negatively impact film sale. Rather than look to the future and strategize, he ignored the signs and ironically, Kodak’s own engineer, Steve Sasson, developed the first digital camera in 1975. Fast forward 2012, Kodak files for bankruptcy having been swept away by the digital revolution.

• Temper outbursts

It’s okay to be human, but it is detrimental to the success of your business to have unstable emotions. Wild emotional swings will leave your workers wondering which version of you they’re going to get, this will in turn stifle communication, which will inevitably lead to lower productivity.

It might initially look like you are being a tough boss; a man in control, but it never helps in the long run. Society loves to portray meanness, coldness and ruthlessness as hallmarks of boardroom excellence but on the contrary, almost every human responds positively to niceness and respect

• Placing Results before People

Of all the factors that influence your productivity as a leader, people come first. Clients, customers, colleagues and staff all come before your product or service (as the case may be). Being a smart leader requires smart people management skills.

When people around you notice you value things, results and other inanimate things above human relations, you lose the confidence and compassion of people. As much as results drive the business and corporate landscape, no one feels at his best dealing with a robot-like, emotionless creature except of course, fellow robots.

A smart leader must be seen to be genuinely interested in the well-being and welfare of his team.

I have said before Nigerians are becoming too blood thirsty

DickDastardly:
Buhari economy sef ... dwarfing everything

guy you harsh ooo

chinjo:
It is sycophants like you that will make any leader not to succeed. You are still shouting sai Buhari when it is obvious that he has failed. The real problem of this country are the youths. I am very sure u have not eaten and typing from one China phone, free megabyte courtesy of MTN, GLO, AIRTEL and ETISALAT. I strongly believe that it is the same person that brainwashed shekau that has brainwashed u. Zombiesm is really the world deadliest disease. So pathetic.

this is what I call finishing

guiddoti:
That should make you more focus than those from secondary to university, you know what I mean

I totally understand you

Governor of Osun state, Rauf Aregbesola, has called on Nigerians to curb their excessive appetite for foreign foods and fabric.

Aregbesola also said it is more pertinent now to practice birth control as panacea to poverty reduction in this economic recession.

Osun state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (5th left), his deputy, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori (4th left), Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (3rd left), Mr. Oguntoye Adedeji (4th right), Abiri Rachael (3rd right), Olanibi Comfort (2nd right) and other Agric Trainees, at the official reception of the 2nd batch of Osun Sponsored Agric Trainees to Germany on arrival, at the Governor’s office, Osogbo on Thursday 20/10/2016.
The governor made these observations while playing host to the youth of the state, who have just returned from Germany after two months of intensive training in modern agricultural techniques.

He said the state government decided to send the youths for the agricultural programme to boost food production in the state.

The 20 youths that returned last week were the second batch of the exchange programme on agriculture between Osun and the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

The two-month intensive agricultural programme, which included modern techniques in crop cultivation, animal husbandry, cattle rearing, poultry and piggery, cost the state government N61 million while the State of Saxony-Anhalt expended N29.9 million.
Aregbesola said the youths will impact positively and significantly on the mode of agricultural practice as massive food production.

He said that in addition to the knowledge the youth garnered in agriculture, they also learnt the German language which also stands them in good stead internationally.

“The reality today is that Nigeria is in economic crisis. Apart from the fact that the nation’s economic mainstay, oil, is now cheap on the international market, our production capacity too has reduced significantly due to the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers.

“Besides, we also face food crisis and if we are unable to feed ourselves, then there is problem.

“We believe, as a government, that we must produce what we consume. The first panacea out of the food crisis is for us as a people to drastically curb our excessive taste for foreign foods.

“We should patronize our locally produced foods rather than spend huge but scarce foreign exchange on importation of rice.

“Apart from this, now is also the time for our people to practise birth control and control our population. This will go in no small measure in reducing poverty in the land,” Aregbesola said.

He noted that government is renovating all dilapidated agricultural equipment and has also enlisted with the Federal Government’s programme to import tractors and other agricultural machineries from China.

Governor Aregbesola noted that this equipment will help farmers in production activities so as to guarantee huge food harvest.

He promised that his government will assist the youths financially according to its capacity but advised them not to fold their hands until such assistance comes.

One of the participants of the programme, Orewole Latifat form Ife Central Local government, said the Germans are able to produce more than enough for their country not by population but by the deployment of equipment to do nearly all the farming activities.

She said that with the knowledge they have acquired, they were ready to replicate what they saw and learnt while in Germany.

“We also want to embark on agriculture on our return. If we have all the modern tools at our disposal, we also will work diligently.”

“We learnt in Germany that what those farmers are doing, they are deriving satisfactions from it. We believe that given the conducive atmosphere, we also can get satisfaction in farming,” Orewole said.

Another trainee, Abiri Tomiwa Rachel from Ife Central Local Government, thanked the government for giving them the opportunity to go to Germany to learn modern agricultural techniques.

Tomiwa, who specialised in cattle rearing said if Nigeria can emulate the German system of animal rearing, the crisis between Fulani herds men and farmers would be a thing of the past.

According to her, the technique of feed formulation being used in developed nation is absent in Nigeria, saying if this is introduced, there will be increase in cattle production as well as end to farmers-herds men crisis.

One of the mothers of the trainees, Mrs. Abiri (Tomiwa’s mother) commended Governor Aregbesola for the training given to the youths.

She said that such programme whereby government sponsors youths in a state without their parents contributing a dime is very rare.

“You have demonstrated that you are a father of all by this programme. We salute you for this and we pray that God will continue to bless you.

“You did what no government has done and we are proud of you. We are also soliciting for your further assistance to them so that they can start on their own what they went there to learn,” Mrs. Abiri said.

diehardanusfan:
i feel soo happy after 3yrs i have finally been afmitted really made the list


baba God i thank you oh

me I have waited for 4yrs, now today God has answered my prayers


Bless be his name

sinaj:
Congrats boo.

Dnt forget to holla me during ur matric. Lol

I made the cut too

Busy body

Public stunt

It's dis not the same Adesina dats said Nigerians are not suffering? Yet they still decorated with an award for not telling the president we are not suffering.

Nigerians we are becoming way too stupid

Andres Lammei, a lawmaker and chairman, Working Group on Africa of the CDU/CSU in the Federal Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany, has said that the legislative arm in Nigeria and other African countries are not duly respected by the executive.
Lammei made this statement yesterday while receiving in audience some select state parliamentarians and parliamentary staff from Nigeria at the Bundestag, Parliamentary Building in Berlin, Germany. He noted his observation and concerns over the ‘$50 billion’ that often disappeared from the treasury of governments across Africa annually, saying that that would always impede development in the county.

The lawmaker, who revealed that he doesn’t envy the African legislature, ‘giving the state of affairs’, also noted that most African embassies in Germany are not doing enough to change the Germans’ perception of the continent; for this reason, he revealed that the team of lawmakers he is in charge of is on a study tour of German parliament, organised by the Konrad Adnauer Stiftung, a German NGO with Country Office in Nigeria.
“Nigeria is on our itinerary next year. We will be paying a visit to the parliament. Africa’s parliaments are not too good; they are not well equipped, their rights are not respected. In fact they are confronted with major bureaucratic bottlenecks by operators in the executive. Government should keep improving on financial resources for an effective parliament. No country in the world is interested in making parliaments work. Honestly, I don’t envy African MPs giving the state of affairs in their countries. We need to raise awareness of opportunities in Africa rather than disasters. Unfortunately, African ambassadors here in Germany are not helping matters. Although, some of them are active and even visit us here in the parliament, quite a large chunk of them are not,” the lawmaker added.

The lawmaker, who said his group was made up of lawmakers with passion for African development, however, lamented that the rate of corruption remained a major challenge to effectively realising their goals for Africa.
He said;
“It gives me a grave concern, if the number is right as obtained in the press, that $50billion disappears in Nigeria and across Africa annually. The question is, how much does Africa even get as development aid? Many African leaders and politicians invest in other countries. A friend of mine did an album of houses owned by an African in a country. This must stop if the right investments are to come. This is corruption. When I talk to German businessmen about investing in Africa, they often show me the Corruption Index of these countries.

“In Germany, corruption is illegal, as 95% of our businesses are made up mainly of small and medium scale. Families will go and invest only where there is legal security where business is safe,” the lawmaker added.

In closing remarks, KAS Director in Nigeria, Hildegard Behrendt-Kigozi, said the tour was part of efforts being made by the Foundation to help deepen democracy in Nigeria.

According to her, the choice of participants in the programme was informed by the fact that legislature is the centre piece of democratic nation.

jaybee:
You will remain unserious for the rest of your life.

this is to show ur parents didn't give you a good home training

He still ain't shxt

Ameachi is going to be the downfall of Apc.


I can't wait

Long live the King

Oblang:
As if ur view counts.take it serious or not, ur heros will be nabbed...

yes my view counts. One day that ur own hero will nabbed too. Mark my words

bcashy:
Having people like u in this country called Nigeria is a big curse to this nation

I guess it's not really you that writing this shiit. I believe it's the recess in you that's doing so

Zombies food is ready. Come and show you guys daftness

[b]"We all know this, yet some are not using their brains. They don’t have brains and they don’t know what they are doing. They don’t have sense. I cannot give what I don’t have. Teachers alone collect N2 billion monthly. If you want to join politics go and resign, you can then become card carrying member of political parties, you can start printing posters if you want to contest” He said.[\b]

They don't have brain because they came to ask you what is rightfully theirs abi?
This governor is the one without brain. Mofo

Seriously Nigerians are becoming too blood thirsty

Buhari is the biggest mistake Nigerians have ever made

“As far as I am concerned, he is not in control. He’s being controlled by some forces,” he said.

“But we cannot continue to have a national chairman that is being controlled by people. We need a national chairman that can pull us together. We need a national chairman that can unify this party.

APC party is the biggest joke of all time.

Stupid party filled with dumb supporters that is controlled by forces

The photo was posted by a Ghanaian online

Former First lady, Patience Jonathan, has filed a law suit against anti-corruption organization, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project SERAP, over allegations of "vilification and breach of human rights".

The group last month petitioned the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, calling for the prosecution of Mrs Jonathan after $15 million was found in four controversial accounts which she laid claim to.

A statement by SERAP's executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni said the organization received Patience Jonathan's court summons on October 18th. “On 18th October 2016 at about 3pm we received court papers dated 6th October 2016 from a bailiff. The papers indicate that one Union of Niger Delta Youth Organization for Equity, Justice and Good Governance suing for themselves and on behalf of Mrs Dame Patience Jonathan filed a suit number FHC/L/CS/1349/2016 before a Federal High Court in Lagos against SERAP.

The court papers also indicate a prayer for an order of interim injunction restraining SERAP from taking any further steps in further vilification, condemnation and conviction of the Former First Lady Mrs Dame Patience Jonathan, in all public media and in the use of the judicial process for that purpose by the extremely publicized pursuit of any application for the coercion of the Attorney General of the Federation to prosecute the Plaintiff/Applicant for owning legitimate private property, pending the hearing and determination of the Originating Summons.

The suit is seeking an order directing SERAP to stay all action and to desist forthwith from proceeding against Mrs Dame Patience Jonathan, with any process whatsoever, pending the hearing and determination of the Originating Summons. SERAP was also served a separate application to be joined in the suit number FHC/L/CS/1318/2016 earlier filed by SERAP against the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, over allegations of $15m unexplained wealth against Mrs Jonathan.”

Mumuni quoted the court papers as saying the $15 million found in the accounts linked to the first lady, were contributions of gifts she had gathered in her years in government with her husband. The court paper states that she had intended to use the said money to revive her families dormant businesses.

“The campaign by SERAP is in breach of Mrs Jonathan’s right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty under Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended). The action by SERAP seeks to coerce the Attorney General of the Federation to embark on a breach of the same right when the Attorney General is in a better position than SERAP and the Court to know whether or not there is any evidence of wrongdoing by Mrs Jonathan.” “SERAP’s action is blatant misuse of the processes of this Court. SERAP therefore no longer deserves to continue as an incorporated entity and ought to be dissolved. It is just and equitable to dissolve SERAP in the circumstances of this case. Damages will not be adequate compensation for the irreparable damage Mrs Jonathan will suffer if the application is not granted. The Plaintiff undertakes as to damages in favour of SERAP in the event the instant application ought not to have been granted. There has been a running battle between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Mrs Jonathan with respect to the release of her legitimately earned funds which were deposited in accounts opened in the names of certain companies by one of her husband’s aides without her authorization. The funds in question were legitimate gifts from her friends and well-wishers over the last 15 years which she had been saving in order to utilize to upgrade family businesses and concerns which had been somewhat dormant by reason of the long period of her husband service as a public officer in Nigeria. The gifts were given in small contributions by several persons some of whom she cannot even now recall over this period of 15 years sometimes in as small a gift as N250,000 Naira. In order to preserve the value of these funds which she did not require for any purpose at the time she changed them into foreign exchange and kept them as cash for a long period in her home safe in Port Harcourt and Abuja. It was when the family home in Otuoke was burnt down by hoodlums under the instigation of political adversaries in 2010 that she began to think about banking these gifts which had now grown to large sums in United States Dollars. In 2010 she therefore summoned one of her husband’s domestic aids, Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel Dudafa to assist her in opening bank accounts into which the funds could be deposited. Unknown to her the said Dudafa in a bid to be discreet about the owner of the funds decided to bank the funds in the names of companies owned by him.

When she discovered this she was constrained to continue with the names of the companies when she was advised that it did not make any difference as to the ownership of the funds since the director of the company would appoint her as sole signatory to the accounts in question. When in 2016 Dudafa was arrested and detained she had no fear for the funds as she realized that the funds could not be attributable to him once it was discovered that she was the sole signatory to the said accounts. It was therefore a rude shock to her when she discovered that a no transaction order had been placed on the accounts by the EFCC in the belief that the funds belonged to Dudafa.

She instructed her solicitors to further write to the EFCC to inform them that the funds belong to her and that they formed a part of her legitimate earnings over the last 15 years. It was this letter that was leaked by the EFCC to the media that became sensationalized and led to the plaintiff’s vilification and attack by ignorant persons who had no information about the matter. SERAP is playing to the public gallery in order to gain the notoriety it has achieved over the past years. SERAP has done this mostly by intervening in high profile issues without regard to the rights of persons it claims to protect. SERAP jumped into the fray of ignorant accusations being made against Mrs Dame Patience Jonathan in the public media and has begun a campaign of calumny against her using online, print and electronic media to publish to the public unfounded and malicious allegations that she stole the funds in question and ought to be prosecuted. SERAP has maintained this position, notwithstanding the fact that there is no evidence whatsoever by which Mrs Jonathan could be prosecuted for obtaining the funds through unlawful means. In furtherance of this campaign, SERAP, being in breach of its own objects for which it was incorporated, has continued to proclaim the guilt of Mrs Jonathan in the media and recently was widely reported in the news media to have commenced a self-serving action to attempt to coerce the Attorney General of the Federation to prosecute her.”

Reacting to the lawsuit, Mumuni said, “SERAP categorically rejects these misleading and entirely unfounded accusations against us by Mrs Patience Jonathan and her group, and we will vigorously oppose the suit in court. SERAP will never, in the discharge of its mandates, succumb to any intimidation, harassment and attacks in any way, shape or form. We are now consulting with our lawyers and will be preparing shortly our defence in court. At no time did SERAP suggest or even hint that Mrs Jonathan was guilty of the allegations against her. On the contrary, what SERAP has said is that the fact that the $15m found in the four accounts belong to Mrs Jonathan raises serious suspicion or at the very least a prima-facie case of unexplained wealth/illicit enrichment, and imposes an obligation on Mrs Jonathan to explain and justify the source(s) of the $15m.

To be sure, SERAP is not engaged in any campaign against Mrs Jonathan or any other politically exposed persons for that matter. Our suit was filed against the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, and not Mrs Jonathan. It’s a joke to accuse SERAP of trying to coerce the Attorney General to perform his constitutional duty, as this is for the court to decide. SERAP consistently strives to ensure that its human rights and accountability work meet international standards and the highest standards of analytical rigor devoid of bias or assumptions as to individual’s guilt. Mrs Jonathan should end her attacks on an NGO simply working to make the government function to improve the conditions of millions of marginalized and disadvantaged Nigerians. Our work is driven solely by the fundamental principles of justice, impartiality, solidarity, universality of human rights, transparency and accountability work meet international standards and the highest standards of analytical rigor devoid of bias or assumptions as to individual’s guilt. Mrs Jonathan should end her attacks on an NGO simply working to make the government function to improve the conditions of millions of marginalized and disadvantaged Nigerians. Our work is driven solely by the fundamental principles of justice, impartiality, solidarity, universality of human rights, transparency and accountability in the management of Nigeria’s resources and wealth. We believe that it is through action that we have taken in this matter that the government can be motivated to live up to its commitments and to meet the expectations of Nigerians for good governance, human rights and the rule of law.”

I'll take this corruption fight serious when I see people like Ameachi been persecuted

Honestly, not feel this

God bless my darling state

I wish him all the best. Happy birthday to him

guiddoti:
If the allegation is false, the judge should rot in jail.

oh because Ameachi is involved now the allegation is untrue abi? If it was wike that was accused of this you guys would have be spilling rubbish

After working on yourself and becoming just as attractive as you like, how do you know if the magic working already?
How do you tell that people, or someone in particular finds you hot and irresistible?
Experts, James Preece and Alexander Ziff say there are sure five signs that someone is attracted and romantically interested in you.
So, in case you are wondering what that guy or lady in your class, office, mosque or church thinks about you, here are five vital signs that will tell you whether they are into you or not.

Closing the gap

If someone is interested in you, they'll do their best to get closer to you over and over again, no matter how much you rebuff or curve them.

Over-blinking

According to the experts, if you notice that your colleague at work blinking much more than usual, that's a great indication they might be into you.
They base this judgement on the fact that prolonged eye contact, combined with excitement, forces people’s eyes to dry out much faster.
They might also fidget a lot when around you, and also touch you at every given opportunity.

Talking too much and teasing you

Men and women use teasing as a sure way of flirting.
This, according to them, happens from an early age, when boys and girls chase each other around, pull each other’s hair, ear, nose and all that stuff.
Alex and James say this continues well into adulthood, as both men and women find themselves making fun and cracking jokes at the person they are attracted to.
So, if there is that guy who’s always teasing you, chances are that he is deeply into you.

Noticing little changes

Anyone interested in you would always be stealing glances at you, finding it hard to keep their eyes off you.
Therefore, when there is something that changes about you, no matter how little, they often notice.
These experts say if they weren't interested, they would never have spotted this to start with.

Pretending not to care

Ironically, for all the secret stares and endless teasing, they somehow try very hard to make you believe that they are not into you.
They won't text you back for ages and won't make you feel special; because they often feel that they shouldn't seem too eager in case it's a turn off.