₦airaland Forum

Multiple sources – including Mundo Deportivo, Sport, Marca, and the very reliable Graham Hunter - are reporting that Gerardo “Tata” Martino is to be Barça’s new coach following Tito Vilanova’s resignation on Friday.

The decision was apparently between Luis Enrique and Martino, with sporting director Andoni Zubizaretta pushing for Martino. All sources agree that Martino will sign on for three seasons. Sport and MD add that Elvio Paolorroso and Jorge Pautasso, Martino’s physical trainer and assistant respectively, will also join. The official announcement could come as early as this evening.

Martino becomes the first South American coach in almost 30 years. The last one was the famed Argentine footballing philosopher, César Luís Menotti.

Martino, who became a fan favorite at local club Newell’s Old Boys in Rosario Argentina, left the club after being eliminated from the Copa Libertadores. He hails from the same town as Menotti, Marcelo Bielsa and Lionel Messi, who spoke highly of Martino.

www.totalbarca.com/2013/news/unconfirmed-gerardo-martino-to-manage-barca/

This is a picture of a Chinese woman who attempts suicide after her fiance abruptly called off their marriage on their wedding day when she was already dressed in her father's house, waiting for the JEEP that should have taken her to the wedding venue. Her lover called her on the phone and dropped the bombshell.

He can't go on with the wedding! She couldn't take the humiliation, still in her wedding gown, the lady tried to kill herself by jumping out of the window in her room in a 7-floor building. Fortunately, as she jumped, a friend managed to catch her wedding gown on the window and save her.

www.pakurumo.com/2013/07/this-lady-jumps-from-7storey-building.html

pixellie: Dearest NL, i need ur advice: 13 years ago (2000) i won dvlottery 1999/2000, though initially i played it for my self but when the result came out i was attached with my cousin as married man so that she can benefit from it, unfortunately i was denied due to forge S.S.C.E result and my tender age as a married man. i re-apply again as a student in the year 2002 and also 2003 for visiting but refused respectively. Now my in-law to be wants me to come to usa, he's been there for over 35years with green card.This is my question:
1. should i fill in form D 160 i been refused for three times?
2. Wouldn't i look so stupid if i state the reason of been refused?
Pls help me out with genuine advice, Thanks.

Quite unfortunate to tell you, but due to your fraudulent application to seek permanent residency (immigrant visa), you have been placed on a LIFE BAN. The irony of this is that the CO wont inform you about your past outcome.

The more you apply, the more the heart breaking reply , ''you are not eligible for a visa at this time, please apply again''.

Save your cash and apply elsewhere...

There was a time when Lagos had a reputation for producing some of the most skillful master forgers in the country.

The reputation of the forgers portrayed them as invincible. They were unbelievably skillful in the artistry of forging documents and signatures of all shades and types, complex and simple. Theirs was an art that could make any forged passport undiscernible from the original, save for the power of machines. Headquartered at Oluwole, Lagos Island, the forgers, were that good. They could forge any document on earth. They were the go-to guys for credit card fraudsters and internet scammers popuarly called Yahoo-Yahoo boys.

In September 2005, a massive clampdown on Oluwole by a combined team of State Security Service operatives, policemen and officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, yielded a staggering discovery.

Over 40,000 forged Nigerian passports, 1,500 foreign passports, which included those of countries like Libya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Congo, Guinea Bissau, Cameroon, Senegal, Switzerland, the Gambia, South Africa, United States, Jamaica, Costa Rica and Ghana were recovered during the raid.

In addition to these, about 50,000 assorted foreign cheques and over 500 printing plates, 500 computers, about 10,000 blank British Airways tickets, 10,000 US Postal money orders and blank certificates of occupancy (all forgeries) were seized.

By June 2010, an ultra-modern market built on the location was opened. Business ended for the master forgers. Or so many people thought.

Words have been passed around for some years that the Oluwole Boys never stopped work. They were said to have simply become smarter in their activities to avoid detection by law enforcement agents.....

http://www.punchng.com/feature/super-saturday/oluwole-age-old-den-where-forgery-of-documents-thrives/

kazlam: actually the guy is still trying to go to embassy but presently he is consulting a lawyer to nknow if their is any legal implication

Nothing like any legal issue here, the embassy wants his attention and that is all he gets. The longer he keeps away from honoring this call, the more complicated his case becomes.

A word they say is enough......

kazlam: can his passport still valid for other country visa

We're not saying he is quilty of any charge for now, unless your friend knows already what he did to obtain that visa.

Yes, his passport will still be valid for visas of other countries....

kazlam: Helllo guys in d house.pls i want advice 4rm experienced. Something happens to a friend last week on his way to USA which up till now nobody has ever gotten explanation to it.
He was to board maroc flight to USA last week Monday, but on getting to Airport and about to checking in his luggage he was told that his flight ticket has been suspended.
After making enquiry from the airline he was told that is visa b1/b2 has been place on hold and due to this they can air lift him to USA
He was later given a number to contact at embassy, after calling the number the guy that picks his call asked him to come with his passport but no explanation was given for the hold on the main visaKindly advice

Your friend need not worry. It is better for him to be stopped at the MMIA than for him to get his visa revoked at the JFK, New York and be deported.

There are circumstances that can result to this occurence:

1. A mistaken identity.

2. A previous association with persons regarded as a security threat.

3. Persons on a watchlist this can occur even after a visa is approved.

4. Persons claiming to be under the employment of a specific Fed Govt Agency. But turns out to be questionable after further investigation (Administrative Review).

5. The visa category issued is not for the specific purpose for which it was granted.

6. An annotation is required to be placed on your visa.

7. Revocation of the issued visa due to discovered falsehood (Life Ban).

8. As Justwise told you, if your friend did not commit an act of ''Oluwole'' as it is known, then he has nothing to fear. But mind you, if this is the case and your friend doesnt go to clear his name, he must never attempt to make use of that visa to travel to the States, or he will regret ever visiting the US Diplomatic Mission.....

influential01: @tzetzefly, thanks for the advice and courage u gve to me i really appreciate.
The agent that is asisting me in search for the conference said that my acct is not important, its jst for the co to see that i am work with the company and the salary they pay me reflects in my statement. Is not in need of the balance.

Endeavour to be careful with the services of agents. Make sure the information you enter into your DS-160 form is genuine and also what you can defend.

Best of luck......

abjflow: Please house can anyone process and arrange a conference for me in the US.am working with a little average pay.just needed a travelling xpreience.I work as a oil water and gas analyst i

benson3788: Since you claimed wanting a travel experience, why not try other countries?

abjflow: Sure any country aside africa and asia will be a prfct idea..in europe arab coutries are off that's why I needed and experience person to discuss this

Judging by your situation, no country in the EU will be willign to give you an entry visa until your travel circumstance change.

You need to follow the advise of @benson3788 and travel to less stressful nations : ECOWAS region or Dubai (UAE).

influential01: Hello nairalanders, pls i need ur advice on my plan to get US visa. Am working in a printing press as a machine operator, i ve all necessary document gving to me at work. The main issue is i earn 40k monthly salary and if my company deduct loan charges from my salary it remain 15k-25k something.
I wnt to apply for US visa through conference and a sponsorer statement of acct. The question is must i also include my own statement of acct bt my balance in acct is 120k. Pls advice me shld i my statement of acct?

Your account balance is not really sufficient for a visa application. However, your conference can be sponsored by a third party as long as that conference relates to your job activities or to further your academic development.

Ironically, people with far worse have been fortunate to be issued with entry visas. It depends on your approach to the interview and undoubtful ability to convince the CO that you know why you're going to the States and why you need to come back to Nigeria at the expiration of your stay....

igbankebabe: Tzetzefly Hi,

Is it ok for an undergraduate student to apply for US visiting visa 3 months before he intends to travel?

He has never travelled out before but already has a UK visa, so he's thinking of visiting the UK then US in a round trip during Christmas. But he wants to apply next August/September.

What would you advise?

I also throw this out to other gurus. Thank you

New Students: F-1 and M-1 student visas can be issued up to 120 days in advance of your course of study start date.

**NOTE >>>>>>

However, you will not be allowed to enter the U.S. in F-1 or M-1 status earlier than 30 days before your course start date.

lilbro: Hello folks, pls how many passport photographs am I expected to take with me to the visa interview day for attachment on my ds160 form my interview day is fas t approaching. Thanks

Two passport (5cm x 5cm) photographs with full face forward against a white background taken within the last six months.

Hair must not cover the ears. No photos with dark glasses or non-religious, tribal, or chieftaincy head covering will be permitted.

ZionSpecie: Hi @tzetzefly, my boss insists I need to go as the workload on her will be too much. She will give me anoda appointment letter dating June last year and give me everyoda thing I'l need to support d app. She said she ddnt intend to introduce me as PA to d embassy before. What do u think?

It is left for you both to decide. How she will go about the change is best known to her. All i know is that you probably wont get the visa by presenting your job duties as being a PA.

Make sure you have a designation and profile you can defend or else you stand the risk of being refused if an element of doubt is discovered in your interview.....

james233: oww nairalanders why wont anybody answer me?am james and a hotel manager in Ghana......i have a months leave and i want to travel to the states for two weeks...i dont have a relative there cos they are all in UK so how can i go or where should i start....i make GHC 1300=130000 naira a month month.... i have been to UK MALAYSIA AUSTRALIA....please any quick advice would be appreciated cos i now have 3 weeks 3 days left on my leave....and i here something about conference,how does that work??///thanks

Go through the US Portal (Ghana) :

www.ustraveldocs.com/gh/gh-niv-visaapply.html

Since you have about 21days left for your leave to expire, you cannot meet up with any conference for this period.

Just as you have extensive travel history as claimed, it is better for you to go for summer vacation in the US through hotel booking.

Enjoy......

An Abuja Court earlier today sentenced four members of the Boko Haram sect to life imprisonment. The four members are Shuaibu Abubakar, Salisu Ahmed, Umar Babagana-Umar, Mohamed Ali. Another one, Umar Ibrahim, was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Originally, six of them were arraigned on the five count charge, but one of the accused – Musa Adam – was discharged and acquitted for lack of evidence. Justice Bilikisu Aliu of the Federal High Court, Abuja in a judgment sentenced Umar Ibrahim to 10 years in jail on the ground that he served as errand boy to aid the training. They were found guilty for the 2011 bombing of INEC office in Suleja, Niger State, in which 16 people were killed and others injured; illegal possession of improvised explosive devices (IEDs); illegal training in weapon handling and aiding of unlawful weapon handling training for the purpose of engaging in terrorism acts.

The sentencing came just 24 hours after the leadership of the sect agreed to a ceasefire deal with the Federal Government.

www.thescoopng.com/abuja-court-sentences-4-boko-haram-members-to-life-imprisonment/

Boko Haram has dissociated itself from the gruesome killing of 29 students in the recent Government Secondary school, Mamudo, Yobe state attack, as the Federal Government yesterday entered a ceasefire agreement with the sect.

“I want to state clearly that we have no hands in the unfortunate attack on the secondary school (Government Secondary School, Mamudo, Yobe State),” said Imam Muhammadu Marwana, an influential member of the Abubakar Shekau-led Boko Haram sect said as they confirmed the ceasefire to end their deadly activities across most states of Northern Nigeria, which have claimed about 4,000 lives and destroyed properties worth billions of Naira since 2009.

In what will be a second ceasefire agreement, the Boko haram sect have gone ahead to tender an apology as Imam Marwana spoke on Radio France International ( Hausa version).

“We are seeking forgiveness from the people over the number of people killed in the country. I appeal to those who lost their loved ones to our activities to forgive us and on our side we have forgiven all those who committed atrocities against us.” he said.

A faction of the sect had on January 28, 2013 entered a similar ceasefire agreement with the Federal Government which later saw another faction of the sect killing over 250 lives since then.

Sounding apologetic during the Radio news, Imam Marwana declared that “I appeal to those who lost their loved ones to our activities to forgive us and on our side we have forgiven all those who committed atrocities against us.” He added that “I want to state clearly that we have no hands in the unfortunate attack on the secondary school.”


www.thescoopng.com/confirmed-boko-haram-agrees-to-ceasefire-apologises-to-nigerians/

Sincere 9gerian: By the way, I've been a fan of Barca for over 6yrs now so I know how it feels to be with a WINNING TEAM.

That's the only area i agree with you on....

ZionSpecie: Hi all,
I work as P.A. to the CEO of my company (small company though). I came in dis year after her former P.A. resigned. The company hosts seminars/trainings in the US. The last one they had was in march and I wasn't wt d company den. They r hosting anoda one dis september and I wish to attend d seminar. I told my boss and she said she'l giv me back up letters. But d issue I hav here is dat I av bn collecting my allowee in cash, so I don't use a salary acct. None of her workers use salary acct (a small company). The allowee is less dan 100k. Culd dis be a major threat?
Secondly, the seminar is sept. When wuld u advise I book an interview date?
Thank u

As a Personal Assistant (PA), you might be seen as not having a solid job tie to your country. And also, you're even less than a year in your present occupation which is still a probationary stage in your career.

You need to be a confirmed staff of any firm /organisation after a year or two, to be assessed as a genuine traveller.

But your PA designation is a mountain for you to climb....

President Maduro offers to protect NSA
whistleblower 'from persecution by the empire' and rejects US extradition request. Bolivia, Venezuela and Nicaragua have offered asylum to Edward Snowden, the US whistleblower who is believed to have spent the past two weeks at a Moscow airport evading US attempts to extradite him.

The Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, and his Nicaraguan counterpart, Daneil Ortega, made the asylum offers on Friday, shortly after they and other Latin American leaders met to denounce the diversion of a plane carrying the Bolivian president, Evo Morales, due to suspicions that Snowden might have been on board.

www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/06/venezuela-nicaragua-offer-asylum-edward-snowden

dammyklein: please i will like to confirm from yo guys in NL and over there in france on how to go about securing insurance policy..dont wanna fall into a wrong hand..and 2ndly i need someone to put me through a valid open ticket reservation so has to summit it along to the embassy...pls this is urgent..thanks in anticipation for a good feedback from you all..

1. Book a non-paid reservation with any airline that fly to France and present same for your visa application.

2. This is a post from a Nairalander who did her health policy recently with an Insurance firm:

coldgate: @pinkynanny: N450,000 for Insurance! My Husband and I with our two children did ours for a total of 21,000. N5250 for each person for two weeks @ mutual benefit insurance.

3. Alternatively you can open the link below to see a list of several Insurance body mandated to issue you a travel policy.

Peter Aruya: Hlo guys in d house.pls i want advice 4rm experienced guyz.My frend wants to go to d u.s wit d intent of nt comin bak usin a conference as d purpose of travelin.he had it wont b easy to gt a job since he wont v a social security number.is it as worse dat he wont get any job at al?he also want to kw if he cn fix his papers in the u.s wen he gets der(knws its nt easy).pls jst advic him on wat to do cos he has alrdy bn givin a 3mth visa n he dosnt want tn cm bk to naija.

@Peter Aruya,
This is the reason why other genuine travellers get scrutinised unjustly for acts such as that of your friend......

worry 359: You will not get advice on illegal activities on here.
Your friend (or yourself!!!) should stay at home.

@worry359,
Thanks for your direct approach on the matter.

biola3005: Oh yes i am a real student with all school fee paid fully, With all my result from 1st semester to my last semester which is now. my student Id Card everything thing regarding my school is real I am taking Psychology. My Mexican visa was issued to me the last time i was in Nigeria i got it from Abuja.

That's very nice. All you now need to present to the CO, is how you're going to fund your trip to the US and what you have in Nigeria that will bring you back at the expiration of your visit. Because it is a fact that you cant be issued a US visa from Kuala Lumpur. So you have to show some serious ties to Nigeria.

biola3005: I am applying for US visiting visa, but i have Malaysia Student Visa as i am taking my Degree in Psychology here in Malaysia. I also have Mexican visa on my passport my appointment is due in Nigeria soon do you think with my Mexican visa will it affect the chances of me getting the visa? I am just wanting to go there for holiday i am free from school now. please i will like some comments thank you and will sincerely appreciate your comments and advise please i do appreciate polite people who are none judgmental about Nigerians living in Malaysia. I am a real student here. I am having my interview in Nigeria.

Your Mexican visa will not affect your application if you actually got it from either Kualar Lumpur or Abuja. Anything else from these two cities, na long explanation.

Your letter from school showing that you're a student registered for studies along with your semester courses and grades, will be sighted by the CO.

It is to the notice of the US Missions that some Nigerians enter KUL on student visa only to engage in actions not in tandem with their proposed travel reasons. So hope you're truly a student? Because you will be romancing with a red flag if your profile is not as claimed.

Welcome back to Naija Area.....

ohkingdavid: @ setzefly,

Thanks for your response; my question is not a secrete or confidential as it can be shared in here for everyone to see and benefit.
Since I don't need to involve the woman in my application; please do you have expartise in applying for visa as I will need assistance on this, that's why I was asking for your contact details.

Are you talking about filling the DS-160 form?

Demaejy: Thanks for the link. Does that mean students don't need to book appointment with the embassy to submit their documents after verification and interview with programme officer in Abuja?

Note: Under all visa categories, appointments
for visa application submission at France
Embassy are scheduled at VFS centre, Abuja.You need to book a visa appointment two months in advance but not more than three months.

Visa Appointment Time:

Applicants or Representatives who are visiting VFS to scheduled prior appointment to visit France Embassy need to come to VFS from 8am. till 12pm.

This is to inform all visa Applicants that after
applying at VFS, you will have your biometrics
enrolled at the French Consulate the next
working day at No. 1 Oyinkan Abayomi Drive,
Ikoyi, Lagos until further notice.

This is due to the technical hitches at the VFS France Visa Application Centre.

Sources:

www.france-ng.com/Lagos/

www.france-ng.com/Abuja/

FrontPageLawyer: We keep talking about ties, but how do you convince a CO you have ties in Nigeria when he/she doesn't even care about the documents you carrying?

You married? Yes....no document checked

You have kids? Yes....no document checked.

You work? Yes....no document checked.

How much is your monthly income? 800k.....no document checked.

Why are you not traveling with the family? Wife will be busy at work during summer.....sorry you're not qualify for a visa at this time.

That was during my interview.

Quite easy to convince the CO of your ties to your country:

1. Your DS-160 speaks volume of your person so thats where you need to inform your interviewer first hand about who you are before he/she meets with you.

If you dont put the facts straight on that form, your result is already known before your interview.

They are trained in basic and advanced psychology, so they can tell or read your body language from afar.

2. Are you married?

Yes i am, is not proof enough. Where is that ring on your left finger to show you're married. Alternatively where is the proof of members' of your family during the interview in case you're to travel as a family.

3. Do you have kids?

Based on the second question if the CO is not convinced about it, he feels indifferent about the Kid aspect. Except you're a single parent.

4. Do you work?

Your DS- 160 will tell him your kind of work and if it looks convincing, your ID card will be asked for or your appearance will speak for you.

5. Your monthly income?

Answers to question four enables the CO to go further in demanding for either your payslips or bank statements.....

ohkingdavid: @ Tzetsefly, please what's your email address?
I have this American citizen that insist I marry her but we've haven't met in person & she wants me to come.
I need to apply for visa without involving her or should I involve her? please I need help here.
My email is: jackhammer9@gmail.com, please your prompt response will be appreciated as she wants me to apply this year.

You dont have to involve her in your application, there is no physical contact yet between you both. Apply for tourism or conference and use the opportunity to meet with her. I hope you have some form of ties to Nigeria?

Is the message so confidential, why not state it here for others to benefit? Anyway, use the Nairaland PM to send me a mail. I will reply....

AjanleKoko: Well . . . I am just wondering how you will expect to be given a nonimmigrant (visit) visa to the US, if you don't earn a reasonable amount of money, and have significant ties to Nigeria.

By ties I mean, ideally you are a settled family person with children, a stable income, high by Nigerian standards, and at least have travelled to some extent to other locations for business or pleasure. The cost of a return air ticket to US for one person can be as high as N400k on some airlines, especially during summer. If you don't even earn that much in a month . . . well, I struggle to understand how you will be able to prove to the CO that you can pay for your trip.

GboyegaD: I am not so convinced about the family tie people stress regarding visa. I have once gotten the US student visa and now a visiting visa after graduation and was never asked anything about family ties.

Family ties are necessary for very many visa
request based on circumstances surrounding
an applicant and other factors the CO views
during interview.

Your case was different as you've been to the States for studies and returned which in the eyes of the CO, there wasnt any reason to doubt your motive for travel.

You also came back after your studies as you easily could have stayed back in the US permanently. This was a positive sign for your application with no family ties needed.....

pinkynanny: THANKS TO EVEryone....the insurance was fake....my uncle tot I was too young to do the travelling stuff $̣̥̐ he trusted his inlaw coz he did the one of his mother inlaw last year too...but her own insurance was sent from france....after all the comment in here I went to corner stone to ask and to my surprise the insurance for me was just 16000 for 3mnth and grannyz own was 25 or 23000...

That's what happens when you patronise agents. Hope your documents then where genuine. As this will be putting your current visa request in jeopardy...

[quote author=ola.akinyinka]pls kindly help me with the list of shengen countries coz i learnt that all shengen contries are visa free to resedents. probable i can enter thru the easiest country and find my way to ausyria nd the rest. thanks[/quote]26 members:
Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland

israel007: Spouse.

The length of time varies from case to case and cannot be predicted for individual cases with any accuracy. We are talking about several months or years on a case by case basis.

Some cases are delayed because applicants do not follow instructions carefully.

Sometimes the U.S. sponsor, or petitioner, cannot meet Affidavit of Support requirements.

Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the visa applicant’s interview by a consular officer.

israel007: Quick question people. Please how long does it take to get visa to relocate to meet a US citizen - American

It depends on who the US citizen is to you: father, mother, siblings or spouse....