On Tyrants

With reasonable men, I will reason; with humane men I will plead; but to tyrants I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost.
-William Lloyd Garrison

Tyrants have always some slight shade of virtue; they support the laws before destroying them.
-Voltaire

More loans????

If the government is trying hard to pay outstanding debts why the hell are they getting new loans and why the hell is the world bank giving it?

World Bank has provided $110 million for financial and technical assistance to Nigeria for the development of the urban sector. The States which will benefit from the fund are Akwa Ibom, Edo, Ogun, Bauchi, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Ebonyi and Ondo states.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Olusegun Mimiko stated this yesterday during the ministry's 2005 ministerial press briefing held in Abuja.

Hooligans in Ibadan

The brutal and violent nature of Ibadan politics is again rearing its head this days. Law makers are locked in God knows what but it seem serious enough for them to be stabbing each other for it. Hooligan politicians are the lots of that otherwise quiet city. My city. Which unfortunately still remain the puke of a (tuberculosis? polio?) patient as saro wiwa once characterised it. shame.

Site of the week

Site of the week is Aworan.net for its innovative and refreshing angle. Check it out. The site is maintain by Akin Falope and according to him:

"what really fascinates me about photography is taking pictures of people being themselves and in their element. I see a story being told in every visual instance. That's a good enough reason why I'm enticed by Photojournalism and Street Photography. Don McCullen, Larry Burrows, Rene Burri, Henri Cartier-Bresson are just a few of the many photographers that inspire me."

Good job and keep it on.


Nigeria photo

Al-Mustafa and Stg. Rogers bonafied army men

So says the country's chief of army staff Lt-Gen. Martins Agwai. The army which this man lead obviously do not see any reason to do away with those 2 hoodlums. Martin Agwai's army still believe that Al mustafa and rogers are innocent and so he still keep them on the payroll. With leaders like Agwai no wonder Nigeria is that backward and still sinking.
“They will be paid their full salaries if they are found guiltless but if found guilty, they will be dismissed. They are still in the army.”

The $100 Laptop: computer or toy

The $100 laptop for the poor that Negroponte's MIT labs dreamed up for the poor is nothing but a gadget according to Intel Corp. Chairman Craig Barrett. I will agree with this assesment. Apart from that it also betrayed possible lack of knowledge about the poor countries MIT is aiming to help. Instead of making and selling hand cranking toy why not lend hands with legions of indigenous computer manufacturers in these poor countries to produce affordable regular computers?

"It turns out what people are looking for is something that has the full functionality of a PC," he said. "Reprogrammable to run all the applications of a grown-up PC ... not dependent on servers in the sky to deliver content and capability to them, not dependent for hand cranks for power."

Exactly.




NigeriaLaptopAfricaintel

George of the Jungle

Bloggers are beginning to worry that George Weah might not be honourable enough to conceed the elections he narrowly lost and give peace a chance. That is interesting knowing that Liberia is still recovering from over ten years of destructive war that brought that small west african country to her kneels throughout the 90s. Weah is claiming that the elections were rigged. If indeed it were so then he would do well to make his appeal to the proper mediating channels to voice his grievances or better to the appropriate court of law. Vowing not to allow Sirleaf to be inaugurated amount to subversion of democracy and promotion of instability in that still recovering country. Weah is hero to many African lovers of football and so should behave appropriately.

nigeria

Transcorp in Trance dreamland

Have you all hear about this supposedly mega company that is to transform Nigeria from industrial backwater to another Japan in no time.

Speaking at sensitization forum of the company held in Kano, Okeye, who is also a technical adviser of the nation' stock exchange pointed out that Nigeria has always remained behind because of the absence of mega indigenous company with necessary expertise and skill to compete globally.

By the way that was a quote from This Day by one Nik Okoye one of the director of the mega company. So I ask what is this mega company producing exactly?

Sosoliso aircraft was more than 32 yrs old

According to news report the sosoliso's crashed aircraft was more than 32 yrs old having being with the Serbian Airline before Sosoliso purchased it in 2000 because it no longer meet with European standard. Apparently the Nigerian company cared little about standard so the got the mediocre plane and here we are with the result.

I believe there is a clear case of negligence and irresponsibility on the part of the management of the company and should be charge to court without delay. They are criminals playing russian roulette with Nigerian lives.

Effect of Incompetency

Years and years of neglect and incompetency of the rogues in power in Nigeria is finally showing beyond the mere poverty raging the land. Slums and decay are not just our lots. No not anymore.We also have to contend with death and loss of limbs at any moment in any circumstances now. Road, sea and air travel are now a risk. Before people could simply turn a blind eye to their leaders as they cannibalise the land away taking consolation in the mere fact that they can manage the hopelessness. Its not safe anymore.

Plane crash in Port Harcourt

LAGOS, Nigeria - A Nigerian passenger jet crashed Saturday in the southern city of Port Harcourt, and a radio station said at least 56 people were killed.
The Sosoliso Airlines flight from Abuja was carrying 110 people when it "crash landed and burst into flames," radio station Rhythm FM reported. Fifty-six bodies have been recovered, and seven people were taken to the hospital, the report said.

Sam Adurogboye, spokesman for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, confirmed that a plane had crashed but said he had no further details.

more....

Onitsha Market Literature

The University of Kansas has archived 21 pamphlets from the famed Onitsha Market Literature of yesteryear to digital library. I stumbled on the site the other day and its being an adventure in reading I must say. From self help little books to mini novellas. Among the titles archived are "How to write and reply letters for marriage, engagement letters, love letters, and how to know a girl to marry" by one J.C Abiakam. Also you can learn that "Woman’s pride is her husband" from Mrs. Chinwe Akaosa. Also on the list archived is the inaugural address of late Nnamdi Azikwe, Respect for human dignity given sometime around 1960.

The Onitsha market literature proliferated from around early 1960 to sometimes around 1970s and was badly affected by the civil war.

Atiku going going going...........

The vice President seem to be heading into hot water. It is being rumoured that the reason Obasanjo is bent on have him begone is because there is possibility of his indictment by the U.S govt investigating his possible involvement in bribery. In fact according to Elendureports.com Atiku might not survive beyond Dec. 31st 2005 as the VP. So we can guess the what Obasanjo's new year resolution will be!

Alam on his way to losing weight

The fat baboon with the mouthful name is finally done in. Before you could say Alameise.... security agents swooped on the thief and carried him away minutes after he was impeached and the immunity garb stripped off him. He should take heart and see it as opportunity to lose weight, a free tummy tuck.

Finance minister interview

Her interesting interview to Jamaican Financial Gleaner ran in 3 parts

part1 part2

Criminals At The Helm

Just when you thought a governor getting arrested for money laundering is the low of low the same governor went and jumped bail all the while claiming others as the bane of his troubles. What a shame! That he even lacked the intergrity to resign made u wonder what these ruling criminals take people for.

Bomb In London

The irony did not get lost on me with the report this morning of several bomb explosions in London about the western govts closing some weeks ago of their embassies in Lagos for fear of terror attack. Nothing happened of course in Lagos but the supposedly safe London is being rocked with bombs. Experts.

Treason Charges Dropped

Treason charges have been dropped against 53 Nigerian footballers for belonging to a banned secessionist group who played in a youth tournament.
The judge said 25 had no case to answer and 28 would face the lesser charge of membership of an illegal organisation.

The competition was organised by the banned group Massob, which campaigns for a separate eastern state of Biafra.

Biafran secessionist calls led to a three-year war in the 1960s in which more than one million people died.

Nearly all the men have been in custody since September, because of stringent bail conditions imposed.

Massob - Movement for the Actualisation of a Sovereign State of Biafra - was banned three years ago. It says it is pursuing its objectives for the Ibo people in eastern Nigerian peacefully.

Several Massob members have died in the last three years in clashes with the police in south-eastern Nigeria, where it draws the bulk of its support.

The government is intolerant of its existence because it revives memories of the horrors of the civil war against Biafra in 1967, says the BBC's Sola Odunfa in Nigeria.

Stray News

A busy body report from Australia on how Nigeria spend her money.

Nigeria earns 200 billion naira from GSM, says Minister. Lagos, Nigeria, 07/07 - Nigeria`s federal government has earned more than 200 billion naira (slightly over $1.5 billion) from the global system of mobile telecommunications (GSM) since its introduction in the country in 2001, according to Communications Minister Cornelius Adebayo.
Adebayo, who was speaking at a forum in Abuja Tuesday, said the earnings came from taxes, levies and duties.

Horrible Lagos Skyline

What up with those phone towers? Thats horrible. Govt need to get some organisation going on there.

Technorati tags:Nigeria, Lagos

Wolfowitz In Nigeria....touring Africa

"His first assignment of visiting the poor cattle rearers near Abuja city is an indication that under his tenure at the World Bank, the poor in Africa and the developing world can enjoy a new lease of life," an African member in Wolfowitz's entourage said.

This is interesting. Let us see what this former war monger now heading World Bank will bring the poor.

Experts Dancing on 419 tune

Experts often posses more data than judgement says Colin Powel.

I read this article on Nigerian Scam in Global Politician by one Sam Vaknin with interest. One of the many of such that equate scam with Nigeria. Definitely scam must exist in other places too other than in Nigeria. But experts likes to dance together and as long as the Nigerian Scam tune is playing all experts might as well dance to it all at once. Just well.

I don't have beef with the Nigerian Scam dancing as such but with the statistics. He wrote that:

"Every year, there are 5 (such) murders as well as 8-10 snatchings of American citizens alone. The usual ransom demanded is half a million to a milliondollars."

8-10 snatchings of American citizens? In Scamland Nigeria? From where that data comes from he didn't say. Not just that there is a hint that other nationalities are being snatched as well but he couldn't be bothered to give detail.

Though scam had existed from time immemorial, it seem though that the world's scam experts had resolved to lay the toxic waste of scam at the Nigerian door step. While large American corporations are being brought down because of huge financial scams and presently the country hosting the most phishing (scamming) websites in the world is USA, the world's scam experts continue their choreographed dancing on the Nigeria Scam tune. Just well.

No Debt Relief

Obasanjo and Blair might have discussed about some relief on the African debt, Germany however is categorical there can't be any deal. "In my view we won't get any final decisions on multilateral debt relief but positions will narrow because we all want to do more," the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters.

LOL @ Obasanjo carrying cup to his massas for hand out.

Anglican Church 2

Akinola maintaining his strong stance with his criticism of the bishops of America's Episcopal Church for some of their recent actions in the ongoing dispute over gay ordinations and same-sex blessings. The issue has created a deep rift in worldwide Anglicanism.

Nigeria should distribute free AIDS drugs - NGOs

LAGOS, June 10 (Reuters) - Nigerian AIDS campaigners called on the government on Friday to provide free life-prolonging anti-retroviral drugs to stem growing resistance among infected Nigerians.
Nigeria provides ARVs to 10,000 adults and 5,000 children at a subsidised monthly cost of 1,000 naira ($7) per patient, but many poor patients interrupt their therapy due to poverty, causing drug resistance.
"We ask you to make anti-retroviral therapy ... completely free in the Nigerian public health care sector," said a coalition of AIDS lobby groups in a letter to President Olusegun Obasanjo.
"If people living with HIV have to pay for their treatment, they will have to sell their property and cut down on education, food and other essential needs to be able to afford it."
The campaigners said many of the 3.5 million Nigerians infected with the deadly virus who interrupted their treatment were now resistant to the ARV pills.
"The 1,000 naira charge is seriously affecting the adherence of many infected people to their drug regime," Pat Matemilola, the coordinator of the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, told Reuters.
"It is not as if the drugs are not available, but government lacks the political will to make treatment free, that is what we are trying to reverse," said Matemilola, a medical doctor and retired army officer.
Nigeria is the world's eighth largest oil exporter, but around 70 percent of its 140 million people live on less than a dollar a day and healthcare has been in decline for decades.
Nigeria is drawing $20 million from a global AIDS fund over three years, and plans to expand the programme to cover 100,000 patients this year once more international donations become available.
The top African oil producer has said it was looking to the United States and donor agencies to provide $248 million to expand the programme further to include 200,000 sufferers.

Stray News

CNN's Greasing the wheels of business another ignorant and one sided report on Nigeria's corruption issue, as if there is the only place it exist.

What is this nonsense report about defense collaboration with Iran. If the Defence minister Rabiu Kwankaso has nothing to announce he should just shut up. What possible defence collaboration can Nigeria have with Iran? Nonsense.......

An interesting report on (nigerian) Asylum seekers........

Another idiotic report claiming jihadists insurgent in Nigeria.......

The Secretary-General today announced the appointment of Ibrahim Agboola Gambari of Nigeria as the new Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, succeeding Kieran Prendergast, effective 1 July 2005. He will serve until the end of the Secretary-General’s term....

Myanmar, Nigeria and Nauru need to make more efforts if they are to be taken off the dirty money blacklist, the inter-governmental body to develop policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing said on Friday.
The three nations are in the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) list of non-cooperative countries and their status was reviewed at a meeting of the organisation's 33 members this week in Singapore.

"The FATF welcomes the substantial progress made by Myanmar, Nauru and Nigeria in enacting legislation and regulations addressing the main identified deficiencies. However, the countries will remain on the NCCT list until the reforms have been adequately implemented," it said in statement, referring to its list of Non-cooperative Countries and Territories.......

MTN Nigeria Communi-cations Limited (MTN) has announced a pre-tax earning of N65 billion on revenue of N199 billion for the period April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2005. Over the same period, the mobile telecommunication company said its subscriber base also increased by 123 per cent while a capital investment of over N118 billion was completed..........

International Labour Organisation has expressed concern with the increasing unemplyment in Nigeria. It expects the country to provide a detailed information on the impact of the implementation of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies on employment as well as activities of employment services............

Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) should stop acting silly about including ethnicity and religion on the census data. Akinola should take his conservatism somewhere else. If he wants to know how many christians are in Nigeria well let him do his own count and found out. National Population Commission's job is to count people. CAN shouldn't stand in the way as they announced they'll do.........

Shameless Senators Fight For Right To Recieve GIFTS

The honourable Senators can't be bothered about stamping out corruption as I can see. They lay more value on their "gifts" than helping usher the Nation forward.Inspite of all the allowances they are recieving. I guess kleptomania is a hard habit to kick. How unfortunate.

Thiefing Balogun

So what's going on with Tafa Balogun's thiefing case? I know he made bail. The thief that got a street named after him in Ila-Orangun was well educated indeed as I discovered but what did he do with all that education? Thieving! A thief policing thieves. The former Thiefing-General of Police is now claiming that EFCC have no jurisdiction to prosecute him. Its seem the charges against him are so daunting that he is resulting to obfuscation.

Meanwhile the popularity of the Nigerian Police is as low as its former boss.

According to BBC report, although the men in black describe themselves as "the people's friend", very few people have fond memories of encounters they have with armed policemen manning Nigeria's motorways.
True tales of extortion for "phantom offences" are rife, contributing to the contempt that most Nigerians have for the police.

Also in another report similarly indicting of the police we read, "we see instances of police abuse and brutality in Nigeria every day," Carina Tertsakian, a Nigeria specialist for Human Rights Watch, told IRIN on Tuesday. "It's a pattern of behaviour that's left over from the military era. But we've had six years of civilian rule now."
"There has been a certain amount of cosmetic change. For example, the government has at least been making the right noises about cleaning up corruption, but we've seen no changes as far as other human rights abuses are concerned," the London-based researcher said.......more

This Obasanjo

So it was true that Obasanjo sent representatives to Benny Hinn to come for revival in Nigeria 'to bring the message of salvation and miracles to help heal that precious country' according to Hinn's Church website

"Now you must come to Nigeria and pray a healing, anointing prayer over the entire constituency of Nigeria" Obasanjo reportedly wrote Hinn.

Alas, 'unbeknownst to the representatives, exactly at 6 PM of that very day as they arrived in Georgia to deliver the invitation, Pastor Benny was preparing for the Atlanta service and the Holy Spirit said, “Go to Nigeria!”'

Well he came and got his ass scammed good time. 419ed the holy sprit way.

Go to Nigeria Benny!!!! Go to Nigeria!!!!

Anglican Church

I am tracking development over there. It seem as if Akinola will not let matter lie easily. And his antagonists too are not ready to lay down their weapons easily. It made for interesting argument.

This Naija

As I write this there are reports of carnage in Northern Nigeria. Some Sunnis are clashing it seems with their fellow Shiites. At least this time they are not killing Christians. Maybe it will teach them some religious tolerance for a change.
"The government will deal with anyone caught breaking the peace, and already some arrests were made. Adequate measures were taken to protect people, lives and property," Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, said in a state-wide broadcast before the arson attack........

.....Meanwhile the telecom boom keep the smart foreign companies smiling all the way to the bank as MTN is expected next week to report a huge profit according to Citicorp as its Nigeria market is worth $5 billion an estimated 43% of the market. The report also anticipate the return of Vodacom back into Nigeria.

And I finally have an image of murderer Charles Taylor's house in Calabar.


Taylor's Residence In Calabar

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