KB And Friends.

Arrogance of being President while being Black

2011-09-05T13:30:00.000+01:00

Obama and wife, Michelle

When Barack Obama won the 2008 Presidential election, I was too jubilant, seeing a rare triumph over the ever-superior, racial-minded whites and their cohorts who would rather see the emergence of a Black American President only in their wildest imaginations.

Though I am no fan of President Barack Obama, neither am I happy with his failed promises of the much touted 'Change' he sang through his campaigns, nor will I stop expressing my disappointment over his decision to veto Palestinian statehood agitation at the United Nations.

But one point stands clear, he is the American president and shouldn't get anything less!

I wonder why so much fuss is constantly raised by some selected citizens over his internal policies in a supposedly 'free state'. who the hell does he think he is? This I believe is the common thought of the racists every time President Barack Obama's face appears on the TV. Irrespective of colour, I feel whoever becomes the American president should enjoy equal treatment devoid of racial-oriented sentiments lest we assume that all American presidents are equal but some are more equal than 'others'.

A friend forwarded me an email on the fuss over President Obama being arrogant and blah blah blah. I took a quick glance and behold, the writer is a White American blogger. And I wondered aloud, So we have such honest guys among the gang?

Below is his x-ray of Obama vs the gangs!

I don't think anyone was under some real illusion that the election of Barack Obama actually means the end of racism in America . I'm pretty sure that the president-elect knew it better than anyone. After all, he saw it every day, from the moment he announced his candidacy. To some degree, he saw it within his own party during the primaries. And he saw it in all ugliness during the general election. For half of this country, he was "That One". No matter how big and clear his victory was. No matter how smart he is. No matter how decent he is. No matter what a true patriot he is. No matter how optimistic and positive his vision for America was. All that didn't matter. Because at the end of the day, he was still black.

I'm quite old. I remember, vaguely, where my parents were on November 22, 1963. I've seen so many presidents. Some were feared, some were hated, some were adored, some popular and some not. But all of them, without exception, were treated with the highest respect deserving the office of the president of the United States .

That is until a black man won the right to occupy this office. It's been 13 months now, and in the eyes of so many, Barack Obama is still that one. He is being disrespected and at the same time being held to the highest standard of any president I've ever seen – and not just by the Republican side! He has to perform three times better than any president in history, and even that may not be enough.

For the media, he is many more times just "Obama" than "President Obama". They create scandals out of nothing issues. It took them at least 6 years to start giving Bush a small part of the shit he deserved. It took them 6 months to begin crap all over Obama because he's yet to fix the catastrophe that was left for him.

They use condescending tones when they talk about him, and only mildly less condescending when they talk TO him. With anyone else, CNN wouldn't dare go to commercials every time the president speaks, like they did during that summit on Thursday. They wouldn't dare be counting how many minutes George Bush or Bill Clinton were talking. Chris Mathews wouldn't dare make an issue out of Ronald Regan calling members of congress by their first name, like he is not actually the president. They fully cooperate with the Right-Wing smear machine when it comes to president Obama's national security performance – even if almost every independent and military expert actually thinks that he' s a terrific Commander-in-Chief. You'll never see them on TV, and virtually no one from the Left, in congress and outside, defend the president on this matter.

I don't care about the Far-Right. They're just crazy ignorant Neanderthals. It's the way the beltway and the mainstream treats this president that is shocking. On Thursday, almost every Republican had no trouble interrupting him in the middle of a sentence. They looked like they're going to vomit every time they had to say "Mr. president". They all had this Eric-Cantor-Smirk whenever he spoke. Then they went out and started to spit their stupid talking points, to the delight of the media. Sarah Palin, a woman who can hardly read, thinks that he was "arrogant" towards John McCain, and somehow this is an important news. Because you see, "Obama's Arrogance" is the talking point of the day.

Oh, those talking points. He is arrogant (because he knows the facts better than all of them combined). He is an elitist (because he uses big words that they don't understand). He is weak on national security (because he actually thinks about the consequences). He divides the country (well, he did that the day he had the audacity to win the election). Worst of all, he actually thinks that he's the president. He even dared to say so on Thursday. How arrogant of him. You'd think that previous presidents didn't have any ego. Somehow it turned out that the one president who treats even his biggest opponents with the utmost respect – is the arrogant one. I wonder why?

I expected that his winning the Presidency would bring out some ugliness, but it's been far worse than I imagined. The racism coming from the Right is obviously clear and shameless, but there's also some hidden and maybe subconscious and disturbing underline tone behind some of the things that I read here and throughout the Left blogosphere, even before the end of Obama's first year - 'He's weak, he's spineless, he's got no balls, primary him in 2012'. It'll be dishonest to deny that.

The fact is that for millions in America, Barack Obama is this uppity black man (Not even a "real" black), who received good education only due to affirmative action, and has no right to litter the sacred Oval Office with his skin color. They just can't accept the fact that the president is a black man, who unlike his predecessor, was actually legally elected. But what's really sad is that it's not just the fringe, its deep deep in mainstream America .

Barack Obama's ability to remain above all this slob, to keep his optimism and his strange and mostly unjustified faith in people, while continuing to gracefully deal with an endless shitstorm – is one of the most inspiring displays of human quality I have ever seen. And I can only hope that the Cosmos is on his side because God is and He never makes a mistake.

Sometimes, they make me feel ashamed to be a white man!!

Monroe Williams

THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES

2010-10-27T18:55:00.005+01:00

Over 7 years of writing journals online, forum participation and so forth, I have always wondered why ‘Lying’ as a topic is less debated. Or is it because both the writer and the reader will be equally guilty?

Few days ago, I decided to take a look at my blog after a long break, to my amazement, the last post was in 2009! No update since the year 2010. A quick thought revealed nothing but a need to write on this compelling topic. Why do we rather patronize lies? Before thinking of breakfast, I had my fingers to the keyboard.

There is a saying that truth is bitter. “Are you calling me a liar?” Adults are always quick to retort in such sharp tone once disagreed with. So, this article does not seek to undermine TRUTH but examines the very essence of lie in our individual lives.

- Personally, I perceive a lie as a defense, an excuse, a strategy or pretext which is in itself a creation constantly in date with humanity to an extent that it entertains as much as truth hurts …in the end, man is a liar.

An original thought of:

Ismail M. Kabir

From the very beginning, man always considers a lie as a sin, a vice and an unacceptable human characteristic. It is equally considered a dishonest practice, an offense and a wrong attitude that should rather be ditched. But if telling lies clearly opposes truth, then the word ‘lie’ should neither be coloured, nor refined. A lie is a lie and should thus be addressed!

Growing up is a momentous experience to humans. As a child, we were made to believe, saw and perceived lie as ruinous, unethical, cynical and punishable. Children-before recently- dreaded lies as they do a lash or a scold from a brutal parent. We seldom shivered at the mere thought of it; the fear of punishment and related consequences made us rather tell the truth or resort to crying. This can only be considered a thing of the past because modern generation kids have bidden TRUTH a heart-felt goodbye.

As I write this piece, I can vividly recall my very young days as a child. Truth reigned. And among my peers, some of us enjoyed disciplined parenting to an extent that when we committed an offense outside our parent’s notice, it was like a dagger to our conscience. The sight of our parent spelt doom until we find ourselves sub-consciously ‘confessing’ our crime even before the asking. That was then!

Today, telling a lie is as easy as eating a cake. Parents, kids and virtually everyone around tell lies like having fun. While this could be considered the norm of a new generation, a look into the life of our ancestors, the early men and of course human history reveals lying as old as humanity in itself.

For starters, history shows that parents have the responsibility of instilling honesty in their children. Adults are considered the teachers of the minors; they tell them to do what is right and refrain from doing the wrongs. This clearly means that adults are always right; they are presumed-at least by the kids-to be honest always. But are the adults really honest? This will bring to bear, the truth about lies.

Lies in parenting

Do you know that good parenting is often based on telling lies? Many a reader will quickly dispel this claim but let me assure you that good parents will dare NOT tell the truth at all times if their child must be raised well. This is partly because certain truth is better hidden from the child to prevent trouble and partly because the parents are simply not ‘always right’. For instance, a mother is aware of her husband’s infidelity that makes him keep late nights. One day, the child walks up to the mother, ‘Mom, it’s late and Dad isn’t back from work’, he inquires. Mom replies, ‘Dad is having a long-hour meeting with his associates. Go to bed, he will be back soon’. That’s it, a lie! But she just have to do it otherwise, the child will know the TRUTH. Inadvertently, the child grows up with huge regard and love for an unfaithful father. In fact, he is proud of his ‘hardworking’ father. The next time he demands to see the grandpa or granny, he is told they are out of town and would only be around by Christmas. This is regarded good parenting as the kid dares not realize that Dad is broke and can’t afford a vacation. Truth is what we’re made to believe. I remember once hearing a little girl playfully said, “Daddy, you are lying”.

Making him a ‘Good’ child

‘You are a good boy’, a mother commends her child for telling the truth about the where about of his pocket money. Kids are highly accessible to gifts and cash from family and friends of their parents. Good kids take pride in saving such earnings with either Mom or Dad depending on which they are more inclined. The parents will naturally discharge their duties to the child; feeding, clothing and providing him with all the basic and sometimes, extravagant needs.

Soon, the child has a need from the savings and mom is the bank. ‘Mom, I want to buy a toy I saw on my way to school today. Can I have some money from my savings with you?’ Naturally, the mom respects the fact that the kid has enough money in her custody. But God, the toy is expensive. ‘What do you need the toy for? Besides, you don’t have enough money to buy that (that’s a lie!). Maybe your dad will make up the amount’. ‘No Mom, I have enough money with you’, the kid retorts. ‘Shut up! Naughty boy. After all, I take care of your needs. I have bought you clothes with the money’. Period! It is not about the authority, but the lie. He must NOT be encouraged to waste money. Some excuse, huh?

The Adult Lies

Some lies are exclusively preserved for adults. In most cases, certain adults retain the authority or right to lie. When such lies are told, they commit no offense, for their goal is either to defend or convince. This category of lie is the most common in our daily lives. It revolves around marriage, business, politics and even religion. There is always a score between the liar and the receiver. While the former strives to convince, the latter is eventually deceived.

i. Marriage Lies: A young man approaches a beautiful lady with the desire to take her out and subsequently seek her hand in marriage. He is just newly employed as a casual worker with the salary scale of less than $2,000 per annum and the lady, a professional artist with many awards to her credit for exceptional art works. The young lad is in love and the lady must be impressed. Then, the conversation goes thus:

“Will you join me for lunch, my princess?” the young lad offers, with a gentle smile. She admires his good looks and gentlemanly appearance so, she accepts. After savouring the delicacies served them, they chitchat over a bowl of desserts but the young lad constantly avoids the question of his means of survival. Looking straight into her eyes, he produces a small red box from his breast pocket and pushing the chair backward, he opens up.

“Will you marry me, my princess?” he proposes, going down on his knees.

“But may I know what you do for a living first, mister?” the lady presses further. Seeing that he may eventually loose her on this ground, he is set to impress her with false claims.

“Well, I am John Thomas, the business manager of Creative Concepts, a multimedia company within this county”, he boasts. A smile forms around her lips, she’s been deceived. Many marriage proposals are based on false claims; the claim comes from either the less-worthy man or the lady who is desperate to hook the guy at all cost. In few cases, the deceit may turn out a success but in most cases, the marriage is marred by conflicts which may include seeking a defense, excuse or justifications for cheating on the other. At worst, divorce sets in. The approach could vary but high percentage of men proposes or, at the least, asks ladies out on false claims.

ii. Business Lies: One of the principles I learnt from my parents, particularly my Dad, is to tell the truth always. I upheld this principle throughout my childhood until I got my first blue-collar job in Lagos Nigeria. At first, I was stunned at how easy it was for my superiors lying to customers about the readiness of their stock even when it was yet to be delivered to the office for confirmation. The customers must be convinced. That was the rule.

Soon, I was to take over some useful position in the company and then came my turn to lie. Well, this rule wasn’t borne out of mischief or con, but necessary to contain the interval between the deliveries of our bulk product from the manufacturer before onward distribution to our teeming clients across the country who prepay for the stock. The rule was necessary to retain the customers in a highly competitive market and that was based on lying. So, I did not just learn to lie, I became professional at it. Consequently, the customers-inadvertently-did not just believe me, but trusted me! We were in business, both employers and employees freely practicing the adult lie required for the survival of our business. It never harmed neither the business, nor the customers. They were convinced.

In advertorials, the service of professionals are sought to achieve best ad concepts. Therefore, advertising agencies have no business with your honesty but creativity. The goal; Buyers must be convinced.

Irrespective of the quality of goods being advertised, best strategies are adopted not just to impress the viewing public but lure and convince them into buying the product. A certain advert from a dental product company can present a guy with a set of dazzling white teeth with a smile that attracts ladies to him on the go but same product when bought could ruin the buyer’s dentition. The basic goal is accomplished albeit the buyer’s woe. Little wonder that consumers’ right protection subsists to checkmate this excess.

In trade, many have got their fingers burnt. Purchases made in high speculations could turn into great losses due to ‘smart practice’ from wholesalers or fellow partners. For instance, study reveals that there are double-standard from wholesalers who secretly engage in retailing at the peril of mainstream retailers. They seek to maximize profits on both ends. Same smart practices are found in the banking, insurance, transportation, housing, constructions sectors and more. The reality is that every smart practice in business is committed by adults. Business partners outsmart one another in a bid to overthrow or exceed the other. The lie is coloured to dim its gravity. Just demand an explanation and what you get will not fall short of a conviction; it’s business. Such smart practices constitute adult lies.

iii. Political Lies: Ever wonder, the justifications for major wars in the world? Lies! All pretexts of wars are based on lies in order to convince the populace of their justification. World powers are the chieftains of political lies.

In political campaigns, huge promises are made to the applause of unsuspecting voters. Once elections have been won, all the promises will be forgotten. The winner becomes the leader with the right to punish erring citizens. There may be scores to settle but the lie has won.

An ailing economy of a country may trigger incitements. Some nations survive in the manufacture and sales of war arsenals. To advance their trade, wars must be fought which requires a justification to strike the target. The easiest conviction is telling the citizens a lie, a good one at that. Eventually, they are deceived but the goal is accomplished. That’s the score. No matter the magnitude of destruction, the level of casualty and the severity of damaged bilateral relations, the truth MUST never be told. Yet, the ordinary citizens MUST not lie else they face the grievous consequence.

iv. Academic Lies: No doubting the fact that all works of fiction is based on lies. Imaginary stories that make heroes of men. People become great authors and winners of noble prizes for efforts borne out of imagination.

Aside scientists and researchers whose achievement are based on facts and findings, literally works are mainly imagined. Painstaking internal research that moulds a virtual world of struggle, sorrow, pain, difficulties or sometimes success and prosperity has won people global reputation and honour.

Way back in 1999, I was writing a story about a man that lost his mother in infancy. In the story which I titled ‘The Orphan’, the main character-a 2 month old baby at the time-was on her mother’s back when she fell into a ditch on her way from her begging routine and died from prolonged starvation. The baby was rescued by a poor farmer and he eventually grew, through thick and thin, into a very successful good-looking young man that was the apple of the ladies’ eyes.

In the course of my writing, I was moved to tears on several occasions. The story was ridden with emotion and suspense yet, it never saw the light of the day. Due to the flow and style, my head began swelling. A neighbour who perused the unfinished manuscript encouraged me with a promise to help publish it on completion. I was barely 19 years old then with teeming friends. A female friend requested a preview and that was the end of the story.

Had I finished and published that thought-provoking story, perhaps I would have become one of the youngest authors of best selling fictions. I would have probably bagged awards; rewards for my lies!

v. Religious Lies: Writing this piece may sound crazy an idea to many but to me, it came as an over-the-night inspiration and I couldn’t help but write it down lest it dies as natural as the death of my never-see-the-light-of-day fiction, The Orphan.

Talking about religious lies, many clerics have victimized the very faith they preach. But without apology, suffice to say that they are as guilty as the acclaimed followers whose proclamations do not go beyond lip service. They hold their heads high but live with guilty conscience.

Every religion preaches against lying. Believers are always enjoined to say the truth and nothing but the truth. As a Muslim, my best regard goes to the saying of the holy prophet of Islam, Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) that we should always “Speak the truth or keep our mouth shut”. Many followers of this faith, though aware of this clear teaching, fall short of its practice. Same goes to other faiths. Even the free-thinker isn’t free of this vice.

Through lies, clerics have turned charlatans. In an attempt to woo followers, they systematically introduce personal principles and injunctions in their respective faiths. They twist divine laws, refine holy teachings and reform the principles of faiths to suit their personal desires. Ignorant followers are compelled to believe and follow ONLY the sayings and instructions of the leader and ignore the words of the holy books. Where certain facts are too glaring, they are branded old school and considered dumped. The religion is left at the mercy of these desperate clerics whose lies every follower MUST heed. Little wonder why people openly swear to justice and fairness with the holy books only to end up proving the opposite. And when men of faith are gathered in their congregation, thus shout the leader: Thou shall not LIE![i]

The shepherd fears loosing his sheep should he tell the TRUTH. Then, who is truly a liar? One would not be wrong to say that the measure of lies in religion far outweighs politics. The ratio can be outrageous.

When we live in a world surrounded by lies and deceit, we are constantly in conflict with honesty, in steady struggle with our conscience and therefore must not dispel being labeled a liar! Man can easily forgo other vices, but not lying. Man, in this case, refers to Humans.

Truth is the greatest enemy of man as long as lies play host to his desperate desires. As a twist of event, telling the truth is often considered a lie since one is not expected to leak the ‘secret’. Therefore, so long as man continues to keep the truth secret, he is forever in bondage as only the truth can set him free.

Just a story

2009-05-13T13:28:00.000+01:00

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree.
منذ زمن بعيد ولى...كان هناك شجرة تفاح في غاية الضخامة...
A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday.
كان هناك طفل صغير يلعب حول هذه الشجرة يوميا...
He climbed to the treetop, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow...
وكان يتسلق أغصان هذه الشجرة ويأكل من ثمارها ...وبعدها يغفو قليلا لينام في ظلها...
He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.
كان يحب الشجرة وكانت الشجرة تحب لعبه معها...
Time went by...the little boy had grown up,
مر الزمن... وكبر هذا الطفل...
And he no longer played around the tree every day.
وأصبح لا يلعب حول هذه الشجرة بعد ذلك....
One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad.
في يوم من الأيام...رجع هذا الصبي وكان حزينا...!
'Come and play with me," the tree asked the boy.
فقالت له الشجرة: تعال والعب معي...
'I am no longer a kid, I do not play around trees any more'
The boy replied.
فأجابها الولد: لم أعد صغيرا لألعب حولك...
'I want toys. I need money to buy them.'
أنا أريد بعض اللعب وأحتاج بعض النقود لشرائها...
'Sorry, but I do not have money...
فأجابته الشجرة: أنا لا يوجد معي أية نقود!!!
But you can pick all my apples and sell them.
So, you will have money.
ولكن يمكنك أن تأخذ كل التفاح الذي لدي لتبيعه ثم تحصل على النقود التي تريدها...
' The boy was so excited.
الولد كان سعيدا للغاية...
He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily.
فتسلق الشجرة وجمع جميع ثمار التفاح التي عليها ونزل من عليها سعيدا...
The boy never came back after he picked the apples.
لم يعد الولد بعدها ...
The tree was sad.
كانت الشجرة في غاية الحزن بعدها لعدم عودته....
One day, the boy who now turned into a man returned
وفي يوم رجع هذا الولد للشجرة ولكنه لم يعد ولدا بل أصبح رجلا...!!!
And the tree was excited 'Come and play with me' the tree said.
وكانت الشجرة في منتهى السعادة لعودته وقالت له: تعال والعب معي...
'I do not have time to play. I have to work for my family.
ولكنه أجابها وقال لها:
أنا لم أعد طفلا لألعب حولك مرة أخرى فقد أصبحت رجلا مسئولا عن عائلة...
We need a house for shelter.
وأحتاج لبيت ليكون لهم مأوى...
Can you help me?
هل يمكنك مساعدتي بهذا؟
' Sorry",
آسفة!!!
But I do not have any house. But you can chop off my branches
To build your house.
فأنا ليس عندي لك بيت ولكن يمكنك أن تأخذ جميع أفرعي لتبني بها لك بيتا...
' So the man cut all the branches of the tree and left happily.
فأخذ الرجل كل الأفرع وغادر الشجرة وهو سعيدا...
The tree was glad to see him happy but the man never came back since then.
وكانت الشجرة سعيدة لسعادته ورؤيته هكذا ...ولكنه لم يعد إليها ...
The tree was again lonely and sad.
وأصبحت الشجرة حزينة مرة أخرى....
One hot summer day,
وفي يوم حار جدا...
The man returned and the tree was delighted.
عاد الرجل مرة أخرى وكانت الشجرة في منتهى السعادة....
'Come and play with me!' the tree said.
فقالت له الشجرة: تعال والعب معي...
'I am getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself.
فقال لها الرجل أنا في غاية التعب وقد بدأت في الكبر...وأريد أن أبحر لأي مكان لأرتاح...
"Can you give me a boat?'
"Said the man".
فقال لها الرجل: هل يمكنك إعطائي مركبا...
'Use my trunk to build your boat.
You can sail far away and be happy..
فأجابته يمكنك أخذ جذعي لبناء مركبك...وبعدها يمكنك أن تبحر به أينما تشاء...وتكون سعيدا...
' So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat.
فقطع الرجل جذع الشجرة وصنع مركبه!!!
He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.
فسافر مبحرا ولم يعد لمدة طويلة جدا............ ......... ...
Finally, the man returned after many years.
أخيرا عاد الرجل بعد غياب طويل وسنوات طويلة جدا.........
'Sorry, my boy. But I do not have anything for you anymore.
ولكن الشجرة أجابت وقالت له : آسفة يا بني الحبيب ولكن لم يعد عندي أي شئ لأعطيه لك...
No more apples for you...
' The tree said".

وقالت له:لا يوجد تفاح...
'No problem, I do not have any teeth to bite
' The man replied.
قال لها: لا عليك لم يعد عندي أي أسنان لأقضمها بها....
'No more trunk for you to climb on'
لم يعد عندي جذع لتتسلقه ولم يعد عندي فروع لتجلس عليها...
'I am too old for that now' the man said.
فأجابها الرجل لقد أصبحت عجوزا اليوم ولا أستطيع عمل أي شئ!!!
'I really cannot give you anything....
فأخبرته : أنا فعلا لا يوجد لدي ما أعطيه لك...
The only thing left is my dying root,"
The tree said with tears.
كل ما لدي الآن هو جذور ميتة...أجابته وهي تبكي...
'I do not need much now, just a place to rest.
فأجابها وقال لها: كل ما أحتاجه الآن هو مكان لأستريح به...
I am tired after all these years' the man replied.
فأنا متعب بعد كل هذه السنون...
'Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest,
فأجابته وقالت له: جذور الشجرة العجوز هي أنسب مكان لك للراحة...
Come, come sit down with me and rest.
تعال ...تعال واجلس معي هنا تحت واسترح معي...
' The man sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears...
فنزل الرجل إليها وكانت الشجرة سعيدة به والدموع تملأ ابتسامتها...
This is you and the tree is your parent. !!!!!
هل تعرف من هي هذه الشجرة؟
إنها أبويك!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please enlighten all your friends and your families
رجاء أن تقص هذه القصة على كل أصدقائك وأقاربك....
By telling them this story,
"Love your Parents

The Guard Who Found Islam

2009-05-13T13:24:00.001+01:00

Terry Holdbrooks stood watch over prisoners at Gitmo. What he saw made him adopt their faith.

Dan Ephron

NEWSWEEK
From the magazine issue dated Mar 30, 2009

Army specialist Terry Holdbrooks had been a guard at Guantánamo for about six months the night he had his life-altering conversation with detainee 590, a Moroccan also known as "the General." This was early 2004, about halfway through Holdbrooks's stint at Guantánamo with the 463rd Military Police Company. Until then, he'd spent most of his day shifts just doing his duty. He'd escort prisoners to interrogations or walk up and down the cellblock making sure they weren't passing notes. But the midnight shifts were slow. "The only thing you really had to do was mop the center floor," he says. So Holdbrooks began spending part of the night sitting cross-legged on the ground, talking to detainees through the metal mesh of their cell doors.

He developed a strong relationship with the General, whose real name is Ahmed Errachidi. Their late-night conversations led Holdbrooks to be more skeptical about the prison, he says, and made him think harder about his own life. Soon, Holdbrooks was ordering books on Arabic and Islam. During an evening talk with Errachidi in early 2004, the conversation turned to the shahada, the one-line statement of faith that marks the single requirement for converting to Islam ("There is no God but God and Muhammad is his prophet"). Holdbrooks pushed a pen and an index card through the mesh, and asked Errachidi to write out the shahada in English and transliterated Arabic. He then uttered the words aloud and, there on the floor of Guantánamo's Camp Delta, became a Muslim.

When historians look back on Guantánamo, the harsh treatment of detainees and the trampling of due process will likely dominate the narrative. Holdbrooks, who left the military in 2005, saw his share. In interviews over recent weeks, he and another former guard told NEWSWEEK about degrading and sometimes sadistic acts against prisoners committed by soldiers, medics and interrogators who wanted revenge for the 9/11 attacks on America. But as the fog of secrecy slowly lifts from Guantánamo, other scenes are starting to emerge as well, including surprising interactions between guards and detainees on subjects like politics, religion and even music. The exchanges reveal curiosity on both sides—sometimes even empathy. "The detainees used to have conversations with the guards who showed some common respect toward them," says Errachidi, who spent five years in Guantánamo and was released in 2007. "We talked about everything, normal things, and things [we had] in common," he wrote to NEWSWEEK in an e-mail from his home in Morocco.

Holdbrooks's level of identification with the other side was exceptional. No other guard has volunteered that he embraced Islam at the prison (though Errachidi says others expressed interest). His experience runs counter to academic studies, which show that guards and inmates at ordinary prisons tend to develop mutual hostility. But then, Holdbrooks is a contrarian by nature. He can also be conspiratorial. When his company visited the site of the 9/11 attacks in New York, Holdbrooks remembers thinking there had to be a broader explanation, and that the Bush administration must have colluded somehow in the plot.

But his misgivings about Guantánamo—including doubts that the detainees were the "worst of the worst"—were shared by other guards as early as 2002. A few such guards are coming forward for the first time. Specialist Brandon Neely, who was at Guantánamo when the first detainees arrived that year, says his enthusiasm for the mission soured quickly. "There were a couple of us guards who asked ourselves why these guys are being treated so badly and if they're actually terrorists at all," he told NEWSWEEK. Neely remembers having long conversations with detainee Ruhal Ahmed, who loved Eminem and James Bond and would often rap or sing to the other prisoners. Another former guard, Christopher Arendt, went on a speaking tour with former detainees in Europe earlier this year to talk critically about the prison.

Holdbrooks says growing up hard in Phoenix—his parents were junkies and he himself was a heavy drinker before joining the military in 2002—helps explain what he calls his "anti-everything views." He has holes the size of quarters in both earlobes, stretched-out piercings that he plugs with wooden discs. At his Phoenix apartment, bedecked with horror-film memorabilia, he rolls up both sleeves to reveal wrist-to-shoulder tattoos. He describes the ink work as a narrative of his mistakes and addictions. They include religious symbols and Nazi SS bolts, track marks and, in large letters, the words BY DEMONS BE DRIVEN. He says the line, from a heavy-metal song, reminds him to be a better person.

Holdbrooks—TJ to his friends—says he joined the military to avoid winding up like his parents. He was an impulsive young man searching for stability. On his first home leave, he got engaged to a woman he'd known for just eight days and married her three months later. With little prior exposure to religion, Holdbrooks was struck at Gitmo by the devotion detainees showed to their faith. "A lot of Americans have abandoned God, but even in this place, [the detainees] were determined to pray," he says.

Holdbrooks was also taken by the prisoners' resourcefulness. He says detainees would pluck individual threads from their jumpsuits or prayer mats and spin them into long stretches of twine, which they would use to pass notes from cell to cell. He noticed that one detainee with a bad skin rash would smear peanut butter on his windowsill until the oil separated from the paste, then would use the oil on his rash.

Errachidi's detention seemed particularly suspect to Holdbrooks. The Moroccan detainee had worked as a chef in Britain for almost 18 years and spoke fluent English. He told Holdbrooks he had traveled to Pakistan on a business venture in late September 2001 to help pay for his son's surgery. When he crossed into Afghanistan, he said, he was picked up by the Northern Alliance and sold to American troops for $5,000. At Guantánamo, Errachidi was accused of attending a Qaeda training camp. But a 2007 investigation by the London Times newspaper appears to have corroborated his story; it eventually helped lead to his release.

In prison, Errachidi was an agitator. "Because I spoke English, I was always in the face of the soldiers," he wrote NEWSWEEK in an e-mail. Errachidi said an American colonel at Guantánamo gave him his nickname, and warned him that generals "get hurt" if they don't cooperate. He said his defiance cost him 23 days of abuse, including sleep deprivation, exposure to very cold temperatures and being shackled in stress positions. "I always believed the soldiers were doing illegal stuff and I was not ready to keep quiet." (Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon, a Pentagon spokesman, said in response: "Detainees have often made claims of abuse that are simply not supported by the facts.") The Moroccan spent four of his five years at Gitmo in the punishment block, where detainees were denied "comfort items" like paper and prayer beads along with access to the recreation yard and the library.

Errachidi says he does not remember details of the night Holdbrooks converted. Over the years, he says, he discussed a range of religious topics with guards: "I spoke to them about subjects like Father Christmas and Ishac and Ibrahim [Isaac and Abraham] and the sacrifice. About Jesus." Holdbrooks recalls that when he announced he wanted to embrace Islam, Errachidi warned him that converting would be a serious undertaking and, at Guantánamo, a messy affair. "He wanted to make sure I knew what I was getting myself into." Holdbrooks later told his two roommates about the conversion, and no one else.

But other guards noticed changes in him. They heard detainees calling him Mustapha, and saw that Holdbrooks was studying Arabic openly. (At his Phoenix apartment, he displays the books he had amassed. They include a leather-bound, six-volume set of Muslim sacred texts and "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam.") One night his squad leader took him to a yard behind his living quarters, where five guards were waiting to stage a kind of intervention. "They started yelling at me," he recalls, "asking if I was a traitor, if I was switching sides." At one point a squad leader pulled back his fist and the two men traded blows, Holdbrooks says.

Holdbrooks spent the rest of his time at Guantánamo mainly keeping to himself, and nobody bothered him further. Another Muslim who served there around the same time had a different experience. Capt. James Yee, a Gitmo chaplain for much of 2003, was arrested in September of that year on suspicion of aiding the enemy and other crimes—charges that were eventually dropped. Yee had become a Muslim years earlier. He says the Muslims on staff at Gitmo—mainly translators—often felt beleaguered. "There was an overall atmosphere by the command to vilify Islam." (Commander Gordon's response: "We strongly disagree with the assertions made by Chaplain Yee").

At Holdbrooks's next station, in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., he says things began to unravel. The only place to kill time within miles of the base was a Wal-Mart and two strip clubs—Big Daddy's and Big Louie's. "I've never been a fan of strip clubs, so I hung out at Wal-Mart," he says. Within months, Holdbrooks was released from the military—two years before the end of his commitment. The Army gave him an honorable discharge with no explanation, but the events at Gitmo seemed to loom over the decision. The Army said it would not comment on the matter.

Back in Phoenix, Holdbrooks returned to drinking, in part to suppress what he describes as the anger that consumed him. (Neely, the other ex-guard who spoke to NEWSWEEK, said Guantánamo had made him so depressed he spent up to $60 a day on alcohol during a monthlong leave from the detention center in 2002.) Holdbrooks divorced his wife and spiraled further.

Eventually his addictions landed him in the hospital. He suffered a series of seizures, as well as a fall that resulted in a bad skull fracture and the insertion of a titanium plate in his head.
Recently, Holdbrooks has been back in touch with Errachidi, who has suffered his own ordeal since leaving the detention center. Errachidi told NEWSWEEK he had trouble adjusting to his freedom, "trying to learn how to walk without shackles and trying to sleep at night with the lights off." He signed each of the dozen e-mails he sent to NEWSWEEK with the impersonal ID that his captors had given him: Ahmed 590.

Holdbrooks, now 25, says he quit drinking three months ago and began attending regular prayers at the Tempe Islamic Center, a mosque near the University of Phoenix, where he works as an enrollment counselor. The long scar on his head is now mostly hidden under the lace of his Muslim kufi cap. When the imam at Tempe introduced Holdbrooks to the congregation and explained he'd converted at Guantánamo, a few dozen worshipers rushed over to shake his hand. "I would have thought they had the most savage soldiers serving there," says the imam, Amr Elsamny, an Egyptian. "I never thought it would be someone like TJ."

With Dina Fine Maron in Washington
URL: http://www.newsweek.com/id/190357

Obituary: Common Sense

2009-05-13T13:16:00.000+01:00

Interesting and, sadly true.

'Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, 'Common Sense', who has been with us for many years.
No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

· Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
· why the early bird gets the worm;
· Life isn't always fair; and
· maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by
· simple, sound financial policies: (don't spend more than you can earn) and
· reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.

· Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate;
· teens suspended from school for using mouth wash after lunch; and
· a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student,
only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost further ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student;
but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses;
and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home
and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realise that a steaming cup of coffee was hot.
She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by
· his parents, Truth and Trust.
· His wife, Discretion,
· his daughter, Responsibility,
· his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
· I Know My Rights;
· I Want It Now;
· Someone Else Is To Blame;
· I'm A Victim.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realised he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Job Application

2009-05-08T14:46:00.004+01:00

I got this as a forwarded email from a friend, as soon as I recovered from the rib cracking laughter, an idea struck me; I must share this with my blog readers. Here goes the Job Application, enjoy!

'I am apply to my job of security guard to you boss in you company of Shoprite. I complete to Grade 8 examination certificate in 1997. I am 27 ears to be Born of age and no mallied and no childish. My father is dead long time ago and my mother mary in Zaire country there 10 years now, no see she so nobody known to help me.

My certificate is just sitting home for itself, but passes in Mathematics, Geography, Science and all subjects but fail in English because of Nyanja teacher, Mr Phiri, teaching me is jelos of myself. Me wear expenses cloth than Ngoni teacher.

I here people you want security guards to you company and I tell you I Am one of that job experience for 2 years. I shot 7 thief dead. I want to Join the company of you and chase criminal out with me AK47.Please consider my aplication careful and call me any time because me Have celphone. I am red for interview with you.

I am very hornest and can speakEnglish free.Please also greet your wife. And rememba that English is not our mother land!!Yours in faith Pasopa Mampara My picture frame I look beautiful.

PROUD APPLICANT, ISN'T HE? LOL

Manufacturing Fear

2009-03-31T13:08:00.003+01:00

By: Dr. Aslam Abdullah

March 17, 2009.

If I write a column arguing that Bernard Madoff, a Jew by birth, cheated mostly Christian investors of billions of dollars, you will rightly call me crazy.
If I argue that some Jewish religious organizations that received money from Madoff were thriving on the loot, you will rightly call me insane.
If I whisper that Madoff was a supporter of Israel and his intention was to financially help the Zionist land, you will call me an anti-Semitic.
If I say that Madoff was a family man who was trying to support his family and community that is always the victim of anti-Semites, you will definitely jump to my throat.
If I say that Madoff was reading the Jewish scriptures and using some verses that justify maltreatment of gentiles to launch his ponzy schemes, you will definitely call me a mad man and rightly so.
Similarly, if I argue that the gunman who shot 10 people dead in Alabama was a devout Christian and he killed all those who in his views were not practicing Christians, you would hate me for that.
If I write that he acted on the basis of his readings of the Bible where the Lord had condemned all those who deviate, you would call me ignorant.
If I say that several Biblical passages incite people to act violently you would ridicule me and rightly so.

Now if someone were to say the following:

Omar Hussein, a Muslim by birth, cheated mostly Christian investors of billions of dollars ...
Muslim religious organizations that receive money from Hussein were thriving on the loot ...
Hussein was a supporter of Palestine and his intention was to financially help the Muslim lands ...
Hussein was reading the Muslim scriptures and using some verses that defile gentiles to launch his ponzy schemes ...
The gunman who shot 10 people dead in Kabul was a devout Muslim and he killed all those who in his view were not practicing Muslims ...
He acted on the basis of his reading of the Quran where the Lord had condemned all those who deviate ...
Several Quranic passages incite people to act violently ...

Reading the above most people would tend to nod their head saying that Islam promotes these kinds of acts and Muslims follow the Quran whose teachings are based on such deceptions. This is what many in North America and Europe have done for the last several years. Since, they do not allow any counter argument, and the voices of Muslims are weak in challenging their absurdity and the average people do not care much about these things, they get away without being called crazy, insane, ignorant, lunatic, anti-Muslim or Islamophobic.

You may say that this is a weak argument because those Muslims who are killing innocent people are calling it an Islamic act. So what? If 675 people are killed in the United States every week because we have the freedom to own gun under second amendment, and the killer calls it a constitutional freedom, will we give any credence to their statement?
Will we hold democracy responsible for this?
But when it comes to Islam and Muslims, many of our pundits and experts and analysts indulge in the most insane, bizarre and crazy analysis without being questioned. Instead they are often rewarded for their nonsense.

Their analysis or explanation is just another manifestation of their deep rooted prejudices against Islam regardless of what they say. They have the notion that Islam is a primitive and backward religion because most Muslims in the world today are illiterate or poor. They still have the idea that Islam is a false religion that promotes violence and immorality because that is what they have read in books written by their predecessors hundreds of years ago or said by their pastors, rabbis or religious leaders uninterruptedly for years.

This kind of analysis can only promote hatred and sensationalize an issue. But it would not solve a problem. For almost nine years, we are fighting a war on terrorism which in the view of right wing Christians, Zealot Hindus, and Extremist Zionists is a war on Islamic terrorism. In their analysis the world faces the danger of Islamic terror.
Now look at the reality.

In Europe, according to a European Council report, in the year 2007, 583 failed, foiled and successful terrorist acts took place. Out of that, four were attributed to Islamists, 21 to left wing, 1 to right wing, and 532 to separatists. How come we never heard of those terror acts committed by separatists? How come there was little analysis of those acts? How come the Western intellectuals are silent on such terror related incidents?

EU Terrorism Situation And Trend Report
Doubtlessly, our world faces a serious challenge from those who have used violence as a means to promote their political and even religious agenda. But we cannot simply hold an entire faith and community responsible for that. As long as we will continue to do that, we will never be able to understand the real motives behind such acts of terrorism. Consequently, we will promote hatred and prejudices that will never enable us to face the real problems and work towards establishing a more harmonious society. In the process, many innocent people would be condemned to torture, discrimination and even death.

Dr. Aslam Abdullah is editor of the Detroit based English weekly, Muslim Observer, director of the Islamic Society of Nevada, Las Vegas and the recently elected General Secretary of the World Council of Muslims for Interfaith Relation. He is also the vice President of the Muslim Council of America, MCA.

Dr. Mukwege emerges as the African of the Year

2009-01-14T18:55:00.002+01:00

Congolese doctor, Dr. Denis Mukwege has been selected as the African of the Year for 2008.
The award presentation which was held in Abuja, Nigeria’ capital marked the end of the selection process begun in 2008.
Dr. Denis Mukwege is a gynecologist who specializes in reconstructive surgeries on victims of rape in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo. His hospital, Panzi Specialist Hospital, has become a refuge for these unfortunate victims over the years.
According to the United Nations, 27,000 sexual assaults were reported in 2006 in South Kivu Province alone, and that may be just a fraction of the total number across the country. The justice system and the military still barely function, and United Nations officials say Congolese government troops are among the worst offenders when it comes to rape. Large swaths of the country, especially in the east, remain authority-free zones where civilians are at the mercy of heavily armed groups who have made warfare a livelihood and survive by raiding villages and abducting women for ransom.
It is in this environment that Dr. Denis has had to keep up his practice. His continued efforts at putting these women back together physically and mentally is what has, above everything else, made it impossible not to acknowledge him as the Daily Trust African of the Year for 2008.
For more information about Dr. Denis, the other runners-up and the whole project, click here .

Source: Daily Trust

Isn't Isreal rejecting Democracy?

2009-01-11T17:38:00.003+01:00

Long days of massive Israeli bombardment from the air, land, and sea is leaving a trail of destruction in the impoverished Gaza Strip, a costal enclave of 1.6 million. Hundreds of government buildings, homes, mosques and hospitals have been razed to the ground. (Reuters photos)

All these show Isreal's huge disregard for the UN cease-fire call, civillians (most of whom are the weak, children and women)' life and the signficance of Palestine to the muslims

The world media is down playing report of casualties and the catastrophe caused by heavy bombardments and artillery operations across Gaza strip.

Deceiving a people

In November 2007, the Annapolis Conference was hailed as a "historic opportunity" with an agreement to start negotiations aimed at reaching a final accord on an independent Palestinian state by the end of 2008. Since then, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators began "getting down to business and meeting frequently to achieve an agreement." However, on the ground in 2008, the Palestinians are actually the farthest from peace and from the promise of a Palestinian state.

In 2008, the occupation has been completing the apartheid wall. It has continued with more settlements, more checkpoints, more economic blockades, and more oppression. As the end of the year approaches, the end game of the "peace process" becomes clear: a war on Gaza waged by Israel but also supported by the international community, the governments of some Arab states, and the minority of Palestinians who agreed to be subcontractors for the occupation and received training by US generals Keith Dayton and James Jones.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas will stay in office after his term ends in January 2009. He counts on an amended law that makes the presidential and parliamentary elections take place in unison, but this amendment was never ratified by any constitutional body.

The Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) appointed Abbas as president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), and Arab foreign ministers decided during their meeting in November 2008 to second the PLO decision.
Abbas is entitled to appoint members of the PLO Central Council, and these are entitled to appoint him as president! This is the deceiving cycle of democracy that the world wishes on us. Unfortunately, we do not have only the cycle of violence.

While the world and some Palestinians were sleeping and dreaming of peace, the Israelis were only preparing for war and planning to devour more Palestinian land and rights. According to a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there were more settler attacks on Palestinians during 2008, compared with 2007 and 2006. Read all ...

Leadership: service to the people

2008-12-25T15:10:00.008+01:00

Curious about the sort of incoming mails in my inbox on Christmas Day, I logged in and to my amazement, 52 vital emails to be read! Neither the necesity nor the amount of emails informed the post but a particular forwarded mail titled 'Out among the people'.

The sender asked in few words 'Has any other President-Elects done something like this out in public? How would I have known the answer until I saw the attached pictures that tell the rest .. an uncommon story of a practical example of the saying that a good leader is a servant of the led.

This is wonderful! Or don't you think so?

President-elect Barrack Obama and his wife took their daughters to work at a food bank on the day before Thanksgiving, saying they wanted to show the girls the meaning of the holiday, especially when so many people are struggling.

Ten-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha joined their parents to shake hands and give holiday wishes to hundreds of people who had been lined up for hours at the food bank on Chicago 's south side.
Sasha wore a pink stocking hat over her pigtails and Malia had on a purple striped hat as the family handed out wrapped chickens to the needy in the chilly outdoor courtyard. Those seeking food on Wednesday at St. Columbanus also received boxes with potatoes, oranges, fresh bread, peanut butter, canned goods, oatmeal, spaghetti and coffee.
The president-elect, dressed casually in a leather jacket, black scarf and khaki pants, was in a jovial mood, calling out "happy thanksgiving" and telling everyone "you can call me Barack."
He told reporters that he wants the girls "to learn the importance of how fortunate they are, and to make sure they're giving back." The soon-to-be first lady said the Obamas wanted to give their children "an understanding of what giving and Thanksgiving is all about."

The Obama family's activities in the courtyard quickly drew the attention of schoolchildren whose windows overlooked the courtyard. They put up a sign against the glass that read: "We love our prez" and screamed when the president-elect waved to them.

Obama then turned to his wife and suggested they go visit the kids. Secret Service agents, looking surprised, disappeared inside the building to accommodate his request.
Minutes later, hundreds of children were brought down to the school auditorium, and Obama loped onstage as they screamed and cheered.

"I just wanted to come by and wish everybody a happy Thanksgiving," he said. He then asked the children what they would be eating for Thanksgiving dinner.

So lets recap.
He took his kids to work in the cold? Instead of getting someone to line up and dish the gifts? Instead of telling them 'You are kids of a VIP. Therefore there are things that you can't do.
To show the kids that people are suffering? Yes, that people are suffering? They have to live understanding the importance of giving back to the community.
Let us learn from this great family and for those who have children, this is a wonderful example of raising our kids.

Peace out!

Why I think PayDotCom is the Best Affiliate Marketplace on the Net!

2008-12-05T19:07:00.004+01:00

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The Air Car - a mystery?

2008-11-27T17:22:00.004+01:00

When BankPHB of Nigeria-through their imaginary advert concept-predicted that one day, cars will run on water, many percieved that as mere day dreaming but I assure you that the reality is far beyond the prediction.

US based Zero Pollution Motors, new carmaker has a plan for cheap, environmentally friendly cars to be built all over the country.
This Air-powered cars may be available sooner than you think at a price tag that will hardly be a budget buster. According to report by Yahoo! Finance, the vehicle may not run like a speed racer on back road highways, but developer Zero Pollution Motors is betting consumers will be willing to fork over $20,000 for a vehicle that can motor around all day on nothing but air and a splash of salad oil, alcohol or possibly a pint of gasoline.

The expertise needed to build a compressed air car, or CAV, is not rocket science, either. Years-old, off-the-shelf technology uses compressed air to drive old-fashioned car engine pistons instead of combusting gas or diesel fuel to create a burst of air to do the same thing. Indian carmaker Tata has no qualms about the technology. It has already bought the rights to make the car for the huge Indian market. Read the rest of the report on Yahoo! Finance

Moment with Terry

2008-07-15T18:33:00.001+01:00

He really inspired me and as I browse his website, I will continue to appreciate his talents and homeliness.

Thanks Terry.

Costume on the go

2008-04-08T14:36:00.000+01:00

Nigerian culture is unique in many ways. This image only tells one that some aspect of exhibiting our culture is more unique than the other.

On an event coverage mission, the motor bike (okada) sped pass my cab and behold, the rider and the passenger wore the same costume. At my request, the cab drive acccelerated and 'flick' I took the shot along Omole in Ojodu area of Lagos.

There mission seemed unknown to almost everyone as people stared inquisitively at the costume 'on the go'.

I love this country!

Ebira Personality Profile: Bishop Haruna Yakubu

2008-01-26T21:19:00.000+01:00

Featured in the page 313 of the Dictionary of International Biography, Bishop Haruna Yakub, now 83 years, is our personality of the week. Borne in 1924 in Okene, Kogi state, Bishop Haruna Herbert Yakubu, the
Anglican Diocesan Bishop of Kwara, married 1st September 1949 and is blessed with 5 children; 3 sons and 2 daughters.

As stated on the page 313 of his personal copy of Dictionary of International Biography where he has his name written in gold:

Education: Ordination course 1950-51; Ordinator License Deacon, 1952-54; Diploma in Biblical Studies, 1955-57; Diploma in Theology, 1958-59; International BD. London, 1960-61; Richman College, Further studies, 1966-67.

Appointments: Primary school teacher, 1945-49; Deacon, 1952-53; Parish priest, 1954-55; Asst. Priest in Conventory, 1957-58; Parish Priest, 1959-60; Head of Christian Religious Broadcasting in Nigeria, 1961-74; Elected Consecrated Bishop, 1974;

Publications: Booklets, Christians Participation in Politics, Author of 14 Addresses to diefferent organizations,.

Memberships: Appointed Vice-President, CMS, 1975 (Partneship House); Elected President, Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN) Kwara state; Member, State Council of Prerogative of Mercy Christians Peace Conference on Religion and Peace, President of Zone B Chapter.

Honour: Officer, Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR), 1982.

Hobbies: Gardening, Wild Life Animals, Birds.

Address: Bishop Court, Faith Road, P.O. Box, 1884, Ilorin, Kwara State - Nigeria.

Court Orders Igbinedion's Arrest

2008-01-10T17:32:00.000+01:00

My last journey to Benin in the beginning of year 2007 brought tears to my eyes. The stress, the chokes caused by the flying dust along the highway and other hazards experienced on that painful trip remain memorable till date. After spending over 6hours on the dilapidated Lagos-Benin Highway on a Journey that can be described as a disappointment, I thought my trouble was over until I got to Benin-city.

The city roads, my God, were an eyesore. Most of the routes were not just bad but brown with dust. I had a tough time. I was frustrated beyond expectation. My intention to take snapshots of some ancient artifacts along the roads became unnecessary. I wasn't happy because even the road to the palace of the Oba of Benin was no difference..'Isn't there a Govenor in this state?' I asked the driver to the company I was visiting. He laughed and replied me in the simplest way of answering a visitor, 'He is Governor Lucky Igbinedion, the worst government of the dispensation. Benin with all its ancient glories lacks roads, imagine!' he concluded. The guy remained silent, indicating a lack of interest in topic of discussion. I couldn't discuss further but could freflect on the early days of the Igbenedion's Administration.

Then, he was all over AIT. He posed as one of the sports lovers in the country, commissioning one sport project or the other but unfortunately, his media propaganda never lasted too long and indeed, Benin city has more to tell about his failures. I knew that such practices hardly escape the long arms of the law. Now he is being pursued by EFCC. I saw the headline and I became anxious. His cup is full, I resolved. According to the report on AllAfrica.com, Nigeria:

A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of former Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion.
Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako issued the order in Abuja following a request by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The order is to enable EFCC try him before the court over allegation of corruption.

Vanguard (Lagos) 8 January 2008. Posted to the web 9 January 2008.

Ise-Oluwa Ige

Already, the commission has preferred a 142-count charge against the former governor but he is nowhere to be found. Igbinedion is currently out of the country.
One of the counsel to the commission who does not want his name in print said: "Yes, he has been charged to court but where is the governor? You can't try him in absentia because he is facing criminal charges."

The counsel said the former governor would be arrested and tried immediately he steps into the country. He said a 142-count charge had been prepared against him.
Vanguard recalls that before May 29, 2007, the outgoing Chairman of the commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, accused about 31 state governors of being corrupt. Of the 31 governors, seven have been arrested and are currently facing trial in various Federal High Courts.

Chief Orji Kalu, Senator Saminu Turaki, Chief Joshua Dariye, the Rev. Jolly Nyame, Senator Chinmaroke Nnamani, Mr. Ayo Fayose, and Chief James Ibori have been arrested and are facing corruption charges at Federal High Courts in Lagos, Kaduna, and Abuja.
Igbinedion may be the next governor to be arrested and tried by the commission. Igbinedion was charged with alleged abuse of office. He is charged along with the three companies he allegedly used in perpetrating the alleged crimes.

The former governor and the three companies were charged with abuse of office, stealing and money laundering, among others.
The charges showed that Igbinedion on or about July 22, 2003 used Gava Corporation Ltd., a company owned by his father, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion and members of his family, to retain public funds totalling N34 million.
The former governor is also accused of using the same company on or about June 2003 to retain Edo State fund amounting to about N1.4 million.

He is also accused of using Ekpen and Sons Company, a company solely owned by Patrick Eboigbodin, his Special Assistant, to retain Edo State funds between 2003 and 2006.
Igbinedion is also charged with transferring Edo State Government funds to Kiva Corporation Ltd., a company belonging to him.
Details of the charges were not available at press time last night.

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Relevant LinksWest Africa Crime and Corruption Legal and Judicial Affairs Nigeria

News source: AllAfrica.com

EFCC pursuing governors ''stealing with impunity''

2008-01-09T12:06:00.000+01:00

James Ibori's case reminds me of the story I posted long ago. As the EFCC tightens its grip on corrupt ex-governors, I see a determination to serve but Ribadu's case brings another controversy. But as the case may be, this was the story:

The nation's leading anti-corruption investigator says his agency is pursuing certain state governors who have been "stealing with impunity". The nation's 36 state governors are immune from prosecution while in office. But Economic and Financial Crimes Commission head Nuhu Ribadu said his agency and the government were very serious about tackling fraud.

He refused to name any state governors under investigation, or to indicate how many were suspected of wrongdoing. Ribadu said that many state governors had failed to grasp that Nigeria, viewed as one of the world's most corrupt countries, was changing. "Whoever is stealing is definitely being pursued," he said. "We believe there are a lot of them out there who are still not getting the message. People are used to stealing with impunity." Earlier Ribadu said he was seeking international help to return to Nigeria billions of dollars allegedly stolen by governors.

Two current state governors face legal proceedings in the UK, after being found with large amounts of cash in their possession. Bayelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha is currently being held in the UK, charged with laundering Â£1.8m ($3.2m) found in cash and in bank accounts. Last year, another governor, Joshua Dariye of Plateau State, skipped bail after being quizzed by police on money laundering allegations involving more than Â£1m ($1.7m). President Olusugun Obasanjo set up the EFCC after his election in 1999. Although a number of senior officials have been put under investigation for alleged corruption, there has not been any significant conviction during his six years in power.

Source: Nigeria Today Online

Getaway Club: Will scammers ever rest?

2007-12-13T13:34:00.000+01:00

I have not blogged for sometime due to my busy schedules which requires much focus on my project blog, Images Of Ebiraland where my attention is more demanded. I have got several junk mails, spams and more but this email I received today caught my attention. Though I am a Getaway Club member, the sender didn't realise that I am not close to the platinum board. I am congratulated for cycling! The caption is puzzling, it reads:

Congratulations! Cycled Bonus Complated (see that spelling for 'completed'?). and the content reads:

Dear members,

Congratulations!

You have just cycled out Our Program table and been awarded $1000
as a bonuses from us
You have now been placed in a higher table, which you can receive
this bonus by reply this email and logging in to GetawayClub.

please reply and confirmation your detail :
Name:_________________
Address:_________________
Username:_________________
Password:_________________

this bonuses valid until December'31

Regards,
GetawayClub Admin

Some greedy folks will get scammed inspite of the nauseating grammar and the wrong url (www.getawayclvb.net) posted in the email instead of the official and the only original url, www.getawayclub.net

Islamic banking: a dream coming true

2007-11-13T17:44:00.000+01:00

Though usury may be a 'no big deal' to many business minded Nigerians, the fact remains that both Christianity and Islam frown at it (Bible: Deut 23: 19, Psalm 15: 5; Qur'an Chapter 2: 175, 2: 280, 2: 228). Many would have desired ownership of a small scale business but for the financial challenge faced in an economy like Nigeria's. Banks offer partial (or complete?) solution via loans and over drafts. Unfortunately, this options which are often very difficult to acquire, seem uncomfortable for the faith conscious individuals and enterprises. But sooner than expected, Nigerian muslims will realise the dream of an Interest-free banking system. This finding is based on report by Daily trust Newspaper on the take off schedule of the Islamic bank in Nigeria. The report:

The proposed Jaiz International Plc will begin full operation by the second quarter of next year. This is the outcome of its fourth annual general meeting held at the Yar’Adua centre in Abuja yesterday.

The bank will also meet its N25 billion capital base by the first quarter of 2008. This will give it licence to begin full operation.
The proposed bank has been able to pull together N18 billion a big chunk from high profile customers like Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Aminu Danatata and many other Nigerians are among those who are investing in the new bank. The Managing Director of the bank Alhaji Mohammed Mustapha Bintube, made this known yesterday in Abuja during Jaiz’s fourth Annual General Meeting, AGM, for the fiscal year ended 31st March, 2007.

The statement of the audited account indicated N3, 914,807,528 shareholders funds in 2006 financial year as against N2, 467,729,791 in 2005 financial year. Jaiz International bank, which is an Islamic bank, will operate based on the principle of the Shari ‘a system.

Based on the system, deposits and loans will not attract interests and the bank will not fund transactions such as hotels selling alcohol, piggery, pornography and anything that is in bad taste, said Alhaji Umaru Mutallab. Bintube also revealed that after they have raised the N25 billion, by the second quarter of 2008, the bank will roll out full operations in several parts of the country.

Their major concern for now, he said, is getting a technical partner who would not only inject additional funds but will also introduce technical expertise that will help run the bank efficiently. He explained that, they are having serious discussions with the Islamic Development bank and HSBC on technical operations and partnerships adding both have indicated significant interest.

REAL, AVERAGE NIGERIANS NOW EARN N1.4MILLION MONTHLY ON THE INTERNET.

2007-08-28T01:55:00.000+01:00

At last, it's happening...

NOTE :Do you really want to hit the success promised by this king of programs? Then print this manual, and digest in a relaxed atmosphere. We have discovered that online readers never understand its power – no matter how smart they are. It would be a shame to miss a life's FORTUNE due to impatience…

The world of Internet Business is now something you can build a serious career on.

• In the old days there were direct commissions, then Multi-Level Marketing (MLM). Both provided very difficult selling work, and little rewards.

• Later there came forex trading, e-currency trading, advert surfing, coin cycling and others, which paid small incomes for little or no marketing.

• Then in 2006, a company called Clubfreedom transformed the industry with its 2-board system, which seriously reduced the marketing stress in MLM, and increased the payback. It became the first Internet program to create over 100 Nigerian millionaires within 10 months.

• After ClubFreedom, over 30 companies have come up with many types of board systems for pushing their goods and services to markets via affiliates. But in 2007, only one new organisation has created an improvement that is "pure magic".

Or how else would you describe the following records:

- Average registrants earn their first board payment within 3-8 days of joining, with little or no marketing.

- A Nigerian earned his 4th board payment of N1.4million naira within 17 days of joining.

- A Nigerian earned N6million in 3 weeks of joining.

A ROUND OF APPLAUSE, FOR THE NEW WORLD CHAMPION:- THE GETAWAY CLUB!

Who are Getaway Club?

GetawayClub is a British Virgin Islands company that sells a product called the Platinum e-pass. The Platinum e-pass lets its users enjoy 4 travel services worldwide at wholesale rates – Hotel Aaccommodations, Air tickets, Travel insurance and Car rentals . The e-pass also includes a travel voucher worth $100, which can be spent on any of the above services.

The e-pass is the real product being sold by this program (and its resellers). It is delivered to you via the Internet the minute you become a paid member, and you can use it immediately by logging into your GetawayClub website.

Let's compare advantages/disadvantages of the 3 most popular ways to make BIG income as a direct seller on the Internet today:

Program Advantages Disadvantages

General MLM

• Pays more than ordinary Commission based resellership -- in theory. • In real-life, you need to recruit your whole village before you can make any reasonable income.

• Difficult to introduce to others because everyone knows it is difficult.

Clubfreedom

• 2-Board System reduces the work required to earn a large amount ($6,000 cash) with a small capital ($200).

• First program to pay over 100 Nigerians N1million each (cash + benefits).

• 2 Big boards that pay only at the very end. In real-life, average people may market for 6 – 11 months on faith alone, before seeing any payback.

Getaway Club

• New 4-tiny-boards system means:

- Lower cost to join ($160)

- Higher payback ($12,250 total cash)

• 3 part-payments BEFORE the end of your journey

- Some of our direct signups got their first board $50, the day after joining!

- Shortest time to 4th board payment of $10,000 so far was 17 days after registration.

- One Nigerian earned $40,000 total within 3 weeks of joining. This is over N6million naira at merchant conversion rate.

- Easier to market to others, because they can get a small part of their returns within DAYS!

Added bonus:

You also get a percentage each time your referrals and their referrals (five levels deep) are paid on any board. This is major big money when your referrals start cycling off the top boards! - None recorded, because there is no productive activity anywhere with better results to compare against.

However, keep in mind that the aim of this program is still to market Getaway's e-pass, so be prepared to sell to at least 2 people if you wish to do well.

Below we will cover:

1. How to join Getaway Club.

2. How you earn fast in Getaway Club.

HOW TO JOIN GETAWAY CLUB

1. Click on our link below (opens in new window), then click on JOIN NOW on the website that opens. Joining through this link covers you with our marketing assistance:

httt://www.getawayclub.net/ebiraview

- Fill the short form and submit.

- On the next page, enter the username and password you wish to use, and submit.

- On the next (payment) page, take one of the following options:

OPTION A:

If you have e-gold or any of the listed means of payment, pay immediately because this places you ahead of people who pay after you.

OPTION B:

If you don't have any of the listed means of payment, simply:

1. Close the page and write down the username you registered with. Note that you will not receive any email from Getaway Club for this free pre-registration.

2. Pay N26,000 to any of our bank accounts below:

U B A:

Account Name: Ismail M. kabir

Account Number: 628051 20033 2417 1955 (UBA cash card)

After paying, Call KB (Kabir) on 0803 297 3359 to let me know and follow it up with an SMS/text massage detailing the bank you, how much you paid and the username you registered with or send an email to info@ebiraview.com or ebiraview@gmail.com, with the subject: GETAWAY CLUB PAYMENT, and include the bank, name of depositor, date of payment, as well as the username to be activated in Getaway Club (spell EXACTLY to avoid loss). Call 08060654207 after sending your email so that your activation will be done the same day.

NOTE: If you have enquires that need a response, call the numbers above for instant resolution.

HOW YOU EARN FAST IN GETAWAY CLUB
(i) Understand the board basics (explained below), then log into your website by going to

http://getawayclub.net/yourusername

(NOTE: This your website address, is what you should use, whenever you wish to introduce/register other people.)

Click on MEMBER LOGIN, enter your username and password, and enter. Get familiar with all the sections within your website and view your board situation.

(ii) Getaway Club is 75% strategy, 25% marketing. If your strategy is sharp, you'll need very little marketing to make your first reward ($12,250 total). If you are the type who likes heavy marketing, then these same strategies will subsequently make you earn $10,000 multiple times.

If you are registered through us, your chances are also doubled, because, out of whatever marketing you have left, we do 50%, as our downlines have found out. Start with the strategies below to get paid.

BOARD BASICS

Getaway Club has four strategy boards, named: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

You can see these boards when you log into your Getaway Club website. After you register and subscribe, you will find yourself on a Bronze board. Your aim in GetawayClub, is to rise through the 4 boards till you graduate (cycle) from the top position on the Platinum board, as soon as you can. You receive the following payments as you graduate from each board.

• Graduate from Bronze board: Get paid $50 (N7,000)

• Graduate from Silver board: Get paid $200 (N28,000)

• Graduate from Gold board: Get paid $2,000 (N280,000)

• Graduate from Platinum board: Get paid $10,000 (N1.4million)

After you graduate (cycle) from the Platinum board, you are placed back onto a Platinum board, so that you have the opportunity to earn the $10,000 over and over again as some people are already doing.

How to rise through the boards -- Bronze Board example:

Once you subscribe to GetawayClub, you appear on the bottom level of the Bronze board. As other people register into GetawayClub through anyone on your board, or through anyone on a higher board who has downlines on your board, the remaining bottom spaces will be taken up until the whole row is filled. If you chose to introduce new people to GetawayClub, you receive 1 star for each person introduced. You may also get a star when people register through us. Because we are already on a higher board where freshers can't be placed, the system allocates our new comers to our existing downlines – including you – on a first come, first serve basis. This is powerful assistance because 1 or 2 stars is enough to help you graduate from the bronze board.

What happens when the bottom row fills up?

The top person will graduate out of this Bronze board (onto the Silver board) and get $50, while the remaining members are split into 2 new Bronze boards. On these new boards, the two oldest people (based on date of payment) who have at least one star, will now head each board. The remaining four people will occupy the middle positions across both boards, and then a new blank row of four spaces will be created as the bottom row of each new board, for incoming members. This means that each time your board splits, people climb or stay the same according to their qualification on the board.

Notes:

- You will see only your own current board, each time you log in your website, but then the system allows you to call up and view the boards of others if you wish.

- The minute you move from one board to the other, simply click on the "Banking" menu in your website, and you will see that your commission has been paid (instantly) to your online account. Same happens when you cycle at the end of the 4th board.

How fast do Bronze boards split?

Immediately and each time the bottom row is filled up, the board splits. So splits depend on how fast your board members and ancestors fill up your bottom row. It can be days, weeks or just 1 minute.

How to rise through the boards -- Silver Board example:

When you enter the Silver Board, you start at the bottom level just like you did on the Bronze Board, except this time you earn your stars when people you introduced to Getaway Club graduate onto the Silver Board as well. People you introduced into the system always come to your own board when they graduate to your status (Silver, Gold, etc).

When the Bottom row is full, the board will split, the top person will graduate out of this Silver board (onto the Gold board) and get $200, while the remaining members are split into 2 new Silver boards, according to the age and star qualifications explained in our Bronze board example.

This process repeats itself on the Gold and Platinum Boards:

- You gain your stars as your referrals move from the next lower board and onto your board level.

- Aim to have at least 1 star on each board you are on, so that you rise to the top when your board splits, and move to the next board.

- Graduation from Gold is $2,000 paid instantly, and Graduation from Platinum is $10,000 paid instantly, after which you are placed back on a Platinum board, where you can still qualify and be paid another $10,000, over and over again (you never come down to a lower board again).

It is possible to be paid Monthly, Weekly or Daily depending on your efforts.

HOW TO CASH YOUR COMMISSIONS IN NAIRA
If you cross from one board to another, or cycle off Platinum, simply log into your GetawayClub site and click on "Banking", then:

OPTION 1 (Only for members registered under linklayi or ebiraview):

1. Click on "Transfer Funds". Enter the username you want to transfer to as linklayi or ebiraview. Please spell EXACTLY to avoid loss. Enter the amount you want to cash out. Enter the means via which we should pay you (naira) in the memo, using the format: Bank shortname, Bank Account number (Bank Account Name). For example: GT Bank, Olayiwola Matthew, 221 444345 1590). On the next page enter your GetawayClub password and submit.

Note: A First Inland FlashMeCash account is preferred for faster payment.

Make sure your profile is up to date. Payment will be made to you within 3-4 business days at N140 per US dollar.

OPTION 2:

Click on "Request payout", then follow the instructions to either send yourself a Bank wire to your local domiciliary Bank account, or send the funds to your e-gold.

OPTION 3:

You can use your GetawayClub balance (if it's $160 or more) to activate newcomers' registrations. That way you can keep the naira they pay to you, in exchange.

ACT NOW

GetawayClub is transforming lives in Nigeria and worldwide, on a BIGGER scale and faster than was ever possible on any Internet program. It is arguably the most productive work activity on earth today, haven broken all-time records for quality and payback speed. This company is set to become a billion-dollar player in the global travel industry, in the near future. Why suffer one minute longer doing anything else? Why not grab the largest part of this business that you can, with our help, NOW, before that time comes.

Start here:

http://www.getawayclub.net/ebiraview

* While the results above are verifiable documentations from various Nigerian users, your results may differ. Monthly income comes only as a result of your effort and those of your team.

THE REST IS LEFT FOR YOU..ACT NOW!

Familiarising with the ATM

2007-07-22T16:05:00.000+01:00

Having discussed the ATM adoption by Nigerians and the emergence of Cash Card, an InterSwitch initiative towards a cashless Nigeria in my former post [see here], I found a need to explain some useful tips about ATM and its usage. This post will be more useful to Nigerians particularly those without ATM know -how or the fresh users.

I will begin by intorducing ATM to my ignorant friends. What is ATM?

According to Wikipedia, An automated teller machine (ATM) is a computerized telecommunications device that provides the customers of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public space without the need for a human clerk or bank teller. On most modern ATMs, the customer is identified by inserting a plastic ATM card with a magnetic stripe or a plastic smartcard with a chip, that contains a unique card number and some security information, such as an expiration date or CVC (CVV). Security is provided by the customer entering a personal identification number (PIN).
Using an ATM, customers can access their bank accounts in order to make cash withdrawals (or credit card cash advances) and check their account balances. Many ATMs also allow people to deposit cash or checks, transfer money between their bank accounts, pay bills, or purchase goods and services.
ATMs are known by various casual terms including automated banking machine, cash machine, hole-in-the-wall, cashpoint or Bancomat (in Europe and Russia). The occasionally-used term ATM machine is an example of RAS syndrome.

To practicalise the above definition, I took a friend to an ATM point in my area. She was so excited seeing others transacting through the machine. I began the tutorial and in less than 5 minutes, she was withdrawing cash with my ATM card. See video below:

Shakira using the ATM after my tutorial

Besides the possiblities, there are security issues that call for caution. Nigerians are so careless with their bank information that they freely drop their receipt at the ATM point. This is risky in some ways. After a successful transaction, the receipt records your card number and balance information. The user who drops his receipt openly discloses this details to curious guys who hang around ATMs for dubious reason. For security sake:

Do not enter your PIN amidst watching eyes of others. Excuse anyone too close to you. You have the right to protect your PINs from being spied.
Always do balance inquiry first before proceeding with other transactions like withdrawal, transfer, recharge voucher purchases etc. Some ATMs debit your account when upon machine's failure to dispense cash. Once you are informed of sservice outage, refrain from carrying out any transaction except balance inquiry.
Never give out your PIN to anyone, not even your brother.
Always keep your receipt, it is your proof.
Follow machine instructions attentively.

Additional Tips:

Before You Use an ATM

While ATM's have added some convenience to our lives, a few risks have also popped up. ATM's give criminals another opportunity to get at your money, and you should take steps to reduce your risk. Most of us can stay out of trouble with simple common sense, but you should periodically review some proven tactics. Follow these seven steps, and you'll improve your odds against the scamsters.
Look Around Before You Approach
Take a quick look at your surroundings. See if anybody or anything looks suspicious. Is anybody watching you or standing too close?
Use ATM's That You're Familiar With
If you know an area well and have used an ATM before, you can expect similar results. In other words, your chances of getting robbed at a 'familiar' ATM are less than your chances of getting robbed at a 'new' ATM. There are a variety of reasons for this, but the point is that your odds are a lot better with a trusted source.
Look Over the Machine Before Inserting Your Card
If you see something that looks unfamiliar on the machine, it could be part of an ATM scam. Card skimmers (external readers) and hidden cameras can be used to compromise a bank account. Bottom line: if it looks funny, look for another ATM.
Lock Your Doors and Secure Windows at Automobile ATM's
We've all heard the stories about carjacking. Think how much more attractive you are as a target with cash-in-hand. When your car is stopped and you're picking up cash, just take the half-second required to lock the doors and keep crooks out.
Have Your Card Ready While Approaching the ATM
If you're quick, your chances are better. On the other hand, you're exposing yourself unnecessarily if you stand around the ATM digging through your wallet or purse for that special card. Get it out before you leave your car or as you're approaching the ATM and get your transaction started as soon as possible.
Use ATM's That are Well Lit and Safe
Have you ever had to swipe your ATM (or Credit/Debit) card to get into an ATM booth after hours? One of the reasons is that only somebody with a valid card can get through the door. This makes it less likely that an 'undesirable' will approach you just as your cash is coming out. Obviously this is not foolproof -- a crook can steal somebody's card and use it immediately.
Get Cash Out of Sight
This is pretty obvious, but some people need to be more conscious. After you get your cash, get it out of sight. Whether it's a lot of money or a little, cash can be tempting when it's out in the open. (Source: From Justin Pritchard,Your Guide to Banking / Loans).

For more information and tips, please call me on 0803 825 0570, 0803 297 3359

Nigeria goes cashless

2007-07-16T21:15:00.000+01:00

The current IT revolution has brought great business opportunity to Geeks and IT consultants. The biggest beneficiary of the e-
Money business aspect of IT in Nigeria is the Interswitch. From the introduction of thier branded Debit Cards for banks across the country to the recent mass deployment of ATM nation wide set Interswitch to becoming Nigeria's biggest e-Money outfit.

Of all the service rendered by Interswitch Nigeria, my obsession is with the recently launched CashCard. It is an incredible service, a local money transfer platform and an online cash management solution. The most amazing of this service is that it opportunes Nigerians to manage thier money without necessarily having a bank account. United Bank of Africa (UBA) and First Bank of Nigeria are the first to adopt this innovation. The UBA X-change is a partnership between UBA and MTN Nigeria while the Glo First is a partnership between First bank of Nigeria and Glo Mobile. The former allows normal ATM transactions along side the ability to purchase MTN Recharge vouchers of any denomination from any ATM location Natiowide while the latter allows similar service where the recharge vouchers are purchased from Glo Mobile.

To maximise its usefulness, Interswitch, through Zero-One Technlogy launched a website, www.mynigeriacashcard.com which provides varieties of possible online transactions including fund transfer, complete statement downloads among others.

As an IT freak, my excitement at this services cannot be over emphasized. I have adopted and now campaigning them among friends, family and Nigerians at large. Security of this services also score high. The Cash Card isn't directly connected to card holders' bank account, that's saves us great worries considering the environment, if you know what I mean. Though the service allows numerous possiblities, some are charged for but minimal. You could try a transfer at first your first visit to the website but you must register as a Cash Card holder. Once registered, please add me as one of your beneficiryies with the following information: (This isn't part of the process, it's a voluntary gesture for passing you the info).
Name: Ismail Kabir
Phone Number: 0803 297 3359
Email: abdulkabir.ismail@gmail.com
Cash Card Number: 628051 20033 24171955

Once the transfer is successful, the recepient receives an SMS in this format: Your Cash Card number (123456789010) has been credited with (sum transfered) via a cash card transaction from (sender's name) powered by Intersiwtch. NB: Do not reply.
Begin to add all your family members and loved ones to your beneficiary list. This saves us the hassle of queueing in the banking hall to effect a transfer.
It is high time Nigerians adopts the cashless culture. Get a cash card today! Before you leap, please visit www.mynigeriacashcard.com for more and better information.
--
Abdulkabir Ismail
(234) 803 297 3359

What is your Genotype?

2007-06-26T19:55:00.000+01:00

Do you know that giving birth to a sickle cell baby could be a choice? Find out soon!

Obasanjo leaves with no power supply

2007-05-29T14:12:00.000+01:00

On 29th May, 1999, Obasanjo received the power to take over the mantle of leadership of Nigeria! It was a great occassion; a beginning of a new dawn as Nigeria, after years of military rule, returned to civilian governance., Today, the story is even much better because for the very first time in the history of Giant Of Africa, we are witnessing a transition of civillian to civillian rule.
While many feared that the hand-over would never take place, others simply hoped and prayed for today to come. It is here, it is today! For many living in Lagos, we waited patiently, praying just as we have done before today, but it happend as we least expected. Obansanjo handed power to the New Ngerian President, Umaru Musa Yaradua without power supply! Our TVs waited for current to power them on, we waited for the Almighty Power holding Company of Nigeria (or is it NEPA?) to release the power which we never got. We were denied the opportunity to watch the long sought occassion of national and global concern.

Well, perhaps it is just a coincidence or what do you think? i remember when obasanjo read out his inauguration speech on May 29th, 1999, the very first time he was sworn in as a Nigerian civillian president. In the speech he read his priority issues as follows:

Priority Issues

'I believe that this administration must deal with the following
issues even in these difficult times of near economic collapse:
(I) The crisis in the Oil Producing Areas
(ii) Food Supply, Food Security and Agriculture
(iii) Law and order with particular reference to Armed Robbery, and
to Cultism in our educational institutions
(iv) Exploration and Production of Petroleum
(v) Education
(vi) Macro-economic policies - particularly, Exchange rate management
etc.
(vii) Supply and Distribution of Petroleum Products
(viii) The Debt Issue
(ix) Corruption, Drugs, organised fraud called 419 activities, and
crimes leading to loss of lives, properties and investment.
(x) Infrastructure - Water Supply, Energy, Telecommunication, Ports,
Airways, National Shipping, Nigerian Railways, etc.
(xi) Resuscitation of the Manufacturing Industries
(xii) Job creation, and creation of conducive environment for
investment
(xiii) Poverty alleviation÷
(xiv) Housing - both
* Civilian Housing Programmes; and
* Barrack Refurbishment and New Construction for the Armed Forces and
the Police
(xv) ECOMOG
(xvi) Health Services
(xvii) Political and Constitutional Dialogue
(xviii) Women and Youth Development
÷
÷
In pursuit of these priorities, I have worked out, measures which
must be implemented within the first six months. Details of the
focus and measures of this administration on these and other matters,
will be announced from time to time. I shall quickly ascertain the
true state of our finances and the economy and shall let the nation
know. In the light of resources available, I shall concentrate on
those issues that can bring urgent beneficial relief to our people'.

Power supply to Nigerians has never been his priority, so he came and left without a solution to this 'unnecessary' need. We heard him but couldn't see. The radios are available afterall! Those who could afford the use of power generators inspite of his parting gift of hiked fuel price watched the ceremony. He concluded his May 29th 1999 speech with a special prayer most deserved of Nigeria thus:

Conclusion

'I shall end this address by stressing again that we must change our
ways of governance and of doing business on this eve of the coming
millennium. This we must do to ensure progress, justice, harmony and
unity and above all, to rekindle confidence amongst our people.
Confidence that their conditions will rapidly improve and that
Nigeria will be great and will become a major world player in the
near future.

May the Almighty help us'. ...and indeed, MAY THE ALMIGHTY HELP US!

Abdulkabir 08032973359

Technician's bad day!

2007-03-21T10:41:00.000+01:00

To err is simply human, to correct could be difficult even with the aid of the most sophisticated IT formula. Such seems to be the case with the Alaskan info loss. Below is the unfortunate experience as reported on Yahoo!

JUNEAU, Alaska - Perhaps you know that sinking feeling when a single keystroke accidentally destroys hours of work. Now imagine wiping out a disk drive containing information for an account worth $38 billion.

That's what happened to a computer technician reformatting a disk drive at the Alaska Department of Revenue. While doing routine maintenance work, the technician accidentally deleted applicant information for an oil-funded account — one of Alaska residents' biggest perks — and mistakenly reformatted the backup drive, as well.
There was still hope, until the department discovered its third line of defense, backup tapes, were unreadable.
"Nobody panicked, but we instantly went into planning for the worst-case scenario," said Permanent Fund Dividend Division Director Amy Skow. The July computer foul-up, which wiped out dividend distribution information for the fund, would end up costing the department more than $200,000.
Over the next few days, as the department, the division and consultants from Microsoft Corp. and Dell Inc. labored to retrieve the data, it became obvious the worst-case scenario was at hand. [Read more ]

Touring Abuja

2007-03-06T21:47:00.000+01:00

After my visit to Kaduna in June 2006, Abuja is the next! Visiting the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) may sound just ordinary to many, to me, it has been a very memorable experience. The tour, the sights and the merriments make the visit a story to share.

I have arrived home from the phase 1 of the tour. At about 8.20pm, Monday the 5th of March, my Taxi stopped directly opposite the Ovene Attah filling station, Kabba Junction, Ogaminana in Adavi Local Govt. of Kogi state. My bones ached due to the 'pressing' I suffered from Lokoja to Okene, in a Toyota sport car that convey 6 passengers against the required 4; Three at the back and 1 passenger with the driver. But in the regular 'Okene' transporation formula, there must be four (4) at the back and 2 passengers at the front making a total of 7 'stuffed in' passengers who endure the strenous long journey at the mercy of the almighty and uncomfortable (?) driver.

This journey's stress wasn't same the first time I set out for the adventure on Friday 23rd February, 2007 with my Team of EbiraView Magazine to cover the Award of Ebira Heroes. Because the event didn't last too long, I made a quick return to my home town, Okene, about 300km from Abuja. Little did I know that I was to go back for a more engaging session at the El-Rufai city.

On Sunday, 4th of March 2007 I set out for the second visit. This time, I was in the company of my sister, kiddies- Abba, Risqat and Hafeez, My cousin Aishat and the driver, Adams. We rushed through Madala, Niger state, where we spent some time with Salihat, Nana Hauwa, Abdulrashid and Maryam at their school, Islamic Training Centre. It was their visiting day and they were so excited to see us. We had some merriment with them, took some snapshots before heading towards Kubwa area of Abuja.

My first night in Abuja was spent at the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) staff quarters. Next morning, Monday 5th of March, my friend saeed came to pick me and we headed towards the city. Abuja city looked very tidy and beautiful. Our first stop was at a redefined bukateria we had a meal of pounded yam with white soup and goat meat.

We began the tour immediately after the meal. We drove through Abuja city gate into Maitama district. I saw many places like the Central Bank, The National Stadium, The Eagle square, PDP secretariata ( Wadata), Transcorp Hilton Hotel and much more. The tour was very fascinating and it continued till we stopped at a Cyber cafe around Nyanya area for web surfing. I used the moment to edit some of my snapshots before heading home to rest.

The next and of course my last day in Abuja was for business. My friend was just about begining a GSM dealership business which required license from the Nigerian Communications commission (NCC). We drove to their head office around Aguiyi Ironsi way, Maitama. At the Consumers Affairs section, I met with an old contact I knew through my former office, Afrocommerce Communications Ltd.

Dr. Atoyebi, the head of the consumers' Affairs department was very friendly. He was happy to meet for the very first time. Our contact which lasted for months has been on phone conversations on issues affecting our company and the customers.

NCC Office, Maitama, Abuja

After the necessary guidelines, we obtained the papers and left for Wuse to refill the Car A/C gas. Since I had some other business in Okene, my home town, I had to leave. I stopped briefly at Gwagwa Karimo area before heading for okene.

It was another great experience but the tour is not yet completed. I hope to return to Abuja soonest.

SNAPSHOTS AROUND ABUJA

On the way to Women development Centre

Cooling off at Ceddi Plaza, Central Area

Pupils at Islamic Tranining Centre, Madala, Niger State

My nieces, Nana Hauwa (Oki) and Maryam reading EbiraView Magazine

My sister and her baby, Hafeez (center) Maryam (left) and Nana Hauwa (right)

The kenyan Mobile money transfer

2007-03-06T21:35:00.000+01:00

Good news to the kenyans! When money transfer becomes mobile, then who needs use the bank again? For them, it is now as simple as deposit your fund through a shop or other registered outlets spread through the country to get money to your loved ones...that's not all because receiving the money takes similar process!

Reported on Yahoo! Mobile News

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Safaricom, Kenya's biggest cell phone firm, on Tuesday launched a money transfer service that will use short message services, which it said was the first of its kind in the world.

The product allows its 5.8 million subscribers to use their cell phones to send money in the east African country where it is commonplace for one family member working in the city to support a whole family living in rural areas.
"Only one in five Kenyans have access to financial services, this new service will allow Kenyans to send money home (to rural areas) with ease," Safaricom's Project Manager Susie Lonie said.
"This service is the first of its kind in the world. We have plans to take it elsewhere...the first international link, between the U.K. and Kenya, will come in the very near future," she added at the launch of the service.
Kenyans will deposit or access the money through Safaricom agents like supermarkets or shops situated all over the country.
Safaricom -- a joint venture between Kenya's state-owned landline company, Telkom, and Britain's Vodafone (VOD.L) -- is the country's most profitable company having made a 12.2 billion shilling ($175.5 million) pre-tax profit in 2006.
Kenya's Minister for Communication, Mutahi Kagwe, highlighted the opportunity for remote communities: "This will help people in far-flung parts of the country who have no banking services, now anyone can have a bank in their pocket."

Valentine's Day according to Islam

2007-02-14T13:55:00.000+01:00

Well, friends would have expected me sending Val messages, but you shouldn't be disaapointed if you didn;t get oe..I need to respect my religion's opinion on the Love Festival..

Out of curiousity, I had to research the Islamic stand on the celebration. I just realised that though it is felt by many as a celebration of Love for families, friends and loved ones, there is more to the origin of this Revered Day than it is commonly percieved.

According to an article I read on islamonline.net, Valentine's Day or The Festival of Love was one of the festivals of the pagan Romans, when paganism was the prevalent religion of the Romans more than seventeen centuries ago. In the pagan Roman concept, it was an expression of "spiritual love".There were myths associated with this pagan festival of the Romans, which persisted with their Christian heirs. Among the most famous of these myths was the Roman belief that Romulus, the founder of Rome, was suckled one day by a she-wolf, which gave him strength and wisdom.The Romans used to celebrate this event in mid-February each year with a big festival.One of the rituals of this festival was the sacrifice of a dog and a goat. Two strong and muscular youths would daub the blood of the dog and goat onto their bodies, then they would wash the blood away with milk. After that there would be a great parade, with these two youths at its head, which would go about the streets. The two youths would have pieces of leather with which they would hit everyone who crossed their path. The Roman women would welcome these blows, because they believed that they could prevent or cure infertility.

The connection between Saint Valentine and this festival: Saint Valentine is a name which is given to two of the ancient "martyrs" of the Christian Church. It was said that there were two of them, or that there was only one, who died in Rome as the result of the persecution of the Gothic leader Claudius, c. 296 CE. In 350 CE, a church was built in Rome on the site of the place where he died, to perpetuate his memory.When the Romans embraced Christianity, they continued to celebrate the Feast of Love mentioned above, but they changed it from the pagan concept of "spiritual love" to another concept known as the "martyrs of love", represented by Saint Valentine who had advocated love and peace, for which cause he was martyred, according to their claims. It was also called the Feast of Lovers, and Saint Valentine was considered to be the patron saint of lovers.One of their false beliefs connected with this festival was that the names of girls who had reached marriageable age would be written on small rolls of paper and placed in a dish on a table. Then the young men who wanted to get married would be called, and each of them would pick a piece of paper. He would put himself at the service of the girl whose name he had drawn for one year, so that they could find out about one another. Then they would get married, or they would repeat the same process again on the day of the festival in the following year.The Christian clergy reacted against this tradition, which they considered to have a corrupting influence on the morals of young men and women. It was abolished in Italy, where it had been well-known, then it was revived in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when in some western countries there appeared shops which sold small books called “Valentine’s books”, which contained love poems, from which the one who wanted to send a greeting to his sweetheart could choose. They also contained suggestions for writing love letters.

[ read more ]

Blog Administration, my new passion

2007-02-11T08:22:00.000+01:00

When Google launched the new version of blogger, I was overjoyed. Reason? The features..This version is so user-friendly with many features that are tailored to the needs of passionate bloggers like myself. I can now fix all those impossible layouts.

It doesn't end there cos in the new version, there is a lot to grab. Professionally looking blogs for the graphic oriented, nice formatibility (?), Custom Interractivity, List creations, Pix display and all of those nice nice nice stuffs that make a nice blog. Anyways..the stage is set, the tools are here and guess what? I am now a blogging consultant ( on blogger alone). Doubt this?
Check out my recent works here..

- Images of Ebiraland (My pet project)
- Impact Magazine
- PrepaidNigeria
- African Soul
- Web Author Wanabe
and..more coming soong. Get your blog shouting. Get it looking real good. Giv me a caaaaaall !

Only if God matters to humans

2006-08-20T11:00:00.000+01:00

When human being asseses his powers, wealth, authrority and everything he posses, he aims high and swells. He forgets quickly that all he owns are God's given and can be taken away just as his soul.

As a lover of peace, I have followed the recent mid-east crisis attentively, praying for a quick end, day by day. I got cold every time I looked at the military might exported by isreal into lebanon in the name of defense. As more and more civilian lives were lost, my hope of a quick end to the war dimmed. I kept praying as well as following up the crisis. Israel was always increasing the military strength while hezbullahi's rocket reigned fartther into israel.

The expected cease-fire finally took effect, I breathed a sigh of relief and decided to keep my 'follow-up' with the aftermaths. Eventually, I found this :
Excerpt:
'Hezbollah's stand against the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), long regarded as a military superpower in the region, amounts to what Bearden calls the "demystification of the IDF." The implications for Israel are serious, in that Hezbollah's success could embolden other groups in the region, particularly the Palestinians, to overcome internal differences and unite against Israel. ' Read more here from Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone

...and my message to the world leaders is simple; Dialogue survives where force fails!

PEACE.

Qarun, a symbol of arrogance

2006-08-07T10:06:00.000+01:00

Category: Islam

[Qarun was one of the people of Moses, but he lorded it over them. We gave him treasures, the keys alone to which were a heavy weight for a party of strong men. Thereupon his people said to him, "Do not gloat. Allah does not love people who gloat.] (Al-Qasas 28:76)

As the above-quoted verse maintains, the treasures and status Qarun possessed in Egypt made him grow arrogant and insolent towards his people. To test him, Allah granted him an enormous fortune, and as is the case with all arrogant people, he was spoiled by his wealth. He forgot that all possessions belong to Allah, and that He can take them back any time He wishes. Qarun also failed to recognize that these were granted to him as a test. Due to his arrogance, he thought that they were all given to him because he had "knowledge" and possessed superior qualities:
[He said, "I have only been given it because of knowledge I have." Did he not know that before him Allah had destroyed generations with far greater strength than his and far more possessions? The evildoers will not be questioned about their sins.] (Al-Qasas 28:78)

This is the deviant outlook of the arrogant. Although it is Allah who has given humans whatever they have, they arrogantly boast of their possessions and do not feel grateful to Allah or ask forgiveness from Him. They do not bother themselves with thinking, even for a second, that they could lose all these gifts in an instant. However, as we are to understand from this verse, many people, who were wealthier or more powerful than Qarun, perished on account of their arrogance.
Like those of the past, Qarun received his punishment in this world. If he had been as powerful as he assumed himself to be, he would have been able to rescue himself. Yet neither his status nor his possessions nor the people who admired him nor the knowledge of which he boasted could save him from Allah's punishment:

[We caused the earth to swallow up both him and his house. There was no group to come to his aid, besides Allah, and he was not someone who is helped. Those who had longed to take his place the day before woke up saying, "Allah expands the provision of any of His servants He wills or restricts it. If Allah had not shown great kindness to us, we would have been swallowed up as well. Ah! Truly the disbelievers are not successful.] (Al-Qasas 28:81-82)

* Excerpted, with some modifications, from the author's book The Arrogance of Satan courtesy of his website.
** Harun Yahya was born in Ankara in 1956. He studied fine arts at Istanbul's Mimar Sinan University and philosophy at Istanbul University. Since the 1980s, he has published many books on political, faith-related, and scientific issues.

Chronology of high profile murders of politicians since 1999

2006-07-28T09:34:00.000+01:00

As extracted from Nigeria Today Online News, 28th July 2006 on the asssination of Funso Williams, a top PDP politician in Lagos

1999
Sep 9 - Sunday Ugwu, elder brother of Nwabueze Ugwu, a legislator representing Nkanu East LGA in Enugu killed in a case of mistaken identity

2001
Feb 4 - Governor James Ibori of Delta State escaped death in an exchange of gun fire between two factions of the PDP

March 5 - Momoh Lawal, a relation of Umar Akaaba, former Chairman, Okene LGA in Kogi State killed

August 24 - Four killed in Abakaliki when Senate President Chief Anyim Pius Anyim's supporters clashed with Ebonyi Governor Sam Egwu's supporters

Dec 21 - Odunayo Olagbaju, member of the state assembly in southwestern Osun, is killed by unknown gunmen in his hometown of Ife.

Dec 23 - Justice Minister Bola Ige is shot dead in his bedroom in Ibadan in Nigeria's most high profile political killing for 20 years.

2002
March 7 - Three students reportedly killed at Effurun, Delta State, after a PDP rally turned violent

Aug 13 - Janet Oladapo, a PDP leader in Odigbo LG clubbed to death by gunmen

Aug 15 - Ahmed Pategi, chairman of the PDP, and his police orderly are murdered by unknown assailants on a highway near the state capital Ilorin.

Aug 29 - Gunmen kill Victor Nwankwo, younger brother of opposition PMP leader Arthur Nwankwo (and founder Eastern Mandate Union (EMU)) in the southeast city of Enugu.

Sept 1 - A vocal critic of the governor of southeastern Anambra state governor and local branch chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Barnabas Igwe and his wife, Abigail, are gruesomely murdered in the commercial hub of Onitsha. The killers use a truck to run repeatedly over their dead bodies.

Sept 26 - John Nunu, treasurer of Akassa local government area of southeast Bayelsa state, is killed by unknown gunmen.

Oct 20 - Prof. Chimere Ikoku, former Vice Chancellor, UNN, killed in his residence

Nov 25 - PDP governorship hopeful Dele Arojo is assassinated in Lagos by unknown gunmen.

December ? - Alhaji Isyaku Muhammad, United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP), National Vice Chairman, North West was assassinated

2003
Jan 18 - Three killed in an ANPP, PDP clash around Buhari - Bularafa - Dokini area in Yobe State

Feb 10 - Ogbonnaya Uche, a senatorial candidate of the main opposition All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) dies two days after he is attacked in his home in southeastern Owerri.

Feb 18 - At least seven people are killed in clashes between PDP and ANPP supporters in Jato-Aka village in central Benue state. The bloodletting was sparked by the killing of a security guard at the residence of ANPP's governorship candidate for Benue, Paul Unongo.

Feb 22 - Theodore Agwatu, principal secretary to the Imo state governor, is murdered in his Owerri residence by unknown attackers.

Feb 23 - Speaker, Borno State House of Assembly, Hon. Inuwa Kubo escaped assassination attempt

March 3 - Mrs. Emily Omope (aka Thatcher) an AD member in Ekiti State died at the UCH Ibadan after an acid attack in December last year by unknown persons

March 5 - ANPP regional chieftain Marshall Harry is shot dead in his home in the capital Abuja.

2006
Jul 03
A candidate for governor of Plateau State, Chief Jesse Aruku, was killed in what police described as a political assassination, ahead of elections next year.

Piece of man's skull falls off, draws crowds

2006-07-05T21:00:00.000+01:00

At last, a living man can see, hold his own skull and of course, flaunt it. Such was the case of the 25 years old Sambu Roy from India. Read this news from Reuters:

By Bappa Majumdar
Wed Jul 5, 7:58 AM ET

Hundreds of people are thronging a hospital in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata to see a patient holding a piece of his own skull that fell off.

Doctors say a large, dead section of 25-year-old electrician Sambhu Roy's skull came away Sunday after severe burns starved it of blood.

"When he came to us late last year, his scalp was completely burned and within months it came off exposing the skull," Ratan Lal Bandyopadhyay, the surgeon who treated Roy told Reuters Wednesday.

"Later, we noticed that the part of his skull was loosening due to lack of blood supply to the affected area, which can happen in such extensive burn cases."

The piece came off Sunday and hundreds of people and dozens of doctors now crowd around his bed, where he lies holding the bone.

Bandyopadhyay said the skull's inner covering and the membrane which helps produce bone was miraculously unaffected, allowing fresh bone to grow.

"When the skull came off, I thought he will die, but we noticed a new covering on his head forming and that might have pushed the 'dead skull' out," he said.

While possible, such cases are extremely rare.

Roy was injured and almost killed when he was electrocuted while repairing a high voltage wire last October.

"Doctors say a new skull covering has replaced the old one, but I am not letting go of this one," he told Reuters.

He intends to keep his prized possession for life and not hand it over to the hospital when he leaves: "My skull has made me famous," he says.

Brief Tour

2006-06-17T10:36:00.000+01:00

Travelling as my hobby has always been a great experience! You won't ask 'why?' if you are a traveller.

Besides the beautiful sceneries of setlements and forests while traveling by road, or the enchanting aerial view of lands and clouds while traveling by air, there is more to learn.

Meeting new people, places and cultures, breathing the fresher air of a different environment and learning new ways of life and exposure to the wider world. Many a traveller prefer an early morning departure, for obvious reasons. There is no better way to beleive than seeing, and a late departure may rob one of such opportunity.

Assignment point

I had a brief official visit to Kaduna, the Nigerian first headquarter. It was a wonderful experience. I have lived most of life in my hometown, Okene, Kogi state and currently residing in Lagos Nigeria. I won't have had a better perception of a city life until I arrived the city of Kaduna.

Ahmadu Bello Stadium Junction, Kaduna

With neater roads than those of Lagos, Kaduna is a city to behold. Though my flight arrived a little later than schedule due to heavy rainfall and storms that prevented us from landing until after about 35 minutes in the air, the trip from the airport to my hotel was memorable. A cold night, people, most of whom were dressed in the northern traditional dressing of long gowns, women in head coverings and men on bicycles. We headed straight to the Obalende area for dinner, then to Constitution road where I lodged for the night.

On the way to my official assignment

The next morning revealed the true shape of the Kaduna beauty. We drove down Ahmadu Bello way, across the Junction road to my point of assignment. I also visited a cybercafe for a quick email and IM chat with my office in Lagos and later got back to work. After rounding up my assignment about 5pm, I headed for Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for the evening flight to Lagos. The dualised road was free with few vehicles speeding towards Abuja. Unfortunately, my cab was slow and we arrived late.

I was face to face with the Federal Capital Territory for the first time. Impressive town planning, state of the art mansions and beautiful road side gardens.

Locating the airport junction was my biggest challenge. I kept phoning my brother that works at the airport for direction. It was too late to get a flight back to Lagos, I had to pass the night in Abuja at the airport quarters.

My guide at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.

Next morning, I was at the domestic wing purchasing my ticket. I boarded Fresh Airline back to Lagos and in about 35 minutes, we were touching the ground at the Muritala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

Landing at Muritala muhammed Airpot, Lagos

It was indeed another wonderful experience.

June 12, Never never again

2006-06-12T09:19:00.000+01:00

Where were you when you heard the news of the June 12 annulment? Where were you when you heard that the man you freely gave your votes in the freest presidential polls ever held in this country, would no longer be president of Nigeria? Where were you when the hope of the man of hope turned into hopelessness?

Everyone surely can remember where he or she was. You surely can remember your immediate reaction to that piece of ugly news: shock, disbelief, indignation, exasperation.

Then, the rage. The outpouring of grief and anger. The bonfire on the streets. The verbal missiles at Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and his regime for that national perfidy. The collective condemnation of the taboo of annulment, a strange word that suddenly found its way into our political lexicon, courtesy of the Maradona. Oshodi, the capital of chaos, exploded into one insane city with every one walking in every direction at the same time.

Then, there was the incoherent ‘Step Aside’ speech on national television and the usually courageous president shivering literally like a jelly, like one who had been summoned to preside over a hollow ritual; his voice croaky, his feet wobbly, his eyes unsteady and his lips twitchy as he declared that he was stepping aside as his own ‘personal sacrifice’ out of the political crisis he and his men certainly contrived.

Before anyone knew what was happening, Chief Ernest Shonekan, the dour-looking hoary-voiced former UAC chief is announcing himself as the new head of an interim national government, hurriedly assembled by the fleeing General. Read more

Related post: Nigeria: Northern Groups: On June 12 We Stand

I chose option 2, what about you?

2006-06-10T08:22:00.000+01:00

There was a professor of philosophy who was a deeply committed > atheist.
His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester attempting to prove that God couldn't exist.
His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic.
For twenty years, he had taught this class and no one had ever had the courage to go against him. Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever really gone against him because of his reputation.
At the end of every semester on the last day, he would say to his class of 300 students, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!"
In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, "Because anyone who believes in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that He is God, and yet He can't do it." And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the > classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the > students would do nothing but stop and stare.
Most of the students thought that God couldn't exist. Certainly, a > number of Christians had slipped through, but for 20 years, they had > been too afraid to stand up.
Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who happened to enroll. He was a muslim, and had heard the stories about his professor. He was required to take the class for his major, and he was afraid. But for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said, or what the class thought. Nothing they said could ever shatter his faith...he hoped. Finally, the day came. The professor said, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class of 300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the classroom. The professor shouted, "You FOOL!!! If God existed, he would keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!" He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away unbroken. The professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man, and then ran out of the lecture hall. The young man who had stood, proceeded to walk to the front of the room and shared his faith in Islam for the next half hour. 300 students stayed and listened as he told of Allah's love for them and to be the followers Of our beloved prophet Mohammed (saw)
You have 2 choices
1. Delete this and never look at it again.
2. Pass this along to your Muslim and Christian friends, giving them encouragement we all need every day.
When you choose option 2, you have chosen to STAND UP

Bead making

2006-06-06T13:38:00.000+01:00

In the age of fashion, Nigerians have begun to look inside themselves and thereby taking advantage of handmade designs. The choice is bead making.

Several individuals, business organisations especially in the fashion line, have taken aggressive advantage of the wave-making bead fashion. African ladies within and outside of their nations find pride in the bead business and the fashion alike.

A friend was with me today, and guess whate she had, assorted handmade beads and she was already selling fast. See pictures of her products below:

A virus called WORK

2006-05-24T11:37:00.000+01:00

CYBERSCHUUL JOKE

A virus called WORK

There is a dangerous virus being passed electronically, orally and by hand.
This virus is called Worm-Overload-Recreational-Killer (WORK).
If you receive WORK from colleagues, boss or anyone else via any means, DO NOT
TOUCH IT. This virus will wipe out your private life completely.

If you come into contact with WORK put on your jacket and take two good
friends to the nearest bar. Purchase the antidote known as
Work-Isolator-Neutralizer-Extractor (WINE) or

Bothersome-Employer-Eliminator-Rebooter (BEER). Take the antidote repeatedly
until WORK has been completely eliminated from your system.

You should forward this warning to 5 friends. If you do not have 5 friends,
you have already been infected and WORK is controlling your life

[sent in by nana duodu, Accra] to CYBERSCHUUL NEWS

Humiliated Obasanjo eventually accepts defeat on tenure elongation

2006-05-19T10:57:00.000+01:00

President Olusegun Obasanjo never said where he stood on the third term agenda but he and his cronies were undoubtedly behind the campaign. Yesterday, Obasanjo said the decision of the Senate to jettison the tenure elongation bill, was a "victory for democracy". Allegations that millions of dollars were spent to bribe lawmakers to support his third term tainted his image as a democrat and corruption fighter. Many now question whether the PDP, which became an instrument of the third term, can retain relevance as Obasanjo's powers wane. Some expect the party to collapse with him. Analysts think Obasanjo will fight to scupper the candidacies of his deputy Atiku Abubakar (who was absent at the PDP top hierarchy meeting yesterday) and former military rulers Ibrahim Babangida and Muhammadu Buhari, who all spoke against the third term and all want to succeed him...

An embarrassed President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday accepted the verdict of the national parliament ruling out an extension of his tenure and called on the ruling party to prepare for elections next year. In a speech to party chieftains, Obasanjo as expected, blamed the media -- which had opposed the campaign to give him a third term -- for deepening divisions in the country, and condemned both sides for resorting to bribery and blackmail.

"As a political party, we should accept the verdict of the National Assembly," Obasanjo told the People's Democratic Party's top brass at an emergency meeting in Abuja. "On the basis of the constitution in hand, we must start to plan for elections next year." Obasanjo called on the party to heal wounds caused by the divisive third-term campaign, which has emboldened the opposition and fuelled conflict across the nation. Vice-President Atiku Abukakar, who wants to succeed his boss and had accused Obasanjo of trying to subvert the constitution against the popular will, was absent from the meeting.

Senators changed the country's political landscape on Tuesday by throwing out a bill to amend the constitution that would have let Obasanjo stand for a third term in 2007.The surprise vote was greeted with dancing, shouts of joy and hugs among many senators, who had argued that the amendment was a threat to democracy in Africa's biggest oil producer. "Throughout the period, I resisted the invitation to be drawn on either side, I maintained studied silence. I was maligned, insulted and wrongly accused, but I remain where I am and what I am and I remain focused," he unconvincingly said. Analysts said the closure of the third term chapter should ease tensions across Nigeria, including the oil producing Niger Delta where militant attacks have curbed output, because every region now has a chance to take over in 2007.

Elections next year should mark the first time in Nigerian history that a civilian president hands over to another through elections, but the third-term campaign had jeopardised that. The bid failed because it was opposed by so many different power bases in multi-ethnic Nigeria. In the north, many thought they had a deal that power would return to their region in 2007 after eight years of Obasanjo, from the southwest. But he is in for a tough fight because these powerful figures are in the ascendancy and have a greater pool of political support than the president, who will have to rely on the powers of incumbency to frustrate them. Obasanjo has no heir-apparent because the third term campaign precluded it, but many in the party now hope some new faces will emerge with the president's blessing.

Source: Nigeria Today Online News

South Africa to End 'Canned Hunting'

2006-05-03T13:06:00.000+01:00

By CLARE NULLIS, Associated Press Writer
Tue May 2, 5:21 PM ET

South Africa proposed new laws Tuesday that would end the "canned hunting" of wildlife bred in captivity to be shot in closed reserves by wealthy tourists.

Breeding threatened or endangered large predators such as cheetahs, lions or leopards for any type of hunting would be forbidden. Also banned would be all hunting that causes unnecessary suffering, such as the use of bows and arrows on large animals that can take hours or days to die.

"The days of captive breeding of listed species for any purposes except science and conservation are over," Environment Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said.

The new laws would "close the loopholes that have allowed environmental thugs to get away with immoral activities like canned hunting," he said.

South Africa is famous as the home of the so-called Big Five animals — elephants, rhinoceroses, lions, Cape buffalo and leopards — and its flagship Kruger National Park attracts hundreds of thousands of camera-toting visitors.

But in the shadow of the Kruger — where all hunting is outlawed — a plethora of smaller, unregulated parks have sprung up, aimed at visitors who carry rifles and hunger for the thrill of a hunting safari.

In 2004, an estimated 6,700 tourists killed nearly 54,000 animal "trophies," according to a report last year that recommended a ban on canned hunting. The report did not say how many of those hunts were "canned."

Hunting of all types is an integral part of South African life because of its traditional cultural importance and contributions to the economy. There was no immediate response to the proposed law from hunting associations, although mainstream groups have said they recognize a need for tighter controls.

The expert panel last year found horrific examples of abuse. It said some hunters were offered the chance to shoot large mammals, including rhinoceroses, with bows and arrows, condemning them to a long and painful death.

Van Schalkwyk said the new laws would stamp out practices that "have cast a shadow on our phenomenal conservation successes, and left a stain on our reputation as world leaders in protecting and promoting biodiversity."

South Africa has won international praise for its efforts to protect fragile ecosystems and conserve its rich abundance of wildlife and plants.

"Hunting will now be permitted only by humane methods, in accordance with strict fair chase principles, by hunters registered with recognized hunting bodies," said van Schalkwyk, who described himself as an avid hunter.

All hunting reserves would have to be registered under the new laws and authorities will document the number of animals killed. There would be fines or imprisonment of up to five years for any violation.

The global wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC said that in 2004, 190 lions were hunted by foreign tourists, who paid reserve owners an estimated $3.3 million — or more than $17,000 per animal. Forty-five leopards worth an estimated $250,000 were slain.

The list of animals killed included baboons, giraffes, elephants, hippopotamuses, mongoose, porcupines, warthogs and zebras. Prices paid ranged from $25 for pigeons and quail to $25,000 for a white rhinoceros.

Breeders have used crossbreeding and genetic manipulation to make the potential trophies more appealing — by producing large numbers of albino lions, for instance.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare, one of the organizations campaigning for tougher controls, welcomed the draft regulations.

"Let's hope they go far enough to address unethical hunting practices and, in the words of the minister, rid this cancer from society," said Jason Bell-Leask, the organization's southern Africa director.

The proposed laws would allow a protected predator to be hunted after it is released into the wild and has fended for itself for at least two years.

Van Schalkwyk said there would be six weeks for public comment on the proposed legislation, which then would be forwarded to Parliament for approval. The regulations are considered likely to pass.

Source: Yahoo! News

5G deploys citywide WiFi network in Lagos

2006-03-02T10:29:00.000+01:00

California's 5G Wireless had finished deploying a citywide wireless broadband network in Lagos. 5G announced Tuesday that its Citywide Base Station network of WiFi base stations would bring high-speed wireless Internet connectivity to homes, offices and other locations in Lagos and surrounding communities. The WiFi project was established with Polestar, 5G's marketing partner in Nigeria, and will be established later in other areas of the country.

"The Internet access being offered by Polestar and powered by 5G Wireless is unrivaled in terms of speed, download capacity, and virtual connections within the city of Lagos," said Polestar Chief Executive Officer Obasi Uba Obasi. "This is just the first step in setting off other deployments across other key cities in Nigeria." Citywide Base Station is compatible with IEEE 802.11 b/g technology standards and runs off macro-cell base stations mounted on towers and atop tall buildings, which 5G said fills in the dead spots that vex other WiFi systems.

Source: Nigeria2DayOnline News

Christian missionaries flee northern Nigeria

2006-03-01T11:10:00.000+01:00

The supposed leaders of our great nation are failing us, while Nigeria is tearing apart, they are predominated with constitution ammendment or third term quest.

When a faction of Muslim rioters in northern Nigeria posted leaflets warning Christians to leave or be killed, four missionaries with Christian Reformed World Missions left the area along with 15 Nigerian Christian families. Dave and Jan Dykgraaf, of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Larry and Rose Van Zee of Pella Iowa, braved a six-hour drive through the mostly Muslim regions of northern Nigeria on their way to a temporary safe haven in Abuja.

On Sunday morning they finally were able to get some sleep after a tense and dangerous weekend. Before his departure, Dave Dykgraaf wrote an email to his co-workers in which he described the weekend's horrors. "The Catholic compound is nearly destroyed [in the northwestern town of Kontagora]...reports are that many people were killed and burned last night," he wrote. "As we came back, we stopped in Gulbin Boka [a village about 25 miles north of Kontagora] and saw the letters that had been attached to the houses or shops of the non-northerners [mostly Christians]."

The letters, written in the Hausa language read: "You Christians go back to your land. If you do not go back we will kill you." While the tension seems to have reached a boiling point via the now widely publicized Danish cartoon depictions of the Muslim prophet Mohamed, in Nigeria it is not so clear-cut. Aggravating things was a recent rumor circulated internally, that President Olusegun Obasanjo, intended to amend the constitution so as to allow himself a third term. Christian Reformed World Missions has been in Nigeria since 1920, and has been involved in assisting Nigerians to develop a national church that today includes several denominations with a total membership of well over 300,000.

News Sorce: Nigeria2DayOnline

Over 300,000 birds lost in Nigeria to flu

2006-03-01T11:04:00.000+01:00

More than 300,000 birds have either died or have been killed in northern Nigeria since the discovery of bird flu two weeks ago, the avian flu crisis management centre told the media. "On the ground, we are trying to apply all the official directives aimed at containing the spread of the bird flu, particularly the restriction of the movement of birds," an official said. "We will keep all the security measures around the poultry farms, as well as the markets," she added yesterday.

From today the government will begin to pay poultry owners the financial compensation promised in order to encourage them to join in the fight and particularly to announce suspected cases, she said. Affected farmers will receive 20,000 naira (153 dollars) for an ostrich, 10,000 naira for an emu, 2,500 naira for a turkey, 1,000 naira for a duck or a goose, and 250 naira for a chicken, she said. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is leading a programme to build Nigeria's ability to test for human infection by H5N1, which has killed more than 90 people, mainly in Asia, the UN body's representative in Nigeria said.

Source: Nigeria2Day Online News.

A $20,000,000 boat bombed by the Niger delta militants

2006-02-22T18:16:00.000+01:00

Details coming soon!

Vengeance as Nigeria boils

2006-02-22T10:03:00.000+01:00

About 30 persons of northern extraction were reported killed in Onitsha, Anambra State yesterday in revenge attacks following deadly riots last weekend in Maiduguri, Borno State and Bauchi in which Muslims targeted Christians over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in European newspapers. Bands of youths armed with clubs, charms, axes, cutlasses and petrol cans rampaged through the streets of Onitsha, attacking Muslims and their properties, killing several people, according to several residents.

Eyewitnesses said violence erupted after the remains of some of the Igbos killed in the Maiduguri mayhem were brought to Onitsha for burial. Anger boiled over when relations and friends saw how they were brutally murdered. Over 2,000 anti-riot policemen were drafted to Onitsha to stop the mayhem from spreading to other parts of Anambra State. In a statement, the state government said the loss of lives was regrettable. â€œIt has come to the attention of the Government of Anambra State that some unidentified people under the guise of revenging recent attacks on Igbo residing in parts of the north, today, Tuesday, February 21, 2006, embarked on reprisal attacks and demonstrations in parts of Onitsha and in the process killed and seriously wounded innocent people. The government deeply regrets this unfortunate incident and while commiserating with the families of the deceased and injured hereby warn all those involved in the attacks to stop forthwith''. The state governor Chris Ngige has imposed a dusk to dawn curfew in the city.

Witnesses said Christian mobs burned three mosques and beat at least six Muslims with origins in the north to death. "The mosque at the main market has been burnt and I've counted at least six dead bodies on the streets," Izzy Uzor, an Onitsha resident and businessman said. "The whole town is in a frenzy and people are running in all directions." Another Onitsha resident, Isotonu Achor, said one badly beaten Muslim man ran into his office from the streets to escape the violence. "There is blood all over him and I'm scared they'll come for him here. If he doesn't get urgent treatment he will die," Achor said.

Okechukwu Nwaka, a spare parts trader in Onitsha said: "I have seen ten corpses myself and have spoken to other people who saw at least three in other areas''. Reports said thousands of northerners fled to the city's main military barracks for refuge. Igbo separatist movements had vowed previously to avenge the perennial killing of their kinsmen in the north. ''We have said it before, anytime our people are killed by Moslems in the north for no just reason, we shall retaliate. It is not only northerners that have monopoly of violence. In the past, people use to prevail on us not to revenge, but not anymore'' an Igbo separatist leader said on condition of anonymity. ''We have resolved that the only way the northerners will stop the indiscriminate killing of our people in their communities is for us to adopt the principle of an eye for an eye''.

Source: Nigeria2DayOnline News.

Niger Delta Militants threaten international oil tankers

2006-02-20T15:09:00.000+01:00

Militants in the delta who seized nine foreign oil workers in a string of attacks yesterday threatened to step up assaults by firing rockets at international oil tankers. A man identifying himself as the commander of the movement said his group was poised to escalate the violence by firing rockets at crude oil tankers offshore.

"We'll use our rockets on the ships to stop them from taking our oil," said a man, who gave his name as Efie Alari. His identity could not be independently verified, but the call came from a number used by the hostage group before. The military said it would do whatever necessary to ensure tankers remain safe. "I don't know their (militants) capabilities but we're not leaving anything to chance," said Maj. Said Hammed, spokesman of the military task force in the Niger Delta in Warri. "The assurance has been given at the highest level of government that oil tankers are safe in Nigerian waters. That assurance remains."

Nigeria's foreign oil firms

2006-02-20T15:00:00.000+01:00

The following foreign companies operate in Nigeria:

* Shell is the largest, producing over 40 percent of Nigeria's oil. It employs 5,000 people.

* Exxon Mobil is Nigeria's second largest oil producer, with about 720,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) of crude, condensate and natural gas liquids. It has 1,900 employees

* France's Total produced around 270,000 boepd in 2004 in Nigeria and has about 1,200 employees.* Italy's ENI produced around 161,000 boepd in 2004.

* U.S. major Chevron averaged production of 117,000 bpd of oil in 2004. It employs over 2,000 people.

Source: Nigeria2DayOnline News.

Movies for the weekend

2006-02-17T15:14:00.000+01:00

All works and no play makes KB a dull guy!..chuckle?

Well.. I will be watching movies by saturday. At least 2 movies (A home movie and an adventure movie).

Talking about the adventure movie, Seven Swords, A Tsui Hark Film is my pick for the weekend. I also intend to watch a mystical movie based on a novel by CS Lewis. The movie is titled 'Narnia, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe'.

My weekend will certainly not be as stress laden as the week.

Ciao.

Woe to you---who goes a phishing !!!!

2006-02-16T17:53:00.000+01:00

Web author wannabe: 03 April 2005

Phishing at its worst

2006-02-10T10:15:00.000+01:00

There are people who care less about you or your feelings, so be extra careful the way you click or provide your user information across the web.

Before you read the attached spam message, note the following:

- The email message is sent from an unknown sender.

- It is mainly targeted at corporate entities for obvious reasons.

- The provided link takes user to a yahoo page thats obviously designed by the phishers(you will notice that though the site looks everything yahoo, but the address should tell the trick).

- The acclaimed yahoo password verification page prompts user to enter his/her password to continue. Once password is submitted, the user is taken to a 'Thank you e-card on 123greetings.com and as you read the message on the e-card, your password is freely resting in the PC of the culprits. Mission accomplished!

WARNING: Never ENTER YOUR PASSWORD in the page you will soon view when you click on the link below, or whenever you come across such messages in your mailbox. To confirm the inferiority of that webpage, just type anything you like; a number, a curse or anything, in the password field. You will notice that it will be accepted by the page without validation error.

Now, below is the deceptive message:

Helo,
Hope you remember me. we met once. Hows your family.

Convey my regards to them.I will email you later. I am going out now.

Seeya later. Bye take care.

Before that i sent u one greeting card. see this card and reply me back.
http://www.123greetings4u.com/Y7BD40106194621634/funcard.asp?name=gsmmarketplace

Waiting for your reply

Luv and Regards

THAT IS ALL!

Harrased By Nigerian Police

2006-01-08T05:47:00.000+01:00

what is this country turning to?

I left home in a very good mood..hopes of catching up with new findings on the web when I log in to my computer in the office, was dominant in my mind. I was to make a quick purchase of pins to top up our inventory on our website www.prepaidnigeria.com and this prevented me from going straight to the office.

Between the hours of 9am and 10am, Friday, the 6th of January 2006, walking freely around Ogba, Ikeja; a commercial bus containing some policemen stopped abruptly. The men jumped out and sorrounded me and two other colleagues with whom I have priced an Electric Generator set prior to the confrontation.

'Hey guys, we are men of the police force', challenged the youngest guy among the team, brandishing his ID card. Others joined, all with their poorly designed Identity card. We were asked to enter the bus. 'For what?' I challenged immediately. The only female member of the team was the last to disembark from the bus and made straight for my USB drive hung on my neck.

"Give me this thing now!", raged the woman(she didnt know the name) and was pulling the device on my neck. I was perplexed and almost could not utter a word. "What is the meaning of all this?" was all I kept asking. My colleagues put up resistance as none of knew exactly what was wrong or what their mission was. I was kicked, dragged and my colleagues could not stand the harassment. For challenging the police, they were taken in, too. I refused to let go of my USB drive. The woman said she would have to access the device and see what kind of information it carried.

Before I could shout EFCC, I was dragged to the bus, the youngest guy, so full of himself and infact an upcoming devil of the police force, pinned me to the bus floor. I wore a cream coloured brocade to commemorat the friday, looking forward to a nice appearance at the mosque later that day for the Jumu'at(friday) service. My trousers tore, the guy having a firm grip on my neck and I dashed for his too. We kept dragging while the bus moved and fortunately, in an attempt to free myself from his grip, the bus side screen was shattered and a piece of the broken glass tore through the neck of their colleague. This saved me from getting strangled.

We approached the 'Area G' police station, their Evil Den. "Confirmed Armed Robbers', the guy momoured. I kept assuring them that they won't go free. As soon as we stepped out of the bus, they instructed us to go into a room beside the regular counter room. I refused to move. I spoke at the top of my voice. "Who are we to see? I will not move an inch from this spot!" I screamed. This attracted the attention of other policemen and a woman requested to know what was wrong. I gave her my story and also warned that as I spoke, my USB drive was with the police that should anything go wrong with my inventory, they would be sorry. I bradished my MTN dealership ID card and also my official ID card. The woman asked if they ever demended for my identity and I replied in the negative.

At this point, the guys were scared, they said should I have revealed my identity and also released my USB, there won't have been all the trouble. They never requested my identity and they never let me speak. Sidetalks and momours and shorlty after, my flash drive was released, the arbiter disappeared and I was asked to pay for the broken screen.

All the while, I wasn't opportuned to go close to the main building, a clear indication of corrupt and illegal practise. I wrote a statement on a shabby looking paper, part with N4,000 for the screen and the same guys drove me and my colleagues out of the station to the very spot they arrested me, while looking out for my lost shoe. I looked hargard and dirty. I kept cursing and threating, they tried to be friendly but I didn't mind. As soon as we dropped out of their bus, they continued their hunt for other victims!

This is the scenario in many part of Lagos in recent time. Innocent Nigerians are victimised daily simply because they remain coward even at the point of death. Nigeria police, I admit, are the most dangerous criminals around town now. Everyone should be conscious of his movement and most importantly, learn to defend his right, no matter what.

I had a bad day!

God Help Nigeria

2005-12-12T09:55:00.000+01:00

A quick search on Yahoo! for the phrase 'Sosoliso plane crash' and the result was appaling..results from various news media; Yahoo news, UK News, Interest alert, wikepedia, Nigeria sun, Forbes, sfgates, chippla, metro news, blogs..endless list!

Just about 7 weeks ago, a similar issue occured and as a herald to the recent, on Tuesday, a private jet belonging to Ndimis crash landed. Air safety in Nigeria? It's rather called targedy. Many are now scared of journeying by air while families whose families and loved ones are outside the country would advice them against coming home for xmas!

It is a mistery and only God knows if our government is putting up effort at curbing firther reoccurence. Just yesterday, sunday, the 11th of December, 2005, 'Destination Africa' an AIT TV Africa showcase program presented some Nigerian officials on the Runway of Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, assessing(?) a renovation project of the Runway; the first of its kind since 1979, after 26 years!

God help us!

Businesses Rush for '.eu' Domain Name

2005-12-08T17:57:00.000+01:00

AP - Thu Dec 8, 7:49 AM ET
BRUSSELS, Belgium - European businesses rushed to sign up for the new ".eu" Internet domain name, putting in 100,000 Web site applications by the end of its first day available, the group in charge of registering the requests said Thursday.

Source: Yahoo! Tech News.

from here to there..

2005-11-15T02:43:00.000+01:00

If I don't post to a blog here, I am probably posting elsewhere.

I have a handful of blogs and I work hard, updating them with hot posts. Since reading can be boring atimes, so I present MY HOMELAND, capturing images of Ebiraland, my home, and updating very frequently. The everyday life in Ebiraland is here >>>

My husband affair and the bellview aircrash

2005-11-11T12:22:00.000+01:00

..IAM SHORT OF WORDS, READ:

He thought I was sound asleep. But I wasnâ€™t. I was, infact,
wide-awake and only pretending to be asleep. Lanre has been restless and fidgety
all evening. Once or twice, heâ€™d tried to sneak away from me to use
his phone. But I hadnâ€™t given him any breathing space. I knew my
husband inside out. I could read him like a book. And I could easily tell,
whenever he was up to his silly pranks.

I knew the reason for Lanreâ€™s restlessness. I didnâ€™t need a seer to
tell me that Lanre had been restless all evening because he needed to
talk to Moni on the phone. Uhm! Moni; that ugly worthless female
specimen. A cheap husband snatcher and gold-digger. When my husband and I were
suffering where was Moni?

In the last six months or so, all my quarrels with my husband had
stemmed from this clandestine relationship with Moni.

â€œI would fight with the last drop of blood in me, just to make sure
that I put an end to this illicit affair between you and that bitchâ€,
Iâ€™d screamed at Lanre, just a few days back. â€œIâ€™ll even kill if I
had to. Tell Moni to look for her own husband elsewhere. Tell her!
Otherwise blood will flowâ€.

But no matter how much I raved and ranted like a demented woman, the
affair between Moni and my husband continued to wax stronger.

That night when he tiptoed out of our bedroom, thinking that I was fast
asleep. I knew it had all to do with Moni. I watched him through the
squint of my eyes. He was barely out of the bedroom when I sprang out of
bed and followed him. Pronto! I plastered my right ear to the panel of
the living room door and eavesdropped on my husbandâ€™s conversation. I
was right! He was on the phone, talking to Moni. And although he was
talking in a low, conspiratorial tone, the pin-drop silence of the night
seemed to amplify his voice. And I could pick enough to make sense out
of the conversation. I lost my head at that point in time. I couldnâ€™t
stomach it anymore. I barged in to the living room, taking Lanre by
surprise.

â€œYou are joking!â€ I screamed, â€œ So you are planning to take your
w* to Abuja for five whole days. It is not enough that you see her here
in Lagos everyday of the week. Abuja, my foot! In fact, you are going
nowhere. And if you must go, then we are going together.â€

It was fight-to-finish between Lanre and myself that night. I threw so
many tantrums and ended up being violent and destructive. We didnâ€™t
sleep all night. I burnt out my fury. At dawn, the following morning, I
was tired, completely spent. Lanre continued to beg me. He promised
heaven and earth and assured me that he would end the relationship with
Moni. He coaxed and cajoled me. He brought out the woman in me and at the
end of it all; I agreed to let him travel to Abuja the following day. I
knew he dared not travel to Abuja with Moni. Not after the anger and
violence I unleashed. Notwithstanding, I insisted on going to the airport
with him. Lanre agreed. He had no choice anyway.

That evening, I accompanied my husband to the airport and waited with
him until the flight to Abuja was announced. I would have loved to go
with him into the inner departure lounge and actually watch him enter
into the Abuja-bound aircraft alone, without Moni, but the airport
regulations disallowed me.Minutes later, while driving home, my phone rang. It
was Lanre. Heâ€™d confirmed that heâ€™d boarded the aircraft and they
were about to take off. He said he was about to switch off his phone,
but assured me that he would call me as soon as they landed at the Abuja
airport.

Back home, I continued to think about Moni. Why couldnâ€™t she just
leave my husband alone? I couldnâ€™t help wondering why some women took
delight in snatching other peopleâ€™s husbands and wrecking happy homes.
I had to do something fast. What if she got pregnant for Lanre? God
forbid! I heard myself shout. I had to do something drastic; something
rather extreme about Moni. I must have been juggling with ideas for well
over an hour when it suddenly occurred to me that Lanre must have
arrived safely at Abuja. It was almost an hour and half since Lanre called to
inform he was already aboard the aircraft. Why hadnâ€™t he called me to
assure me that heâ€™d arrived Abuja safely?

Instantly, I picked up my phone and called Lanre. His phone was
switched off. What could be happening? My thoughts again drifted to Moni. Had
Lanre, by some magic been able to smuggle Moni into the aircraft? That
was impossible! Was I just fooling myself? Perhaps Lanre and Moni were,
right at that moment, swooning in each otherâ€™s arm. It was simply
unthinkable. But truly, there was no limit to what a desperate man could
do. I tried to push these thoughts out of my sub-conscious but didnâ€™t
succeed, until I fell asleep without knowing. When I woke up, it was
dawn, the following day, still no call from Lanre. Again I picked up my
phone and called him. His phone was still switched off. I began to get
worried then. What the hell is happening?

I get dressed for church. I was in turmoil. It was while driving to
church that I got a clue, a shocking and disheartening one for that
matter. A roadside newspaper vendor flashed a copy of that dayâ€™s Sunday
Punch in my face. I froze as one of the cover captions hit me,
â€œAbuja-bound Plane Missing, 114 Persons Feared Dead?â€

Talons of fear ran up and down my spine. Up till now, I do not know how
I managed to turn the car and drove straight to the airport. There, the
sad news was confirmed. The plane was indeed missing and it was the
same flight that my husband had boarded the previous day. The long
agonizing wait began. That afternoon, news filtered in that the plane had
crashed somewhere between Oyo and Kwara States. I was however relieved to
hear that there were about fifty survivors. I prayed fervently that my
husband should be among the survivors. But my prayers, I appeared was
not answered. Early that same evening, we got the news that made me wet
my pants in public. The crashed aircraft had been located elsewhere
somewhere in Ogun State, Lisa-Igbore Village, to be exact. And wait for
this, there was no survivor! I wailed, wept and rolled on the floor. Some
sympathizers offered to and actually took me home.

At home I got another shocker! Waiting for me in the living room was
the man I thought had perished in the plane crash. Lanre! After the
initial shock of seeing him, we got tsalking. Lanre had a confession to
make. He told me how heâ€™d left the airport, after my departure. Heâ€™d
sneaked out to go and spend the night at Moniâ€™s place. That was how he
escaped death. I was happy and sad at the same time: happy that my
husband was alive, hale and hearty and sad that heâ€™d deceived me and
still gone ahead to spend the night with Moni.

Iâ€™m confused as to what to do about my husbandâ€™s relationship with
Moni. Should I give up the fight? Lanre is alive today because of his
extra-marital relationship with this strange woman. Or should I tackle
Moni headlong?

What should I do? Please advise me. Visit:
http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-2930.0.html

Courtesy of a member of the Nairaland Forum:
http://www.nairaland.com

Festac Town, Lagos. Run-down district

2005-11-08T17:19:00.000+01:00

..where
scammers target the West
By ROBYN DIXON
Scotsman publication

THE young men are as patient as fishermen, toiling day and night to trawl for replies to the e-mails they shoot to strangers half a world away. Most of the recipients hit 'delete' without ever opening the messages that urge them to claim the untold riches of a long-lost deceased second cousin and the messages that offer millions of dollars to help smuggle loot stolen by a corrupt Nigerian official into a British or American account.

But the few who actually reply make this a tempting and lucrative business for the boys of Festac, a neighbourhood of Lagos at the centre of the cyber-scam universe. The targets are called maghas - scammer slang from a Yoruba word meaning 'fool' - and refers to gullible white people. A good cyber-scammer can make up to $7,000 a month - 22 times the average Nigerian wage - from milking gullible Westerners. His controlling boss, with an army of trained scammers under his wing in both America and Europe, will be raking in many times more.

Though the fraud is apparent to many, some people think they have stumbled on a once-in-a-lifetime deal, and scammers can string them along for months with mythical difficulties. Some victims eventually contribute huge sums of money to save the deal when it is suddenly "at risk". Samuel is 19, handsome, bright, well-dressed and ambitious. He has a special flair for computers and until he quit the game last year was one of Festac's best-known cyber-scam champions.

Like nearly everyone in Festac, he is desperate to escape the run-down, teeming streets, the grimy buildings, the broken refrigerators stacked outside. It's the kind of place where plainclothes police prowl the streets extorting bribes and where mobs burn thieves to death for stealing a mobile phone. It is here that places like the Net Express cyber cafe thrive. The atmosphere of silent concentration inside the cafe is absolute. The doors are locked from 10.30pm until 7am, so the cyber thieves can work in peace without fear of armed intruders.

In this sanctum, Samuel says, he extracted thousands of e-mail addresses, sent off thousands of fraudulent messages and waited for replies. The e-mail scammers here prefer hitting Americans, whom they see as rich and easy to fool. They rationalise the crime by telling themselves there are no real victims: Maghas are avaricious and complicit. To them, the scams, called '419' after the Nigerian statute against fraud, are a game.

They even have an anthem - 'I Go Chop Your Dollars' - hugely popular in Lagos a few months ago when released as a CD penned by an artist called Osofia. Scammers, Samuel says, "have the belief that white men are stupid and greedy. They say the American guy has a good life. There's this belief that for every dollar they lose, the American government will pay them back in some way." What makes the scams so tempting for the targets is that they promise a tantalising escape from the mundane disappointments of life. The scams offer fabulous riches or the love of your life, but first the magha has to send a series of escalating fees and payments. In a dating scam, for instance, the fraudsters send pictures taken from modelling websites.

"Is the girl in these pictures really you? I just can't get over your beauty! I can't believe my luck!" one hapless American wrote recently to a scammer seeking $1,200. The real push comes when the fictional girlfriend or fiancÃ©e, who claims to be in America, goes to Nigeria for business. In a series of "mishaps", her wallet is stolen and she is held hostage by the hotel owner until she can come up with hundreds of dollars for the bill. She needs a new airline ticket, has to bribe churlish customs officials and gets caught. Finally, she needs a hefty get-out-of-jail bribe.

Samuel was recruited at the age of 15 by one of Festac's cyber-crime wizards. After noting his speed and skill, the crime boss, nicknamed Shepherd, invited him to his mansion to try extracting e-mail addresses using search engines. Then, to make Samuel feel special, he took him shopping for designer clothes. "He said every hour I spent online I could be making good money," Samuel recalls. "He said: 'The houses I own, I got it through all this.' And they're not just ordinary houses, they're big, made of marble. He's got big-screen TVs, a swimming pool inside. He lives like a prince. He's the biggest guy in this town."

Scammers, who are promised 20% of the take, although they rarely get it, work for six-hour stretches extracting e-mail addresses and sending off messages that have been composed by a college graduate also working for Shepherd. They send 500 e-mails a day and usually receive about seven replies. Shepherd would then take over. "When you get a reply, it's 70% sure that you'll get the money," Samuel says.

"Most of the time you look for American contacts because of the value of the dollar, and because the fraudsters here have contacts in America who wrap up the job over there," Samuel explains. "For example, the offshore people will go to pose as the Nigerian ambassador to the US or as government officials. They will show some documents - this has presidential backing, this has government backing - and you will be convinced because they will tell you in such a way that you won't be able to say no."

After a scam letter surfaced this summer bearing the forged signature of Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, police raided a market in the Oluwole neighbourhood of Lagos, one of six main centres that provide documents used in the 419 scams. They seized thousands of foreign and Nigerian passports, 10,000 blank British Airways tickets, 10,000 US money orders, customs documents, fake university certificates, 500 printing plates and 500 computers. Shepherd employs seven Nigerians in America to spy on maghas and threaten any who get cold feet.

"They're all graduates and very smart," Samuel says. "If the white guy is getting suspicious, he'll call them all in and say: 'Can you finish this off for me?' "They'll try to scare you that you're not going to get out of it. Or you're going to be arrested and you will face trial in Nigeria. They'll tell you that you are in too deep - you either complete it or you'll be killed." US officials estimate such schemes net hundreds of millions of dollars annually worldwide, with many victims too afraid or embarrassed to report their losses. Stephen Kovacsics, of American Citizen Services, an office of the US Consulate, spoke to a victim who had lost $200,000.

Kovacsics says he is awakened several nights a week by Americans pleading for help with an emergency, such as a fiancÃ©e - whom they have only met in an online chatroom - locked up in a Nigerian jail. He has to tell them that there is probably no fiancÃ©e, no emergency. Victims, he adds, can't believe that a scammer would spend months of internet chat just to net $700 or $1,000, not realising that is big money in Nigeria and fraudsters will have many scams running at the same time. The Nigerian government claims it is not just turning a blind eye. Basil Udotai, of the government's Nigerian Cybercrime Working Group, said 419 fraud is taken seriously by authorities because of the damage it does to the country's reputation.

"The government is not just sitting on its hands," he insisted. "We are putting together measures that will tackle all forms of online crime and give law enforcement agencies opportunities to combat it." The Nigerian Crimes Commission claims it had seized $700m relating to 419 crime over the last two years but concedes there have only been 12 convictions secured. Critics say the courts are too slow and corrupt. The main defence of the Nigerian authorities is to claim that the scammers are mostly from other countries and that any Nigerians who participate do so because of high unemployment and, above all, the greed of victims.

Samuel said his mother, widowed when he was 16, was devastated when she saw him in the street with Shepherd and realised what he was up to. "She tried to force me to stop," he said, "but the more force she applied, the more hardened I became. I said: 'You can't give me what I want. I want a good life.'" But Samuel began having second thoughts when a friend of his was arrested after conning a boss out of $17,000. The friend was badly beaten before disappearing into the depths of the labyrinthine Nigerian justice system.

Samuel thought of his mother and how she would be left alone if something happened to him. He has now quit the 419 rackets but still sees Shepherd swaggering around a neighbourhood where police involvement in the scams is widely alleged. His former boss just grins when he sees him. "He says: 'Don't worry. You'll come back to me.'" Given the rewards, the chances are he will.

TECHNIQUES OF THE '419' FRAUDSTERS

The 'next of kin' scam, tempting you to claim an inheritance of millions of dollars in a Nigerian bank belonging to a long-lost relative, then collecting money from you through bank and transfer fees.

â€¢ The 'laundering crooked money' scam, in which you are promised a large commission on a multi-billion-dollar fortune, persuaded to open an account, contribute funds and sometimes even travel to Nigeria.

â€¢ The 'Nigerian National Petroleum Co' scam, in which the scammer offers cheap crude oil then demands money for commissions and bribes.

â€¢ The 'overpayment' scam, in which fraudsters send a cheque overpaying for a car or goods by many thousands of dollars, persuading the victim to transfer the difference back to Nigeria.

â€¢ The 'job offer you can't refuse' scam, in which an 'oil company' offers a job with an overly attractive salary and conditions (in one example, $180,000 a year and $300 per hour for overtime) and extracts money for visas, permits and other fees.

â€¢ The 'winning ticket in a lottery you never entered' scam.

â€¢ The 'gorgeous person in trouble' scam, in which scammers in internet chatrooms and on dating websites pose as beautiful Nigerian women, lure lonely men into internet intimacy then ask them to send money to get them out of trouble.

The muslim festival approaches

2005-10-28T10:36:00.000+01:00

..and I am at the final stage of my preparations.

Having been away from my parents and entire family for this long, I don't see a reason for celebrating Eid el fitr(the muslim festival for marking end of ramadan fasting) in Lagos.

I long to see my hometown and be part of the anual long procession of people going or returning from the muslims' praying ground.

It is not time to discuss the menu menu, i leave that till I returned from my journey.
EID MUBARAK!

empty thursday

2005-10-27T13:35:00.000+01:00

While waiting for stock arrival, i have decided to stop answering calls. Pleads upon pleads to customers who would rather see delivery than hear 'stories'.

Anyways, I just put off my phone..that is the best action for 'no stock' when customers have paid. Our supplier wouldn't respond even as my company has paid, too.

Don't border calling me!

Pictures Of My Homeland:Coming, soon!

2005-10-27T11:13:00.000+01:00

"Nigeria is sixth most corrupt country" Transparency International

2005-10-19T11:04:00.000+01:00

A survey released yesterday by anti graft watchdog Transparency International revealed that Africa is the most corrupt continent in the world, with Chad the worst offender and Botswana its cleanest nation. Transparency International (TI) said that out of 44 African nations covered in its 2005 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), 31 scored less than three -- "a sign of rampant corruption" -- on a scale of zero to ten.

"Africa is the continent with the lowest average in the CPI," it added, confirming widespread perceptions that the continent is also graft-ridden. Topping an expanded list on Africa this year as the most corrupt nation in the continent -- and the world -- was Chad. It was followed by Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast, all with scores of under two.

Despite its poor showing, Nigeria was singled out as Africa's most improved state, up from 1.6 in 2004 to 1.9 now, thanks to a re-energized government anti-corruption campaign. At the launch of the index in London, the watchdog's chief executive David Nussbaum said Nigeria's case showed the anti-graft war was "a long haul, not a quick silver bullet fix." "It is encouraging that a poor and developing country can change its score and its ranking in our index''. The index was released simultaneously in various capitals around the world, including Nairobi.

The continent's least corrupt nation was Botswana, with a score of 5.9, followed by Tunisia, South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius. Three of the four African countries scoring worst were oil producers, meaning it was not only locals involved in the kickback trade. Burundi and Liberia figured in the list for the first time, with low scores of 2.3 and 2.2 respectively reflecting their civil wars, Transparency International said. "In the absence of real peace and security, the fight against corruption is an enormous challenge," the report added.

Kenya, which has been lashed for tolerating corruption by former colonial power Britain and superpower the United States, had an unchanged score of 2.1, ranking it one of the worst in Africa and a dismal 144th of 158 nations around the globe. "Unresolved procurement scandals involving top level public officials and the potential loss of billions of shillings could, if unsatisfactorily addressed, reverse any prospect of progress in improving our CPI score," said Mwalimu Mati, executive director of Transparency International in Kenya.

Source: Nigeria Today Online

The world's oldest school pupil wants to marry a rich woman

2005-10-14T12:36:00.000+01:00

...determination? call it anything

The world’s oldest schoolboy, 85-year-old Kimani Nganga Maruge took his first flight going to the US.

Maruge got into Guinness Book as the oldest school pupil in the world in 2003 after free elementary education had been introduced in Kenya. He is studying in the second grade at the moment. Two of his thirty grandchildren go to the same school.

Maruge is going to speak at the UN Millennium Summit in New York and to tell its participants about the importance of free elementary education. Besides, he is planning to meet with the ex-US President Bill Clinton in order to ask him for building a free hospital for AIDS patients in Kenya.

Before flying to the US Maruge also told the journalists that he was going to look for a wife in America.

"I would also like to marry a rich American woman to bring back money for my children. There's no point marrying a poor woman because I'm also poor," he explained.

EFCC Returns $4.48 Million to victim

2005-10-13T11:22:00.000+01:00

..though our image is being tarnished by the evil activities of this 'bastards' called '419', good thing is our government is not folding her arms.

Anti-graft Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has returned US$4.48 million to an 86-year-old Hong Kong woman, Juliana Ching, who was swindled of the amount by confessed Nigerian fraudsters, in a rare success story on the notorious "419" (financial fraud) cases in the country.

The cheque was presented to Ching in Hong Kong by EFCC chairman Nuhu Ribadu, according to a statement by the Commission`s spokesman Osita Nwajah in Abuja. The statement said one Basil Nkenchor, a Nigerian who impersonated an official of the State-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), committed the fraud in 1995 in a dubious off-shore account transaction.

The EFCC said the Nigerian suspect and his accomplices would soon be arraigned in court. Nigeria has launched a major offensive against perpetrators of "419," named after the relevant section of the country`s criminal code, but the crime persists mainly because of the huge returns to those involved and the greed of potential foreign victims. In a landmark case involving the largest 419 scam amount in the country, a Brazilian bank was swindled of US$242 million by Nigerian fraudsters, two of whom are currently on trial in Nigeria.

A Lagos High Court last July sentenced one of the Nigerians, Amaka Anajemba, 37, to two-and-a-half years in jail after she pleaded guilty. The court also ruled that the woman forfeit virtually all her assets including choice houses and cars in Nigeria, worth 3.185 billion naira, as "restitution."

Source: Nigeria Today Online

Yahoo, MSN IM Deal

2005-10-12T09:45:00.000+01:00

..can anyone imagine a 'Bi-Instant messenger'? This news has a clue of what it could be like:

Microsoft, Yahoo said in instant message deal
Agreement allows messaging services to work together, sources say

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. have agreed to make their two instant-messaging programs work together, a partnership that could threaten market leader America Online, people familiar with the situation said.

The deal was expected to be announced early Wednesday, these people told The Associated Press. One of them works closely with Microsoft. The other was briefed on the deal. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose details... read more >>>

Spammers New trick for stealing passwords

2005-10-10T10:38:00.000+01:00

I got hooked at once, this guys succeeded in chaniging my password and now I have lost my mailbox and all my documents to them. But this time, i was smarter; once beaten twice shy..isnt it?

If you have been recieving this kind of messages or something similar, beware, your user info is no more private. I advise anyone reading this post to post a quick report for a growing 'Phishing website'. Below is the email and its deceptive link:

Good day,
I will wish to use this medium in expressing my sole interest in being a sub-distributor of your company.
I want to start by retailing some of your products and I have made capital for the start-up.
Please reply and let me know the requirements of obtaining products from your esteemed firm.
I will be on the look out for your prompt response.
Please find attached, my Company Profile and information in the card below:

Amarachi has just sent you her Company details and Information
To view the details, please click on the link below:

http://www.chiscocompany.ca.gs

I will hope to get a fair response

NEVER YOU PROVIDE YOUR PASSWORDS TO THIS CRONIES OTHERWISE YOU ARE DUPED!

Militia leader Moujahid Dokubo-Asari charged with treason

2005-10-07T12:42:00.000+01:00

Militant Niger Delta separatist leader, Moujahid Dokubo-Asari, faces life in jail after being charged with treason yesterday following comments made in a newspaper interview. As he heard the charges, hundreds of his supporters massed outside the court in Abuja, demanding the release of the leader of the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force (NDPVF).

œFreedom for our people! Freedom for our people!! Freedom for our people!!!â€, the militant leader shouted as he stepped into the Federal High Court, Abuja. Reports said the government had originally prepared 21 counts but reduced the charges to five. It is not clear why the action was taken. In addition to members of his group, his wife, Mujahidat, and two of their children aged five and six were also in court to witness the proceedings. â€œFor you to charge an innocent man, a man who has been granted amnesty, who has been pardoned, that means they want to kill himâ€ Mujahidat said. Lagos lawyer and activist Festus Keyamo led nine other lawyers in defence of the accused whilst the Minister of Justice, Bayo Ojo, led the prosecution team of five lawyers.

Keyamo did not request bail for his client saying Dokubo-Asari preferred accelerated trial to immediate freedom. â€œDokubo is prepared to lay down his life to be sure that all the nationalities are free. We want equity and justice. This is a historic trial. It is not the trial of Dokubo-Asari. It is the trial of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We shall bring out all the treaties that Ijaws made with the British and demonstrate that my client is fighting for justiceâ€ Keyamo added. Many Ijaw regard Dokubo-Asari as a freedom fighter, but his opponents and the government have branded him a pirate who uses his political campaign as a cover for the large-scale theft of oil from pipelines and other criminal rackets.

In court, Dokubo-Asari said "We shall be free. My people must be free," as he unveiled a black t-shirt with the name of Isaac Boro, a Delta militant who mounted a short-lived armed campaign in 1966 for an independent Niger Delta Republic. Outside, police dispersed hundreds of supporters waving placards and banners calling for his release and arrested several. A police officer said they would be charged with public order offences. Dokubo-Asari, a self-styled revolutionary whom authorities dismiss as a gangster, was arrested on 20 September in Port Harcourt. Under Nigerian law treasonable felony is punished by life imprisonment as it is considered a lesser charge to outright treason, a capital offence.He will remain in custody until 10 November, the date set by the court for continuation of the trial.

Charges against Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari

2005-10-07T12:34:00.000+01:00

Before the criminal charges were read in court to Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari, the militant Ijaw leader took off a white vest he was wearing in exchange for a black vest of the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force (NDPVF) from one of his loyalists. Inscribed on the vest were the words: â€œSelf Determination and Resource Control, Any Means Necessaryâ€. The vest also featured a picture of an Ijaw nationalist and NDPVF founder, the late Maj. Isaac Adaka Boro. Boro, was sentenced to death for proclaiming the Niger Delta Peoples Republic of Nigeria with himself as the head of state in 1966.

COUNT 1: That you: Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari and others on August 28, 2005 at SAMSY Hotel in Benin, Edo State, conspired with other people at large to remove Obasanjo from office as head of state by unconstitutional means, an offence contrary to Section 41 and punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Chapter 77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.

COUNT 2: That you: Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari (m), 41 years old of 13 Agudama Street, D - Line, Port Harcourt and others (presently at large) on or about August 28, 2005 at SAMSY Hotel, Benin , Edo State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court committed treasonable felony against the Federal Republic of Nigeria by respectively belonging to militant groups known as the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force; Congress for the Liberation of Ikwere People and Chikoko Movement which threatened to take up arms in order to intimidate and overawe the President and Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and manifested such intention by overt acts and you thereby committed a felony contrary to and punishable under Section 41 of the Criminal Code Act, chapter 77 Laws of the federation of Nigeria 1990.

COUNT 3: That you, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari (m), 41 years old of 13 Agudama Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt and others (presently at large) on or about August 28, 2005 at SAMSY Hotel, in Benin, Edo State within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, formed, managed and assisted in the management of unlawful societies of more than 10 persons respectively known and called â€œNiger Delta Peoples Volunteer Forceâ€, Congress for the Liberation of Ikwere People and Chikoko Movement with objective of: (a) Levying war on the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; (b) Encouraging the killing and injuring of persons; (c) Destroying, injuring and encouraging the destruction, and injuring of property; (d) Subverting or promoting the subversion of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its officials; (e) Committing, inciting acts of violence and intimidation; (f) Interfering with, resisting, encouraging interference with or resistance to the administration of law; and (g) Disturbing and encouraging the disturbance of peace and in the Niger Delta states of Rivers; Delta; and Edo contrary to Section 62 (2) (1) and punishable under Section 63 of the Criminal Code Act Cap. 77, LEN 1990.

COUNT 4: That you, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari (m), 41 years old of 13 Agudama Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt and others (presently at large) on or about August 28, 2005 at SAMSY Hotel, Benin, Edo State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal HighCourt, published a statement, rumour, report, which is likely to cause fear and false alarm to the public knowing or having reason to believe that such statement, rumour, report, is false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 59 of the Criminal Code Act Chapter 77 LFN 1990.

COUNT 5: That you, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari (m), 41years old of 13 Agudama Street, D - Line, Port Harcourt and others (presently at large) between 2004 and 2005 at Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, are members of unlawful societies respectively called (1) â€œNiger Delta Peoples Volunteer Forceâ€ (2) Congress for the Liberation of Ikwere People; and (3)Chikoko Movement and you thereby committed a felony contrary to and punishable under Section 64 of the Criminal Code Act Chapter 77 LFN 1990.

Source: Nigeria Today Online

Police and army trade blame after deadly clash

2005-10-06T08:51:00.000+01:00

Army unconvincingly denies
engaging in urban warfare with police

Nigerian police and army officers blamed each other after a clash between their forces triggered an orgy of arson and looting. "It was an unprovoked attack on the police. The police did not fire a single shot," declared Lagos State Police Commissioner Ade Ajakaiye."You need to visit the Area C command and see the scale of destruction unleashed by the army. Many people were injured. On the number of deaths, we are still collating the figure," he told the media in Lagos.

Lagos police spokesman Bode Ojajuni said: "I was kidnapped by the soldiers who beat and inflicted injuries on me. I am on my way to the hospital now for further treatment."But a spokesman for the army said that both sides had been involved in an argument and that soldiers were deployed after police had lost control of the streets and looting had broken out."It was an unfortunate incident. Hoodlums took advantage of a small misunderstanding between soldiers and police to unleash terror," said Lagos army spokesman Colonel Abayomi Dabiri. "The miscreants attacked the police station, vandalised the place and set their relations who were in police custody free. Soldiers went there to restore order," he said.While the army insisted that no-one had been killed, the Nigerian Red Cross confirmed that at least six civilians had been killed in the crossfire."Six people were confirmed dead. They were five males and one female, while nine people were injured, seven of them critically, and were referred to hospital," a Red Cross spokeswoman said.

The Army declared through its Director of Public Relations, Colonel M.D. Yusuf thus: â€œSoldiers did not burn any police station or property during the fracas as reported in the media. The destruction, vandalisation and burnings you saw were the handiwork of hoodlums. Army Headquarters have been briefed of the incident and AHQ has directed that necessary and appropriate action be taken to forestall any future occurrence. In fact, if it is discovered during investigations that any soldier or soldiers had anything to do with the burning of police property which is government property, such a soldier would not go unpunished. However, I want to put it on record that soldiers did not burn any police station or property during the fracas as reported in the media''.

''The destruction, vandalisation and burnings you saw were the handiwork of hoodlums. The army even returned 16 rifles that would had fallen into the hands of these hoodlums with which they would have created more havoc if they had succeeded in laying their hands on them. As Army officers, we are trained to defend and protect and not to destroy. We are paid to provide security for the citizens; so we cannot be the source of insecurity. It is not true that the Brigade Commander on ground was aware that soldiers were mobilising to go on the offensive against the police and did nothing to stop them. He is to ensure that law and order is maintained. He cannot command troops to go and destroy the property or lives that he should be protecting. Whatever happens, if any soldier is indicted over the destructions, he will face punishment.â€

Several Nigerians have described the action of the soldiers as one of the most irresponsible incidents since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999. ''If these rampaging irresponsible soldiers are not caught and heavily punished then we have absolutely no hope in Nigeria'' said a local resident at Ojuelegba, the area of the fracas. ''For the army to deny its men did not engage in this criminality is nothing more than barefaced despicable lies and such denial tells us a lot about the magnitude of decay in those in positions of responsibility. We residents saw with our naked eyes soldiers exchanging fire with the police and yet we are being told it never happened''.

Source: Nigeria Today Online

Police, soldiers clash in Lagos

2005-10-05T11:56:00.000+01:00

Mayhem in Lagos as police, soldiers clash
By Kayode Thomas, Alex Olise, Sunday Odita, Regina Akpabio, Seye Olumide, Kevin Nengia and Bertram Nwannekanma

TWO key players in the country's security set-up, the Police and the Army, went berserk yesterday in a brazen display of crass indiscipline, which raises grave questions on the quality of men the country arms in the name of "national security".

read more >>>

No party registration cards for Atiku Abubakar

2005-10-04T13:40:00.000+01:00

This is another blow..

Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has been frustrated in his attempts to get a membership card for the ruling party because of a shortage of cards. Abubakar's name was written in an exercise book in Adamawa State when he went to register, for later processing by the People's Democratic Party (PDP). The renewal of membership cards has been marred by a party power struggle.

President Olusegun Obasanjo is due to step down in 2007 and Abubakar is one of the candidates to succeed him. Vice-President Abubakar is reported in the Nigerian press as saying that he could not see how the issue of a membership card could be used to hamper his ambitions to become the president of the country. But some of his supporters fear that the registration exercise is being rigged to place Obasanjo's allies in key positions throughout the party.

Last month, a leading PDP official called on Abubakar to remain loyal to Obasanjo or resign. There have been suggestions the constitution might be changed to allow the president a third term in office. In 1999 and again in 2003 the Obasanjo/Abubakar ticket proved an election winner for the People's Democratic Party, with the vice-president helping deliver the northern, Muslim votes that Mr Obasanjo needed to win.

But according to Nigeria's constitution as it now stands, Obasanjo can only serve two terms so the ruling party will have to pick a new presidential candidate for 2007, and Vice-President Abubakar has never hidden the fact that he would be happy to be that candidate.

Source: Nigeria Today Online

Eko FM Launches Website

2005-09-29T09:15:00.000+01:00

EKO FM LAUNCHES ITS WEBSITE TODAY...

YOU CAN NOW ENJOY LIVE BROADCAST FROM THIS STATION VIA ITS WEBSITE.

This is another breakthrough from Nigerian Infotech industry.. more greese to you elbows.. tiwan tiwan!

Attitude To Life

2005-09-29T05:30:00.000+01:00

Small truth to make our Life's 100% successful..........

If A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Is equal to 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Then H+A+R+D+W+O+R+K = 8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

K+N+O+W+L+E+D+G+E = 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%
L+O+V+E=12+15+22+5=54% L+U+C+K = 12+21+3+11 = 47% (None of them makes 100%) ...................................

Then what makes 100% Is it Money? ..... No!!!!! Leadership? ...... NO!!!.

Every problem has a solution, only if we perhaps change our "A T T I T U D E". It is O U R A T T I T U D E towards Life and Work that makes OUR Life 100% Successful..

There fore A+T+T+I+T+U+D+E = 1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100% Don't you think so?

So be nice to every body dat comes ur way.

Enow Blog!

2005-09-16T18:55:00.000+01:00

Here comes a new Nigerian web portal..

Hurry and take a look!

Her Memorial ::: The Beloved Late Granny.

2005-09-09T18:31:00.000+01:00

At about this hour, on what i saw and still see as a sad monday, the 9th Of september, 1991; exactly 14 years ago, when I was just a young lad of little or no vision, I lost her, puzzled by such a shocking news and for the very first time in my youthful life, I sensed the temporality of this world, a world of misteries.

She, among many of her peers in the late 19th century, was a distintive woman, higly respected, cherished, admired by her folks and above all blessed with four children who live till date.

She is the mother of my father, and I am the son of her son, of course, I am her gradson. She cared so much for me like the rest of her grand children and great grand chlidren. She was an icon in her community, a personality of huge regards and preference.

She was Mrs. Khadijat Muhammad Awal: The grand housewife of the Momoh Family to which I am a member. I remember her today and all the days of my life for her care and companionship. Just like yesterday, I remember a woman that was my granny in totality.

To her, I dedicate this prayer:

(رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذا بَاطِلاً سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ مَن تُدْخِلِ النَّارَ فَقَدْ أَخْزَيْتَهُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ رَّبَّنَا إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِي لِلإِيمَانِ أَنْ آمِنُواْ بِرَبِّكُمْ فَآمَنَّا رَبَّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّئَاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الأبْرَارِ رَبَّنَا وَآتِنَا مَا وَعَدتَّنَا عَلَى رُسُلِكَ وَلاَ تُخْزِنَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّكَ لاَ تُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَاد ِ) [آل عمران/191-194]

"Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire. *Our Lord! Verily, whom You admit to the Fire, indeed, You have disgraced him, and never will the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrong-doers) find any helpers. *Our Lord! Verily, we have heard the call of one (Muhammad p.b.u.h.) calling to Faith: 'Believe in your Lord,' and we have believed. *Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and remit from us our evil deeds, and make us die in the state of righteousness along with Al-Abraar (those who are obedient to Allah and follow strictly His Orders). *Our Lord! Grant us what You promised unto us through Your Messengers and disgrace us not on the Day of Resurrection, for You never break (Your) Promise." (3/191-194)

Divine tip:

2005-09-09T10:33:00.000+01:00

Quote of the day:

And how many Signs in the heavens and the earth do they pass by? Yet they turn (their faces) away from them!And most of them believe not in Allah without associating (other as partners) with Him!Do they then feel secure from the coming against them of the covering veil of the wrath of Allah,- or of the coming against them of the (final) Hour all of a sudden while they perceive not?Say thou: "This is my way: I do invite unto Allah,- on evidence clear as the seeing with one's eyes,- I and whoever follows me. Glory to Allah! and never will I join gods with Allah!"Quran[12.105:108]

My Birthday Wishes

2005-09-07T08:37:00.000+01:00

I have received the following wishes so far. Please check back if yours is not logged yet.

Big THANK YOU to all of you.. I love you all!

if today is your birthday, then I will wish to say happy birthday to you.I wish you first of all good health,long life,prosperity and the very best you wish yourself.may your wishes become true by the grace of GOD---------------amin.

AbdulYekeen Ozigi, Ukraine.

happy birthday to you.It s been a long time that I knew you eventhough we dont communicate as before but may Allah bless us all (amin) have a blessed birthday and hope all will be well....

Fatimah, Malaysia

Happy Birthday. May the numbers be blessed with more wisdom.

Kayode Muyibi, Malaysia

happy birthday to u many happy returns and may God be with u where ever u move to in ur life.Insha Allahu

Owolabi, Lagos - Nigeria

Happy birthday to you love!How old are you today? Wishing you many returns!

Julie! University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria

Salam alaykum,

Came to you office and was told you went out. I got ur text but missed the calls. Forgot that today is your birthday.
Happy birthday!

Sherifat Umoru, Lagos- Nigeria.

Yello!
This SMS brings a birthday message especially to say, you are wished the finest thing in life today and everyday!

Happy Birthday from MTN4U!

Happy Birthday. Please call me.

Munirah Umoru, Lagos- Nigeria

Hello Kb !
Am wishing u a happy birthday. more fruitful years long life and God's prosperity moreso be excelling in ur endeavour. Be strong and stay kool. Udy.

Uduak, Lagos - Nigeria

My Birthday

2005-09-06T18:50:00.000+01:00

As I turn a year older today, I call on all my friends and well wishers to celebrate with me by sending God praises for yet another year in my life.

My Birthday Message:

A lot has happened in recent days resulting in deaths of hundreds of innocent lives and loss of family and loved ones. Such instances include the Tsunami, The Katrina, The indonesian plane crash, the Iraqi Stampede to mention but few.

For those who live to witness this very minute in our lives, let us not forget that a day is coming that we will be mourned. This call for reflections on all favours we enjoy from The Most High God. We are not in any way better placed or holier than those not alive today, rather, it is a blessing from God that we should not undermine.

Let us send our condolences to the victims of all the recent misfortunes all over the world and most importantly remember them in our prayers. Let all those reading this message endeavour to send me a Birthday wish, too!

May God be with you.

Click here to send me a wish

Katrina Devastation_ New Orleans

2005-08-31T11:55:00.000+01:00

MSNBC News Services
Updated: 6:08 a.m. ET Aug. 31, 2005
NEW ORLEANS - Hellish scenes of death, damage, and chaos wracked the U.S. Gulf Coast on Wednesday as overwhelmed authorities tried to rescue the living and count the dead amid the destruction left by powerful Hurricane Katrina.
New Orleans was filling with water after an initial attempt to stop a leaking levee failed, while police fought a losing battle to stop widespread looting in the stricken city.
Officials said it was simply too early to estimate a death toll. In Mississippi, officials confirmed that at least 100 people had died in the killer storm and said the death toll was almost certain to go much higher.
“We’re just estimating, but the number could go double or triple from what we’re talking about now,” a civil defense director told the Jackson, Mississippi Clarion Ledger.
Biloxi, Mississippi spokesman Vincent Creel earlier told Reuters of the death toll: “It’s going to be in the hundreds.”
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu told reporters she had heard at least 50 to 100 people were dead in New Orleans, where rescue teams were so busy saving people stranded in flooded homes they had to leave bodies floating in the high waters.
'I'm alive. I'm alive.'Rescuers in boats and helicopters plucked bedraggled flood refugees from rooftops and attics. Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu said 3,000 people have been rescued by boat and air, some placed shivering and wet into helicopter baskets. They were brought by the truckload into shelters, some in wheelchairs and some carrying babies, with stories of survival and of those who didn’t make it.
“I’m alive. I’m alive,” shouted one joyous woman as she was ferried from a home nearly swallowed by the rising waters.
In New Orleans, Mayor Ray Nagin said hundreds, if not thousands, of people may still be stuck on roofs and in attics, and so rescue boats were bypassing the dead.
“We’re not even dealing with dead bodies,” he said. “They’re just pushing them on the side.”
Katrina, one of the most punishing storms to hit the United States in decades, struck Louisiana on Monday with 140 mile per hour winds, while slamming into the coasts of neighboring Mississippi, Alabama and western Florida.
A 30-foot storm surge in Mississippi wiped away 90 percent of the buildings along the coast at Biloxi and Gulfport, leaving a scene of destruction that Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said was “like there’d been a nuclear weapon set off.”
New Orleans at first appeared to have received a glancing blow from the storm, but the raging waters of Lake Pontchartrain tore holes in the levee system that protects the low-lying city, then slowly filled it up.
Nagin said 80 percent of the city, much of it below sea level, was covered with water that was in places 20 feet deep.
(image placeholder)

Video: NBC, MSNBC and affiliate coverage

Citizen Journalists: Your hurricane reports

Local news from NBC affiliate WDSU-New Orleans

Obasanjo-Atiku Feud

2005-08-31T09:38:00.000+01:00

Obasanjo - Atiku feud linkedto 2007 presidential election

President Olusegun Obasanjo's public confrontation with his deputy Atiku Abubakar has been linked to a battle for supremacy at the general elections in 2007. Politicians and analysts said the uneasy alliance between Obasanjo and Abubakar has broken down over the two men's differing agendas over 2007, when Obasanjo completes his second and final term.

Abubakar, whose support contributed to Obasanjo's election victories in 1999 and 2003, is widely believed to want to succeed his boss in 2007. Obasanjo has made it clear he will not back his deputy. Obasanjo has not revealed his game-plan post-2007, though some of his allies want him to amend the constitution and run for a third term. Analysts say he is more likely to hand-pick a younger successor who would protect his legacy and shield him from attack after he steps down -- he has made some powerful enemies in his campaign against high-level corruption.Abubakar has become more assertive over the past few weeks and he has given interviews and speeches in which he has spoken about the forthcoming elections, though without declaring himself a candidate.

Obasanjo has systematically undermined Abubakar's support base over the past year by removing his allies from top jobs in the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) and parastatals.Abubakar said in a newspaper interview Obasanjo had sworn to him he would not seek to stay in power beyond 2007, but Obasanjo responded saying in his television chat on Sunday that it was not true and he had made no oaths except his public one to uphold the constitution.

He said the only cases of oath-taking between the two men had occurred when Obasanjo, had brought out the Bible and Koran for Abubakar, a Muslim, to deny on oath alleged evidence of his disloyalty."When I discovered that there were proven cases of doubtful loyalty on his part, because I wanted to resolve it between me and him, I brought the Bible and the Koran," Obasanjo said."He refused to swear because he obviously knew that the proven cases are proven and it was bad enough.""Obasanjo is clearly isolating Abubakar and now feels confident enough to take him on," said a senior PDP member, asking not to be named. "He will make sure he doesn't take over from him at the very least, and might even try to impeach him. But that will be tough."The public attack on Abubakar came a day after a U.S. newspaper reported that the FBI had raided Abubakar's Maryland residence as part of an investigation into whether a U.S. congressman made or approved payments to Abubakar or Ghanaian Vice President Aliu Mahama.

Source: Nigeria Today Online

This is Nigeria in disguise

2005-08-30T09:18:00.000+01:00

Dear All,

This article was written and delivered by the Indian president, but
I want you to replace India with Nigeria and Indians with Nigerians,
for every letter and every word reflect Nigeria and Nigeria

Mr APJ Abdul Kalaam's speech
I have three visions for India.

In 3000 years of our history people from all over the world have
come and invaded us, captured our lands, conquered our minds. From
Alexander onwards. The Greeks, the Turks, the Moguls, the
Portuguese, the British, the French, the Dutch, all of them came and
looted us, took over what was ours. Yet we have not done this to any
other nation. We have not conquered anyone. We have not grabbed
their land, their culture, their history and tried to enforce our
way of life on them. Why? Because we respect the freedom of others.
That is why my first vision is that of FREEDOM. I believe that India
got its first vision of this in 1857, when we started the war of
independence. It is this freedom that we must protect and nurture
and build on. If we are not free, no one will respect us.

My second vision for India is DEVELOPMENT. For fifty years we have
been a developing nation. It is time we see ourselves as a developed
nation. We are among top 5 nations of the world in terms of GDP. We
have 10 percent growth rate in most areas. Our poverty levels are
falling. Our achievements are being globally recognized today. Yet
we lack the self-confidence to see ourselves as a developed nation,
self-reliant and self-assured. Isn't this incorrect? I have a THIRD
vision. India must stand up to the world. Because I believe that
unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us. Only
strength respects strength. We must be strong not only as a military
power but also as an economic power. Both must go hand-in-hand. My
good fortune was to have worked with three great minds. Dr. Vikram
Sarabhai of the Dept. of space, Professor Satish Dhawan, who
succeeded him and Dr. Brahm Prakash, father of nuclear material. I
was lucky to have worked with all three of them closely and consider
this the great opportunity of my life.

I see four milestones in my career:

ONE: Twenty years I spent in ISRO. I was given the opportunity to be
the project director for India's first satellite launch vehicle,
SLV3. The one that launched Rohini. These years played a very
important role in my life of Scientist.

TWO: After my ISRO years, I joined DRDO and got a chance to be the
part of India's missile
program. It was my second bliss when Agni met its mission
requirements in 1994.

THREE: The Dept. of Atomic Energy and DRDO had this tremendous
partnership in the recent nuclear tests, on May 11 and 13. This was
the third bliss. The joy of participating with my team in these
nuclear tests and proving to the world that India can make it, that
we are no longer a developing nation but one of them. It made me
feel very proud as an Indian. The fact that we have now developed
for Agni a re-entry structure, for which we have developed this new
material. A Very light material called carbon-carbon.

FOUR: One day an orthopaedic surgeon from Nizam Institute of Medical
Sciences visited my laboratory. He lifted the material and found it
so light that he took me to his hospital and showed me his patients.
There were these little girls and boys with heavy metallic callipers
weighing over three Kg. each, dragging their feet around. He said to
me: Please remove the pain of my patients. In three weeks, we made
these Floor reaction Orthosis 300-gram callipers and took them to the
orthopaedic centre. The children didn't believe their eyes. From
dragging around a three kg. Load on their legs, they could now move
around! Their parents had tears in their eyes. That was my fourth
bliss!

Why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so
embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are
such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we
refuse to acknowledge them.

q Why? We are the first in milk production.
q We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
q We are the second largest producer of wheat.
q We are the second largest producer of rice.

Look at Dr. Sudarshan, he has transferred the tribal village into a
self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such
achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and
failures and disasters.

I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It
was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had
taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the
newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years
had transformed his desert land into an orchid and a granary. It was
this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of
killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried
among other news. In India we only read about death, sickness,
terrorism, crime.

Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so
obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign TVs, we want foreign
shirts. We want foreign technology. Why this obsession with
everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with
self-reliance?

I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl
asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is: She
replied: I want to live in a developed India. For her, you and I
will have to build this developed India. You must proclaim. India is
not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.

Allow me to come back with vengeance. Got 10 minutes for your
country?
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke, the
airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their
destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the
absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say.
What do YOU do about it?

Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name - YOURS.
Give him a face - YOURS.

YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best.
In
Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the
stores. YOU are as proud of
their Underground Links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs.60) to
drive through Orchard Road
(equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM.
YOU comeback to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you
have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of
your status identity. In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU?

YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai. YOU
would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.

YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in
London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, "see to it that my STD and
ISD calls are billed to someone else."

YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 kmph) in Washington
and then tell the traffic cop, "Jaanta hai sala main kaun hoon (Do
you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and
get lost."

YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the
garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand.

Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don't

YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston? We
are still talking of the same YOU.

YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other
countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and
cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you
can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country why
cannot you be the same here in India. Once in an interview, the
famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay Mr. Tinaikar had a point
to make. "Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave
their affluent droppings all over the place," he said. "And then the
same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for
inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers
to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure
in his bowels? In America every dog owner has to clean up after his
pet has done the job. Same in Japan. Will the Indian citizen do that
here?" He's right.

We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all
responsibility. We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the
government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is
totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are
not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we
going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in
the bin.

We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not
going to learn the proper use of bathrooms. We want Indian Airlines
and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are
not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies
even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the
public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to
women, dowry, girl child and others, we make loud drawing room
protestations and continue to do the reverse at home.

Our excuse? "It's the whole system which has to change, how will it
matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry." So who's going
to change the system? What does a system consist of? Very
conveniently for us it consists of our neighbors, other households,
other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely
not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive
contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families
into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away
and wait for a Mr. Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a
majestic sweep of his hand. Or we leave the country and run away.

Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in
their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure
we run to England. When England experiences unemployment, we take
the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we
demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government.

Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of
feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a
great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too....I am
echoing J.F.Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to
Indians.....

"ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE
INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY"

Lets do what India needs from us.

Umoru Micheal Eneji

Mobile Phone: +2348053069293
+2348065619999

Deadly deception

2005-07-24T15:58:00.000+01:00

There is clearly a prejudiced propaganda against Islam and Muslims that can not be explained merely in terms of ignorance ..

Did the Prophet endorse suicide bombing?

Anti-Islamic Propaganda by "former Muslims"

There is a new level of anti-Islamic propaganda. It is based on half-truths and no truths. Let alone unsuspecting non-Muslims, many Muslims are falling victims of such propaganda, as they are sometimes feeling confused. The issue has assumed greater significance as some people are perpetrating vile acts of violence, and doing so in the name of Islam.There are Qur'anic verses that, taken in isolation, can easily cause people to misunderstand the message of those verses. But that is only if people intentionally or unintentionally take those verses in isolation or out of context. It is also an unfortunate fact that, parallel to their glorious contributions, many Muslim exegetes and scholars of the past have added to the confusion, by generalizing issues and views that ought not to be generalized. Once Muslims were in power, especially after a century or so after the Prophet, the issues of non-Muslims and minorities have not been dealt with a desired level of Islamic and human sensitivity. Rather, attitude toward non-Muslims have been shaped by the bitter localized conflicts between the Muslims and the Mushrikeen (as well as others).But, even beyond those, there is clearly a prejudiced propaganda against Islam and Muslims that can not be explained merely in terms of ignorance. I produce an example below. In the internet circle, some so-called "former Muslims" have been concertedly spewing their hatred against Islam and Muslims. Among them are Ali Sina (a pseudonym), and Abul Kasem (possibly another pseudonym). Uninformed or less informed readers can easily be duped or confused by their propagandist approach.Anyway, during the post 9/11 era, Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, condemned the targeted atrocity against the civilians. He also condemned "suicide bombing". A group of people who claim to be "former Muslims" challenged him by alleging that the Prophet himself has endorsed suicide bombing and thus the condemnation of Yusuf Islam and others is of no value, in the face of clear hadith. How did they reach that conclusion? Well, read the following part taken from a writing by Abul Kasem.

Islamic Peace Train a la Brother Yusuf Islam If you know Mr. Yusuf Islam's email please ask him to read this message and respond. (Ali Sina) http://www.humanists.net/alisina/to_yusuf_islam.htm Now, to add fuel to the fire, here is a Hadith, which clearly sanctions suicide to kill the 'infidels' Mohammed eulogized a person for committing suicide for Allah's cause...9.83.29Volume 9, Book 83, Number 29: Narrated Salama:We went out with the Prophet to Khaibar. A man (from the companions) said, "O 'Amir! Let us hear some of your Huda (camel-driving songs.)" So he sang some of them (i.e. a lyric in harmony with the camels walk). The Prophet said, "Who is the driver (of these camels)?" They said, "Amir." The Prophet said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy on him !" The people said, "O Allah's Apostle! Would that you let us enjoy his company longer!" Then 'Amir was killed the following morning. The people said, "The good deeds of 'Amir are lost as he has killed himself." I returned at the time while they were talking about that. I went to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Prophet! Let my father be sacrificed for you! The people claim that 'Amir's good deeds are lost." The Prophet said, "Whoever says so is a liar, for 'Amir will have a double reward as he exerted himself to obey Allah and fought in Allah's Cause. No other way of killing would have granted him greater reward.Can Mr.Yusuf Islam deny this Hadith, which is from Shahih Bukhari, the most trusted Hadith in Islam.

From a plain reading of the above hadith, one may easily conclude that as Amir "killed himself", so he committed suicide. Since the Prophet actually eulogized Amir's killing himself, can't one reasonably and conscientiously conclude and argue that the Prophet endorsed suicide bombing? Well, not so fast.One of the problems with many hadiths, even in the most respected collections of Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, one can find narrations that are fragmented, incomplete, and sometimes even contradictory. Thus, one can't take a particular hadith in isolation. The above hadith, allegedly supporting suicide bombing, is unambiguously clarified in another hadith: Amir actually had an unintentional/accidental self-inflicted wound. Let us read that hadith from the same collection, Sahih al-Bukhari.Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 59, Number 509:Narrated Salama bin Al-Akwa:We went out to Khaibar in the company of the Prophet. While we were proceeding at night, a man from the group said to 'Amir, "O 'Amir! Won't you let us hear your poetry?" 'Amir was a poet, so he got down and started reciting for the people poetry that kept pace with the camels' footsteps, saying:-- "O Allah! Without You we Would not have been guided On the right path Neither would be have given In charity, nor would We have prayed. So please forgive us, what we have committed (i.e. our defects); let all of us Be sacrificed for Your Cause And send Sakina (i.e. calmness) Upon us to make our feet firm When we meet our enemy, and If they will call us towards An unjust thing, We will refuse. The unbelievers have made a hue and Cry to ask others' help Against us." The Prophet on that, asked, "Who is that (camel) driver (reciting poetry)?" The people said, "He is 'Amir bin Al-Akwa'."Then the Prophet said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy on him." A man amongst the people said, "O Allah's Prophet! has (martyrdom) been granted to him. Would that you let us enjoy his company longer." Then we reached and besieged Khaibar till we were afflicted with severe hunger. Then Allah helped the Muslims conquer it (i.e. Khaibar). ... So when the army files were arranged in rows (for the clash), 'Amir's sword was short and he aimed at the leg of a Jew to strike it, but the sharp blade of the sword returned to him and injured his own knee, and that caused him to die. When they returned from the battle, Allah's Apostle saw me (in a sad mood). He took my hand and said, "What is bothering you?" I replied, "Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you! The people say that the deeds of 'Amir are lost." The Prophet said, "Whoever says so, is mistaken, for 'Amir has got a double reward." The Prophet raised two fingers and added, "He (i.e. Amir) was a persevering struggler in the Cause of Allah and there are few 'Arabs who achieved the like of (good deeds) 'Amir had done." So, did Amir commit suicide and the Prophet praised his "suicidal" action? No. Amir DID NOT commit suicide and the Prophet DID NOT praise suicide. Such are the glaring misrepresentations and lies being spread about Islam!Such exposure of lies or ignorant claims of these former Muslims may not stop them from their anti-Islamic propaganda, but Muslims themselves need to be educated about Islam and its various sources (the Qur'an, hadith, history books, commentaries, etc.). More importantly, Muslims need to be educated in these regards in a self-critical manner. I also should point out that there is need to produce cross-referenced hadith collection, so that people can easily identify and read "related" hadith that are scattered throughout a collection or across collections. For example, the hadith quoted by Abul Kasem is in Vol. 9, Kitab ad-Diyat (blood money) ... and the clarifying one occurs in Vol. 5, Kitab al-Maghazi (military expeditions). Such cross-referencing can be helpful for the education of Muslims, and may lessen such callous and shameless attempts to misrepresent Islam by others.Life is the most precious and sanctified thing in this world. That applies to our lives and others' lives. Islam teaches us to be preservers of life. As the al-Qur'an categorically teaches:We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land, it would be as if he slew the whole people; and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our Apostles with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land." [Qur'an 5:35]Let others figure out their own stance, but for us as Muslims, we must have respect for life in general, life of ourselves and of others, irrespective of faith, race and nationality.

Dr. Mohammad Omar Farooq is an associate professor of economics and finance at Upper Iowa University.Homepage: http://www.globalwebpost.com/farooqmThe author welcomes volunteers who would like to translate this piece into their native language.Email: farooqm@globalwebpost.com
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INTERESTING PHONE CONVERSATION

2005-07-14T10:00:00.000+01:00

INTERESTING PHONE CONVERSATION

K-"Who's calling?"
W-"Watt."
K-"What is your name, please?"
W-"Watt's my name."
K-"That's what I asked you. What's your name?"
W-"That's what I told you. Watt's my name."

A long pause, and then from Watt,

W-"Is this James Brown?"
K-"No, this is Knott."
W-"Please tell me your name."
K-"Will Knott."

W-Why not?
K-Huh? What do you mean why not?
W-Yeah! Why won't you tell me your name?
K-But I told you my name!
W-Didn't you say you will not?
K-Not not, knott, Will Knott!
W-That's what I mean.
K-So you know my name.
W-Of course not!
K-Good. So now, what is yours?
W-Watt. Yours?
K-Your name!
W-Watt's my name.
K-How the hell do I know? I am asking you!
W-Look I have been very patient and I have told you my
name and you have not even told me yours yet.
K-You have been patient, what about me? I have told
you my name so many times and it is you who have not
told me yours yet.
W-Of course not!
K-See, you even know my name!
W-Of course not!
K-Then why do you keep saying of course Knott?
W-Because I don't.

[Pause]

K-What is your name?
W-See, you know my name!
K-Of course not!
W-Then why do you keep asking Watt is your name?
K-To find out your name!
W-But you already know it!
K-What?
W-See, and you know mine!
K-Of course not!
W-Exactly!

K-Listen, listen, wait; if I asked you what your name
is, what will be your answer?
W-Watt's my name.
K-No, no, give me only one word.
W-Watt
K-Your name!
W-Right!

[pause before it hits him]

K-Oh, Wright!
W-Yeah!
K-So why didn't you say it before?
W-I told you so many times!
K-You never said Wright before
W-Of course I did.
K-Ok I won't argue any more. Do you know my name?
W-I do not.
K-Well, there you go, now we know each other's name.
W-I do not!
K-Good!

[pause before it hits him]

W-Oh, Guud!
K-Good.
W-No wonder, it took me so long, is that Dutch?
K-No, it's Knott!
W-Oh, okay. At least the names are clear now Guud.
K-Yes Wright.
"THE LONELY COMPUTER"

2005-07-07T13:42:00.000+01:00

Simply called ID.. She is Idongesit Umanah, a friend and working neighbour.

2005-07-07T13:33:00.000+01:00

Me And My Family Some friends posted their pics to my mailbox between yesterday and today. Posting will begin shortly..

2005-07-07T10:38:00.000+01:00

What do i do today?

2005-07-06T19:03:00.000+01:00

Tosin poses...lol
Please send comments on any post to kbstar@maktoob.com

2005-07-06T18:29:00.000+01:00

Tosin at my office

Please send comments on any post to kbstar@maktoob.com

2005-07-06T15:18:00.000+01:00

This is Khadija Yussuf. A friend I met online via Skype.

Abdulkabir

Today's Joke

2005-07-05T08:46:00.000+01:00

A man sits for 4 hours looking at his Marriage Certificate. The Wife asks? What are u doing, and he answers: "I'm looking for the Expiry Date" only God knows what the marriage has been like

Joke Of The Day

2005-07-04T14:34:00.000+01:00

You can take pictures with your modern computer monitor..just click play:
<a href="http://www.nairaland.com/img/cam.swf" target="_blank">http://www.nairaland.com/img/cam.swf</a>
Please wait for the application to load, then follow the instructions.
(discuss)

Vfone From Vmobile

2005-07-01T11:35:00.000+01:00

dont just read this post, take advantage, go for yours fast before it's too late!

WHY PAYPHONES?
For ease of communication
For individuals who are unable to acquire mobile phones.
For those who are interested in affordable tariffs.
For students and undergraduates that have shown preference for public phone services.
For the rural communities.

THE LIMITATIONS ON THE OPERATORS
Inferior quality handsets.
Inadequate power charging facilities.
Ineffective control policies (on the part of owners)
Arbitrary setting of tariffs.
Ineffective call timing mechanism.
Inadequate support from Network operators.
Loss of revenue (sharp practices on the part of the agents).
THE LIMITATIONS ON THE CUSTOMERS
VMOBILE PAYPHONE MODEL
PAYPHONE - THE SharedPhone WAY
Gains Of The Operator:
SharedPhone brings sanity to the payphone business environment.
It removes doubts and distrusts.
It displays duration and amount utilized.
It induces control.
It monitors the activity of the operators.
It generates bigger profit.
Vmobile provides business / brand support.
PAYPHONE – THE SharedPhone WAY
Gains Of The Customer:
Makes calls with affordable amount.
Ability to make calls within planned limits.
Calls are properly timed.
Assurance of not being cheated.
Conducive call environment.

RE-BRANDING
The propriety "SharedPhone" has been taken over by Vmobile.
SharedPhone is now "Vfone"
Administration will run off SharedPhone Nig. Ltd. network server.
Branding and other sales activities will be Vmobile’s responsibilities.
ADVANTAGE OF
It is a specific payphone product.
It has an in-built billing platform.
It has features that will be difficult to imitate.
The features are tailored to the three levels of users of the phone.
The tariff is very competitive.
Easy to use.
ADVANTAGE OF (cont’d)
When you buy a Vfone starter pack,
you will be entitled to the following immediately:
I unit beach umbrella
1 unit plastic table
2 units plastic chairs
HOW TO GET STARTED
Buy a Vfone for just N8,000
You get a Sendo S330i (later Motorola C115) handset and SIM.
The SIM card would have been inserted and activated to prevent the operator from activating the SIM on another handset.
The usual default pin has been disabled in Vfone!

HOW TO REGISTER
OWNERS’ ACCESS
The owner has access to two main categories
Purse Manager
Change PIN
Balance
Add amount
Clear amount
Sales total
Clear sales total
Monitor
Set call rates (duration & cost)
Call duration
Duration cost
SET UP FOR BUSINESS
To set the phone, go to "Set Call Rates", enter the default pin number "1234"

The following network names and services will appear;
Vmobile
MTN
MTEL
GLOBACOM
INTERNATIONAL
LANDLINE
SMS
Choose each network (name / service), one after the other to set the following:

SET UP FOR BUSINESS (Cont’d)
Choose each network (name / service), one after the other to set the following:
Duration, seconds: This is the amount of time you want to set as a block per call e.g. 10 seconds (Please see point 12 for full description). Press OK.
Cost in Naira: The amount you want to charge per block of seconds e.g. N5. Press OK. The phone will show call rate updated.

OWNERS’ ACCESS - PURSE MANAGER
This is the menu which allows the owner to manage the activities of his agent.

OWNERS’ ACCESS - PURSE MANAGER (Cont’d)
OPERATORS’ ACCESS
The following are the features made available to the
operator.
Set Amount
Change
Call Charge
Before the operator allows a customer to make any call the operator
must first set the amount (naira) the customer would like to use.
AGENTS’ ACCESS (Cont’d)
When a customer wishes to make calls, the agent will
Set amount : This is the menu where the operator will set the amount (naira) for the customer to use.
Select "set amount", phone will display "amount in naira?". Type in the amount the customer requested.

The call will end when the amount runs out.
Call charge: after the call, the agent can check the last number dialed and the cost of the customers call

Customer’s change: if the caller did not use up the set amount, the amount due back to the customer can be accessed and change given.
RECHARGING ACCOUNT
Load a Bumpa card - *136* recharge PIN# send
Load a recharge card - *126* recharge PIN# send or dial 148 send
Check balance - *123# send or dial 147
Why use ?
Affordability: SIM & handset sold to the operator at N8,000.
Portable: Vfone is portable, it allows maximum mobility.
Flexible tariff setting: The operator is at liberty to set his call rates, in consonance with the network tariff.
Multiple usage: Vfone can be used personally, for rental services or for payphone business.
Monitoring: Vfone allows monitoring of agents activities, ensures control and assures the operator of accurate returns.
Timing: Calls are automatically terminated at the expiration of the amount the customer paid for.

RULES!!!!
When dialing international numbers the ‘+’does not work with Vfone , you have to use 009.
Vfone SIMs are specially configured to work with the branded handsets.
SWAPS
Swaps are treated within 24 hours
Cost : N700
Requirements
SIM certificate
ID card
Dealer/customer code or password/name*

*Note
At the point of purchase, the customer/dealers name, code and
alternative number are recorded.
What if the new PIN is forgotten?
The subscriber calls 0802 859 2570 or 0802 859 4602 (Shared Phone)
But
If the subscriber calls the Vmobile Helpline, the following steps are taken.
Step 1: The Call Centre Agent will go to the link sharedphone@intranet+.com on CIMS.
Step 2: Fill in the following details
the phone number
an alternative number
dealers registered name
dealer code/password
PUK number as indicated in the SIM certificate.
Step 3 : After entering the details, save and close.
Step 4 : The Call Centre Supervisor will extract the details and forward to Shared Phone via Email
Step 5 : Shared Phone contacts the customer and gives feedback to Vmobile on resolution

2005-07-01T09:06:00.000+01:00

Ex-police boss Tafa Balogunrun over by EFCC car

The nation's graft-tainted former police chief fell out of a squad car which then rolled over his legs on Wednesday in a bizarre incident after a court ruled he would face a second trial on corruption charges.Tafa Balogun is accused of stealing and laundering $100 million in his three years as Inspector General of Police in one of the most high-profile cases resulting from a government crackdown on graft.

He denies the accusations.Balogun is already facing trial on 50 charges brought by the government's anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). On Wednesday, a court in Abuja ruled he would face a second trial to cover further charges.Proceedings drifted into farce after the decision was read.

Police tried to drive Balogun away to complete bail formalities but his defence lawyer resisted and in the confusion Balogun was shoved into a police car which sped off before the doors were closed. A short distance away Balogun fell out of the car and the back wheels went over his legs.He returned to court, limping and covered in dust.

"This is not a prosecution but a persecution. This is a vendetta," he told the court. He said he had a broken leg, although he was still able to stand.Just after speaking, Balogun apparently fainted and was carried out and taken to hospital.Rotimi Jacobs, who represented the EFCC at the court hearing, said the attempt to take Balogun away had been a mistake, while the judge called the police action "barbaric".It was unclear whether there would be any repercussions.

The EFCC says Balogun should undergo two trials because the Federal High Court, where the original trial will take place, does not have jurisdiction over all the crimes of which he stands accused.Justice Salisu Garba of the Abuja High Court on Wednesday ruled in favour of the EFCC and said Balogun would face 92 charges of corruption in a second trial on July 23. Balogun's defence lawyers had argued he should be tried once.

2005-06-29T10:33:00.000+01:00

I RECEIVED THIS INSPIRATIONAL HADITHS (SAYING OF THE HOLY PROPHET MUHAMMAD) TO DAY FROM A CHAT FRIEND..I LOVE THE COUNSEL

Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 89, Number 261: Narrated 'Abdur-Rahman bin Samura (radiallahu) Allah's Apostle (salallaho alaihi wasallam) said, "O 'Abdur-Rahman bin Samura! Do not seek to be a ruler, for if you are given authority on your demand, you will be held responsible for it, but if you are given it without asking for it, then you will be helped (by Allah) in it. If you ever take an oath to do something and later on you find that something else is better, then do what is better and make expiation for your oat.

2005-06-27T12:25:00.000+01:00

Hi dear!

As more and more Nigerian subscribe to the GSM service, more business opportunites are surfacing yet, little of it has so far been utilised.

The financially priviledged folks have taken to full dealership of all GSM related products ranging from GSM mobile handsets to recharge cards of all the existing Networks (MTN, Vmobile, Glo Mobile and M-tel).

To be part of this business (GSM dealership of any kind) requires large funds. However, with little capital, one can be a retailer and start growing.

With the launch of the MTN VTU (Virtual Top Up) otherwise known as E-charge, the business has taken a different dimension. More people have joined in the GSM biz and the MLM system brought by this innovative way of Airtime recharge, one can do be business right from his living room while having several vendors down the line.

I have already signed up and had my family and friends do same. Many have started reaping its benefits while others are still lost at how to register or become a vendor/subdistributor.

To register, CLICK HERE and for more information CLICK HERE.

SIGN UP TODAY WITH AS LOW AS N6,000 AND BEGIN VENDING!

Cheers!

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