Jega's =N=74b: A Hoax

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[Davincii]

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Take note that the rich who invests well in wisdom will become richer while the poor will continue to complain. The real truth is that really rich people sowed little money and their time and efforts unsparingly and consistently nurtured their investments with patience and pains through sleepless nights and harrowing experiences and took some flak from haters and many a doubting  Thomas but survived it all by keeping their eyes on their goal.

Anybody can be rich and it is not really the exclusive preserve of a few. However, not everybody is ready to make the required sacrifices and commitment to vision to be rich. It is even worse with the preponderant poverty mentality of the many who think government should spoon-feed them or that Uncles and Aunts in government must pour showers of finances on them for investments they do not have a vision or a plan for.

Do a little experiment. Ask an average Nigerian what he/she wants to become in the next 5 years and the answers you get will tell you why many will be poor and struggle with poverty. If they do not want to get rich quick by fraudulent means, they want to be business men and women without vision and commitment.

I am certainly not talking about those who become rich by hook and crook. Their wealth never outlives them!

If you really have an idea how much time and starvation real businessmen suffer to grow their businesses, you will see that it is not child's play. The sacrifices and self-deprivations to grow a business with persistent innovation (especially in a clime like ours where government policy somersaults can cause your business to crash overnight) that is a going concern are immense and vision-less people will close shop in no time. That is the difference!
Post Merge: April 16, 2012, 04:04:57 PMIs it really true that Pastor Chris Oyakhilome said it is okay to drink and smoke? Does anyone know this to be true? I reserve my comment until I am sure of the source.
Post Merge: April 16, 2012, 04:19:58 PMIt is very easy to find out. Let me run a check.

[Davincii]

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If the love you profess for your partner is founded on sex or money, that clearly is not love. That is foolishness that is bound to hunt you sooner than you think.

If you really do not love someone, don't get entangled in a serious relationship for when it all goes sour (it surely will as it is built on the wrong foundation):

1. You will live with the guilt of having misled someone else thru your acting and feigning love.

2. You will leave a true and honest lover badly battered and wounded.

3. You will answer to God for your deeds one day.

When you get around to saying "I love you!" to anyone, just be sure you mean it and you really know the implications. As in every other human activity, count the cost before you take a plunge.

If you put sex or money first, you will never see things you ought to see. The end is bitterness and attempts at committing murder or suicide. Think twice before you tie the nuptial knots with anyone just because you are frustrated and that is the most viable alternative to take care of your needs.

Marriage is not a venture for fools, immature minds and for thieves and '419ers'!

Stop the ministry of 'Making Lives Miserable' now!

[Davincii]

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Just thinking friends! Am I the only one thinking this way? Please, tell me if I'm wrong so I can adjust my thinking accordingly.********

If you were walking on the streets and you saw a dear friend walking with princely strides and you noticed he had a blob of mucus hanging on his nose, what should you do as a friend? Should you laugh over it or should you tell him so he could go clean up the mess?

If your son whom you love so dearly runs to the edge of a deep pit he never knew was there, would you ignore him and allow him fall or would you make efforts to save him from the danger he is oblivious of?

Should you tell a man he is stupid or foolish when he actually acts stupid or foolish or should you call him an angel?

What should you do when you see someone stealing from the public purse? Should you praise him or call him what he actually is: a thief? Does the fact that he is your best friend lessen the gravity of his crime? What is the friend of a thief who covers up his crime for whatever reason called?
Post Merge: April 12, 2012, 06:15:16 PMIn a country in which it's monies are not only stolen, but the booties are not creatively invested in productive ventures but instead are plowed into buying government bonds, it's citizens become perpetual slaves and carry the burden of financing interests on their stolen heritage and become under obligation to pay back the principal - their very own money lent to them.

The composition and ownership of monies plowed into our internal debt profile should be investigated. Much of that stolen money have been plowed in that direction since the Ibori debacle.

Unfortunately, this is not a path the present leadership will ever want to tow lest its operatives should shoot themselves in the legs just as they did in the fuel subsidy probe which they have fought frantically to kill with a fake Committee headed by the former anti-corruption czar whose credibility and international stature they have sought to harness towards a negative end, namely, to cover their shame and hoodwink the public.

In as much as it pays to steal big time and nothing happens to you and government promotes you instead, there will be no end to the woes of the nation as long as a government that thrives on corruption remains in power.

The economy is badly battered by these thieves and we are seeing not only the symptoms clearly, but also the devastating effect in depleting the value of the life of the average Nigerian. Yet, they fix figures that are not in tandem with present realities as evidence the economy is growing.

We have never been so '419ed' in the history of this country!

To make matters worse, the monies are used for nothing really tangible since April, 2010 and even the tiny fraction plowed towards supposedly productive ventures like power infrastructure with poorly thought-out plans are actually stolen and the only tangible result we have seen since April 2010 is persistent excuses for brazen failure.

But it is only for a time. God will do what He will do!

[Davincii]

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Now that the youths of the North and the South and East and West of Nigeria agree that the leaders have failed them, what are they doing about it? Are they just talking and analyzing the issues endlessly? What critical steps should they be taking to right the wrong and to keep the failed leaders miles away from the reserve bench?

Na so we go dey do? Jaw-jaw, power, power, force, force, no action, no way forward?

Could it be we are fast becoming part of the problem forming groups on Facebook when the real battle field is in the villages, local governments, state governments, legislative houses and agencies and ministries of government and traditional stools?

Aren't we fast becoming hypocrites?

That reminds me, some voted for GEJ and urged their kith and kin to do the same. However, after he won, we have appealed to them passionately to come put their money where their mouth is to develop Nigeria and they have since been on the run and who knows if we should not be declaring them missing. They know the man is a disaster and yet they urge us to continue to support him so that when everyone has been blown in pieces, they will come and contest for governorship and to be president and legislators! I thought they should have been confident to plow their resources into developing the nation run by a president they pretended they trusted so much?

[Davincii]

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This is a true life story. But, I'm not telling you this story to entertain you. Na! I'm telling you to remind you of your responsibilities towards your teenage wards and children.

The teenage years are the most critical in the life of a growing child and they constitute that bridge between childhood and adulthood. Whatever happens during that period is critical to the future of the child as a mature adult. However, somehow, that care and caution that parents as caretakers used to extend to teenagers have been thrown to the winds. Now, our kids grow like trucks without breaks and the world is worst for it.

One of the major occurrences in the life of a growing child is a crush! Yes, a crush! You fall in love with someone who appears your hero and who you adore and you want to be with that person and you fantasize he or she was your wife or husband. Do you all remember that time? Yes, we all went through that period in life. At such times, we are highly vulnerable and could be abused by pedophiles: male or female.

I was a second year student in the university and I had gone to my uncle's (the father of my favourite cousins) to spend the holiday in Lagos. They all ran out to welcome me, shouting for joy. In their midst was a stranger - a pretty little girl (she was 13 and I was 17 at the time) who rushed out also and jumped on me. I wondered who she was and my spirit sensed danger. But, I was not sure. One day, everybody had gone out except my uncle and I, and I was lying on the bed in my cousin's room. Then I heard a knock on the door. I had thought she had gone to school like the others had. I was surprised to hear her say she was the one.

Then I told her to come in. I thought she had a message for me from my uncle or something. She came in and shut the door and stood transfixed staring at me. I asked her what the problem was. She stuttered shyly and kept on twisting her fingers.

I stood up and walked up to her placing my right arm on her shoulder and asked her to feel free to tell me what the problem was. Then she came out with the shocking words, "Uncle Segun, I love you!"

I froze for a while and when I had regained my composure, I said, "Come and sit down. I need to talk to you."

Fortunately, in my time as a teenager, I had access to a lot of books about the turbulence and storms in the life of teenagers and this was one of the things I had read about. So, I set out to counsel her.

But first, I needed to be sure what kind of love she was talking about. So, I asked her, "Do you know what love means?"

She said, still very shy, "Is it not if you like somebody and you want to marry the person when you grow up?"

Realizing that she must have been put to this by her peers in school, I asked her, "Who told you that? Why do you think that is what it is?"

She said that her friends in school talk about it and they even write letters to the guys they would like to be with.

I had gotten enough data to counsel her. Then I said, "Love is not what you just said it is. You have partial understanding of what it is. Love can be between mum and dad and between mum or dad and the kids or between brothers and sisters. But, they are all different kinds of love. Then again, there is the kind of love between God and mankind that He sent His only begotten son to redeem us through his sacrificial death.

"What you feel for me is called a crush as you do not have the maturity yet to know what you really feel. I'm sure there is something you like about me. That is what you are attracted to. Tell me, what is it you like about me?"

She said, "I like the way you talk and your pointed nose and the way you behave."

She wasn't the first to say so. I had heard that so many times even from male persons, some of whom would suddenly turn to see who's talking. I could hold an audience captive with my voice. I had that natural gift.

Then I said, "You see what I mean? That is a crush."

Conscious of the fact that she was so vulnerable and that she may have tried to do what she sees in the movies, I asked her again, "Have you ever felt this way about someone else? Did you say such to that person?"

She let out so much astounding data for her age about persons she did not know actually took advantage of her.

Then I told her, "You have been a victim and you need to stop that. You don't want to grow up a ruined person, do you? They don't love you. They only used you. I want to help you. will you allow me?"


She said, "Yes."

Then I said, "I am going to discuss this with your parents (my uncle and his wife) so they can help you more."

She was so scared and she told me she would be flogged and they might send her back to her parents in Akwa Ibom. I assured her that would not happen and that I knew how to handle it with them. That was exactly what I did. I don't know if she kept on doing that. All I know is that she is happily married (though too early) after she had obtained her OND Certificate from one of the Polytechnics.

Please, keep an eye on your wards and kids. That is why you are parents and guardians. God will hold you responsible for what they become except you have done your very best to put them on the right track.

A child whose upbringing you neglect today will turn out your worst nightmare tomorrow and may cause your years in old age to be a curse rather than a blessing. This is a fact you know already and there are ample evidences all over. How then do you manage to overlook these things? Are you guilty of this? It's never too late. Sit your teenagers down now and sound them out. You could save yourself a lot of headache. If you are not their best friend they can confide in, you are in deep shit! Take it or leave it!
Post Merge: April 06, 2012, 01:28:30 PMFunny enough, when I got back to school, I talked about it with my room mate who had told me I was a fool to have rejected what he called 'free meat'. He said the younger they were, the sweeter and all kinds of trash! I looked at him with pity and wondered how many he had misled this way.
Post Merge: April 06, 2012, 02:35:16 PMI learned the secrets and rot behind all these highfalutin awards given to obviously non-performers recently. I will share it with you all tomorrow. I tell you, all that glitters is not gold. I'll give you deep insight into the dirty processes and how 419 kingpins with high-sounding degrees are neck-deep involved in this charade.
Post Merge: April 06, 2012, 05:34:48 PMThe real issue is not just to celebrate but to ask oneself how much value one places on the ransom sacrifice of Jesus. Do we still crucify Him by our actions since we paid nothing to have this love no man can ever give to his brother? For some, it's going to be a drinking spree tonight. For some, it's an opportunity to get some favour from someone.

However, it ought to be an opportunity to make your way right before The King who made all things and to reconcile ourselves with God.

How are you celebrating really? The choice is yours!
Post Merge: April 07, 2012, 09:24:26 AMWhy do I always feel like people who do not keep to time are not reliable and should be kept at arm's length and not engaged in critical processes? Can someone please help me out here?

They simply make a mess of your schedule and waste valuable time you don't have enough of and are they full of excuses!

[Davincii]

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Proud and arrogant people don't see opportunities and even when they do see golden opportunities, they are not in the right frame of mind to exploit them. They live on past glory and bask in what they had done and are not open to new ideas.

If your life is so rigid that you cannot adapt to the demands of the present so long as that adjustment is within the dictates of the laws of the land and all you do instead is replay some broken record to whoever cares to listen about what you were and what you had done, you are going to end up a disgrace and a psychological recluse.

This is the reason many suffer today. Stupid pride. Yes, you may have been so and so in the past, but you need to get rid of your pride to adapt to new roles and to learn new skills to put food on your table and to keep good clothes on your body.

Be amenable to necessary change!
Post Merge: April 04, 2012, 10:21:29 AMSearch Nigeria Writes:

Looming Pensions fraud in River state.

"Search Nigeria published the details of the planned fraudulent pensions for Governor Rotimi Ameachi of Rivers state, his deputy and other government officials last week, but the ACN has just woking up from its slumber to realise that the whole arrangement was totally out of order. It's probably better late than never as this is the nature of oppostion in Nigeria.

"The ACN Rivers State Chapter has slammed the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi (PDP), over the proposed bill presently before the State House of Assembly awarding huge pensions and various ridiculous perks to the governor and his deputy when their tenure ends in 2015.

"The Bill seeks to provide Amaechi with two houses in any place of his choice in Abuja and Rivers State, plus three cars that will be replaced every three years and receive 300% funding for any furniture of his choice.

"Other benefits include 20% funding for utility, 10% funding for entertainment, and 10% for houses of their choice. There is also provision for free medical expenses for him and his immediate family; and security details that will include two officials of the State Security Service (SSS), 1 female officer of the same department, 8 police officers for personal and domestic security, and domestic staff including a cook, steward, gardener and others. All the domestic staff, including drivers, shall be pensionable, according to the Bill.

"We must all take a stand against this today."


Hmmm!

Is this really true? Gosh! What ingenious evil schemes will these guys not throw up to fleece the treasury and constitute themselves into permanent liabilities to the states even after evidence of so much illegal wealth acquisition and stuff like that?

Could it be they lack creative abilities to invest in lucrative ventures?

For God's sake, a governor hardly touches his earnings. Tax payers pay for his children's education and those of his relatives. They also pay for their medical care, feeding, clothing, senseless mistresses, and for so many more absurdities to which billions of Naira are allocated.

Even a governor's salary for a month can be meaningfully invested. That is apart from all the fraudulent misappropriation of the monthly security vote.

What on earth is this?

Worst still, he will fight for another appointment with its own set of perks and ungodly allowances.
Post Merge: April 04, 2012, 12:07:51 PMThis is to inform the Chief of Defense Staff that the soldiers at the Checkpoint bordering Abuja and Zuba are collecting illegal tolls from commercial drivers for every trip.
Post Merge: April 04, 2012, 01:03:37 PMTheresa Ugwanyi posts:

"Medical staff of the Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Uselu, Edo State have embarked on an indefinite strike over the appointment of Dr. Sunday Olotu as Medical Director of the hospital.

"The medical workers said they want an indigene of Benin as the new medical director and they have threatened to release all lunatics in the hospital if their demand was not met..." ~Daily Trust

Tribal politics rears its ugly head even in the management of lunatics? Chineke! Naija sef!  Na excessive exposure to lunatics by repeated association dey manifest for their lives so. Must the Medical Director be a Bini man?




Post Merge: April 04, 2012, 01:33:29 PMIs your dad or uncle or mum or aunt or brother or sister or cousin or friend or boss a member of any legislative arm of government at local government, state and federal levels?

Here's what you can do to make them responsible so as not to bring shame to your family.

Pull their ears every morning and shout right into it: "It's about the people and their welfare and not your private pocket. E ma lo j'ale si wa lorun o! Oye ki eni itelorun! E sora yin o!"

[Davincii]

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The Spirit of Excellence entertains no element of failure. It nurtures in you a knack for excellence and an irrepressible zeal to succeed. Even when you feel a little odd because every other person out there has chosen to do the wrong thing with Scriptural justifications, the Spirit of Excellence quickens your heart to stand out from the crowd. Even when everyone chooses to use euphemism in addressing some wrong, the Spirit of Excellence finds certain wrongs very repulsive especially as they endanger the souls of many and He causes the truth in you to burst forth and you simply can't hold it back.

One carrying such spirit in him cannot afford to look away when lives are in jeopardy due to the propagation of some wrong. Unfortunately, even some among those who need correction would fight tooth and nail to return to dirt and the path of destruction even with ample evidence that those before them had been wasted and died unfulfilled.

In a crazy world in which it is fashionable to be permissive and to indulge in wasteful and life-threatening living styles, it is usually difficult to stand out but He who called you will perfect you unto His Glory. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear and for every effort you make at unfaltering faithfulness, you gladen the heart of The King and that's all that matters. He takes you to the next level having found you worthy.

My beloved brothers and sisters from all parts of Nigeria, it is time for Segun Edward II to move on to some new assignment and to a much bigger territory. There are wars to be fought hand-in-gloves with the Holy Spirit and there are nations and kingdoms to be taken captive for The King! Who am I to say no to Him by whom I live and move and exist? My greatest desire is to do his bidding even when it is most inconvenient and not my style. I have since learned that 'Obedience is better than sacrifice'. I do not wish to turn to the left or to the right or to be guilty of the sin of presumptuousness. That would be terrible. This is what I was born to do. As long as I live, every pillar of oppression will be fought to a standstill and all men must be set free from the prison and bonds of ignorance and released to experience the light of truth.

Our burden rests at bearing witness to the truth no matter whose ox is gored. God does the choosing. All are called but few are chosen.

In such assignments, you cannot seek the approval of men. Only God's verdict counts.

All I ask for is that I may be found worthy of the crown of glory when He takes me home someday. Shallom! Assalam Alaykum!

I'm going to miss my beloved country. But, I must obey!
Post Merge: April 02, 2012, 03:54:30 PMI thought some prophet had said that bombings would end in March?
Post Merge: April 02, 2012, 04:03:35 PMHoy! I guess the Spirit does not tell them when a bomb would go off so as to protect their congregation members and also who the killers are. God is faithful.
Post Merge: April 02, 2012, 04:06:19 PMLet God be found true and every man a liar! It is impossible for God to lie. When He speaks, He speaks accurately and in plain language and without ambiguities. He does not double speak. But the prophet did double speak as he said God said when God did not really say so. The aftermath is always embarrassing attempts to explain away their stupidity.
Post Merge: April 02, 2012, 04:18:46 PMI almost asked, 'Why me?' then I remembered I could not question His decision. I fell silent. I do not know what lies ahead. But, I know He will not lead me to destruction. He has never failed me and I can truly trust Him on this one too as in every other thing He had done for me.
Post Merge: April 02, 2012, 04:25:14 PMThat reminds me. Have we been told who the killers of Nigerians are yet? Who are the sponsors? Or are those in custody still telling fairy tales? It's been more than two months now.

That reminds me also, what about those high profile politicians the SSS did say had links with the terrorists?

What should we call all of these? Comedy or Riddles & Jokes? Did those who died die for nothing?
Post Merge: April 02, 2012, 04:37:11 PMNow I have to go back to the classroom to learn some new language. Got to learn to speak as the natives and I have got to learn about new cultures and traditions even if I won't observe them. God knows I hate traditions of men with a passion.

[Davincii]

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As Christians, we are expected to reflect the image and personality of Christ in us. However, we are not expected to be foolish, idiots, gullible, simpletons, myopic, dumb, dirty, acquiescent to filth and rot, condescending to the ways of the world, compromising God's standards so as to win souls, lazy and stupid, 'siddon look' and be oppressed, whine and cry when you have the power of the Word to overcome, to accept wrong as right because the world thinks that is how it should be and to choose to be stupid because the whole world thinks it is fashionable to be stupid - afterall everybody is doing it. We are also not expected to worship or honour prophets who speak from their bellies and for want of what to eat and drink and wear.

Coincidentally, this is what agents of Satan want us to do. But dem don miss road. When they accuse you without substance, just move on. They are on their father's mission who constantly accuses the brethren.

Do not be moved by the speeches of maggots. Keep your eyes on the prize. All they want is to get you to be as disgusting as they are and to embrace filth just as they have compromised their consciences and sold it to the devil for mundane gains.

Remember, even satan quotes the Bible but he cannot move mountains. When you do, because you are in God, the heavens tremble and the earth flees and the hordes of satan are shakened terribly.

That is the difference between us and them. Never sell your birth right for the nauseous puddings of swines. Don't even touch it!

[Davincii]

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You would wonder what is  so special about a car and mobile phones that many would make a mess of their integrity and reputation to acquire one at all costs. Fine, they could make your life easier in some respects if used for what they are -  a vehicle and a means of communication and not as some status symbol.

You see very broke people unable to feed or provide for their families drive expensive smoking cars they cannot maintain or go about with several mobile phones they can hardly maintain, neither do they understand even some critical features of the phones all just to be seen as belonging to some select club.

For example, a blackberry is a business phone and many who have no business with using such a phone or tablets other than for BB Messenger and for Facebook, acquire it just to show off.

But they often end up embarrassing themselves. You have not eaten all day and you do not even know where the next meal would come from and you are struggling to fuel a car you could live without or to recharge several phones you do not even need.

This is the reason Nigeria is such a dumping ground for everything as we consume everything whether they add any value to our lives contextually or not. The higher the price, the more we want to buy just to belong while many of such buyers live in rotten environments and in rickety structures? Is that some self-consolation or what?
Post Merge: March 24, 2012, 05:14:10 PMIt's so appalling what damage we do to ourselves refusing to think right. That money could be plowed into meaningful businesses that would yield daily income and that could be grown by vision and there will be surplus to buy enough cars and phones. Even at that, how many cars do we really need to be successful and satisfied human beings?
Post Merge: March 24, 2012, 08:23:05 PMDo you teach your children to tell lies? Much as they would not want to admit it, many parents do and that's really bad.

When you teach children to lie, because it's not in them to lie in their innocence, they would expose you instead.

Let me give you two examples.

A man owes somebody some money and when the creditor comes for his money on the scheduled date, he tells his son to lie to the creditor he was not a home. Here's the conversation that ensued:

Creditor: Hello! Anybody home?

Little Boy: Heyo! Daddy said I should tell you he is not at home.

Sounds funny right? But, it ain't funny. Grooming children to tell lies is a wicked thing to do and you destroy their innocence that way.

Here's another scenario.

A man lives with his wife and 3 children in a single room apartment. The living area is separated from the bed corner reserved for mummy and daddy alone by a curtain.

Daddy tells son to tell the creditor he's not at home while he hides behind the curtain divider.

This conversation ensues:

Creditor: Na who de house?

Son: Nobody dey. My papa don comot.

Meanwhile, the creditor had seen the fathers legs showing beneath the curtain as he had forgotten the cotton did not go all the way down. The conversation continues:

Creditor: Ehen! Oya, tell ya papa say next time e dey go out make im no forget im legs behind curtain o! Ol' boy, make you come out nanana come pay me my money or all your neighbours go gather here today o!

Please, let the innocent kids be and stop sowing the seed of destruction and devilish lies into their lives!

[Davincii]

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So, Okojo-Iweala wants to run away now? World Bank top job ko, World Bank top job ni!

I remember saying it loud and clear that her second coming would be a monumental fiasco as we have as president one who did not have what it takes to lead the nation out of the woods.

Why am I always right on these things? Why won't Mr. President and his team try to prove me wrong for once?
Post Merge: March 21, 2012, 03:55:11 PMIf the School to Farm project will not turn out to be another hoax like the SURE and Power Road Map documents, then we are truly getting set for an agricultural revolution. However, with the gaping hole that is so obvious in the plan that leaves out the role of venture capital, the plan is bound to hit the rocks and will be unsustainable like every other Nigerians project, laudable on paper but grossly irrelevant to the needs of Nigerians and the natural consequence will be that it would be used as a conduit pipe to loot the treasury again.

Again, the FG has failed to think this through

[Davincii]

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Those who frittered away all the monies belonging to the states (including loans they collected in the name of the state to finance their individual fancies that reek of excessive greed) are still very much alive. Go after them and stop telling us about bankruptcy! Unfortunately, the hands of this government are tied as they have bitten deeply into the pie of corruption within such a short time - the only legacy this government has to give us.

Having made a mess of everything and liquidated the very account with ample evidence and traces of their thieving prowess, replacing it with an already moribund Sovereign Wealth Fund, they believe they have wiped off all trails and have the guts to invite the World Bank to come Vet contract awards. They are also preparing an alibi to go borrowing even further.

Pathetic idiots!

Was this not obvious all along this is where we were heading? We talked and pointed out these things and some internet fraudsters come online to defend utter rubbish!
Post Merge: March 16, 2012, 09:16:51 AMAruma Oteh is disgusting as she shows not even a scintilla of remorse for the mess she is currently embroiled in. Who knows what more we would find? Her attempt to blackmail the House of Representatives Committee Chairman probing her is simply unbecoming.

Can she provide proof that the Chair did demand for that money from her?

I think this is a case of a highly disgraceful woman fighting dirty as she has been exposed for who she truly is.

The evidence against her is too overwhelming to ignore.

I think she should quit that job if she has any honour. As it were, what is left in her is a lot of rottenness.
Post Merge: March 16, 2012, 05:47:04 PMIs there much more than meets the eye in Sanusi and his team's refusal to allow the NASS have access to the CBN Budget?

Does he have skeletons in his cupboard? Do we have a parallel government run by President Sanusi Lamido Sanusi?

Would such a probe reveal so many underhand dealings that breach the laws of our land?

Or is the CBN a secret cult with laws superior to the laws of the land?

Sanusi should be compelled by all means to comply or face the law!
Post Merge: March 16, 2012, 07:05:12 PMI agree that the NASS probes so far have no more value other than to waste tax payers' money to thrill us with farcical acts and scenes from NASS(ty)Wood. However, it is a pointer of things to come and exposes beyond reasonable doubt how corrupt this government is. However, it is a positive step compared to just keeping mute. This government keeps on dragging itself in the mud. It is a colony of swines.

Should our laws be suspended then because one legislator goofed?
Post Merge: March 16, 2012, 07:06:42 PMHave you noticed that those who refuse to eat of the blood cakes of filthy kings now appear the bad people while those who are neck-deep involved in corruption in all its ramifications talk boisterously and even dare you to come arrest them?

Thanks to the present government. We have never been this lawless! It's never been this brazen and open!

[Davincii]

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If the concept of Cashless Economy means that Nigerians should queue for long hours under the hot sun to use dysfunctional ATMs and be abused and insulted by security agents at the bank's premises over their own hard earned money from which they are paid, then someone in the CBN leadership has to have his head examined.  It is only a matter of time before criminals will seek ways yo undermine the process and attack innocent Nigerians who go to those misery-causing machines to collect their hard-earned money and dispossess them of it.

This is no Cashless Economy. This is trash! The preconditions for a Cashless Economy are not available and I really don't know how we must ape everything that works right elsewhere so badly and make a fool of ourselves.

First things first, for God's sake!
Post Merge: March 12, 2012, 11:14:13 AMCan Sanusi and his team please define Cashless Economy?
Post Merge: March 12, 2012, 11:41:25 AMI am too unhappy to even think some of these things through this morning. I really can't post any stuff today on the states. I am deeply saddened by the persistent killing of Nigerians by a group of murderers and nonsensical government speeches.

Nigerians are fast losing a chance to know who the real killers are with what the Presidency and the security agents are doing right now, playing politics with issues that impact on the well being and lives of many hard working Nigerians who could be ground into minced meat anytime, anyhow and without checks.

This is the price we have had to pay for watching a systematic enthronement of lawlessness and the reign of vagabonds, social deviants, school dropouts and half-baked graduates in this country.

In case you have not noticed, this whole mess is about to be used as some Joker in the 2015 Elections as these guys have chosen not to reveal the killers and their sponsors, but instead, chosen to use those whom they claim to have caught as 'frame-up' witnesses to muzzle members of the opposition prior to the 2015 Elections. Take it or leave it. that is what is playing out right now.

The attention of Nigerians will be diverted by a whole lot of crises already brewing with the nonsensical PDP zoning - a total disregard for what the people want. Then again, Mr. President who had always reneged on his promises is already planning to come back in 2015 when he had stated he would not. The polity would be heated up at fever-pitch and people are going to be debating over irrelevancies and tearing their clothes online, spoiling for fights for want of points, and the issues that matter will be thrown to the winds and the arguments discolored by ethnic and sectional sentiments.

I believe the Nigerian electorate is guilty all the time pf squandering its fortunes and those of future generations and I can only hope they will see the light this time around.

Sit back and watch this drama play out and watch and applaud as innocent men are hounded as terrorists to hone the political fortunes of inglorious bastards who hold the nation hostage!

Nigerians, can you afford another misadventure? Time will tell. 2015 is just around the corner.

I have said all I need to say and may God stand as witness this day that you were told. What you do with it is your cup of tea.
Post Merge: March 12, 2012, 11:47:52 AMAre we really incapable of doing anything just right in this country? What is wrong with us as a people in a nation so blessed? Why must we continue to make a mess of everything?
Post Merge: March 12, 2012, 12:17:54 PMIt would help a lot for Nigerians to ask themselves why the so-called henchmen who have been caught only seem to have Beauty and The Beast fairy tale to tell us and nothing about the sponsors? Place that side by side with Reuben Abati's Press Release yesterday about supposed steady progress being made in tracking the sponsors and financiers. Remember also, the same SSS and the rest sold beautiful lies to the public about revelations of some repentant member of Boko Haram who had implicated IBB and some others. Remember also that even before the fugitive Kabiru Sokoto was supposedly interrogated again, the SSS had told us they had uncovered strong links between the terrorists and top politicians whom they have failed to name until this very day.
Post Merge: March 12, 2012, 06:11:46 PMLet me take you on a little journey some of you failed to see because ethnic sentiments as that which you have just expressed were what were thrown up in place of the issues that matter. Can you answer this question competently? What was the state of the economy before President Jonathan was sworn in as Acting President? What happened to all our earnings and monies in the Foreign Reserve and Excess Crude Accounts within his first nine month in office? Why was the Excess Crude Account suddenly found to be illegal and it was liquidated and replaced with a Sovereign Wealth Fund with concrete evidence all the monies in the account was systematically stolen to forestall future inquest? What was the state of the real sector when Jonathan was sworn in? What is the present state? How did the nation suddenly become a debtor nation again?

The truth is that the records are there for all to see and we keep ignoring it all and pander instead to baseless sentiments and showing unfathomable solidarity for what besets the system so badly.

I, for one, do not hate Jonathan. But, I am unhappy at his lack lustre performance on all fronts. Name it! I am unhappy he messed up the economy more than any other government ever did and took us to a worse level than we have ever been. I am unhappy he lies to us and imposes ill-thought-out and ill-fated policies that are bound to increase hardship for Nigerians. I am unhappy he has not kept faith with the dictates of the oath he swore to put Nigeria first above parochial interests. I am unhappy at his failure to give a bite in punishing high profile criminals whom he courts and fetes instead, thus further compounding our economic and social woes. I am unhappy he has not demonstrated capacity and vision to take the nation out of the woods. Can you show me one clearly articulated vision you know of and how well it has been implemented?

Within the first 9 months of his swearing in, all the monies disappeared leaving just barely over $400m out of over $28bn. The CBN Quarterly Reports for 2010 and early 2011 are quite revealing. This was prior to the elections. No Nigerian can point to one thing the money was used for as all he had to give us was a Power Roadmap document which has proved to be a Roadmap to more monumental fraud as recent events have revealed. For your information, it is owing to the failure of this government along this line that the economy was brought to its knees so badly and removal of fuel subsidy was the most ingenious way they could think of to generate additional revenue to squander. Internal debts also rose by leaps and bounds and attempts were made by the FOS to criminally adjust our GDP benchmark figure upwards to create an impression the economy was doing well.

Do you know that this government has been embarking on so many extra-budgetary borrowing and spending? Apart from the recent revelations of the mess in the Petroleum sector under his watch, there are so many more illegal financial activities by this government, plunging us deeper and deeper into debt. For example, the dysfunctional security cameras were installed through an unauthorized and unconstitutional borrowing. The nation, without the approval of the NASS and in contravention of the Appropriation Act borrowed surreptitiously the sum of $600m from Exim Bank of China out of which they supposedly spent $420m on supply and installation of those bogus and dysfunctional cameras in a few places in Abuja FCT. To add insult to injury, Nigeria was deprived unfairly of revenues running into billions of Dollars by the President and his team through waivers to the Chinese firm.

Our economy was out of the woods before he was sworn in. I'm amazed we forget too soon. We were free of major debts, the real sector was beginning to pick up and all we needed was a leader who would demonstrate vision and purpose in taking it from there. Unfortunately, what we have is a group of people who returned the nation mindlessly to indebtedness and in an unprecedented manner and who also have reversed completely the modest gains from the Obasanjo administration.

I really don't think the ethnic slant in this discourse will help matters. At best, it diverts attention from the real issues of know-how to manage the economy right and well articulated vision to take the nation out of the woods. When we went to the polls, we were not looking for people who would come and tell us what our ancestors did or did not do wrong. We were looking for a man who had the Midas touch and the solutions and unfortunately, Nigerians chose a disaster who hardly knows what he is there for and has for more than two years failed to articulate any meaningful vision to move the nation forward. I challenge anyone participating in this discourse to point out just one well articulated vision of this government. Is it the power sector reforms? Is is education? Is it healthcare which has virtually died? Is it the Light Rail Project? Name it. I am waiting.
Post Merge: March 12, 2012, 07:34:30 PMI, sincerely, do not know what you are thinking or talking about. All I know is that Nigeria will rise again and those who have constituted themselves into a band of killers and mindless plunderers of the heritage of many will be disgraced and put to shame resoundingly! I rest my case!

[Davincii]

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IN FOCUS: ABUJA FCT

Created by Decree 6, 1976 by the regime of Late Gen. Murtala Muhammed, Abuja officially became Nigeria's capital on December 12, 1991.

The name 'Abuja' is derived from two words 'Abu', and abbreviation for Abubakar and 'Ja', a Hausa word for fairness. Literally, it means, Abubakar the fair one, referring to the brother of Muhammadu Makau, the last Hausa Emir of Zazzau who had been defeated by the Fulani warriors and so had to flee to an area referred to today as Abuja. His brother, Abu Ja succeeded him as the 62nd king of Zaria in 1825.

The major languages spoken are Gade, Gbagyi, Gbari and Nupe. The Nigerian capital has 6 area councils including: Abaji, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Abuja Municipal Council. Others are Kwali (created from Gwagwalada) and Bwari (created from Abuja Municipal Area Council).

Covering about 8000sq.km, making it more than twice the size of Lagos State.

Decree No. 6 of 1976 vested administrative powers over Abuja FCT on the Federal Government of Nigeria. Hence, Abuja is run by a Minister, appointed by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the laws governing the capital are under the ambit of the National Assembly.

Abuja is reputed to have rich deposits of marble, tin, mica, clay, wolfromite, tantalite and talc.

To date, Abuja FCt has had 14 ministers including: John Jatau Kadiya (1979 - 1982), Iro Abubakar Dan Mus (1982 - 1983), Haliru Dantoro (1983 - 1984), Mamman Jiya Vatsa (1984 - December 1985), Hamza Abdullahi (1986 - 1989), Gado Nasko (1989 - 1993), Jeremiah Tinbut Useni (1993 - 1998), Mamman Kontagora (1998 - 1999), Ibrahim Bunu (1999 - 2001), Mohammed Abba Gana (February 8, 2001 - July 17, 2003), Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai (July 17, 2003 - July 27, 2007), Aliyu Modibbo Umar (July 27, 2007 - October 29, 2008), Mohammed Adamu Aliero (December 17, 2008 - April 8, 2010), Bala Mohhamed (April 8, 2010 - To Date).

Being the Federal Capital of Nigeria, successive administrations have embarked on massive capital projects including road construction, parks, water supply, healthcare, transportation and so on and so forth.

In the course of some of these developments, attempts had been made to retore the Abuja Masterplan between 2003 - 2007 when Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai held sway as Minister of the FCT. This, can be termed the most controversial period in the life of the FCT. While some praise him for a job well done, victims as well as some civil society organizations see his actions in forceful demolitions as mean and cruel in spite of evidence that those land areas were lawfully allocated to the evicted owners by FCT authorities. There were recorded giant strides in improving internally generated revenues including Abuja AGIS and a host of other measures. There were also recorded breakthroughs in healthcare infrastructure development, improved transportation system and security.

Subsequent ministers were less controversial but the same cannot be said of Senator Bala Mohammed whose tenure has been characterized by excessive politicking than of vision and purpose. The recent attempt at introducing BRT buses and infrastructure is abysmally disgraceful compared to previous transportation schemes introduced by previous ministers. The present mess called BRT by the present FCT Administration headed by Sen. Bala Mohammed is characterized by poorly delineated tracks for the buses, poor coordination and bus scheduling leading to excessively long queues, poor driving culture by the BRT drivers who often run into street lights and other public fixtures, frequent breakdown of the supposedly new buses causing massive traffic jams on major routes, lack of proper cooling system for passengers to enjoy as elsewhere and laughable measures to check defaulters by deploying an excessively large number of security personnel to man the delineations when they could be useful doing their security work.

Internally generated revenues are at their lowest ebb in the FCT. Like most of the state governors, the minister thinks internally generated revenue could only be improved upon by introducing more tax burdens on the masses. Critical steps are also not being taken to ensure minimal loss of revenue at collection points, at the reporting points and down to the actual banking of the cash. Apart from a recent scheme which requires those who park their cars on streets should pay for time slots, the present FCT Administration has not demonstrated capacity to add to the pool of sources of internally generated revenues. Even the parking scheme in question is not done with vision. A situation in which anyone can park just anywhere at a fee has grave security implications what with the advent of a vibrant bombing enterprise in Nigeria by those who profit from the business of trouble-making and death. Secondly, it is only a matter of time before the scheme is abused and the streets will be flooded with all kinds of parked vehicles. Thirdly, as the number of cars increase, coordination will become herculean and so many will park without the revenues coming in. Even the finely dressed boys with digital POS devices will begin to strike compromise deals with defaulters or with those who park to collect less fees. It would have mad more sense to introduce central parks in strategic places and that makes coordination much easier and compromises can be vitiated.

In terms of security, the decisions to block many routes around government establishments has worsened the traffic situation in the FCT. But the general security atmosphere is quite better than elsewhere and this is mainly due to the presence of nearly all the headquarters of federal institutions in Abuja.

It is fool-hardy to expect the Abuja Light Rail project to have any meaningful impact without steady electricity supply. The truth is that the project is a white elephant that will further sink vital resources into quick sand with nothing to show for it. The supposed scheme to power trains with diesel pending when electricity supply improves is even most laughable. One critical question that has not been answered is how the scheme is expected to be sustained when new sub-standard buses used in a poorly thought out BRT scheme cannot be properly managed? What are the trains going to be carrying to break-even? Just human beings? Are the FG and proponents of this white elephant project really aware of how much electricity would be required to power the trains? Are they also aware that as we are talking, the very trains whose cost was factored into the budget have become outdated and have been replaced by Bullet Trains and yet we are borrowing =N=80bn from China to install outdated infrastructure? I posit that there is a lot to learn from the Chinese Model. They did not set out to introduce these things just for the sake of doing so, they hard clear cut economic objectives which they are meeting. We don't seem to even have a dream yet along these lines, certainly not in the way we are going about it.

Still on the issue of infrastructure development, though the FCT has put in place a scheme to improve health data management, more effort needs to be channeled towards improved healthcare delivery. With the population explosion in Abuja and environs, there is need for more health institutions or the capacity of existing ones to handle increasing loads in a scalable way needs to be ensured. The same applies to all forms of infrastructure including schools, water supply and other forms of utility service in place over the years so they can cope with increasing load. I believe this should be the major area the minister should focus on.

To my mind, the FCT Minister has his job made easier for him by his predecessors and all he needs to do is come up with vision to improve upon what had been done and to introduce new ideas systematically to add value to the FCT. Unfortunately, the minister has obviously not caught this vision.

Your contributions are welcome! Are there areas I have not covered? Are there meaningful programmes and schemes in the FCT I have yet to mention? Please feel free to discuss these things objectively.

[Davincii]

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IN FOCUS: ABIA STATE

Priding itself as God's own state, Abia State was created on August 27, 1991. Located in the South East of Nigeria, the name 'ABIA' was formed from the abbreviation of the most densely populated parts of the state namely, Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato, and Afikpo.

Blessed with a 2.4m strong population of hard working Igbo-speaking people, 'Abians' are known to be industrious and commercially inclined.

The State is sandwiched in between Imo State (from which it was excised) and Cross River, Rivers, Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom States.

Abia State has 17 local government areas including:

Aba North
Aba South
Arochukwu
Bende
Ikwuano
Isiala Ngwa North
Isiala Ngwa South
Isuikwuato
Obi Ngwa
Ohafia
Osisioma Ngwa
Ugwunagbo
Ukwa East
Ukwa West
Umuahia North
Umuahia South
Umu Nneochi

The state is blessed with many exotic endowments of nature including Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Tar Sands/Oil Shales, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Phosphate, Gypsum, Limestone, Iron Ore, Kaolin, Industrial Sands, Igneous Rocks and Laterite, and I believe some more that have yet to be discovered. I must not forget to mention large portions of arable land with sufficient amount of rainfall annually, giving room for citizens to engage in agriculture. Yams, maize, potatoes, rice, cashews, plantains, and cassava are the major agricultural produces, albeit, at subsistence level.

At the start of the present democratic dispensation in 1999, Orji Uzor Kalu was sworn in as the Executive Governor of Abia State, having won the gubernatorial election at the time on the platform of the PDP. He was succeeded by Governor Theodore Orji who has been on the seat and doing his second term right now?

In terms of internally generated revenues (IGR), Abia State has performed too poorly, depending more on it's share of 13% Derivation from oil revenues and allocations from the Federation Account.

Except recently when Governor Theodore Orji imported state-of-the-art medical equipment, the state health infrastructure is extremely poor. Abians due to agricultural activities have rising cases of Hernia in both male and female population. This was a discovery we made during one of my team's free health care programmes. Many of the people cannot afford healthcare services and the hospitals are dilapidated, unkempt and ramshackle. Doctors are hardly available and we had to move in equipment so as to perform free surgeries.

Road infrastructure in Abia State is extremely poor. Educational infrastructure is also extremely poor. Add to this poor security infrastructure and dubiety of policemen in the state who embark on extorting money from the public under various guises from the public. Kidnapping is a major enterprise and general lawlessness is on the rise.

In spite of all the resources at the disposal of those who have run the state in the past 21 years, even the state capital, Umuahia still appears largely rural.

What are Abians doing about their fortunes? Do they really have a government? What do their governors do with their revenues? Why have the leaders of the state failed to diversify their economy? Are Abians this bereft of creative ideas to move their state forward or is that they do not care enough about their fortunes?

Aba Alangwa in an article titled, "As We Sit Back and Watch Abia State Go To Ruins', published in Vanguard Newspapers Online on June 24, 2010 at exactly 10:51am, captured perfectly the present state of Abia State: "City roads in Aba, where the government claims to be spending 60 per cent of Abia State revenue, are built with wheelbarrows as the most sophisticated construction equipment. The others are brooms, trowels, hoes and head pans. Laterite is poured on major roads and spread with brooms and head pans and shovels and trowels and foot. The laterite is later sprayed with black substances using insecticide-like sprayers which the public are expected to call coal tar and the road is done. When okada was in use in Aba, it takes only one okada ride to peel off the layers and reopen the potholes. Major urban roads in dare need of being a dual carriageway are demarcated in the middle with concrete works while there are potholes on both sides deep enough to swallow a saloon car when it rains. Abians are now officially known as highest ranking kidnappers in Nigeria. Abia State is the most dangerous state to live or do business in right now. All those who have money have fled the cities in Abia State to other neighbouring states or abroad for safety. Interestingly, Abians now move to Port Harcourt where the militancy and kidnapping incidents began in this country a few years ago. People are kidnapped for as little as N10, 000 these days in Abia State. Bullion van robbery was a daily affair in Abia State until the banks started ferrying their money by helicopters."

He further opines, "There is nothing like public utility that is functioning in Abia State. I was surprised to see public water supply in a place like Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Rivers States and in Enugu where you cannot even dig a borehole because of coal in the ground."

On the state of education, Aba Alangwa adds: "n Abia State, teachers are owed 8 months’ salary and this has been continuously so in the last four years. In fact, in the last ten years, there has not been anytime teachers were not owed salaries and allowances. There is no public schooling in Abia State. What you have is that the few who have nowhere else to go have class examinations conducted for them as soon as one month salary can be arranged for the teachers after three to four months of non-payment of any salary at all. The government, instead of promoting the education of its people, is currently levying every child in the private daycare, nursery, primary and secondary schools. I expect that those in private tertiary schools are also paying. School fees in Abia State Government owned tertiary schools are increased every year 100 per cent."

What irks one most is that even if Governor Theodore Orji was such a dull person, he is privileged to be surrounded by two performing governors including Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State. Can't he 'copy' from them?

Over to you, Abians. Before you crucify me, bring on the facts.
Post Merge: March 09, 2012, 12:05:18 PMWhen I hear contestants for political office talk about their plans for job creation, my heart seems to rend in pieces as nearly all the time, what they talk about are phantom schemes that are not workable or at best would turn more Nigerians into booth-licking slaves doing jobs that would hardly ameliorate their sufferings and that would contribute virtually nothing in the real sense to economic growth - not even marginally.

The truth is that these things are not usually thought through in spite of the fact that most of them have the questions long in advance before the debates.

Until we see contestants who demonstrate they have the know-how to wean their states, local governments and the federal government from  civil-service-centric economies and to institute a vibrant venture capitalist orientation where the brightest ideas are financed seamlessly through syndicated loans with government as guarantor and until we see contestants who demonstrate vision to launch Nigeria into the 21st Century running an economy hinged on the gains and advances in Science & Technology and actual production of quality goods the world would buy and one which taps into the largely unexplored infinite economic lands which consist of the sum of the productive and inventive capabilities of the nation's teeming and diverse populations, we will keep on beating about the bush and we may one day begin to drink crude oil for food.

[Davincii]

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How time flies! The Facebook group, Nationwide e-Election Monitor is 1 year and 3 months old today.

From it's humble beginnings, the group made mild but meaningful impact on the nation's electoral processes. We monitored the electoral processes across the nation and introduced the idea of deploying critical features of our mobile phones including cameras for still photos and videos as well as the voice recording tools to capture events at the elections and post them online. The idea was stolen by persons around the ||Presidency and we were not acknowledged as the source. We did not care and still do not care. All we want is a better Nigeria.

Our volunteers who were not paid a dime but who, for the love of fatherland, went all out to get first hand information from the fields posted photos, videos and reports live from the fields.

We started out with the Delta Gubernatorial Elections Rerun and we covered every bit of it and we highlighted all the 'mago mago' that was carried out.

We also kept a tab on Prof. Jega's activities and highlighted the failings and dubious underground dealings. Our group's wall has the most comprehensive materials about the 2011 Elections.

We may not have gotten there yet. We have come a long way. Although there were agents of government planted to derail the group's mission, we have survived all the storms and we know who is who already.

Nigeria must move forward positively!