Every man should get married some time; after all, happiness is not the only thing in life!!
–Anonymous
———————————————————————
Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should
be happier than others.
–Oscar Wilde
———————————————————————-
Don’t marry for money; you can borrow it cheaper.
–Scottish Proverb
———————————————————————-
I don’t worry about terrorism. I was married for two years.
–Sam Kinison
———————————————————————
Men have a better time than women; for one thing,
they marry later; for another thing, they die earlier.
–H. L. Mencken
———————————————————————
When a newly married couple smiles, everyone knows why.
When a ten-year married couple smiles, everyone wonders why.
———————————————————————
Love is blind but marriage is an eye-opener.
———————————————————————-
When a man opens the door of his car for his wife,
you can be sure of one thing:
either the car is new or the wife.
———————————————————————
I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding
her way back to home always.
–Anonymous
———————————————————————-
I asked my wife, “Where do you want to go for our
anniversary?” She said,”Somewhere I have never been!” I told her,
“How about the kitchen?”
–Anonymous
——————————————————————
We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.
——————————————————————-
My wife was in beauty saloon for two hours.
That was only for the estimate.
–Anonymous
——————————————————————-
She got a mudpack and looked great for two days. Then
the mud fell off.
–Anonymous
———————————————————————
She ran after the garbage truck, yelling, “Am I too
late for the garbage?”
Following her down the street I yelled, “No, jump in.”
–Anonymous
———————————————————————
Badd Teddy recently explained to me why he refuses
to get to married.
He says “the wedding rings look like miniature
handcuffs…..”
–Anonymous
———————————————————————
If your dog is barking at the back door and your
wife yelling at the frontdoor, who do you let in first?
The Dog of course… at least he’ll shut up after u
let him in!
–Anonymous
———————————————————————
A man placed some flowers on the grave of his dearly
parted mother and started back toward his car when his attention was
diverted to another man kneeling at a grave. The man seemed to be
praying with profound intensity and kept repeating, ‘Why did u have to
die? Why did you have to die?” The first man approached him and said, “Sir,
I don’t wish to interfere with your private grief, but this
demonstration of pain in is
more than I’ve ever seen before. For whom do you mourn so? Deeply? A
child? A parent?”The mourner took a moment to collect himself, then
replied “My wife’s first husband.”
———————————————————————-
A couple came upon a wishing well. The husband
leaned over, made a wish
and threw in a coin .
The wife decided to make a wish, too. But she leaned
over too much, fell
into the well, and drowned. The husband was stunned
for a while but then
smiled “It really works ! ”
———————————————————————-
A husband wakes up at home with a huge hangover.
He forces himself to open his eyes, and the first thing he sees is a couple of aspirins and a glass of water on the side table.
He sits down and sees his clothing in front of him, all clean and pressed. He looks around the room and sees that it is in perfect order, spotless, clean. So is the rest of the house.
He takes the aspirins and notices a note on the table. “Honey, breakfast is on the table, I left early to go grocery shopping. Love You!”
Totally shocked with the note , he goes to the kitchen and sure enough there is a hot breakfast and the morning newspaper.
His son is also at the table, eating. He asks, “Son, what happened last night?”
His son says, “Well, you came home around 3 AM, drunk and delirious.
Broke some crockery, puked in the hall, and gave yourself a black eye when you stumbled into the door”. Confused, the man asks, “So, why is everything in order and so clean, and breakfast is on the table waiting for me? I should expect a big quarrel with her!”
His son replies, “Oh, that! Mom dragged you to the bedroom, and when she tried to take your clothes n shoes off, you said, “LADY LEAVE ME ALONE! I’M MARRIED!”
Moral : Self-induced hangover – $ 400.00
Broken crockery – $ 800.00
Breakfast – $ 10.00
Saying the Right Thing While Drunk – “PRICELESS “
Hello, having scanned the websites for news as it affects me, I and you of course, I have pasted for your digest (I should actually have called it News Digest shouldn’t I? Anyway…..) news that are making ways, I don’t know about Nigeria, but certainly around Cyberspace.
It concerns me though, if a majority of Nigerians who are, naturally and rightfully so, are more concerned about “what to eat, where to sleep and how to earn” than to read about the over fed Politicians who “have too much to eat, have forgotten they a mansion in a remote part of the world full of unoccupied rooms and have trillions of Naira.”
I remember growing up, if I by chance the vendor sells out, as its often the case, it means I would have to visit friends that have bought Newspapers for the day – be it Concord, Daily Times or Vanguard. We actually had a neighbour who never buys newspapers but loved to read ours. He comes knocking on our door every Saturday at around 11am when he knows the vendor had been to ours. It was so hilarious. “Soccer”, my dad, of blessed memories would have told us minutes before the “knock, knock, knock” on the door to vacate the man’s position on the settee. He was so prompt in attendance, and mehn, he read those columns, word, for word. It was hilarious. Wow, those were the good old days.
So as Julie Coker or Mike Enahoro or was it John Momoh for you or the most gorgeous woman on TV at that time Ronke Ayuba…..anyway, here are my chosen TOP 10 news items making waves
Utomi heads mega party , seek filing as SDMP – The Guardian
Gordon Brown prepares for final TV debate after ‘bigot’ blunder
Jonathan sacks Maurice Iwu, as he grants America’s request?
El-rufai returns this Saturday
2011: Senators to back Jonathan for presidency
Semi-final target no longer realistic, Lagerback as Super Eagles are ranked 20th by FIFA.rinho
2011: Why IBB’ll contest.
Senate probes ex-governor, now Senator Yerima ,over marriage to 13 yr-old Egyptian girl.
Virgin Nigeria to Get New Name.
“……the most beautiful defeat of my life” – Jose Mourinho.
“Welcome to Lagos” – Part 3
Utomi heads mega party , seek filing as SDMP – The Guardian
The Guardian that “THE mega party movement yesterday in Abuja formally metamorphosed into the Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP).” Mega party? What will be mega about this party? My initial thoughts were that the new party would consist of disgruntled members from other national parties such as the PDP, AC or ANPP. But how wrong! This party is only mega in name with Prof. Pat Utomi as its temporary National Chairman.
As much as I would love to see fresh minds such as Prof. Pat, I am very surprised though that this party is all over the news but is yet to be recognised by INEC as a registered party as its only forwarded its application for registration. How many months to go to the general elections? It is scary! Click to read GUARDIAN’S report.
Gordon Brown prepares for final TV Leaders’ debate after ‘bigot’ blunder
Meanwhile, in the UK, the three main parties (Labour, Conservative and the Lib. Democrat) are having another round of leaders’s debate today. As its customary with the British press who are obviously having a filled day with reports of all kinds, the Labour leader and Prime Minister, Gordon Brown is having to apologise for having been caught on a microphone mouthing off Mrs Duffy, a 66 year old lady voter as a “bigoted woman” for asking the question “All these Eastern Europeans what are coming in, where are they flocking from?” This was what sparked off the Prime Minister. And guess what? It has been turned (trust the English Press) into a scandal. In spite a telephone apology to Mrs Duffy and issuing six apologies over the next six hours, including an e-mail to Labour supporters for letting them down, he also ignored aides and insisted on driving back to Rochdale from Manchester, abandoning his preparation for tonight’s third and final leaders’ debate, to atone in person for his blunder. Click to read TIMES’S report.
Jonathan sacks Maurice Iwu, as he grants America’s request?
Hurray!
At long last! But was it engineered by Obama’s suggestion or Party Politics?
Who cares? The man known as Iwu has been granted a PRE-DISENGAGEMENT LEAVE, with immediate effect. Now tell me, who says Nigerians are not brilliant? Pre-disengagement leave? What on earth does that mean apart from getting the SACK. I just love it, I am loving every moment. I guess Editors could not be bothered with the elongated “sack” word. “Sack” is “sack” they must have thought, so you can guess what all the headlines had screaming on the front pages. Good riddance, I’ll say. The only snag is that he will still receive tax payers’ money until June when his 5 year term expires. What a shame? There is also talk of his passport seized. Click to read PUNCH’s report
El-rufai returns this Saturday
Why El-rufai’s return has made this headline is news to me. I have included it because it’s fascinating what would become of his return from exile. The former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nasir el-Rufai, will return to Nigeria on Saturday, NEXT can exclusively report. This was how it was carried…and …..
I don’t get it? El-rufai has two arrest warrants issued against him, he is also being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to account for almost $250 million spent during his tenure as Minister of the FCT. Not finished! He is facing an eight-count charge for criminal conspiracy and abuse of office while he served as minister. But do you know what? He is a card carrying member of the PDP. That’s interesting isn’t it? Especially with the implosion that is set to take within PDP. Click to read NEXT’s report
2011: Senators to back Jonathan for presidency
So what’s new here? You need to read to find reasons for their sudden undying love for Acting President Goodluck. It’s ridiculous politics. Nothing ridiculous really. The reasons why the citizens will go all out to canvas for Goodluck to rule are entirely different. If, and that is a big if, if he can sort out the perennial electricity problem, personally, I think he is on his way there. And judging by what is being reported around the country, he has started on a good note. Let’s hope he keeps it up. Guys, do not underestimate this man. He is no mumu. (The interpretation, for those who are interested. He is not a fool). Personally, I think there will be no stopping this man if he sorts out the issue of electricity. He has already given IWU the BOOT, which is good. How I wish he can call on Ribadu to take over (just a pipe dream, I guess, but you never know!). Click here to read Nigeria TRIBUNE’s report.
Semi-final target no longer realistic, Lagerback as Super Eagles are ranked 20th by FIFA.
Honestly, I really don’t think this Swedish Football Manager who has been asked to usher the Nigerian Super Eagles to the South African hosted World cup realises what has let himself in for?
I really do not want to believe that he agreed in the first instance to this nonsensical whimsical dream of leading Nigeria to at least the semi-final stage or what was he on when he signed on the dotted lines? Possibly Palm wine, I guess. The euphoria of getting at least a white person who has agreed to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) terms must have led to that joke of a commitment. Now, with all eyes cleared, the target is, somewhat, unrealistic. Really? The interesting bit is that he is, that is Lagerback in Durban busy inspecting Hotel facilities. It’s surly going to be a miraculous World Cup for Nigerians. Click to read VANGUARD NIGERIA’s report.
2011: Why IBB’ll contest
So one spoke person has not gone past trying to justify why IBB has the right to contest the Presidential elections? I honestly thought we have gone past that stage. The National coordinator of Nationalists Movement, a group raised to actualise the dream of the presidential hopeful, Alhaji Nma Kolo, told journalists in Minna, yesterday, that the main aim of IBB is to return the country back to its glorious days of economic boom and respect among the comity of nations. Need I say more? Click here read VANGUARD NIGERIA’s report.
Senate probes ex-governor, now Senator, Ahmed Sani Yerima, over marriage to 13 yr-old Egyptian girl
I will leave you to digest how audacious some of, if not all our leaders can be. With 4 wives already, he went ahead to divorce his 15-year old married wife to accommodate his new 13-year old wife, and you say nothing is impossible in Nigeria? And justify that there was nothing wrong with his actions; he paraded his “imported” Egyptian “wife” in front of his fellow political big wigs at a wedding reception. The good news is that, no longer would this absurd action go unnoticed. The protests by a coalition of women groups including the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, MWAN, Women Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative, WRAPA, and the Global Association of Female Attorneys, GAFA, brought this child marriage incidence to everybody’s attention. However, there are worrying reports that Senators in the house are trying to “bury” this story. Click here to read NEXT’s report
Virgin Nigeria to Get New Name
And so? What has changing of a name got to do with offering an effective service? It beats me. The Business man, Jimoh Ibrahim has succeeded in taking over the reins of, I honestly thought the name had been changed to …what’s it called again? Something elephant? Or is it Eagle? Everything tends to have Eagle at the end for some daft reasons. Oh yes, Nigerian Eagle or some sort. Anyway, Mr Ibrahim will change the name, that is definite. And where do we go from there? Click THE PUNCH for a full report.
“……the most beautiful defeat of my life” – Jose Mourinho
I was as glued to the television set as you would ever see me, rooting of course for the “the Special one” Jose Mourinho. You will not go far to find somebody who is so cock sure of himself and exudes self belief and confidence which he manages somehow to pass on to the 22 legs that make up his team. He is so good at it. Barcelona thought it was in the bag. I didn’t, not when it concerns Jose. There is no manager that is as good as this man when it comes to football tactics. I will almost include the master of them all, Sir Alex Ferguson, and it is for this reason I will ask Sir Alex to pass over the baton to the “special one” asap. Just Google Jose and you get all sorts of reporst.
Finally, guys, tonight is the concluding part of “Welcome to Lagos”, shown on BBC 2 at 9pm (I think?) and as usual I would love to read your views. Snatch, Gerard and co. Thanks in advance for links guys…..lolll
Ladies and Gentlemen, friends of Nigeria, Nigerians youth scattered all over the world, Journalists, Historians, politicians and future Nigerian leaders, below is an epistle of monumental revelation. A scary episode in the political life of the most populated nation on the planet. This drama could not have been captured in a few words. In orderwards, Naiwu Osahon, the writer, has gifted Nigeria with an insight into how Politics in Nigeria is played. It is a very, very lengthy read, I hasten to add. However, it is spell binding and captivating.
It is a revelation of the person that owns the body and mind called IBRAHIM BADAMOSI BABANGIDA, otherwise known simply as IBB or Maradona or the Phoenix.
This historical dissertation, a beautifully written commentary of Nigerian politics fused with the military, reveals so much more than has ever been written before.
The characters appeared to me to be operating on another level, another planet. Nothing would get in their ways and if it does, woe betides the unfortunate patriotic Nigerian.
Before this read, I often wondered of the mysterious death of some of the actors. After this read, I am richer with information and no longer surprised.
I could not help shaking my head almost all through this mini drama. It featured greed, assassination, deceit, bribery, terrorism, what have you. Come on, this could not have been a fabrication by Mr Naiwu Oshon.
The disturbing revelation to me is that the characters that featured in this epic destruction of a nation are still very much active and alive.
Let me let you get on with it. I must warn you again though, do not skip this read, instead, take a break, come back, and continue, because it is lengthy. 8, 036 words to be precise.
Breath taking stuff.
I can’t say enjoy, can I? Rather, I’ll say get ready to be amazed and angered.
Ladies and Gentlemen I hereby present ……..
THE EVIL CANDIDATE: GENERAL IBRAHIM BADAMOSI BABANGIDA
By Naiwu Osahon, April 12, 2010
Apart from Obasanjo, Babangida is the greatest evil ever to befall any country in the world)-All that Babangida, (nicknamed IBB), has to show for his over eight years in power in Nigeria, is private colossal wealth, and the edification of corruption in our body politics. Yes, he is richer than many African governments and can buy whoever he wants, but he ruined our lives to reach there. The book, The Sink, by Jeffrey Robinson, an American writer, says it all about Babangida. “Of the $120 billion siphoned out of the Nigerian treasury into offshore accounts by dishonest politicians, $20 billion is allegedly traceable to IBB directly as president from 1985 to 1993.” The World Bank and other international sources of information put his total loot from the Nigerian treasury at over $35 billion.
Osahon Naiwu
He is now threatening to use a fraction of his loot to return to power and a figure of N400 billion has been mentioned by his cronies as his campaign chest. We ought to be worrying now about how to survive this viper’s poisoned food. We are desperately hungry but if we eat, we die immediately. If we don’t, we die slowly from hunger anyway, terrorized by the viper’s fang. We are trapped. We can’t get up to look elsewhere for food or do anything else. The evil genius has hijacked our destiny.
Fortunately, there are still principled, conscientious and patriotic Nigerians, determined that if they must die, it must not be without a fight. Babangida would not return to rule over one Nigeria. If he does, lovers of Nigeria would, at least, make Nigeria ungovernable for him, failing which, they would emigrate. I would definitely renounce my citizenship of Nigeria if nothing else.
The Yoruba have a proverb about: ‘a person about to be roasted, who rubs his body with fat and goes to stand by a raging fire.’ This must have influenced the following remarks on IBB by our popular human rights lawyer/activist, Mr. Femi Falana: “I am not quite sure that Nigerians can stop him from exposing himself to ridicule. He has been lucky that he is not in jail now. His coming out to contest will provide an opportunity for Nigerians to deal with him squarely and confront him with the annulment of June 12 election, the murder of Dele Giwa, the Ejigbo tragic plane crash, the destruction of our values as a people, corruption, and massive violation of human rights.”
M. D. Yusufu, a former Inspector General of police said in Karl Maiers book, This House has fallen, that: “Babangida went all out to corrupt society. Abacha was intimidating people with fear. With him gone now you can recover. But this corruption remains and it is very corrosive to society.”
Professor Akin Oyebode of the University of Lagos law department describes IBB’s attempt to return to power “as a colossal assault on the national psyche. At the end of the debate on the IMF conditionalities, he clamped on SAP, which was more draconian than the IMF conditionalities. Because he has a 50-bedroom house at Minna, he thinks the world is his oyster. He latches on the popular yearnings to launder his image. He has dirty rotten underwear that he wants to clean so that people will give him a new improved IBB. IBB is a bad statement to the whole world that at the end of the day we again brought Babangida to the scene. I don’t want my children to live under Babangida. I won’t live under Babangida.”
If all he could deliver, as a young man was to loot our treasury dry, what is he bringing to the table now? He does not even have the basic education or the intelligence. To be an expert at maneuvering a people and their treasury does not demonstrate intelligence as much as lack of moral fiber and self-discipline. Babangida is an empty barrel midget, robed in threatening vulgar giant frippery of evil exploits.
He lacks respect for democracy and worth of human life. He killed Dele Giwa. He closed down Ogun state radio; Concord, Guardian, Punch and Sketch newspapers; Newswatch and News magazines, during his time. He treated with contempt the Justice Chukwudifu Oputa led Human Rights Violation Investigation Commission (HRVIC), when summoned to answer charges on the murder of Dele Giwa. He also rushed to the court to prevent the implementation of the report of the Commission as it affected him.
Letter bomb murdered Dele Giwa
Perhaps he wants to come back to rule so that he can retire with the biggest loot in history? But according to the book: The Sink, and International anti-corruption agencies reports, he has achieved that status already so why does he not want to leave us alone?
Speaking obliquely a few months ago in Babangidaspeak, he threatened that when he would speak on the June 12 annulment issue, Nigeria would shake to her foundations. In an interview in late May, 2004, on Channels TV, Babangida spoke on the June 12 issue, and no feathers were ruffled. Instead, Babangida admitted toothy smile and all, that he made a mistake but that he did it in the interest of Nigeria.
That was the same argument Mariam Abacha used when asked about her husband’s loot stashed away in his foreign accounts. She said her husband was saving the money for Nigeria. On hindsight, we got some of the money back didn’t we? That is more than can be said about Babangida’s loot and the political turmoil he plunged Nigeria into since his selfish, irresponsible, June 12 annulment.
On why Babangida ignored all pleas not to kill Mamman Vasta, the master dribbler said that Vasta’s death was a painful decision for him, but that he had no choice in the matter, because he was following military rules, and he did it in the national interest. But Vasta, his fellow infantry soldier and childhood friend, was hurriedly killed and his body dumped in a mass grave on the night of the announcement of his sentence, (i.e. early morning of 5th March 1986), to prevent last minute pleas for reprieve. Acid was poured on the bodies, including Vasta’s and burnt, so one must ask, was the rush to kill Vasta and burn his carcass sanctioned too by the military laws? The whole thing smacks of envy, apart from being hideous and barbaric. Babangida used the phantom coup allegation to remove or marginalize the Middle Belt military top brass in his government.
The Poet - Mamman Vasta
Babangida said that he brought Obasanjo back to power to stabilize the polity. What he was not telling, was the apparent deal between the two of them not to probe each other in power. Otherwise, why would Obasanjo ignore the bigger rogues to vigorously pursue the return of Abacha’s loot of a mere US$5 billion relatively?
IBB
Babangida on the Channels’TV interview said he wants to return to power to correct Nigerian problems because he has been there before.
The man has no shame. Our most critical problem as a people is the rampant and systematic looting of our treasury by our successive leaders. Babangida was no exception, and he is being accused of the biggest loot of all, so, is he now saying that he wants to voluntarily refund whatever he is being accused of diverting from our coffers while in power? I have written personally to him before to do this, and he did not answer. He does not have to return to power to help Nigeria pay off her staggering foreign debt.
In a country of over 140 million people, what makes Babangida think he alone deserves to rule for perhaps seventeen or more years? What is he bringing to the table now if he never had it in the first place? Don’t we deserve better than our past illiterate leaders who could not differentiate between the national and their private purses?
Of all the Nigerian military dictators, Babangida was the most desperate for power, and for attempting to hold on to it for life, apart from being the most flamboyant, cunning, callous, ruthless and deadly, about how they went about achieving their goals. Babangida grew on Nigeria slowly and quietly, with a deceptive toothy smile.
Babangida first came into serious political reckoning with Buhari’s misleading coup of December 31st 1983. In reality, power was seized for the opportunity to destroy documents relating to the NNPC’s missing USA$2.8 billion oil money, and punish all those involved in the unraveling of the scam. Politicians and critics, including Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, notorious for clamouring for the exposure of the oil money rogue Minister of an earlier military epoch, were locked up without trial.
After consigning the vexatious matters that brought him to power to administrative oblivion with the help of Shinkafi, his Secret Service guru, Buhari announced his readiness to quit office. Idiagbon, as Buhari’s lieutenant, naturally insisted on taking over as head of state from his apparently prematurely retiring boss. Babangida, who was Chief of Army Staff at the time and a member of the Supreme Military Council, insisted it was his turn to rule because he had been involved in virtually every military coup. The quarrel split the Supreme Military Council members almost equally behind the two principal combatants.
Strict Military Leader Tunde Idiagbon
Akilu had just returned from a military training in India at the time and Babangida recommended him for appointment as the head of the Secret Service. Idiagbon by-passed Akilu and slighted Babangida by not consulting with him to confirm the new head of the Secret Service from the army.
Gloria Okon was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed Airport trying to smuggle cocaine out of the country. Gloria claimed to be a courier for the family of one of the two high ranking military officers deeply involved in the Supreme Military Council’s palaver. Gloria was quickly smuggled out of the country and a carcass burnt beyond recognition of a human body, was left in her prison room to deceive the authorities. As Gloria’s drama was playing out, Abiola brought a large consignment of banned newsprint into the country, forcing Idiagbon to insist on the arrest of Chief M.K.O Abiola.
All sorts of calamitous events kept rolling out at the time, including the arrest of one Ikuomola for trying to smuggle a large consignment of cocaine out of the country. He indicted a son of one of the Dantatas and they were both tried and sentenced to death. The Dantata family mounted pressure on the Supreme Military Council to commute the sentence to life. The issue heightened the division among the Supreme Military Council members, with the Gloria Okon’s high ranking military benefactor, siding with the Dantatas naturally.
Idiagbon insisted that if poor people found with cocaine could be punished with death sentence, why should the rich and affluent be spared? Idiagbon also wanted the lawyer, (a Rivers state chap who had received some four million naira as legal fees on the case at the time), to be shot along with the drug barons for benefiting from the evil.
The schism between Idiagbon and Babangida totally paralyzed the Supreme Military Council and it could no longer function. Idiagbon forced compulsory leave on Babangida, under close surveillance with tapped telephone lines and all. Chief M.K.O Abiola saw the opportunity to save his neck from the newsprint saga by teaming up with his friend, Babangida, and he provided the seed money for a coup.
Flamboyant MKO Abiola
Through the facilities of Abiola and the Dantatas, Yar Adua was brought into the picture to help influence the Saudi Arabian monarch to extend a special invitation to Idiagbon as a guest of the monarch, to perform the 1985 Lesser Hajj in Mecca. Idiagbon felt greatly honoured by the invitation and took with him to Mecca, most of his supporters on the splintered Supreme Military Council, including Mamman Vasta.
With Idiagbon (who was the head of the Buhari’s regime in every sense of the word, and was very popular because of his transparent honesty, patriotism, and discipline), out of the way, Buhari (who was ready to vacate office anyway), was picked up like a helpless chicken at Doddan Barracks, and dumped in jail. Idiagbon, against the coupists’ advice, returned home a people’s hero, although locked up for several months too by Babangida.
The day after Babangida’s coup, I attacked it on the front page of the Sunday Punch newspaper, as a ploy by the (IMF and the World Bank) to marginalize the naira and destroy our economy, and Babangida was described as a snake by nature and a stooge of the West. The Editor of the Sunday Punch and his deputy at the time, Ayo Osintolu, and Bob Opone, respectively, were suspended from their jobs. Ayo for six months and Bob for three. I was unemployed as usual at the time, so, Babangida was handicapped about how to deal with me immediately. I heard later that I was blacklisted for all future government contracts and positions, even though my secondary school classmate Rear Admiral Aikhomu (rtd) eventually became Babangida’s deputy in office. I never tried to find out.
Because of my reputation as someone you could persuade with superior argument but impossible to bribe out of his conviction, my best friend who was like a twin brother to me at the time, Com. Wole Bucknor (rtd), was detailed to plead with me to drop any further development of the IBB matter. Their strategy was to admit to me that my observations were absolutely correct but that Babangida meant well for Nigeria. With Babangida’s antecedence, it was difficult for my friend to persuade me, but Nigerian newspapers in general at that early stage of the regime, were a little scared to publish and be damned.
Luckily, it did not take too long for Babangida to begin to reveal his secret agenda. He had removed Idiagbon/Buhari from power to douse the heated allegation at the time about illegal drug links and to help the IMF/World Bank ruin the naira and open up the Nigerian market as dumping ground for American and European junk and decadence. The marginalization of the naira suited Babangida’s Machiavellian streak to blunt prospects of mass protests with abject poverty, hunger, and basic survival pre-occupations. For example, the terroristic power of massive foreign exchange loot in a private hand, is limitless as a tool for forcing pauperized populace to acquiesce to the self-perpetuation antics of a potential despot.
Babangida’s first pronouncement in power was to shock the nation by adopting the civilian title of president. He did this because of a secret personal ambition kept to himself, to transit into life president in the mould of Presidents Nasir of Egypt and Eyadema of Togo, and also because of his agreement to make Chief Abiola his Vice President for collaborating over their 1985 coup. Abacha kicked against Abiola becoming Vice President because he was eyeing Babangida’s seat in a possible future coup of his own and wanted to remain the defacto next in command, in military terms, for eventual easy take over excuse.
Babangida promised Yar Adua a short-lived military transition after which he would hand over power to Yar Adua. That was why Yar Adua kept boasting during the early stages of Babangida’s regime, that no force on earth could stop him becoming the next president of Nigeria. This prompted Obasanjo’s statement at the time that Yar Adua must have forgotten something at the state house.
Babangida was so single minded, self-centered, and power-drunk, he single-handedly forced OIC membership on Nigeria without respect for our supposed religious secularity. He used every means imaginable to assert his power. Spiritual, criminal, everything was fair in his ruthless power game. The gods of the Marabouts became privileged guests at Aso Rock, lacing it with severe witchcraft, which was later vigorously sustained by Abacha.
Civilian IBB
If the physical failed, the metaphysical was handy in the human blood bath for power. Blood was the language in the cultish game for total control. Fear gripped the land. Who was going to be the next victim? Life was scary and worthless. I bet, corridor of power social acolytes of the time like the Arisekolas, Adedibus and the Akinyeles, could write blood-cuddling masterpieces on the mysteries of the season. Assassinations were rampant, sophisticated and comprehensive, incorporating bombings and dare-devil forages. Media houses were burnt or closed down, and critics of government were murdered, incarcerated or hounded into exile. Plane loads of promising young army officers lost their lives in questionable circumstances. Others appeared to have been sacrificed in distant land civil wars.
The Ejigbo military Hercules crash that killed an elite corp. of army captains and majors returning to their Jaji training base, is a typical example of the terrible human carnage visited upon us at the time by a desperate tyrant bent on holding on to power indefinitely at all costs. The plane was doctored and it crashed a few seconds after take-off from the Murtala Mohammed airport. No rescue attempt was ordered or made until 24 hours after the crash and even then, the inadequate facilities of a private company, (Julius Berger), were relied upon. Forty-eight hours after the crash, a warm body was still found suggesting that some lives could have been saved if rescue operations had commenced minutes after the crash.
Apart from the needless assassinations of possible opponents and rivals for power, there were totally senseless ones too, such as the death of Murtala Mohammed’s first son immediately after visiting the seat of power. It was generously reported in the press at the time. The allegation was that during the friendly, private visit, the young man was asked if he would be prepared to do a job. The young chap said he could not say until he was told what the job was. When told that he was to help facilitate the elimination of Chief Abiola, the young man said he couldn’t because Abiola was like a father to him. The host then quickly dismissed the suggestion as if it had been a joke and asked how the young man travelled to the state house. “By private car,” the young man said. “You are going about without security?” the host asked, pretending to look alarmed, and detailed some security officers to escort the young man to his Minna
destination. The body of the young man was later that day found in his car on the route between the seat of power and Minna.
The late "oga's " wife Maryam Babangida
Bongos Ikwe’s son by a girl friend, who later married Oga, also lost his life in suspicious circumstances. Bongos, in press interviews at the time, denied knowing his son’s mother who, in fact, is the junior sister of Bongos’ best friend and music partner on an RKTV programme in the early 60s. Despite denials, Bongos’ most popular recorded song ‘O Mariana’ could not conceal the anguish of the jilted lover.
Perhaps the most stupid, irresponsible and callous murder of them all was that of Dele Giwa. The death was a classic example of desperate, high-handed, dirty and mean, under-the-carpet cover-up state terrorism.
Dele Giwa’s problem was that he stumbled on some documents about Gloria Okon in London and after interviewing her, threatened to publish the story while allegedly letting it be known that he could be persuaded to withdraw publication with a cash bribe of US$21m plus N200m. Alternatively, he was ready to settle for the position of Information Minister, which Tony Mommoh was occupying at the time. Dele Giwa’s blackmail unfortunately misfired unlike an earlier one involving Mr. Lawson, the founder of the Nigerian Grail Movement who was alleged to have been arrested and locked up in London for money laundering problems. Mudashiru, the military governor of Lagos state at the time of Lawson’s travails, was alleged to have stopped the publication of Lawson’s story by bribing Giwa with the land and C of O of the Newswatch plaza.
Dr. T.C. Nwosu, the renowned Nigerian author, and I, came out in defense of Mamman Vasta, (when he was arrested for coup plotting), in a joint statement published as a news item at the time, in the Nigerian Guardian newspaper. We said it was a lie to accuse Vasta of trying to stage a coup to take the IMF conditionalities. This was the first time anyone, (civilian or military), would come out openly to defend an alleged coup plotter in Nigeria, and Vasta who was our friend and colleague in the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), took our support to heart, and arranged for some documents on his kangaroo trial for coup plotting to be smuggled out to us.
One of the documents we received was on Gloria Okon. We could not use the information in Nigeria at the time because no newspaper would dare publish it, so I arranged for Ejike Nwankwo, my bosom friend, to take the documents to his senior brother, Chief Arthur Nwankwo, who was in political exile in London at the time. The idea was for Arthur Nwankwo to have the Gloria Okon’s story published in the Manchester Guardian, but Arthur decided to delay publication until he could use the immunity of the Nigerian Senate, which he was aspiring to join in Babangida’s best time as a member, to make the story public.
Senior members of the Ministry of Information, and of the Daily Times at the time, and a director of Newswatch, were not totally ignorant about what was going on in Babangida’s government. In fact, Abacha at a point, asked the boss of the Ministry of Information to frame up Dele Giwa. The boss being a principled and die-hard journalist, argued that it was difficult to frame up journalists.
Babangida’s boys went ahead to frame up Giwa anyway. Three days before they killed Dele Giwa, Col. A. K. Togun, the deputy Director of Babangida’s State Security Service (the SSS), invited Giwa to his office and accused him of involvement in the importation of arms while linking Giwa with other persons alleged to be trying to stage a socialist revolution in Nigeria. At the meeting, agreement was reached, and Babangida, through his emissaries, promised to meet Giwa’s terms. Two days before Giwa’s murder, Akilu allegedly phoned Giwa’s home to ask for direction because Babangida’s ADC “has something for him, an invitation or something.”
Dele Giwa allegedly invited the overseas editor of Newswatch at the time to be around. Obviously, Giwa took the president’s promise more seriously than his colleagues at the Newswatch. This was why, when Giwa received the parcel and confirmed that it was from the President, his guest’s first reaction was to dash off to take cover in the toilet adjacent to the room where Giwa opened the parcel bomb. The guest escaped death by the whiskers and blasted eardrums. Tagum, when asked by Airport Correspondents on October 27, 1986, about Giwa’s bombing inadvertently confirmed the blackmail reason for Giwa’s death when he said: “We came to a real agreement and one person cannot just come out and blackmail us. I am an expert on blackmail. If a motorcycle man suddenly dashed in front of a car and the driver kills the motorcycle man, another motorcycle man who was there would not say the motorcycle man who dashed in front of the car was wrong.
He would say the driver killed him, not that he killed himself”
An Arab terrorist, who was recruited to collaborate with a University of Ibadan chemistry don especially for the task, produced the bomb. The terrorist is alleged to have gone with Major Buba Marwa, Ogbeha and Gwazo, in a Peugeot station wagon car with fake license plate numbers, to deliver the bomb at Dele’s home. On arrival, they were told that Dele was not in, so they laid ambush near-by to watch movements in and out of Giwa’s premises.
As soon as Giwa was spotted entering his house, the allegation continues, the Arab terrorist offered to go and deliver the bomb, but his colleagues in crime stopped him on the grounds that a white man would look too suspicious for the job. Marwa, accompanied by Ogbeha, are alleged to have delivered the bomb to Dele’s son at the door, after which the crime team drove off to Mafoluku where they burned their delivery car. The same day, the Arab terrorist was flown out of Lagos, first to Kano, and eventually out of the country.
Major Buba Marwa was at the time rewarded with the rank of Lt. Col. and posted to the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, USA, as the new Military Attaché. His rise in the Army was extremely rapid and as Col. returned home to be Governor of Lagos State. Armed robbers welcomed him to his new office with the kind of daredevilry never before experienced in Nigeria. Violence begets violence they say. The armed robbers raided from Mile two to Ikeja, even as he was passing by. Marwa panicked, so Babangida pumped unusual resources into Marwa’s coffers to ensure his success, which is the genesis of his tramping around as an achiever today. His private life does not suggest that he suffered in fool’s paradise.
Marwa, Ogbeha, and Gwazo, have since denied their alleged involvement in Dele Giwa’s murder. Marwa, who now owns an airline and, therefore, knows that it takes less than eight hours to fly across the Atlantic to Nigeria, argued that he was studying in the USA at the time. The implication of this, of course, was that it was impossible to take a few days off his studies.
Marwa, who rose to fame through IBB’s benevolence, is considered in military circles as one of the IBB boys, made up principally of the trusted cronies of the retired dictator. Accused of laundering money for IBB, Marwa again relied on the puerile argument that he was the Borno state governor in 1990, as if state governors are too busy governing diligently to travel out of Nigeria for a day or two, or even a week, on private businesses.
In December, 2005, when Marwa was detained for a couple of weeks by the EFCC, for laundering money for Abacha, he allegedly admitted that he had no choice in the matter as a military officer. He was only doing his duty. Of course, doing illegal duties loyally often goes with silencing, mouth-watering pecks, if nothing else.
In the area of managing the national economy, Babangida bestowed his adroitness and moral degeneracy. His economy was dominated by male-wives, particularly in the banking and oil sectors. Women often brag about the efficacy of ‘bottom’ power. Feminine men sometimes flaunt it too as their passport to economic liberation. Between them and the suddenly very lucrative 419 business of the time, industry was complete. IBB’s chiefs, allegedly colluded with 419 criminals to create the over-night semi-illiterate money-bags without class or shame, (including the 150 members of the National Assembly, that in 2005 sent IBB a birthday card), and who together now form the bulk of his supporters and campaigners, to return him to power.
Babangida (sapped) or totally wiped the middle class out of existence with the destruction of the naira, which he did by fiat in 1985, when he down graded the naira exchange rate from about N2 to N18 to the dollar. By the time he was forced out of office in 1993, the naira was exchanging at N60 to the dollar. Society was now reduced to two social classes of either the very poor or the rich rogues.
Babangida first concentrated on pulverizing his military base by tinkering with the 1985 Decree 17, to give himself sole authority to fire his military chiefs, including the chief of general staff; chairman, joint chiefs of staff; service chiefs, and the inspector general of police. General Domkat Bali said at the time: “Babangida must have known what he was aiming at if you now take those powers of the President as civilian, and you now put them on any army officer who then sits with other army officers, in the name of Supreme Military Council, SMC, who are useless to him, whom he can change tomorrow, that means that name is not Supreme at all.”
Bali was provoked to leave the government when he was demoted from the position of Minister of Defence to that of Internal Affairs. Ukiwe, a senior naval officer, who was IBB’s deputy, was forced to retire even before Bali did, for demonstrating patriotic zeal in defense of team spirit, over our IOC membership saga.
Orkar Coup Suspects
Gideon Orkar’s failed coup of April 22, 1990, provided Babangida with the opportunity to further purge the military. With total control over the military, IBB was ready to pursue his President-for- life agenda, (starting) by dismissing his S. J. Cookie’s Political Bureau programme for the return to civil rule by 1990.
For over eight years, Babangida kept shifting his handing over date and juggling his transition programme by arbitrarily banning and unbanning politicians, particularly the known opponents of military rule. He spent N40 billion on his endless transition programme, and bribed all and sundry, including the NLC with N50 million, NUJ with N20 million, PMAN with N30 million, and so on, to try to silence them. He attempted to compromise some vocal critics by settling them, and those he could not recruit, he sacked where possible, or detained, or killed, or hounded into exile.
Less than two years into his rule in 1987, IBB announced that he was planning to bequeath a lasting legacy of civil rule, through a gradual learning political process. Four years into his regime in 1989, he lifted for the first time his ban on partisan politics, and set up two political parastatals. One was called the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and the other was the National Republican Convention (NRC).
The handing over date to civilian government was postponed once again from late 1990 to the 1st of October 1992. He allowed elections to be held into the local governments in 1990, and in 1991, Babangida instigated intra party squabbles to find excuse to ban 12 of the candidates participating in the governorship elections. Candidates replacing the disqualified ones had barely one week to campaign.
Elections into the State Assemblies miraculously held without too much acrimony, followed shortly afterwards by elections into the National Assembly. In all the elections, known individuals strongly against Babangida or the military in power were sidelined, banned, or hounded into exile, prominent among whom were Ibrahim Tahir of the NPN, Sam Mbakwe, Chris Okolie, Wahab Dosumu, Ebenezer Babatope, etc.
Allegation of massive rigging was invoked on 17 November, 1992, to ban Adamu Ciroma and Shehu Musa Yar Adua, who had emerged from party primaries as presidential candidates for the NRC and the SDP respectively, and 21 other presidential aspirants, (including Chief Arthur Nzeribe, Chief Olu Falae, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and Alhaji Umar Shinkafi), from participating in the scheduled August 1992 presidential election, and all other future elections. The trick was that Babangida was gradually narrowing the field of potential presidential materials to himself. Remember that Babangida had promised Yar Adua the Presidency when Yar Adua helped to actualize the 1985 coup that brought Babangida to power. The ban did not go down well with the political elite in general, and particularly with Yar Adua who had assumed he would take over leadership from Babangida.
With the ban, Babangida once again postponed his handing over date from October 1st 1992, to Dec 5, 1992. Soon after, Babangida mandated the National Electoral Commission (NEC), to conduct the presidential primaries of the political parties, and he again fixed a new date of January 3, 1993, for the handing over of the reigns of power to a civilian government. Bribery, thuggery, rigging, ethnic cleavages, etc., ruined the NEC supervised political parties’ presidential primaries, resulting in the dissolution of party executives, who were replaced by Sole Administrators, and National Coordinators. Handing over date was once again postponed to August 27, 1993.
Baba Gana Kingibe, who was the SDP chairman before the dissolution of the party executives, and was then supposed to be managing the affairs of Yar Adua, was alleged to have received Babangida’s backing and financial support to aspire as presidential candidate obviously to cause confusion in Yar Adua’s political camp. Kingibe pasted his campaign posters all over the place, causing bad blood between himself and Yar Adua, which spilled into the Jos SDP convention of 1993.
In the meantime, Babangida was busy creating anarchy in the ranks of the politicians by introducing his modified open ballot system, and insisting that presidential aspirants go through tedious ward, local government, and state congresses. This eventually produced two presidential aspirants for each of the states, plus two for the FCT, and the unwieldy 62 presidential aspirants had to go through further elimination processes, at various national congresses, before the Jos (SDP), and Port-Harcourt (NRC), conventions of 1993.
Several irregularities were observed at the party conventions and a lot of money changed hands.
Alhaji Bashir Tofa for the NRC, and Bashorun M.K.O Abiola for the SDP, emerged as the presidential flag bearers. Babangida who was unhappy that progress was being made in the presidential election process was further pissed-off when his nominee, Pascal Bafyau, the ex-NLC president, as Abiola’s running mate, (to spy on and undermine Abiola), was rejected by Abiola. Abiola also upset Yar Adua’s calculations, by not accepting Abubakir Atiku as his running mate, and choosing Baba Gana Kingibe instead.
Of course, the emergence at last of promising presidential candidates for both parties was not a very palatable option for Abacha too who was still nursing the dream to succeed Babangida although pretending to be on the side of Babangida. Abacha misled Babangida to think of him as a possible ally, so the scene was set for Babangida to feel that if he annulled the election, he would have the support of Abacha, Yar Adua and other perceived, powerful enemies of Abiola, including a leading traditional ruler in the South-West.
Military Leader IBB
Babangida, in his determination to scuttle the presidential election at all cost, promulgated Decree 13, forbidding the presidential flag bearers of the two political parties from doing anything whatsoever that would influence members of the public to vote for them at the election scheduled for June 12 1993. Then Babangida empowered NEC to disqualify any of the candidates at will, and as a (final) fall back strategy, to scuttle our democratic dream, he set up his Association for Better Nigeria (ABN) party, using Senator Arthur Nzeribe as proxy.
On June 10, 1993, at the unholy hour of 9.30 pm, late Justice Ikpeme, who was appointed a few days earlier and hurriedly transferred from Lagos to Abuja, granted a court order to the ABN, restraining the NEC Chairman Humphrey Nwosu, from conducting the Presidential election on June 12, 1993.
The Director of the United States Information Service (USIS) in Nigeria at the time, Mr. O’Brien, warned that the US government would not be happy if the June 12 election was cancelled. Babangida panicked, and although he declared O’Brien persona non grata and ordered him out of the country in his personal interest, Babangida allowed Nwosu to go ahead with the election.
The election was adjudged by the international and local observers monitoring it and by the two political parties involved, as the fairest and freest in the history of Nigeria. By the evening of June 14 1993, more than 50% of the election results had been authenticated and released by NEC, showing that SDP’s Moshood Abiola had swept the polls.
To everyone’s surprise, Babangida suddenly ordered NEC not to release any more results. On June 23, 1993, Babangida gave an unsigned statement to Nduka Irabor, his press secretary, announcing the cancellation of the presidential election on the radio. The unsigned statement was a strategy to allow Babangida to deny its authenticity, should Nigeria begin to boil over the announcement. Nigerians had become too hungry and docile to react.
Ex- President Babangida
Babangida annulled the June12 election entirely on his own, based on his selfish, personal agenda to rule indefinitely. Before annulling the election, he rallied the connivance and support of some critical Emirs and a leading Yoruba traditional ruler known to be antagonistic to Abiola’s political ambition, and the signatures of a bunch of political and military apologists (or jobbers), tagged the G-34, on a document entitled ‘Peace Pact,’ in endorsement of his annulment of the June 12, 1993, elections.
The G-34 comprised of the following members of the military junta and leaders of the two political parties, the SDP and the NRC: Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, Chief Earnest Shonekan who eventually headed Babangida’s contraption called the Interim National Government (ING), General Shehu Musa Yar’ardua, Alhaji Sule Lamido, Alhaji Adamu Ciroma, Amb. Dele Cole, Chief Tony Anenih, Chief Jim Nwobodo, Brig-Gen David A. B Mark, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, Alhaji Olusola Saraki, Chief Dapo Sarumi, Chief Joseph Toba, Chief Bola Afonja, Dr. Hammed Kusamotu, Dr. Okechukwu Odunze, Prof. Eyo Ita, Y. Anka, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, Chief Tom Ikimi, Barrister Joe Nwodo (who signed with reservations) , Dr. Bawa Salka, Alhaji Abba Murtala Mohammed, Alhaji Abdulrahman Okene, Lt. Gen Joshua Dongoyaro, Lt. Gen Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, Brig-Gen John Shagaya, Brig-Gen Anthony Ukpo, Halilu A. Maina, Alhaji Bawa Salka, Mr. Amos Idakula, Mr. Theo Nikire, Alhaji A. Ramalan, Alhaji A.
Mohammed. Many of these traitors are still making decisions for Nigeria today.
Babangida’s military constituency, by and large, was against the annulment. Abacha saw his opportunity to act, and with the backing of the armed forces of Nigeria, warned Babangida that he would be entirely on his own after the August 27, 1993, handing over date. Babangida in fear, concocted and swore in an illegal arrangement he called the Interim National Government, ING, to take over office from August 27, 1993. After swearing in his ING on August 26, 1993, Babangida who was supposed to be pulled out of the army in the military tradition, played all sorts of pranks to delay the event from 11.am to 1.00pm and then to 3.00pm, when the Nigerian army removed Babangida’s guards from the Eagle Square to warn him that his time was up.
There is this strong allegation among the rank and file of the armed forces, and members of the defense correspondence of our newspapers attached to the seat of power, that Babangida arranged, in the last couple of weeks before leaving office, for several armoured vehicle loads of newly printed naira notes to be delivered daily to his new Minna palatial abode obviously with the connivance of Abacha, perhaps as his mentor’s retirement benefit.
Abacha and Babangida had several serious financial problems with Abiola but one of them takes the cake. It was over some foreign war booty amounting to US$215m. It is alleged that Babangida had asked Abiola to help launder it when Babangida was in office but Abiola was not interested.
Babangida allegedly side-stepped Abiola and eventually prevailed upon a member of Abiola’s family in the custom of family friendship, to rescue the situation. Then the person suddenly died. It is further alleged that Abiola was asked to return the money and he truthfully and honestly said he knew noting about it and even if there was such a thing, he had no authority over the matter. Then he was asked to pressurize the children of the deceased to play ball.
Abiola refused, arguing that he had no legal or moral right to do so. The kids of the deceased wanted Abiola released but Abiola was too principled to succumb to blackmail so the powers that be decided early after his arrest, that he would die in detention for declaring himself president.
The Gulf war oil windfall is Babangida’s often-referenced loot. Abacha set up a panel headed by the highly respected economist, Pius Okigbo, in October, 1994, to reorganize the CBN. Okigbo’s panel discovered that $12.2 billion of the $12.4 billion accruable from the Gulf War excess crude oil sales was frittered away or unaccounted for, through nebulous or phantom projects that could not be traced. Only $206 million was left in the account. According to Okigbo, “disbursements were clandestinely undertaken while the country was openly reeling with crushing external debt overhead. These represent, no matter the initial justification for creating the account, a gross abuse of public trust. ”
When Obasanjo in 2001, decided to look quietly into the missing NNPC’s US$12.2 billion Gulf war oil windfall linked to Babangida, it was found that the documents pertaining to the fraud had disappeared from the volts of the Central Bank. The brilliant, highly respected economist, Pius Okigbo who handled the investigations into the scam had private copies. Before he could deliver, he insisted on travelling to London against strong, wise, private, counsel, and he was wasted. Other members of the Okigbo panel had copies of the report anyway and were still alive.
Government miraculously found the CBN documents when it suited it, and aspects of the documents concerning IBB, were published during the threat by members of the House of Representatives to impeach President Obasanjo in July, 2005, because of speculations that IBB was one of the Northern elites fanning the plot.
Babangida was ruthless in the way he amassed his colossal wealth. First is the illegal self-allocation of free oil, sold on the spot market. Then he initiated the corrupt culture of maintaining a huge monthly security vote virtually as personal pocket money. Rather than repair our refineries, let alone to work at maximum capacity, IBB built private refineries in Cote d’Ivoire and the Republic of Benin, where he took our crude to refine and sell back to us as fuel.
John Fashanu, in a private investigation published in African Confidential early in Obasanjo’s current regime, discovered an alleged $6 billion debt buy-back scam by IBB between 1988 and 1993. Another $14.4 billion disappeared into off shore accounts as currency stabilization and debt buy-back scheme that actually cost $2.5 billion. One of the front-companies used, Growth Management, based in London, bought the debt for 10 cents per dollar and resold to the government at 45 cents to steal 35 cents per dollar. Fashanu was trying to recover about $17 billion for the Nigerian government only for the CBN to say they had no records of the deals. The records are out there abroad but cleaned out at home to conceal the (theft) deals.
Calculating IBB
The Wolfsberg Principles, an initiative of 11 banks and institutions across the world to fight serious international financial crimes, traced another $3 billion of our stolen money to Babangida’s accounts abroad, and $4.3 billion to Abacha’s.
Although Babangida used mostly fictitious names for his numerous accounts abroad, EFCC could zero in on some of the accounts by following up on the dusts raised early in 2003 over the financing of a leading Nigerian telecommunications project in which Babangida is alleged to own 75% shares. Mohammed fronts for his father on the authentic board of the company. Those claiming to have borrowed from foreign banks in the heat of the EFCC’s revelations at the time have not identified the collateral or sortie used. Documents on the loan supposed to have been granted on 9 February, 2001, was dated 28 August, 2006. The original ‘loan’ letter has not been presented. Apparently, Paribas Bank, based in Paris, was managing a slush fund from which investments in excess of US$400 million was made to buy into Alcatel, (the telecommunications’ partner technical partners), Bouygues Telecoms, Peugeot and Total finaelf.
Alcatel and Parabel National of France were worried at the time that their invoices for the telecom project were being inflated to launder funds by the supposed private owners of the sources of funds and that private cheques were being issued to finance the staggering project without recourse to borrowing from banks. They suspected illegal laundering of funds and threatened to withdraw collaboration on the project while alerting Interpol to investigate the sources of the private cheques being issued to finance the project.
Toothy Smiling Charming IBB
IBB could not participate in Obasanjo’s 2003, inauguration ceremonies, because he was allegedly out of the country sorting out the Interpol queries on the Alcatel’s slush account alert, at the time. Even now, the telecoms’ financing details through Siemens etc, could be investigated by the EFCC tracing ghost cheques to issuing private sources of funds and their local and international banks to unravel possible laundering of funds.
Luscious contracts for the construction of Abuja were awarded to front-companies of his and his cronies, including Julius Berger and Arab Contractors that between them virtually single-handedly handled the construction of the new Federal Capital. The security danger of foreign companies solely constructing a country’s capital and having access to its structural secrets, including possible Presidential underground escape routes and military arsenal volts, is mind boggling to say the least, but that is an issue for another day.
The largest, most prestigious housing estate in Alexandra, Egypt’s leading holiday resort town, is alleged to belong to Babangida. Even Egyptians cannot afford his rent, which is alleged to be in dollars. All his tenants are rich foreigners and the staff of multi-national companies operating in Alexandra. The estate is alleged to have its own airport, which Babangida uses when he visits.
Babangida is alleged to own several other housing estates around the world, including houses on Bishop Avenue in London. He uses his London houses, it is alleged, as guest houses or gifts for people on his compromise list. He is considered generous with gifts of cars with their boots stuffed with naira notes when he wants some jobs done.
Perhaps you would want to join me to play the prude accountant, generous with figures. Let’s pretend that Babangida was a General throughout his service years in the Nigerian army. Again let’s assume he spent 30 years in the army and was paid N100,000 monthly (actually, salaries of Generals were less than N10,000 a month until recently) and he saved every kobo of his salary. He would be worth about N35,000,000 plus interest in the bank today. But Babangida’s 50 bedroom palatial abode in Minna is alleged to be conservatively worth billions of naira and he does not owe any bank on it.
In 2003, he threw a wedding party for his first daughter, which numbed the nation. Some 28 governors were in attendance, and in June 2004, he treated us to another dream-like political carnival during his son’s wedding. No one dared to ask where the money came from to set up such a palatial abode or scandalous and intimidating wedding carnivals in our jungle of abject poverty and hunger. Nigerians revelled in the lavish show of shame, hoodwinked by the audacity, the sumptuous food, the ambience, the vulgarity….. At least we saw our fellow Nigerians (albeit a handful of them), living it up on the money that could have guaranteed millions of Nigerians, active, regular employment indefinitely.
Almost all the principal characters involved in leadership tussles with Babangida since 1985, Abiola, Yar Adua, Idiagbon and even Abacha, have all died through induced cardiac arrest, lethal injection, poisoned food, gassed telephone handset, etc, etc, and my fear is whether Nigeria would survive the Godfather himself? Babangida usurped eight years and eight months of the thirty-three years of military misrule and still wants to come back to finish us off properly. If he was honest with himself, he ought to be ashamed for the economic, political and social mess he has turned Nigeria into. Babangida should be heading for Kirikiri not Aso Rock.
NAIWU OSAHON Hon. Khu Mkuu (Leader) World Pan-African Movement); Ameer Spiritual (Spiritual Prince) of the African race; MSc. (Salford); Dip.M.S; G.I.P.M; Dip.I.A (Liv.); D. Inst. M; G. Inst. M; G.I.W.M; A.M.N.I.M. Poet, Author of the magnum opus: ‘The end of knowledge’. One of the world’s leading authors of children’s books; Awarded; key to the city of Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Honourary Councilmanship, Memphis City Council; Honourary Citizenship, County of Shelby; Honourary Commissionership, County of Shelby, Tennessee; and a silver shield trophy by Morehouse College, USA, for activities to unite and uplift the African race.
Until I read this story, graciously received from Bayo Olomodosi, I must confess my ignorance in the world of virginity. I had never heard of the word “hymenoplasty” or of the “Virginity” Industry. The “sex” industry? Who hasn’t? But virginity? Or should I have? Have you heard of these words before now? My mouth is still wide ajar at the length at which tradition, beliefs and perception in society have gone on to destroy innocent lives. What a world we live in!
The Virginity Industry.
By Najlaa Abou Mehri and Linda Sills BBC Radio 4, Crossing Continents
Young Arab women wait in an upmarket medical clinic for an operation that will not only change their lives, but quite possibly save it. Yet the operation is a matter of choice and not necessity. It costs about 2,000 euros (£1,700) and carries very little risk.
The clinic is not in Dubai or Cairo, but in Paris. And the surgery they are waiting for is to restore their virginity.
Whether in Asia or the Arab world, an unknown number of women face an agonising problem having broken a deep taboo. They’ve had sex outside marriage and if found out, risk being ostracised by their communities, or even murdered.
Sonia says she considered suicide after her first sexual relationship
Now more and more of them are undergoing surgery to re-connect their hymens and hide any sign of past sexual activity. They want to ensure that blood is spilled on their wedding night sheets.
The social pressure is so great that some women have even taken their own lives.
Sonia wants to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal. She is a slender young brunette studying at art college in Paris.
Although born in France, Arab culture and traditions are central to Sonia’s life. Life was strict growing up under the watchful eyes of a large traditional Arab family.
Virginity certificates
“I thought of suicide after my first sexual relationship,” she says, “because I couldn’t see any other solution.” But Sonia did find a solution.
She eventually went to the Paris clinic of Dr Marc Abecassis to have surgery to restore her hymen. She says she will never reveal her secret to anyone, especially her husband to be.
“I consider this is my sex life and I don’t have to tell anyone about it,” she says. It’s men that are obliging her to lie about it, she says.
Dr Abecassis performs a “hymenoplasty” as it’s called, at least two to three times a week. Re-connecting the tissue of the hymen takes about 30 minutes under local anaesthetic.
He says the average age of the patient is about 25, and they come from all social backgrounds. Although the surgery is performed in clinics around the world, Dr Abecassis is one of the few Arab surgeons who talks openly about it. Some of the women come to him because they need virginity certificates in order to marry.
“She can be in danger because sometimes it’s a matter of traditions and family,” says Dr Abecassis. “I believe we as doctors have no right to decide for her or judge her.”
With Chinese manufacturers leading the way, there are now non-surgical options on the market as well. One website sells artificial hymens for just £20 (23 euros). The Chinese hymen is made of elastic and filled with fake blood. Once inserted in the vagina, the woman can simulate virginity, the company claims.
‘Caught out’
But this was not an option for Nada. As a young girl growing up in the Lebanese countryside she fell in love and lost her virginity. “I was scared my family would find out especially since they didn’t approve of my relationship,” she says. “I was terrified they might kill me.”
After seven years in the relationship, her lover’s family wanted him to marry someone else. Nada attempted suicide. “I got a bottle of Panadol and a bottle of household chemicals,” she says. “I drank them and said, ‘That’s it’.”
Even if society accepts such a thing, I would still refuse to marry her
Noor
Nada is now 40, and found out about surgical hymen restoration just six years ago. She married and had two children. Her wedding night was a stressful ordeal. “I didn’t sleep that night. I was crying,” she says. “I was very scared but he didn’t suspect anything.”
It’s a secret that Nada – which is not her real name – will carry to her grave. “I am ready to hide it until death,” she says. “Only God will know about it.”
But it’s not only the older generation that subscribes to traditional views about sex before marriage, when it comes to choosing a wife.
Noor is a trendy professional who works in Damascus. He’s fairly representative of young Syrian men in a secular society. But although Noor says he believes in equality for women, underneath the liberal facade lies a deep-rooted conservatism.
“I know girls who went through this restoration and they were caught out on their wedding night by their husbands,” he says. “They realised they weren’t virgins. Even if society accepts such a thing, I would still refuse to marry her.”
Muslim clerics are quick to point out that the virginity issue is not about religion. “We should remember that when people wait for the virgin’s blood to be spilled on the sheet, these are all cultural traditions,” says Syrian cleric, Sheikh Mohamad Habash. “This is not related to Shariah law.”
Christian communities in the Middle East are often just as firm in their belief that women should be virgins when they marry.
Arab writer and social commentator, Sana Al Khayat believes the whole issue has much to with the notion of “control”.
“If she’s a virgin, she doesn’t have any way of comparing [her husband to other men]. If she’s been with other men, then she has experience. Having experience makes women stronger.”
It may be the 21st Century but the issue of virginity in Arab culture can still be a matter of life and death, especially for women like Sonia and Nada.
And while hymen repair may be a quick fix, it can’t reconcile centuries of ingrained tradition with the attitudes of modern society.
Apart from the change of “actors, costume, props, location and the obvious stench”, what other superlative word can we employ to describe the resilience of the average Lagosian or Nigerian as it may be?
We really need to be very careful here with how we digest this message from our former colonial masters? We really do, and I will say why?
All that has been shown so far has been very well thought of. The English that I have come to know and understand do not rush into making things up. They are superb, when it comes to presentation and time keeping. Trust me, they is no race better than the English at the act of creating perception.
Premiership league in England readily comes to mind.
The English are as meticulous as they come. For a breed that almost colonised the world? It shows how calculating they are, and how effective the execution of their ideas are, as they are never “in-your-face” kind of. Unlike the Americans where you know where you stand with them, it is a far cry with the English. You never know where you stand with them. Never! Devious? It’s your call.
The English are snobbish by nature, almost by default. Not their fault though. May be it could have something to do with the weather, I don’t know? But they just are. They can’t help it. No one can accuse me of not knowing this breed. For instance, you spend hours and days with a bunch of English colleagues whom you are meeting for the first time. Let’s say, they are from another branch of the organisation from other boroughs of London. You have all come together for a conference or some sort of training. That’s ok, isn’t it. You now have an opportunity to meet with and put names to faces of colleagues you have spoken to several times over the phone, init?
Wrong!
You break for lunch.
You all leave the training or conference auditorium to wander to the nearest super market or corner shop to buy a sandwich or burger or cup of tea. But then along the way after you had bought your lunch, you recognise a few of them walking towards you. From a distance, as a “resilient” Nigerian, you smile, preparing to say hello.
Then a shocker comes your way!
He or she walks pass you, like you are a complete stranger. You suddenly withdrew your smile. Tried to compose your deflated ego and walk on, smelling your armpit along the way, thinking back to when you had your bath and now having to doubt whether you indeed used your deodorant or not that day that fateful morning. You are now confused. You have totally forgotten that you were made to feel “too forward”. All your thoughts are now on whether you used your deodorant before leaving home or not.
Anyway, the digression was to tell how snobbish an “average” English person is or can be, without realising it in some cases. Should I then adjudge all English to be snobbish and arrogant? Not that most would argue against this thought. From my experience, when a “white” person is unusually forthright, you come to the immediate conclusion that he or she must either be Welsh or Scottish. Right or wrong guys? I am sorry, no one can put the wool over my eyes here.
Also, would it be fair, if I say, there are some English citizens who are still not comfortable with having blacks in their company? It is just how they are. As it has suddenly occurred to them that Nigerians are resilient, the English can be said to be Snobbish on the other hand.
Part 2 of the programme came on air yesterday. My sister Bola called and we chatted for a few minutes whilst the programme was on. You see, she has 3 beautiful and intelligent children. The eldest is a 15 year smart boy, the second is a 14 year old bubbly, happy go lucky beautiful girl, while the third child is an 8 year old budding football star.
As we chatted away, she struck me with her views of the programme. And read this.
She told me how she was enjoying watching the 2nd part of “Welcome to Lagos”, and how it further goes to show, in her own words, how “hard working” Nigerians are. She went on to tell me this: Her last born (name withheld) was flabbergasted by what he was seeing. “Mummy, why are these people living like this”, he asked? “Why are they using wood to cook?”, “Why are they living in those places?” “Why are they all looking dirty”. It was all why, why and more whys. Then he dropped the bombshell. “Mummy, I don’t think I would like to go to Nigeria anymore”.
Hmmmmnnnnn!! (…and that is coming from a young boy with Nigerian parents. What are we to expect from the Brits whom this programme was solely prepared for?)
I am yet to speak with Bola, but the perception has already been created right from the first episode, which has been further ingrained by part 2.
How can you ever convince this 8 year old nephew of mine that the title of the programme ought to have been “Welcome to the OTHER SIDE of Lagos” and that what he was watching was not a true reflection of Lagos, Nigeria at all?
How can I tell him that if he should venture to Dalston or Stoke Newton in East London, he would find people picking up remnants from the streets?
How can I tell him that as much as Peckham in South East London has been rebranded, revamped and reorganised or regenerated, there are still some English gentle men who reside in Sloane Square, West London who will never go to that part of London?
How can I tell him that Brixton in South West London is one part of London that you dare not walk around late at night as its notorious for drug trafficking?
Should I go on?
Will it be fair to suggest that the reported truancy cases in Moss side in Manchester gives an adequate representation of how life really is in London or Wales or even Manchester? Are we now saying that because there is regular supply of electricity and water, life is honky-dory? Oh by the way, yes, I accept that the leadership in Nigeria has caused us dearly, however, how about working all the hours in the world, with extra shifts and part time jobs, only to pay out all the taxes in the world?
Oh, don’t tell me as well that there are no rough sleepers under the bridge at Waterloo or London Bridge or on the streets of West end in London?
Oh, people do not eat from the bins on the streets of London, hehn?
And just because I live somewhere in Lekki, I should be made to feel guilty, because all those who live on these shores of Lagos or in Ikoyi and Victoria Island are all thieves who have bankrupted the country.
My gripe is not with Nigerians living abroad who have been brain washed into believing that because of our wrong selection of leaders, nothing good can ever be showcased from Nigeria. It is not with Nigerians who have imbibed the English culture, albeit, slowly, in a subtle manner, and have now come to believe that they prefer the “suffering” of England because there are no mosquitoes, no power shortage, constant water (not that you can drink tap water, still needs to be filtered), etc than the suffering of Nigeria.
My gripe is also not at those Nigerians who have spent so many Christmases they can’t remember in England that they now find it almost impossible to jump boat to relocate, because they simply do not know where to start from.
My gripe is really at Nigerians, who without realising it have cut off all ties and links to Nigeria, based on the extreme bias reports of the western press. Instead of using the tools created by the west to help communicate these perverted messages that can only enslave, distort and not enlighten, these same social media online tools ought to be used to help spread the gospel of truth. Many, on the other hand have now chosen to justify their long overdue stay in diaspora by choosing to take sides with the BBC (oops, I didn’t mean to hurt anyone here, after all, not everyone can come back to mother land Nigeria to make it a better place).
Have we thought of the amount of work that will be required to change the perception (forget the English and tourists for now) of children of Nigerian decent? Your children, if you happen to be a Nigerian living in the UK? It will take a great deal to convince the younger generation of Blacks with Nigerian parents and sometimes, Nigerian names that “Welcome to Lagos” is definitely, by all accounts a slanted representation of what Lagos is truly all about.
Why do you have to go to the very extreme end of survival (because, face it, that is what a lot of people, even residing in UK have to do) to find out the resilience of Nigerians living in Lagos?
My big question, before I get carried away is this: has anyone sat down to think carefully (don’t go start rushing off your seats now, because you have taken offence to what I have written) of how this programme can be of any benefit to Lagosians or Nigerians in general?
To further buttress my opinion of a calculated sinister attempt to relegate, arguably the most recognised State of Nigeria, into the abyss, NIGERIANS or should I say LAGOSIANS are unable to WATCH the programme outside the UK.
So who is fooling who here? I have to depend on the likes of “Karl, Sisi Blu and Flo” to provide me with links, by the way, thanks guys, to watch this programme.
I do not need any International broadcasting organisation to tell me how resilient we are, Governor Fashola is busy transforming Lagos and all Kudus to his leadership qualities. Show us where we were and the journey so far.
I will leave it at that for now…..
Thanks guys for stopping by and God bless you all.
FG protests BBC documentary on Lagos
By AGENCY REPORTER, Published: Thursday, 22 Apr 2010
The Federal Government on Wednesday protested against a documentary on Lagos aired by the British Broadcasting Corporation, which portrayed the city as a slum.
The documentary entitled, “Welcome to Lagos,” was broadcast on BBC2 in the United Kingdom on April 15.
Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK, Dr. Dalhatu Tafida, conveyed the protest to the BBC just as Nigerians resident in Chicago, United States, advised the government to do more to change the negative perception of Nigeria in the foreign media.
A protest letter by Tafida was sent to the Controller BBC2, Ms. Janice Hadlow, in Glasgow. A copy of the letter, which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria, reads, “The Nigeria High Commission has watched with dismay and disappointment, the first of the three-part series of your sinister documentary on Lagos which featured on April 15.
“The commission would therefore like to register its strong rejection of this documentary as a deliberate distortion of life in Lagos, and totally unwarranted.”
Tafida also said that the documentary was an attempt to bring Nigeria and its hardworking people to international odium and scorn.
He noted that the High Commission could not comprehend the motives behind the documentary, especially at a time when Nigeria was celebrating the Golden Jubilee of its independence from the British Government.
“Even by your own admission and standards, you have only succeeded in assaulting your viewers with upsetting scenes, that fail to reflect the true and complete story of life in Lagos,” the envoy added.
Tafida, who noted that sites of slums and ghettos were global phenomena, argued that “even in London, it is not uncommon to see people (not Nigerians) scavenge dustbins in search of food and other valuables.” Tafida stated that by not airing other aspects of life in the city, the BBC demonstrated a lack of balance and fairness.
He said, “What is more galling and most disconcerting is your refusal to document the excellent performance of the incumbent governor of the state. “Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State is widely acknowledged to be doing his utmost to address the challenges in the state.”
Tafida pointed out that for a television station that prides itself of wider coverage and credibility; one expected a greater demonstration of professionalism.
When our correspondent contacted the BBC reporter in Lagos, Mr. Umar Elleman, he said that he had no right to reply to such an enquiry on the documentary.
“The BBC has a policy. A reporter has no right to reply on behalf of the organisation,” he said. Elleman advised our correspondent to direct the enquiry to his email address so that he could forward it to the London office of the BBC for a reply tomorrow.
A REQUEST:
I would be grateful if a link to Part 2 of “Welcome to Lagos” can be sent to me by email or posted here on JSD. Thanking you in advance.
Deolu Akinyemi is a Motivational Writer, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Blogger, Influencer, Christ Believer, Network Marketing Guru, Business Leader, Social Entrepreneur, Trainer, Writer, Career Coach, Direct and Network Marketer, Human Resources Expert, Business Development Consultant, Financial Empowerment Consultant, Innovator, Visionary, Patriot and Platinum Distributor, Managing Director of Holidays and Cash.
Jide Salu Diary: Welcome Deolu to JSD, and thank you ever so much for this opportunity to meet you at close up, be it virtual.
Deolu Akinyemi: Thanks for the interview as well, I consider it a privilege, my privilege.
Jide Salu Diary: How would YOU describe yourself?
Deolu Akinyemi: I am a young man with a passion for succeeding by helping other people succeed, a strong believer in the possibility of a New Nigeria and a strong advocate of multi-dimensional freedom.
Jide Salu Diary: Your site, http://www.deoluakinyemi.com , I must say is one of the very few Nigerian sites that I have come to see as a resource centre for empowerment. Tell us more about your site, when did you venture into it and what were and still are your objectives? And how fulfilled are you so far?
Deolu Akinyemi: I wanted to build a platform where my thoughts, words and experiences can be relevant to empowering people while I am alive and long after I am gone. I started it about over 4yrs now, and I’m always excited when I read people’s comments.
Jide Salu Diary: Have you always been positive? If yes, when were you aware of this? If No, what led you to be this inclined?
Deolu Akinyemi: I haven’t always been positive. I believe a major shift happened in my life when I said yes to God and his plan for my life. I bought into the concept of God’s kingdom and have since sought after and lived by the principles. I have also learnt in time, that negativity is a waste of resources.
Jide Salu Diary: How do you deal with negative people?
Deolu Akinyemi: Hmmm… frankly? I try to ensure a distance that keeps me free of their perspectives. I try to surround myself with positive people and where they are willing to listen, I try to help them with my perspective. I drive a business where attitude is more important than ability, if I lose steam because I hang around negative people, I’ll become history.
Jide Salu Diary: Many people are shy to talk openly about success. About money? May be it has something to do with our culture. (I would still come back to a post on your web site where you posted your e-wallet account of your weekly earnings from one of your businesses) But how do you view success, money and the attitude required?
Deolu Akinyemi: Hmmm… I am shy as well J, and I think it’s the employee mentality and our culture. Employees are regularly told that their salaries are confidential, and our culture regularly reinforces that if your yam is getting big, you should use your hand to cover it. I have learnt too however that in a world that is full of the darkness of falsehood, dishonesty and evil, the least we can do, even when our light is small, is to shine it. In shining our lights we can’t afford to always keep it under a bushel. No matter how small the candle is, it will chase away some darkness if brought to the open. Sharing my success story or earnings is contrary to my conservativeness, but some people need it, and I’ll rather sacrifice what would benefit me alone, for the good of many.
Jide Salu Diary: How do you tackle disappointments?
Deolu Akinyemi: Simple, I learn the lessons, and forget the details.
Jide Salu Diary: People that I have spoken to talk of you in glowing terms, how important is integrity to you?
Deolu Akinyemi: Integrity is extremely important to me. It’s being true to my words and commitments, and the character to accept wrong and take responsibility for it. I’ll gladly give all I have in exchange for a good name.
Jide Salu Diary: Now let us talk money? Are you a millionaire? In Dollars?
Deolu Akinyemi: lol, I have been for a very long time -from the day my mind could accommodate it. It sounds philosophical, but it’s true, that as a man thinks in his heart so is he. Frankly my eyes are on more than millionaire status in dollars. As of today however, assets and all, yes.
Jide Salu Diary: That is a nice way to break the ice, wouldn’t you think so? Why do you think people, well, let me say Africans in general and Nigerians in particular are so shy to openly talk about finance and success?
Deolu Akinyemi: Well… I think because of our culture, and two because there is a divide between the successful and the unsuccessful. The rich man usually knows that his friend is rich J
Jide Salu Diary: What is your attitude to being on a salary? And what is your take on passive income?
Deolu Akinyemi: Salary is temporal, passive income is permanent (eternal) – this is speaking extremely. My thought is labour for what will last… salaries will end, while they last, build vehicles for passive income.
Jide Salu Diary: What would you say are the differences between the Rich and the Poor?
Deolu Akinyemi: Many… the most critical one is their attitude to failure, their position on risks, and their view of themselves and circumstances.
Jide Salu Diary: When passive income is banded around, one of the first means of earning extra income aside one’s salary is through Network Marking? How would you describe Network Marketing?
Deolu Akinyemi: Network Marketing is the most affordable of the 5 existing vehicles for creating passive income. It’s the opportunity that if you find the good one, it allows you to enjoy 9 of life’s key aspirations in one go. Which are:
Extra Income
Helping People
Financial Freedom
Time Freedom
Personal Development
Owning own business
Retiring to passive income
leaving a legacy and
Meeting new people.
It’s like a gold mine, like every gold mine, you may need to dig through a lot of rubbish to hit the gold.
Jide Salu Diary: As someone who has being on the forefront of Network Marketing in Nigeria, how do you think it has fared over the years?
Deolu Akinyemi: There have been lots of fakes and few real. It’s one area where Africa has played a leading role in the past few years. The water is partly muddled though, because many people have been involved in the rubbish ahead of the Gold.
Jide Salu Diary: Many out there believe Network Marketing is a rip off. Another “419” especially in Nigeria, they say. Some never want to ever get involved again after their previous bitter experiences with the likes of Club Freedom. What do you have to say to that?
Deolu Akinyemi: First of all, I’ll say success comes after many failures. If we close our eyes to bad people, we’ll miss a lot of great people. People also need to be honest with their claim of bitter experiences; many bitter experiences never share what truly happened. Most of people’s experiences are born out of greed. Tell me why will someone buy 160 discount vouchers when one is actually as good as 10? More often than not, people were lured by their greed and ignorance to do unthinkable things, this is why they fail. There is no industry where people don’t have bitter experiences. It is because we don’t go far enough into the forest that we don’t see squirrels with hunchbacks.
Jide Salu Diary: Which brings me nicely to the business you are actively involved in that led you to post a weekly earning on your site, Holidays and Cash. Can you tell readers what Holidays and Cash is all about, when you became a member, why you decided to become a member and how it differs from Club Freedom and others out there? And why you chose to post your week’s earning of $6121.06 on your site?
Deolu Akinyemi: It’s totally different! I don’t blame anyone for not knowing or agreeing to… it took me 7 months and $7,400 worth of expense to see it as well (the details of that is reserved for face to face meetings) The key difference is the “no losers concept”. The product is worth more than N1.5million ($10,000) and it is offered at N40, 000 ($250) per month, nobody who buys the product and does not refer people looses. Also the product has resale value, and you can create a business from many of the products. Very importantly though, it’s a model that is truly a win-win. Haven said all that, I can assure you that reading all I have just mentioned is not enough for you to see the difference. You can only see clearly what you are looking for; if your cup is full it can’t be refilled without being emptied.
I posted one weeks earning so it’s not just blab and the weeks after were not bad at all.
I became active March last year, I decided to when I discovered that I would be more relevant if I become a part than if I analysed and criticized from the sidelines. Then, it was a bush which was uncleared. Today, it’s getting to become an estate.
Jide Salu Diary: Apart from $6121.06 earned in one week, what other kinds of rewards have you had from Holidays and Cash? I know you travel a lot? And I know from reading your website, one of your wishes for your wife has been fulfilled. Can you tell us more please?
Deolu Akinyemi: J I have been rewarded with Holidays, all expense paid… I call it 7 amazing days on the exotic laps of luxury. I have been privileged to enjoy Egypt, Mauritius, India and Dubai. I have also been rewarded with a brand new Honda CRV. I have been rewarded with many relationships that turned to friendships, I have enjoyed new families. It’s been amazing.
Jide Salu Diary: How would you convince someone to consider being a part of Holidays and Cash for instance? And is “convince” the right word here?
Deolu Akinyemi: I would show the person the product honestly without the opportunity and ask them to value it. If they say $10,000 like I usually hear, I’ll tell them what the company charges. Then I’ll let them see that they don’t need to do anything to enjoy all the benefits… nothing else is required.
After that, they become really excited. Then I’ll show them the opportunity to earn extra income, and teach them how they can do it. Typically, I hate to waste my time with people who are comfortable with where they are, they can take their time. When their oil finishes… we’ll still be around.
Jide Salu Diary: I know that the method of compensation is significantly different from most other Network Marketing Organisations in the market right now? Board based and Binary compensation plans? Also, Holidays and Cash pay compensation in Dollars every week. Could you briefly explain how this method works?
Deolu Akinyemi: It’s the fairest model I’ve seen and researched. Binary plans are the most sustainable; they allow you to support your teams without limit. Boards break and mess up your teams, Uni-level makes people work solo, Binary models are great for team players and weekly incomes are just so motivating. I can’t answer all these questions fully here.
Jide Salu Diary: Also Deolu, do I have to continue to invite or recruit (as most people see it) people to be part of Holidays and Cash in order for me to keep on earning?
Deolu Akinyemi: No! That’s the beauty of this. There are two income streams that are passive income, I have not earned active income in a long while… if you look at the breakdown on my site, all that I earned were passive income-the result of a functional team.
Jide Salu Diary: Do you ever envisage a possibility of saturation in Holidays and Cash? How far can it go?
Deolu Akinyemi:Saturation is an interesting myth. We worry about it for our Planet; we worry about it for some companies. People are born, and people die, people grow and become enlightened. Saturation is an analytical mind’s reason for not doing a lot of things. I’m analytical as well, so I say if we ever get to saturation point, meaning there is nobody else to tell, the last people that are told would be buying a product 1000 times cheaper than the price they paid, so no losers.
Jide Salu Diary: Is Holidays and Cash a Nigerian concept? How come it has a chairman in the person of Professor Pat Utomi? And what benefits accrue to Nigerians as a result?
Deolu Akinyemi:No, it’s a global company. Nigeria is however one of the few countries where there is a local office and registration. Prof Pat Utomi is the Chairman in Nigeria and West Africa. A number of Nigerians and Africans are indeed part owners of the company today because they embraced the opportunity and decided to drive it.
Jide Salu Diary: What kind of possibilities do you think Holidays and Cash can create and how beneficial can this be to Nigerians and the rest of the world?
Deolu Akinyemi:Limitless possibilities! In another 8 months, Holidays and Cash Nigeria will have over 1000 products. It is an opportunity with an objective to empower people and create a reason for many to become free. The impact on a lot of people at this slow economic time is simply awe inspiring.
Jide Salu Diary: So Holidays and Cash is not a SCAM? Can Nigerians residing outside Nigeria be a part of this organisation? And it is not an African thing?
Deolu Akinyemi: There are people all over the world already involved. There is patronage from over 100 countries already. Just log in click buy now and check for the prepaid vouchers, you’ll see countries that have agents already and countries that are relatively free.
Jide Salu Diary: Where did Holidays and Cash originate from?
Deolu Akinyemi:Holidays and Cash originated from Australia. The company was started by 3 partners, Leslie Richardson, Stefan Gayton and Michael Faust. Today all Platinum members have seats on the global table. A Platinum member is one who has attained the highest membership status with a financial compensation to march. The company is no longer about any one personality, it has survived changes in management and even ownership. This is the test of any solid system.
Jide Salu Diary: Do Nigerians have the opportunity to be top earners in Holidays and Cash?
Deolu Akinyemi:We have Nigerians who are doing very, very well. There are people who earn averagely over half a million weekly. I tell people however not to put their eyes on the big numbers too early. This is a model where work is rewarded in time, and because passive income is real you get an amazing return on investment. For example if all a member earns is $200 in a week, one is as good as the person who deposited $70,000 in a fixed deposit with today’s interest rate. Small, if consistent is better than the big you can’t plan with.
Jide Salu Diary: You know, but many of my readers are not aware that I am indeed a member of Holidays and Cash. My attraction to H & C is as a result of the power in the compensation program and the fact that I can empower many people. Also, the only way I CAN and WILL succeed is WHEN I HELP OTHERS SUCCEED. I thought that will do for me. Do you have anything to add to that?
Deolu Akinyemi: Perfecto!
Jide Salu Diary: As a member of Holidays and Cash, I am aware that there are three main aspects that people who may be interested in joining H & C can look at. These aspects are:
Holiday Discount
The Products
The Earning potential
Deolu, could you kindly touch on these aspects so as to give a fuller picture of the potential of Holidays and Cash?
Deolu Akinyemi: Holidays and Cash is something else! The Holiday discounts are amazing, you get to enjoy small discounts with flights, but amazing discounts with hotels. You also have prepackaged vacation opportunities at about half the price for loads of pleasure and fun. Interestingly the company is regularly partnering with agencies to assist with securing VISAs for some exciting countries.
The products are amazing… the company says that you can package your own products and offer it to all the network at a discount. With this possibility, you can have a privilege pack that is a never-ending list of possibilities. The thought of what the privilege pack will be just this year alone how much more 10yrs from now is just tantalizing.
Then, the earning potential… simply exciting. Holidays and cash say if you are willing to build over time, you can earn weekly and like a footballer. The potentials are mind boggling. You can earn as low as $30 per weekly to as much as $70,000 weekly. I don’t know where to start or stop with Holidays and Cash, it’s a great deal, I am excited and happy that I didn’t turn this down. Pride truly does come before a fall.
Jide Salu Diary: Finally, Deolu, as the MD of H & C, Nigeria, what are the benefits for joining in Nigeria and how can one become a member? I am already a member.
Deolu Akinyemi: In Nigeria, we are currently still building our foundations; we want a really tall skyscraper. I want to look back in 30yrs at my grandchildren driving this opportunity with pride. We are supporting each other, and making greatness happen for people. Being a part of this requires foresight and commitment. Don’t allow the law of diminishing intent slow you down. Join today… grab someone who is a distributor already, get your privilege pack, get your password, and log on to freedom!
Jide Salu Diary: Phewww!!! That was good Deolu. How can I thank you enough? I realise you are one very busy person, and I really, really, appreciate your effort, commitment and time spent in empowering Nigerians around the Globe. I know that this has not only inspired me to do greater things, I pray it will be a wakeup call for many people.
Readers, in the coming weeks, you will find out more about this great move that I made. As you have read and followed my every move with my new life here in Nigeria, I promise not to hold back on this Business venture. Take it that I am delving into an interesting path which will not interfere whatsoever with my job, which I am truly honoured to be a part of.
I love to write, you must have gathered that by now. I love to write down my thoughts and pen opinions on issues as it affects me immediate or distant environment. However, I have always known that “talk is cheap”. I’ll leave the rest for you to fill the gap.
Once again, if you are interested in finding out more about the Holiday discounts you can enjoy with the Holidays and Cash privilege pack, why not do the following:
…..no I am not referring to flying? Neither was I insinuating the palaver with regards the cancellation of flights all around the world especially via the Western European airspace. All that this global incident had drummed home is the reality that all things can wait and that the world will live may stretch for miles upon miles circumnavigating the globe, but at the end of the day, it is one relatively small sphere that can be disrupted with natural occurrence many manmade events have not been able to achieve. This has in many ways passed on the message that life is fickle.
Let me leave that for now. Let us talk about your life!
Yes, yours!
I will not offer an apology for this post, so if you think it’s too heavy laden for you, then it’s time for you to move on.
I am here to challenge you, and to challenge myself in this process. The people we spend time to write about, either to applaud or boo are performers, either negatively or positively.
These people have decided to ACT. They believed they had a goal, be it to contribute or swindle society and they went about it with an attitude to succeed by all means.
I promised you yesterday I was going to provide you with a puzzle, well here it is . You will be able to view how far you were able to crack the puzzle by clicking ” answer”, directly below the puzzle. So have a go now, afterwards, Click “answer” and come back here to read the conclusion to this post.
Would you say you thought along the dots that made up the box, within the box or outside the box?
That exercise was not to trick you in any way. Far from it!
My goal, and I pray I am able to achieve it with you, is to challenge you to greater heights.
A dear friend of mine once told me that “there is no one with a mission who would find it difficult to communicate his passion for his mission”. There you have it. I am on a mission.
This is the deal.
I am here to inform you that there is nothing to be afraid of. Life in itself ought to be lived with a fulfilment to exhibit the hidden talent God has gifted us with. A lot of us have reached a conclusion that the only way to get to the top is by working and earning a salary for the rest of your life.
A majority also believe that they are not talented enough to run a business.
Many believe that they do not have the gift of the gab, so, that in itself is as good as being a stutterer and a stutterer does not make a good sales woman or man as the case may be.
Some have tried all sorts, failed in the process and have given up on that path, convinced that God does not have a hand in it.
Many have fallen on the way side and are still down because they have refused to get up, forgetting that falling is not a sin, but refusing to get up is the sin.
Consider this with me for a moment:
How long does it take a baby to form in the womb?
How long does it take for the mother to carry the baby before deliver y?
How long did it take the baby to speak her first words?
How long did it take her to take those first steps?
Did the mother give up before the naturally expected 9 months?
Would she had given up if her baby hadn’t spoken by aged one, when all around would have expected otherwise?
Would she give up if her baby was still not able to walk by aged one?
Consider the times it took for these phenomenon milestones in the baby’s life to be achieved. Do you know why it appears relatively easy for both baby and mother? The answer is straight forward. They both expected to achieve these milestones. Both mother and baby naturally expected to accomplish the acts of talking and walking within a set time slot. They believed, honestly, that they have the right, no, that, they were born or created with the God given right to talk and walk, and should this not happen within the allotted time, then they will do all it takes to see to it that the baby walks and talks. Why will the mother or father ever give up?
This is a question you ought to ask yourself today. Why have you given up on that idea, that book, that blog, that boyfriend or girlfriend? Why? Why? Why?
Do you naturally believe you have the God given right to succeed and be successful in life?
Do all your past failures not equate to your numerous attempts to talk and been laughed at or to walk after countless numbers of times of falling down.
Then, as a baby, you were ignorant of fear. You were not aware that you were once the laughing stock. But now, you are conscious of taking that step for fear of failing.
What are you afraid of, I ask again?
I am here to give HOPE.
Without hope, the essence of living is defeated.
Identical twins have different DNAs, so should I allow a friend or relative brush aside an opportunity or a supposedly good idea just because it hasn’t worked for them or a majority? Should I take as gospel the view of a critic?
What exactly are you scared of?
What are you afraid of?
If you are reading this today, take it from me if I tell you that it is not a coincidence in any form or mode. You are meant to read it. This message is for you. There is something in you that needs to be ignited. A gift that has been beautifully kept under wraps only for nobody to appreciate.
Are you aware that there is nothing you ask God that will make him nervous? So why the hesitation?
Your past has a major role to play about your future. Without releasing the burdens of the past, the opportunity to move ahead will be futile. It will simply be a non-starter.
So I ask again, before you go away to ponder, what are you afraid of? Do you think it’s too late for you? Col. Sanders of the Kentucky Fried Chicken fame established his brand at the age of 65 years. So he has debunked the myth of age.
I ask you today, “Why does the thrill of soaring have to begin with the fear of falling?”
And so what, if you fall down?
It only means you have eliminated yet another way of falling down. Can you imagine how many thousands, if not millions ways of falling down? You have succeeded in discovering one way, your way and instead of being sober about it, you should rejoice and move on.
Wasn’t that Thomas Edison’s attitude. The story goes that “Thomas Edison failed more than 1,000 times when trying to create the light bulb”. (The story is often told as 5,000 or 10,000 times depending on the version.) When asked about it, Edison allegedly said, “I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb.”
It is this same attitude that Thomas Edison had that I want you to ponder on today.
Don’t take it for granted.
“You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true”. I believe it was Richard Bach who said this.
We can only learn to soar only in direct proportion to our determination to rise above our doubts and transcend limitations.
Let me leave you with this before I round up: Pray like it depends on God and act like it has nothing to do with God, believing it all depends on you.
I shall be with you tomorrow with, well……,”we shall see….”
Till then, thank you for visiting and God bless you in your chosen direction. Amen
I was so consumed by our own stories of General Babangida declaring his long held ambition of resuming power after 17 long barren years. Our acting President having a stunning PR coup in Obama’s land and ex-Vice President Atiku crawling back to the PDP, hopefully to be General Babangida’s running mate. What a fabulous combination that would be? Really? I don’t think so! That’s for another day….Jide, Jide, don’t get distracted now, and stay focused……
So here we have it, an unpronounceable Icelandic Volcano erupted and succeeded in closing the European aviation.
Without sounding prejudiced, the fact of the matter is, flights would have resumed back to normal before I am able to learn how to pronounce, unarguably, the most recognised Volcano in the world at this moment – Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull Volcano.
A mere (?) volcano has defeated a war in Iran, a war orchestrated by German’s Hitler, the numerous Olympics and World cup events. It has succeeded in restricting movement, at least in the air to the bearest minimum. As far as Nigeria, the impact is felt.
From Iceland with love?
Eyjafjallajokull Volcano has resulted to :
Stopping weddings that have taken months to plan.
Travellers in transit without any extra cash are at the mercy of the airports.
School children on a two week break to Nigeria have had their holidays extended, albeit compulsorily.
Meetings have had to be called off. Events have had to be put on hold.
The funeral of the Polish President and his wife that was expected to have attracted sympathisers from all over the world had none of the expected visitors in attendance, no thanks to the Ash weather.
Ash Passengers
And who says the world is too big to be controlled by a natural happenstance?
I have always taught my children to delete the word “NEVER” from their dictionary. “Never say never”, I always caution them. Now they would begin to understand why, even if they cannot comprehensively assimilate the impact of the flight ban across the Western European air space.
Who would have thought it could happen in this technological era we are living? Now, I bet, the brainiest of the brains would soon congregate to ash a plan to prevent a future occurrence of a volcano eruption that could threaten or in fact restrict the movement of man ever again.
But then again, something else will spring up out of the mountains or woods or sea or rocks or the sky or from heaven. Who knows?
“Welcome to the World”, the new reality beyond our cope.
Unbelievable
So who amongst you would say that nothing can wait? What is that very, very, important, urgent, pressing, critical, significant, etc matter that cannot wait? Oh sorry, even if they all have the same meaning, my point is clear. But then, we make it seem it doesn’t. You constantly hear the word “crucial” as if it the world is about to end and that it can’t wait or the phrase “pressing” as if Obama and other world leaders could do something about the “ash weather”. What can be so pressing that can’t wait now especially if it is dependent on travelling.
This is the time to take stock of life.
To enjoy it more.
To take it easy.
To view life more of empowering others than depriving others.
Ash bellowing from the Volcano in action
Why wait for an event that will compulsorily put a stop to your movement, to occur, before you begin to apportion greater thoughts to the very essence of life.
That’s my take on ….what’s the name of that volcano again?
ON A SERIOUS NOTE
I should in fact title it “ON A Business Note”…yes, I will make this another series (thank you Holy Spirit for this thought), I will be introducing to you writers, business gurus, inspirational personalities around the globe that I feel have impacted and still impact my life.
You see, my dream has always been to empower, motivate and inspire you to act to accomplish what you have been sent here to do.
Or aren’t you aware that you are on a journey on mother earth? Of course you will give account of your movements to the Almighty at one time.
I know that there are so many things to do out there. I have had emails from readers and friends of readers asking all sorts of questions on how one can do better financially inn Nigeria.
But you see, the unfortunate truth is this – not many people are ready to do what it takes to succeed. Let’s face it, the easiest thing a man can cook up is an excuse. We all suffer from a disease called “excusisatis”.
Anything that will soften the hardship.
Anything that will make us not want to go through the pain will do.
And this is not how life ought to be lived.
Success is definitely sweet, but the secret is sweat.
I read it that the acronym POOR stands for Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly while I believe RICH stands for Reaping Increase Consistently Happily.
Guys, I was telling a dear friend, Gbenga Olunloyo a moment ago that critics can be liken to pigeons. You know how? Whilst the achiever is talked about, applauded and remembered by the erection of statues in their memory, Pigeons on the other hand fly around defecating on these erected statues.
You get my point?
I know which one I’ll rather be.
So I shall be bringing to your attention many things and that is without taking away my murmurings on life in Nigeria, and to be honest, there are murmurings, because when I get to the zone I know I belong, certainly my lamentations would reduce, instead, I have more time to do a lot more philanthropy. And how is that possible? By increasing my financial independence.
I know for many there is an unfamiliar ease about talking money, I don’t know why? But I am not and I intend to talk more about it. Many have tried this or that and for some reasons haven’t quite gotten to “that” place yet.
And so?
Does that mean it should end? And not to try again? And end up in a job that is paying you a salary that will require you to constantly look over your shoulders to pay bills? Is that really life?
Are you aware that one of the differences between the Rich and the poor is something called the “MINDSET”?
Are you still with me or is your cursor already on the red “x” at the top far right corner of the screen, ready to click?
It is the true, isn’t it? The mindset?
My mum used to tell me that “show me your friends and I will tell you who you are or will become”. How true. Those words never really left me and this is why I am mindful of who I call friends, or what I watch or read.
You know that, when I first got to England, my lovely cousins whom I stayed with were at University furthering their education and rightfully so. Bless Taiwo and Kehinde Martins. Those ladies pampered me so much and took care of not only myself, but my sister, cousins and friends. They are gems. At a point, in that one bedroom flat of theirs, in south London, I remember they once accommodated almost 8 or 9 of us one night. They were fantastic. They were busy studying at the time, hence, all they needed at that point was a part time job that would not interfere with their studies.
Fresh from University of Ife, I jumped at whatever was available and the only people who were available to assist were my darling cousins who showed me the ropes. So I found myself working at shops full time (as opposed to part-time) and impressed and mesmerised at the same time by the British pound sterling. There were no commitments and responsibilities, so to say. It took years afterwards before reality dawned on me that I needed to change gear. “Had I known?” One or the cruellest woeds ever invented.
I bet you, many are in a similar fix I was in many years ago.
I will share my experiences openly as you have come to get accustomed to and for those who are willing to open there minds like that of a parachute, then the flight shall indeed be very interesting, ash or no ash.
Come back tomorrow if you will, and I will share with you how risky it is not to look for an alternative even if you are in a very good paid job.
Yes J.O.B.
Tomorrow, I shall provide you with a simple riddle that you all can partake in. Interesting stuff.
Until then, God bless you….oh, and let me leave you with this……
“We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are”.
Two street dancers on a YouTube preview dancing "Alanta"
So what do I think of “Welcome to Lagos?”
I must confess, I have not watched it and I was hoping and would have thought that a Lagos state based television Channel would actually buy the copy right to broadcast, for the benefit of millions of Lagosians. So my comments are heavily reliant on what I have read by virtue or previews, reviews and viewers comments.
My first comment actually would be this – Pictures speak louder than words.
Do you want to know what my second comment would be? It’s this – What exactly will this exercise achieve except to further decimate the reputation of Lagos, Nigeria.
I will repeat it one more time – Pictures speak louder than words. How on earth would you want to convince an average English man, who has never ventured beyond his borough (his immediate environ) to come on holidays to a city full of resilient people, with a majority happy to be scavengers? How on earth would that be possible?
It is people like Sam, who have the power of the pen to confuse rather than enlighten that make my stomach churl.
Just read this take of his:
Up the road, the Oluwainshola cattle market and slaughter yard is a different kind of hell. Here the smell is not of rot, but of death, and of the fear that precedes death. Once a price has been agreed, animals are dragged off to a pit where they are brought to their knees and executed. Ladies then take the heads – sometimes two at a time – away in plastic basins balanced on their own heads. It’s a strange sight, a woman with a woman’s head but then with two cows’ heads on top, four horns in all, walking around, like something Odysseus might have come up against. The animals’ hooves are hacked off, the carcasses flayed, the innards scooped out, and carted away in plastic basins. Even the contents of the stomach are saved for fertiliser. And underfoot, spilled blood and faeces mix into the mud. Mmmm
Sam, I have got news for you, you may use the word execute, we prefer the word slaughter. What is it with guys like you, heh? Must we all be stock up? Our cultures are different, for crying out loud.
Amazingly, and refreshingly, this is not a misery film, though. It’s surprisingly upbeat, a study of ingenuity and how people adapt to survive in places they shouldn’t really be able to function in at all. The characters are remarkably unperturbed by their lot. At the dump, Eric, a young musician, sifts through the rubbish to make enough money to record his album. He’s a bit of a lad, to be honest, but he always has a smile on his face. People live on the dump as well as work – there are shops, bars, restaurants, a barber. It has its own system of law enforcement. A lack of infrastructure doesn’t mean that society can’t exist.
And Sam, what’s wrong Eric’s attitude? You and I know that there are countless numbers of places in Britain, where people live on the dump as well as work. The problem is that, because of the weather, which is temperate and not tropical, there is a deception that it is alright. What is wrong with having an ambition, albeit if the majority of the problems for the ordinary man on the street are self inflicted?
By this time, Sam was obviously having fun watching a pseudo drama. He must have been in raptures when he wrote: At the cattle market, Gabriel’s job is to process the blood to make chicken feed. He collects it in oil drums. Then he burns old tyres – it needs to be rubber, you can’t get the necessary high temperature with wood – to boil the blood until it’s black and solid. It’s hard work, stirring the thickening blood, with the intense heat and thick black smoke. But Gabriel enjoys his job he says. He actually loves it! Can that be right? Maybe he’s really a British internet start-up mogul, in Nigeria for a new Channel 4 philanthropic ego trip, Secret Slumdog Millionaire does Africa. But then he’d be wiping away the tears because of the injustice of it all, instead of stirring away with a bloody great grin.
Sam went on to end his satire with a typical English sense of humour parody. Just read this: I’m heading out there now, because I’ve seen a gap in the market, the cattle market at Oluwainshola, that is. They say that, what with Gabriel doing his thing with the blood, nothing is wasted, every part of the animal is used – apart from the hair, that is, which is thrown away. I’m thinking there’s got to be something you can do with a cow’s hair isn’t there? Hair extensions? Wigs? For wags?
This is what I feel about documentaries such as “Welcome to Lagos” will succeed at. To ingrain the perception that Africa, Nigeria, is unliveable.
BBC’s “WELCOME TO LAGOS” – “A Hypocritical Perception of Nigeria or did it defy your expectations?”
I remember I posted a review of it a couple of weeks ago, if I can remember (time flies indeed) and to be honest, my very first reaction was “here we go again”, and that was before I read Will Anderson of BBC’s TV Blog’s review (posted here). Then, I simmered and did not know what to make of this documentary.
I made a mental note to watch it, but then I forgot. Not until Bert Owete kindly left a comment, requesting for my views. Thanks for that subtle reminder Bert.
Unfortunately, I am unable to watch a repeat of last night’s BBC “Welcome to Lagos” on BBC’s iPlayer. What a surprise heh? After all, it doesn’t matter that someone like me had paid TV License for almost 2 decades. I no longer reside in UK, and it doesn’t matter if Nigerians all over the world can’t watch to make an informed opinion.
BBC's iPlayer not available to foreigners outside UK
So, Bert and readers out there, I just have to depend on your objective and unemotional views, you know as I like to report it
Therefore, my question to you is this;
The programme “Welcome to Lagos”, how welcoming was it really to you? Was it hypocritical, as someone posted a comment on BBC TV blog site? Or did it defy your expectations as insinuated by Will Anderson in his review of the programme on the same web site?
Beach House in Lagos
More interesting, did it have an ulterior sinister motive, as we have always come to suspect?
Or, as Munira Adama, in her “out of the box” perception article in Sahara Reporters spewed it as “A manifestation of Unity”, was it really a candid opinion on how unity we are or can be?
Guys, before I hand over to you, below are opinions of 3 people that saw the programme. Do you agree with them?
‘Arise o’ compatriote’- a sentence in the Nigerian national anthem with a very strong connotation: UNITY. So much has been written on this giant of Africa; mostly negative and who are we to blame but ourselves- Nigerians because of our failure to stand up for this great nation and take back what rightfully belongs to us- PRIDE. Nigeria has its pitfalls and rightfully speaking; which nation doesnt? Corruption and redtapes; robbery; poverty; diseases; lack of basic amenities and social infrastructures amongst other downsides but that hasnt stopped us from forging ahead. Life is a learning curve on its own and whilst we are still identifying and adopting different alternatives to dealing with these issues; I would suggest the ‘literate’ countries and stakeholders alike with tried and tested solutions to come to our rescue. Poverty may be biting deep in the economy but obviously not every member; and I am not refering to the greedy politicians but rather the hard working members of the society. A saying goes that ‘more money more problem’ and perhaps so because we have once been voted as the happiest country in the world and this occured in the same trying period the country is presently in. Our government has been failing us since far back I was able to understand their essence and is evident in the lack of basic amenities and infrastructures but some noticable improvements by some leaders I have chosen not to name in their respective states could one day lead to a developed Nigeria if continued. Note that some international companies which operate in Nigeria would not do so if the conditions for operation is not condusive enough. More so, might I add that these companies share their secret of operation in a country which has been castigated as being corrupt. What have they done to overcome these issues if they claim they haven’t adopted these practices. In a similar line of thought, the issue of internet frauds has been traced back to Nigeria and may contradict the happy fact but whilst there obviously would exist ‘innocent’ victims of fraud but how innocent can you be to fall for such atrocious claim of being given a lost but found heritage that can only be released having provided personal information and paid a certain amount to have it transferred. Shouldn’t the person who contacted you have this information already for them to have contacted you in the first place? On a lighter note I wish to ask these questions- are you aware of our beautiful culture and heritage like the Oyo Festival; Ojude Oba done in Ijebuland; our food and language; lifestyle amongst others in the same vein and interest as you do know our downsides? As there are two sides to a coin; your judgement should be based on a thorough analysis of who Nigerians are and what makes us US. Whilst some individuals; organisations and countries at large have taken it upon themselves to ‘help welcome you to Nigeria’; might I add that they assist in ‘welcoming us’ to their own world with the same level of brutal honesty. There is a native saying that ‘a fi n ran Olorun leti’ (only reminding God Almighty of our plight) and whilst we have silently listened and not question such gruesome but somewhat honest negative brutality of this country; I hope your able to do the same about your own world. Reminds me of the story of the prostitute that Jesus Christ asked to be stoned if any one was clean and no one could stone her. Perhaps, a further look by these stakeholders who have taken it upon themselves to discuss Nigeria into their own environment would help reveal the hypocricy of the world. Beauty they say is in the eyes of the beholder; I believe WE (Nigerians) are not in a better but in a BEST position to welcome you into OUR world. I am not denying our corrupt practices and apportioning blame, I am only suggesting we all think twice before acting and always provide a balanced viewpoint. We may be taking baby steps at the moment but we shall one day take the long stride of an adult and this only justifies the beautiful work of Ayi Kwei Armah by saying the ‘beautyful ones are not yet born’. (as posted on BBC TV Blog)
Rubbish idea . . . Eric, a musician, hopes to fund an album through what he finds in the dump. Photograph: BBC/Keo Films/Keo Films
As posted on BBC's TV Blog website
Manifestation of Unity in Nigeria
Eric Obuh: He’s not a politician, an engineer, a doctor, nothing of such import.
He is a Nigerian. A scavenger. Olasosun dump site. Welcome to Lagos.
I just finished watching the BBC2 production titled ‘Welcome to Lagos’ which I will say was a rude shock, putting it mildly.
I never knew we had places like that, the extent of my knowledge on poverty in Lagos was Ajegunle, Isale Eko, Makoko. Olasosun?? Never heard of it, well until now. There are a lot of lessons to be taken away from this 1 hr reality jolt.
Was it just me, or did anyone else notice their level of spoken English? Wow! Needless to say, we aren’t doing badly as a nation.
These are people many of us like to look upon as miscreants, the dregs of the society, the ne’er do wells etc. But, with this portrayal of them, they have single handedly put paid to such notions.
Their organisation is another thing that had me. They had a well organised system of governance where the chairman was someone everyone could relate to, he wasn’t a dictator, nor was he any form of ‘omnipotent’. Maybe our leaders can come to Olasosun for a crash course in governance.
Joseph, another patron of Olasosun, is introduced. He is a married man, with a family to cater for, and his love for his wife and children shines through his every word, his actions.
What drives him? His love for his family. It makes him go out there and strive to earn a living so he can provide for them. He seemingly is content with his lot in life. Can he serve as role model for some of the men of our class? What drives them? The lust to have more money. The greed to be the richest man they know. The love for all things luxurious. It might provide for their family at the end of the day, but it doesn’t come attached with love and feeling. Yet again, the people of Olasosun triumph.
The cow market.
Interactions between people from all over Nigeria, I had to stop watching for a minute, and clarify that this was actually Nigeria. Is this the same Nigeria where Fulani and Birom can’t live in Jos together? Same Nigeria where people agitate for a division every day? How come this Fulani man is arm in arm with this Yoruba man? How come there is so much unity in this market? Or are these people mutants of the true Nigerian man? Or maybe these are the real Nigerians while those who do the agitation have lost touch with reality.
This is our reality; this is what the situation truly is. As much as it pains me to say, many of us, in fact all those who are going to read this note, share my same myopic view of our nation. We are filled with the politics we fail to see the human angle.
These are the masses. I dare to say that the people featured in this programme are even better informed than I am. Yes. They are on the street, they know what they want, what is lacking, while I sit in the luxury of my generator powered home, behind the screen of my Toshiba laptop and spew words about injustices and corruption. Maybe if I took a day out of my life and lived the life of a scavenger, I would sing a different tune.
‘This is where you see the unity of Nigeria in manifestation’ says Eric Obuh. No truer words have ever been spoken.
I see a number of my country men have taken to bashing BBC for showing us what is in our backyard. I would rather thank BBC for opening my eyes up to seeing the truth about my country. That we have ghettos doesn’t take away from our dignity, instead, we should look to see what can be salvaged from these ghettos. This is a sore we have to clean up not cover it up with bandage and let it fester.
This documentary shows beyond the pictures. Beyond the spoken. It shows us the future of our country, not the poverty but the unity, the organisation, the camaraderie, the resourcefulness, the optimism, the vigour for life, the justice that can prevail, the honesty, the good People, the great Nation. (as posted on Sahara Reporters)
Comments posted on Sahara ReportersJide Salu's comments left on Sahara Reporters
AN UPDATE:
A MIGHTY thank you goes to “FLO” who left a link on where to watch the documentary online.
A Nigerian born UK based teacher spoke of his battle against his bullying class students, parents and authorities recently. He was accused of the use of persistent, consistent, derogatory and uncolourful language in class.
The problem started when he told an audience I was privileged to be part of his tale of woes at school.
You see, this guy, let’s call him “Mr Yoruba” is a Mathematics teacher, and on this faithful day, at the beginning of class, he promptly told students in his class to bring out their “WORK SHEETS”. Pronounced without any rehearsals (why should he?), as innocent as the word was intended, this Essex based, Yoruba Mathematics teacher, was flabbergasted when all the students turned against him for swearing in class.
His situation got worse.
How, you asked?
Well, let me put it this way…..
Even though the students had relented after so much explanation by “Mr Yoruba” as he tried to explain that he actually said “sheet” and not “shit” (not knowing he was making matters worse). After what appeared to be an eternity, he managed to appease his students. Of course, he blamed the cross-wire on his Nigerian Yoruba accent.
Anyway, the students eventually settled down to do some work in Algebra. By this time he had succeeded in getting their attention until he brought out his white chalk, turned to the black board to scribble an Algebraic question that required a volunteer in the class to answer.
This singular innocent act became his undoing.
He then proceeded to ask the question. Can someone tell me, what is “7Q – 3Q” ?
The students went ballistic with rage yelling back the answer.
Transcript of a portion of Christiane Amanpour and Acting President Goodluck Jonathan’s interview.
AMANPOUR:
Thank you very much, indeed, for joining us on this program.
JONATHAN:
Thank you for finding time to discuss with me.
AMANPOUR:
Can I ask you first what an extraordinary name. How did “Goodluck” come to be your name?
JONATHAN:
I don’t know. I have to ask my father.
AMANPOUR:
Have you had good luck? And do you think you’ll need more than good luck to face down the incredible array of challenges that’s on your plate?
JONATHAN:
Well, the issue of good luck, I don’t really believe that the good luck an issue. But at the present, I’ve been facing a lot of challenges. What some people will attribute to good luck could have been disastrous under some circumstances.
AMANPOUR:
Well, let me ask you this. You are now acting president, because the president, Mr. Yar’Adua, is unwell.
JONATHAN:
Yes.
AMANPOUR:
Have you seen him since he has come back from his medical absence in Saudi Arabia?
JONATHAN:
No, I have not seen him.
AMANPOUR:
Why not?
JONATHAN:
The thinking of the family is that they should isolate him from most of the key actors in government. I have not seen him. The Senate president has not seen him …and at every single government function, I have not seen him.
AMANPOUR:
Doesn’t that cause anxiety amongst the people?
JONATHAN:
Yes, it does. It does. Obviously, it does, but we cannot influence his family’s thinking.
AMANPOUR:
Would you prefer that the family allowed you to visit him?
JONATHAN:
Yes, of course. But I will not want to force.
AMANPOUR:
What is his actual state of health? This also is a mystery.
JONATHAN:
I can’t say exactly. Only the medical doctors can.
AMANPOUR:
Have they told you?
JONATHAN:
No, they haven’t.
AMANPOUR:
Have they made any public statements?
JONATHAN:
Not quite. Not now. At the beginning, yes, but (Someone’s name – unclear) left for Saudi Arabia, I think in the second week or so, within the first week, we are told that acute pericarditis. After that, no other statement has been issued.
AMANPOUR:
So if he can receive religious leaders, why can he not receive at least the acting president who’s acting in his name?
JONATHAN:
Well, religious leaders are there for (inaudible) blessings. Probably that is why they asked the religious leaders to go and pray for him. We are a very, very religious society.
AMANPOUR:
Do you believe that those around him are trying to undermine you or your new cabinet?
JONATHAN:
I wouldn’t say they are trying to undermine me, because the laws of the land are very clear. And, of course, that is why in the first place constitution is designed for two people to be in charge of government at every time, one superior and one inferior.
AMANPOUR:
Do you think he will ever come back to government?
JONATHAN:
I can’t say that. It’s difficult for any of us as mortals to say so.
AMANPOUR:
So you are now acting president, and you have essentially a year, because elections will be held this time 2011.
JONATHAN:
Yes.
AMANPOUR:
What is your most pressing issue?
JONATHAN:
The most pressing issue for Nigerian now, in terms of basic infrastructure, is power.
AMANPOUR:
You mean electricity?
JONATHAN:
Electricity. Outside that, what is central to the minds of Nigerians now is an election that their votes will count, free and fair elections because we’ve been accused of as a country that our elections somehow are questioned. And I promise Nigerians that they will surely get that and I’ve done some experiments.
The next thing that Nigerians worry about is issues of corruption. You know we’ve been accused of as people who are in a privileged position in government amassing wealth at the expense of society. So they expect us to take these two issues seriously.
AMANPOUR:
So what can you do to take those issues seriously?
Obviously, the issue of good governance, of free elections, free of corruption is central, and you heard the United States has also said just now that you must remove the head of the election commission, Maurice Iwu. Will you do that?
JONATHAN:
You see, the issue of the – the electoral body – in fact, I even told the audience I addressed this morning, the issue is whether the present electoral body can conduct free and fair election or not. And I told them that, yes, they can, because I have done it with the same people.
On issue of the people at INEC, I told them that, look, between now and ending of June, most of the officials at the national level – they’re called commissioners – their tenure will end, and we’re going to review them on individual merit.
Within this period that I have been acting president, I have conducted three elections. They are conducted by INEC and it was free and fair. Only on Saturday, we conducted local council elections in the federal capital territory and all the information is that, apart from one or two that had some few discrepancies, they have been very peaceful, very credible… So that is the issue. So the issue is beyond one person.
AMANPOUR:
But let me just ask you…
JONATHAN:
I’m not defending the chairman.
AMANPOUR:
Do you think he will stay or will he be removed?
JONATHAN:
All of them we’ll review. And any one of them that we feel is not competent definitely…
AMANPOUR:
Do you feel that Mr. Iwu is competent?
JONATHAN:
(Laughs) No, no, no, no. I know that this question continues to come up.
What I’ve said is… the issue is beyond Mr. Iwu.
AMANPOUR:
I know. But I’m specifically talking about him, because it’s come up in your meetings with U.S. officials.
JONATHAN:
Yes, I agree that within the period that is (inaudible) there are quite a number of controversies. I agree. There are quite a number of concerns. There are quite a number of controversies. So I know what I’m telling you; that this very Iwu, I’m not trying to argue for him. The Iwu we are talking about has conducted free elections these past three elections that I’ve made reference to that are credible.
So the issue is beyond Iwu because we must set up an electoral system and our regulations and laws that will make sure that anybody who is appointed to that office should be able to conduct acceptable elections. And that is my focus.
AMANPOUR:
OK. Will you run in 2011? Will you present yourself as a presidential candidate?
JONATHAN:
For now, I don’t want to think about it, because the circumstances that – the circumstances of the day are quite worrisome.
I came in as the vice president to run with President Yar’Adua, of course, getting close to period of election, he took ill. And I have to take over under somewhat controversial circumstances. Only last week, I reconsidered the cabinet. So let us see how Nigeria will move forward first. I had a similar experience when I was governor of my state.
I said, nobody should ask me whether I will contest election or not. I must first of all see whether the state is moving. If the country is not moving, what what will I tell Nigerians I want to contest?
Forget Democratic, Republican, Conservative or Labour for now.
Don’t even let us talk about Nigeria’s AC – Action Congress or People’s Democratic Party – PDP (am I right? I mean the PDP acronym? I don’t know any more)
So, which party are you in? Which party do you really belong to?
Leaders and followers alike can’t be choosy about who they want to help out of this trying period in our generation. Some of us think we should only help those who believe like we do, their “generosity is limited to party stalwarts or faithful as they may be. Most people believe if you don’t believe in their god, then there is no hope.
There’s a story about a guy who fell into a pit and couldn’t get out.
A subjective person came along and said, ‘I feel for you down there.’
An objective person came along and said, ‘ Well, it’s logical somebody would fall down there.’
‘A Pharisee said, ‘Only bad people fall into pits.’
A judgmental Christian said, ‘You deserve your pit.’
A realist said, ‘Now that’s a pit.’
A geologist told him to appreciate the rock strata in the pit.
A tax agent asked him if he was paying taxes on the pit.
A self-pitying person said, ‘You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit.’
An optimist said, ‘Things could be worse.’
A pessimist said, ‘Things will get worse.’
Jesus, seeing the guy in the pit, reached down, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit. Have you noticed how Jesus ends his famous parable about the Good Samaritan? ‘… “Go and do likewise” – Luke 10:37 NKJV.
My point being, you have power to affect the lives of those around you. Are you? Have you?
Your encouragement can be the difference-maker in someone’s day, week or even life, sending them in a whole new direction. This is a fact!
But it’s difficult to encourage people if you don’t know what they need.
So become a student of people. Not for what you want to get out of them, but more for what you want to add to them.
Learn what makes them tick, know what lifts them. Stretch yourself to be humane.
For example, let us make this 21st century innovation – Information Technology -“God given, not God forsaken” by reaching out to those that matter. I have a fear that it is becoming elitist, especially with the manner in which most use it to either practice some hard hitting Soyinka like eulogy or getting personal without providing a personal opinion. You get my point? I hope you do. We all need to do more to help positively shape this generation and the one coming after us.
Never has there being an opinion as great as this to have a medium where I can provide views that will instantly be replied to from somebody as far as Poland.
Never.
So this powerful medium, and I mean very powerful tool can be better used. I only hope I am at least getting to use it positively to shape minds. I pray so.
This post has been inspired by UCB – The word for today.
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The write-up below was penned by Oyewole Akande who recently returned to work and live in Nigeria after 4 years or so in Spain and other European countries. His perspective of life in Nigeria since his return is interesting to say the least.
Kindly read and let me have your views on his take. Also, Wole will not mind if you contact him directly. I am sure he would love to have your views via email to oyewoleak@gmail.com.
My name is Oyewole Akande and I am a Nigerian.
You may be surprised that I start by stating something so obvious. However it would seem that I am the only person who thinks I am a Nigerian. My Nigerian friends swear that my sojourn in Europe has turned me into a European. If only they knew that the Europeans won’t have me either. The Spanish say I am a black Anglo-Saxon and the British say I have imbibed the “mañana” syndrome too thoroughly for an offspring of the British Empire.
But I put the cart before the horse. I am indeed a Nigerian, at least if you believe my one and only passport. I lived in Nigeria all my life until after law school when I moved to Spain and spent 4 years, first as a student, then as an employee of a blue chip company.
I loved living in Europe. The way everything works, the food, the roads, water, light, Easyjet and Ryanair et al. Europe was everything I had dreamt life would be like if I made it myself. I had myself a thoroughly good time.
I hated living in Europe. The “you don’t belong here” looks in the posh restaurants when I was having dinner with friends. Their snobbery of everything that wasn’t European. The fact that their history books had been closed, everything that is worth doing have been done already and we are only custodians of the past.
I moved back to Lagos because my company made me an offer I could not refuse. It was either Lagos or taking my chances with the 4 million unemployed in Spain. So, bags were packed and tickets bought and home sweet home I came.
Here are my thoughts on being back home
1. People have moved on
Moving back home must be the closest thing to coming back from the dead. Everyone is glad that you are back, but everyone has also filled the hole you used to occupy with something else.
Hence one must be tirelessly and cheerfully persistently friendly. You can’t see me today? Ok, tomorrow will be twice as nice! Yes, there will be nothing I would like better than to spend my weekend babysitting your son. Hopefully the rewards will come in this life…
2. People don’t realize you have changed
I am not the same person I was 4 years ago. One would have thought that my metamorphosis from a gangly 65kg lad to a 90kg behemoth would have settled that in people’s minds. Yes, I listen to rock and love to eat raw meat (Jamón). No, I don’t consider a day trifled away at a party time well spent. Would you be happy if a European spent 4 years in Lagos and didn’t imbibe some of our craziness?
On second thoughts, perhaps it is my fault. Why would I expect people who have had the same experiences and lived in the same place all their lives to think differently? Why should I believe my experiences in Europe will be relevant to Africa? Perhaps we can meet half way and equally share responsibility? While thinking on it, are you sure you don’t want to try a slice of my wonderfully cured Jamón?
3. People are not indignant enough
It is quite counterintuitive to say that a country full of angry people is not angry enough. I hold it to be an article of faith that it is impossible to drive in Lagos and to love your brother.
Lagos is full of angry people. People angry that they spend a quarter of their lives in traffic. People angry because they don’t know where the next meal is coming from. We are an angry country and we are not ashamed to share our spleen.
But perhaps can I suggest that we are angry at the wrong things? Why are we angry at other victims and not the “leaders” who have gotten us into the hole we are in? Should I be angrier at the man who brakes suddenly in front of me or the government that allowed the pothole he is running from to develop?
Yes, I advocate for anger, but not for anger at people. Let’s become angry that we all believe that office holders should steal. Let’s become angry at the abysmal level our educational system has fallen to. Let’s become productively angry about things we can change.
I read a book once that said temporary immigrants are doubly cursed. You spend your time abroad missing your country, only to find out when back home that you spend your time home missing the time overseas. You become a hybrid creature, straddling too many categories and rejected by all sides.
My name is Oyewole Akande and I am a Nigerian.
Lagos
12th April 2010
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GJ for short.
Goodluck Jonathan for long has met up with Obama.
I am so glad that Nigeria, after a long while can now boast of having a head to present at global events such as the Nuclear Summit.
I was hoping President Obama would make time to see Acting President Goodluck, which he did as photos have suggested, an unimaginable feat the Umaru Yar’Adua camp can’t boast of.
Reports have it that Goodluck has promised the world that credible and trust worthy hands will be in position to oversee the forth coming general elections. I really pray so. I really do.
GJ "arrives"GJ rubs shoulders with ObamaGJ addresses World press
For a three weeks or so now, I have been tempted to scream “Up Goodluck” in place of “Up Nepa”. Long may it continue!
Watch this space, you are reading it here on JSD – there will be a “Goodluck” factor come 2011. In what form or direction it will take, I can’t tell.
Once again, I will say thank you to my FB pal, Kend Davidson for the tag. I checked my email a few minutes ago only to see a mountain load of FB replies. My curiosity led me to the not so shocker. I will leave out my personal comments for now. Let me allow you to get on with reading vanguard’s report of IBB’s official declaration . Yes, “I’ll run for 2011 Presidential polls”, says Babangida
I’ll run for 2011 Presidential polls, says Babangida
VANGUARD – Apr 10, 2010
By SIMON EBEGBULEM AND GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE
Presidential aspirant General Babangida in uniform
General IBB
BENIN CITY-FORMER military President, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, today (Saturday), in Benin City, declared his intention to run for the 2011 Presidential election.
IBB who spoke to newsmen at the Benin Airport while on his way to Asaba, Delta state, to attend the commissioning of Mariam Babangida dual carriage way and a lecture in honour of his late wife, said the persistent rumour by most Nigerians including his political associates and admirers about his intention to return to Aso Rock as a civilian President “is correct”.
The former military President who was dressed in a white Babariga, landed at the Benin Airport in a charted airline with registration number 5N-BLW at about 9:30am and was greeted by the Governor of Delta state, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and the deputy governor of Edo state, Dr Pius Odubu. The Governor of Niger state, Alhaji Aliu Babangida was also in the entourage of the former President. Other dignitaries at the airport included Senator Ehigie Uzamere, Chief of Staff to the Edo state government, Osarodion Ogie and John Mayaki.
It would be recalled that the former military president who ruled Nigeria from 1985 – 1993, had told Nigerians during the 54th birthday of Otunba Gbenga Daniels, Governor of Ogun State that he was still consulting with his friends and allies on whether he would contest the 2011 presidential election.
Only recently, former President Olusegun Obasanjo was reported to have held secret meeting with Babangida on the 2011 presidential election. Asked what he was going to do in Delta state, IBB asserted that “I am going to Delta State because of the special love I have for it and courtesy of the Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. I am looking forward to going to Delta state because that is my ancestral home. I think that is enough for today”.
Governor Babangida who also spoke to newsmen, stated that Nigerians look forward to the thorough implementation of the Justice Uwais report on the electoral reform in order to enthrone a transparent electoral process before the 2011 general elections.
He said the reform exercise was the only panacea for the emergence of credible leaders without questions about their character and ability to deliver on the dividends of democracy. “All of us are looking forward to it (electoral reform) because we want a legitimate election. We want an election everybody will accept. We want leaders that will emerge, that can say stop these things. We don’t want people whom we will doubt whether they are actual leaders”.
Other dignitaries with General Babangida included the former National Chairman of the United Nigeria Poeples Party, Alhaji Saleh Jumbo and the former Director of military Intelligence (DMI), Halilu Akilu and several others.
There is an interesting backpage rejoinder published by “ThisDay” in place of Dele Momodu’s Pendulum column. Now the campaign officially BEGINS for the 2011 Presidential elections the Nigerian way. Have a read and be scared…..
Operator: Yes I understand you want to speak to anyone. You can speak to me. Who is this?
Caller: I’mSam Wan . And I need to talk toAnnie Wan! It’s urgent.
Operator: I know you are someone and you want to talk to anyone! But what’s this urgent matter about?
Caller: Well… just tell my sisterAnnie Wan that our brotherNoe Wan was involved in an accident.Noe Wan got injured and nowNoe Wan is being sent to the hospital..
Operator: Look, if no one was injured and no one was sent to the hospital, then the accident isn’t an urgent matter! You may find this hilarious but I don’t have time for this!
Caller: You are so rude! Who are you?
Operator: I’m Saw Ree.
Caller:Yes! You should besorry.. Now give me your name!!
Operator: That’s what I said. I’m Saw Ree ..
Caller:Oh…..God…….!!!!!!…..LMAO…..
Coming at what speed?
A trucker was driving his fully-loaded rig to the top of a steep hill.
Just as he was starting down the equally-steep slope, he noticed a man and a woman lying in the center of the road, making love.
He blew his air horn several times as he was bearing down on them. He realized that they were not about to get out of his way, so he slammed on his brakes and stopped just inches from them. Furious, he got out of the cab and walked to the front of the truck. He looked down at the two, still in the road, and yelled, “What the hecks’s the matter with you two? Didn’t you hear me blowing the horn? You could have been killed!”
The man looked up at the truck driver, obviously satisfied and not too concerned and said, “Look, I was coming, she was coming, and you were coming. You were the only one with brakes.”
Anything that ends with ‘tor’
A teacher asks the class to name things that end with ‘tor’ that eat things.
The first little boy says, “Alligator.”
“Very good, that’s a big word.”
The second boy says, “Predator.”
“Yes, that’s another big word. Well done.”
Little Johnny says, “Vibrator, Miss.”
After nearly falling off her chair, she says, “That is a big word, but it doesn’t eat anything.”
“Well my Dad knows a lady named Nancy that has one and she says it eats batteries like there’s no tomorrow!
That special ride….
SISTAS, you don’t need a man who drives an X6, M3, Range Rover Sports or Hummer to feel special!!!……
Send to all the girls that need to be reminded and all the special guys out there to remind them you don’t need to be rich to make someone feel special….yea right…..
Paula and Peter Imafidon are just like any other 9-year-olds. They love laughing, playing on the computer and fighting with each other. What sets these twins apart from their peers, though, is that they are, hands down, prodigies who are about to enter high school and make British history as the youngest to do so.
The precocious London-based tykes, known as the “Wonder Twins,” floored academics a year ago when they aced University of Cambridge ‘s advanced mathematics exam. They are the youngest students to ever pass the test.
The future little scholars’ father, Chris, and mother, Ann, immigrated to Britain from Nigeria more than 30 years ago and have actually been down this prodigy route before with their three older children, who are also overachievers.
The couple’s oldest daughter, Anne-Marie, is now 20, but at age 13, she won a British government scholarship to take undergraduate courses at John s Hopkins University in Baltimore . Christiana, 17, their other daughter, is the youngest student ever to study at the undergraduate level in any British University at the age of 11. Youngest daughter, Samantha, now 12, passed two rigorous high school–level mathematics and statistics exams at the age of 6. She mentored the twins to pass their own math secondary school test when they were also 6.
Even with all of this, the proud dad denies that there is any particular genius in his family. He does credit his children’s success to the Excellence in Education program for disadvantaged inner-city youth. “Every child is a genius,” he said. “Once you identify the talent of a child and put them in the environment that will nurture that talent, then the sky is the limit. Look at Tiger Woods or the Williams sisters — they were nurtured. You can never rule anything out with them. The competition between the two of them makes them excel in anything they do.”
The darling duo are competitive to say the least, and this is what fuels them to out-achieve each other. Paula said, “I am excited to pass, but I should have got higher than Peter.”
As far as career paths Paula says she wants to be a maths teacher, while Peter aspires to be Prime Minister one day.
All it takes is a dream….
And rightfully so, all it ever really takes is a DREAM. All I will add to this exceptional and Inspirational story (thanks to Olu Alake for bringing this to my attention) is that there are loads, and I mean loads of exceptional minds scattered around the globe. However, are these brains, minds, geniuses allowed to exercise their God given talents in Nigeria? It is up to us to foster this environment and snatch back our “forsaken dream for the nation” off these no brainers. And it STARTS NOW, with the impending elections.
Congratulations to the Imafiadon family. God bless you all and thank you for not changing your Nigerian surnames.
You can watch a Youtube clip of the Imafidon twins in action.
Jide Salu’s Diary 