Teewizzy

Britons scamper as Nigerian boards train

2010-01-05T00:34:00.001-08:00

Jackson Udom, London - 03.01.2010
A Nigerian, who introduced himself
to Sunday Tribune as Mallam Sanni
Abdul Rahman may have
unknowingly caused a stir at the
Kings Cross train station in UK,
when all intending passengers
largely made up of whites,
scampered for safety the moment
he entered the train.
This incident occurred barely a
week af-ter an attempt was made
by a 23-year-old Nigerian, Umar
Farouk Mutallab, to blow up an
America bound Delta airline.
Abdul Rahman, was dressed in a
muslim attire and was therefore
mistaken for a terrorist or a muslim
fundamentalist.The people thought
it would be suicidal to board the
same train with Abdul Rahman.
The incident aptly captured the
experience which innocent Nigerian
residents in the UK are now going
through as a result of the
December 25 incident.
A week after the Mutallab attempt,
the dust raised is yet to settle,
even as Nigerian residents in the
UK now live in apprehension over
the effect which the action of the
23-year-old Nigerian would have
on their continued stay in the UK.
Specifically, Nigerians believed to
be living in the UK illegally, have
now gone into hiding for fear of
being swooped on by the
Metropolitan Police, who are said to
be keeping 24 hours surveillance
over areas largely populated by
Nigerians, with particular attention
on Nigerians with any muslim
name.
When Sunday Tribune visited
Peckham, Hackneywick, East
London, Stevelage and Watford, all
outside London and other suburbs
in the UK, which are known to be
highly populated by blacks, an air
of apprehension and fear of the
unknown enveloped the area, with
residents afraid of going out to
engage in their normal daily
routine.
It was also gathered that Nigerian
students who are genuinely
studying in the UK are now living in
fear because of the belief that the
application for the renewal of their
visas to enable them continue with
their studies would be rejected.
At the Heathrow and Gatwick
airports, intending Nigerian
travellers were made to go through
serious and inhuman screening
before being allowed to board any
plane to any destination.
One of the passengers (names
withheld), was ordered to remove
his belt at the screening point and
to the amusement of other
Nigerians and travellers on the
queue, his trousers fell off and he
was almost unclothed, only for the
security operatives to say “we are
sorry.”
Another female Igbo traveller, who
was visiting Nigeria for Christmas
was ferried into the rest room by a
female security operative at the
airport; she returned complaining
that she had been unduly insulted
by the security officer.
Speaking with Sunday Tribune on
her travail, the fair-looking Nigerian
lady from Abia State who pleaded
anonymity said, “I wonder why the
uncivilised action of one person
should be visited on all Nigerians,
you needed to see the kind of
insult I was subjected to in the
toilet, my privacy was infringed
upon.
“Nigerian authorities should at this
point in time rise up in defence of
Nigerians who are genuinely and
legally living outside the shores of
the country, to put a stop to this
insult. If something is not urgently
done, Nigerians should be prepared
for terrible times.
“No Nigerian is in support of what
Mutallab wanted to do, and that is
why we are saying that the act of
an individual should not be used as
a parameter for dealing with others
who are legally living and doing
businesses outside the country. ”
Speaking with Sunday Tribune at
Kings Cross Train Station in London,
Alhaja Kehinde Okanlawon said
“ Nigerians are never known to be
terrorists, that word is novel to
Nigeria and Nigerians. Despite the
harsh economic situation in Nigeria,
nobody wants to die. The action of
Mutallab is already taking its toll on
Nigerians here, specifically those
with islamic names, we are now
being branded as terrorists.
“ Even our neighbours and co-
workers are now treating us
unfairly. It ’s not funny at all. We
are not free to move around,
because wherever we go and
whatever we do since last
Christmas is now being monitored.
“We are no longer trusted and
nobody knows what the authorities
in the UK are planning to do under
this unbearable situation. “At the
train’s stations and airports, any
black they see is believed to be a
Nigerian, and such must be
avoided, it is as bad as that. ”
In the words of Muideen Akinola
Alao, a student in the UK, “this is
the end of the road for Nigeria
students here. Even back home, it
would now be very difficult for
intending students to be granted
admissions, not to talk of visas. We
are no longer trusted, they have
raised the security bars on any
Nigerian resident and those
planning to travel.
In the past, Nigerians were
screened at the airports for illegal
food importation, and now
terrorism has been added. “We
appreciate the proactive step so far
taken by the Nigerian government,
but they should go beyond that by
ensuring that innocent and law-
abiding Nigerians are not molested
nor subjected to inhuman
treatment in their countries of
residence. ”
Investigation by Sunday Tribune
revealed that some Nigerian
muslims living in the UK with their
male children have ordered them
to always be clean shaven in order
not to draw an undue attention of
security operatives to themselves.
According to Alhaji Usman Sodonki,
“ I have been living outside the
shores of Nigeria for over twenty
years, I ’m an ardent muslim, Islam
as a religion abhors violence, and
that is why we vehemently
condemn the act of Mutallab, it is
un-islamic. Because of how the
whites treat any act of terrorism, I
have ordered my children to keep
as from now on, very clean shave
so that they will not be viewed as
terrorists. Bin Laden, who is the
figure behind terrorism has a long
and unkempt beard as his
trademark, so I wouldn ’t want my
children to be mistaken as
members of the Al Qaeda.”
It is not only Alhaji Sodonki that
had ordered his wards to keep a
clean shave, others who did not
want their names in print, confided
in Sunday Tribune that the most
decent thing to do at the moment
is to keep a clean shave, because a
stitch in time saves nine.

Britons scamper as Nigerian boards train

2010-01-05T00:33:00.005-08:00

Britons scamper as Nigerian boards train

2010-01-05T00:33:00.003-08:00

Britons scamper as Nigerian boards train

2010-01-05T00:33:00.001-08:00

6006 Nigerians Win 2010 Us Dv Lottery

2009-10-09T23:41:00.001-07:00

THE United States (US) Mission in Nigeria has said the country ranked second in the number of winners of the US 2010 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery. Nigeria had 6,006 winning entries as against Ghana, with 8,752 winning entries, topping the list across the world.

Disclosing this, on Wednesday, was the Chief Consular Officer/Acting Consul General, Mr.Richard Walsh, who also announced the commencement of the registration for the 2011 DV lottery.

Walsh, at a media parley held at the Public Affairs Section of the US Consulate General’s office, Broad Street, Lagos, further disclosed that Bangladesh came third with a total number of 6,001 just as Ukraine came fourth with 5,499 winning applicants.

He, therefore, said for interested applicants for 2011 DV lottery, registration would hold between October 2 and November 30, adding that entries for the 2011 DV lottery must be submitted electronically.

He warned that paper entries would not be accepted by the United States government. Walsh emphasised the need for the applicants to ensure that all information provided on the entry form must be complete and accurate, adding that “applicants who provide false information about themselves or on behalf of others will be disqualified.”

All successful applicants, according to him, would be notified by electronic mail, adding that “applicants who keep their confirmation page information will be able to check their entry status online.”

http://www.tribune.com.ng/08102009/news/news19.html

Nigerian SEnate reviews bill on treatment of gunshot victims

2009-10-09T23:39:00.000-07:00

A bill seeking to jail medical practitioners who let victims of gunshot wounds die for lack of a police report has passed the second reading in the senate.

The bill is sponsored by Osita Izunaso (PDP Imo State) and the major concern is to save lives lost daily to a directive that victims of accidents and gunshots must produce police reports before they are even given first aid treatment in clinics.

“In a country where there are increasing cases of armed robbery and corresponding increases in the number of Nigerians shot on a daily basis, this bill could not have come at better time than now,” Mr. Izunaso said in his lead debate.

The bill seeks to empower medical practitioners to treat gunshots and accident victims first and then intimate the police of the presence of such victims.

“This bill also seeks to prevent the police from removing any victim of gunshot from any hospital without certifying the person fit by a health practitioner or hounding health practitioners who treat gunshot victims. The bill has penal sections with varying degrees of jail terms for offenders.” Mr. Izunaso added.

While arguing for the bill, Mr. Izunaso recounted various sad experiences, from that of Bayo Ohu, The Guardian journalist who was shot dead on September 20, to other Nigerians who had no recognition, where Nigerians were left to die in a pool of their blood in hospitals because there was no police report.

“It is illegal for the police to insist on police report before a medical practitioner treats a victim of gunshot,” Mr. Izunaso said. “The refusal to treat victims of gunshot or forceful withdrawal of gunshot victims from where he is receiving treatment runs contrary to the spirit and intentions of section 33 (1) and section 34 (1a) of the 1999 constitution.

"These provisions have guaranteed Nigerians the right to life and dignity of human persons including armed robbers. Thus even where the victim of a gunshot is an armed robber, he still has the right to life and must not die.”

Illegal police directive

Tawar Umbi Wada (PDP Gombe State) said there is no law empowering the police to stop the treatment of gunshot victims without a police report.

He explained that what started as a crime reduction strategy by the police was later misconstrued by both police officers and medical practitioners. He said that the real issue is, perhaps, who takes responsibility for the cost of the treatment of such victims.

In her view, Chris Anyanwu (PDP Imo State) said most deaths due to gunshots and other accident victims are due to the “callousness” of most medical practitioners.

She recounted an experience in Maitama General Hospital, Abuja where a young doctor turned down all pleas from her and other sympathisers and watched another young man die of accident wounds.

“Such acts of callousness should be severely punished.” She said.

ASUU to suspend Strike For two weeks

2009-10-09T23:35:00.003-07:00

All the chapters of the Academic Staff Union of Universities [ASUU] that met in various campuses across the country yesterday to deliberate on the fate of their four-month old strike action recommended that it be suspended for two weeks to enable a final agreement to be reached with the Federal Government. Their recommendations are expected to guide the ASUU National Executive Committee [NEC] meeting on Friday, when it meets to decide on the fate of the marathon strike action.

ASUU’s NEC had met at the University of Abuja campus on Monday night and directed all its chapters to hold emergency congresses and choose from among three options. Option 1 was for the strike to be called off. Option 2 was for it to be suspended for two weeks to enable the leadership to conclude an agreement with the Federal Government on the remaining knotty issues. Option was to reject the tentative agreement reached with government officials and peace brokers at the weekend and to continue with the strike until all ASUU’s demands are met.

However, our reporters gathered yesterday that ASUU congresses held at the campuses of Bayero University, Kano, University of Abuja, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Benue State University, Makurdi, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, University of Port Harcourt and the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt all recommended the second option to the union’s NEC.

Our reporters also learnt that congress meetings are scheduled to hold this morning at the University of Maiduguri, the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto as well as the University of Jos to take a position on the strike. Congresses were also held yesterday at the University of Lagos, the Lagos State University [LASU] and the University of Benin, but our reporters could not get a clear picture of the decisions reached. At the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, university of Illorin and the Gombe State University, Gombe, no meetings were scheduled because those ASUU chapters are not participating in the strike. Similarly, lecturers at the Kaduna State University, Kaduna suspended their strike action and resumed work last Wednesday.

A lecturer at the University of Maiduguri told our reporter last night that the overwhelming feeling among the teachers there is for the strike to be called off. He said the four months’ duration of the strike had sapped support for it among the lecturers, coupled with the effect of the no-work-no-pay rule implemented by government.

Lecturers of the University of Port Harcourt demanded in their resolution that government should give priority them whenever there is going to be a national salary review in the country. They demanded an enhanced African benchmark on salary, saying “We want to be among the top three best paid university lecturers on the continent.’’ They also demanded that the appointment of all Vice Chancellors should be the exclusive preserve of the Governing Councils.

ASUU chairman at the Benue State University (BSU) Mr. Ralph Amokaha told Daily Trust that “Ordinarily, we would not have wanted to go back until our demands are met. But following the intervention of prominent Nigerians like Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Speaker Dimeji Bankole, the congress of ASUU-BSU decided for the option to suspend the strike for two weeks. We are doing this for people watching to see that ASUU is bending to government wishes again. Let them rubbish us by doing what they want like they have always done. If by chance they decided to be honourable, then good.”

University of Agriculture in Makurdi (UAM) ASUU Chairman Mr. Amine Daniel said “In our branch, we have accepted that we should call off the strike for two weeks. Within those two weeks, we expect government would have completed negotiation and signing of the agreement.” He however added that “if these conditions are fulfilled at the end of this two weeks period, we will meet and call off strike. But if they do not at the end of the two weeks, the strike will resume full blast. That is our decision”.

In Lagos however, the chairmen of UNILAG and LASU kept mum on the outcome of their meetings, saying they would communicate their reports to the national executive council at its next meeting billed for Abuja on Friday. Unilag ASUU’s Dr. Kabir Olusegun Akinyemi and LASU ASUU’s Dr. Ayo Olowe both said their report is sacred and not meant for the public until a final decision is made on Friday.

University of Benin branch ASUU chairman Kenneth Kassidu Ilavbare told Daily Trust in Benin that there is an instruction from the national body not to talk to the press until after Friday, when the National body is expected to make a statement on the ongoing strike action. Even though academic activities were disrupted by the strike action, it did not stop the Post University Matriculation Examination [PUME] as over 5000 candidates sat for the PUME test in September.

The institutions ASUU however kicked against the conduct of post JAMB while the strike was on the strike also failed to stop the Uniben Senate from meeting and electing an acting Vice Chancellor.

In Minna, the ASUU chairman Dr Babatope Alabadan told Daily Trust that the chapter backs a 2-week suspension but awaits the outcome of deliberations between the national body and the federal government. Our reporter also learnt in Minna that members of the Non- Academic Staff Union of Universities [NASU] plan to stage a peaceful demonstration in the city today to call for equal treatment with its ASUU counterparts. The source said the protest will be marked by a peaceful match in the state capital where its members are expected to wield placards calling for conditions of service similar to those granted ASUU members.

Chairman of ASUU at Bayero University, Kano Dr Abdullahi Baffa also refused to discuss his chapter’s position, saying only the NEC can take a final decision. Baffa, a Mathematics lecturer, said their decision had already been forwarded to the NEC. Daily Trust however learnt that the chapter voted to back the two-week’ suspension option.

Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

Obama wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

US President Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Committee said he was awarded it for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples".

There were a record 205 nominations for this year's prize.

The laureate - chosen by a five-member committee - wins a gold medal, a diploma and 10m Swedish kronor ($1.4m).

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8298580.stm

IMO STATE UNIVERSITY POST UME SCREENING TEST

2009-10-09T23:32:00.000-07:00

The 2009/2010 post ume test for admission into Imo state University will hold on Wednesday !4th, Thursday 15th october 2009 at the university campus.

MORNING SESSION

Day One : All courses In the faculty of Agric and Veterinary medicine
2. All courses In the Engineering Faculty
3. All courses In the faculty Of sciences
4. All courses In the faculty of Education

AFTERNOON SESSION
1. All courses In the faculty Of Medicine and Surgery
2. All courses In the faculty of Environmental scienses
3. All courses In the faculty of Health
4. All courses In the faculty of Humanities

Day TWO

1. All courses in the Faculty Of Business Admnistration
2. All courses In the Faculty Of Social sciences
3. Faculty Of Law

WISHING ALL CANDIDATES SUCCESS !!

Doctor Jailed For Obasanjo's Death

2009-09-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

By Steve Kingstone
BBC News, Madrid

Stella Obasanjo was considered Olusegun's official wife
A Spanish doctor has been sentenced to a year in prison, for his role in the death of the former first-lady of Nigeria, Stella Obasanjo.

The wife of Olusegun Obasanjo had visited a clinic in Marbella in October 2005 to undergo cosmetic surgery.

She underwent liposuction to reduce the size of her abdomen, but left the operating theatre with fatal injuries.

The judges said the surgeon had shown carelessness and neglect.

Mrs Obasanjo, 59, came to Spain in October 2005, checking in at the Molding Clinic - a discreet and luxury facility, specialising in cosmetic surgery.

The court heard that a tube used for removing fat had been placed by mistake into the patient's abdominal cavity - puncturing her colon and lacerating her liver.

Mrs Obasanjo became seriously ill the following day.

But prosecutors said the surgeon initially failed to answer his mobile phone, and then waited more than four hours before driving the patient in his own car to an intensive care unit, where she died an hour later.

The doctor - identified in court documents only by the initials AM - was sentenced to a year's imprisonment for causing homicide through negligence.

He was disqualified from practising medicine for three years, and ordered to pay $176,000 (£108,000) in compensation to Mrs Obasanjo's son.

The court said simple blood tests or an ultrasound procedure would have detected the internal injuries - which, with more time, could have been treated.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8268057.stm

http://en.trend.az/regions/world/ocountries/1544933.html

http://allafrica.com/stories/200909220003.html

World's Oldest Man Parties On 113th Birthday

2009-09-22T14:01:00.001-07:00

The world's oldest man has celebrated his 113th birthday - revealing he takes one aspirin a day to stay healthy.

Walter Breuning celebrated his milestone with a party at his home in the Rainbow Retirement Community in Great Falls, Montana.

He told those gathered: "Remember that life's length is not measured by its hours and days, but by that which we have done therein.

"A useless life is short if it lasts a century.

"There are greater and better things in us all, if we would find them out. There will always be in this world - wrongs. No wrong is really successful.

"The day will come when light and truth and the just and the good shall be victorious and wrong as evil will be no more forever."

The 113-year-old, considered to be the world's oldest man, attributes his long life to eating well and keeping physically and mentally active.

He also says he takes one aspirin a day.

Mr Breuning is in such good shape that he still strolls the halls of the retirement home, wearing a suit and tie, and walks the ramps to his second-floor apartment.

He was born on September 21, 1896, in Melrose, Minnesota.

In 1912, he became a railway worker, which led him to Montana in 1918. He stayed in the job until retiring in 1963.

Mr Breuning has outlived all of his family.

He lost his wife in 1957 after 35 years of marriage - they did not have any children.

Integrity lets try to have it

2009-09-21T23:13:00.000-07:00

BOILED SEED NEVER SPROUTS

An aging king woke up one day to the realization that should he drop dead, there would be no male in the royal family to take his place.

He was the last male in the royal family in a culture where only a male could succeed to the throne - and he was aging.

He decided that if he could not give birth to a male, he would adopt a son who then could take his place but he insisted that such an adopted son must be extraordinary in every sense of the word.

So he launched a competition in his kingdom, open to all boys, no matter what their background. Ten boys made it to the very top.

There was little to separate these boys in terms of intelligence and physical attributes and capabilities.

The king said to them, 'I have one last test and whoever comes top will become my adopted son and heir to my throne.' Then he said, 'This kingdom depends solely on agriculture.

So the king must know how to cultivate plants. So here is a seed of corn for each of you.

Take it home and plant and nurture it for three weeks. At the end of three weeks, we shall see who has done the best job of cultivating the seed. That person will be my heir-apparent. '

The boys took their seeds and hurried home. They each got a flower pot and planted the seed as soon as they got home.

There was much excitement in the kingdom as the people waited with bated breath to see who was destined to be their next king.

In one home, the boy and his parents were almost heartbroken when after days of intense care, the seed failed to sprout.

He did not know what had gone wrong with his. He had selected the soil carefully, he had applied the right quantity and type of fertilizer, he had been very dutiful in watering it at the right
intervals, he had even prayed over it day and night and yet his seed had turned out to be unproductive.

Some of his friends advised him to go and buy a seed from the market and plant that.

'After all,' they said, 'how can anyone tell one seed of corn from another?' But his parents who had always taught him the value of integrity reminded him that if the king wanted them to plant any corn,
he would have asked them to go for their own seed. 'If you take anything different from what the king gave you that would be dishonesty.

Maybe we are not destined for the throne. If so, let it be but don't be found to have deceived
the king,' they told him.

The d-day came and the boys returned to the palace each of them proudly exhibiting a very fine corn seedling.

It was obvious that the other nine boys had had great success with their seeds.

The king began making his way down the line of eager boys and asked each of them, 'Is this what came out of the seed I gave you?' And each boy responded, 'Yes, your majesty.' And the king would nod and move down the line.

The king finally got to the last boy in the line-up.

The boy was shaking with fear. He knew that the king was going to have him thrown into prison for wasting his seed.

'What did you do with the seed I gave you?' the king asked.

'I planted it and cared for it diligently, your majesty, but alas it failed to sprout.' the boy said tearfully as the crowd booed him.

But the king raised his hands and signaled for silence. Then he said, 'My people behold your next king.' The people were confused. 'Why that one?' many asked.

'How can he be the right choice?' The king took his place on his throne with the boy by his side and said, 'I gave these boys boiled seeds. This test was not for cultivating corn.

It was the test of character; a test of integrity. It was the ultimate test.

If a king must have one quality, it must be that he should be above dishonesty.

Only this boy passed the test. A boiled seed cannot sprout.' Never!!

We live in a society that has become obsessed with success and many show success at any cost. We say the end justifies the means. It is the tragedy of life.

You see, failure often is an invitation to God to show that he is all powerful and does not need help to make us great or to bless us.

You know, sometimes God looks for people who will trust him completely no matter what so he could show the world that it is not by might or by power but by his spirit.

God sometimes ordains failure. But many seek to circumvent divinely ordained failure by resorting to dubious means.

When a civil servant builds a big house and sends his five children to expensive schools when he does not have a second source of income, is that not a case of a boiled seed sprouting?

When a minister of state is able to sustain a lavish mistress and at the same time put up houses from his income as minister, is that not a case of dishonesty? is this not questionable?

Sabo Prostitutes held free sex night vigil to celebrate Chief Ganiyu Fawehinmi transist into the world beyond - Funny but it is real.

2009-09-21T23:10:00.000-07:00

On the eve of his interment, some commercial sex workers at the Sabo area of Ondo town paid tribute to him in a weird way: They offered free sex to men as they basked in the euphoria of the moment.

A source told Saturday Sun: “Some prostitutes at a popular brothel in Sabo held a vigil for the late apostle of good governance. They enjoyed or rather expressed themselves. They drank and danced all night in front of the brothel.

Some of them even offered free sex to the men around. Some were heard shouting, ‘come and f••k Today, na FOC (free of charge), this night we no charge money because of Gani.’ There was so much excitement in the brothel and its environs, showing that Gani was truly a man of all people”.
An okada rider and vulcanizer, who identified himself simply as Bayo, told our reporter that he took advantage of the free sex offer to enjoy himself.

He said: “I went to Sabo that Monday night to buy suya after the day’s work. Then somebody said that the women at the hotel were giving free show. I rushed there to see things for myself. When I got there, I saw some of the girls dancing, smoking and drinking. Some of them were calling “come shine free kongo for Gani”. I decided to try one of the women and we went inside just like that. That was what happened.”
The father of one, who claimed that his wife travelled that day to Ibadan to buy some goods, however, added that he bought two bottles of beer for the lady at the end of the game.

Another observer/participant, a taxi driver, who introduced himself as Tope, said that he did not allow the offer which was too attractive to true to pass him by.

According to him: “One of the girls I know there said I should come and do it with her free for the sake of Gani, who was to be buried. Who no like better thing? But no be only me o, some other people do am with the women. I just bought a packet of condom and I later bought a bottle of big stout for the lady”.
Tope said that when he got to the brothel for a drink and saw the scarlet ladies offering free sex, he was pleasantly surprised. He said that he initially thought it was a gimmick but “when I followed one of the girls to her room, she pulled off her skirt immediately without asking for money. So, we did it and later drank beer together”.

One of the commercial sex workers, who gave her name as Tonia, told Saturday Sun she and her colleagues celebrated the life and times of the late foremost activist because he fought for the common people. According to her,“some of us are in this business because of bad government. There is no work, there is no food, everything is dead in this country. Gani was telling them to change but they refused, and detained him in prison where he contracted the illness that later took his life. We no happy doing ashawo work but wetin man pikin go do?”.

It was also gathered that various classes of women of easy virtues stormed Ondo town during Fawehinmi’s funeral because of the huge presence of dignitaries from various parts of the country. A source said: “So many ladies came to Ondo just to hustle because they know that some of the men would need female company at the end of the day. They needed to use what they have to get what they need. Again, some of the ladies who came could not afford accommodation in the hotels and so ended up sharing the bed of some men. One of my guys saw one of the ‘stranded’ ladies and took her to his hotel room for the night. In fact, they were together until after the burial”.

Investigations also revealed that no other burial took place in the town that day. An indigene of Ondo, Kunle Akindugbade said: “No other burial held in Ondo on Tuesday, it was not necessarily that there was a restriction to that effect, those who lost their loved ones and were planning burial that day had to change their plans because they knew that nobody would be there. You cannot share a day with Gani because everyone wanted to be part of his farewell”....

Source: Sunonlinenews.com

Kate Winslet, Michelle Obama make it to best dressed women of 2009

2009-09-21T23:07:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – British actress Kate Winslet lead the pack of People magazine's 10 best-dressed women of 2009, with U.S. first lady Michelle Obama chosen for "best accessible glamour."

Although the list, released Wednesday, does not have numerical ranking, Winslet, 33, who won an Oscar in February for playing a dour Nazi in "The Reader," was deemed to be the best-dressed woman on the red carpet on 2009 "with her unique brand of sexy sophistication, modern Hollywood glamour and those enviable curves."

People named Reese Witherspoon as having the "best short dresses," "High School Musical" actress Vanessa Hudgens as best hippie chic, and Freida Pinto, the Indian star of Oscar-winning movie "Slumdog Millionaire," for having the best use of color.

Brad Pitt, "Twilight" actor Robert Pattinson, and Bradley Cooper of "The Hangover" and "Nip/Tuck" fame were among the best-dressed men of the year. People said their attention to details like a scarf, pin or skinny tie "took their looks beyond basic."

Teen country singer Taylor Swift was dubbed "best sparkle."

The annual best- and worst-dressed double issue, on newsstands Friday, also acknowledged the impact on fashion of the Emmy-award winning TV series "Mad Men," set in the 1960s, whose cigarette pants and sheath dresses have inspired new designs by Michael Kors and Tory Burch.

The People magazine special issue also looked at some of the fashion flops of 2009. Former "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul and actress Renee Zellweger were cited as having the worst red carpet dresses.

Singer Jessica Simpson's January appearance in unflattering high-waisted "mom jeans," which triggering a heated debate about weight issues in Hollywood, was among the "most memorable moments of the year," People said.

People's choice of the Top 10 Best-Dressed Women of 2009 are:

Kate Winslet - Best Red Carpet

Vanessa Hudgens - Best Hippie Chic

Reese Witherspoon - Best Short Dresses

Cameron Diaz - Best Jeans

Michelle Obama - Best Accessible Glamour

Freida Pinto - Best Use of Color

Taylor Swift - Best Sparkle

Nicole Richie - Best Maternity

Beyonce - Best Street Chic

Kim Kardashian - Best Bikinis

The complete list can be found at www.people.com/bestdressed.

Guardian Newspaper Reporter Assasinated

2009-09-21T22:56:00.000-07:00

IT was another gruesome murder in Nigeria yesterday. The Guardian's Assistant News Editor and an ace political reporter, Bayo Ohu, was shot dead in his apartment in Egbeda, a Lagos suburb.

Ohu was just getting set to attend Church service after seeing off his wife, Ochuko, and sister-in-law, to the early morning service when the gunmen came knocking on his door at about 6.52 a.m.

According to eye-witnesses, the five or six men came in a white Toyota Camry saloon car, wearing white flowing gowns with matching skull caps. They made no attempt to enter any other apartment in the four-flat house. Ohu heard a knock on his door and as he opened the front door to ask who was knocking, the gunmen hit him with a volley of bullets. His blood made a huge splash all over the door. He staggered back into the house screaming for help, but his assailants followed him inside and rained more bullets into him.

Curiously, the assailants made away with only his laptop and mobile phone handset.

The landlady, who was just opening her shop that morning, was the first to come in contact with the assailants. She was ordered to lie face down by a man she identified as the leader of the gang. He warned her in Yoruba language to stay in that position if she didn't want any harm to come to her. She narrated in Yoruba: "The man went ahead to show me a big gun hidden under his flowing gown and I started pleading with him that he should please have mercy on me, that I had no money and was just a poor trader who sells soft drinks. He just told me not to worry, that nothing would happen to me if I stayed face down on the ground. From my shop, he started shouting orders to others." Soon after she was deafened by the gunshots.

The Guardian confirmed that no less than a dozen rounds of ammunition were fired. The police recovered most of the expended bullets.

One bullet went through the right side of Ohu's chest and exited through the left side, tearing through the arm. Two of Ohu's children, who were yet to go to church, had gone to fetch water from another house in the neighbourhood, ran into the assailants and were immediately chased into hiding. Those watching the gory scene from adjoining buildings said that the assailants, after completing their task, still had enough time to wash their hands and feet while two of their colleagues fired shots into the air to scare all in the neighbourhood.

One of the children told The Guardian that from her hiding place he heard one of the assailants shouting out jubilantly to his colleagues: "Olori buruku e ti ku (the fool is dead)."

But Bayo Ohu, a hefty six-footer, did not go down without a fight for life. One of his neighbours who rushed to his side after the assailants made their exit, noticed that his pulse was still strong and he was still breathing. Other neighbours were quickly mobilised to save his life. They rushed him to a nearby hospital, just three minutes drive from Ohu's residence. At the hospital, the staff on duty insisted on a Police Report before any first aid could be administered on him. Noticing that he was losing much blood, the neighbours decided to head to the Ikeja General Hospital. Ohu, however, did not make it there as doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

"There is no doubt that this is a clear assassination job. I have been in the police force for a long time and the kind of expended bullet cartridges found at the scene of the crime is really a source of worry. These are high caliber bullets that are not normal when attacking harmless people. You only go with this kind of weapon where you expect resistance, where you are going with the intent of war. It's not a regular thing", a police source said yesterday.

He then added in a tone dripping with frustration: "There is no cartridge that has the same groove pattern. The groove pattern on each bullet is akin to finger-prints. So, if we were in a situation where police jobs are made easier with good investigative capacity, the bullets could be used in locating the guns and sources, but my friend you know how things are here."

Speaking later with journalists, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Frank Mbah, said that the Force was looking at the case from the point of view of the gruesome circumstances, "we are leaving all options open in our investigations." Mbah also said that with more evidence coming to the Force after the recovery of the vehicle used in the operation, things were beginning to point to a possible case of armed robbery. But he quickly added that all leads were being followed.

A shaken Editor and Deputy-Editor in Chief of The Guardian, Debo Adesina, who had rushed to the General Hospital to ensure Ohu's prompt treatment, an effort which now turned out futile, told journalists that, "it is now left for the Police to do their job. I hope they would unravel this killing and let Nigerians know who did this as well as why?"

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Marvel Akpoyibo, said that the police had already commenced investigation into the death, added: "We have commenced investigations into the killing. We are investigating a case of murder and robbery. We sympathise with our friend, The Guardian for what happened, we shall investigate the death discretely."

Shock and fear enveloped Ohu's residence as neighbours gathered around discussing the killing yesterday. Bayo Ohu, according to neighbours, was a very quiet person. "You never would know whether he lived in this house or not. He was not the regular kind of person known to everyone. He went about his life quietly. In fact, his wife and kids are better known in this area than he was", one of the neighbours told The Guardian.

One other neighbour watching the scene said: "The whole thing looked like a home video. We saw them, the way they made a U-turn with their car on a narrow road, the way they held their guns and shooting as if they were robbing a bank, was so shocking. We could not react immediately because we were shocked and we were scared. I just went blank. It was after they drove off that we could summon courage to check who their victim was."

Oyeniji Street, and the surrounding Odukoya Estate, though with one or two nice looking buildings, is generally a lower middle-class neighbourhood. Ohu's residence is an old-fashioned four-flat house, each flat with three bedrooms.

Meanwhile, Ohu's body has been deposited at the mortuary of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. He left behind five children; the eldest being 16 years, while the youngest is nine months old, a housewife, who is a part-time student of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye and an aged father.

Ogunbayo Ohu was born on June 18, 1964. He started his education at the Local Authority Primary School, Iseyin, Oyo State, from where he proceeded to Progressive Grammar School, Ado-Awaye, also in Oyo State, where he finished in 1976. He had his tertiary education at The Polytechnic, Ibadan between 1988-1990.

Bayo Ohu joined The Guardian in 1991 and distinguished himself early as a reporter. He covered Katsina State as a State Correspondent and his performance recommended him for promotion to Assistant News Editor. His flair for reporting made him move from the desk back to the beat to cover politics which he did very well.

Yesterday, publisher of The Guardian, Dr. Alex Ibru, said he was saddened by the incident and hoped the police would do a thorough job of investigating this killing. He prayed for the peaceful repose of the soul of Ohu and sent his condolences to his family.

Ohu's was yet another in the list of journalists' murder. Dele Giwa, Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine, was killed through a parcel bomb on October 19, 1986 during the military regime of President Ibrahim Babangida.

More recently, Godwin Agbroko, the Editorial Board Chairman of ThisDay newspaper, was gunned down on Oshodi-Mile Two Expressway in 2006 on Christmas eve.

Yet, another mysterious death was that of Abayomi Ogundeji, also a member of the Editorial Board of ThisDay newspaper on August 17, 2008. He was shot in his vehicle on his way from work late in the

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article02//indexn2_html?pdate=210909&ptitle=Bayo%20Ohu,%20The%20Guardian's%20reporter,%20murdered

SSS seizes Bank MD's passport

2009-09-21T22:54:00.001-07:00

SSS impounds Ovia (Zenith Bank), Imoukhuede (Access Bank Plc), other Bank MDs' passports
Durojaiye, Kingsley Ighomwenghian And Tunde Opeseitan, Lagos

The ongoing shakeup in the banking sector instituted by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Lamido Sanusi, produced additional shockers on Friday with the seizure of the passports of five more bank Managing Directors (MDs) by the State Security Services (SSS)

Yar'adua Will Not Attend Un General Assembly

2009-09-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

Cancels Meeting Obama, Ki-Moon

To Miss Four Top Meetings
By Laolu Akande, New York

PRESIDENT Umaru Yar'Adua will not be attending the United Nations annual General Assembly and the Climate Change summits starting on Tuesday, September 22 in New York.

The President turned down the respective invitation of US President, Barack Obama and the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon at the last minute.

Up till Friday afternoon at the UN Secretariat, Yar'Adua still had a slot reserved to address the UN General Assembly on Day 2 of its meeting on Thursday.

But UN sources confirmed yesterday that the Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, would now represent Nigeria, which means that the country will lose that slot reserved only for presidents.

Maduekwe will speak at a later date before the end of the weeklong meeting.

President Yar'Adua was invited alongside other heads of state, with more than 100 world leaders confirming participation.

There are at least four crucial events where Yar'Adua was being expected to participate.

First is the Tuesday Climate Change conference, which the Secretary-General summoned to mobilise world leaders on the need to conclude negotiations for a treaty on Climate change before the December meeting on the subject in Copenhagen, Denmark where the deal is to be sealed on Climate Change.

On Thursday at a press conference, Ki-moon warned that only about two weeks was left for the international negotiators to complete their work, but no agreement had been reached as yet.

The Secretary-General's plan is to use the Climate Change summit with presidents and heads of state in attendance to convince the world leaders to reach a deal soon.

Secondly, the Nigerian president is expected to participate at the regular annual General Assembly summit of heads of state, which starts on Wednesday.

Besides offering him an avenue to address the Assembly, such a gathering, according to UN sources, would have enabled President Yar'Adua to campaign for Nigeria's election for a non-permanent seat of the UN Security Council with his fellow presidents and heads of state.

According to a diplomat, the UN is a very hierarchical community and only heads of state can talk to heads of state.

Although Maduekwe will be representing Yar'Adua, yet, no president will meet with the Minister, except presidents from very small and non-influential nations, a source revealed.

The election to the UN Security Council non-permanent seat comes up on October 15 and although the African Group has endorsed Nigeria, the country still needs 128 votes, which is two-thirds majority requirement to be elected into the Council.

Thirdly, the President is expected as a major participant in the unprecedented meeting of US President Barack Obama on Tuesday, September 22.

According to the US Ambassador to the United Nations, a well known pro-African American diplomat and official, Dr. Susan Rice, President Obama will "host on the 22nd a lunch for heads of state and governments from sub-Saharan Africa."

The luncheon "will focus on how the United States can work in partnership with African governments to strengthen African economic and social development."

"The talk will focus primarily on three topics: job creation, especially for young people; creating a more conducive climate for trade and investment; and ways to mobilise African agriculture to create jobs and help feed the continent," she said.

Yar'Adua will miss this meeting as well, and it was not clear as at press time whether Maduekwe will be welcomed since this was clearly labeled a meeting of heads of state with the US President.

The following day, President Yar'Adua will miss a another crucial meeting, which, again is called by the US President only for UN member-States like Nigeria, which contribute troops to the UN international peace-keeping missions.

Apart from being the 4th ranking UN nations in troop-contribution, Nigeria is also the leader of the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping.

But Yar'Adua will meet such a crucial meeting on the subject of peacekeeping with the US President, who is apparently reaching out specifically to Yar'Adua, among a few other presidents.

As US Ambassador Rice said in a White House press conference during the week, President Obama "will host a meeting with countries that contributed the largest numbers of police and troops to the United Nations peacekeeping operations."

She hinted at the importance of the meeting, saying, "this is an opportunity for the President to focus attention on reforming and strengthening U.N. peacekeeping for the 21st century, and to recognise the largely unheralded contributions of those that are providing the backbone of these critical peacekeeping operations."

Regarding this Obama meeting with States like Nigeria, UN sources explained that Yar'Adua was, in fact, the "beautiful bride to the Americans."

This is because, as diplomatic sources explained, the US government was concerned about the situation in Somalia and desires that a more robust UN peacekeeping force be deployed quickly.

In that regard, sources say the Americans are hoping that Nigeria's president could be encouraged during the meeting with Obama to provide substantially more troops for the UN peacekeepers in Somalia.

A Nigerian diplomat working with the UN Secretariat said this would have been an opportunity for President Yar'Adua to negotiate directly with Obama in return for whatever the Americans want from Nigeria.

Before now, Nigeria had been reluctant to commit more troops for the Somalia deployment at the UN. And since the US government is keen on protecting its interests against the activities of terrorists in Somalia, the Americans have been clamouring for a stronger UN peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

Until this effort, White House had simply not been very friendly towards the Nigerian presidency. First, President Obama opted not to visit Nigeria in his first African trip.

Secondly, when US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, visited Nigeria, her public and indoor comments were considered very critical.

Even there are reports that in the planning of the Clinton visit to Nigeria, the US Government might have left the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Nigeria out in several aspects.

However, with the current veiled offer from the White House to Aso Rock, a rapprochement is being built, according to diplomatic thinking.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article01//indexn2_html?pdate=200909&ptitle=Yar'Adua Will Not Attend UN General Assembly

Nigeria's Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa Chased From Hotel Room

2009-09-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

Nigerians in London today used their telephones to chase AGF Michael Aondoakaa out of their city. The action followed an advisory by the Nigeria Liberty Forum in London notifying Nigerian nationals that Michael Aondoakaa was in the city.

"Nigeria and all haters of corruption have been alerted to the presence in London of Nigeria's notoriously corrupt protector of looters of Nigeria, Michael Aondoakaa," it said.

The Nigerian Attorney General of the Federation (who is being referred to as Attorney General of Fraud) was staying at the London Heathrow Marriot Hotel on Bath Road, Harlington, Hayes, UB3 5AN United Kingdom, Phone: +44 20 89901100. He arrived in the UK yesterday to deploy federal power against the impending trial of President Yar'Adua's friends: the former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, and Yar'Adua's Private Principal Secretary, David Edevbie. The trial commences at the Southwark Crown Court on Monday.

The Nigeria Liberty Forum, which earlier this year successfully organized the picketing of the presence of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, at the London School of Economics and Political Science, urged Nigerians to protest Aondoakaa's presence from the comfort of their homes by calling the hotel to ask them to kick the AGF out of the place.

The NLF advised callers: "Be civil, ask to speak with Michael Aondoakaa after you dial to speak with the operator. If he is there in his room, curse the daylights out of him for destroying Nigeria; if [he is absent], leave him a voicemail message.

"If you want to join in protesting his presence in London, contact the Nigerian Liberty Forum by text on: 07984212553."

The Marriot Hotel management told Saharareporters that they found themselves overwhelmed by calls from across the world within just 30 minutes. They said that Mr. Aondoakaa, who had checked into the hotel yesterday, checked out abruptly when alerted that so many people were calling to ask after him. Our sources said Aondoakaa left empty handed without successfully securing any meetings with the UK Home Office or the Crown Prosecution Service, the UK bodies to which he was instructed to make some protests and submit "clearance papers" on behalf of Ibori and Edevbie.

Aondoakaa, who also claimed to have attended a UN meeting for a few hours in Vienna yesterday, told his friends who approached him about his recent embarrassing conduct that he was merely playing the script of Nigeria's taciturn and reclusive leader, Umaru Yar'Adua. He also told friends in London before hurriedly departing for Abuja today, that he enjoys the confidence of Yar'Adua in defending Ibori and other corrupt former governors. He bragged that Mrs. Farida Waziri, who is currently traveling with her husband in Saudi Arabia, will be in trouble for disowning his statement that the EFCC had cleared Ibori.

Aondoakaa also admitted that there were cracks in the Yar'Adua cabinet, saying that some people want him removed at all cost. He singled out former EFCC chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, as the biggest international headache for the Yar'Adua regime, and vowed that Ribadu would be charged for treason in due course.

See Wahala: Nigeria Police Force's Published Poem

2009-09-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

What irony!

LAMENTATION OF A POLICEMAN

Gloomily sit I, gazing afar;
Gazing afar, far ahead,
Today again, just like yesterday,
My comrade died or is killed!
Yes, Today like yesterday;
A widow, an orphan is made, clear.
O! Death why more my clan, the police!
For why do you strike me, alone!
Yet I must smile and work,
Not minding the scorn,
Forget also the ridicule,
Not even the outright, assault.
Protect the society, I must, a must!
Yet another comrade must lie;
Buried, buried and forgotten.
For how long this sadness must continue!
Thus lament I the police.

By CSP Lawan Jimeta
Peacekeeping Department, FHQ, Abuja
14th August, 2009

Source: http://www.nigeriapolice.org/index.php?view=category&id=23

VIRGIN NIGERIA AIRWAYS NOW NIGERIAN EAGLES AIRLINE

2009-09-19T13:18:00.001-07:00

LAGOS – Virgin Nigeria Airways has changed its name to Nigerian Eagle Airlines, and the new identity takes immediate effect.
The airline also said it had no problems with the United Bank of Africa (UBA) Plc over its indebtedness to the bank, as it was managing and servicing the debt.
Chief Executive Officer of the airline, Captain Dapo Olumide, who unveiled the airline’s new identity, told newsmen at a briefing yesterday that the change of name was sequel to the withdrawal of Virgin Atlantic Airways as core investor and technical of Virgin Nigeria Airways (VNA).
Chairman of the Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson, had last year announced the withdrawal of his 49 per cent equity in Virgin Nigeria, which also attracted 51 per cent ownership by Nigerian institutional investors.
Olumide said the new name was chosen to project the country’s image and pride, adding that the desire of the board and management was to build it into a brand.
While one of the airline’s seven aircraft is expected to arrive the country today in its new colours and name, Capt. Olumide said all the planes in the airline’s fleet as well as offices across the country and West Africa would have been completely re-branded in two months.
Olumide, who asserted that Virgin Atlantic Airways was free to sell its stakes in the airline, said Nigerian Eagle Airlines has concluded plans to source funds from the capital market for its operations.
“We are going to have our private placement in the next six weeks. The Board has met and taken a position on that, and we are also expecting investors overseas to invest in the new airline.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/09/18/virgin-nigeria-airways-now-nigerian-eagle-airlines/comment-page-3/#comments

FINALLY WAEC MAY/JUNE 2009 RESULT IS OUT!

2009-09-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has released the results of the May/June 2009 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Head, Nigerian National Office of the Council, Dr. Iyi Uwadiae, who announced the results in Lagos yesterday, said a total of 1,373,009 candidates, consisting of 755,955 males and 617,054 females sat for the examination.

However he said, of the total number of candidates that sat for the examination, only 356,981, representing 25.99 percent obtained credits and above in English Language, Mathematics and at least three other subjects.

Timaya Manhandled, Handcuffed And Detained

2009-09-18T13:44:00.001-07:00

Na me be the Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa, any where I dey, people they scamper
Chorus; Timaya don blow o,
Timaya don kpolongo

BAYELSA State- born militant singer, Timaya, had a rough taste of love turned sour portion when he was manhandled, handcuffed and subsequently detained by the Festac police for conducting himself in a manner likely to breach public peace.

The show of shame ,which happened last Sunday at an Alakija Lagos-based church, Praise Resurrection Ministries aka Jehovah Sharp Sharp church, disrupted the service, leaving several members of the house of God bruised.

In what an eye witness account described as a reflection of the lyrics of one of his hit songs, Timaya in company of some of his goons, arrived the Church without notice and sauntered into the Thanksgiving service being held in honour of a newly wedded couple named Bridget and Nerho

On arrival, he was allegedly given a seat by one of the church ushers. But he insisted he wanted a place in the front row where (according to our source) he would be positioned to listen to the Pastor and his sermon.

But when the usher stood his ground, he calmly sat without betraying any emotion of what he planned to do.
On his entry, his ex lover, Empress Njamah who was said to have become alarmed quickly stood up from where she sat and made her way to the front row area where some elders of the Church sat.

According to our source, she had expressed her fear to one of the ushers about the danger of Timaya coming to Church saying she was certain he was there to make trouble.

And true to her prediction, Timaya who had seen her move decided it was time to make his own move. It was at this point that he drew the attention of one the ushers insisting he also wanted a place at the front area. But his move was thwarted by the usher who at this point sensed there was something wrong.

As the usher stood his ground, Timaya lost control and began to shout at the top of his voice and to the chagrin of the worshippers, “I want to retrieve the key of my car which Empress took away from my house.”

When the usher insisted he waited until Church service was over, he became unruly and uncontrollable. At a point he was said to have lifted one of the plastic chairs in the Church and tried to attack Empress. This move was however contained by some of the male church worshipers.

“As the struggle and show of shame continued, Timaya, who at this point was shouting at the top of his voice, was rough handled and bundled out of the Church arena.

As the burly musician resisted every attempt to reason with the Church officials, a concerned naval top brass who also worships at the Church, invited his men from the nearby naval barracks and Timaya was subsequently handcuffed and handed over to men of the Festac Police formation. He was detained briefly and later released after pledging to be of good behaviour and on self recognition.

But in a new twist to the church fracas, some explained to this writer that there is more to the story than what the couple exhibited in church.

“The true story, according to our source is that Empress had drawn the anger of the musician on the ground of unfaithfulness.

“Timaya heard Empress was getting married to another man in the said Church and that’s why he stormed the church to disrupt the phantom wedding. Unknown to Timaya, the much talked about wedding took place on Saturday and it was between one of Empress best friends and her long-standing boyfriend.

“What you saw happen in church was a clear exhibition of a man in love and jealous of losing his loved one. I think what both lovers should do is to involve family members who would help them thrash all their differences, ”our source opined.

Empress, who confirmed the story to one of our reporters, however maintained a sealed lip.
The police, she told us, had advised that she says nothing to the press. We could not however reach Timaya as his phone was switched off.

Police spokes man, Mr. Frank Mba, a Police Superintendent who confirmed our story said, “Following the incidence, Timaya has written a petition to us, saying that Empress amongst other allegations, had not only squandered an undisclosed sum of his money given to her to hold in trust, she had also gone beyond his back to remove the said vehicle from his house and without his permission.

NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT REACTS TO SONY PS3 ADVERT

2009-09-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

The Nigerian government has expressed dislike for Sony's new Playstation 3 ad campaign that references the Nigerian letter scam.

Here's the press release made by the Nigerian minister of information and communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili.

PRESS STATEMENT

MALICIOUS ADVERTISEMENT AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA BY SONY COROPORATION

The attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria has been drawn to an advertisement by Sony Corporation on the internet which from all indications is designed to portray Nigeria in bad light in an effort for Sony to market her products.

Link to ADVERT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-3uKprF824

1. The advert in question currently circulating on youtube.com and facebook.com and other international websites creates the impression that Nigerians hardly do genuine business. This insinuation is in bad faith and unacceptable.

2. The Government and the good people of Nigeria reject this unwarranted attack on the reputation and image of the country. The government sees this as an attempt by Sony Corporation to undermine Nigeria’s business interest around the world.

3. It is on record that Sony Corporation has operated in Nigeria since the country’s independence and has enjoyed tremendous patronage from Nigerians at home and abroad. Over these years, there is no established record that the company has recorded any major incidence of scam or fraud by Nigerians that warrants its deliberate campaign against the country’s image.

4. While Nigeria accepts or concedes that there are few criminal minded people within her population just like any other country including Japan the home country of Sony Corporation. The Federal Government of Nigeria has as a matter of policy put in place institutions and mechanisms to rid the country of any form of fraudulent practices. Nigeria therefore does not see the basis to single out the country as an example in that infamous advertisement.

5. In the light of the above, the Federal Government of Nigeria requests Sony Corporation to immediately withdraw that advertisement from circulation.

6. Nigeria also demands an unconditional apology from Sony Corporation for this deliberate negative campaign against the country’s image and reputation. The apology must be given the same measure of publicity by Sony Corporation in all channels where the unfortunate adverts were aired.

7. The Federal Government of Nigeria wishes to assure all genuine investors around the world that Nigeria remains a major investment destination and a country where most businesses thrives in trust, good faith, competition, competence and integrity.

PROF. DORA AKUNYILI
HON. MINISTER, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
4TH SEPTEMBER, 2009
http://www.fmic.gov.ng/

CBN TO ISSUE NEW N5,N10, AND N50 IN POLYMER SUBSTRATE LIKE THE N20 NOTE

2009-09-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

In continuation of the currency reforms initiated by Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the immediate past governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the apex bank has said it will on September 30, 2009 issue a total of 1.915 billion notes in N5, N10 and N50 denominations using polymer substrate format.

The new notes which will be launched by President Umaru Yar’Adua, is to replace the existing paper mode in the affected denominations.

Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido, who briefed the press in Lagos on Wednesday said the extension of polymer substrate was due to the cost effectiveness of the base material and its long lasting nature.

Man kills only son for being stubborn

2009-09-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

A father in Lagos, Friday Obot who hails from Akwa Ibom State, has murdered his only son, Michael, 11, for losing the toilet door bolt. Another reason cited for the abominable act was Michael’s alleged stubbornness. The incident occurred in, Awolowo Way area of Ikeja. “He had repeatedly told Michael that he was going to kill him,” the grieving mother, Mercy told Daily Sun in tears.

Problem was said to have started on Thursday, September 10, 2009, when Michael misplaced the toilet door bolt.
Daily Sun gathered since the victim lost the bolt his father had made life miserable for him, as it had always been battering, scolding and threats from him.

“But I intervened and asked him to forget it, as we can always replace it. Michael lost confidence and trust in his father, as he was always beating and harassing him, even over matters he would have ordinarily ignored,” she wept profusely.
She narrated how her husband raised the issue of the missing bolt again, when she returned from the market and how she tactfully tried to change the topic. Midway into their discussions, she said her husband suddenly reverted to the lost bolt and continued the threat.

“For fear of what the father might do to him, Michael ran out of the house and slept with a cart pusher (mallam) who lives opposite our room. But on Saturday, September 12, 2009, the father of two allegedly went to where his son was taking refuge, dragged him out and later into his room.

The victim’s little sister, Blessing, who witnessed the incident, disclosed to the mother how her father used pestle, including machete, to torture her brother, to the point that he could no longer walk. As he was weeping, Blessing said Michael requested for water to drink, a request she said, their father turned down.
It was when Obot went to buy some packs of Indomie that Michael tried to sneak out of the house of torture to escape, but collapsed as a result of the torture. “That was when they came to call me from the market. We rushed him to the hospital but he was rejected and referred him to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.

Michael was given two drips and he passed out as he was taking the third one.
Obot’s landlord, Mr. Obadina Simeon, who said the victim had been living in his house for the past years, described him as cafeteria worker. He told Daily Sun that he (landlord) reported the murder case to the Area ‘F’ Police Command, Ikeja.

The Lagos State Deputy Police Public Relations Officer (DPPRO), Mr. Onyeisi Nwaolai, who confirmed the incident said the case had been transferred to the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos.

Education, Labour Ministers escape abduction

2009-09-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

Education, Labour ministers escape kidnap plot
Headlines Sep 17, 2009 By Ise-Oluwa Ige
ABUJA — THE State Security Service (SSS) paraded, in Abuja, yesterday, three undergraduates of the University of Abuja and a suspected fraudster who allegedly attempted to kidnap two ministers in order to demand N300 million ransom, and force the Federal Government to sign an agreement with ASUU ending the on-going strike action.

The ministers targeted by the suspects are Prince Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN) of the Labour and Productivity Ministry and Dr Sam Egwu of the Education Ministry.

The mastermind and suspected fraudster, Abdallah Alfa (58) told newsmen that he was to offer the undergraduates N4 million after a successful operation.

Dr Sam Egwu of the Education Ministry and Prince Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN) of the Labour and Productivity Ministry
He said they were to be mobilised with N1 million before the operation, while the N3 million balance was to be paid after the assignment.

He however said no kobo had exchanged hands before they were nabbed by the Police.
He said he was also to provide other logistics, like cars, which the boys were to use for the job.

Undergraduate suspects

The University of Abuja undergraduates who also took turns to confess to their alleged role in the kidnap plot are Kingsley Njoku Obi, Aniabor Ochuko (aka Kelly Handsome) and Chilaka Rowland (aka Peace).

Obi (23) is a 400 Level student of political Science at the university; Ochuko (27), a native of Oha Town, Okpe Local Government Area of Delta state is a diploma student of the university while Rowland (28) from Ahiabo Mbaise Local Government of Imo state is a final year student of Political Science of the university.

Although the three undergraduates and self-acclaimed mastermind said they did not have any previous criminal record, one of them, Rowland, had already confessed his membership of Black Axe Confraternity to the SSS.

Leader of the gang, Alfa, who first denied knowledge of the kidnap plot, later told newsmen that he entered into the deal with the undergraduates with the aim of making money and bringing the ongoing ASUU strike to an end. Huh

He said he had played prominent roles in the past to end ASUU strikes but he did not say what exactly he did.
He said his contributions to the ASUU strikes in 2003, 2007, 2008 and 2009 were on record.

Alfa, according to the SSS, hails from Kogi state, had a primary school education but he speaks the Queen’s English.

Although he faltered when he was asked what he was doing for a living, he later told newsmen yesterday that he was a businessman.

But the SSS told newsmen yesterday that their investigations revealed that Alfa is an incurable fraudster given his antecedent.
They said he was linked with a number of 419 cases in the past.

He was bold all through the parade session but he was sweating profusely.

Kidnappers planned to kill Egwu

His accomplices also explained that the agreement between them and their paymaster was to kill Dr Sam Egwu in detention and free Prince Kayode (SAN) after collecting the N300 million ransom.

The Assistant Director, Public Relations of the Service, Marilyn Ogar, who first briefed newsmen yesterday before allowing them to interact with the accused persons said the 58-year old Alfa popularly called the Ambassador who initiated the plot, recruited students for kidnapping assignment under the guise that the kidnapping was meant to end the on-going impasse between the Academic Staff Union of the Universities [ASUU] and the Federal Government.

“The choice of using students for the operation was ostensibly to make the exercise and the subsequent demands appear as if it was geared towards ending the Federal Government and ASUU crisis”, Ogar stated.

She said preliminary investigation showed that the plot was to forcefully end the seemingly unending strike action.

“While three of these are students of the University of Abuja, preliminary investigation showed that the plan was designed to serve as a forceful way of ending the on-going strike action”, Ogar stated.

She also said upon the successful kidnap of the Ministers, Egwu was “to be forced to sign an alleged agreement with ASUU.”

The suspects were also to demand the sum of three hundred million naira from the Federal Government as a precondition for the release of the ministers.

She lamented that instead of an old man like Alfa serving a role model to the younger ones (students), he “cajoled them into embarking on the nefarious act, thus capitalising on their seeming frustrations and desperations to go back to school by all means.”

She advised parents and guardians to monitor their children and wards closely to ensure that they do not fall prey to the likes of Alfa.

“While he (Alfa) hails from Dekina, Kogi state, he claims to be Hausa from Kano”, she pointed out.

She said the essence of the press briefing was to draw the attention of parents to the possibility that Alfa may have recruited other kids in different parts of the country for such criminal acts and to implore them to be vigilant.

She added that the service would hand over the quartet to the police before the close of business for necessary action.

“We have done our bit, we will now hand them over to the police for prosecution”, she stated.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/09/17/education-labour-ministers-escape-kidnap-plot/#comments

2009/2010 NECO RESULT RELEASED

2009-09-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hi peeps

Just got the info that the 2009/2010 NECO result has being released.

Follow this link: http://www.mynecoexams.com/results/default.aspx

cheers!!!

HOUSE OF REPS MEMBER SLAPS SECURITY MAN AT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

2009-09-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

REP SLAPS SECURITY MAN.

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Chinyere Emmanuel Igwe, caused a stir yesterday at the entrance of the National Assembly as he traded blows with a security official.

Igwe, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member, represents Port Harcourt 2 Federal Constituency, Rivers State.

He said he was embarrassed by the security operative.

The security personnel, Mr. Chinelo Nwulu, said he was attempting to establish the identity of the lawmaker as he (Igwe) tried to enter the National Assembly.

Witnesses said Igwe was apparently angered by the request of the security operative that he should identify himself before entering.

They said Igwe gave the security operative "a dirty slap on the right side of his cheek without uttering any word."

Igwe was said to have threatened to deal more blows on Nwulu, but was prevented by other security men who rushed to save their colleague from the grip of the lawmaker.

He was casually dressed in black trousers and a flying khaki short-sleeve shirt.

He also wore a jungle face cap and slippers.

He reportedly fumed: "Imagine that boy. How could he claim not to know me? Does his duty not include recognition of faces of members? He has just embarrassed me, and I won’t take it. This case will not end here. I will take it to any length, including the National Assembly Service Commission, where he would be disciplined."

The incident happened at 11 a.m. It lasted 30 minutes before other National Assembly security operatives and the police intervened to calm the lawmaker.

"CECILIA IBRU NOT AN ORDINARY NIGERIAN" - lawyer

2009-08-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

It can only happen in Nigeria. Where else in the world would a lawyer claim that his client, declared wanted by the authorities on charges of massive financial impropriety, is not an ordinary Nigerian but an eminent one? According to press reports, Mr. Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), the lawyer of former Managing Director of Oceanic Bank Plc, Mrs. Cecilia Ibru, his client is no ordinary Nigerian, arguing that; “this is the only country where people go to the media on issues they know nothing about. Mrs. Ibru is not an ordinary Nigerian. She is an eminent one. They know where she lives.” Mr. Akintola’s assertion brings us back to riyenews’ last thread in which the role of lawyers (Akeredolu, Lawyers and the rest of us), in Nigeria’s social, political and economic life was discussed.

Mr. Akintola needs to explain in greater detail what makes Mrs. Ibru more eminent than the average man on the street, perhaps in court.
It is only in Nigeria that those who ought to cover their heads in shame and ignominy would strut around, thumb their noses in front of the people and even collect awards and chieftaincy titles to boot. What makes Mrs Ibru an eminent Nigerian? Is it the fact that she was once the MD of a bank? What are the criteria for eminence in Nigeria apart from being a clergy?

The answer is of course money but as Nigerians are now finding out she is less than eminent and she is someone who betrayed the trust of thousands of customers of her bank. It is obvious that Mr. Akintola knows that he has just discovered a gold mine in taking the Ibru case, but must he insult our intelligence?

BIAFRA WILL BE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER MADE

2009-08-25T12:49:00.001-07:00

I am Igbo by origin, but am yet to see a valid and concrete point provided by the advocates of this useless disturbance called Biafra to justify their stance that it is the best way forward. They rather shout ''Biafra'' to the top of their voices without making assessments to forsee possible adverse effects.

Personally I think this Idea of Biafra will be a huge disaster if ever it is realized firstly because the region still harbours the same bunch of uneducated people who make up Nigeria. The word ''uneducated" as I used here doesn't just refer to the ability to read and write, but the ability to understand how exactly human beings should live and relate with one another. The south-east politicans, businessmen and office holders are still part of the corrupt and self- seeking assholes that are bringing the nation down to ruins today. So what difference does it make when these individuals leave their seats in Nigeria to take over a new role in Biafra?

Secondly, I wish to make it clear that there is no perfect unity in every unit. Being together as Biafra will not necessarily rule out internal rancours, therefore there will always be a conflict of interests which can cause a civil war if care is not taken. For intance, a part of Biafra may claim they are being marginalized and may decide to secede and manage their own affairs which is also similar to the secession of Biafra from Nigeria. I also believe that the diversity and population of Nigeria is a untapped strenght and blessing, but unfortunately the country doesn't know how to utilize this gift. If Nigerians in the south-east did nothing to help themselves as a bigger Nigeria how then will they achieve something better in a smaller Biafra? Definitely Biafra will be one of the most poverty stricken and unstable nations on earth. You Biafran bigots should count me out of your shit. Nigerians need to secede from their uneducated attitude rather than seceding one part of the country from the other as a solution. I don talk my own.

MTN CANCELS FAMILY & FRIENDS ?

2009-08-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

My fellow Nigerians I wonder if anyone has noticed that without any notice, MTN has cancelled the special call rates to those on our Friends & Family list. They now charge N53.33k/sec = N32/min for Friends & Family members & non-members alike. To fool unsuspecting subscribers though, dialling *560# will still show your list of F & F members.

That's not all, it's easier for U to remove a member from the list but U are subtly blocked from adding a new number: U'll simply be told 'we're experiencing a network error, please be patient while we fix the problem.'

Zain too don't allow U to add a new number to your F & F list. Though in their case, they still apply d half rate agreed with their subscribers.

But the question is why are these pple going from bad to worse? Could we say it's because Mr. Ernest Ndukwe led NCC has been dealing with these capitalists with kid gloves, at the expense of millions of Nigerians? What's going on?

IMSU STRIKE CALLED OFF ?... IMSU INFORMATION UPDATE

2009-08-20T13:29:00.001-07:00

His Excellency the executive Governor of Imo State Has ordered that the striking non academic and academic staff to report to work with immediate effect. We really don't know what is going to happen there but best believe it His Excellency knows whats best for we the Nigerian Students. For y'all who keep calling me asking If the forms for the post ume Is still on sale, the answer is an emphatic NO. The date for the post ume has not yet been fixed so keep watching out I would post It here as soon as I confirm the date.

UNIJOS TO RESUME AMID ASUU STRIKE

2009-08-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

The chairman governing council, university of jos,Dr Ignatius Uguru has directed all staff and students of the school to resume to work despite the ongoing asuu strike.He made the annoucement while briefing newsmen that the consequence of the strike action falls on the student;that since asuu and the fG have not reach a conclusion,it is pertinent for the school to resume pending the outcome of the strike.Although no asuu member was at the meeting when he gave the directive but it is only hoped that the striking lecturers will comply with the directive of the governing council.Who wins?.Lets wait and see.

HILLARY CLINTON : WAS SHE HARSH ON US ?

2009-08-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

I disagree with most of what the general American news are saying. They are coming down very harshly on her as been undiplomatic. Not when you have a bland, unimpressive, sick, uninspiring, defunct, no-brain president and party leading the country.
The PDP, created by Obasanjo, currently chaired and controlled by him, a disastrously corrupt, ineffective party that has left the country in a catastrophic condition should be angry. There anger is totally expected, and I believe the MEND guys are fools for not fixing their mess up since.
Actually, the ticket to join the PDP is sheer elitism, connection and corrupt past and history, that's why the fool who is nothing but an abject failure to his personal existence called Yar'adua could do nothing about the crisis within is own region and yet could still throw a big party to politicians crossing over to the PDP, and the fool was bold enough to give a rapid ultimatum to the dissolution of the local govt in Lagos.
Its a shame Fashola didnt insult. I was hoping he could have gone for his jugular like Hillary did, and tell the man he would do Nigerians a great deal of good if he could just throw a rope on a fan and hang himself. I feel sick, weak, tired, disgusted, angered, tormented seeing the development happening all around the world and yet we have an elite class who are less than 1% keeping 85% of the entire nations fund.
I think the artist here got it all right when he pathetically summarized this nightmare, shady, and seedy administration as below

PETROL STATON ATTENDANTS : NEW MONEY MAKERS

2009-08-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

Move over men in black, petrol station attendants in Nigeria are now the new money makers thanks to the inefficiency of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). Once upon a time, it used to be that petrol station attendants pray for fuel scarcity so that vehicles can queue up for miles in front of their stations and they can charge more than the official pump price before selling the precious commodity to desperate motorists. But not anymore, petrol stations do not have to wait for the often chaotic days of scarcity (artificial or natural) to make an extra buck, because these days, thanks to the gross inefficiency of PHCN, power supply to millions of Nigerians is a mirage d people need petrol and diesel for their generators. Instead of long queue of vehicles, what you find at petrol stations nowadays is a stretch of jerry cans with their owners close by waiting to buy not kerosene but petrol. This is the dividend of democracy for petrol attendants from president Umaru Ya Adua. Other Nigerians are still waiting for their own democracy dividend.

The “extra fee” or “egunje” per jerry can is just N30, taking inflation into account, which is the same amount that Nairaland’s infamous policemen, who mount illegal road blocks every day, charge “danfo drivers” and other motorists. It all adds up to a pretty penny at the end of the day because more and more Nigerians are buying portable generators. The demand for petrol which has been described as the common denominator in the life of every Nigerian, rich or poor, has gone through the roof in Nairaland.

Owing a generator no longer confers any measure of affluence or status in Nairaland anymore because it is no longer a luxury but a necessity and it is dirt cheap thanks to the Chinese. By now Nigeria must rank as one of the leading countries in the world where the use of generators is very high. For many industries, it is no longer a case of putting PHCN on standby and generator as the main source, it is now “generator A” as main source and “generator B” as standby. PHCN is kaput.

Forget about the environmental impact of generators in terms of noise, pollution and even the possibility of explosions folks, this a boom time for petrol station attendants. They sell to men and women, old and young who storm the stations usually between 5 and 6 o clock in the evening with jerry cans of all sizes to buy few litres of fuel to power their generators. It had reached a point where sales of petrol to vehicles are now secondary to these stations. In any case it is now a familiar sight to see people open the boots of their vehicles, bring out jerry cans and join the queue because they have generators too! Attendants don’t even want to sell to vehicles any more. Nowadays there is a pump designated expressly for jerry cans. Folks, what we are seeing here is an emerging “industry” that is impervious to the global financial meltdown. The Chinese manufacturers, importers, the repairmen and petrol station attendants are not smiling but laughing hysterically all the way to the bank.

Razak Adewale is a petrol attendant in one of the many outlets of African Petroleum Plc in Lagos, and he told riyenews that the dismal power supply in Nigeria has been a real blessing that was not in disguise for him. It has been “open and direct”. Adewale said that he looks forward to going to work every morning with great anticipation unlike in the past when it used to be a drag. Before the “generator invasion” petrol stations were usually reluctant to sell petrol in jerry cans except during adverse scarcity in the country, but that rule of thumb as been overtaken by reality. Who does not know that Nairaland is in darkness?

The president promised Nigerians 6000 mega watts of electricity before December, but not a few Nigerians believe this would be possible. To some, it is a dream that cannot be realized (ala ti o le se). What is real is that petrol station attendants are making steady money. As you would have thought, Adewale does not want the power situation to improve in the country because it will reduce the demand for petrol. He does not see his wish as unpatriotic or selfish either because he wants his own share of the national cake. “Look” he says, “big men get loans from banks that they don’t pay back, doctors want people to be sick because that is the only way they can make money, just like lawyers who want people to get into trouble, while those in government are constantly looting, so why can’t I make something out of the present state of darkness in the country?” he queried. “Besides”, he added, “I want to buy my own generator too,”

If Adewale’s raison d etre makes sense in a bizarre sort of way, consider Felix Popoola, another petrol attendant who prefers to be called a “Petrol Clerk”. In Popoola’s considered view, president Ya’ Adua should scrap PHCN and forget about improving power supply and give every Nigerian a generator with a N2000 petrol voucher every week! When it was pointed out to Mr. Popoola that government doesn’t work that way and cannot be Santa Claus dishing out money to people, his reply was that as far as he is concerned his suggestion is the only viable solution at the moment since no solution has been found by government.

How can Nigeria get out of this present state of darkness? The answer, as everybody knows, is elementary, but in Nairaland, nothing is simple. Or why else has successive governments been absolutely powerless to tackle the problem of power supply successfully?

VETERAN ACTOR PETE EDOCHIE HAS BEEN RELEASED

2009-08-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

Veteran actor, Chief Pete Edochie who was kidnapped on Sunday at Onitsha in Anambra State has regained his freedom.
Daily Sun gathered that Edochie was released on Monday evening by his kidnappers at about 8.p.m, within the Awkuzu axis of the state, and was immediately driven straight to the Government House, Awka, to the warm embrace of the governor, his family members and other top government officials.
Confirming the good news, Barrister Iyke Ezenagu, the Anambra State chapter chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), who played an active role in Edochie’s release, insisted no ransom was paid to the kidnappers.

He however, maintained that the joint efforts of the state government, police, AGN, Edochie’s family and the fact that Edochie is a popular actor in Nigeria, all contributed to his quick release and non-payment of ransom to the kidnappers. “ We are all happy that Chief Pete Edochie has finally regained his freedom. In fact, my happiness knows no bound. We also want to immensely thank all those that supported us in ensuring that Chief regained his freedom this soon without any harm. What this means is that Anambra is still safe for movie people or anybody to come and do business or live in. We thank God for everything.”

Also reacting, Mr. Ejike Asiegbu, the national president of AGN, said Edochie’s freedom was the triumph of good and popularity over evil. He further warned kidnappers to henceforth, desist from kidnapping or terrorizing Nigerian actors and entertainers.
Edochie who was celebrating with friends and well wishers told Daily Sun at his Independence Layout residence in Enugu yesterday that he was grateful to God for making him experience the abduction first hand.

Unlike most other kidnap victims who paid heavy ransom to secure their freedom, Pete Edochie said he paid no dime and did not lose anything, not even his mobile phone set.
He said he did not know where he was taken to or even the point he was dropped. “All I know is that I was able to pick a cab that took me to a hotel in Awka.”

“I was very happy that God allowed me to experience this first hand. They told me they had no business kidnapping me at all. First of all they did not touch me, they did not blindfold me. They did not gag me. They did not hack me they did not tie me, and they said I am their father.

“And somehow, that they have managed to hear a lot about me that I am very good to people. That I assist people particularly the downtrodden; That they know all that and you so would not hurt me. I mean they didn’t tie their faces. Nothing. They were discussing with me.

“They bought me some drinks, made sure I did not get alcoholically dry. You know as an individual, if you find yourself in a situation like that under siege, you complicate your situation if you experience internal alcoholic drought. So, by the grace of God they were lubricating my system for me and at the same time encouraging me to feel the pulse of their heartbeat.

“If the government can put in place a machinery to guarantee that the youngsters who are unemployed and the young girls who are unanchored are entitled to what in America is regarded as social as security and in Britain is called the dough; but at least at the end of each week they will have something in their pocket. There are things that are fundamental to survival of every individual.”

Recalleing how he was abducted at gunpoint on Sunday, the popular actor said: “We were coming from Onitsha Ukwu, you know my primary assignment now is taking the film of Rev. Father Tansi round the Catholic churches in the country. When we got to Nkpor junction, around Obosi or so, a bus just came double crossed us and asked all of us to come down and get into the bus. We did. And that was where the captivity started. The young men who are my assistants were all released and they held me.

“But I think they wanted me to see what they experience and they treated me with a lot of respect, a lot of reverence. They loved me a lot and they said as far as I am concerned I am their father. That they are not happy doing what they are doing but that they are compelled by circumstances to do that. They believe that the ostentatious life of politicians has inflicted a lot of harshness on their own circumstance as individuals and they think it’s about time they too get their own slice of the national cake. It’s unfortunate that they have to do it the way they are doing it but that they don’t have options.”

“Our prayer is that this ugly event should not happen in Nollywood again. These kidnappers should leave us alone. Are they not happy that we are the ones still entertaining and making Nigerians happy in the face of the numerous national challenges confronting us daily as a nation? On behalf of AGN, we want to thank God and all those that assisted us in securing the release of our great actor and veteran of veterans, Chief Pete Edochie.

God bless all of us. And to Pete, we say a very big welcome.”
While reacting, the Managing Director of O’Jez, the popular Nollywood centre, which had also hosted Edochie in the past, Mr. Anayo Odobeatu, called on the State and Federal governments to immediately address the worrisome security situation, in Anambra State. He also congratulated Edochie and further advised him to take a well-deserved rest.

The kidnappers had earlier demanded a ransom of N50 Million which was later negotiated down to N10 Million as at Monday morning.
Confirming Edochie’s release, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Uzor Amakulor said that Edochie was released at Aguata, while the kidnap actually took place around Afor Nkpor, near Onitsha commercial city.

He further said that the hoodlums had to take to their heels when they got wind of the presence of men and officers of the command
However, the command has commenced man hunt for the suspected kidnappers which according to Amakulor, was already yielding positive results.
The police commissioner also said signals had been sent across the neighbouring states to Anambra while the respective state police commands were on the trail of the hoodlums.
Amakulor assured residents of the state to go about their lawful duties without any fear as the command had taken proactive measures at stemming incidents of violent crime in the state.

,
Why I was kidnapped - Pete Edochie
By Our Correspondent - 19.08.2009

ACE Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie, on Tuesday, said that his kidnappers told him that he was seized in protest of the obscene display of Nigeria’s stolen wealth by politicians.

Edochie, in an interview monitored on the Africa Independent Television (AIT), on Tuesday afternoon, said he was well treated by his captors for the 24 hours he was with them, noting that his kidnappers accorded him much respect and dignity.

He revealed his kidnappers told him they were not happy with the situation in the country. He said they told him that they were into the criminal act because they wanted to get their own share of the wealth being displayed by politicians. He said the kidnappers stated that although, people were repulsed by the act of seizing people, there was nothing else they could do.

He said they refrained from shooting victims to show Nigerians that they were just focused on making money and not taking lives. Edochie, who said they were youngmen, said he was grateful to them for the respect they accorded him.

He appreciated Nigerians for the concern during his captivity, saying he had to switch off his phone because he was feeling pains in both ears from taking calls.

DANGOTE NEW NSE PRESIDENT

2009-08-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

Alhaji Aliko Dangote has emerged the 17th president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Thursday in Lagos through a unanimous voice vote, a development that finally laid to rest speculation on whether he would transit to the post.

His election came during the peaceful council meeting of the Exchange immediately after its Annual General Meeting (AGM), presided over by his predecessor, Dr Oba Otudeko. But before then, Otudeko was re-elected alongside three other retiring council members of the Exchange who were eligible for re-election during the AGM.

Until his election, Dangote was the first vice president of the Exchange, and by that token succeeded Dr. Oba Otudeko, the out-going president of the Exchange.
He will preside over the affairs of the Exchange for the next three years.
Explaining how he emerged, the Director General of the Exchange, Prof. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, said: “We didn’t have to vote. Dangote was elected by a unanimous acclamation. He was the second to be so voted after Sir. Odumegwu Ojukwu who succeeded Mr. E. C. W. Howard, an expatriate.”
In his response, Dangote, who identified liquidity crunch and loss of investor confidence as two major problems in the market, expressed gratitude and sought the support of all stakeholders towards fixing the market.

In Otudeko’s address during the meeting, it was glaring that the stage was set for Dangote’s presidency as he stated that “we have listened to all stakeholders, we have advanced issues with objectivity and courage…We have finally settled to resolve all issues in the best and enduring interest of a stable Nigerian capital market, our constituency, indeed our heritage, conscious as always that actors come and go but institutions, in this case , the market, indeed its settled precedents, processes and integrity tower above all of us.”

Alhaji Aliko Dangote is the President of Dangote Group of companies comprising Dangote Sugar; Dangote Flour Mills; Benue Cement Company; Obajana Cement and Dangote Oil, among others. The first Nigerian to feature on Forbes list of the World’s richest men,. last year, he emerged as the world’s richest black African with a ranking of 334 and a fortune of $3.3 billion.

And despite that some billionaires of 2008 did not make this year’s list, Dangote did by occupying 261st position with an estimated worth of $2.5 billion. He became the first vice president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 2006 following his election as the president of the Northern Zone of the Exchange.
The succession plan in the Exchange is orderly: the first vice president automatically steps in to fill the vacuum when the tenure of the incumbent expires .

The doubt of his becoming the NSE boss stemmed from his alleged involvement in the manipulation of the share price of African Petroleum (AP) Plc but he was absolved of any complicity by the Stock Exchange and its apex regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Speculation was rife that Dangote was under intense pressure to resign his position as the first vice president to create room for a neutral person to emerge as the NSE president. The rumour mill had it that the perception of Dangote’s involvement in the price manipulation saga might be difficult to erase totally from the mind of investors, who had already lost confidence in the market and its operators. “To boost investors’ confidence, then Dangote must be prevented from becoming the president”, an analyst told Daily Sun then.
Reacting to the rumour, Dangote said he was not under any intense pressure to resign from the council before the Annual General Meeting. Rather, he blamed the rumour on Otudeko.He explained that right from the time he became a council member of the NSE, Otudeko had always fielded candidates against him and was capitalizing on the opportunity presented by the forthcoming AGM to present another candidate against him again.

His words: “For instance, during the election for the presidency of the Northern Zone of the NSE, he fielded Abdullahi Mahmoud, a director of Nigerian Flour Mills Plc and also one of my company’s directors against me. However, during the election, Mahmoud got two votes, while I got over 20 votes, which enabled me to become the president of the Northern Zone.”
According to him, Otudeko wanted to maintain his stranglehold on the Stock Exchange by putting a candidate that would do his bidding after his tenure.

This is all about the demutualization of the NSE. He is the chairman of the demutualization committee, which is not right, and he wants to retain that position. Ideally the chairman of the demutualization committee should be an outsider to prevent a conflict of interest from arising because it entails making the stock exchange a quoted company.”

Dangote further revealed that the presidency of the NSE had been zoned to the Kaduna-Kano section of the North, which makes him the natural candidate to secure the post. “But Otudeko wants to see someone else emerging, possibly Dr. Umaru Mutallab, the current chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Plc, which is unfortunate ,given that the man is 69 years old and is a retired council member.” But that had also been put to rest now.

At a meeting behind closed-doors on Wednesday, a source disclosed that the stakeholders had decided to follow the laid down procedures of electing the president.

At his valedictory speech, Otudeko pleaded with “all stakeholders, the investing public, analysts and commentators to keep the market “sacred and peaceful, protect it and advance its standards and practices…and speak positive to enhance confidence in our market. That is central to its sustained growth”.The new president promised to work hard with his team and all stakeholders towards restoring investor confidence, stressing that once the problem of liquidity was addressed, that confidence would return naturally.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2009/aug/07/newsbreak-07-08-2009-001.htm

REBRANDING NIGERIA OR REBRANDING NIGERIANS

2009-08-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

Almost every Nigerian has heard the phrase "REBRANDING NIGERIA" mentioned many times on TV and repeated by politicians countless times ever since Dora said it. After thinking about it only for a second, i realized that it was all rubbish right from the begining.
Let me ask a question, If you ran into a a family who had a few members who were thieves, you wouldn't go keeping things in their house even if the honest ones offered to keep keep your things safe right? Now Imagine if this family painted their house, installed an alarm system and even bought a satellite dish with a mllion channels, will it change the fact that they still got theives in their midst?
I guess what i'm trying to say is that it is not Nigeria that people are apprehensive about but Nigerians. One bad egg doesn't spoil the whole bunch but in the case of Nigeria, it has happened. With the activities of a few, the image of the rest of us has been tarnished. We have been labelled 419ers, scam artists and thieves, just because of a few. Remember, people are more likely to remember a wicked deed done to them than a kind one.
So i believe Prof. Dora should find a way first of changing the attitude of many Nigerians who only seek to trample on and ruin lives in order to get rich quick before she proceeds with the "REBRANDING NIGERIA" campaign if not she is only fetching water with a basket.
That's my word. whats your say ?

ASUU STRIKE

2009-08-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

Deaf and dumb
• Why talks with govt failed – ASUU president
From GABRIEL DIKE, Osogbo
Saturday, August 8, 2009

•Prof Awuzie

The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, has rejected the Federal Government road map to the revival of the educational sector. He called it a foreign idea imposed on the country, which would not achieve any result.

Awuzie said the first step to solving the concerns in the sector was the convocation of an education summit, where solutions would be proffered to the myriad of problems confronting the sector. He also, spoke on various issues bedeviling the educational sector.

The professor said vice chancellors of universities have been turned to errand boys by National Universities Commission (NUC), adding that the ASUU wrote 35 letters to the Federal Government before the on-going strike started.
Excerpts:

A lot has been said about the state of the educational sector. How could the sector be revived from total collapse?
Captured holistically, what we require to prevent the educational sector from total collapse is an immediate summoning of an education summit. The summit I am talking about is not what the Senate said they have done. Not even the so-called road map. This one will bring people together. It should be a Nigerian programme. The summit I am talking about will look at where the funding is going to come; get an agenda that would be supported by World and IMF.

The summit must be funded from inside, if you look at our educational sector, for many years now, you will observe diarrhoea of policies. When there is a problem government abandons it to face another one. Education in Nigeria needs a holistic reassessment and revaluation and that can be done through an education summit. The summit will help us to place our priorities right and decide where we are going. Any nation that cannot invest in education cannot talk about becoming an industrial nation; so if you look at nations, like Japan, South Africa and even Ghana, you see the amount of money they budget for education.

Until we have that summit, which will involve all stakeholders the educational sector will continue to have problems. When we hold the summit we will see the results. Do you know that when some states got money for UBE, the don’t bring the counterpart funding? They will even embezzle the one that is sent to them. They will not even use it for education. You won’t believe it that up till today our children are still studying under the trees, in dilapidated structures and the loss self-confidence.
But check out the private schools.

What they do first is to build a nice structure and create a good environment; when parents come there they see it as a serious business. But go to our public schools; they are in dire need of financial intervention and it is not a question of funding but making use of the money budgeted judiciously. All the summit, all leakages in the system would be addressed; all sources of funding will be explored. What ASUU has tried to do in the several negotiations is to see whether we can have a handle at the university; if we can lift it up. The answer is in the holistic approach not segmented approach to the problems.

Government has always said it cannot provide free education at all levels. Do you agree with this position?
I don’t agree with the Federal Government. We have the resources. Let me tell you. Chief C. Okonge, in his book, “Reconstructing the Nigerian University System,” has said that we can double the intake in all our institutions with little or no additional funding, only if we are creative and using the little funds available. He backed it with an argument that 3XY is the same as 3x multiple by Y or YY multiple by X. We can use the same facilities we have but we have to reprogramme our academic calendars. He said that this can be done without additional funding. However, the problem is mismanagement and fraud. We heard how billions are stolen; the amount of money put into private pockets. If we block all these holes we shall have enough money; it is a matter of priority and proper planning, and we can give our people free and qualitative education.

What do you think about the World Bank and IMF position on commercialisation of education in Third World countries?
This is were we have problem. No nation that is trying to develop will get the World Bank and IMF to tell them how they are going to move forward. Sometime ago they said that we didn’t need research; that all the researches had been done in developed nations. They said all we needed to do was domesticate them and that we don’t even need to do our research. That is the worse advice your enemy can give to you. So when we want to develop, we don’t have to predicate it on our development process but on the World Bank and IMF model. It must be indigenous.

We must evolve it. How did strong economic nations develop? They didn’t have to learn from the World Bank and IMF. When they came here sometimes ago with what they called NICP, we opposed and challenged it and they later confessed that it was not workable here. All the noise about World Bank programme cannot give us education or development.

Is ASUU satisfied with the implementation of the University Autonomy Act by the various governing councils?
It is something that came like freedom. People did not fight for it, and they don’t know the value. Some of the people who are chairmen of governing council of universities don’t know what ASUU went through to get the 2003 Act (university autonomy). In fact, after the signing of the Act, you know it disappeared. It was hidden because they said it was ASUU’s version of university autonomy. When we challenged government, they didn’t it was gazetted in 2007; something that was signed into law in 2003. So you understand that those who are in charge of affairs don’t know how we struggled to get it. They are making one or two mistakes in implementing.

Only a few universities did that. They may have problem as a result of the calibre of people appointed council chairmen. Such a person must be of integrity and have a vision and must withstand pressure. The governing council chairmen were sent there to represent Mr. President, the visitor to federal universities and you know what Mr. President will do if he were in that circumstance. When he goes for something, he goes out for the best (VC); so why must his representative begin to talk about clan, tribe and state in the selection of VC? In fact, the university is a concept; it is of universal application. In most of the first generation universities, the early VCs and registrars were white men, from the University of Michigan, who became VCs. In those days, the council looked for the best; it also searched for the best materials, no matter where the people come from.

We hope that chairmen of councils will follow the letters of the 2003 Act. Some of those who are implementing it didn’t know what we went through to get that law and therefore, they got it on a platter of gold and therefore think they can play around with it. However, we shall resist it; it was a product of a very strong struggle. We shall not allow anyone to mess it up.

Selection of VC has always generated ripples in the university system. How can this tension be reduced or eliminated completely during the exercise?
There are about two or three ways of doing that. One, a person who should be appointed Vice Chancellor should be a man of honour and integrity, who stands for what the university is. Tension arises from the fact that when some people are appointed VC, they do not follow due process in the university; they think it is time for them to bring their kith and kin. When they are doing all these things, others are watching, and feel like revolting. Some of them revolt; they may not be able to express it. Some VCs run the university in arbitrary way as if they are dictators and oppress others. They disregard rule of law and due process.

They build walls around themselves. When some of these things happen, some people within the system will say their persons would get there when a VC from their place is in place. But if we have a VC who believes he has come to serve, he would look for the best hands.

There is also problem because government said VCs are political appointees. They have given them large wage structure, far in excess of what is available in the system, where the disparity between them as VCs and the professors of their cadre, is unbelievably high; thus the struggle of who become the VC becomes a do-or-die and those who are desperate will employ and explore every means available, including primordial considerations in order to get the job. That is also source of crisis in the university. So if we remove all these, we need to look for people known to be above primordial considerations as VCs, I think some of these hue and cry about who will become a VC will be out of it. So, those appointed have roles to play and those appointing them also have roles to play. Those in council must really go out for the best.

When they set up the criteria, it should not be one that has hidden agenda or made to favour a particular individual, clan or. It is only when we begin to get VCs from outside the states to compete with those within that the best would be selected. If I am in the university in the West and I want to import my village people, unless these people perform excellently well and beat any other person, I cannot force them on the university. But when we localise it and begin to enforce it, then some of these measures and tendencies would start to manifest.

Recently, the Supreme Court gave judgment in favour of some sacked lecturers at UNILORIN. How did ASUU receive the news and what was it like during the eight years of the struggle?
We are not yet out of the woods, only five (officials) out of the 49 sacked lecturers were reinstated; we still have 44 others, whose case are still pending at the Supreme Court. We are optimistic that at the end of the day and by God’s grace, the final judgment on the 44 others will be out. It is by then that we shall celebrate. However, the union received it with joy. It is pleasing that our colleagues have been vindicated and that also the union has been vindicated.

We have been saying that our members were not given fair trial, fair hearing and that due process was not followed in the termination of their appointments. And so the justices of the Supreme Court ruled that they were not given fair hearing. It was a thing of joy for the union and all lovers of justice and due process. However, it was also a day of grief, when we look back and found out that the case is clearly man’s inhumanity to man, subjecting their colleagues to eight years of hardship, not only them but their families and relations. It was eight years in which their services were denied people of Nigeria, humanity, students of UNILORIN and the university administration. It was eight years of hardship, suffering and misery. it was eight years in which we lost three senior academic staff in that university. So, it is also a period of grief for us.

As we rejoice over the victory, we mourn because of the hardship and because we believe that if this nation were to progress, if the visitor (Obasanjo) to federal universities had acted as the visitor, these people would have been recalled.

Another strike is on, with the universities paralyzed. Why is ASUU in for a fresh showdown with the Federal Government?
ASUU went into negotiation with the Federal Government. I want you to understand our level of patience. We had an agreement signed in 2001 that was due for renegotiation in 2004; it took ASUU 35 letters to government and relevant agencies of government for them to agree to reconstitute the negotiating team. Then in 2006, we started negotiation and that discussion lasted two years. What happened is that the chairman of government negotiating team, who is also the leader of the team, the highly respected Deacon Gammaliel Onosode, insisted that every issue that would be put down must be backed with some empirical evidence and that he was not going to agree to anything that would lead to crisis in the university system.

He wanted to see that the brain drain was reversed and that it is the beginning of rehabilitation of our infrastructure and making our universities universally and international competitive. He wants to ensure that if money was provided, there was an assurance that it would be prudently and judiciously used. So, instead of them trying to look at the demands of ASUU, we had to call all the federal universities in Nigeria to send in their 10 years rolling plans for developing their universities. We had to develop the data base, look at what happens in other Africa universities, particularly those areas where our colleagues are migrating.

We want to create a competitive environment whereby even those in Europe would come to contribute, not because, they are going to get higher package but they would be comfortable. Based on that, we went to work and it took two years to take every line negotiated and agreed upon and at the end we had an agreement, which we sent to our principals as far back as January 28, 2009. When negotiation came to the conditions of service, he (Onosode) said it was important and demanded it be sent to government. We sent a letter in 2007 to Mr. President through the Minister of Education, informing him of the proposal for the conditions of service for staff, which we got through our study of salaries and allowances in some African universities where our colleagues migrate and even in Nigeria where they go for employment.

By the time we sent the proposal, the price of oil was about $41 per barrel. What we are earning toady from oil is higher than what it was when we did the negotiation. At the time of negotiation, oil was selling around $40 to $42 per barrel. Today, it is above $65. It is even worse that in this year’s budget, education was allocated 1.171 per cent of the national budget and this is a country that is aiming to be one of the 20 developed economies in the world by 2020. How do we get there without educating our people?

We finished the negotiation and sent to them. It stayed six months and government didn’t see the urgency of signing the agreement. They did not tell ASUU anything or why they couldn’t sign and in fact, they invited us. We came down to Abuja, but we were told that there were problems and that they won’t sign. So we left. What we are saying is that ASUU is not convinced that government wants to restore education to its lost glory, particularly the universities. It is easy for Nigerians to say ASUU should find alternative means of getting government to accede to its demands. Let me state clearly, as the President of ASUU, that we know perhaps, two means of seeking our demands. We have used them for two years and six months; so any person who wants an alternative or makes suggestion should not include lobbying and dialogue because we have done them for two and half years. The only one left for us, which we do painfully, is the strike. When we considered that the discussion had become a dialogue between the deaf and the dumb, where there was no more communication, as nothing was being achieved, we could not help but bear our fangs. That is when strike comes in. When ASUU decide to go on strike, we do it very painfully and anybody who says we should go on with dialogue should realise that the Second World War did not get two years of dialogue before an agreement was reached.

Parents see the introduction of post-UME as money making venture for the universities. Do you subscribe to such assertion?
ASUU has insisted that the post-UME is an illegal act because if you look at the legal framework that gave JAMB the permission to conduct university exams, only JAMB can conduct examinations for admission into tertiary institutions. So, that is why they call it screening exercise, not examination and if it is screening, we don’t think that the students can be subjected to another examination until we amend the Act establishing JAMB. But we also know that the right to admit rests with the Senate of each university; so JAMB acts as examining body, presents applicants and from there, the candidates go to the universities and the universities would say this is our requirements for admission. It is money making venture for some universities, when the amount charged is too high. With the poor funding, if the universities are going to conduct some screening, it is going to cost them money, in terms of time; people are going to be supervisor; staffers will do their work outside the normal call of duties; the university would use some materials, including the computers to produce the questions.

This involves money. If the universities are properly funded, the exercise could have been less. I think the NUC and JAMB are trying to put pressure on universities to charge minimally for services that are going to be rendered for this examination. So in summary, what I said is that, as a union we think it is not right to even conduct any exam because the Minimum Standard Act and the JAMB Act gave JAMB the sole right to conduct examinations for admission into the universities.

We, as ASUU, have recommended the amendment of the two Acts because we have also seen the advantage, where candidates go to miracle centres to get the highest score in UME and when these candidates are put to proper examination, they can’t write anything. So that second check (post-UME) is also necessary; some people get highest score for a course in Architecture but he/she doesn’t have flair for drawing and you admit such students because of the score, they will never make it in Architecture. So when the institutions conduct the post-UME and match it with the candidates’ performance, they will get the best. The post-UME has its own merit, but it must be such that the law that gave JAMB the sole authority must be amended.

Orji Uzor- Kalu Replies

2009-08-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

That show of shame in Owerri (2)
By Orji Kalu [Okalu@orjikalu.com]
Saturday, August 8, 2009

Last week I gave an overview of what transpired in Owerri on July 25, 2009. In the said article, I warned against the plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to decapitate the opposition and foist a one-party state on the nation. I also drew attention, in the same article, to the determination of the Nigerian people never to be deceived again by any politician.

In this concluding part of the article, I will pay attention to the relationship between the Imo Governor Ikedi Ohakim (the man at the centre of the show of ignominy that took place in the Eastern Heartland town of Owerri) and my humble self-spanning over 30 years. Contrary to the devious insinuation in some quarters, spearheaded by Ohakim and his band of his ego-trippers and charlatans, I have nothing personal against him. Even his decision to switch political camp and continued campaign of calumny against my person cannot make me think evil against him. Perhaps he has resorted to self-help as a preemptive strategy to box me to a corner and turn the tide against me to justify his calamitous mistake. Unfortunately, that strategy, to me, is not only puerile and old-fashioned but wicked and senseless.

Would anybody, who is aware of all that I have done for Ikedi Ohakim in the past 30 years, believe that the man could be too mean, callous and desperate as to allege that I was planning to kill him? Who would believe such gibberish? He wrote a petition to the State Security Services (SSS) that I was after his life long before the show of shame took place. Who is Ohakim for me to plot to kill him? He knows deep in his heart that I have never been in league with anybody, all through my life, to harm anybody – no matter how highly or lowly-placed. I have been in active business for the past 25 years but I have never quarreled with anybody. I do my things cleanly and openly with mutual respect, honour and candour.

Is it not curious that Ohakim was just realizing that I was after his life 26 months after I championed the campaign to make him governor? Ohakim lacks integrity and self-esteem, if so. I say so because he was with me in my Abuja residence in the presence of Dr. Sam Nkire until 1 a.m. a week before he staged the show of shame in Owerri. When I asked him that night to confirm the rumour making the rounds that he was planning to defect to the PDP, he vehemently denied it - assuring me that in the event of such happening that I would be the first person he would notify. In my usual way, I believed him since I heard it from the horse’s mouth. But inside of Ohakim, he knew he was lying to me.

He lied to me, his friend and benefactor that had stood by him and his family all these years. He defected to the PDP without even having the courtesy to tell me, despite all his assurances. How could a man of his calibre, a whole governor, tell barefaced lies against me while I am still alive? He goes about telling people that he made effort to reach me on phone but could not. I challenge him to ask the telecommunications companies to print-out the call log to show if he ever called me. This is a man who used to call me three times daily!

When he launched his three books in Lagos, I told him pointblank that I would be in Igbere for an important engagement, which had been scheduled long before he fixed the date for the book launch. I am that open.

What brought Ohakim and I together was his travails - and he had a litany of them for all the period I had known him. Despite the strange things I was told about him by those who knew him inside out (including top police chiefs) I still stood by him. It is not in my character to judge people by what others say about them. His close associates and those who had had soured business relationships with him warned me that I would regret my association with him. They also told me he was a slippery character who feeds fat on character-assassination and blackmail.

Probably, I did not believe these stories because I was too empathic over his plights. Without sounding immodest, I wish to state that I took care of Ohakim and his family for the past 30 years before he became governor. I took care of all his needs and literally gave him my shoulder regularly to lean on. This is why I feel betrayed by his harlotry and open campaign to smear my hard-earned reputation. I am yet to come to terms with why his wife, knowing all that transpired between Ohakim and me, opted not to advise him against his present negative dispositions against me. I stood by Ohakim when every other person abandoned him and his family. When his father died five years ago, I bore almost the entire cost of the burial. He was virtually living in Government House, Umuahia throughout my tenure as governor – inundating me with regular visits and requests for assistance, which I willingly obliged. On the day of the interment of his father, I arrived in his village at Ossuh-Owerri, Isiala-Mbano as early as 9 a.m with the full paraphernalia of the office of governor, and did not leave until 6 p.m. What else could a friend do for his cherished friend?

Even though I played a strategic role in the making of Governor Ohakim, I have never asked him for any form of favour. In fact, I have never visited Government House, Owerri or his village more than once in each case. My first and only visit to Government House, Owerri, was when our party held its national convention in Owerri, and I stayed there for less than one hour to wait for guests in order for all of us, in company with the governor, to leave for Grasshopper’s Stadium together. The same thing was applicable to his village, which I visited only once - during the burial of his father in 2004.

Those who know me very well can attest to the fact that I am always content with whatever I have. I believe that those elected to serve the people should be given a free hand to do so. There is nothing Ohakim can do for me. Nothing absolutely! He needs me more than I have ever needed him. I was the facilitator of the first contract he did at the Central Bank of Nigeria. I personally guaranteed him for the job when nobody or bank agreed to offer such a guarantee. When he was working in an aluminium company in Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, I was the person bringing most of the customers that patronized him. See how Ohakim has paid me back for all that I did for him!

I have always known that human beings can be funny at times, but little did I know that Ohakim, for all that I represented in his life, would treat me so shabbily and wickedly. I leave him to his conscience and God.

I must confess that I am not angry with Ohakim because he defected to the PDP. My grouse about him was his malicious allegation that I was plotting to kill him and use MASSOB to make Imo ungovernable for him. Writing a petition on the allegation to the SSS, without even confronting me to know whether it was true or false, showed that he told lies to destroy my reputation. As I wrote in the beginning of this piece, his devilish plot has boomeranged. In fact, it has turned round to hunt him and his fellow conspirators.

How I wish he would cast his mind back and see what I had gone through for his sake, yet he had the mindlessness to accuse me of a crime I knew nothing about. Has he forgotten too soon how many persons I knelt down for so that he would become governor? I knelt down for one of his closest aides, whom he dotes on every day, for him to be allowed to run. I did the same for a popular businessman and a family resident in Abuja who vowed that he would become governor over their dead bodies. It is sad that after all these sacrifices all Ohakim could pay me back with was blackmail.

He is my elder brother and I have never disrespected him. Why then treat me this way? Did he need to malign me to justify his defection to the PDP? The decision to defect to the PDP was entirely his. Why then drag me into it?

I know that those he has joined camp with now are watching him. They know certainly he would treat them the same way some day if they trust him the way I did. He left the Alliance for Democracy (AD) for the PDP, then to PPA and now back to PDP. Who knows where the tide would take him to next?
He should not forget that one day - very soon - he would finish his tenure as governor and leave. The longest period he can stay in office as governor, according to our constitution, is eight years. After that, he will pack his bag and baggage and leave. That is when the gravity of his folly will dawn on him. I was governor for eight years and when it was time I left the stage.

The same fate awaits him. How he will be treated at the end of his tenure by the people will be determined by how he conducts himself while in office. It is foolhardy for him to think that posterity will judge him well if he does not merit it. Is it because he now owns plush mansions in South Africa, Lagos, Abuja and the United States of America less than three years in the saddle as governor, that is making him lose his decorum and sanity? I had these things long before I became Abia State governor, yet they did not influence me negatively or make me lose my control.

I thought he knew that why he sought the opportunity to become governor was to deliver quality dividends of democracy to the people. And that much he assured me when I tried to sound him out before he was given the mandate to run on the platform of PPA.
The Ohakim I knew before May 29, 2007 was always behaving like a lamb – very meek and unassuming. But some persons still insisted he made up the stuff to hoodwink me. I almost believed the stories making the rounds then about his unstable character because of certain things he did at some times which called to question his seeming docility. What happened in Owerri on July 25, 2009 has opened my eyes and reinforced the veracity of the popular saying that not all that glitters is gold.

Even some of the people – politicians, businessmen – who have teamed up with Ohakim in the new-found union were people I assisted one way or another. Today they are junketing with him and making unsavoury comments about me in the name of politics, forgetting, however, that everything we do on earth has its recompense. One day – surely – the bazaar will be over and we will all meet again.
I bear no grudge against him, even though what he did was despicable, ungentlemanly and impolite. I leave him to God and his conscience –if he has any modicum of it. But time shall tell.

Let me nevertheless remind him that one of the keys to success is being honest to your partner and stand by whatever agreements reached - no matter what it may cost you.

If politicians continue to show perfidy in their dealings with one another, then our democracy will never advance beyond its present stage.
It is left to the Nigerian electorate to decide the fate of such unreliable politicians, not me.

First Swine Flu Death Recorded In Africa

2009-08-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

South Africa has confirmed its first death from swine flu, believed to be the first documented fatality from the virus in sub-Saharan Africa.
Health officials said a 22-year-old student had died on 28 July, and tests had confirmed the cause of death as the H1N1 influenza virus.
The country has had at least 150 confirmed swine flu cases - easily the highest rate in sub-Saharan Africa.
The illness has caused hundreds of deaths in North and South America.
Dozens more have died in Asia and Europe.
Africa was the last continent to be hit by the virus and has so far escaped relatively lightly.
South Africa confirmed its first case of the disease on 18 June and according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has had 151 cases in total.
The health ministry called the student's death "unfortunate and deeply regretted".
A statement from the ministry said he had been ill for about a week before going to a Western Cape hospital, where he was treated with antibiotics for pneumonia.
He died two days later.
The ministry's statement added: "We are encouraged by the fact that the majority of cases in South Africa have so far been mild and we hope that this will remain so despite this unfortunate death."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8182051.stm

Gov. Ohakim Drags Orji Uzor Kalu to SSS over threats

2009-08-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

Following his defection from the PPA to PDP,imo state governor,Ikedi Ohakim has dragged the chairman PPA's BoT,Dr orji uzor kalu to the state security service accusing him of being after his life,
The governor's allegation was forwarded to the SSS in a petition which was also copied the presidency.It was gathered that Kalu was invited to Abuja lastweek where he was interrogated by sss officials on the allegation that he threatened to kill ohakim after leaving his party.Kalu also visited the presidential villa where the same allegation came up against him.It would be recalled that Ohakim dumped the PPA following a leak that he may be screened out in the coming elections.Are opposition parties strong in Nigeria

http://news.onlinenigeria.com/templates/?a=6503&z=12

LIST OF TOP NIGERIANS INDICTED BY WORLD BANK IN OVERSEAS ACCOUNT MONEY LAUNDERING

2009-08-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

A list of Nigeria's prominent citizens and the monies they allegedly looted from the treasury and stashed in foreign banks in London, the United States and Germany was said to have been allegedly despatched to President Umaru Yar'Adua recently by the World Bank.

The purported World Bank list which has the names of former Presidents Gen Ibrahim Babangida, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, late Gen Sani Abacha, former Adviser to President Shehu Shagari Alhaji Umaru Dikko, former Adviser to late
Gen Abacha, Alhaji Wada Nas, former Foreign Affairs Minister Mr. Tom Ikimi, former Chief of General Staff Rear Admiral Mike Akhigbe, former National Security Adviser to late Gen Abacha, Alhaji Ismaila Gwarzo, former Central Bank
Governor Mr Paul Ugwuma and Mohammed Abacha, late Gen Abacha's son was emailed to xclusivenigeria.com yesterday.

Others on the list are former Petroleum Resources ministers Mr Dan Etete and Mr. Don Etiebet, late Gen Abacha's relative Alhaji Abdulkadir Abacha, detained Chief Security Officer to late Gen Abacha, Major Al-Mustapha, former ministers Mr. Anthony Ani, Bashir Dalhatu, and Alhaji Hassan Adamu.

Others are former Chief of Army Staff under Gen Abacha, Gen Ishaya Bamaiyi; former Chief of General Staff Gen T.Y. Danjuma; Gen Wushishi and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Gen Jerry Useni.

Gen Babangida topped the purported World Bank list with 6billion pounds sterling allegedly stashed in London banks, 7billion dollars in Swiss banks, 2billion dollars in US banks and 9billion deutsche marks in Germany. Former head of state Gen Abubakar allegedly has 1.3billion pounds in London banks, 2.3billion dollars in Swiss banks, and 800million in the USA. Late Gen Abacha was said to have 9billion pounds in London, 4billion in Swiss banks, 800million in the US, and
3million in Germany.

Rear Admiral Akhigbe, according to the purported World Bank document, is said to have stashed away 1.2billion in London; 2.4billion dollars in Switzerlamd; 600million in the US; and 1billion deutsche marks in Germany.
Gen Useni's loot was said to be 3billion in London; 2billion in Switzerland; 1billion in the US; and 900million in Germany.

According to the document which is currently being circulated in the blogosphere and was emailed to xclusivenigeria.com yesterday, Alhaji's Gwarzo's loot was said to be 1billion in London banks, 2billion in Switzerland; 1.3billion in the USA; and 700million in Germany. Alhaji Umaru Dikko, according to the alleged World Bank document, has 4.5billion in London; 1.4billion in Switzerland; 700million in the USA; and 345million in
Germany.

Former Central Bank Governor Paul Ogwuma has 300million in London; 1.4billion in Switzerland; 200million in the USA and 500million in Germany. The list goes on. Please see the complete list in the document attached.

Xclusivenigeria.com could not reach the World Bank and the office of the Nigerian President as at press time yesterday to verify the authenticity of the purported World Bank document.

LOOTED MONEY DISCOVERED IN FOREIGN BANKS

NAMES OF DEPOSITORS
LONDON
SWISS($)
USA ($)
GERMANY (D)

GEN IBRAHIM BABANGIDA
6.25bn
7.41bn
2.00bn
9.00bn

GEN ABUBAKAR
1.31bn
2.33bn
800M

REAR ADMIRAL MIKE AKHIGBE
1.24bn
2.42bn
671M
1bn

GEN JERRY USENI
3.04bn
2.01bn
1.01bn
900M

ALH ISMAILA GWARZO
1.03bn
2.00bn
1.3bn
700M

ALH UMARU DIKKO
4.5bn
1.4bn
700M
345M

PAUL OGWUMA
300M
1.42bn
200M
500M

GEN SANI ABACHA
9.01bn
4.09bn
800M
3.01M

MOHAMMED ABACHA
300M
1.2bn
150M
535M

ABDULKADIR ABACHA
700M
1.21bn
900M
471M

ALHAJI WADA NAS
600M
1.32bn

300M

TOM IKIMI
400M
1.39bn
152M
371M

DAN ETETE
1.12bn
1.03bn
400M
1.72bn

DON ETIBET
2.5bn
1.06bn
700M
361M

MAJ AL MUSTAPHA
600M
1.001bn

210M

ANTHONY ANI
2.9bn
1.09bn
360M
1.66bn

BASHIR DALHATU
2.3bn
1.001bn
161M
1.43bn

GEN WUSHISHI
700M
1.301bn

ALH HASSAN ADAMU
300M
200M
700M

T Y DANJUMA
300M
200M
700M

GEN ISHAYA BAMAYI
120M
800M
[/b]

http://kanoonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=4599.0

DANGERS OF SELF MEDICATION

2009-07-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

Dangers Of Self Medication!
« on: July 15, 2009, 6:45 PM »

A large number of people, when they fall sick, do not consult the physician. They either consult a chemist and obtain a medicine from his shelf, or may consult a neighbor who may be having some tablets left over from his previous illness, and readily spares them. May be most of the times nothing untoward happens on following such advice, but it can be dangerous.

Proprietary drugs which are sold over-the-counter include pain relievers, cough remedies, antiallergics, laxatives, vitamins, tonics, antacids and many others. Even dangerous drugs like the antibiotics and the hormones can be procured, somehow or the other, without a valid prescription.

Self-medication usually involves common drugs which are freely available. A study carried out in the United States showed that nearly 2 billion dollars per year were spent on such remedies. It is questionable whether the benefits outweigh the potential hazards. They account for poisonings, allergy, habituation, addiction, and other adverse reactions. Above all [b]their use often delays proper treatment of the disease.
[/b]
The most misused drugs are the analgesics or pain relievers. In fact, age old, ordinary aspirin is as effective, and even safer than any of the modern analgesics like fenamates, oxicams, or Cox-2 inhibitors like rofecoxib and celecoxib.

Similarly cough remedies, antiallergics, laxatives, vitamins, tonics, and antacids can lead to serious side effects. Even lavish use of vitamins, specially the fat-soluble (A,D,E, &K) can cause problems.

finally is the availability of many irrational drug combinations in the market, which expose the individual to several drugs needlessly, each of which can cause adverse effects. Very few combinations have a legitimate place in modern medicine. Yet irrational combination abound and are being used by some professionals.

Always consult your Physician

A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO BLOGGING

2009-07-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

A Beginners Guide To Blogging - How To Start A Blog
«

It is logical for a beginners guide to blogging to begin with information on how to start a blog. However, first a brief introduction to what a blog actually is. A blog is nothing more than your online diary or journal, in which you can express your feelings, thoughts, and opinions or even advertise your products. There are few rules apart from keeping it clean. For that reason they come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and designs, and your blog page is literally yours to anything you want with.

You can include pictures, hyperlinks to your websites, MP3s and videos. Much depends on the type of blog you have and who is the provider, but Wordpress allows more than Blogger or Blogspot, especially if you have downloaded it to your own website. However, it is also more complicated and you might prefer to start off easy and then work your way up as you become more familiar with what you are doing. Many cPanel web hosts offer Wordpress facilities.

The basic components of a blog are:

Title: You can use the title to label your posting.

Category: You can add a category to keep blogs on similar topics together.

Body: This is the main content of the blog.

Trackback: This allows other sites to link back to your blog.

Permalink: This is the URL that goes with every blog that you write.

Comments: This allows readers to make comments on your blog - some good, and some bad.

By means of just one or two templates you can easily create new pages. It's a bit like having a website and copying your home page as a template for all the rest of the pages, only the blog template is blank with spaces for the title, category and all the other aspects of your blog. The blogging websites that you sign up with offer a number of templates and you can choose one and literally start blogging immediately.

Blogging can be more that just your own personal thing, and you can join groups that blog about specific topics, such as football, movies, music, blogging, etc, etc. You can all share your expertise and knowledge and some are literally operating as forums. You can also use your blog to advertise a product, and to drive traffic to your website, while others have no website and use their blog as their sole communications window on the internet.

I could go on all day about what you can do and, sometimes, cannot do with a blog, but the best way is to get started and then find what you are capable of. The best way is to log onto the blog provider of your choice and sign up for a blog. Most newcomers to blogging find it easiest to start blogging from a provider's website, and then graduating to installing blogging software on their own website

This is a bit trickier, but it allows you use all the plugins that allow total personalization of your blog so that it is completely unlike that of anybody else. You cannot use plugins when you run your blog from the provider's site, whether it is Wordpress or any other blog. You cannot beat having your own blog software and being able to design any page that you want.

However, although this sounds great to be able to do, on the whole you are likely best to start blogging from the blog hosting site, and then graduate to your own website once you are comfortable with blogging. You will have enough to take in and learn when you upload to your own web space without having to worry about how blogging works.

Blogging is fantastic fun, and it can also be very profitable. However, there are specific techniques involved in making money using blogs, and it is very easy to get your fingers burnt if you are unaware of the pitfalls and the right way to do it. Nevertheless, blogging can be very rewarding, both personally and financially, so best of luck, and get blogging now. Don't leave it a minute longer because you might have a lot to learn yet.

Once you have learned how to start a blog, then you can think of running your own from your own website.

Google announces Google Chrome OS

2009-07-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

Google Announces Own OS (Google Chrome OS)
« on: July 10, 2009, 01:39 PM »

Ouch. Just as Microsoft was poised to continue its netbook dominance with Windows 7, Google on Wednesday announced an OS of its own, Google Chrome OS, which will run on both x86 and ARM systems.

The emphasis of the OS is the same as what netbooks were originally designed for: light, Web-based computing. Obviously, Windows XP wasn't designed for such a scenario, but its relative light weight, low cost, and familiarity have made it a big hit with netbook buyers.

Google's new open-source OS will almost certainly beat XP and Windows 7 on cost, and will be lighter weight, but there's no telling how it will be to actually use. The relative dearth of Linux on netbooks also shows that people tend to prefer a more Windows-like environment. Google's blog entry about the OS says:

"The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the Web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work."

According to Google, the Chrome OS runs "within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel," and will eventually run on everything from netbooks to full desktop PCs. That's the key differentiator between the full-blown Chrome OS and Google's Android, which will start appearing in netbooks in the next few months (Google says there will be areas of overlap for the two operating systems, netbooks being the main one).

From a developer standpoint, the Chrome OS is good news, because there's basically no new platform to write for—any browser-based app will work with Chrome, just as it will in any browser on any OS.

It remains to be seen how the Chrome OS will affect companies like DeviceVM, which provides a quick-boot Linux-based environment that can be quickly loaded before Windows. DeviceVM, and rival Phoenix Technologies, provide access to the Web and multiple apps in seconds, far less time than Windows needs to load.

"The announcement of the Google OS further validates Splashtop's value proposition to consumers who are demanding instant-on, easy to use, secure computing," said Mark Lee, co-founder and chief executive of DeviceVM, in a statement provided to PCMag.com. "The market has been moving towards an instant-on model for several years now, and DeviceVM has already seen tremendous success in the space, with tens of millions of consumers already using Splashtop today, and 8 of the top 10 PC OEMs shipping Splashtop on devices this year.

Google says it is already talking with "multiple OEMs," and that we can expect Chrome netbooks to hit store shelves in the second half of 2010—yup, you've got a year to wait. Will you have Windows 7 on your netbook by then?

Universities In Nigeria, various portals, when It was founded and current VC

2009-07-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

Here are Nigerian University Websites, Vice Chancellor Name and Year Founded For Your Uses

FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi
VC: Prof. G. A. Babaji
http://www.atbu.edu.ng
Year Founded: 1988

Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
VC: Prof. Shehu U. Abdullahi
http://www.abu.edu.ng
1962

Bayero University, Kano
VC: Prof. Attahiru M. Jega
www.buk.edu.ng
www.buk.edu.org
www.buk.edu.net
1975

Fed. Univ. of Petroleum Resources, Effurun
VC: Prof. Babatunde Alabi
2007

Federal University of Technology Yola.
VC: Prof. Abdullahi Y. Ribadu
http://www.futy.edu.ng
1988

Federal University of Technology, Akure
VC: Prof. Adebisi M. Balogun
http://www.futa.edu.ng
1981

Federal University of Technology, Minna.
VC:Prof. Muhammed S. Audu
http://www.futminna.edu.ng
1982

Federal University of Technology, Owerri
VC: Prof. C. O.E. Onwuliri
http://www.futongr.com
1980

Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike
VC: Prof. Ikenna Onyido
http://www.mouaportal.com,
http://mouau.edu.ng
1992

National Open University of Nigeria, Lagos.
VC: Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede
http://www.nou.edu.ng
2002

Nigerian Defence Academy,Kaduna
VC: Prof. Aliyu Abdullahi
www.nigeriandefenceacademy.edu.ng
1985

Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
VC: Prof. Boniface C. Egboka (Ag.)
http://www.unizik.edu.ng
1992

Obafemi Awolowo University,Ile-Ife
VC: Prof. M. Oladimeji Faborode
http://www.oauife.edu.ng
1962

University of Abuja, Gwagwalada
VC: Prof. Nuhu O. Yaqub
http://www.uniabuja.edu.ng
1988

University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
VC: Prof. Oluwafemi O. Balogun
http://www.unaab.edu.ng
1988

University of Agriculture, Makurdi.
VC: Prof. D.V. Uza
http://uam.mycportal.com
1988

University of Benin
VC: Prof. E. A. C. Nwanze.
http://www.uniben.edu.ng
1970

University of Calabar
VC: Prof. Bassey O. Asuquo
http://www.unical.edu.ng
1975

University of Ibadan
VC: Prof. O. A. Bamiro
http://www.ui.edu.ng
1948

University of Ilorin
VC: Prof. Is'haq Oloyede
http://www.unilorin.edu.ng
1975

University of Jos
VC: Prof. S. G. Tyoden
http://www.unijos.edu.ng
1975

University of Lagos
VC: Prof. Tolu Odugbemi
http://www.unilag.edu.ng
1962

University of Maiduguri
VC: Prof. M. M. Daura
http://www.unimaidportal.net
http://www.unimaid.edu.ng
http://www.unimaid.org
1975

University of Nigeria, Nsukka
VC: Prof. C. O. Nebo
http://www.unn.edu.ng
1960

University of Port-Harcourt
VC: Prof. Don M. Baridam
http://www.uniport.edu.ng
1975

University of Uyo
VC: Prof. A. I. Essien
http://www.uniuyo.edu.ng
1991

Usuman Danfodiyo University
VC: Prof. T. M. Bande
http://www.udusok.edu.ng
1975

PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES

Abti-American University, Yola
VC: Prsdt: Dr. C. Michael Smith
http://www.abti-american.edu.ng
2003

Achievers University, Owo
VC: Prof. J.A Odebiyi
http://www.achievers.edu.ng
http://www.achieversuniversity.org
2007

African University of Science & Technology, Abuja
VC: Prsdt: Dr. Karl Voltaire
http://www.aust.edu.ng
http://aust-abuja.org
2007

Ajayi Crowther University, Ibadan
VC: Prof. Olajire Olaniran
www.acu.edu.ng
2005

Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin
VC: Prof. 'Deremi Abubakre
http://www.alhikmahversity.org
2005

Babcock University,Ilishan-Remo
VC: Prof. Kayode J. Makinde
http://www.babcockuni.edu.ng
1999

Bells University of Technology, Otta
VC: Prof. A. I. Adeyemi
http://www.bellsuniversity.org
2005

Benson Idahosa University,Benin City
VC: Prof. Gideon E. D. Omuta
http://www.idahosauniversity.com
2002

Bingham University, New Karu
VC: Prof. F. I. Anjorin
http://www.binghamuniv.net
2005

Bowen University, Iwo
VC:: Prof. T. Olagbemiro
http://www.bowenuniversity-edu.org
2001

Caleb University, Lagos
VC: Prof. Timothy O. Tayo
http://www.calebuniversity.edu.ng
http://www.calebuniversitylagos.com
2007

Caritas University, Enugu
VC: Prof. Romanus O. Unegbu
2005

CETEP City University, Ibadan
VC: Prof. Akin Aju
http://www.cetepuniversity.com
2005

Covenant University Ota
VC: Prof.Aize O. Obayan
www.covenantuniversity.com
2002

Redeemer's University, Mowe
VC: Prof. Oyewale Tomori
http://www.run.edu.ng
2005

Renaissance University, Enugu
VC: Prof. Ethel-Doris N. Umeh
www.rnu.edu.ng
2005

Salem University, Lokoja
Prof. Paul Omaji
VC: www.salemuniversity.org
2007

Tansian University,Umunya
Prof. Angulu Onwuejeogwu
VC: http://www.tansian-edu.com
2007

University of Mkar, Mkar
VC: Prof. Nancy Agbe
www.unimkar.edu.ng
2005

Veritas University
VC: Prof. (Fr.) Justin S. Ukpong
www.veritas.edu.ng
2007

Wesley Univ. of Science & Tech.,Ondo
VC: Prof. 'Tade Badejo
www.wusto.com, www.wesleyuniversity.org
2007

Western Delta University, Oghara
VC: Prof. P.G Hugbo
www.wduniversity.org
2007

Wukari Jubilee University,
VC: Prof. Godwin Akpa
www.wukarijubileeuniversity.org
2005

Crawford University Igbesa
VC: Prof. M. I. Ige
www.crawforduniversity.edu.ng
2005

Crescent University,
VC: Prof. B. A. Ola-Adams (Ag.)
http://www.crescentuniversityng.com
2005

Fountain Unveristy,Oshogbo
VC: Prof. H.O. B. Oloyede
http://fountainuniversity.org
http://portal.fountainuniversity.org
2007

Igbinedion University Okada
VC: Prof. (Rev.) Eghosa E. Osaghae
http://www.iuokada.edu.ng
1999

Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji
VC: Prof. C. O. Oshun
http://www.jabung.org
2006

Katsina University, Katsina
VC: Dr. Umar Muhammad Labdo (Ag.)
http://katsinauniversityportal.net
2005

Lead City University, Ibadan
VC:Prof. J. B. Aladekomo
http://www.lcu.edu.ng
2005

Madonna University, Okija
VC: Prof. L. C. Unukwube
www.madonnauniversityportal.com
1999

Novena University, Ogume
VC: Prof. E. O. Adedeji
2005

Obong University, Obong Ntak
VC: Prof. Enefiok S. Udo
www.obonguniversity.net
2007

Pan African University, Lagos
VC: Prof. Albert Alos
http://www.pau.edu.ng
2002

Zain Gets New Owners

2009-07-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

Europe’s largest entertainment group, Vivendi of France, has reportedly won the race for Zain Africa with a reported bid of $12 billion, according to a Kenyan daily.
The Daily Monitor reports that “although officials at both companies and their transaction handlers declined to confirm the deal, sources familiar with the transaction said it had been recently completed, clearing the way for a new owner for the local operation”.
BusinessDay had exclusively reported on Friday, June 12, this year, that Vivendi was engaged in talks with the Zain Group to buy its Africa operations which span 16 countries, including Nigeria, and that the asking price was $12 billion.
Zain operates in 22 countries with over 15,000 employees providing a range of mobile, voice and data services to over 63.5 million active individuals and business customers by end-year 2008.
Its area of operations include the six countries in the Middle East: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon (as MTC touch), and in 16 countries in Africa: Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. It has 40 million subscribers on the African continent, with the Nigeria network, which has 15 million subscribers, contributing the most.
But its African operations contributed only 10 percent of profit, last year, though with 65 percent of its customers. The company in Nigeria recently trimmed its workforce significantly, apparently in preparation for the sale.
Media experts expect a change of name, which they said will necessitate a re-branding exercise, which for the Nigerian network alone could cost as much as N1 billion. If this happens, they said, the company will become an international reference point in corporate re-branding.
Zain Nigeria has in the past seven years been owned by different operators and had changed names severally.
It had transformed from Econet Wireless Nigeria to Vodacom, then to V-mobile, again to Celtel and to its current name, Zain.
Experts said that in the course of such a re-branding exercise, a company would have to pull down all its visual communications including ID cards, letterheads, internet website, out door advertising, colour scheme shops, recharge cards and more.
According to Akin Adeoya, managing director/CEO of Marketing Mix, a media and branding communication firm based in Lagos, “If they are going to have a re-branding which will encompass a change of name, it will be a case study internationally. One would not have thought it would have survived so many changes… almost on a yearly basis.
“It will go to prove that if the business proposition works, the branding challenge will also work. The brand already represents a multiplicity of contrasting images to the customer. Some people still call it Econet, some call it Celtel.
“The brand is challenged. There is need for some level of stability. My own advice, if possible will be for the owners to retain the brand name, rather than change it immediately”.
Charles Otudor, managing director of Adstrat Consult, a brand and marketing consulting company, noted that “the constant change in corporate identity of Zain creates top-of-the-mind brand identity crisis and distortion. It is critical for brands to retain consistency in feel, look, and language. Also of critical importance is the brand behaviour.
“Most consumers purchase or invest in brands based on the perceived brand promise. Consistency remains a key component of that purchase and it is mostly a result of trust. That trust can only be achieved via consistency. Besides the perception issue, there is also the economic cost of the new brand implementation. Most brand identity implementations always cost a premium.”
“Coming on the heels of the global financial meltdown, when most organisations are scaling down costs, this identity change is worrisome, but I guess the board has a reason”, he said.
Perhaps, Zain Nigeria’s ability to hold on to its subscribers through the identity changes has not been by happenstance. A source noted that “Zain, since it started eight years ago as Econet Wireless has managed to engage its publics positively and win their loyalty even through a handful of re-branding exercises.
“It has maintained admirable quality of service over the years and during the inception of GSM services in Nigeria, Zain, then Econet, had the lowest denomination of airtime recharge cards and this endeared it to its publics who could recharge their phones for a token. Also, the company has proved itself to be a socially responsible and responsive corporate citizen.”
Continuing, the source said, “It is further said that through its re-branding exercises, Zain has challenged and enriched the media and branding sector in the country and created media crisis and branding experts of its own.”

Imsu post- ume date

2009-07-07T00:08:00.000-07:00

The post ume examination which was scheduled to hold on the 9th and 10th of this month has been postponed indefinitely. I'ld keep you posted on further developments.

WHEN YOU DRINK A COKE

2009-07-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why Coke comes with a smile? It’s because it gets you high. They took the cocaine out almost a hundred years ago. You know why? It was redundant.

* In The First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down.
* 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (There’s plenty of that at this particular moment)
* 40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dialate, your blood pressure rises, as a response your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked preventing drowsiness.
* 45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.
* >60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.
* >60 Minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolyte and water.
* >60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.

This will all be followed by a caffeine crash in the next few hours. (As little as two if you’re a smoker.) But, hey, have another Coke, it’ll make you feel better.

*FYI: The Coke itself is not the enemy, here. It’s the dynamic combo of massive sugar doses combined with caffeine and phosphoric acid. Things which are found in almost all soda.

18 Tricks to teach your body

2009-07-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

Soothe a burn, cure a toothache, clear a stuffed nose...
by Kate Dailey

1. If your throat tickles, scratch your ear.

When you were 9, playing your armpit was a cool trick. Now, as an adult, you can still appreciate a good body-based feat, but you're more discriminating. Take that tickle in your throat; it's not worth gagging over. Here's a better way to scratch your itch: "When the nerves in the ear are stimulated, it creates a reflex in the throat that can cause a muscle spasm," says Scott Schaffer, M.D., president of an ear, nose and throat specialty center in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. "This spasm relieves the tickle."

2. Experience supersonic hearing!

If you're stuck chatting up a mumbler at a cocktail party, lean in with your right ear. It's better than your left at following the rapid rhythms of speech, according to researchers at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. If, on the other hand, you're trying to identify that song playing softly in the elevator, turn your left ear toward the sound. The left ear is better at picking up music tones.

3. Overcome your most primal urge!

Need to pee? No bathroom nearby? Fantasize about Jessica Simpson. Thinking about sex preoccupies your brain, so you won't feel as much discomfort, says Larry Lipshultz, M.D., chief of male reproductive medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine. For best results, try Simpson's "These Boots Are Made for Walking" video.

4. Feel no pain!

German researchers have discovered that coughing during an injection can lessen the pain of the needle stick. According to Taras Usichenko, author of a study on the phenomenon, the trick causes a sudden, temporary rise in pressure in the chest and spinal canal, inhibiting the pain-conducting structures of the spinal cord.

5. Clear your stuffed nose!

Forget Sudafed. An easier, quicker, and cheaper way to relieve sinus pressure is by alternately thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you'll feel your sinuses start to drain.

6. Fight fire without water!

Worried those wings will repeat on you tonight? "Sleep on your left side," says Anthony A. Star-poli, M.D., a New York City gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College. Studies have shown that patients who sleep on their left sides are less likely to suffer from acid reflux. The esophagus and stomach connect at an angle. When you sleep on your right, the stomach is higher than the esophagus, allowing food and stomach acid to slide up your throat. When you're on your left, the stomach is lower than the esophagus, so gravity's in your favor.

7. Cure your toothache without opening your mouth!

Just rub ice on the back of your hand, on the V-shaped webbed area between your thumb and index finger. A Canadian study found that this technique reduces toothache pain by as much as 50 percent compared with using no ice. The nerve pathways at the base of that V stimulate an area of the brain that blocks pain signals from the face and hands.

8. Make burns disappear!

When you accidentally singe your finger on the stove, clean the skin and apply light pressure with the finger pads of your unmarred hand. Ice will relieve your pain more quickly, Dr. DeStefano says, but since the natural method brings the burned skin back to a normal temperature, the skin is less likely to blister.

9. Stop the world from spinning!

One too many drinks left you dizzy? Put your hand on something stable. The part of your ear responsible for balance-the cupula-floats in a fluid of the same density as blood. "As alcohol dilutes blood in the cupula, the cupula becomes less dense and rises," says Dr. Schaffer. This confuses your brain. The tactile input from a stable object gives the brain a second opinion, and you feel more in balance. Because the nerves in the hand are so sensitive, this works better than the conventional foot-on-the-floor wisdom.

10. Unstitch your side!

If you're like most people, when you run, you exhale as your right foot hits the ground. This puts downward pressure on your liver (which lives on your right side), which then tugs at the diaphragm and creates a side stitch, according to The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Men. The fix: Exhale as your left foot strikes the ground.

11. Stanch blood with a single finger!

Pinching your nose and leaning back is a great way to stop a nosebleed-if you don't mind choking on your own O positive. A more civil approach: Put some cotton on your upper gums-just behind that small dent below your nose-and press against it, hard. "Most bleeds come from the front of the septum, the cartilage wall that divides the nose," says Peter Desmarais, M.D., an ear, nose, and throat specialist at Entabeni Hospital, in Durban, South Africa. "Pressing here helps stop them."

12. Make your heart stand still!

Trying to quell first-date jitters? Blow on your thumb. The vagus nerve, which governs heart rate, can be controlled through breathing, says Ben Abo, an emergency medical-services specialist at the University of Pittsburgh. It'll get your heart rate back to normal.

13. Thaw your brain!

Too much Chipwich too fast will freeze the brains of lesser men. As for you, press your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth, covering as much as you can. "Since the nerves in the roof of your mouth get extremely cold, your body thinks your brain is freezing, too," says Abo. "In compensating, it overheats, causing an ice-cream headache." The more pressure you apply to the roof of your mouth, the faster your headache will subside.

14. Prevent near-sightedness!

Poor distance vision is rarely caused by genetics, says Anne Barber, O.D., an optometrist in Tacoma, Washington. "It's usually caused by near-point stress." In other words, staring at your computer screen for too long. So flex your way to 20/20 vision. Every few hours during the day, close your eyes, tense your body, take a deep breath, and, after a few seconds, release your breath and muscles at the same time. Tightening and releasing muscles such as the biceps and glutes can trick involuntary muscles-like the eyes-into relaxing as well.

15. Wake the dead!

If your hand falls asleep while you're driving or sitting in an odd position, rock your head from side to side. It'll painlessly banish your pins and needles in less than a minute, says Dr. DeStefano. A tingly hand or arm is often the result of compression in the bundle of nerves in your neck; loosening your neck muscles releases the pressure. Compressed nerves lower in the body govern the feet, so don't let your sleeping dogs lie. Stand up and walk around.

16. Impress your friends!

Next time you're at a party, try this trick: Have a person hold one arm straight out to the side, palm down, and instruct him to maintain this position. Then place two fingers on his wrist and push down. He'll resist. Now have him put one foot on a surface that's a half inch higher (a few magazines) and repeat. This time his arm will fold like a house of cards. By misaligning his hips, you've offset his spine, says Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., co-owner of Results Fitness, in Santa Clarita, California. Your brain senses that the spine is vulnerable, so it shuts down the body's ability to resist.

17. Breathe underwater!

If you're dying to retrieve that quarter from the bottom of the pool, take several short breaths first-essentially, hyperventilate. When you're underwater, it's not a lack of oxygen that makes you desperate for a breath; it's the buildup of carbon dioxide, which makes your blood acidic, which signals your brain that somethin' ain't right. "When you hyperventilate, the influx of oxygen lowers blood acidity," says Jonathan Armbruster, Ph.D., an associate professor of biology at Auburn University. "This tricks your brain into thinking it has more oxygen." It'll buy you up to 10 seconds.

18. Read minds!

Your own! "If you're giving a speech the next day, review it before falling asleep," says Candi Heimgartner, an instructor of biological sciences at the University of Idaho. Since most memory consolidation happens during sleep, anything you read right before bed is more likely to be encoded as long-term memory.

SHOWDOWN : MASSOB LAUNCHES TRAVEL PASSPORT

2009-07-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

THE Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has officially launched its international passport. The launch was done on Tuesday at Okwe in Onuimo, Imo State. Speaking at the launching ceremony at Okwe, the leader of MASSOB, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, said that they could use the passport to travel to any part of the world, including Abuja and Lagos.

According to him, if any member of MASSOB was killed for possessing the passport, members of the movement would fight for his cause. He told his members, who came from all over the country to witness the launch, that it was better for them to die where people would fight their cause than to die in a country like Nigeria, where nobody would fight for their interests.

Chief Uwazuruike also told his members, who besieged the venue of the launching that he would be leading a powerful delegation to Ghana, where they were expected to meet President Barrack Obama.

Answering questions from reporters, he said the Niger Delta militants should not have accepted amnesty since they had not been found guilty of any offence.

Uwazuruike urged the militants to go ahead and blow up more oil pipelines in order to get what lawfully belonged to them. He said MASSOB members would register their presence in Enugu at the burial of Chief Christian Onoh, former governor of old Anambra State.
For more details of this news CLICK HERE.

Yahoo Scams

2009-07-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

10 OF THE BIGGEST SCAMS
Over the years, scammers and fraudsters have come up with more and more inventive ways to swindle us out of our hard-earned cash.

And unfortunately, when times get tough, more of us become susceptible to these cunning schemes.

So I've decided it's time to give you the run-down on ten of the worst scams to watch out for so that you can avoid being ripped off!

1) Phishing emails

The trap: Emails which appear to have been sent from your bank and ask you to reset or confirm your security details by clicking on a link.

ADVERTISEMENT

The reality: More often than not, these links take you to a fake website with the aim of getting hold of your personal or financial details to defraud you. So whatever you do, don't click on these links and delete the email immediately.

For more advice, visit the Bank Safe Online website.

2) Bogus holiday clubs

The trap: You're approached by a scratchcard tout or receive a phone call telling you you've won a 'free' holiday. All you need to do is to attend a presentation to collect your prize.

The reality: At the presentation, you'll be persuaded to sign up to an exclusive club and pay a fee for the privilege. But you'll probably find you've bought little more than access to an internet booking service offering the same service you could find in your local travel agent. Read Hidden holiday costs for more advice.

3) Emails from 'friends in need'

The trap: You receive an email from a friend claiming he has lost his wallet and passport abroad and desperately needs money to pay for his hotel bill and his flight home.

Often your friend will tell you all phone lines have been disconnected and the only method of contact available is email. He'll then ask you to wire over some money to help him out, making out this will be repaid upon his return.

The reality: The email is not from your friend, but from a scammer who will happily run off with your hard-earned cash and perhaps even ask for more.

4) Lotteries

The trap: You receive a letter or email to say you've won a large sum of money in a lottery. Hurrah! But when you phone up to claim, you'll be told you need to pay a fee to collect your winnings.

The reality: Hand over the fee and you'll never see your money again - or your prize. It is illegal for a real lottery to charge any sort of fee so if you're told you need to pay, steer clear. And remember - if you haven't bought a ticket, how can you have won a prize?

5) Weight loss aids

The trap: Advertisements promising you'll be able to lose weight with minimal effort thanks to the wonders of a revolutionary pill, patch or cream.

The reality: Usually there's no scientific evidence to back up these claims, and you'll end up spending money on a bogus drug that will make absolutely no difference to your weight.

6) Advance fee fraud (the Nigerian or 419 scam)

The trap: You receive an email or letter from what appears to be businessmen or officials from Nigeria or another African country offering to transfer large sums of money into your bank account to get it out of the country. You're told you can keep a large chunk of this cash, but need to pay a fee to cover the transaction costs and legal fees.

The reality: These emails/letters are from conmen who will simply disappear with any money you give them. What's more, because you'll have to hand over your personal and bank details, you can expect these crooks to empty your bank account while they're at it.

7) Work at home schemes

The trap: You see an advert in the newspaper or on a lamppost offering you a significant income for minimal work - such as envelope stuffing or craft assembly work.

The reality: What you won't be told is that you might have to pay up front for supplies to carry out the job or to cover hidden costs. You may also find your 'employer' refuses to pay you, claiming your work isn't up the right standards, or that you only get commission for signing up more people.

Cool Car matching

The trap: After placing an advertisement for your car in the newspaper or online, you receive a call from someone promising to match you with a buyer. You're then asked to pay a fee for the match - often around £80-£99.

The reality: The call was from a fraudster, there's no buyer and you can kiss goodbye to your cash.

9) Mobile phone insurance

The trap: Not long after buying a new mobile phone, you receive a call from the shop you bought it from, and are offered a fantastic insurance deal.

The reality: After handing over your bank details you discover your mobile phone isn't insured after all and the person on the phone wasn't who he said he was. By which point, your bank account is looking decidedly less healthy.

10) Pyramid schemes

The trap: You pay a fee to join a scheme but are offered the opportunity to make bags full of money fast by simply recruiting other people into the scheme.

The reality: These schemes are illegal and although the people at the top of the 'pyramid' might make money, it won't be much. And as soon as the pyramid stops growing, there's no money to be made.

Finally,

There are many more rip-offs and swindles out there, but unfortunately I don't have room to list them all. But hopefully the above ten give you some idea of what to look out for.

For further tips and advice, you can read this guide from Consumer Direct. And if you come across any scams, you can report them via the Consumer Direct website.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

OBJ starrs In Hollywood Movie

2009-07-02T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hehe........... Don't mind me. I was just kidding. peace !

Study Tips

2009-07-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

For most of us, the rain semester is just starting. Workloads are generally lighter at the beginning of the semester, so you may be thinking that you don’t need to worry about developing productive study habits right now. But developing good habits now, before the work piles up and the pressure mounts, means that when schoolwork picks up and midterms loom, you’ll already have productive processes in place for handling all of that work, and things should go much easier for you. So whether you’re a freshman this year, or you’re already partway through your highschool or college career, now is a great time to develop some new, good study habits. There are a ton of sites and blogs devoted to student productivity out there (GearFire included!), these tips are just a sampling of what I’ve found that works for me.

Start assignments right away
When your professor assigns an 8-page paper, due in 3 weeks, what do you do? Chances are, you tend to wait at least a few days before you get started on it. Try starting all papers and projects within 2 days of them being assigned. You don’t have to devote a lot of time to this first effort; do 15 minutes of research, draft your first paragraph, or start developing an outline or a mindmap. I find that just getting started on some little part of an assignment makes it much easier to start the bulk of the work on it when I have time.

Develop a system for handling paper
College, especially, typically involves a lot of paper—handouts, syllabi, assignments, notes. There are myriad ways to organize it all; if you’ve got a scanner, you might consider scanning everything into your computer and organizing it digitally. Many people are also fans of having an In box and an Out box, some people use a lot of folders or folios, it’s really up to you. The important thing is to figure out what works for you early on, and then do your best to stick with that system.

Get into an exercise routine
You’ve most likely heard it all before—exercise is good for your body and good for your brain, and it’s something that’s often neglected by busy students. Try to find an exercise routine that you think you’ll be able to stick to through the semester, and make it a habit to get it done. Your body and brain will thank you!

Make time for fun
Make sure you make some time for fun stuff your first few weeks; explore your campus and the area surrounding it, hang out with your friends, play video games, whatever! As important as it is to be productive and put schoolwork first, it’s also important to make time for relaxing and taking breaks from the grind.

I hope you all have a productive, enjoyable semester!

Check your Visa lottery results ( DV 2010 )

2009-07-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

For all of us that put in for this year's US visa lottery check your result here. Guudluck.

Continued...

2009-06-29T15:02:00.003-07:00

Law- 264
Theatre Arts - 215
History nd Int'l studies - 239
Med lab- 258
Nursing - 265
Optometry-208
Medicine nd surgery - 266
mass comm - 263
Bio Chem - 246
Comp sci - 256
Maths-180, industrial maths- 193
Micro biology - 251, industrial micro biology- 198
physics- 195, Industrial phy- 180
statistics- 183.

DESIGNATED BANKS FOR EACH FACULTY
Union bank- Law
First bank- Education nd Humanities
U B A- science nd social sciences
Zenith bank- Bus Admin nd Environmental Sci
Zenith bank- Medicine, agric nd vet medicine
Fin bank- Engineering nd health sciences.

Examination Dates
Day 1, Thursday July 9- Agric nd vet medicine, engineering, environmental science, medicine, health science, science based education courses including Guidance nd counselling.

Day 2, Friday July 10
Bus admin, Law, humanities, social sciences, Arts nd Social science based education courses.

Gu'udluck. Cammy jr. (0806 2324 500).

Continued...

2009-06-29T15:02:00.001-07:00

Imo State University Post Ume Full details

2009-06-29T14:41:00.001-07:00

Sales of forms begins on Tuesday June 30, 2009 and will end on Monday July 6, 2009. The form goes for 2000 naira only excluding bank charge.

Departmental cut off points
Faculty of agric & Vet medicine
Animal sci nd Biotech - 180
Agric econs, extension and Rural development -180
Crop sci nd biotech - 180
Food sci and technology- 180
Nutrition nd dietics - 180
Soil sci nd Environmental management - 180

FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Accountancy- 263
Banking nd Finance -259
Economics- 264
HTM- 180
Insurance- 217
Management- 258
Marketing - 261

FACULTY OF EDUCATION
Biology-183
Agriculture- 180
Chemistry- 182
Guidance nd Counselling- 180
Mathematics- 180
Physics-191
Accountancy- 180
Econs- 205
Eng lang- 216
Geography- 202
Govt-180
History- 206
Fine arts -180
French - 196
Igbo- 184
Religion- 184
Lib sci- 186

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Agric eng- 180
Civil - 246
Elect/Elect eng -249
Mechanical -251

FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Architecture - 231
Building- 183
Estate Management- 180

Michael Jackson.........

2009-06-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

The POP Singer died June 25, 2009 of Cardiac Heart Arrest - at the age of 50. He surfered the heart problem is him home before being rushed to the Hospital where Doctors failed to resursitate him after an hour medical struggle.

Here is the news as reported by BBC on Africa: Cry

News of pop star Michael Jackson's death has been greeted with a mixture of disbelief and sadness across Africa.

In Nigeria, a presenter on Radio Continental broke down live on air and could not continue her programme.

A woman in Ghana burst into tears in the capital, Accra, when told by a BBC reporter about the musician's death.

In 1999, he was presented with a lifetime achievement award by South African icon Nelson Mandela at the Kora All Africa Music Awards.

Michael Jackson first visited the continent at the age of 14 as the lead singer of the Jackson Five.

Emerging from the plane in Senegal, he responded to a welcome of drummers and dancers by screaming: ''This is where I come from."

'Spectacular disappointment'

He returned for an African tour 19 years later, when the king of pop was crowned chief of several African villages.

But the trip quickly turned into a public relations nightmare amid allegations that police had beaten the crowds who went to see him and complaints in the local media that the pop star had been seen holding his nose, as if to keep out a bad smell.

It's not true, no it's not true

Ghanaian fan

Jacksons star in Nigeria resort row
Michael Jackson - Africa reacts
Ghanaian journalist Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, who says she was a huge Jackson Five fan as a girl, covered the visit.

She said he spent most of his time locked away in his plush hotel or hidden in his limousine when out.

When his car window wound down for a brief minute for him to greet fans, she asked him about his trip to Africa, and he replied limply: "Beautiful, I love it."

It was "a spectacular disappointment in many ways", Ms Quist-Arcton told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

But the crowds who lined Abidjan's streets during his visit were testament to his huge popularity across the continent where fans have been expressing their shock at his death.

The BBC's Tom Oladipo in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos said the Radio Continental presenter broke down sobbing live on air after hearing the news and her co-presenter had to take over.

The Jackson Five first visited Africa in the 1970s
One of Michael Jackson's brothers, Marlon, is planning to develop a controversial luxury resort, a mixture of a slave history theme park and a museum dedicated to the Jackson Five in Nigeria.

He also had passionate fans in Ghana.

"It's not true, no it's not true," a woman in Accra wailed as her companion accused our correspondent of lying about the news of Jackson's death.

"He's a legend, he's not supposed to die," a woman in the Kenyan capital told the BBC.

But others expressed concern about his obsession with his appearance.

"He was not proud to a black American, he wasn't, he wanted very much to be white," a man in Nairobi said.

The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Johannesburg says Michael Jackson's most tangible contribution to Africa came at the peak of his career in the mid-1980s, when he co-wrote the charity song We are the World with Lionel Ritchie.

Sung by a group of leading artists, the single topped charts around the world raising awareness and more than $50m for famine relief in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa.

What could have caused Jackson's death? Huh Cry

Michael Jackson died on Thursday
Michael Jackson has died after he stopped breathing and suffered a cardiac arrest.

But what would cause sudden death in a man of his age?

The details are scarce, and a post-mortem will be carried out to determine exactly what happened - because cardiac arrest is simply another way of saying someone's heart has stopped.

There are numerous potential causes. One of those is a heart attack - although they are not interchangeable terms.

I suspect he had a fairly bizarre and weird lifestyle

Professor John Reid, British Hypertension Society
When a heart attack occurs, the heart does not always stop beating and the person does not always die.

Most are caused by the build up of fatty deposits in arteries (coronary heart disease), which causes them to narrow and block the blood supply to the heart.

How severe the heart attack is depends on exactly where it is and how big the blockage is.

Cathy Ross of the British Heart Foundation said: "If a heart attack is big enough, it can cause the heart to go into an abnormal rhythm, which can lead to cardiac arrest."

People in their 40s or 50s do die suddenly from heart attacks, but these are usually due to being overweight and smoking - not risk factors for Michael Jackson.

The post-mortem will look at Michael Jackson's body to see if he had any kind of underlying disease, most likely of the brain or the heart itself, which could have contributed to his death.

They will also look for evidence of any drugs - legal or illegal - in his system.

Resources

Cardiac arrest is caused by electrical malfunction and the heartbeat becomes erratic. It can happen at any age.

Cardiac arrest can be caused by many things

Cathy Ross, British Heart Foundation
Cathy Ross said: "It can be caused by many things, including underlying heart disease, a blood clot which can lead to a pulmonary embolism, or diabetes.

"There are a number of genetic conditions to do with electrical activity in the heart, such as long QT syndrome which can cause sudden death."

She added: "Anorexics and bulimics who abuse eating can experience electrolyte imbalances.

"If you don't eat the right things, levels of blood electrolytes such as potassium can become depleted. They are very important for heart rhythm, which could then lead to cardiac arrest.

The pop superstar was in preparation for his comeback concert tour, his first performances in many years, and it would have placed great demands on his physical and mental health.

But heart expert Professor John Reid, a past-president of the British Hypertension Society, said that it was unlikely stress would have been a factor.

"This is a man who has been living with stress for many years. He must have had many resources to deal with its manifestations."

Medication

There have been persistent rumours for many years that Michael Jackson had a painkiller addiction, and experts say the use of many kinds of drugs can be linked to heart problems.

Professor Reid said: "Drugs and other substances can mimic cardiac arrest - or cause one."

One of the commonest is cocaine. It can cause cardiac arrhythmia, and can cause sudden death.

"It is also possible that opiates, such as morphine, could cause sedation and breathing to stop which would cause respiratory arrest, and then cardiac arrest," said Professor Reid.

"But even prescription drugs can cause death. Antidepressants, which are so widely used, are associated with increased risk of heart attack."

And he added: "I suspect he had a fairly bizarre and weird lifestyle."

Michael Jackson's health - along with his music - has been the focus of attention throughout his adult life. Whatever the post-mortem reveals, this is not likely to change with his death.

Full name: Michael Joseph Jackson

Born: August 29, 1958, Gary, Indiana, US

Also known as: The King of Pop, Wacko Jacko

Biggest hits: I Want You Back, Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, Billie Jean, Bad, Black or White, Earth Song

Obituary: Remarkable talent
[img][/img]

* jackson.jpg (9.82 KB, 226x170 )

* jackso.jpg (2.97 KB, 126x100 )

* wacko.jpg (46.49 KB, 466x282 )

* thriller.jpg (2.4 KB, 126x94 )

IMSU POST UME UPDATE

2009-06-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

The long awaited sales of forms for the 2009/2010 post UME examination has commenced. The form goes for N2000 only at major bank branches all over Nigeria. This time around each department has a cut-off points for their Intending candidates.

Industrial Chemistry- 220
Marketing -256
Banking and finance- 258
Insurance- 181
........... These are the few I know now. I'ld keep u updated in subsequent time.

EFCC DETAINS IMSU VC, BURSAR OVER 500 MILLION NAIRA FRAUD

2009-06-25T01:52:00.001-07:00

The economic and financial crime commission (EFCC), has arrested and detained the vice chancellor of the Imo State University ,Owerri Professor I.C Okonkwo, the bursar, Mrs U.A Nwogu and an administrative officer over an alleged 500 million naira fraud. the EFCC Spokesperson, Mr. Femi Babafemi ,confirmed that the trio were arrested last week and were being detained at the commission's facility in Abuja.

It was learnt that the commission's boss, Mrs Farida Waziri (AIG rtd) had ordered that a charge be preferred against them. Nigerian Tribune also learnt that a raid of Okonkwo's home by the commission's operatives led to the recovery of cash in different currencies running into several millions. A source gave the recovered cash as N4.5 million, $11,200, 700 Euros among others. He was said to have kept another 25 million naira which he allegedly collected from graduating students without receipts with one of his friends. Also reportedly recovered from his home during the raid were shares certificates of blue-chip companies, huge sums in his name and bank documents showing that he has nine accounts domicilled in four banks.

Gulder Ultimate Search VI

2009-06-24T13:17:00.001-07:00

Registration has started for the Gulder ultimate search 6 : The horn of valour reality show. The ultimate man or woman walks away with 7million naira and an SUV.

Go to http://www.gulderultimatesearch.tv to register If you've got what it takes. Registration closes on June 11 2009. GUS 6 hits TV screens on the 18th of July 2009 and ends on August 7 2009.

Gulder Ultimate Search VI

2009-06-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

THE NEW GIRL

2009-06-22T01:19:00.001-07:00

THE NEW GIRL : chapter 10 - Wattpad

Shared via AddThis

Confessions of a broken heart

2009-06-18T17:11:00.001-07:00

She met him
but then he left...
Without saying goodbye,
It made her cRy.

Nights had passed by,
with tears in her eyes,
what can she do ?
Her heart was torn into two.

She waited for him patiently,
hoping that he would come back willingly.
All the worries and pain
she tried to ignore coz It makes her insane.

The day came when she met him again
she daringly confessed her love for him
she did it by portraying who he was, thus he recognized it was him she was talking about.

He didn't show any surprised reaction
coz he believed her confession though
what he did was heart breaking
she admitted to herself that she didn't stop loving him.

The day ended up with a smile on her face
in her heart he would alwaiz be the ace. And so he was back again
she didn't know that everything will change.

the next time she chatted with him
he didn't say anything
she waited for his response
but he didn't even reply once.
This happened again and again
she left her heart was breaking
the feeling was driving her nuts
friendship is the only thing she wants.

she knows he can't accept her heart coz he likes someone else from the start. She would be pleased if he gave her friendship but at the end it was Hardship.

she decides to move on wishing that she would instantly forget him by dawn
it was really hard for her to forget him but she gave her very best to neglect everything.

Almost two years had passed he forgot loving him, at last her love for him had wiped away but the name was always there to stay.

It was the day of her recognition she received her award with keen soul. Her wish to have an award was granted
how about her wish to see the guy she wanted... ?

she was at the place where people love to eat, together with her loving friends to celebrate.

while waiting for their turn to order, her friend hissed the name of her guy she was longing for.

she was shocked hearing his name thinking her friend was just kidding. She tried not to look back but her head turned to look at.... it was really him. She turned her head back to where she was looking afraid to reveal what her shocked face was showing.

Her heart was truly beating fast wishing she could disappear as quickly as possible...

Actress rejects 90m ; shuns Nude role in Hollywood

2009-06-17T04:28:00.001-07:00

The deal was highly sumptuos and tempting. A whooping $500,000 for a lead role in a high budget movie that will cost the producer`s million in America`s Hollywood.

But she rejected the offer, sultry nollywood actress Omoni Oboli stunned many when the news broke recently in Los Angeles that she rejected the offer that would have launched her into international stardom. It was gathered that Omoni would have been expected to have sex with three different men. She is a graduate of foreign languages in the university of Benin. She has also featured in many top nollywood flicks including Kunle Afolayan`s latest movie " The Figurine ".

This particular news has made me proud of being a Nigerian for at least this once.

Career opportunities with Savannah bank !

2009-06-17T01:23:00.001-07:00

Savannah bank of Nigeria plc have commenced the process of re-opening the bank to our cherished customers. The central bank on the 20th february 2009 restored the operating license of savannah bank calling on the managers of the bank to take necessary measures to re-open. As part of measures we are taking to re-open the bank to the public, we are collecting applications from qualified candidates. Submit your detailed resume at www.savannahbankplc.com/careers.html Goodluck.

Belly Trimming Tips !!!

2009-06-15T15:11:00.001-07:00

Have you been trying to lose pregnancy weight to no avail ? You must feel so frustrated if u still look pregnant months after giving birth and that frustration can turn into desperation that may lead you try slimming pills, fancy exercise gadgets or crash dietin.

Stop right there because these things may harm your body, waste and money and did I mention harm your body ? If you really want to lose that mommy belly, you need to take two steps that will not only make you fit but fabulous too.

1. Eat small meals four to five times a day. Thatz breakfast, lunch nd dinner plus two midday snacks in between. Eating more frequently revs up your metabolism so you burn more fat not just in your stomach but in your whole body. Plus it helps reduce the bloat in your tummy because you are just eating small portions at a time. Take note that these have to be small healthy meals. Throw in some lean meat and veggies in your dish cravin for sweets ? And have some fruits for dessert or snacks.

2. Go for exercises that target the whole body. Abdominal exercises are okay but they are not the sole key to getting a trim tommy. Remember that body doesn't lose fat in your spots or areas. To flatten your bulging belly, you need to lose fat in your whole body besides doing exercises that work out several body parts at the same time ensures you can burn more fat in less time.
As for a mom who has her hands full doing household chores and taking care of the body. This is a smart way to get fit and yummy too. You can get rid of your mommy belly and get a sexy tommy by eating healthy and exercising well.

Futo post ume forms now on sale !!

2009-06-15T04:25:00.000-07:00

The long awaited commencement of the sales of The post-ume forms has begun. Information has it that the forms go for 1500 naira only. You can purchase it in major bank branches across the country or better still here in Futo community bank. Holla for more enquiries. 08062324500

My lil joke collection

2009-06-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

Grandma 100 Years Birthday

The family wheeled Grandma out on the lawn, in her wheelchair, where the activities for her 100th birthday were taking place. Grandma couldn't speak very well, but she could write notes when she needed to communicate.

After a short time out on the lawn, Grandma started leaning off to the right, so some family members grabbed her, straightened her up, and stuffed pillows on her right.

A short time later, she started leaning off to her left, so again the family grabbed her and stuffed pillows on her left. Soon she started leaning forward, so the family members again grabbed her, then tied a pillowcase around her waist to hold her up.

A nephew who arrived late came running up to Grandma and said, Hi Grandma, you're looking good! How are they treating you?

Grandma took out her little notepad and slowly wrote a note to the nephew, They won't let me fart

School Group Photo

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'That's Jennifer; she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, he's a doctor.'

A small voice at the back of the room rang out, And there's the teacher; , she's dead. lol

CA man walks iA man cA guy was employed in a multi-national oil company, his first day in office, he has waited longer than ussual for his launch to be served. So he decided to call the canteen extension, but out of furiouxity he called the M.D's extention. Check out the following conversation.

Employee: Can you crazy guys serve me my launch?

M.D: You are crazy, do you know whom you are talking to?

Employee: No

M.D: this is the M.D

Employee: Do you know whom you are talking to?

M.D: No

Employee: o! thank God, and he quitely drop.
.............................................................................................
A man came home from work one day and his wife asked
him to fix the toilet. The man says "who? do i look like the plumber?" and never fixed it,

The man comes home the next day and his wife asks him to fix the garbage disposal. The man says "who? do i look like a blad specialist?" and never fixed it,

The man comes home the next day and his wife asks him to fix the refrigerator. The man says "who? do i look like the Maytag repair man?" and never fixed it,

man comes home the next day and his wife told him she hired someone to fix the fridge, someone to fix the garbage disposal, and someone to fix the toilet. The man asks his wife "how much did it cost?" His wife says "i had to either bake them a cake or have sex with them." The man asks his wife "what kinda cake did you bake them?" the wife says "who do i look like Betty Crocker?"nto a New York City bank and says he wants to borrow $2,000 for three weeks. The loan officer asks him what kind of collateral he has. The man says "I've got a Rolls Royce -- keep it until the loan is paid off -- here are the keys." The loan officer promptly has the car driven into the bank's underground parking for safe keeping, and gives the man $2,000.

Three weeks later the man comes into the bank, pays back the $2,000 loan, plus $10 interest, and regains possession of the Rolls Royce. The loan officer asks him, "Sir, if I may ask, why would a man who drives a Rolls Royce need to borrow two thousand dollars?"

The man answers, "I had to go to Europe for three weeks, and where else could I store a Rolls Royce for that long for ten dollars?"hange of Underwear

..................................................................................................................................
The men of Charlie Company had been in the field for two weeks when the Sarge announces, I've got good news and bad news. First the good news. Today we're going to change our underwear.

The troops started cheering at the news.

Now the bad news. Smith, you change with Jones. Andrews, you change with Murphy,

Imo State University Post-ume Update

2009-06-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

I heard from a very reliable source that the post ume will hold for the 2009/2010 session. However I urge all prospective students to study their books. I will do my best to keep y'all posted on the latest developments concerning the institution. You can call for enquiries but no midnight calls please... The number to call is 08062324500. Good Luck.

NOKIA

2009-06-14T06:24:00.000-07:00

Nokia's Latest And Most Powerfull Phone According To Nokia! The N97!

« on: Today at 11:34:31 AM »

So, guess what Nokia came up with as a follow up for their Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Touchscreen phone? The Nokia N97, a Google G1 phone look-alike that sports a 3.5 inch touchscreen and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

Design
The Nokia N97 looks like a cross between a lot of different phones from the iPhone to the Google G1 Phone to the AT&T Tilt (HTC TyTN II). Up front, the Nokia N97's 3.5 inch screen dominates the whole front of the phone except for the little button on the bottom left side corner which serves as the shortcut key to the N series multimedia applications. The call and end buttons are touch sensitive like ROKR E8. On the top of the Nokia N97 is the 3.5mm headphone jack and the power button. The Nokia N97 is just a tad bit larger and thicker than the iPhone and when you slide out the QWERTY keypad, you're reminded of the HTC TyTN II with it's angled screen. The Nokia N97 feels solid enough to hold though it just feels a bit too large especially if you have small hands. The QWERTY keypad is evenly spaced and you won't have trouble typing nor would you have to worry about pressing two buttons at a time. The buttons are very minimal compared with other QWERTY keypads from HTC or Blackberry. I guess this is to make room for the directional pad on the left side. The sliding mechanism feels solid enough though I'm a bit worried about the hinge that connects the screen and the keypad since it looks thin and breakable.

Features and Performance
The performance of the Nokia N97 is based purely on the demo version but I have to say I'm quite impressed. It looks like Nokia has fine tuned the Symbian OS to work well with touchscreen. On the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, you won't get much of the swiping and flicking finger action but they've refined it so that you can get that much out of the Nokia N97. Also, compared with the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic demo version, the Nokia N97 interface is quite fast and responsive. You can barely see any hiccup on the accelerometer transition or when you're navigating the Symbian OS. The user interface on the Nokia N97 is also quite new but is still very user-friendly. Like I said, it's touch optimized and there are a lot of widgets you can play with. The built-in browser also looks promising though I wasn't able to see if it supports YouTube desktop PC version. Scrolling through webpages isn't as smooth and fluid as when you're surfing the Safari Browser on the iPhone but the webpages renders quickly though I don't know if that's because the pages that the person demonstrating the phone is already saved and bookmarked on the phone's memory.

The Nokia N97 also supports TV Out, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, GPS, FM radio, and a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics. If the camera on the Nokia N97 is as good as that on the Nokia N95 then I'm sure that the Nokia N97 won't have any problems when it comes to its camera software. The Nokia N97 runs on Quadband GSM networks and supports 3G/HSDPA.

It's just too bad that Nokia decided to go with Resistive touchcreen instead of capacitive like that on the iPhone. I'm sure with a bit of development, they'll be able to come up with a lot of good applications that can make use of capacitive touchscreen.

Outlook
Hmm, looks like Nokia got it right on their second try. I like the Nokia N97 better than their Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and I hope that they'll be able to incorporate the user interface of the N97 on the 5800 XpressMusic though I highly doubt that since the Nokia N97 is aimed at the high end market while the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic borders on the midrange to high-end phone segment. From the looks of the demo version, the Nokia N97 looks promising enough. It's fast and responsive. I don't know what processor or RAM they've used on this device but I guess they were able to make use of the new Symbian OS. All in all, it looks like the iPhone, Google G1 Phone and the Blackberry Storm has a new competitor to watch out for. And knowing that there are a lot of Nokia fanatics, I think that the Nokia N97 will definitely take a large part of the smartphone market.

It’s no secret that we had our issues with Nokia’s 5800 XpressMusic, but has the Nokia N97 changed our minds? It is, after all, their flagship device and is packed to the rim with goodies. We already said the Touch Pro2 was the best Windows Mobile device to come out of HTC, is the N97 the Pro2’s match for the Symbian world? Hit the breakage for the review and what we thought!

Keyboard:
It’s hilarious that when Nokia finally listens and tries to make a somewhat normal QWERTY keyboard layout (we bitched and moaned that the Z key was always incorrectly right under the A key on previous devices) they mess it up even more. Like honestly, you’re expecting people to use something with the spacebar key stage right? If the layout isn’t bad enough, the keys certainly are. While the texture of the keys is actually pretty stirring, there’s absolutely positively the smallest tactile feedback imaginable when pressing in a key. For comparisons sake, the T-Mobile G1, whose keys aren’t the best in that department, is worlds better than the N97’s keyboard. It’s really disappointing because Nokia just can’t seem to nail this keyboard area. You could argue that there’s a virtual on-screen keyboard, but that’s so useless we’re not going to entertain the idea of you bringing it up.

Screen:
Man… this is a tough area. Some people are going to viciously attack us for saying this, but, is this the best you can do Nokia? If it is, you’re out of touch with the entire cell phone world because this is one of the most disappointing screens we’ve seen in a long, long time. Besides being a poor resistive touchscreen with good resolution — it’s poor because they try and allow it to decipher touch actions separately from select actions — it looks like there’s a weave pattern behind the display. It gets really infuriatingly annoying. We’re assuming it’s the digitizer, but seriously, learn how to make a touch display. This isn’t 2003. Every single flagship phone has a display 10x better than yours. If you want us to break them down because you’re too out of touch to realize it, we’re glad to do so:

* HTC’s Dream and Magic — wonderful bright and crisp capacitive displays
* RIM’s BlackBerry Storm — awesomely vibrant capacitive display
* Palm’s Pre — packed tight with resolution, vivid and capacitive
* Apple’s iPhone 3G/3G S — an amazingly accurate clear capacitive display with incredible accuracy

Noticing a trend here?

Hardware / Build quality:
Nokia has been around the block for a long, long time. They’ve had their share of hiccups, but man… they know how to make a phone and make it solid. And a sexy phone at that. The N97 might feel lighter than you’d expect at first, but it really has a quality feel all around. The metal bezel is actually plastic and is probably the cheapest-feeling part of the device. But all in all, the build quality is top notch and we shouldn’t expect anything less from the world market leader Nokia. The 5 megapixel camera also doesn’t disappoint — just what you’re used to if you’re a Nokia Nseries fan.

Feel:
This is kind of the same as build quality in a way, because the feel of the device will change depending on the build quality, but the overall feel of the Nokia N97 in your hand is a pleasant one for the most part. Not a huge fan of the matte finish/texture on the back of the device, but button placements are very standard Nokia and comfortable. Power button on top, dedicated two-stage camera shutter key, volume keys, etc.

Connectivity:
This is the second Nokia handset with tri-band HSDPA and it’s awesome they’ve finally come around. In addition to the UMTS sex appeal, you’ve also got a quad-band EDGE radio, Bluetooth 2.0, an FM transmitter (yep, it will allow you to tune to a radio station and listen to your music), A-GPS, and Wi-Fi all built in. Very, very cool.

Phone calling / speakerphone:
There’s no if, ands or buts about it — Nokia seriously knows how to make for some damn good voice calling. Their radios are usually on point (besides the disastrous Nokia E71-2 scenario and we guess some 5800 problems), but for the most part it doesn’t get much better than Nokia. Some could argue RIM is almost on Nokia’s level in terms of RF performance and voice quality, but Nokia, in our view still has a slight edge. Phone calls made with the N97 were loud and sounded bright instead of dull like some phones we’ve been testing. Callers reported to hear us just fine and sometimes thought we were calling from a land line phone.

One thing that’s funny about Nokia is that their speakerphones range from horrible to pretty good. We’d say the N97’s is right in the middle. It’s no where as loud or clear as the Touch Pro2’s but it’s decent enough to be used. Anyone ever had a Nokia phone where the ear speaker was louder than the actual speakerphone? We have!

Usability:
Here’s one fairly large issue for us — the slide/flip up screen. The mechanism is actually very well-built, but it’s the angle of the screen and the non-adjustableness (forgive us) that get us going. For instance, to see the screen at the perfect angle when flipped up means that the keyboard is going to be pointing straight up at the ceiling. Wait, what? Yeah — you can barely use the keyboard comfortably when navigating through on screen applications and the like. It might not be a big deal for some, but for a keyboard that it feels like your typing on a pad of Post Its, it’s a big deal for anyone remotely interested in typing something.

The directional pad also suffers from the same issue as we mentioned earlier in the keyboard section — zero feedback. It’s unfortunate but it really doesn’t enable you to accurately navigate as well as it should. As far things like home screen widgets go, they’re cool. But just because you have live widgets on your home screen doesn’t mean people will overlook how out of date and poorly designed S60 is becoming. It’s almost like Nokia keeps bandaging the OS up and it’s starting to get more and more difficult to use and less and less relevant.

Conclusion:
Nokia tried really hard here, but to be honest, speaking from my personal opinion, the second I saw the N97 announcement I skipped right over it in my head. I’m the biggest N95-4 fan you’ll find — but S60 5th Edition with a resistive screen, horrible keyboard and horrible navigational buttons? No thank you. The problem with the Nokia N97 is — and please don’t take this the wrong way — that this exact phone could have been launched 2 years ago and no one would have blinked. What other phone can you take out of it’s current place, drop back two years, and have no one question where it came from? Take the Palm Pre for better or worse, and bring it back to 2007. People would have heart attacks. What about the iPhone? Well, you know how that turned out. BlackBerry Storm? People would have broken through glass to get it. But, no one really would care about the N97 and that, besides not being a device we enjoyed using, is the larger issue. Nokia has lost its place in the sun when looking at the consumer smartphone market and until they get back on track, RIM, Apple, Windows Mobile, Palm and Android are going to continue eating more and more of their lunch.

For more information click here: http://theworldmeetz.lefora.com/2009/06/14/nokias-most-powerfull-phone-according-to-nokia-the/page1/

General 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100
HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 - American version
Announced 2008, November
Status Available. Released 2009, June
Size Dimensions 117.2 x 55.3 x 15.9 mm, 88 cc
Weight 150 g
Display Type TFT resistive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 360 x 640 pixels, 3.5 inches
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
- Full QWERTY keyboard
- Handwriting recognition
Sound Alert types Vibration; MP3 ringtones
Speakerphone Yes, with stereo speakers
- 3.5 mm audio jack
Memory Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records Detailed, max 30 days
Internal 32 GB storage, 128 MB RAM
Card slot microSD (TransFlash), up to 16GB, buy memory
Data GPRS Class 32
HSCSD Yes
EDGE Class 32
3G HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology
Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
Infrared port No
USB Yes, v2.0 microUSB
Camera Primary 5 MP, 2592x1944 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, LED flash, video light
Video Yes, VGA@30fps
Secondary Yes, VGA@15fps
Features OS Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5
CPU ARM 11 434 MHz processor
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds
Radio Stereo FM radio with RDS, Visual radio; FM transmitter
Games Yes + downloadable
Colors White, Black
GPS Yes, with A-GPS support; Nokia Maps
Java Yes, MIDP 2.1
- Digital compass
- MP3/WMA/WAV/eAAC+/MP4/M4V player
- MPEG4/WMV/3gp/Flash video player
- TV-out
- Voice command/dial
- Pocket Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF viewer)
- Video and photo editor
- Flash Lite 3
- T9
Battery Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh (BP-4L)
Stand-by Up to 432 h (2G) / 408 h (3G)
Talk time Up to 9 h 30 min (2G) / Up to 6 h (3G)
Music play Up to 40 h
Misc Price group [About 550 EUR]

For more information click here: http://theworldmeetz.lefora.com/2009/06/14/nokias-most-powerfull-phone-according-to-nokia-the/page1/

nokia-n97.jpg (11.08 KB, 139x184 )

ATTENTION FOR THOSE WHO THINK EVERYTHING IS SCAM !!

2009-06-14T05:09:00.001-07:00

Re: United State Scholarship To Africa Program Is

« #5 on: December 03, 2008, 11:33 AM »

Dear All,

I saw this Thread on the Internet, and I thought to myself, why effective correspondence had not been affected all these while. I called Amouse Diop, The President of USSAFRICA Team, and queried/protested the matter. After due diligence, I promised the Body to answer several questions brought before it by sharing my own experience with all, It is a good thing that you have all brought these very crucial fears onboard, this of course will allow USSAFRICA.ORG meet to the ethical issues students are confronted with. As a beneficiary of the Scholarship, I think I should say one or two experience, and if you are not convinced, I would strongly advised that you have someone in the USA contact them in their Office.

This is not some Scam or Game. It is serious Business! The Model was fashioned by great minds that invented the Idea in the first place. They thought helping Africans achieving their too many dreams should be done in order to place Africa amongst the 20th Economy in 2020, with her Human and Natural resources. It is an Avenue to Trained Africans in diverse field of education to face the challenges ahead of us.

More ways you can find out is visit some of the website of the schools and colleges where awards are utilized, through their admission office; some of the matters can be addressed. You can also contact the USIS or the US Consulate to petition about this matters, that if you have been scammed by them, just beyond all reasonable doubt I would like ndisnoopi[/i] to tell us how the USSAFRICA are scammers and fraudsters in your petitions and claims.

In 2004 I had these same fears, and I waited till 2004 before I was convinced, that is after my family in the New York has gone up there in their Office to make every necessary enquiries. Then it was $32.50cents. I was scared of making any payments, worst still there was no medium of sending the payments to them. I then had to make final arrangement with my Uncle in DC, and my Aunt in IL - Chi-town precisely, and the payment was sent.

My Heart nearly entered my mouth when I didn't hear from them, i.e. after payments, documentations and all necessary paper work has been received by them. For 8 months I didn't hear a word from them, boy I almost died of thoughts. Thinking I have been dubbed and scammed of my money, in the interim, on 5th, July 2004, I received a package that was bookmarked "Scholarship Award". My Nephew called me where I was doing my NYSC, I just got a phone then, that I received a package, I was Leary and told her it wasn't mine. But she insisted, well I had to give in, and I called my Uncle and Aunty in DC and Chicago if they sent anything. I even had to call up Uncle Wale Oshodi, My Uncle in Lexington on whether he sent anything; he declined it. However, it took some time, at least like 3 months, when we passed out from our NYSC, 18th November of 2004. I went home, and to my greatest surprise, it was USSAFRICA bookmarked "2004/5 Scholarship Award". Inside the envelop 'FedEx' precisely was several paperwork, amongst which includes:-

1. F1-20
2. Certificate of Award
3. Admission Packet of University of Kentucky - Undergraduate, such as Admission Letter, Brochures, Campus Map, and Hostel payment slips and other stuffs
4. Another Envelop containing Interview Reservation, and USIS payment slip
5. Reserved Student ID No.
6. Bank Statement clipped with Another Certificates of Awards from Negro Trust Fund
7. FIB-CIA certification Benchmark of USSAFRICA.

When I received this, I had to spend some few nairas, I think then it was N7, 500 through FedEx, I sent everything to my Aunt Oluwakemi Adekunle (Nee Oshodi-Tapa) in NY. She received it, and went ahead to contact the IRS, FIB, CIA and Homeland Security on the Authenticity of the Award. After due findings, my Aunt called me to inform me that the Award was Genuine, and that I was very lucky.

I made every preparation, and did all necessary test, "yellow Fever, Polio and other cardiac’s test plus AIDS/HIV". I booked for the Visa Interview and on the interview dates, I was actually nervous and holy me, I was freezed. I went up to Counter "4", got cleared, and I was told to wait, I waited, and I was ushered in to Counter "7", the inner room - that is, if any of you have been to the American Embassy. I met Sara Clifordson (Now very close and experiencing mutual friendship), she asked me several questions, where I maintained I was still undergraduates, and she proofread through my documents, scanned through and said to me, how did I heard of the USSAFRICA, (2), What are my reasons for going to the USA to Study with the acclaimed scholarship award. (3) What convinced the Scholarship Foundation to shortlist my name for the United Negro Trust Fund, which was explained in my ESSAY I sent to them when I was submitting my Requirements during the Application process.
"[i]Although every student is given the avenue to doubt, because without this, it is too good to be true, which is the psychology behind the events" as quoted by Nuobusira Akuame from Uganda (A fellow Recipient) in Spring 2005 when we were called for approval in NY.

My Advice to the second Speaker is that, you don't know these people. It is true that there are so many scammers out there. This was the reason why the USSAFRICA was done in secrecy in 2000-03, when it was only given to family members and was done free. But those beneficiary don't even know what they were doing, misusing the opportunities, that are open to Meticulous and Intelligent Students across Africa.

If you want to confirm about me or how I have benefit from them, you can also contact the Homeland security in the US, the FIB and CIA. Because I won't want to drag my family's name in the mud. I have my reputation to protect, and the USSAFRICA has also been a source of contribution to this integrity in the past and present, they have shaped my thoughts, and have educated me on how the global environment works. The USSAFRICA have been responsible in sponsoring some events I have attended, such as Peace and Conflict Resolution in The UN, as an Ambassador to Africa. We have Adewale Oluokun in TEXAS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY. You can log on to this school’s website and see how this young man performs. He was a Beneficiary of USSAFRICA scholarship. I wonder why people will see their fingers inactive to tap buttons with incoherent words to assassinate Organization characters such as USSAFRICA. You don't have an Idea of what you are saying ndisnoopi and I advise you do your findings well. If paying the $100.00 cent that is your problem, as you coined it "Hard earned Money", you can have your people check the organization out with whatever source you want to use, before drawing irrational and misplaced conclusions, this is a whole bulk of misrepresentation.

Contact these schools and make your findings, if I have not said so already in one of the paragraph:

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, Chicago, Illinois
TEXAS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Lubbock, Texas
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS, Fayetteville, Arkansas
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, Oxford, Ohio
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII. Honolulu, Hawaii
UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO, Albuquerque, New Mexico
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, Las Vegas, Nevada
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. Ann Arbor, Michigan
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND. College park, Maryland
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, Lexington, Kentucky
HOWARD UNIVERSITY, Washington D.C.
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, Houston, Texas

I think I m done here.

Futo Post-Ume Update

2009-06-14T04:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone I'm Teteh Cammy Jr. a 100 Level student Of FUTO and the post ume exam is rumoured to be holding on the 13th of june but official news from the directorate of students affairs is tha no date has actually been fixed for the examination. Pls discard any information that the forms are on sale here in school or outside. I can Help anyone interested in getting the form. Send your details and when you come for the exam you would get your card and receipt or better still just call me to keep you posted on latest developments. You can call me on 08062324500 and we will discuss how to go about it. Goodluck to y'all. Hoping to see Y'all in October. For nairaland updates on this issue CLICK here to be informed on latest developments.

Earn money via Instant-ptr

2009-06-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

Who says money can't be earned online ? If you think so then you're about to be proven wrong. Watch your money grow before your very eyes as you read emails, sign up for offers and also an initial start up amount of $100. CLICK here to start earning

Earn money via Rolex-mails

2009-06-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

Earn money just by clicking on adverts, reading mails , filling offers and stuffs........ click here to start earning

About Me

2009-06-13T01:01:00.000-07:00

Name : Teteh Chinaedu Cammy Jr.

Date of Birth : January Ist 1991

Nationality : Nigerian

Occupation : Student

Interest : Politics, Information Technology..

Hobbies : Football, swimming , basket ball , hanging out with friends, discussing politics

Ambition : To be an IT Guru of renowned reputaton and all also a politician with a distinction

Current School : Federal University Of Technology Owerri.

Email address : chineduteteh@yahoo.ca

I'm done........ Wanna know me better...? Get close