The Rebirth album by Obiwon is an eclectic mix ofcontemporary gospel and RnB as earlier indicated by Obiwonwho granted us an exclusive session months beforethe release of this wonderful album.Click Obiwon's rebirth album to read the interview.The Rebirth features 10 tracks1. Lift Your Hands feat Niyola2. Victorious3. Na U4. Obi Mu O feat Guchi Young5. Bless U Lady6. Birthday7. Obi Mu O the Remix feat Guchi Young, Blaise, M.i, Illbliss8. F.A.T.H.E.R9. Hold On10.The Rebirth (Kene Gi)all beautifully arranged and delivered.I'll let the songs do the talking.Some of these tracks have been featured on this page,just type obiwon in the search box to find them.What I love about "The Rebirth (Kene Gi)"is the way Obiwon infused the ibo language with english...so beautiful!+ he sings like an angelClick play to listen to the 10th track off Obiwon's album. Enjoy!!
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After a two-year break, the MUSON Festival Jazz Nite returns tomorrow, November 6 and Saturday, November 7 at the Shell Nigeria Hall of MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.The jazz component of the annual music festival was last held in 2006 when acclaimed Grammy award winning guitarist, Earl Klugh performed alongside Lagbaja.South African master guitarist, Jimmy Dludlu will headline the two-day event starting by 7pm daily. He will be supported by six Nigerians including jazz trumpeter, Biodun Adebiyi and vocalist and guitarist, Beautiful Nubia.Others are jazz contrabassist, Bright Gain, Mfon Umana, Pure and Simple (Ifiok Effanga and Nathan McDonald) and the 5 YZ Men, a group of five young musicians currently pursuing a diploma certificate in music at the MUSON School of Music.Dludlu will be supported on Friday by Pure & Simple, Beautiful Nubia and Biodun & Batik while the 5 YZ Men, Mfon and Bright Gain will perform alongside him on Saturday. Popular radio personalities, Dan Foster and Tosyn Bucknor will anchor proceedings.
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Posted by 9jabook.com on October 5, 2009 at 9:06pm
It is the month of August, a resort town sits next to
the shores of a lake. It is raining, and the little town
looks totally deserted. It is tough times, everybody is in
debt, and everybody lives on credit.
Suddenly, a rich tourist comes to town. He enters the
only hotel, lays a 100 Euro note on the reception counter,
and goes to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick
one.
The hotel proprietor takes the 100 Euro note and runs
to pay his debt to the butcher. The Butcher takes the 100
Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the pig raiser. The
pig raiser takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt
to the supplier of his feed and fuel. The supplier of feed
and fuel takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his debt to
the town's prostitute that in these hard times, gave
her services" on credit. The hooker runs to the hotel,
and pays off her debt with the 100 Euro note to the hotel
proprietor to pay for the rooms that she rented when she brought her clients there.
The hotel proprietor then lays the 100 Euro note back
on the counter so that the rich tourist will not suspect
anything. At that moment, the rich tourist comes down after
inspecting the rooms, and takes his 100 Euro note, after
saying that he did not like any of the rooms, and leaves
town.
No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now
without debt, and looks to the future with a lot of
optimism.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the Irish
Government is doing business today.We hope naija can cash in on this strategy !
This is the only way to Economic recovery, bailing out all those FAT CATS up-stream does not guarantee that it will flow down-stream. Trickle-Economics will definitely flow up-stream, although it defies Sir Isaac Newton's law of universal gravitation. Have a great day
Thanks to Osamuyi Paul Ogbebor for sending in this one !Read more…
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WHO is India's best known Nigerian right now? The answer may surprise most readers of IndiaPage.
With due apologies to other claimants to such distinction, there is virtually no need to hold any opinion poll! I am pretty certain who India's best known Nigerian is: Its Odafa Onyeka Okolie. Odafa Who? How Come? - Hang on!
He is a 25-year-old Nigerian footballer - current captain of Goa-based Churchill Brothers Sports Club. He has been known among Indian football aficionados for past six years.
Nevertheless, his hat-trick during 10 minutes of extra time of 122nd Durand Cup final in New Delhi on September 22 has transformed him into a legend.
Odafa single handedly sank chances of famed Mohun Bagan Club of Kolkata of winning the Durand, India's most coveted, world's third oldest football cup.
Churchill Brothers' 3-1 Durand victory followed similar victory over same Mohun Bagan in IFA Shield final a few weeks ago which, too, was largely engineered by Odafa.
Odafa has been playing with various football clubs in India since 2003.
He renewed his annual contract with Churchill Brothers earlier this year reportedly for a fee of around N30 million- making him highest paid footballer in India.
That kind of money puts Odafa into a different Indian league: that of Bollywood stars, who earn even more. But, that's another story!
Odafa has outclassed other forwards in the penetrating zone for the last three years. After the 21st round, Odafa led the scorers' tally with 24 goals. Felix Chimaokwu (Churchill Brothers) and Ranty Martins (Dempo SC) came next with 11 goals.
Starting his Indian sojourn in 2004, Odafa never had to look back though he had some anxious years with Mohammedan Sporting of Kolkata and Bangladeshi side Muktijoddha.
However, he won't be the first footballer to touch the Rs1 crore base in India. Mahindra United defender Mahesh Gawli was signed for close to Rs1.25 crore for a three-year term.
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True to its vow at a world press conference held in Lagos on July 14, the coalition of major associations in the Nigerian music industry has begun the mobilization of stakeholders throughout the country for the commencement of an indefinite mass hunger strike to draw the attention of the world to the intolerable amount of piracy that is devastating the music industry in Nigeria. The mass hunger strike is planned to commence on August 25. As a prelude to the strike, there will be an important rally of stakeholders in the Nigerian music industry at the premises of the National Theatre, Lagos at 10.00am on August 25. The rally will offer an opportunity to artistes and investors across the industry to network and devise strategies to frontally attacking the piracy scourge that is plundering the Nigerian entertainment industry.Further to the hunger strike, the coalition has resolved that a powerful delegation of industry stakeholders will proceed to the National Assembly in Abuja on September 1 to express the frustration of the industry over the lukewarm and ineffective attitude of the government to attacking the piracy cancer that is fast eating away the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of Nigerians and destroying the Nation’s image. The coalition is also requesting all broadcast organizations in the country to show solidarity with the plight of the Nigerian entertainment industry by observing September 1, 2009 as “NO MUSIC DAY”. Consequently, broadcasting stations across Nigeria are requested not to broadcast music between the hours of 6 am and 6 pm on September 1. Artistes across the country are also requested not to engage in any musical performance on “NO MUSIC DAY”It will be recalled that at the Press Conference held at Protea Hotel, Ikeja on July 14, the coalition had called on President Yar’ Adua to declare a State of Emergency with respect to the fight against piracy in Nigeria and to muster the necessary resources to eradicate the monster. The coalition had also called on the President to take the following specific actions:-1. Set up a Governing Board made up of Nigerians of proven commitment and integrity to design and supervise the activities of the Nigerian Copyright Commission in accordance with the Nigerian Copyright Act as the records show that for more than five years, the Nigerian Copyright Commission has only had a Board for a period of a few months in 2005.2. Direct the Nigerian Copyright Commission to immediately put on hold the process of approval of any new copyright collective management organization pending the IMMEDIATE convening of a stake holders conference on Collective Management to ensure that the process receives input from the stakeholders that will earn any organization emerging from the process the support of the industry.3. Direct the Inspector General of Police to serve a warning to the traders at Alaba International Market in Lagos, the world’s biggest hotbed of piracy, that if within a specified period the traders do not clean up the market, the government will shut Alaba market down.At the massively attended Press Conference, the coalition had noted that whatever efforts made so far to fight piracy in Nigeria had failed and rather than piracy being controlled or reduced in Nigeria, it was ravaging an entire generation of creative people. The coalition also warned that in desperation, practitioners in the Nigerian entertainment industry may soon be forced to take the laws into their hands in a desperate attempt to safeguard their investment and this may result in otherwise avoidable bloodshed.The coalition made up of Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Nigerian Association of Recording Industries (NARI), Performing & Mechanical Rights Society Ltd/Gte (PMRS), Association of Music Business Professionals (AM.B-Pro), Music Label Owners & Recording Industries Association of Nigeria (MORAN), Music Label Owners Association of Nigeria (MULOAN), Gramophone Records & Cassette Dealers (AGRECD), Music Advertisers Association Of Nigeria (MAAN). Audio /Video CD Sellers Association of Nigeria (AVCDSAN) also reminded the government that Nigeria may face sanctions from the international community because of the glaring failure to meet the nation’s obligations under the different conventions and treaties signed by our country to protect intellectual property rights of citizens of other nations which are wantonly infringed upon in Nigeria alongside those of Nigerian nationals.All artistes in music film, comedy, drama, literary works and all friends of the entertainment industry are invited to storm the historic rally at the National Theatre Lagos on Tuesday August 25 at 10 amEfe OmorogbeFor: The Nigerian Music Industry Coalition
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Posted by Politics X on September 2, 2009 at 8:57pm
By Bassey Udo and Ini EkottSeptember 3, 2009 05:59AMTReprepared for Politics blog by Akin OsunlajaThe lawmakers in Abuja had hauled the Central Bank governor before them, to defend the legality of his actions in firing the senior executives of five failing banks.Leading the charge was the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Banking, Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, who was indignantly challenging Sanusi Lamido Sanusi over whether the central banker had overstepped his authority and made a mockery of our constitution.“Any action taken in pursuant to the CBN Act that is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution is null and void, ineffective and of no effect whatsoever,” Mr. Ozomgbachi thundered, reading from prepared remarks.But the four-page letterhead document from which Mr. Ozomgbachi read his hand-written introductory remarks bore the logo of Rockson Engineering, a company identified by the CBN as one of the worst bad debtors whose non-performing loans sent the giant Intercontinental Bank to ruin.Rockson, whose directors are the wealthy businessman J.I.A Arumemi-Ikhide and his wife, Mary, owed and had refused to pay Intercontinental about N37 billion as of May 31.That and other large loans gone bad caused the bank to run out of cash, and the CBN to rush in to the rescue. The bank’s CEO, Erastus Akingbola, has since fled the country and been declared a fugitive by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Rockson claims the whole thing is a misunderstanding.How lawmakers who claimed to be acting in the interest of the public came to read their strong criticism of the Central Bank governor from a company central to the dispute led observers at yesterday’s hearing scratching their head.OZOMGBACHINot a few were quick to draw a link between members of the committee and the company, insinuating that Rockson Engineering, which was one of the companies that strongly faulted the CBN’s name and shame strategy, may have masterminded the lawmakers’ summons of Mr. Sanusi.“It is not a mere coincidence that the lawmakers would be using so flippantly the letterhead paper of a debtor company listed by the CBN and not another writing plain paper to convey their speech to the public, if they did not have anything to do with the company,” said one witness at yesterday’s hearing, who asked not to be identified so he could speak freely.Officials of Rockson Engineering were not immediately available for comment last night.In a bid to save face after it became clear that the audience had made a link between Rockson and the committee chairman, the lawmakers drove journalists out of the venue to allow them have a private meeting with the CBN governor and members of his team.But prior to the closed session, Mr. Sanusi had offered a strong defense of his intervention in the banking crisis, which included injecting N420 billion into the five banks. The EFCC is now trying many of the bank executives and their alleged accomplices, seeking convictions for fraud, money laundering and other racketeering.Mr. Sanusi told the lawmakers that there was no illegality or inconsistency in the action of the CBN, as the Act which established it as a lender of last resort derives its powers from the provisions of the constitution. The Act, he said, requires him to regulate the activities of commercial banks and set levels of their cash holdings and what level of risk taking is appropriate.“Where a bank is deficient in any of these, the CBN may, under the statutory powers, order redress of the deficiency in any of the ways contemplated by the law,” he said.Mr. Sanusi said the CBN’s intervention was not only consistent with global trends, but also was a patriotic decision to stem further erosion of confidence in the banking industry as a result of its huge exposure to the capital market.He explained that the 10 banks audited had granted over N900 billion loan as at December 2008, representing about 12 per cent aggregate credit, or 31 per cent of shareholders funds.“Of this figure, the five banks accounted for more than 50 per cent of the total exposure, with over N754 billion, or 10 per cent of aggregate credit and over 27 per cent of shareholders’ funds, to the oil and gas industry.“At its peak, the banks’ total outstanding commitments under the CBN expanded discount window stood at over N434 billion. Therefore, CBN’s action to inject fresh capital into the five banks was not only within its statutory powers, but done to save them from imminent collapse, as well as restore confidence to the banking system,” he said.
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500,000 usernames taken in 15 minutes
At 12:01 Facebook opened the flood gates on their new usernames feature.
Personally, the process went very smoothly for me. I was able to secure my desired Facebook username with no trouble at all.
NOTE ONCE TAKEN YOU CANT CHANGE IT AGAIN !
goto this url and follow instructions
http://www.facebook.com/username/
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naija's film industry is garnering global attention as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, yesterday declared Nollywood the second world film producer.A global cinema survey conducted by the world body's Institute of Statistics and released at the UN head office in New York and UNESCO office in Paris yesterday, India kept the first position, but naija has edged out the United States from the second position. The US is now number 3 after India and naija, according to an Empowered Newswire report.The survey ranks countries based on the number of films produced in a year, and not on the quality or on the turn-over of the films from those countries.Global attention on Nollywood has been mounting in recent times, especially as naija films have become hot commodity among African-Americans in the US and blacks from the Caribbean countries. Only last month, a daily US government bulletin described Nollywood as a rising star in the world of film production, paying tribute to the acumen of naija actors and film producers.Visits of famous naija actors from naija to the US is often a celebrity event with US-based naijas taking autographs from the Nollywood stars.While the Indian film industry is known as Bollywood, the American industry is known as Hollywood and naija's known as Nollywood. Both India and naija coined their industry appellations from Hollywood.The UNESCO survey which tallied 2006 figures revealed that Bollywood produced 1,091 feature-length films in 2006 compared to 872 productions (in video format) from naija's film industry. The United States produced 485 major films. The report quoted naija, US and India as the three heavyweights in global film production.The report actually spotlighted Nollywood further, noting what the UN statement called "the explosive growth of Nollywood" which is now attracting "considerable attention, especially in developing countries looking for alternatives to the U.S. or European models of film production and distribution, which require considerable investment."Said the report, "To begin with, naija filmmakers rely on video instead of film to reduce production costs," adding that naija has virtually no formal cinemas. About 99 per cent of screenings occur in informal settings, such as "home theatre."The UNESCO survey further reveals "another key element of the naija success story: multilingualism. About 56 per cent of Nollywood films are produced in naija's local languages, namely Yoruba (31per cent), Hausa (24 per cent) and Igbo (1 per cent). English remains a prominent language, accounting for 44 per cent, which may contribute to naija's success in exporting its films."The UNESCO findings were collected through a new international survey launched by the UIS in 2007 with financing from the Government of Québec. Overall, the survey yielded data from 99 countries.After the three 'heavyweights', there were eight other countries that produced more than 100 films: Japan (417), China (330), France (203), Germany (174), Spain (150), Italy (116), South Korea (110) and the United Kingdom (104)."Film and video production are shining examples of how cultural industries - as vehicles of identity, values and meanings - can open the door to dialogue and understanding between peoples, but also to economic growth and development. This conviction underpins the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity," the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, said. "And this new data on film and video production provides yet more proof of the need to rethink the place of culture on the international political agenda," he added.Despite its limited coverage, the survey provides a unique perspective on how different countries and regions are transforming traditional approaches to the art and industry of filmmaking, especially in video and digital formats.The survey also revealed considerable linguistic diversity in film production in Spain and Canada. In Spain, almost 69% of films were produced in Spanish, 12% in Catalan, about 9% in English, 4% in Basque, almost 3% in French and 4% in other languages. In Canada, 67% of films were produced in English and 31% in French in 2006.Despite these results, English remains the dominant language in filmmaking globally. In total, 36% of films produced in 2006 were shot in English, according to the survey.US films continue to dominate admissions globally. Although the survey is not exhaustive, a clear trend seems to have emerged when considering the provenance of the top 10 films viewed in diverse countriesAll of the top 10 films seen in Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Namibia, Romania, and Slovenia were made in the U.S., according to the survey. There were however some notable exceptions.Bollywood productions were the obvious favourite in India. In France, seven out of the top 10 films were French. And in Japan and Morocco, domestic productions accounted for five out of the 10 most widely viewed films.
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By Richard Akinjide
I will score the Yar'Adua administration with a pass. I will not say it has done extra-ordinarily well, nor would I say it has failed.
He has just done half of his first term, halving regards to what he met on the ground you cannot say he has not tried his best. The President has started to make some efforts. The electoral reform by the panel chaired by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mohammed Uwais, has produced a very important document. What is left is for the Federal Government to implement. I will therefore waste no time in urging President Yar'Adua to commence its immediate implementation without any further delay.
The report is no doubt commendable, but it would have even gone further to make some far reaching recommendations. For instance he recommended that election petition should be completed within six months, before swearing-in, I would have recommended that it should be completed within three months. We did that when we were in government, why can't they do that now. If there is need to amend the Electoral Act, why not. There is no justification for this in-ordinate delay of election petition. You would recall that election petition was not concluded until the eve of former President Olusegun Obasanjpo'' departure from office. I am talking about Alhaji M. D. Ysusuf's presidential election petition. This is un-acceptable we should find a way out. The United States has 50 states, yet all their elections are concluded before winners are sworn-in. You would recall the Bush-Al-Gore case over the problem in Florida, it went to the Supreme Court three times, within 33 days and it was resolved before the swearing-in date. So what is the problem here that could not be tackled, if there is the need to reform our judiciary, why not reform it, if there is need to amend the electoral Act, amend it, and make things quicker and simpler and not make a mockery of democracy.
Our judiciary has displayed excellent courage, internationally, our judiciary has repution. Our courts enjoy a very good reputation, abroad, and we should be very careful the way we are running our judiciary down. I accept that even the legal profession needs reform, I accept that the judiciary also needs a lot of reform. My view is that both for the legal profession and the judiciary there should be two powerful commissions of enquiry to look into the legal profession and the judiciary in this country. It over due, all the two are over due. The quality of lawyers, our universities are turning out demands that we reform our legal system including legal education.
The Nigerian Constitution is very unique. We call it a Federal Constitution, but that is a gross abuse of words. What we are operating is a unitary constitution, masquerading as a federal constitution. You see what is critical in any constitution is the way you allocate powers between the centre and the units, not the name you call it. Up till the time the military seized power in 1966, what was operating was a Confederal system. Each region had its own judiciary, its own flag, its own Civil Service, each region also had its own office in London. They could have had their own office in Washington if they wanted. But since the military intervention, we have been operating a unitary system masquerading as a federal constitution. The reason it has been difficult to return to this pre-1966 arrangement is that some people still have the fear that another secessionist could emerge tomorrow.
The dominance of the centre is total and burdensome in legislative powers, financial matters and I don't see any state government or any local government in this country which can operate without financial support from the centre. That is not a federal system of government. I won't give name, but I would advocate that we should reform and get something that is suitable for us, not copying the U.S., France or Germany. The fault lies with the Nigerian elites. Nigerian elites, avoid going into politics, they avoid conducting elections. You could be a university teacher and still be a good councillor in your area, you can go to the National Assembly, could contest for the office of the governor. It is only in a few states that you see responsible people coming out to contest for the office of the government. If you take a census of the governors we have in this country, you would be horrified, if you look at their history and their qualifications. Take a look at the few states that are doing well, you will notice that they have governors with very good qualifications and sound track record.
Niger Delta
We must assume that the Federal Government has the right intelligence report, otherwise, it won't be doing what it is doing. We must be very careful in making comments on matters we don't have adequate information or sufficient facts. We must realise that the Niger Delta harbours the oil and gas in the country, we must also realise that the oil and gas of Niger Delta is of public interest it is no global interest. Although the oil is in Nigeria, all the nations of the world have interest in that oil, that is the nature of oil and gas. No government will accept or condone lawlessness. I am not saying that the people of Niger Delta don't have legitimate complainants or grievances, but you cannot do the right thing in a wrong way or do the right thing in a lawless way. Let them make their complaints, let them express their grievances within the law and I am a lot of people in Nigeria would have sympathy for them that their complaints be remedied. But when you take up arms, if what we see in the television is correct then there is virtually insurrection, these militants are carrying arms, which at times is more sophisticated than that of security agencies, that is a step to anarchy, the government therefore has a duty and responsibility to put an end to that state of affairs. Also it is my view that governors in those states that make up the Niger Delta, would accept the existence of other states within their states, or another counter-force with their jurisdiction competing with the Nigerian Police or the Nigerian Army.
Therefore we have a duty to support the Federal government to make sure that the rule of law prevails and that lawlessness does not succeed. If lawlessness succeeds, it becomes infectious and others too might take that route to achieve their grievances. You know that a minister has been appointed for the Niger Delta. Isn't it sensible to give that minister a chance to operate and find a solution for the problem of the area, in co-operation with the government in that region. Never before was there a minister for the Niger Delta, this is the first time and there is precedence for that. When Lagos was Federal Territory, there was a minister for Lagos Affairs, who incidentally was the father of the present President.
He must have learnt some lessons from his late father in solving the problem of the Niger Delta and appointing a minister for the area. We should at least allow the minister to operate for some years and see how far he could go in solving the problem. When Musa Yar'Adua was the minister of Lagos affairs, the people of Lagos, did not take up arms to start to fight the Federal Government. And because the people of Lagos were law abiding, they got a lot of benefits. It was during that time the Victoria Island was created that Eko bridge was built, it was at that time that South-West, Ikoyi was developed. It was during that time that the Independence Building in Tafawa Balewa Square was built. So lagos made its complainants within the rule of law and Lagos benefited immensely.
At the moment you have about 13 per cent from the Federation Account going into the pocket of the Niger Delta. You also have a lot of money from the oil firms going into the various local and state governments, apart from this 13 per cent. If all these funds are properly used and that is very critical. The people of Niger Delta cannot also claim not to know how the oil and gas money is spent because their sons and daughters are at the upper-most echelon of all firms and government institutions that engage in oil and gas business, including the NNPC and the Ministry of Petroleum.
The issue of what percentage that goes to this region has always been contentions. In your view is the 13 per cent enough? The issue of whether it is well spent is a different one. In my view what has been allocated to them is enormous I know as a fact that the oil companies vote a lot of money from their revenue for the development of the area. The oil firms give money to the local government regularly. I also know as a fact that the oil companies give money to the state government in the oil producing area. All these are apart from the 13 per cent. The question is, how have this enormous money that runs into several billions, been used.
Why couldn't the notion of derivation as it applied in the First Republic not allowed now? This would have solved this problem.
That argument as canvassed is utter nonsense. It has no juridical basis, it has no basis in fact, it has no basis in constitutional law. People are just throwing this emotion, where there should be none. First of all, you talk of derivation and the history of this country. Yes it is true before oil, the doctrine of derivation applied. The cocoa from the West, the rubber from the Delta, the groundnut from north, the palm oil and palm kernel from the various parts of the South, yes it was true doctrine of derivation applied to them. But don't forget that those agricultural products were planted and produced by the people of the various region. The ground nut from the north for instance was not as a result of the investment of the Federal Government, it was from the investment of the people of the north, the farmers same goes for other farm produce, it was the sweat of the farmers and the various marketing boards established by the governments on those regious.
I challenge anybody in Nigeria to tell me that the oil has arisen as a result of the sweat of their people or the investment of their people, it has not. The oil was created there by nature and by God.
Furthermore, what many people don't know is that oil has been discovered in Nigeria, since 1896, don't believe anybody who tells you oil was discovered in 1956, it is not true. In fact that was one of the reasons why the British government revoked the Royal Niger Company Charter.
The moment Britain discovered there was oil, although it hide it from us, it revoked the charter and assume full responsibility for the running of the country, because with oil it was too important to be left in the land of private capital. After the 1914 amalgamation of Nigeria, the first ordinance (law) to be enacted by the British Colonialist in Nigeria was the mineral ordinance, which rested all the oil in the central government in Lagos. Never in the history of this country, has the oil and gas being vested in any region or any state.
It has always been the property of the Federal Government. As the British government enacted the mineral ordinance it followed it up by enacting the arbitration ordinance the same year to settle whatever dispute may arise from the oil ordinance. That ordinance of 1914 was not amended until 1958, with that amendment all the mineral in Nigeria were now vested in the Federal government. That has be the basis till today. There is no way you can vest the oil and gas in the state, it is not possible. I know that people are quick to point to the United State, where states control the oil and gas.
The history of the United States is quite different from the evolution of Nigeria. The evolution of the United States is the exact opposite of how Nigeria evolved. Nigeria was a unitary country broken into various units where as the US is made up of autonomous States, starting with the 13 American than later on after driven away Britain in a bloody war, they decided to form the United States of America. Yes people do say that in the US oil belongs to the states, they are right, but what they fail to add, which is very crucial is that, it is in the history and evolution of the United States. It is un-thinkable that the Federal Governmental would rest the oil and gas in any area in either the state or the local government or in the individuals in that area. By so doing, you are asking for anarchy, you are asking for the collapse of the country.
Already, with their oil and gas money by people fighting in the Niger Delta, this money is what is being used now to acquire sophisticated arms and have almost established a Republic, with on the Nigerian Republic.
There is no question of middle way, there is only one way and that is the way of law and order. No self-respected government would tolerate a government within a government or would allow a parallel force, which is what we have now in the Niger Delta.
But former President Olusegun Obasanjo managed the crisis without this resort to outright declaration of war. Why should it take Yar'Adua, a supposedly harmless man to declare war on the people? I don't have access to the intelligence report, you must know that Yar'Adua as the President of Nigeria, has primary responsibility for law and order, also he would have access to intelligence report. I was a former Attorney General of this country and by virtue of that office I was a member of Council of State, also by virtue of that office. I was in the Security Council. From that experience, I am 100 per cent certain that what Yar'Adua is doing now is warranted and is in best interest of all.
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THE continued fall of naira against international currencies, particularly the dollar and pound sterling is having a serious consequence on Nigerians living in Dubai, United Arab Emirate.A survey carried out by TTH in Dubai and other Emirates of the UAE, recently, showed that Nigerians are migrating out of Dubai to other Asian countries in their thousands "because the fall of naira has been making mince meat of our efforts here".Investigation revealed that Nigerians were having a rosy time in Dubai, until June 2008, when the value of a dollar was being exchanged for N118, “since then, we have never have peace for the naira continued to slide while the dollar continued to wax strong and stronger.”Speaking with TTH, Abiodun Taiwo, a Nigerian and an HND, Marketing graduate of The Polytechnic, Ibadan “I came to Dubai in 1999 and because the naira was strong then, I had good reason to thank God. And so with many of us. But since June last year our stories have changed from better to worse."Most of us have started migrating back home. Some of us have left for China, Bangkok, Malaysia, USA.“In fact, the fall of naira is not having its consequences on Nigerians in Dubai alone, but on Dubai government too because as a Cargo Manager, the volume of trade between Nigeria and Dubai has dropped drastically. Just because the profit margin of goods and services is no longer encouraging.”Another Nigerian, Christopher Okey, who operates an African Kitchen at the back of a mosque at Deira District in Dubai, was full of lamentation about the fortunes of the naira. "My brother, (covering his head with his palm) we are suffering here. Our suffering is not in the hand of the Dubai Authority or their policy or police, no. We are crying under the yoke of the free fall of naira at the foreign market."Most of us are closing our shops and heading somewhere else. I am looking for a buyer for this place. Immediately I get a buyer, I am off, either to Nigeria or Japan."Last year when you were here, you saw how busy I was. This place, (pointing to the upper floor of his restaurant) was always full. I always have hectic time attending to thousands of customers, but you can see for yourself now. How many customers have been here since?"Our fortune is dwindling because less people are coming from Nigeria to trade here".He appealed to the Federal Government to do “some arithmetics and tinker with the value of the naira and prevent its further slide at the international market.”
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"OL'boy, are you watching CNN now?"
"No. I dey Tarmac dey chop life"
"What are you chopping?"
"Peppersoup. Correct isi ewu and nkwobi"
"Be careful. You may be taking a typhoid concoction."
"No. Oh. This one cures malaria. It is specially prepared. And the thing sweet no be small. Leave me make I chop the life of my head."
"Look, that's not why I called. I think you should go and watch CNN right now. It is a sad day for Nigeria. In fact every Nigerian must hide his or her head in shame."
"What is it again this time? Dis kin country wey no go let person rest. Problem today. Wahala tomorrow. To be a Nigerian na crime?"
"Obama is visiting Africa in July and he is not coming to Nigeria"
"And so? Is he a Nigerian? Let him go to his Kenya. Obama is coming to the land of his fathers. Is that why I should stop enjoying my nkwobi?"
"Did you hear what I said? How many bottles have you taken? Obama is coming to Africa on a presidential visit in July and he is visiting Egypt and Ghana. He and Michelle, his wife, will spend two days in Ghana. I think that is an insult to Nigeria. I mean the Americans are deliberately rubbishing us."
"But you should know why? That is America's own way of sending a strong message that they are unhappy with the situation in Nigeria."
"That is why I am sad."
"That is how the American foreign policy process works. It is based on a reward and sanctions principle, if you like - carrot and stick. America goes out of its way to reward countries that are doing well. It sanctions those that appear to be doing badly and a sanction can be in any form. Obama flying over Nigeria to go to Ghana is an act of snobbery. It is the most painful form of sanction"
"But what is it that Egypt is doing well?"
"It is a strategic choice. Egypt is a strategic U.S. ally in the Middle East and America's major bilateral partner."
"Nigeria is also strategic. We sell crude oil to the United States. American oil companies are Nigeria's Joint Venture partners. We supported the U.S. African High Command in the Gulf of Guinea. We have a long history of relationship with the United States. We are the most powerful, the most populous..."
"I beg. Leave that matter oh. Nigerians can't fool anybody with that slogan anymore. Don't you get it? You want Obama to come to Nigeria shortly after the shameful electoral process in Ekiti? You want him to visit Abuja and address your National Assembly? The same National Assembly where the lawmakers are being accused of corruption? You want Obama to attend a dinner in Nigeria where nearly all the people he would come across will be persons who organise the snatching of ballot boxes, the distribution of bribe, oil thieves, tax evaders, treasury looters, and aggressive Nigerian women who will be waiting for Michelle to go to the ladies for a second so they can swoop on the U.S. President, and squeeze their numbers into his palm? You think the Americans don't know?"
"You are not serious. You should stand up for your country. We are not worse than Pakistan or Egypt, and even Obama's Kenya."
"Obama is a brand apart from being the U.S. President. His handlers must have advised him that this is not a good time to visit Nigeria. And all those your countrymen and women in the United States are not helping matters. They are always telling the Americans that their country is a useless place."
"You don't even need to blame those ones. The U.S. has an embassy here. They know what is going on. But it is just that I would have loved Obama to visit Nigeria, Nigerians worked very hard for that man's election."
"Una vote for am?"
"But he has more supporters in Nigeria than in Kenya. People bought Obama stickers and pasted on their cars. There is still an Obama billboard in Abuja. Obama photo portraits are being sold on the streets of Lagos. Musicians sang about him. Even market women campaigned for him. Not to talk of the Obama for Africa associations that tried to raise funds for his campaign. I also know many Nigerians in the U.S. who contributed to the Obama fund. I am even sure that if anybody had said Obama lost that election, bare-chested Nigerian women were ready to go onto the streets in protest. Someone said that was part of the calculations. "
"You know you are actually talking about Nigerians who were using the Obama name to do business and make quick profit. By the way what happened to your sister's Obama fund campaign? You mean she and other members of the Obama for Africa movement cannot persuade the U.S. President to come to Nigeria first?"
"Not fair. Obama should have visited Nigeria first. If only to come and say thank you to the Nigerian people. The U.S. Embassy will need to explain why we are being snubbed. We may not know how to organize free and fair elections, but we are a great nation."
"Good people too... Tell them make dem hear."
"I feel sad when I see how Ghana is now upstaging Nigeria in every respect."
"Ghana organizes good elections. And its leaders are better organised and more disciplined. Obama's visit to Ghana is to encourage both the people and government of Ghana to remain the shining Black Star of the West African coast. And a way of telling Nigeria to get its acts together"
"I know".
"Besides, Ghana has discovered oil in commercial quantities. Soon, the United States will buy oil from Ghana and ignore Nigeria and its Niger Delta problems. Also, the U.S. has adopted a new four cardinal-point strategy in Africa. It includes South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Egypt. Nigeria is not quite part of it."
"I hope our leaders are getting the message"
"They won't. Look, let's take a bet. I won't be surprised if in July, Nigerian leaders travel to Ghana to join the Ghanaians in receiving Obama. Can't you see that many Nigerians are now going to Ghana? Nigerian companies are setting up branches in Ghana, there are Nigerian-owned restaurants and shops in Accra, the population of Nigerian students in Ghanaian universities is very high and it keeps increasing. I know Nigerians who have bought homes in Ghana. Every weekend, they just hop across the border. It is 45 minutes by air. Accra is closer to Lagos than Abuja. So really, should we blame the Americans? Even Nigerians prefer to go to Ghana. In fact, I hear that Nigerians in Ghana are lobbying to be part of the Obama reception activities!"
"There will always be shameless Nigerians. But we need to rebuild this country. There were more foreign dignitaries at Jacob Zuma's inauguration than there were at Yar'Adua's inauguration. Countries like Tanzania and Rwanda have better international recognition than Nigeria."
"Don't worry yourself. In fact, if you ask me, I will recommend that President Yar'Adua should ask the Americans and the Ghanaians to invite him to the dinner for President Obama."
"God forbid. We are a sovereign nation."
"I know... I am sure somebody must have told Obama that they kidnap people in Nigeria. And he must have been advised not to put anything past those Niger Delta militants. They could organize and kidnap Obama and his wife. Or throw a shoe at him."
"Kidnap who? Throw a shoe at who?"
"Obama. Didn't somebody throw a shoe at George Bush in Baghdad?"
"Now, I am convinced that you are drunk".
"So why are you disturbing my drink with your sadness about Obama not coming to Nigeria? Okay, let me now play the Devil's advocate. Someone should go and tell that Obama that he does not know what he is missing. He should go and ask President Bill Clinton and President Jimmy Carter. Those are friends of Nigeria. When Clinton visited Nigeria, he enjoyed himself so much. Let Obama go to Ghana. He is free to prefer kenke to nkwobi. We are still the happiest people in the world and we thank God for that."
"Who is talking about happiness?"
"And tell President Yar'Adua not to worry. In fact, who are the Americans to tell us how to organize elections? We are a free country. We have the right to go to heaven the way we choose. President Yar'Adua should also organise a foreign trip. Let him fly over the United States and go to Canada, and from there let him go to Venezuela and Cuba on state visit. America too dey make yanga. Faure Gyassingbe Eyadema of Togo was here on a presidential visit, the same week they announced Obama's African trip. That was Nigeria's response to America's snobbery. Is Eyadema also not a President?"
"The United States is the most powerful country in the world. Who is Faure Eyadema?"
"Who talk so? Where were you when Maurice Iwu said we are in a position to teach America certain things about elections? Every country has its own strengths. Obama can go anywhere. Na him leg he dey take travel. That will not stop me from eating isi ewu... Baby, do you want another drink. Eh, another bottle for my darling here..."
"What's that?"
"I wasn't talking to you."
"Looks like whatever you are doing there is beginning to get to you. May be we should continue this conversation later."
"No. Don't worry. You think I am drunk? Na only bottle fit get drunk. Me, I am a human being. Anything else?"
"I am just sad. We are failing at home. We are losing international goodwill."
"You have said that before. Stop moaning. It's no big deal."
"Our President even wanted to visit the United States, they said no."
"Look, if it is about this Obama visit, forget it. On second thoughts, may be it is even a blessing in disguise. If the man had chosen to visit Nigeria, that would have been an opportunity for Nigerians to loot the treasury. By the time the man leaves, every state treasury will be near-empty. And we could have an Obama visit scandal on our hands. And come to think of it, you know Obama likes to play basketball. Suppose he invites President Yar'Adua while visiting to a game of basketball, one on one, and the man out of politeness agrees. And you know President Yar'Adua doesn't play basketball, he only plays squash. Me, I thank God o."
"Good for the Ghanaians".
"Don't worry, you can watch the visit on AIT, Channels TV etc live."
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War in Niger Delta: MEND threatens northerners in oil industry
Careful Mr President MEND may just be what will MEND 9geria for good .
This is sadness for a group that so far their activities have been laughable with respect to being called Terrorists or kidnappers.The escalation of this crises by threatning the northeners may spark another Controversial question as to who is pulling the shots .The FG,Shell or a 3rd party .
1.What does MEND Really want ?
2.Why would they sacrifice their lives for this ? (9gerians are not known to sacrifice their lives)
3.Why has this situation continued and exploded into a full scale war ?
Their story is one of sadness while we enjoy the scraps that fall off the oil runners .Their Lands and livelihood have been scandalized by oil spillage , lack of jobs and general disregard for their environmental right to land and freedom.
No one supports terrorism but no one supports injustice either .Bombing villages in 9geria ? Is that the way forward ? The FG has to come up with a solution that will stop the senseless killing of People who want their voices to be heard .People with rights to land to cultivate their farms and extract fish from their rivers.
A people that is cast into despair that the only solution they can come up with is to put their very lives at stake .This shows an embittered people with a troubled psche that has failed to identify with the rest of a Nation.A Nation where democracy and the rule of Law has been replaced with an ambient Dictatorship.
Who dares speak agains the Federal governtment.This is a strong Statement to Citizens that Resistance is Futile.Get with the program or die doing so.
Yardua as Govenrnor belied a man of letters , a man of peace a man of absolute incorruptions to the tune of billions left in the coffers of the state when he assumed office as President of our nation.
I am beginning to understand that this was a smokescreen .He kind of must have looked at it as a savings account .His peaceful mien has been re designed as NO president has carried out bombing attacks on its citizens since the Biafran War.Some one correct me if am wrong.
Remember Osama bin Laden He was small FRY until his friends The USA turned him into what he is now .
READ ON
Umbrella body of the militants in the Niger Delta, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), has sent out a chilling signal, threatening an impending attack on the Federal Government, and particularly, Northerners who occupy prominent positions in the oil industry.
"Our message to the Northern Sultans and Emirs is this: The period of exploiting the Niger Delta is coming to an end. It is not the birth right of your people to rule the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
"The war is just beginning and by the time it ends, Nigeria will practice true federalism such as fiscal federalism which will benefit the entire populace. Let your people brace themselves to develop their resources and such a bold change will be remembered," Jomo Gbomo, MEND's spokesman said in an electronic mail on Sunday.
The threat came a few hours after the Special Adviser to the Rivers State Governor on Budget, Austin Ngor, was kidnapped and moved to an unknown destination.
It was not clear what the demands of the kidnappers are, but the governor's Chief Press Secretary, Blessing Wikinaka, has warned them to free the man immediately as there was no just reason for his abduction.
Meanwhile, MEND two of the hostages in their custody killed "in the course of the war".
It said the remaining one has been relocated to an unnamed camp in Delta State.
MEND dared the security outfit, Joint Task Force (JTF), to destroy all its (MEND's) camps, which it said, were spread in many places across Niger Delta region.
The MEND's spokesman said, "The British hostage, Mr Matthew Maguire, has been relocated to Delta State and will be a guest of one of the camps there".
He added: "Nigerians should now brace up for the worst from the decisions of an incompetent leadership.
"The Niger Delta people who have endured injustice and genocide for over 50 years must be ready to fight for change as our destiny should not be in the hands of others but ourselves.
The group said it was embarrassed at the "performance of the Nigerian Armed Forces who performed like poorly trained amateurs by bombing indiscriminately into civilian communities using helicopter gunships and fighter jet planes.
"Civilians should have been allowed to leave the area before the attack. This simply has shown that the government is insensitive to the Niger Delta people.
"If the Army's mission was to also rescue the hostages, then that again was a botched and ridiculous attempt because the hostages were not at any immediate risk except for their temporary freedom.
"We regret to announce that two hostages have been killed by the indiscriminate shelling and two more are still in our custody.
"We are happy that all of them were not killed by the Army. The bodies of the dead men will be handed over to the Red Cross. MEND deeply regrets the avoidable deaths".
It denied claims that the Army captured a plane from one of its camps.
"If my memory serves me right, the plane in question is a toy remote controlled plane which can be purchased from any toy shop. It is rather shameful that they cannot distinguish the difference between a toy plane and a drone.
"As promised, we have begun nibbling again at the oil infrastructure. Already, two major trunk pipe and gas lines, which were recently repaired, have been blown up. This is just the tip of the series of attacks we plan to carry out.
"For the Nigerian government to declare victory, troops must be able to secure every inch of pipelines and eliminate the over 500 camps stretching from Ondo to Akwa Ibom.
"What the government has been successful in doing is committing genocide against the Ijaw communities whose offence, it seems, is discovering oil in their backyards," the group said.
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Producer Paul Julius is confident that the tens of thousands of dollars he has spent producing the soap opera “Tomorrow’s Tears” will be recouped, no matter the electricity shortages, lack of investors or grease-palmed government officials hampering his shooting schedule.Fighting to be heard over a steady stream of traffic and actors complaining about the lack of food, money and air conditioning, Mr. Julius explained the plot of his soap, which he hopes to sell to local TV stations. “I changed the subject from the normal stuff: blood, magic, stepmothers, etc.,” he said. “This is going to be about real-life issues.”Mr. Julius is an up-and-coming player in Nigeria’s film and television industry, known as Nollywood, which has grown from its infancy in the 1980s into the one of the world’s biggest movie industries, but is facing some real-life issues of its own.In 2006, nearly 900 movies, almost all straight-to-video, were shot in Nigeria, trailing only India and almost doubling Hollywood’s total for the same year, according to a Unesco report released this month. Currently around 40 movies are shot every month in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, not counting the dozens of television dramas that are also shot here. The industry generates an estimated $250 million a year, and is popular throughout Africa and immigrant enclaves in Europe and the U.S.But rampant piracy means substantial losses for producers and directors already operating on tight budgets. Understaffed and bribe-ready police means copyright enforcement is minimal. Inadequate roadways inhibit a small distribution network itching to grow. Constant electricity outages stall production schedules. These problems threaten to derail the industry.Nigeria’s messy and often corrupt oil industry drives much of what happens in this country. It is the biggest oil producer in Africa, and as much as 95% of the country’s export earnings come from oil. Nigeria has taken in roughly $400 billion in oil-generated revenue since 1970 but the standard of living for most Nigerians has actually decreased.Nonetheless, the country’s residents have an impressive appetite for movies. The most successful Nollywood movies are often melodramas like “Living in Bondage” and “Domitilla,” filled with adultery, bribery and elements of local mysticism.A comedy, however, may have given Nollywood its best chance at international exposure. “Usuofia in London,” about a Nigerian man who lands in the big city straight from his native village, may be the best-selling Nollywood movie to date, with an estimated 500,000 copies sold. Only a handful of Nigerian movies have made it to international film festivals, such as “The Rivals,” directed by Aquila Njamah, which was shown at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in 2007.Most Nigerian movies are produced fast and cheap, shot in a few weeks for $15,000 to $25,000, then roughly edited and handed off to marketers and eventually street-side vendors, or video clubs, as they are known locally. Financiers, usually friends or family members of the producer or director, want to see their investments recouped and care little for artistic exploration or high-quality technical effects.Directors are under pressure to keep each movie on schedule and under budget. Profits, when made, are small. Producers estimate that as much as 70% of their yearly revenue is lost to piracy. “I would say the biggest challenge facing the industry at the moment is lack of structure, and a high level of informality,” said Emeka Mba, the chairman of the National Film and Video Censors Board, the Nigerian movie industry’s main regulatory body.There is no formal distribution network for Nollywood producers. A finished movie in Lagos is burned onto around 15,000 DVDs with no copy protection and released into the market. If it’s a hit, demand swells. Vendors need more copies. But the producers often can’t keep up. So the movie is copied by pirates and thrown back into the market. The producer can only hope he made back his investment in time.“We’ve been crying to the government. If these things are not checked now, Nollywood will go into extinction,” said Cosmas Ndulue, 42, a producer and owner of one of only two indigenous DVD manufacturing companies in Nigeria.Industry officials and government agencies have started paying closer attention to piracy, but so far there hasn’t been much of an effect. A recent police raid on a well-known DVD-copying operation resulted in a brief confrontation between police and piracy-ring leaders. The pirates stood their ground and burned a police truck, then went back to work making knock-off Nollywood copies. The only repercussion for the offenders? A bill for the damage to the police vehicle.As piracy takes a larger and larger chunk of the profits, finding enough money to shoot a movie is becoming even more of a challenge. Chico Ejiro, a producer and director, has been struggling to find financing for his movies. A few years ago, during the shooting of his movie “Sisters on the Run,” he sold his car to keep the production afloat. This year he convinced a local bank to sponsor “100 Days in the Jungle,” a film about abduction and village lore, but it was a flop and Mr. Ejiro says the bank quickly soured on Nollywood.Mr. Julius, despite his production headaches, is optimistic about the future of Nollywood, as are most industry players. While watching two of his actors struggle to finish a scene on a busy Lagos street, Mr. Julius was looking forward to a complicated shoot that would involve a substantial police convoy, hundreds of extras, and foreign actors.“I need someone to play the British prime minister in the big scene we’re shooting this weekend,” Mr. Julius said, eyeing a reporter up and down. “Am I looking at him?”
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The monarch will be spending the day privately at Windsor Castle with the Duke of Edinburgh.
Union flags will be flown above Government buildings until sunset in her honour, while the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will provide a 41-Gun Salute in central London using six 13 pounder First World War guns drawn by Irish draught horses.
The gun salute tribute takes place in Green Park this year because of refurbishments under way in the usual venue, Hyde Park.
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born at 2.40am on April 21 1926 - the first child of the then Duke and Duchess of York - at 17 Bruton Street, the Mayfair home of her mother's parents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore.
She is the great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria, the last female sovereign.
The octogenarian Sovereign carried out 417 engagements in 2008.
Queen Elizabeth II, who is Head of State, the Armed Forces, the Commonwealth and the Church of England, has been married to Prince Philip for more than 61 years, has four children and is grandmother to eight grandchildren.
Her official birthday in June, is celebrated with the Trooping the Colour parade.
The Duke reached his own milestone last week. He became the longest serving consort in British history, overtaking the record of 57 years and 70 days set by Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III.
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Posted by 9jabook.com on October 10, 2008 at 4:28am
The future of Social Networking is in your wallet! ...and the wallet of your closest friends, and their closest friends, and so on and so on.
Forget the hype about total networks on each of the many social networking platforms ... it's just that... hype. There is no point in building a platform of social networks without also providing the means, method, and support system to allow those Network Creators and their members to make money... lots of money! The halcyon days of Social Networking version 1.0 are OVER my friends. The world economy, and the Web 2.0 economy, are now into RED ALERT mode.
Unless you plan on surviving the financial "nuclear winter" by living off your rich uncle's inheritance money, you need a PLAN on how you can build a home-grown, bootstrapped business that can generate real profits through Social Networking.
The Secret is in getting back to Basics - Human Nature 101
Humans are pack animals. Call it a "herd" mentality. We like to believe that we think for ourselves, but in reality most of us follow the lead of the others around us and try to pick up the signals of "danger" or "opportunity" in our immediate environment. This reactionary mechanism can be harnessed by those who understand it.
If Network Creators are provided with a means, a method, and a support system to create MICRO ECONOMIES within their own particular niche, then the entire world of Social Networking will be turned on its head. They can draw other members of their own "herd" who have similar interests and who likewise are spooked by recent economic events to focus their energy and spending on focused activities, both business and pleasure. These members will also want to participate in the profit-generating potential of a niche Network that is empowered with the proper membership tools.
Rather than thinking that people simply want to create destinations based on a hobby, activity, business, or a sport - we should be thinking that people want to create ECONOMIC destinations based on these niches, and give them an ability to utilize the wealth of information and interaction that goes on within each of them.
It's the DATA stupid!
It is patently absurd for a platform to suggest that Network Creators can create any sort of network they wish and take their data with them -- when in fact it is technically impossible without hiring a special developer to write custom tools or programs at a cost exponentially higher than that platform's premium membership fees. Why would a person interested in creating profit waste time with this nonsense?
Instead, the future of Social Networking is with platforms that provide INHERENT TOOLS that give FULL CONTROL to the Network Creator to build MICRO ECONOMIES that generate extremely valuable DATA from the interactions between the members of that niche network. This data can be recycled within the network itself for a multitude of purposes that perpetuate the financial cycle, including, but not limited to:
1. Cross Marketing between members;
2. Trading Posts / Barter exchange between members;
3. Advertising by members to others that come to the niche network for information;
4. Reselling of premium content generated by members themselves;
5. Aggregation of data by many members regarding shared events or reference points, where the sum of the whole is worth more than the individual pieces (crowd-sourcing);
Who shall lead us to the Promised Land?
One word... TRUST! Is the Emperor wearing any clothes today? Are you being told one thing and then given another? Does the leader of your platform have a history of behavior that is contradictory to the goals that they promote publicly? These are all relevant questions to ask.
Those who survive the present "panic mode" will do so because they turn LOCAL instead of GLOBAL, and try to focus on making the most money from the smallest group of similarly situated members. They must also TRUST that the PLATFORM they choose has a business model that is designed to make this possible. Once a Network Creator commits to building a network on a platform, it can be a DISASTER if that Platform's leader decides to exact a pound of flesh and BAN or DELETE the Network or Network Creator from the platform - destroying months of work and hundreds of thousands of valuable data objects.
When smaller IS better!
The PLATFORM must not have a goal of creating the greatest number of total networks. This merely creates a dilution of the Platform's capital and resources. Rather, the Platform must create tools and services that allow a SMALLER group of networks to make a larger NET PROFIT. The less mouths there are too feed, the more likely it is that the tribe will survive.
Why would a Platform brag to its tribe members (Network Creators) that it has hundreds of thousands members ... when the reality is that all of these tribes are feeding from the same plate of Platform resources? The only possible rationale would be an desire to sell out the tribe to a bigger tribe down the road since the more mouths there are to feed, the less resources are available for each tribal member.
Instead of trying to grow infinitely large, a platform should give each member the tools to go out and hunt and gather for themselves... with each successful kill being shared up the chain with the tribal leader (Platform). This symbiotic method ensures the survival of both the indidudal Networks as well as the platform as a whole.
Who's your Daddy?
Let us not forget the most important three letter word in the dictionary... FUN! It is a proven fact that people who are having fun are more willing to spend money. Can you say "VEGAS" anyone? Why should Social Networking be so serious?
The future of Social Networking involves a RELAXED and self-effacing educational process for Network Creators. The PLATFORM must have an open and supportive environment for the Network Creators who are trying to learn how to build profitable MICRO ECONOMIES. It should not be PUNITIVE or RETRIBUTIVE towards those who express their opinions, fears, concerns, or complaints. The Successful Platform will be the one that LAUGHS AT ITSELF when necessary, while also making sure that there is no hypocrisy in their own actions. It is FINE to be the guardian of the greater good and to sequester trolls when needed, but this does NOT mean censorship of those who indicate that the platform's PROMISES have not been met. And when the time comes for an explanation... PUHLEASE... "just the facts ma'm"... no hyperbole or double-talk!
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