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How Nigerian Engr. Taiye Ogboyomi DUPED me of $1m— American businessman

Posted by Akin Osunlaja WebLagosian on May 10, 2009 at 7:58pm

AN American businessman, Mr. Brandon Benson, has narrated in graphic details how a Nigerian fraudster, Engr. Taiye Ogboyomi, allegedly obtained $1million from him under false pretence. The American who is the president of Pipeline North Energy Inc, USA was brought into the country by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to testify in a case of Advance Fee Fraud brought against the suspect before Justice G.K Olotu of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. In his testimony before the court on Tuesday, May 5 and Thursday, May 7, the American businessman said that Engr. Ogbonyomi who is the chairman of Energy Spread Network Ltd had sometime in 2006 contacted him and told him that he was a crude oil marketer with large quantity of crude oil for sale. An agreement was subsequently signed online by both parties for the sale of 1.985 million barrel of crude oil. This made the victim to send the first installment of $229,000 and another $5,000 on November 6, 2006 into the accused company’s domiciliary account with First Inland Bank Plc. The payment was said to be for charter party agreement. With the first breakthrough, Ogbonyomi demanded the payment of $159,000 for documentation at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. This the suspect said was to enable him obtain certificate of origin, certificate of quantity, bill of lading, cargo manifest, tanker village report and master’s receipt of documents. When the documents were eventually sent to the American businessman, he was further convinced to wire $425,000 to the fraudster who claimed the fund was for the warranty of title. That was shortly before another $180,000 was sent to the accused to seal the deal bringing the total sum lost to the fraudulent transaction to $989,000. Investigation by EFCC operatives has, however, shown that the entire documents sent to the victim were forged by the suspect to make the deal look genuine. The suspect was eventually arrested on November 11, 2007when the matter was reported to the EFCC and arraigned before Justice Olotu on October 23, 2008 on a 10-count charge of criminal conspiracy and obtaining under false pretence. The suspect’s trial commenced fully on February 3, 2009 when the lead investigator, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa gave evidence which he concluded last Tuesday, May 5. Soon after Bawa stepped down from the witness box, the American businessman stepped in to give evidence which he concluded on Thursday, May 7. After the victim’s account of his ordeal in the hands of Ogbonyomi, the trial judge adjourned the case to June 3, for continuation of trial. The victim has since Friday morning, May 7, left for his base in the U.S.

Blood sucking roads of naija 18 die in another accident in Edo

Posted by Choochoo Sports Book on May 18, 2009 at 11:32pm

By Fidelis Soriwei, BeninThe carnage in the nation's roads continued again on Sunday as another accident resulted in the deaths of 18 passengers on Benin-Ore Road.The accident occurred a few days after the death of over 50 people in an auto accident involving a luxury bus and a tanker at the Benin-Auchi Road.Our correspondent gathered that an 18-seater Toyota Hiace vehicle in which the deceased passengers were travelling plunged into the Ovia River just after the Okada junction.According to an eyewitness account, efforts made by motorists and others to rescue the trapped passengers were unsuccessful as they lacked the capacity to drag the submerged bus out of the river.The Good Samaritans were said to have watched helplessly as the passengers were drowned inside the bus.The source added that nobody, including the driver, was able to escape from the vehicle at the time of filing this report.The Benin Zonal Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr. Zakari Nda, confirmed the accident, saying that his men were already on a rescue mission.He did not, however, confirm the casualty figure of the accident, saying he had not been briefed by his commander on ground.Investigation revealed that the driver of the ill-fated vehicle was heading for Benin from the Ore when it plunged into the river.The accident is coming shortly after about 66 people died in two separate auto accidents on the Benin-Auchi Road last week.While 16 market women lost their lives in the first accident which occurred on the Benin-Auchi Road on their way to Onitsha, over 50 people were killed in the second accident involving a tanker and a luxury bus loaded with passengers from Sokoto to Onitsha on Friday.Nda, who confirmed both accidents, said that while it was difficult to give the exact number of those killed in the latter accident, 43 burnt corpses were given mass burial in Benin on Friday evening.Meanwhile, about 10 people were feared killed in South in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State over a lingering chieftaincy dispute in the community.Our correspondent gathered that several other people were injured in the resumed hostilities between two cousins - Messrs Kelvin Danesi and Obebe Umoru - over Aidonogie of South Ibie chieftaincy tussle.According to an eyewitness account, several houses and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed during the clash between the supporters of the two principal actors in the crisis.It was learnt that crisis had been on for over 10 years and had once been put under control through the intervention of eminent groups like the Ibie Peace Forum based in Lagos in 2007.The source said the resumed violence, which commenced in the evening of Saturday, continued Sunday and had not abated at the time of filing the report.Our correspondent could not also ascertain what actually led to the recent crisis, but a source disclosed that the group loyal to Umoru was angry about the plans being made to mark the 10th year anniversary of Danesi, who is recognised by the state government.Speaking in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Sunday, the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations in the Edo State Police Command, Mr. Clement Adoda, said that the situation had been brought under control.He said that the command had drafted riot policemen and the men of the Police Area Command in Auchi to the community.

Over 100 factories shut down for lack of electricity is it so hard ? Design a portable solar Generator !

Posted by 9jabook.com on May 8, 2009 at 3:00am

Learn to use Solar Power and even design your own .We will help you in importing Solar power devices from china ! email solar@systemini.net for more details . FACTS have begun to emerged how the poor electricity supply in the country has led and contributed to factory closures and declining manufacturing sector in Nigeria, leading millions of job loses. In fact, in the Textile/garment as well as Chemical/Leather sectors of the economy, constant power failure in the country has either led to and was a major factor to closure of not less than one hundred factories scattered across the country. According to vanguard investigations, while twelve manufactory companies in both Textile/Garment and Chemical/Leather sectors, three had their workers reduced from five thousand (5000) to seven hundred (700). Confirming this unfortunate development and the steady de-industrialisatio n in the country, General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) and a Vice President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Issa Aremu, declared that among the factories that closed down as a result of electricity failure included “Tarneries, Hufawa, Intertan, Multitan, Nakudu, Kano Textile Limited, Afrimpex and Harmatan (all based in Kano state) as well as most of leather industries in the state . In lagos, are Dunlop Industries, Leanard Shoes and Batta Shoes and Michelin Nigeria Limited, in Port-Harcourt, Rivers state. Also poor power supply was attributed to have contributed majorly to the closure of the under-listed factories included Enpee, Nelco, NSF, Weaving and Processing, Swantex, Textile Specialities, ASSAN Industries, Jaybee, K-Issardas, Bhojaraj, Teev-Gold Star, Amarito-Umbrella, AD Gulas (all textile factories based in Ilupeju, in Lagos). Others are Five star, Afprint, Daltex, Varaman, Royal Spinners, GDM, Aswani, Arcee, Rekha, King Carpet, Emar, President, Elite, Moon Diamond, Pacific, Eurosport, Barclays Clothing, ITI, Wabterry, Nigeria Fishing Net, Shiram, Monarch, Aflon (all based in Isolo), Texlon, Diamond Spinners, United Spinners, Top star, Tarpaulin, Steep, Coats West Africa, Panache, Pyramid, Central Bag Subaco, Globe Spinning (based in Amuwo Odofin). Abel Abu, First Spinners, Century and Platinum (based in Ikorodu), Kay Industries, NTM, Specomill, Reliance, Oriental, Madhu and Encee (based in Ikeka.) Vanguard investigation confirmed because of unstable and failing power supply, Gombe based Ashaka Cement shed its work force from 2000 to 200, Lafarge, Ewekoro, ogun state, 1500 to 250 and its plant in Shagamu, 1500 to 250. Investigation has also revealed that companies like Cadbury, Nestle foods have for the past 15 years not used public supply to power their plants because of the sensitivity of their equipment that must not be exposed to even a minute power failure. At the kick-starting of a national mass protest in Lagos against steady de-industrialisatio n of Nigeria as a result of increasing factory closures and the urgent need to re-industrialise Nigeria, Private Sector Union (PSU), shouted it loudly that lack of steady power supply had remained the greatest threat to the manufacturing sector in Nigeria and called on government to urgently address the issue. Speaking to Vanguard, General Secretary of the National Union of Textile and Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Comrade Issa Aremu, lamented that in spite of huge money allegedly expended on the power sector, Nigeria is still walloping in darkness. He argued no country has even industrialised without stable power supply and advised government to wake up to its responsibility and guarantee the citizens stable power supply to kick-start economy to meet the challenges of the day. Again, in a pre-May Day Statement jointly issued by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), the two labour centres echoed the need for efficient power supply. The labour leaders used the opportunity to once again kicked against government full deregulation of the downstream oil sector of the economy in the midst of the global economic recession which serious economies in the world are bailing out companies and intervening in their economies to fight the recession. Addressing journalists on behalf of the two labour centres, Deputy President of NLC, Comrade Peters Adeymi, said: “We also note with grave concerns the decision of government to move for the removal of subsidies on petroleum and full deregulation of the down stream sector of the oil industry as part of the neo-liberal orthodoxies of the World Bank. This decision is contrary to approaches adopted by developed economies that champion the capitalism and the 'market logic'. These countries like the U.S, Britain, Germany, France, Spam and others have been using state funds in billion of dollars lo bail out industries in virtually all sectors as ways to preserve jobs, income and welfare of their people and their national economies. The point is that they recognize that the people and their citizens come first and so government must be responsive and responsible to the people. For our government, its strategy of solving the problem is high on promises and low on implementation.” “A quick example is Government planned disbursement of N70 Billion textile industry bailout that is yet to see the light of the day 3 years after such promise, but it took the Obama administration well under 90 days to get over $700 billion released and pumped into the I'.S economy. We in the labour movement call on Government to show similar commitment and patriotism exhibited by the Nigerian people through demonstration of concrete political will in tackling these economic crises. We are quick to reiterate that we reject government renewed bid to remove subsidy and the implementation of full deregulation of the down stream sector of the oil industry. The multiplier effects will exacerbate hardship and poverty amongst our people, just as the timing is wrong, the logic of the policy is also skewed in favour of the few elites in society and anti-people.” http://www.freesunpower.com/ http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/articles/build_your_own_solar_panel.html http://www.globalsources.com/gsol/I/Portable-solar/p/sm/1010757986.htm http://www.solar-power-answers.co.uk/index.php

Chelsea match Referee smuggled out of Britain ! "Gunned" down by Drogba faces ban

Posted by Akin Osunlaja WebLagosian on May 8, 2009 at 2:30am

Norwegian referee Tom Ovrebo

was Thursday smuggled out of Britain by police who feared for his safety because of his role in Chelsea‘s exit from the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona. Ovrebo turned down four strong penalty appeals by Chelsea, who lost the semi-final on the away goals rule after Andres Iniesta scored in the 93rd minute of the second leg to level the scores at 1-1 on the night and on aggregate. At the end of the game, Ovrebo was confronted by a furious Didier Drogba and had to be escorted down the tunnel by a group of Chelsea stewards who had difficulty restraining the striker. Fearing reprisals from furious fans, police changed Ovrebo‘s hotel before organising his exit from the country, according to former international referee Graham Poll. Poll, now a media pundit, revealed, ”This morning he‘s being smuggled out of our country under police escort this is a referee of a football match. That is a disgrace. “When he booked in a hotel they had to change the hotel he was staying at because of the fear that maybe fans would find him.” Ovrebo’s situation has worrying echoes of the hounding of Swedish referee Anders Frisk, who retired from the game in 2005 after receiving death threats in the wake of another ill-tempered meeting between Chelsea and Barcelona. Frisk had sent Drogba off in the first-leg of a second round match and was accused by Chelsea‘s then-boss Jose Mourinho of having invited Frank Rijkaard, the Barca coach at the time, into his room at half-time. Drogba faces ban over ref confrontation Didier Drogba

could be facing a lengthy ban from European football after angrily confronting Norwegian referee Tom Ovrebo at the end of Chelsea‘s controversial Champions League semifinal second leg match with Barcelona in London on Wednesday. A stoppage time goal from Andres Iniesta earned Barca a 1-1 draw on the night and on aggregate and sent the Catalans into a final meeting with Manchester United at the end of this month on the away goals rule. Chelsea had legitimate grounds for complaint after being denied at least two good penalty appeals by the referee – who was still considered good enough by UEFA to officiate at last year‘s Euro 2008 championships – but that will not be regarded as any excuse by UEFA when they come to judge Drogba‘s conduct. Ovrebo had to be escorted from the pitch by a platoon of stewards with Drogba apparently bent on a physical confrontation. To compound his intimidating behaviour, the Cote d’Ivoire international then turned to a television camera and screamed into it, describing the official as a “fu..ing disgrace.” Chelsea is also likely to be in hot water with UEFA after infuriated fans threw flags at the officials and the Barcelona bench on the final whistle. looks like harware go hard for chelsea dis time o ! UP MAN U ! GUNNERS4LIFE !

The alarming rate of married Ibo women in Nigeria who are bisexuals.What do women want?

Posted by Jane Okinedo on May 13, 2009 at 7:12am

The eastern part of Nigeria parades a classical nature of beauty in its feminine strain .But thier beauty comes at a cost .It was revealed recently to the media about a ladies club where membership was wholly given to well placed ladies who were Ibos .Investigations on the club brought to light ;the interesting secret sides of this establishment .All the ladies who were members were engaged and were also bisexuals.They were all married to well-placed men within the Nigerian society .I ask what do this women really want .They have everything .But they want what marriage cannot give to them- The sensuality and feel of the body of another ''xx chromosone''.

Drug Suspect Excretes 82 Wraps of Cocaine at Murytala Mohammed Airport

Posted by Egbes Ogbeide on May 19, 2009 at 6:30pm

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday arrested a 27-year old man, Nweke Chibuzo, suspected to have ingested cocaine worth N13 millionChibuzo who was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos is a 9gerian trader based in Togo.The suspect was nabbed during the screening of KLM passengers to Amsterdam on Thursday last week.According to spokesman of NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, the suspect was detained and placed under observation when he tested positive for drug ingestion at the screening point.“As at Monday morning May 18, 2009 he had so far excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.4 kilogrammes with an estimated street value of about N13 million in Lagos . The price of cocaine has witnessed an astronomical rise in the past two months.A kilogramme of cocaine that usually cost 3.5 million now sells between N8 and N10 million. Market forces like demand and supply as well as drug control efforts are some factors that affect prices of illicit drugs’, Ofoyeju said.When interrogated by NDLEA offcials, the suspect was said to have owned up to the crime, saying that he ingested 83 wraps of cocaine in a hotel and that his sponsors promised to pay him 2,500 Euros.Nweke said that the initial amount agreed upon was 3,000 Euros but his inability to swallow the 100 wraps of cocaine given to him made his sponsors to reduce the said amount by 500 Euros.Nweke who hails from Orizor village in Izah North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State said, ìI lost my mother few months after my birth and my father died seven years ago. After completing my primary school, I was unable to further my education due to lack of money. In fact I have sufferedî.Explaining why he indulged in drug trafficking, Nweke disclosed he agreed to traffic in narcotics Nweke when he met a prophet in Togo that told him to perform a befitting burial right for his parents so as to experience peace and prosperity.ìI swallowed 83 wraps of cocaine and they promised to pay me 2,500 Euros. I used to sell cloths and 9gerian films in Togo . The painful aspect is that I sold everything I had to raise 3,000 Euros for the trip. My intention was to search for greener pastures in Europe and do as the prophet directed. It was in the process of looking for somebody to accommodate me in Europe that I met a man that introduced me into cocaine business. I feel very disappointed. I am as good as deadî he lamented.NDLEA said the suspect would soon be charged to court.

Super Governor The changing Face of Lagos from the mind of Mr Fashola !

Posted by Akin Osunlaja WebLagosian on May 12, 2009 at 9:16pm

A first time visitor to Lagos cannot but be overwhelmed or lose sight of the new air of physical developmental initiatives pervading this megalopolis. Entering through northern tip of Ogun state, the weather begins to shine brighter as soon as you see the sign: "welcome to Lagos." From there, you begin to see signs of massive road expansion; from there you begin to notice the deliberate beautification exercise that has begun to give the city an alluring face-lift. From there you begin to see LAMATA men and women with broom, constantly sprucing up Lagos.

From there you begin to notice sweat-immersed faces of LASTMA men and women on duty - directing and controlling traffic. From there you begin to see that a deliberate attention has begun to be paid to the road median hitherto neglected. This, I guess is the beautification aspect of it. Road medians that had hitherto been overrun by dirt have now been cleared. In their former places have emerged a conscious and concerted tree and flower-planting program. The beauty of it all is that as it is on the island, so it is on every part of the mainland.

If you are a seasoned skeptic, you will say to yourself, "Let's wait and see." Yes, wait and see until you take your time to get into Isale-Eko or Shibiri area of Lagos - to notice that this wonder boy of Lagos developmental initiative - Babatunde Fashola - is serious. That he is not fluke and that he is dead serious in conducting an even-handed development initiative for the people of Lagos State.

Population wise, reports after reports have ranked Lagos as one of the world's fastest growing cities. Official Nigeria national census figure says that Lagos is around about 8 million people. The Lagos State government says it is not true - that the population of Lagos should be in the neighborhood of 17 million people.

Although the United Nations' figure says something different in between, there can, no doubt be, that Lagos' population is stratospherically increasing even as we write. With burgeoning population (8 per cent as against conventional 2 per cent annual growth), come natural attendant developmental needs to match the numbers in this unique population growth. Regrettably, over the years, however, what successive administrations have done to Lagos could at best be described as a mere scratch on the city's monumental infrastructural developmental problems. In the area of infrastructural development, Lagos did not get it. The result is that over an accumulated time, the city-state became one of the world's dirtiest industrial cities.

New Lagos BRT - Transportation system

New VI - Ajose Adeogun Street

Under heavy infrastructural collapse or the lack of it, social service delivery in the state suffered untold neglect. Dirt overwhelmed everywhere; the environment was polluted, leading to environmental enhanced diseases amongst its inhabitants. Urban transportation became and is still a residents' nightmare as traffic congestion, mob rule by the ill trained private transport owners seized Lagos. Communication was a nightmare as housing and urban development retarded in the face of increasing population.

However, from available numbers in the books and empirical observable evidence, it looks like Lagos is changing. If you have lived in Lagos or has visited this past ten years or less, you must then be my soul mate as we stand up to acknowledge the tremendous changes that are taking place. We must stand up to applaud the man who has single handedly been instrumental to the monumental infrastructural changes that have occurred and continues to occur in Lagos even as we write.

The face behind this massive infrastructural rebirth of Lagos is no other than Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola. His mission is encapsulated in the slogan: Eko oni baje - Lagos will not go under. Although, the self-effacing Governor - the architect behind this and his technicians seldom reminds people that there is a human face to the rapid changes taking place, in Lagos, it is important that he knows that some people are taking note, at least from the sidelines.

This brings me to the second segment of the caption of my essay - The New Face of Imo. Have you been to Imo State recently? Better still, have you been to Owerri, the Imo State capital recently? If you lived in Owerri or any part of Imo state this past nine years, (and I want you to be candid about this), have you not seen that Owerri, the Imo State capital has experienced and is still experiencing a robust make-over? Nevertheless, if you have not been to Imo of late and you want a sneak preview of what's been up in Imo, the eastern heartland, wait for this.

A huge infrastructural development and regeneration is going in Imo state. And, the man behind this larger than life developmental initiative is Governor Ikedi Ohakim. Infrastructural development and social mobilization of Imo state is akin to that commercial jingle made popular by the telecommunications giant named Glo: Imo is glowing, everywhere you go!

Parts of New Owerri

You are welcome to Lagos

Permit me to say that I am at a vantage position to look at what I have seen on the physical developmental grounds of Lagos and Imo dispassionately. I am from Imo. I was raised in Lagos. I now live in the United States, though I have been a frequent visitor these past years. I have seen the two states at the worst and have seen the two at their developmental nadir. I have seen Imo State under Mbakwe and I have seen Imo State under Udenwa. I have seen Lagos under Jakande and I have seen Lagos under Mudashiru. I have seen them all.

Now, if Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and his Imo State counterpart - Governor Ikedi Ohakim were to be Americans, by now either would have been getting ready to be the next president or vice president of the United States. If the two young men were of the same age or from the same ethnic background, one would have been tempted to say that they were a siemens twin, who from the word, go, were raised together and groomed for leadership or that they had a shared secret plan for Nigeria.

In truth, however, the two are separated by biological circumstances, ethnic origins and geographical location in the larger geopolitical land space named Nigeria. For sure, the two look like they are iconoclasts. The two are young and vibrant. Can't you see? The two are awesome. Leading me to reason that if what we are seeing is not a temporary success designed for the political gallery (and we hope not), then Nigeria is in for a good harvest of alternative leadership choices, come next presidential election season. The irony though, is that none of this two performing governors belongs to the ruling party - the Peoples Democratic Party - PDP.

One does not know and may never know what has shaped the individual lives of this all-conquering twosome and or of their relative personal experiences to prepare them for what they are now doing. One may never know what carved this trajectory of "can do spirit" from the twosome. Must confess. What I, as a person know about the twosome, are those I managed to glean from the pages of newspapers, the larger media and of course the internet where you can find their scanty resumes. That Babatunde Fashola is a lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and that Governor Ohakim, his Imo State counterpart, is a finished technocrat, a solid MBA and a PhD candidate could be the clue. But, they are not the first in the country to parade such fine credentials. So we must keep looking for the secret behind their can do spirits' disposition, where others before them faltered or failed.

Passing through Ore in Ondo State, Nigeria

TOn the Way to Ore-Benin Federal Road

Could it then be in their age? While Fashola just turned forty-five or is, approaching forty-six, his Imo state counter part just turned fifty and or is approaching fifty-one. It is of significance to note that this is the same age bracket that has produced some of the finest leaders, the developed world has known - Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, JF Kennedy, Barack Obama to name a few. While Fashola presides over a state that by conservative estimate is over 12 million in population and has existed for over forty years, Imo's population is under five million. The state has existed for about thirty years. While Lagos is a megalopolis, you can say with some degree of certainty that Imo is somewhat provincial. No, I meant to say that my state Imo is in the heartland of Eastern Nigeria.

When you look at the two young governors, therefore, what you see is, a promising and dynamic hopeful future, sprawling in front of them, pleading to humanity, that is, the Nigerian political humanity saying, "Please come use us." In certain democracies that I know, the arrangement would by now have gotten to advanced stage where the one that would be president between them would have been determined. The other would still be relevant and or automatically qualifies as the other's vice or at best, be assured, of a very important cabinet position - as Hillary Clinton would soon be.

Let me start with Governor Fashola. Some may argue that this young man inherited a development foundation solidly laid by his predecessor Governor Bola Tinubu whom he was his Chief of Staff. Yes, while it is possible that, that position gave him the privilege of understudying his former boss, it could arguably be inferred that he might in fact have been the brain behind some of the great achievements of his former boss. It is also possible that during the eight unbroken years of the Bola Tinubu administration, a lot of spadework was quietly put in motion, (it now appears), to turn the fortunes of Lagos around. No wonder, Fashola hit a well-prepared ground, running from day one after May 29, 2007.

On May 29 2008 - one year after the governors' assumed office, a national daily, using whatever indices, awarded eleven governors' performance scorecard, above average. In that category, it is significant to note that the same newspaper recognized Ohakim and Fashola as first and second amongst equals. Then recently, Governor Ohakim was in Ghana, to receive yet another award by the West African Students' body. We have seen from experience in Nigeria that awards are the cheapest commodity out there now for anybody. However, we the watching public also know merited and deserved honors when we see them bestowed on deserving Nigerians.

LASTMA MEN & WOMEN @ WORK - in Lagos

To MM airport Ikeja - Lagos

In Lagos, it is something, like a developmental hurricanes sweeping across the land. From Ebute-Ero to Ebute Meta, to Ikorodu. From Victoria Island to Isheri, from Badagry to Kosofe to Lekki, the physical developmental of Lagos is continuous, robust and palpable. The air is abuzz with transformational initiatives. This, I am told has been encapsulated in the Lagos Mega Plan initiative of the Babatunde Fashola administration.

Take the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) initiative of Babatunde R. Fashola (BRF). I do not know where he got the idea, which I pooh-poohed when his agents were "recklessly" marking and destroying parts of the unexpanded roads - of Lagos - from Ikorodu to Lagos Island. Nevertheless, when BRT was launched, it was an instant success. In fact, it worked so well that reports came in that the governments of Ghana and other countries have sent powerful delegation to come and understudy it. I ate my words, which had hitherto, been colored in skepticism.

Conscious of the fact that transportation has been the biggest headache for metropolitan Lagos, the young governor right there hit the bull's eye by targeting that sector as a matter of priority. Now, most parts of Lagos, who have not benefited or are not benefiting from the BRT initiative, are begging the governor and his team to please "come over to Macedonia." With this has brought a collateral developmental fervor. Road construction and reconstruction are going on at the same pace in every part of Lagos. "Recently, the papers reported that the government of Lagos has signed a $220 billion contract to turn the Lagos/Badagry expressway into a 10 lane freeway. Even, the Lagos metro rail project, which had been in the back burner for ages, is now about taking off.

What of Lagos State's health care delivery initiative? This, under Fashola has also received a huge boost. The other day, Governor Fashola himself, visited a government run hospital incognito to assess things for himself. There, according to reports, he had an eye full, which we need not recount here, for lack of space. In Lagos, there are mobile ambulances that serve as mobile/emergency health care centers. I have seen them at Mile 2 and Anthony Oke. I have also seen them somewhere on the Lagos Island. I have only seen this type of health care delivery methods on the streets of the United States and other developed economies of the world. I have also seen meat vendors now transport their wares in semi-refrigerated wagons - all deliberate efforts by the Fashola administration to make the people of the state enjoy dirt-free meat delivery services. This is innovative. Flash your mind way, way back when reckless meat vendors ferried their cargo using the most unsightly methods.

What he is doing in Lagos is similar to what the Franklin D Roosevelt administration did for America with his Public Work Administration initiative of the 1940s. I was so amazed and enthralled when a friend of mine told me that BRF studied at the University of Benin, Nigeria and may not have been directly or indirectly influenced by the policies of FDR and his New Deal policies of his time. With beautiful and appropriate acronyms, which the FDR administration adopted, the BRF administration of Lagos is blazing similar magnificent trail in innovation and programms with beautiful acronyms that will stand the test of time.

Beautification of Lagos

Through The Niger Bridge

Tree planting which is the hallmark of any environmentally friendly personality is taking deep roots everywhere you looked at, in Lagos. Road expansion is going on everywhere you looked. Rail transportation development - all part of the multi-modal transportation development of the sate that also include dredging of the Lagos canal for effective water transportation. If you have not been to Lagos, lately, go to Lagos now, to see it yourself. One is only hoping that this frenzied organized developmental initiative would endure. One is only hoping that the zeal is not sabotaged. Is Babatunde Raji Fashola from our corner of the planet? Only time will tell.

A piece of Advice to Fashola: can it be possible that some of the reconstruction and construction works presently being performed during the day be conveniently done at night?

Governor Ikedi Ohakim is even more enigmatic. Whereas, Governor Babatunde Fashola may have inherited a solid foundation on the development of Eko, from a previous administration in which he served as Chief of Staff to the Governor, Governor Ikedi Ohakim is building a new Imo from the scratch - thus - his "New Face of Imo" slogan. Not since De Sam Mbakwe has, Imo witnessed an orchestrated, genuine effort at a blissful rebirth.

According to information derived from the official website of Imo State, the New Face of Imo Agenda is summarized in this feisty philosophy: "aimed at transforming Imo State into a secured, modern model state with strong diversified manufacturing and tourism-based economy, anchored on the emerging skills, and mid-wifed by science and technology with guaranteed employment opportunities."

Visit Owerri, the Imo Stat capital and see work in progress and wonders in motion. This was the Owerri, which in more than twenty-five years, suffered under the putrid stench of neglect and deprivation. This was the Owerri - the capital city of Eastern heartland, which had hitherto, been turned into a refuse dumping city. This Owerri suffered under the weight of humiliating successive mal-administrations.

When Ohakim stepped in, he decided to begin first with, sweeping clean, the dirt-infested city. To this end, he ordered through his (Environmental Agency) the dismantling of all the shacks and illegal structures that dotted the city and state. Thereafter, he banned Okada (motorcycle) drivers from operating in certain parts of the Owerri metropolis. To smoothen the pain on the average Okada rider and user in Owerri, Ohakim introduced a functioning intra-city transport service. To actualize this, he flooded the city with luxury buses - its own version of a BRT. He then followed with affordable taxi-system, which now has spread, to other cities in the East - Port Harcourt and recently, Enugu. Governor Ikedi Ohakim began a road expansion network that has given Owerri, the much-needed breathing space under which other goodies would follow.

Imo Job Centre

Opening up the hinterland - Imo State

Rural parts of Imo we learnt have not been left out under the Ohakim administration development programs. Imo Rural Roads Maintenance Agency (IRROMA) is busy opening up villages with new rural or old roads some of which have been hitherto clogged and or overgrown with weeds. Launching the venture the other day, the able governor said his aim was to bring back the old method where members of the Public Works Department - PWD worked diligently to beautify every nook and cranny of Imo.

Now remember, that unlike Lagos where Fashola was a chief of staff in a government that served two terms, Ohakim started the rebuilding of Owerri from the scratch. He destroyed shacks that dotted the streets of Owerri and thereby restored its diminishing topography. Ohakim sent the notorious timber shed packing and promised that a better edifice would rise from its former place. Not done, within a year of ascending office, Ohakim has opened up road networks in several parts of the state using his environmental sanitation agency as his springboard. Uncoordinated erection of billboards has been banned; old and unauthorized ones have been removed.

Roads into Owerri and roads out of it are being dualised. Education, I learnt has received a shot in the arm as redundant and dead wood teachers have been replaced by well-trained teachers. An Education Development committee has been set up to address and redress the education problems of Imo State.

Now, all this have happened within one year and half of Ohakim's stay in office. At this pace, the developmental initiative of the Ohakim administration would have definitely reached every nook and cranny of the state within the shortest possible period.

The industrialist in Ohakim is seen everywhere as he has within a short period resuscitated industries that had seemed until now moribund. The Standard Shoes Industries Limited is one of such and the, Adapalm, another. It is also on record that the young governor has entered into agreement with such countries as China and Malaysia, for industrial development of Imo State - only in less than eighteen months he got onto the saddle of Imo leadership. What then do we expect when and if Ohakim stayed for full term in office?

So let the battles begin. Let a new Nigeria rise from the vision of these two young and dynamic governors who were groomed, trained and produced by Nigeria. Let us eschew ethnicity, tribe, geo-political balancing and begin to look at them up close if they could be the elusive messiah that would come to rescue Nigeria - the next presidential election time.

Nigeria: Court Orders Arrest of Ex-Beauty Queen

Posted by Akin Osunlaja WebLagosian on March 19, 2009 at 11:10pm

Justice Deborah Oluwayemi of the Lagos High Court, Igbosere, yesterday ordered for the immediate arrest of Nollywood actress and ex-beauty queen, Ibinabo Fiberesima. The order of the court was sequel to the absence of the ex-beauty queen in court yesterday when the matter was mentioned in court. Her lawyer, Kemasuode Wodu, told the court that he had filed a stay of execution of the judgement of the court. Following this, Justice Oluwayemi asked, "Where is the convict?" Mr. Wodu answered that she was sick and currently recuperating at the BMH Hospital in Port Harcourt, The lawyer tendered a medical certificate which read: "To Whom It May Concern". But this was rejected on the grounds that it was not addressed to the court. Justice Oluwayemi frowned at the absence of the convict, adding that the application for the stay of execution of the judgement would not be heard until she was produced in court. The judge cited the cases of some convicts who are currently in prison, like Rev. King, to buttress her point. The former beauty queen was last month sentenced to five years imprisonment for dangerous and reckless driving which led to the death of one Dr. Giwa Suraj.

Queen of Death Sandra Deliberately Spreading Aids

Posted by 9jabook.com on April 25, 2009 at 6:46am

An angry Lagos women is on an evil mission: To infect as many men as possible with the dreaded Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Sandra (surname withheld) told Saturday Sun that she embarked on the deadly mission three years ago after a bitter experience in the hands of armed robbers. According to her, she has become, more or less, a nymphomania, sleeping with men in the bid to spread HIV, mainly, and to eke out a living. Going by her account, Sandra

may have had sex with 4,640 men, including two soldiers who brutally raped her and some other girls recently when they (soldiers) invaded Tarkwa Bay, a Lagos Island, where she lives and plies her trade. Tarkwa Bay is a notorious haven for flesh hawkers, drug peddlers and sundry criminals. Sandra The 21-year-old indigene of Warri, Delta State, told Saturday Sun that she decided to spread HIV because she wanted to pay men back in their coin. Explaining that she hates men with passion, she claimed that she was raped at gunpoint at 17, adding that she contracted the disease as a result of the assault. Indeed, Sandra story is one that will shock even the coldest of hearts. She said: “In 2006, I got admission into the Delta State University, Abraka to study Banking and Finance. I was barely 17 years old then. Then I travelled to Asaba, our state capital to inform my elder and only sibling because we are just two children that my parents had. And my father had died when I was a kid. Naturally, my brother was very happy when I told him that I had secured admission into the university. We were very close and he had promised to be there always for me. “But two days after I arrived, my brother’s station, the worst happened. My brother, Collins, died in a motor accident. When I got to know about it, I was devastated. In fact, for me life had come to an abrupt end. Another tragedy befell me on my way home to tell my poor mother. Our bus was hijacked by five armed men. They took the vehicle into the bush, robbed us and raped the women. I was one of those the bastards raped. At that time, I was still a virgin. I had not known a man. “It was a very ugly experience and it made me wonder what a cruel world we live in. It was so horrible. I passed out during the gruesome rape. I had pleaded with them, but they wouldn’t let go. Before the attacks, I was already in sorrow and tears. It was the worst thing that could happen to anyone and it made me form an opinion about men.” Sandra said that she was so ashamed of herself, after the assault, that she couldn’t bring herself to tell anyone what happened, not even her mother. Meanwhile, her ambition of going to a higher institution was put on hold, following her brother’s death. Secondly, she discovered she was pregnant from the rape. Devastated and without a choice, the traumatized girl had to tell her mother eventually. By then the pregnancy was about four months old. She continued: “I had to abort the unwanted pregnancy after about 15 weeks. It was not a particularly difficult decision to take because there was no way I could keep such a bastard. I would have hated the baby so much. In fact, if it were a boy, I would have snuffed life out of him one day. So, I aborted the nonsense. “After the abortion, I did some other tests to be sure that I would still be reproductive. One of the tests revealed that I had been infected with HIV by the men who raped me. In a nutshell, my life collapsed at that stage.” She said that life became meaningless after the discovery, hence when one of her friends asked Sandra to go with her to Lagos to become a commercial sex worker she did not hesitate. Ever since, she has been having unprotected sex with men for a fee. For her, there are two gains from this line of business: To make money and infect men with HIV. She said: “For about three years now, I have been distributing the stuff and it makes me really happy. Men are evil; they deserve no mercy. To hell with the men of this world.” On her modus operandi, the beautiful but street-wise-girl said that most of her customers actually pay more to sleep with her without condoms. She said: “When any of my customers wants to have sex with me without using condoms, I usually protest. Then we will strike a bargain and we will do it. He won’t know that he is buying his death with his own money. “However, there are many who will never have sex without using condoms. But I have a way of dealing with them. When I am having sex with such men, I usually shake my buttocks vigorously so as to burst the condom, and if the condom bursts and the man is carried away, he won’t bother about fixing another condom.” She said that one of her best moments was when two soldiers raped her recently when they raided Tarkwa Bay. According to her, “when the soldiers were raping me, I was shedding tears of joy because such men do not deserve to live. The only thing I regret is that they stole my money and handsets.” She disclosed that since she became a prostitute three years ago, she has been sleeping with an average of four men on a daily basis. Would she settle down with a man eventually? Sandra said that marriage is not in her dictionary at present. She said that she can only talk of marriage when she has forgiven men. Until then, any man that comes her way is an enemy. By HENRY UMAHI (Culled from The Sun)

I am the salt of the earth

Posted by frank adeche Mr Netchurch on March 24, 2009 at 9:15pm

1.I am the salt of the earth Matt 5:13 2. am the light of the world Mat 5:14 3.I am a child of God John 1:12

Beauty of Mathematics !!!!!!!

Posted by 9jabook.com on July 31, 2008 at 9:58pm

Absolutely amazing! Beauty of Mathematics !!!!!!! 1 x 8 + 1 = 9 12 x 8 + 2 = 98 123 x 8 + 3 = 987 1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876 12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765 123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654 1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543 12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432 123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321 1 x 9 + 2 = 11 12 x 9 + 3 = 111 123 x 9 + 4 = 1111 1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111 12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111 123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111 1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111 12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111 123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111 9 x 9 + 7 = 88 98 x 9 + 6 = 888 987 x 9 + 5 = 8888 9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888 98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888 987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888 9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888 98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888 Brilliant, isn't it? And look at this symmetry: 1 x 1 = 1 11 x 11 = 121 111 x 111 = 12321 1111 x 1111 = 1234321 11111 x 11111 = 123454321 111111 x 111111 = 12345654321 1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321 11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321 111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321 Now, take a look at this... 101% From a strictly mathematical viewpoint: What Equals 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been in situations where someone wants you to GIVE OVER 100%. How about ACHIEVING 101%? What equals 100% in life? Here's a little mathematical formula that might help answer these questions: If: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Is represented as: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. If: H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K 8+1+18+4+23+ 15+18+11 = 98% And: K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E 11+14+15+23+ 12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96% But: A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E 1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100% THEN, look how far the love of God will take you: L-O-V-E-O-F- G-O-D 12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101% Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that: While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, It's the Love of God that will put you over the top! It's up to you if you share this with your friends & loved ones just the way I did.. Have a nice day & God bless!!

out of 9ja ! Straight from 9ja

Posted by Akin Osunlaja WebLagosian on November 21, 2008 at 11:32pm

fellow 9jabookers, we are growing ! 3235 members today ! The 9jabook promise still stands . "kini big deal 9jabook ? Each user gets equal share of 49percent of site advert revenue.Plus a piece of our sister sites 9jamovies.com 9janews.com ojoojoo.com a google approach to nige.rian search " 9ja has come of age for a democratic "revolution" and what better way than through the internet.We are collaborating with students,workers,the unemployed,internet bloggers,musicians and people from all works of life to bring an internet virtual presence that will affect our daily physical lives for the better.We are proud to be 9ja, like 9ice said, this is strictly "out of 9ja straight from 9ja " It is the most incredible thing we can give the world and that 9ja credibility will be ours one day .YES WE FIT ! headline 9jaNews from http://www.9janews.com: where we find news from 9ja bloggers in the diaspora and discuss issues to wake our dear president yaradua up ! contrary to what the SSS thinks we know it is not easy to rule a country like 9ja : Uzoma Okere is back in hospital ! http://www.9janews.com/tech/framed/uzoma-Okere-back-in-hospital- Nig.eria seeks 500million dollars for another satellite ! http://www.9janews.com/tech/framed/nigeria-Seeks-500m-Loan-to-Build-New-S post your underground gist and discuss and much much more . ps: Internet bloggers recently arrested by the SSS like Emeka Asiwe , jonathan elendu have been freed but latest news tells us Asiwe has not been allowed to leave 9ja ! haba,shuo ! If Fela was alive na only God know wetin e go call this democracy of craze ! Have a great weekend. out of 9ja ! Straight from 9ja complement your facebook ,hi5,myspace experience. join 9jabook.com. 9jabook team .

The Pursuit of HaPPyness

Posted by frank adeche Mr Netchurch on December 13, 2008 at 1:56am

I have never pursued happyness, I dimly recall going after love not happyness, I became aware unknowingly that happyness was a figment of my mind state and I rarely pursued it . I went after love because it made more sense .but I went after the wrong kind of love and it almost killed me . I learnt about love from one source first .The love of a creation .It took me a while to realise that this love was not my one true love , when I found this out i decided to go after the love of truth , the truth of completion the holy grail of my existence . Good things they say come to those who wait but waiting was not in my dictionary . A virtue is a big thing to ask for especially when that virtue is patience . I write to explain to myself my existence I write because I think I might be good at it .a writers life can be a sorry life .Iit is a life that is usually mixed with sorrows and lows and at the same time joys and highs .The original book the Bible is interspersed with such because the fruits of writing are always hidden in the way it is birthed. As a creation it sounds really weird to create stuff because if you are a writer after completion then the truth you seek has to be an image of yourself .Hence the Cats and kittens theory not the Dogs and kittens relationships, we experience daily. Relationships , wow ! what a word, it lives within the essence of our lives, no man is an island but in birth we are like small atolls congregated in the same idea , the idea of birth and in death we return within these atolls as separate islands . Our relationships will hence transpire into the singularity our ourselves. Naked I came naked I return .Alone I came alone I shall return. The body makes it easier for us to appreciate our existence it is the graphical interface for the operating system called life and there is no open source solution and microsoft nor google can explain our purpose nor our lack of it . The truth is certain , many have run away from it , sometimes it is a blessing not to be aware of it but like a sure constant, it exists and will for all time . To pursue happiness within this GUI (pronounced G.U.I not Gooey, ew ! ) is like pouring butter into a hot plate and expecting it to freeze .it will never happen. The bible calls it the flesh, and using my old church mind the word flesh sounds weird, It sounds so spiritual so carnal like as if it is some strange distasteful lifeform .An absence of life means that the body exists in vitro but the life has gone into the ether .To pursue happiness inside this body is ignoring the obvious, they do not mix. When they mix something eternal obstructs their satisfaction and this belies the truth of completion .The body must therefore be the paradox. What if we did not have bodies ? this is not a sad piece, it is a revelation of the limits this body has strung us from time. It shows our limitations and our absolute helplessness as long as we are within its shell. The famous writer paul sighed out once �who will deliver me from this death.� like new born babies that know nothing else but �waa waa ! feed me! �The body also screams its own selfishness. Clothe me house me ,marry me .. It is the quintessential nuisance as its existence limits the joys of a Happy pursuit. The new Will Smith movie showed a will smith I have never known, a sad, sorry, unlucky man that the possession of two extra bodies in his wife and his son was a reason why happyness should become something we must pursue. He is not only one of the funniest �arrogantest� movie man I know but he is also a very gifted actor to boot. Another rendition of that movie could be the pursuit of God . Just as someone coined Godchasers which I am certain ( I hope ) is a dire misnomer by man as God can not be chased except he wants to nor can he be seen except we are certain we can recognize, you can only recognize someone you have met Before. It is he who lives in us and vice versa and in him we have our being . The Rat race used to be a depiction of the poverty of recycled hours , the happiness pursuit race is the one that should have hope or is it ? To get out of �bof of yers� we have to die in the sense of real death which is the death of self and this will lead us into the truth of happiness which we pursue fervently and which whilst we are resident pursuers we will never get. I wish for a body that will lead me to the truth of happiness , that will explain clearly what exactly it means to be happy .I found that in the bible . Encryptions and decrying words like Davinci codes as if it is even any ones business if Jesus had a wife ! Does it suffice that the bible insinuates he had a mommy ? Folks actually think that the preservation of the bible was an effort of human will . Yikes tothat .It is no wonder that God allowed our downgrade to just three score and ten years and also introduced a myriad of languages else we would do even worse than even old evilness, the Devil himself ! I aint joking. Our bodies define a lot about us , they contain the clearest devices that enable us to search for happiness ,even animals respect these laws as their constitiution enables them to pursue happiness from their own perspectives.The joy of a full stomach. They have no understanding of sin except maybe my dogs who have this uncanny ability to pull a guilty face when I tell them what bad dogs they are. Their abilty to survive is based mainly on their ability to use their bodies just as well as we do. I am a star, I am a genius, a being of gifts , my existence has been blessed by my gifts .If I use them I will become a star. If I don�t well �.. what is the opposite of a star ? Happiness means you are part of the crowd , the rich crowd that is , exemption from this means I have not utilised my gifts which are inherent within me .Why ? I have a brain . The brain is the citadel of the body it operates on the premise that it is a controller a cpu , a vast memory bank that rules the body . What if we did no have brains ?

Female Face of 9jabook competition

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on July 17, 2008 at 11:25pm

Female Face of 9jabook competition .9jabook is doing a female face of 9jabook.The winner would not have to invite 5people to get their complimentary shares and if they have done that already that means they will have two complimentary shares Wow ! ten beautifull African princesses shall be shortlisted and from these ten all members of 9jabook will vote for the female face of 9jabook. the website is at http://www.9jabook.com/group/femalefaceofnaijabook join this group and upload your picture there Delete Comment

The United States of Nigeria

Posted by 9jabook.com on November 21, 2008 at 8:02am

Hi all, "Now the conversation seems right "(reply to a debate about chatting out of sync by Homer Simpsons alter ego from the life of Brian recut) The Revolution has begun. The United States of Nigeria Join us http://www.9jabook.com Why Nigerians need another President . The need for a Nigerian Internet President. The options available to a population where existence has become more of an evolutionary procedure totally disparate from the creationist views will allow us to envisage an utopia of human beings in a world of their own .(goto secondlife.com) Technology in itself has created a barreness within societies where mobile phones might necessarily still be an anomaly within its hinterlands whilst the proposal by a scion from this supposed dark continent has initiated the next consciousness (The downloading of the Human Brain on the Internet see Prof Emeagwali's paper ) In a Society bereft of any morals attuned towards justice and the right of every man, woman and child to raise their head up high The need for this utopia must necessarily arise . Hence the request for a leader to coagulate us. Like milk within a womans bosom and hence feed the hungry mouths drooling for sustenance . This is the reason for the Internet President of Nigeria .The need for A Nigeria on the internet hence the United States of Nigeria. "i never kid myself about life the only thing i kid myself with is living not even death" excerpt from Franks article God is not a Woman i dont think he is a man either . Sounds a bit darkish but heck b4 light there was darkness or maybe there was always light (get it ! Lol) want more email us ! 9jabook@gmail.com The United States of Nigeria ProjeKt The Revolution has begun. Join us http://www.9jabook.com

Lessons Of Life..

Posted by wEbOrIgiNaLiTy Ochefu on October 6, 2008 at 11:57pm

I feared being aloneuntil I learned to likemyself.I feared failureuntil I realized that I onlyfail when I don't try.I feared successuntil I realizedthat I had to tryin order to be happywith myself.I feared people's opinionsuntil I learned thatpeople would have opinionsabout me anyway.I feared rejectionuntil I learned tohave faith in myself.I feared painuntil I learned thatit's necessaryfor growth.I feared the truthuntil I saw theugliness in lies.I feared lifeuntil I experiencedits beauty.I feared deathuntil I realized that it'snot an end, but a beginning.I feared my destiny,until I realized thatI had the power to changemy life.I feared hateuntil I saw that itwas nothing more thanignorance.I feared loveuntil it touched my heart,making the darkness fadeinto endless sunny days.I feared ridiculeuntil I learned howto laugh at myself.I feared growing olduntil I realized thatI gained wisdom every day.I feared the futureuntil I realized thatlife just kept gettingbetter.I feared the pastuntil I realized thatit could no longer hurt me.I feared the darkuntil I saw the beautyof the starlight.I feared the lightuntil I learned that thetruth would give mestrength.I feared change,until I saw thateven the most beautiful butterflyhad to undergo a metamorphosisbefore it could fly.

BELIVE IT OR NOT

Posted by jenluc on November 18, 2008 at 12:42am

"Without a woman's special touch, a man lacks that sense of touch.

The future of Social Networking is in your wallet

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!

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.