Posted by Jane Okinedo on September 14, 2009 at 9:38pm
By Oluwaseyi BanguduStanbicIBTC Bank is said to have sacked hundreds of its workers over the weekend, but the exact number of affected workers is still uncertain, as the bank has not said anything on the development.But sources at the bank said yesterday that the number ranges from 200 upwards, and cuts across various cadres and divisions within the group.One of the sources confirmed in a telephone interview, "Yes, the bank sacked about 300 people," adding "Our subsidiary is yet to be affected but people are now on edge," without giving further details.While another bank source said "We don't know if we would be affected, the whole bank branches, stock broking and different operational bits are affected, but so far, it was 300 people in an organisation of... not sure of the total. I am in the asset management session with a different human resource management team, so we may still be affected."The global crisis and the recent cleansing by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has seen many bank workers relieved of their duties, similar to the pre-consolidation era, when banks which could not shore up their capital base to n25 billion, or be acquired by another bank or merge with others, had to close shop rendering their workers jobless.Shocks industryThe news of the StanbicIBTC sack came as a shock to many industry watchers, especially as the bank, along with two others - because of their foreign ownership - will not be audited by the CBN, and therefore, had no cause to fear for its operations.Besides, analysts believe that the October 2007, $5.5 billion investment for 20 per cent stake in Standard Bank, South Africa's largest bank by assets and earnings, by China's largest bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, should have helped get the Nigerian unit, StanbicIBTC, out of the woods.But the recent sack tends to suggest that the Nigerian unit might be in deeper trouble than anticipated, and underscores queries on why the CBN should leave the foreign-affiliated banks out of the stress audits.Also, Friday's signing of a $1 billion loan facility between Standard Bank and four major Chinese banks, apparently did not impact on the fortunes of the Nigerian unit, reputed to be one of the strongest units of the bank group in Africa.Bank UnionObukese Orere, the Acting Sectary General of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress, noted that even though it wants to take up the issue of job losses in the banks with Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the CBN governor, he admitted, "We cannot really stop these people from laying off their staff but they must be well packaged before they are laid off. That is where we come in; that those who are leaving do not suffer much. Nothing is permanent."IMF's RecommendationMeanwhile, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the Managing Director International Monetary Fund, in an interview with a German magazine on Saturday, urged banks in various nations to do more to adopt financial market regulations and find exit strategies, as the global economic crisis will continue.
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Posted by Jane Okinedo on September 14, 2009 at 9:30pm
What does an Atomic Energy Conference have to do with Turai Yaradua ? Dont we have Atomic Physics professors in Nigeria ? O sorry, they are on strike . Send the presidents wife instead . na wa o !The wife to Nigeria's president, Turai Yar'Adua, on Monday arrived in Vienna to attend the 53rd Session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), scheduled to hold from September 14 to September 18.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent in Vienna reports that Mrs. Turai was received at the airport by the Nigerian Ambassador to Austria, Jerry Ogokwe, and other top embassy officials.While in Vienna, Mrs. Turai will have separate meetings with the IAEA Director General, Muhammed El-Baradei, and the Secretary General of the OPEC FUND, Suleman Al-Herbish. She would also meet with the IAEA Director General designate, Yukiya Amano; the Director General of the UN Organisation in Vienna (UNOV), Antonio Costa; and the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), KK Yumkellah.Similarly, she will have private meetings with the First Lady of Austria and that of Slovakia, Silvia Gasparovicova.Mrs. Turai would also hold discussions with officials of the IAEA on the agency's Programme of Action Against Cancer Theraphy (PACT) on behalf of her International Cancer Centre, Abuja (ICCA as well as inaugurate the Nigerian Embassy's website, before meeting the Austrian chapter of the Nigerians In Diaspora Organisation (NIDO).
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Agency reportsSeptember 13, 2009 06:53PMTSerena Williams is about to be investigated over an outburst that prompted her exit from the U.S. Open.Yahoo! Sports revealed yesterday that Williams will be asked to explain her actions toward a female line judge at the end of her semifinal defeat to Kim Clijsters on Saturday night.A source revealed that representatives from the tennis' governing body, the International Tennis Federation with members of the Grand Slam Committee, which oversees the four major tournaments were to convene along with U.S. Open referee, Brian Earley yesterday.The group is expected to review the video footage of the incident, seek clarification from the line judge and most likely hand down a heavy fine to Williams.A representative from the Women Tennis Association (WTA) Tour is also expected to be included, although the Tour does not have jurisdiction over Grand Slam events.Williams lost her cool after being called for a foot fault on a second serve while trailing 15-30 and 5-6 in the second set.Clijsters won the first set 6-4.Point to ClijstersThe call gave Clijsters a match point, but it was never played as Williams exploded into a verbal tirade at the line judge. According to the Associated Press, Williams screamed at the official, "If I could, I would take this ... ball and shove it down your ... throat," Williams said.The line judge then reported the comments to umpire Louise Engzell, as tournament referee Earley rushed on to the court. Williams was heard to yell again at the line judge, loudly insisting "I didn't say I would kill you. Are you serious? Are you serious? I didn't say that."A code violation was issued for unsportsmanlike conduct, which indicates that Williams was penalised a point, thereby ending the contest.
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Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina battled back to upset five-times champion Roger Federer 3-6 7-6 4-6 7-6 6-2 and win the U.S. Open title on Monday.The 20-year-old Argentine, who stayed alive by winning two tiebreaks, gained confidence as he moved through his first career grand slam and charged to victory, breaking Federer in the last game to end their four-hour, six-minute struggle.The 6-foot-6 Del Potro lay down on his back and covered his face with his hands after the 28-year-old Swiss sailed a backhand long on the Argentine's third championship point.Del Potro, seeded sixth, became the second Argentine to win the U.S. men's crown, joining compatriot Guillermo Vilas who won on clay in 1977, and was watching Monday's final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.The Argentine had never beaten Federer in six previous meetings, losing to the Swiss master in the semi-finals of the French Open after taking a two sets to one lead.
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Posted by Jane Okinedo on September 14, 2009 at 8:00pm
LOS ANGELES - Patrick Swayze, the hunky actor who danced his way into moviegoers' hearts with "Dirty Dancing" and then broke them with "Ghost," died Monday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 57."Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months," his publicist, Annett Wolf, said in a statement Monday evening. Swayze died in Los Angeles, Wolf said, but she declined to give further details.Fans of the actor were saddened to learn in March 2008 that Swayze was suffering from a particularly deadly form of cancer. He kept working despite the diagnosis, putting together a memoir with his wife and shooting "The Beast," an A&E drama series for which he had already made the pilot.Swayze said he opted not to use painkilling drugs while making "The Beast" because they would have taken the edge off his performance. The show drew a respectable 1.3 million viewers when the 13 episodes ran in 2009, but A&E said it had reluctantly decided not to renew it for a second season.When he first went public with the illness, some reports gave him only weeks to live, but his doctor said his situation was "considerably more optimistic" than that. Swayze acknowledged that time might be running out given the grim nature of the disease."I'd say five years is pretty wishful thinking," Swayze told ABC's Barbara Walters in early 2009. "Two years seems likely if you're going to believe statistics. I want to last until they find a cure, which means I'd better get a fire under it."C. Thomas Howell, who costarred with Swayze in "The Outsiders," "Grandview U.S.A." and "Red Dawn," said: "I have always had a special place in my heart for Patrick. While I was fortunate enough to work with him in three films, it was our passion for horses that forged a friendship between us that I treasure to this day. Not only did we lose a fine actor today, I lost my older 'Outsiders' brother."Other celebrities used Twitter to express condolences, and "Dirty Dancing" was the top trending topic for a while Monday night, trailed by several other Swayze films.Ashton Kutcher whose wife, Demi Moore, costarred with Swayze in "Ghost" wrote: "RIP P Swayze." Kutcher also linked to a YouTube clip of the actor poking fun at himself in a classic "Saturday Night Live" sketch, in which he played a wannabe Chippendales dancer alongside the corpulent and frighteningly shirtless Chris Farley.Larry King wrote: "Patrick Swayze was a wonderful actor & a terrific guy. He put his heart in everything. He was an extraordinary fighter in his battle w Cancer." King added that he'd do a tribute to Swayze on his CNN program on Tuesday night.A three-time Golden Globe nominee, Swayze became a star with his performance as the misunderstood bad boy Johnny Castle in "Dirty Dancing." As the son of a choreographer who began his career in musical theater, he seemed a natural to play the role.A coming-of-age romance starring Jennifer Grey as an idealistic young woman on vacation with her family and Swayze as the Catskills resort's sexy (and much older) dance instructor, the film made great use of both his grace on his feet and his muscular physique.It became an international phenomenon in the summer of 1987, spawning albums, an Oscar-winning hit song in "(I've Had) the Time of My Life," stage productions and a sequel, 2004's "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights," in which he made a cameo.Swayze performed and co-wrote a song on the soundtrack, the ballad "She's Like the Wind," inspired by his wife, Lisa Niemi. The film also gave him the chance to utter the now-classic line, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."Swayze followed that up with the 1989 action flick "Road House," in which he played a bouncer at a rowdy bar. But it was his performance in 1990's "Ghost" that showed his vulnerable, sensitive side. He starred as a murdered man trying to communicate with his fiancee (Moore) with great frustration and longing through a psychic played by Whoopi Goldberg.Swayze said at the time that he fought for the role of Sam Wheat (director Jerry Zucker wanted Kevin Kline) but once he went in for an audition and read six scenes, he got it.Why did he want the part so badly? "It made me cry four or five times," he said of Bruce Joel Rubin's Oscar-winning script in an AP interview."Ghost" provided yet another indelible musical moment: Swayze and Moore sensually molding pottery together to the strains of the Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody." It also earned a best-picture nomination and a supporting-actress Oscar for Goldberg, who said she wouldn't have won if it weren't for Swayze."When I won my Academy Award, the only person I really thanked was Patrick," Goldberg said in March 2008 on the ABC daytime talk show "The View."Swayze himself earned three Golden Globe nominations, for "Dirty Dancing," "Ghost" and 1995's "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar," which further allowed him to toy with his masculine image. The role called for him to play a drag queen on a cross-country road trip alongside Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo.His heartthrob status almost kept him from being considered for the role of Vida Boheme."I couldn't get seen on it because everyone viewed me as terminally heterosexually masculine-macho," he told The Associated Press then. But he transformed himself so completely that when his screen test was sent to Steven Spielberg, whose Amblin pictures produced "To Wong Foo," Spielberg didn't recognize him.Among his earlier films, Swayze was part of the star-studded lineup of up-and-comers in Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 adaptation of S.E. Hinton's novel "The Outsiders," alongside Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez and Diane Lane.Other '80s films included "Red Dawn," "Grandview U.S.A." (for which he also provided choreography) and "Youngblood," once more with Lowe, as Canadian hockey teammates.In the '90s, he made such eclectic films as "Point Break" (1991), in which he played the leader of a band of bank-robbing surfers, and the family Western "Tall Tale" (1995), in which he starred as Pecos Bill. He appeared on the cover of People magazine as its "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1991, but his career tapered off toward the end of the 1990s, when he also had a stay in rehab for alcohol abuse. In 2001, he appeared in the cult favorite "Donnie Darko," and in 2003 he returned to the New York stage with "Chicago"; 2006 found him in the musical "Guys and Dolls" in London.Swayze was born in 1952 in Houston, the son of Jesse Swayze and choreographer Patsy Swayze, whose films include "Urban Cowboy."He played football but also was drawn to dance and theater, performing with the Feld, Joffrey and Harkness Ballets and appearing on Broadway as Danny Zuko in "Grease." But he turned to acting in 1978 after a series of injuries.Within a couple years of moving to Los Angeles, he made his debut in the roller-disco movie "Skatetown, U.S.A." The eclectic cast included Scott Baio, Flip Wilson, Maureen McCormack and Billy Barty.Off-screen, he was an avid conservationist who was moved by his time in Africa to shine a light on "man's greed and absolute unwillingness to operate according to Mother Nature's laws," he told the AP in 2004.Swayze was married since 1975 to Niemi, a fellow dancer who took lessons with his mother; they met when he was 19 and she was 15. A licensed pilot, Niemi would fly her husband from Los Angeles to Northern California for treatment at Stanford University Medical Center.In February, Swayze wrote an op-ed piece in the Washington Post titled, "I'm Battling Cancer. How About Some Help, Congress?" in which he urged senators and representatives to vote for the maximum funding for the National Institutes of Health to fight cancer as part of the economic stimulus package.He also appeared in the September 2008 live television event "Stand Up to Cancer," where he made this moving plea: "I keep dreaming of a future, a future with a long and healthy life, a life not lived in the shadow of cancer, but in the light. ... I dream that the word 'cure' will no longer be followed by the words 'is impossible.'"
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Posted by Jane Okinedo on September 14, 2009 at 9:55am
An 11-year-old boy was on Saturday flogged to death by his father for disobedience.It was gathered that the suspect, Friday Obot, who is at the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos Mainland, flogged the victim Michael Friday with a cable wire.The incident occurred at 61, Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos.Sources disclosed to The Nation that the suspect had directed his son to carry out some assignments in their shop at the stated address but the boy refused.It was in the process of being disciplined that the boy collapsed.The boy was rushed to the General Hospital Ikeja, where he was confirmed dead.The matter was reported to the police and the suspect was arrested.Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Onyeisi Nwaolai, said that the Commissioner of Police, Mr Marvel Akpoyibo, directed the homicide section of the SCID to take over the case.Also, a customer of one of the commercial banks in FESTAC Town was shot dead by armed robbers at the weekend.According to sources, the deceased had gone to the bank in company of a relative to withdraw N1million around 11am on Friday when the incident occurred.The deceased whose name was given as Olufemi Abiola by the police was in the company of his relative, Kemi Akinremi.It was gathered that the hoodlums who were on a motor cycle, double-crossed the duo on 71 Road immediately they came out of the bank and demanded for the money.There was a little resistance from the deceased who was holding the money, hence the shooting, The Nation learnt.The bandits sped off with the motorcycle while the victim slumped and died on the spot.Nwaolai confirmed the incident. He said that efforts to track down the suspects had begun.Also at the weekend, a bricklayer in a construction company in Maroko was killed by assassins.Jide Moses was killed in a bush path at the new market settlement area.Nwaolai said police were investigating the murder.
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Posted by Politics X on September 14, 2009 at 1:30am
Senator Polycarp NwiteIf the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) intends to make good its threat to resume attacks at the end of the 60-day amnesty period – (September 15) offered by the Federal Government, let Government Ekpumopolo aka Tompolo and his men remember this: they would be up against not the usual rag-tag Nigerian army. Rather, they will be confronting a highly trained and sophisticated, well equipped, battle-tested contingent of American commandos and South African Special Forces who are poised to take over security of oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta region.Faced with the threat of renewed militant attacks and economic sabotage that had seen Nigeria’s oil production drop by almost one-fifth, President Umaru Musa Yar’adua and his top advisers are now considering a proposal to strengthen Nigeria’s security for its oil fields and installations. The project: “Nigeria Delta Onshore and Offshore Oil Security Plan” will be led by the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander; an American 4-star General; Wesley K. Clark (Rtd).Gen. Clark will receive “Strategic advice” on the project from Richard A. Clarke who spent eleven years at the White House advising three American Presidents on national security and counter-terrorism. Mr. Clarke, who also spent 19 years in the Pentagon, the US intelligence Community and the State Department, is now a partner in Good Harbor – a Virginia based global strategic security consulting firm with expertise in oil and gas security. In a letter addressed to Senator Polycarp Nwite, Senior Political Adviser to President Yar’adua, (See copy attached)Gen. Wesley Clark indicated that the proposed security assessment for the offshore and onshore oil facilities will be done in three phases: threat assessment, on-site security surveys and gap analysis and risk mitigation. He outlined the full range of different threat scenarios to Nigeria’s oil and gas installations “including armed conflict, insurgency, terrorism, sabotage or insider action, as well as the possibility that these threats could occur simultaneously or in conjunction with one another.”Aso Rock is treating the proposal as top secret but barring any serious domestic opposition, there are strong indications that President Yar’adua will outsource the security of the Niger Delta to safeguard oil and gas installations, while sending a strong message to recalcitrant unrepentant militants that their days of glory are over. Going forward, peace will reign in the Niger Delta at all costs!Huhuonline.com also learnt from sources close to Good Harbor Consulting that recruitment of the commandos and private military contractors for the Niger Delta assignment is currently underway in the United States. The team is expected to comprise mostly battle-tested US ex-marines and Special Forces from the Iraqi and Afghan campaigns whose task would be to comb the Niger Delta region with instructions to shoot-to-kill anyone suspected of trying to sabotage oil and gas installations.Good Harbor Consulting intends to “assist the Nigerian government in developing a plan to secure its onshore and offshore facilities.” Details of the Niger Delta Security plan; a copy of which was obtained exclusively by Huhuonline.com from impeccable K-Street sources in Washington DC makes for very interesting reading as it is based more on official western assumptions including assessments by the US Navy of maritime threats in the Niger Delta region than the practical realities on the ground.The plan also considers such non-conflict related risks – direct action groups, labor unions, refugees or migrant exodus from the Niger Delta and piracy. It examines patterns and precedents for targeting and tactics used by militants to attack offshore and onshore oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta and assess how these are likely to evolve over a ten-year period. The central nexus of the project is to identify, design and employ risk reducing systems and technologies to remove, reduce or mitigate threats and risks, including procedures and protocols which may be required for additional security teams escorting vessels.The aim is to provide a “comprehensive system of sensors and communications technology to improve security of Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure.” Such a system will involve the use of UAVs – Unmanned Aerial Vehicles linked to satellites and Aerostats, maritime radar, motion and pressure sensors and GPS cameras linked to a regional command center to monitor oil tankers and offshore and onshore platforms. Special operations patrol boat units will provide back-up but the technological components will be inter-operable and fully integrated into what the project documents described as C4ISR - (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) centers at appropriate locations in the Niger Delta. (See diagram illustration below)Although the possibility of private US and South African military contractors (ex-marines and Special Forces) battling militants in the creeks of the Niger Delta with civilians caught in the crossfire evokes memories of the ongoing guerrilla warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan and raises very grim prospects of escalating the conflict into open civil war, hawks within the Nigerian government led by Defense Minister, Major General Godwin Abbe (Rtd) are said to back the plan.Nigerian defense sources told Huhuonline.com that Abbe is bent on retaliating that attacks on the Oil installations in Lagos (blamed on militants) that he is prepared to give the Americans a free hand to turn the Niger Delta inside out, including killing innocent civilians as collateral damage, if that is what it will take to pacify the region and rid it of militants. In both his public and private statements, Abbe is quoted as warning the militants not to resume attacks on oil installations, saying they have lost the support and sympathy of Nigerian public opinion.Whether or not the defiant MEND militants decide to go back to militancy is their choice, the Defense boss has been saying to anyone who cared to listen, but he warned that the authorities would not fail to deploy the armed forces to curtail insurgence from any part of Nigeria and provide security to its citizens and oil facilities.Bayelsa State Governor, Timi-pre Sylva, who has been briefed on the project, and wholeheartedly supports it, has suddenly become a hardliner; telling the defiant MEND militants that they have much more to lose if they fail to accept the amnesty deal before expiration. He has even dared the militants to make good their threatened resort to violence which he dismissed as empty rhetoric.MEND had vowed to resume attacks on oil installations on September 15 in order to prove that the guns being surrendered by militants were owned by the government. The threat came on the day repentant militants in Bayelsa State returned over 95,970 rounds of ammunition and 520 rifles at a colorful ceremony held at the Isaac Boro Peace Park in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.How much the project will cost the Nigerian tax payer and how the government intends to pay for the project is yet to be determined. Above all, whether the American commandos and Special Forces will succeed in ending militancy in the Niger Delta remains to be seen. One thing is certain: Huhuonline.com investigations into the project will continue.
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Posted by Politics X on September 14, 2009 at 1:11am
Why should the Minister for Information and Communication, Prof Dora Akuyili, decide to employ the services of the former NTA bosses, namely Mr. Ben Bruce and Mr. Tony Iredia, to rescue.The public may likely not be pleased with such because it looked orchestrated. In short, the duo should be the last to be consulted in this issue because of their remote involvements on the issue of N8billion refurbishment of the NTA equipment. As a matter of fact the two immediate past Directors General of NTA can easily be roped in as people wanting to cover their own past contributions to what has now become controversial. They stand involved.It should be simpler for the NTA current management to rise up to the defense of the matter, throwing more light to the inquest rather than this Akuyili’s PR try . For all that is necessary to be noted is that it has been proven that to purchase a new equipment would cost almost the same, if not less than, what is now the case.Nigeria should not remain just where frauds are committed and the perpetrators go free, without properly accounted for. Let this matter be properly investigated as the NCC’s License issue.Mr. Effiong Israel, 79 Tayo Kehinde Street, Egbeda-Lagos.
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Posted by Politics X on September 14, 2009 at 12:54am
ByChukwuma IwuanyanwuPolitics, they say is a dirty game but most games are dirty. Soccer, basket ball, field and track events, just name it, they are all dirty. The pushing, the hackles, the muscular squabbles, the hard tackles, the willful fouls, the fighting and even head boots are some of the things that make games repulsive sometimes; but these notwithstanding, each opposing partner always presents the best, experienced and tested team so as not to suffer humiliation in the field or court of play. In politics, any serious nation presents her best and even when the field is open for all, the peoples’ will and the unfailing mechanism put in place serve as a natural selection to weed out those unproductive elements so that the nation is not fouled by pinheads, whose stock in trade is nothing but selfish predilection for grandstanding, corruption and subversion of the will of the people.Have you been privileged to be one on one with some of those people leading Nigeria? Some of us in Diaspora see them all the time and you will be surprised of how hollow they are in thoughts, actions and thinking. Dr. Chris Ngige was the one who first gave some us a peep into these people, the so called Nigerian leadership. In one of the places he was received in Los Angeles years ago after he was removed from office, he stunned the gathering that those people we thought that had something upstairs were just flowing chaffs. He also used the opportunity to ask most of us to come home and compete for leadership, because the brilliant ones, he continued were in overseas while the riff raffs spread their wings like eagles to reign in the land. The truth is that Nigerian brains are in overseas and anybody who contests that is foolish; we also know that there some brilliant Nigerians at home, but the hooligans, the so called politicians will push them over the cliff if they attempt to come nearer.The bad news for Nigeria is that the country is not in hurry for development, and the hooligans are not in a hurry to quit. An average Nigerian politician does not understand problem solving skill strategies; ask them to write policy statement, the seat on which they sit will shake until both the seat and the seated fall on the ground. An Average Nigerian politician does not know critical thinking map process and they don’t want to be bothered with task analysis and strategic management. They only language they are good at is how much money do I get at the whole deal process? All of them are contractors. Some of them are well read, but their education has stopped to be functional. Their big business is not growing grey hair for good governance and the art of law making but women, pepper soup, nkwobi, travelling and dexterity for corruption. The governors use state money to spruce the lives of women other than their wives and it is permissible because it is Nigeria. The legislators quarrel sometimes not because of disagreements on bills for the people, but the sharing of Ghana-must-go.Ever wonder why the country is in stagnation; two steps forward, four steps backwards. President Barack Obama is pushing his health care programs, so that common man will be insured as it is practiced in some of the westernized countries. It has been a big war between the Democrats and Republicans, a robust debate, which will produce superior health care overhaul, and if he succeeds, he will write his name on stone as the only president who has succeeded where others failed. What is Umaru doing in Aso Rock and what has he achieved since he stole the election with Olusegun via the enabler, Maurice Iwu?When the problem is enormous, one has to start somewhere, but the most important thing is to set goals of what to be achieved. Do our leaders know what goal setting is? Every Engineering Manager knows project evaluation and review technique (PERT); strength, weakness, opportunity and threat (SWOT); specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timeline (SMART). These are management instruments that managers use to produce results in competitive environments involving different kinds of projects and marketing endeavors. If there is a problem, define it, give it a name, and draw out the task analysis, what are the strategies to solve the problems? Brainstorm about it to produce arrays of solutions, set the goals you want, to measure the efficacies of the solution strategies. Did it work; is it achievable, what are the obstacles on the way? If not revisit the solution sets with the goals in mind. Engage experts and not anybody picked from the streets or the ones recommended by the Emirs, Obas or any local chief somewhere who does not know the difference between a control key and the delete key of a computer’s key board. Tell me why things don’t work in Nigeria? Nigerians hold strategic positions in USA as experts and in some other industrialized nations of the world. Can we invite these people to develop our country? Whither Boko Haram!I am always amused when I read both the federal government and some state governments inaugurating the vision 20-20. Are all these people bitten by mosquitoes that they have incurable malaria? Nigerians are not happy unless they find avenues for siphoning money or splashing money to their political patronage. The university students have been at home now for more than three months, the lecturers beaten to kiss the dust, yet these people are not ashamed to talk about being among the first 20 developed economics of the world. Both the federal and the state governments cannot even fix the roads lying at their noses, cannot provide the people with portable drinking water, cannot provide workable hospitals, cannot provide one-quarter a day’s electricity, cannot feed the hungry, cannot provide housing for her citizen and cannot provide employment to millions of the hapless ones and they are busy wasting peoples’ wealth. They cannot even plan and execute simple project for the people.It is not bad to have an ambition, but it is mere fool-hardy when you are throwing up challenges you cannot tackle since you are floored by simple things due to corruption, nepotism, lack of political will, procrastination, deceit and selfishness. If Nigeria should know the electricity capacity of South Africa, Umaru should bury his head in shame for celebrating 6, 000 megawatts by December this year. Tell him that South Africa with a small population is at present producing 45,000 megawatts and electricity there is 24/7 and the electricity company there is publicly run. If Nigeria is serious for develop, the politicians who are not all that smart should for the sake of the country, step aside for the smart ones to lead the country and the world will see the economic, political and social revolutions never seen before in the country.My last commentary on this news site was the probing questions I asked why a country like Nigeria refused to develop. In one of my solutions, I proposed an important stakeholders state of the nation summit, where we will assemble the friends of Nigeria to discuss why we are still operating from the era of 15th century. Among the notable patriots I mentioned was our own indomitable Gani and three days later, he died. Folks, Nigeria is dead, because who will whip our erring power grabbers into line? Gani’s tribute will be another time. Just last week, the broken system of the country hit me home. I received a telephone call that my brother Sylvester Iwuanyanwu was sick. I sent money for him to be rushed to the hospital. It turned out that in all the hospitals he was taken to, none was able to diagnose what he was suffering from. One hospital recommended the services of a native doctor, and this is what Nigerian hospitals and the doctors have turned into; no facilities and no capable hands. My family was frustrated that they took my brother to a church place for prayers and after fruitless search for cure, my brother died. He died because my family has no money to fly him to South Africa or Ghana for proper medical attention. Nigeria, a failed state and no thanks to the power grabbers.Frustration in the land: Few Nigerians have been making indirect speeches aimed at sensitizing the military to sack the government of Umaru. Of course in a democratic setting, there should be the freedom of speech, but the subtext of all these is the pent-up anger reigning in the land. No person in his or her right thinking cap will advocate the return of the military in this stage of world development. Successive military incursions into Nigerian politics have proved a disaster time and time again, but what will the people do when their votes do not count. How will our votes count so that people like Umaru and the countless state governors are voted out of Aso Rock and the state houses respectively? Don’t forget the federal and state legislatures. Throughout the civilized nations including Ghana, regime change is feasible through the ballot boxes, but Maurice Iwu and his cohorts always deny us this important franchise. Military coup is now unpopular, but 90% of Nigeria will pour onto the streets to jubilate if these crass and crop politicians we have now are sacked for good and jailed. Can they save us from the dark days of the military boys, because the sufferings are becoming unbearable?Chukwuma Iwuanyanwu, Executive Director of Harcourt Foundation, writes from Los Angeles.
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Kanye spoils country star's big moment by grabbing the mic to tell crowd 'Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time!'Kanye West has apologised for interrupting Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for best female video at the MTV VMA awards in New York last night. The rapper rushed the stage while the 19-year-old country singer accepted an award for her song You Belong With Me, telling the audience that Beyonce should have won for her video Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It). "Taylor, I'm really happy for you, and I'm gonna let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time," said West, as an embarrassed Beyonce looked on from the audience."I was standing on the stage and I was really excited because I had just won the award," Swift said after the awards. "And then I was really excited because Kanye West was on the stage. And then I wasn't so excited anymore after that."West offered an apology on his blog, but still wrote "Beyonce's video was the best of this decade!!! I'm Still Happy for Taylor!!!!" It seems he isn't the only one carrying this sentiment, as Beyonce actually did win the video of the year for Single Ladies, and promptly invited Swift to join her on stage during her acceptance speech. Swift said afterwards "I thought I couldn't love Beyonce more and then tonight happened."It's not the first time West has rushed the stage at an awards ceremony to protest over an award's recipient. During the MTV Europe Music awards in 2006, the rapper lost it after Justice v Simian's We Are Your Friends scooped best video instead of his own Touch the Sky. Just as he did last night, West grabbed the mic and said: "Oh hell no, you guys already won. This video cost a million dollars and Pamela Anderson was in it."But the rapper seems to have gone too far for MTV this time. While Beyonce and Taylor Swift put on a show of solidarity, West was booed off the stage and subsequently asked to leave the show. Numerous attendees tweeted their disapproval during the awards: Katy Perry tweeted "F*** Kanye, it's like you stepped on a kitten" while Pink wrote "Kanye West is the biggest piece of shit on earth. Quote Me."Read more…
Michael Egwu, the first child of his parents, left Makurdi, Benue State for Lagos in 2000 to seek better opportunities for himself, including education. Nine years later, his search for a better future was cut short by a police officer's bullet on August 19, 2009 at a road checkpoint.Eyewitness accountMike's guardian, who crave anonymity, told NEXT that her driver, Chidi and Mike, were on their way back home from her shop when the incident occurred. Chidi was driving her vehicle, a red Toyota Sienna. A recharge card seller who identified himself as Steve, said he was down the road from the checkpoint at the time of the shooting. Steve said that the vehicle was stopped by police at the checkpoint on 52 Road in Festac Town and from what he could tell, the police officers got into what sounded like an argument with the occupants of the vehicle. Steve said he could not make out what the argument was about. According to him, the Toyota Sienna moved forward about 50 metres towards where he was, and then he heard two gunshots. Steve said the vehicle stopped close to where he was and Mike stepped out. Just then, two of the police officers rode up on an Okada (commercial motorcycle) they had waved down to see what was happening."When they (police officers) got here, I heard the driver shouting at them, ‘you wan shoot me too, shoot," said Steve. "After seeing what happened, they asked the Okada man to turn back, and they went away, all of them. They didn't arrest the driver or anything."By then, according to Steve, Mike had struggled across the road and tried to speak. No sound emerged and he slumped in the middle of the road.Steve said that Chidi then sped off, leaving Mike in the middle of the road. Mike's guardian said Chidi came home to tell her that Mike had been shot.She said that by the time she and Chidi arrived at the scene, a crowd was arranging to take Mike to the hospital. He was taken to Ituah Hospital, 512 road, J Close, Festac town, on a Keke Marwa (commercial tricycle), where the doctors contemplated whether to attend to him because of the gunshot wound. The doctors later referred Mike's case to Ikeja General Hospital, but it was too late.Field of dreamsBorn in October 1976 to Godwin and Owo-Oche Egwu, Mike, as he was popularly called by his family and friends, had always played big brother to his seven siblings. After he finished from Army Command School, Bauchi, he convinced his father to let him move to Lagos."He wanted to raise the family up," said Christopher, his youngest sibling who has just finished secondary school. "He wanted us to further our education, so he wanted to make money to send (to) us, especially me. He loved me so much."Michael's father, in a telephone conversation, described his son as likable. He remembered going to the farm with Mike after he retired as a master warrant officer from the Nigerian Army. He said the last time he saw Mike was in December when he came home for Christmas.According to Mr. Egwu, his son was also his friend, especially after losing his wife, Mike's mother, in 2003."He's my tomorrow's future," Mr. Egwu said, sobbing. "I still don't know where I am now. I don't know how I am now. I am the only son of my father, now I have lost Mike. I trained him. Mike doesn't disobey me. He loved farming and assist me on the farm."Hustle and flowWhen Mike arrived in Lagos, life was not easy. For eight years, he washed clothes and cars, mowed lawns, and was a casual worker with Amuwo-Odofin Local Government in its street beautification programme. Earlier this year, he got admitted to study political science as a part-time student at the Lagos State University."It was the high point for him," said Nixon Anyanwu, who had known Mr. Egwu for four years. "He was aspiring for councillorship in Otukpo, his hometown in Benue State in the next election. That was the reason he wanted to study political science."Three days before his death, Mike had shared one of his dreams with Mr. Anyanwu after a party."He...had plans to go into farming," Mr. Anyanwu said. "He complained a lot about how much food costs in Lagos. He spoke about a plot of land his father gave him at his hometown, and how he could be bringing food to Lagos at a cheaper rate. He said he would discuss it with someone at Amuwo Odofin Local Government, to see if the local government could reach an agreement with him that could benefit the indigenes as well."BuddiesEven though Mike supported a different club side - Chelsea FC - he was on good terms with Ofonime Umoh, an Arsenal fan."Sometimes, we would argue into the night talking about football," said Mr. Umoh who knew the dead student for four years. "He once joked about joining Arsenal one day (that) Chelsea didn't do well. Everyone knew he was joking. He used to be one of the organisers of MAGNUG (an annual end-of-year party for youth in Festac town). Five days to his death, he called some of us to highlight some things he wanted to handle."Mr. Umoh, who also came to the shooting scene after receiving a phone call and found his friend sprawled on 52 road, said they were close."I thought it was a brush, but when I saw the amount of blood on the car seat, I knew it wasn't something small," he said.Killer copThe Festac police officer who shot Michael Egwu is believed to be in the custody of the Homicide Department of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti Yaba, Lagos. A senior officer of the homicide department who spoke on condition of anonymity said: "I know about this case that a police officer in Festac shot the student. We have since arrested the officer and he is in our custody. It was one officer that shot the guy, not officers, as is been alleged. I am sorry; I cannot tell you the name of the officer."Parting wordsMr. Umoh said he was angry at the circumstances surrounding Mike's death."Mike would rather want to please you and displease himself," he said. "I still remember blood coming out of the bullet hole each time he tried to breathe.""He was a sweet boy," said his guardian. "So respectable and likable; there is no one that came across him that didn't get anything good."
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Posted by 9jabook.com on September 13, 2009 at 12:55am
When new ads highlighting the PS3 Slim price cut hit the the airwaves, gamers frustrated with Sony’s past attempts to market the PS3 let out a collective sigh of relief at the realization Sony had finally made an effective, funny, and not at all vague commercial. The entire nation of Nigeria, however, was not amused.
Those who have seen the commercial might remember the always funny fictional Director of Rumor Confirmation, Kevin Butler, saying this line in response to a price cut rumor:
“You can’t believe everything you read on the internet. Otherwise, I’d be a Nigerian millionaire by now.”
Apparently, that was a little too close to home as Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Communication, Prof. Dora Akunyili, released a statement not only declaring the line, “[an] unwarranted attack on the reputation and image of the country”, but also demanding “an unconditional apology from Sony Corporation for this deliberate negative campaign against the country’s image and reputation”.
In response to the complaints raised by the Nigerian government, Sony quickly pulled the ad and released this public apology:
“It has come to our attention that a recent TV advertisement for PlayStation may have offended some members of the Nigerian community. We never intended to create a situation that would upset anyone, and we have taken action to immediately remove the advertisement from the air. We apologize to anyone this may have offended.”
Considering how quick Nigeria was to express their discontent and publicly accuse Sony, they are obviously aware of the issues involving scams and other fraudulent practices that stem from their country. We can understand where Nigeria is coming from on this one, as it only makes matters for them worse. But honestly, if they cared so much about the “reputation and image” of their country, maybe they should stop pretending the problem doesn’t exist and start with trying to not make us millionaires twenty-five times a day.
Below is the new politically correct ad that has taken the original’s place. Not much has changed, but we’ll deposit US$ 522,000,000.00 {Five hundred and Twenty Two million US Dollars only} into your corporate or personal Bank Account if you can spot the difference!
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Austin Jay Jay Okocha was enveloped by momentary madness the moment he saw Tunisia’s Derragi Oussma run into a wide space created for him by Taye Taiwo.OkochaHe had all the time to adjust and run deeper into Green Eagles goal area. It was two minutes to full time and Nigeria were leading 2-1 in a game they needed the victory to be in serious contention for a World Cup final slot.The Derragi move made Okocha crazy as he saw how close he was. The former Eagles captain was close to the touchline. He is a member of the Presidential Task Force saddled with the responsibility of ensuring Nigeria’s qualification.In his hotel room shortly after the match Okocha, so disappointed and down, told the story of his momentary madness while hissing and grumbling audibly.“I saw that move and I went crazy. Crazy things passed through my mind in seconds and I felt like rushing into the field to hold the Tunisian player. I don’t know what could have happened but I could have stopped the goal. I almost ran into the pitch. And they scored with that move, so I could have still dashed into the field to hold that guy.The penalty from FIFA could be banning me from watching live games for a period but Nigeria could have had the chance to go to the World Cup. Honestly, I went crazy and thought of running into the field. And see what eventually happened. I am just wondering why the players did not kill the game. We were leading 2-1 and it was few minutes to full time. You did not need anybody to tell you how to kill the game. In such a situation, If I were playing, I would just hold the ball and shield it at the line. I will shield it in a way that the opponent would make a forceful contact and I would simply fall.The referee must blow for a foul on me. I will simply pass the ball to a colleague and ask him to pass back to me and I will shield it again and time is going. I wonder why they didn’t show experience. The few experienced ones did not direct affairs. I am just disappointed. The baby they said we should go and welcome is dead. It will be tough, very tough for us to go to the World Cup but in football anything can happen. Let’s do our bit and leave everything to God.”Derragi scored on that move. Vincent Enyeama made it easier by remaining on his goalline instead of rushing out. Yobo and Adeleye saw the player running towards the goal. None of them rushed to disturb him. It is the normal thing to do when any of your full backs overlap especially when the right or left midfielder, as the case may be, has not also fallen back to defend. From Taiye Taiwo to all the defenders including goal keeper, the major blame of the equaliser should be heaved on them but the entire team should also share in it by not killing the game as Okocha suggested after their 2_1 lead.The way they played which lacked a sound tactical discipline is a big minus for the coaches. Their marking was poor, they allowed the opponenets space and the attack was poor. Osaze Odewenge fought hard and scored a goal but turned his usual self by always holding on to the ball when he needed to pass out. He does so every time and it is a surprise that the coaches have not corrected him. In a game that we needed to be very offensive, fielding two defensive midfielders in Mikel Obi and Seyi Olofinjana .
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Not along ago, I was talking to a young man who had been addicted to cocaine for many years. He had tried to stop many times. He had good intentions. He was praying and believing, and His heart was in the right place. But every time he would try to quit, he’d fall right back into that addiction. This time, he told how he had been drug free for six months, which is the longest he’s ever stayed clean. I asked him how he did it, and without missing a beat, he told me his plan consisted of three things. Number one, he changed his friends. Number two, he came to the recovery class we have at the church; and number three, he had a friend who would call him every day to encourage him and help him to stay accountable.
I found the third part of his plan to be so important because there are some things we can’t overcome on our own. When you’re making your plan, don’t be too proud to ask for help. Don’t be too embarrassed to call a friend and say, “You know what? I’m struggling in this area. Will you stand with me? Will you help me overcome? Will you hold me accountable?” The fact is we need each other. Ecclesiastes 4:10 says, “If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble”(NLT).
If you’re struggling in an area today, know that God has somebody there for you who will help you and encourage you. You may not know who they are right now, but if you’ll stay open, God will direct your path and bring the right people into your life. We cannot fulfill everything that God’s put in our hearts all by ourselves. We need the wisdom or the advice from someone who has gone before us. We need a friend to encourage us when we’re down. We need a brother or a sister to stand with us and challenge us to be strong when we’re weak, to encourage us to keep going when we feel like giving up.
When you’re making your plans, stay open to including others. That’s what this young man did. He had failed all those other times, but when he got the right people involved and put the right plan behind his goals, that’s when he overcame. I believe that when you include others in your plans, you will overcome, too!
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Sounding like a blend between Naija soul singers Asa and Ibiyemi, Lami’s sound is soothing and provides a breath of fresh air for any contemporary music lover. Lami, real name Olamide Phillips Gbadamosi, is an upcoming Nigerian soul singer who says she has always known she wanted to do music: “I’ve realised who I was born to be and what my gift is,” she said. “God gave me this gift. I didn’t work to get it; but I’ve worked hard to make it relevant and unique.”Although her debut album, Intuition is in the works, anyone who listens to some of her singles like “Know” featuring M.I, “Nothing Do You” and “Ur Over Me” will almost immediately notice that her sound is eclectic, unique and blends well with the contemporary African flavour and classic soul music. She says of her debut album, “It will be a fusion of neo-soul, hip-hop and jazz.”Lami borrows from musical influences that range from sources as diverse as Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, Kim Burell, Babyface, Kem, Tupac, Common and Jay-Z. She says music is a means of communicating the essence of life: “Music heals, music speaks; it teaches and guides. Music is more than words, more than notes and beats. It is life’s way of conversing with the human spirit.”Despite having a degree in Business Administration from the University of Kent at Canterbury, an MA in Strategic Management from the University of Nottingham, and an executive MBA from the Penn State University, Lami says that her passion for love and life and a need to express something that is larger than herself compelled her to take her musical journey to greater heights.X2 Whether Report: Her strength lies in the fact that most of her songs, although soft, can be grooved to. Her lyrics are also insightful, deep, relevant and meaningful; the type that anyone would love to listen to for relaxation purposes. Her experimentation with musical genres like Funk and Techno is a bit risky but all the same commendable.Forecast: Bright sunny days ahead with partly cloudy conditions.Read more…
Daring, eccentric and unapologetic, Goldie, real name Susan Harvey, is a product of the MTV generation. Her debut on the Naija music scene, the OJB produced “Komole” and “Spin Me” in 2007, made industry enthusiasts look up and pay attention.The same way Brandy was initially known for her signature braids and the late Lisa ‘Left eye’ Lopes for her condom patched left eye, our own self-acclaimed pop diva, Goldie, is known for her lashes.“Lashes normally denote sensuality and femininity, at the same time shielding your eyes - so people can’t see what you are thinking if you don’t want them to,” she says. “My extra long lashes aim to amplify all these three qualities.”From her unique lashes, which have been dubbed the ‘industry’s longest’, to her trademark gold (sometimes blonde) hair do, the University of Sunderland, Business Management graduate has carved a niche for herself in this regard.While some of mainstream pop’s royalty might be regarded for their singing talent or music writing skills, Goldie is carving out her own unique place in the pop stratosphere with her head-turning appearance. Not widely regarded for her singing ability, her videos make up for it with an abundance of colour and drama. Describing her style as unique, sexy, confident and fun, she addresses misconceptions about her: “The only thing that people would see in me is sex and that is not what I am all about,” she defends. “You don’t judge a book by its cover!”With Michael Jackson as a teen idol, the Ekiti State native says of her inspiration, “I derive my inspiration from the inside – vivid colours, bubble skirts, corsets and gloves and very vintage attire.”Whether this fashion trend is picking up amongst fans remains to be seen but what we do see is a woman comfortable in her own skin. Or whichever skin she chooses to put on.
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Posted by 9jabook.com on September 12, 2009 at 7:53am
Shaun Ellis is an English animal researcher who is notable for living among wolves, and for adopting a pack of abandoned North American timber wolf cubs. He is the founder of Wolf Pack Management and is involved in a number of research projects in Poland and at Yellowstone National Park in the United States.[1]
He has worked with wolves since 1990, and before that he studied the red fox in the UK, and then coyote in Canada.
The Wolfman
Ellis was the subject of a documentary, The Wolfman which first aired on Five in the UK as The Wolfman on 18 May 2007, and has also been shown on the National Geographic Channel in the United States, where it was titled A Man Among Wolves. The documentary shows how, by carefully mimicking wolf behaviour, Ellis was able to raise the three wolf cubs to maturity. It also shows how his expertise brought him to the attention of a Polish farmer, whose livestock had suffered wolf attacks. Since wolves are a protected species in Poland the farmer hoped that Ellis might be able to find some non-violent way to deter the marauding pack. Ellis travelled to Poland to study the local pack, bringing with him audio recordings of wolf howls.
Ellis believed that if the local wolves heard howls coming from the farm they would believe another pack had already claimed it as their territory, and keep clear to avoid a conflict. In order for this to work Ellis had to determine the size of the pack and play back recordings of a similar-sized pack. Initial results were encouraging and in the first few weeks after the farmer began playing the recordings the farm suffered no further attacks.
The documentary then shows Ellis returning to Devon, where he attempted to reintegrate himself with the three wolves. In his absence the wolves had established a new hierarchy, and though they recognised Ellis and welcomed him back he was now the pack's omega, relegated to a peace-keeping role between the new alpha and beta males.
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A good friend showed me the way to a home boutique last week. These are prized haunts in uptown Johannesburg because they suggest by their very size and inherent uniqueness that the goods they harbour will be imported, from a limited inventory and therefore exclusive, truly one in town.
Shoe shopping is a pastime that makes most women’s eyes light up. So I drove behind her in happy anticipation of irresistible bargains and pleasant female bonding. It was not to be and I knew that deep down. Soon to be fifty-six is a far cry from twenty five when the threshold for pain and discomfort in pursuit of beauty is as sky high as the heels that are now the current fashion.
I did try a pair, the lowest of the highs available with the latest thick, curving, heel and a vamp that thrust the arch of the foot forward and encased it in wide leather bands that allowed a glimpse of the toes, a traditional seductive hide and seek effect. Yeah, right.
But there was no way to walk in those structures without cringing at each step and how unsexy is that? Those shoes may have been to die for, but I was not prepared to.
Somehow when you are young and female, you do not think like that, and you are not expected to either. Joseph Wayas,
Second Republic Senate President knew a thing or two where that was concerned.
In a story he recounted himself, he announced he had a peeve about women,
especially fine young women, in cheap scruffy shoes. He never let them walk into his presence. He once sent a young lady who had came to see him out of his office with money to get herself a pair of befitting shoes before she came in to see him again.
We all know how that goes, the scrutinizing stare that starts at your feet first and ends up at your face. It puts a whole new meaning to Shakespeare’s description of the eyes as the window to the soul.
Only your shoes.
Women especially have honed this skill of instantaneous assessment, grading and filing to a fine art. Men are not bad at it either but their parameters tend to be far more humane and generous, as exemplified by the former Senate President.
For a young working girl, next to rent, and possibly a car, shoes are a major budget priority. Cheap or expensive, they cost a lot to maintain. First of all Nigerian streets are not kind to shoes and delicate heels do not have a chance. The tips come off and once that happens the lining on the shank peels and tears. So no matter how well groomed you look on top, your shoes tell the story of the struggle that is your life.
In the old days, right beside the famous Balogun market in downtown Lagos, the shoe emporium of choice, were a slew of repair shops, Lady Cobbler was one of them if I remember correctly. Today shoe repair kiosks dot our city landscapes.
If you ever wondered why shoes in the markets look squeezed out of shape, just imagine the conditions under which they were “imported” and say to yourself ditto for the Nigerian garment retail trade.
Long after rush hour in Lagos one would drive by a trail of shoes and slippers on a highway, a testimony to the scramble to get transport and in one glance you would get a window into the soul of life in Lagos, for a majority of its population.
For the other minority in the old GRA (government reserved area) bastions stilettos, kitten heels, Manholo Blahniks and Christian Laboutins can work. Its out of the air conditioned house, into the air conditioned car and up the air conditioned elevator in clean, freshly pressed clothes all things, especially diesel and generator, being equal. It is still high maintenance albeit at a different level.
On the streets though, the corner shoe kiosks with heaps of sturdy, wide heeled sandals, made of strong, synthetic material, fashioned for balance comfort and unimpeded movement, tell the story of how the other majority navigate the streets of their lives. More women in trousers is part of the tale,
it’s easier to get on to a motorbike. Smaller shacks and a reduced ‘inventory” relates to how much a trader can carry on an Okada More people walking on bridges and highways, describes the expanding urban centres and a buying capacity that is still shrinking.
Those shoe littered streets are less evident now in Lagos with an augmented public transport system and attention now paid to cleaning the streets. But the pressure is unceasing.
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Everton stalwart Joseph Yobo has told Goal.com that he plans to sue some Nigerian newspapers over a story that suggested he went nightclubbing to celebrate his birthday only hours after Nigeria failed to beat Tunisia in a crunch World Cup qualifying match in Abuja.
Yobo has dismissed the rumour, insisting it is "callous gossip from the pit of hell".
Reports in a section of the local media suggested that the Eagles' vice captain hosted a party, while millions of fans were left dejected after the country's dream of playing at next year's World Cup in South Africa was left hanging in the balance.
"It's annoying, because what's been written is an absolute lie and unbelievable," Yobo told Goal.com.
"It's a callous and vicious gossip because I was extremely down. [I was] shattered and reflected on the game with my family all through the night.
"If the gossip were true, it clearly showed I am not fit to wear the national team colours or worthy of it's captaincy."
An angry Yobo added, "I got texts congratulating me on my birthday. But I was not thinking about it, remaining focused on the big game at hand because there will be many birthdays in my life."
The Everton defender has now decided to take legal action against the newspapers that published the false report.
"This is a callous and vicious report to pull me down, but my lawyers are on it now," he disclosed.
"It's unfortunate what has been said and written about me since they published this when I have been in grief for the draw on Sunday, like every Nigerian football fan.
"We disappointed over 150 million people with our performance, yet some people would have the heart and guts to party? That is absolutely unbelievable!
"If they can prove that I went out that night, I will quit the national team for good. That we failed collectively is enough rather than make me look terribly bad."
It was only in June that Yobo, along with Portsmouth's John Utaka, chartered a private jet to fly to Tunis for the first World Cup clash, which ended in a goalless draw.
Yobo did not spare his team-mates after their lethargic performance on Sunday, revealing that they deserve the media and public backlash.
"We let our country, family and ourselves down and need to rescue what is left of our chances, hoping we can still qualify," he said.
"Hopefully, we can do that but right now people should know the truth about what happened and not feed on lies that will make things worse for the team."
Nigeria are second in Group 2, two points behind leaders Tunisia with two rounds of matches yet to be played. Only the group winner will be on the flight to South Africa next summer.
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Posted by prosper on September 11, 2009 at 11:28pm
Love comes to those who believe it.. we all know this... but the Question is : do you believe in Love? Love is Not always as Pleasing as it sounds.... For instance.. True Love.. to me is.. When you Love someone.. and wish that He/she finds happiness.. even in the arms of another... if this happens to you.. what would you think? but you must believe in your self... and follow your hearth... dont let any body choose your path for you... you must lets the Love in your hearth guide .. while making your choices... Follow your hearth.. and you"ll see that everything you need to succeed, is already in you.. do you think i am making sense?... let me know...Read more…
