Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is a general knowledge television quiz programme that started in the United Kingdom in 1998 and has now been exported to over 100 countries including the USA, Germany, Japan, Mexico, South Africa and Saudi Arabia; making it the most popular television programme in the world. Nigeria is the 104th territory. I want to believe that something is wrong with the MTN sponsorship of that programme. For God's sake how can they limited the participation in that programme to MTN subscribers only? That to me is a fraud, a fraud of telling Nigerians that MTN has the highest number of subscribers, a subscribers who merely bought MTN line just for the purpose of pariticipating in the programme and probably discard it the moment the goals of purchasing it is achieved.
Besides this, I dont see the reason why the organiser of the programme should deviate from its principle of making the participation available to all Nigerians afterall the programme is for all Nigerians. MTN on the other hand is becoming notorious of sponsoring programmes for their selfish interest other than the love of Nigerians at heart. Are we now saying that should for instance Nokia or sony ericsson decided to sponsor the programme, it should be for only Nokia or Sony Ericssson users. The organiser should not have compromised that aspect of the sponsorship, it left so many colour off the programme.
By the way, have you paused to ponder too that those who are being call on the lifeline of friends and family are always MTN subscribers? I guess participants are warned before hand to supply only friends or families with MTN line only. Na wah o!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
The Aftermath of GSM Free Calls
If you have not not noticed this, try and observe it, Nigerians who indulge in staying awake to make free calls are easy to notice nowadays, it is either they doze off while in the car, bus or come late to office or schools.
Ever since two GSM operators Glo and MTN announced free calls from midnight until early in the morning, nigerians who had been noted to love free things have swoop on the advantage. They now stay awake till midnight to make their calls free of charge. As a Glo subscriber, I noticed that one is able to put a call through at several trials before one can succeed, and it is no more safe to make calls as from 12 midnight because there are so many subscribers trying to make a call.
The danger inherent on this is that, even in emergency, there will be problem of getting your call across to seek for assistance.
Ever Pause to ponder that some decorum need to be put into this free calls facility?.
Ever since two GSM operators Glo and MTN announced free calls from midnight until early in the morning, nigerians who had been noted to love free things have swoop on the advantage. They now stay awake till midnight to make their calls free of charge. As a Glo subscriber, I noticed that one is able to put a call through at several trials before one can succeed, and it is no more safe to make calls as from 12 midnight because there are so many subscribers trying to make a call.
The danger inherent on this is that, even in emergency, there will be problem of getting your call across to seek for assistance.
Ever Pause to ponder that some decorum need to be put into this free calls facility?.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Retro Reflective Sticker Craze
In Nigeria, pasting of a retro reflective sticker at the back of your car, is the new craze going on now, and this stickers came in two form, either it is original or a fake.
El-Elyon Limited, producer of the original argued that it can reflects from a distance of 300 metres and lasts for a minimum of five years. They insisted that one can easily identified a fake ones because it breaks immediately when you use your finger on the red portion, while it is more shining than the fake ones. Motorists are advised and encouraged to go for the original retro-reflective sticker, as it help during rainy season and in a pollution atmosphere.
That is Nigeria for you, where the different between the rich and the poor is always a major necessity in the scheme of things. An original stickers go for as much as N1,500 while one can get the fake ones for N500. Now an unsuspecting motorists can pay for the fake ones with the amount of original if they are not careful enough.
The truth is every vehicle already comes with reflective points on its rear lights, so I dont see the idea behind the sticker anyway, but the public are not grumbling, so it seems, or nobody wants to be heard. ever pause to ponder that, since nobody complain but instead comply generally with this order, it will be a matter of time for another order to perhaps ask the motorists to start painting our vehicle in a particular colour to either differentiate the rich from the poor or better still, to reflect our categories of vehicle.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Aftermath of Okada Ban in Abuja
A visit to Queen ebong's blog Read here reminded me that I need to comment on the aftermath of the Okada Ban in my blog. Being a resident of Abuja, I found out that the aftermath of outright ban of commercial motorcycle operators (popularly called Okada) in Abuja is taking its toil on everyone. While the non car users are complaining seriously of exorbitant fares they have to coughed out to Kabukabus (private vehicle used as commercials) for their daily business transactions, the car owners too are into some serious experience of hold ups, go slows and traffic jams.
The available buses could definitely not go round, so those who will want to abandon their cars and pursue their daily business transactions with Okada had no alternatives than to go with their cars nowadays, the result is perennial hold ups, traffic jams and go slows. This normally occurs in the morning, afternoon and closing hours.
The truth is the government did not do their home work very well before discarding with Okadas. I had always ponder that, the move is a life saving for the Okads operators, but another look shows that, the commercial motorcylce operator business needs careful regulatory in the capital city, less the rate at which things are going on now, we will witness a real traffic congestion, worse than that of Lagos, that at the end of the day, government might be tempted to ban the use of certain categories of transporation again.
The journey that will take you some 5 minutes drive in the past now take you up to 20 - 30 minutes because of hold ups, jams or go-slows. I had just contributed the habit of driving in the outskirts of towns to get to my house, because that is more free and faster even though it is a long route.
Though the menace of Okadas is now a thing of the past, the menace of the Taxis, Bus drivers and the Kabukabus are the next nightmares on Abuja roads nowadays. Dont jump into conclusion, I am not saying those too should be ban to ease the traffic hold-ups, jams and go-slows. I just pause to ponder aloud.
The available buses could definitely not go round, so those who will want to abandon their cars and pursue their daily business transactions with Okada had no alternatives than to go with their cars nowadays, the result is perennial hold ups, traffic jams and go slows. This normally occurs in the morning, afternoon and closing hours.
The truth is the government did not do their home work very well before discarding with Okadas. I had always ponder that, the move is a life saving for the Okads operators, but another look shows that, the commercial motorcylce operator business needs careful regulatory in the capital city, less the rate at which things are going on now, we will witness a real traffic congestion, worse than that of Lagos, that at the end of the day, government might be tempted to ban the use of certain categories of transporation again.
The journey that will take you some 5 minutes drive in the past now take you up to 20 - 30 minutes because of hold ups, jams or go-slows. I had just contributed the habit of driving in the outskirts of towns to get to my house, because that is more free and faster even though it is a long route.
Though the menace of Okadas is now a thing of the past, the menace of the Taxis, Bus drivers and the Kabukabus are the next nightmares on Abuja roads nowadays. Dont jump into conclusion, I am not saying those too should be ban to ease the traffic hold-ups, jams and go-slows. I just pause to ponder aloud.
My Birthday
I just added another day today. As usual, as in the past, I will be celebrating alone with no any fun fare. I cant remember celebrating any of my birthday, I mean I had never celebrated it with all those cacophonous or with epicentre of celebration. Instead, I always mark it with just some sober reflection that I just added another year. Recently, I will continue with my work and at the same time let the music of King Sunny Ade (Birthday) play on, and as I am writing this, the music is playing in the background.
I also put on my wife's birthday present, a beautiful suit, which she presented to me. The fact that I dont celebrate my birthday also explain why I dont remind people when my birthday knocks my door. Perhaps this explain why I hardly receive birthday greetings in form of cards, gifts or text messages. To me, I believe, if I meant a lot to you, you should remember my birthday without reminding you. So among my friends, who make it a duty to send birthday greetings to me even without reminding them, I used to appreciates such gestures, no matter how it is sent.
Have you ever pause and ponder what birthday celebration is all about? I remember my boss telling me in one of my past birthday that, the fact that one is alive to witness another year is enough a celebration. What is your own perception of celebrating birthday?
I also put on my wife's birthday present, a beautiful suit, which she presented to me. The fact that I dont celebrate my birthday also explain why I dont remind people when my birthday knocks my door. Perhaps this explain why I hardly receive birthday greetings in form of cards, gifts or text messages. To me, I believe, if I meant a lot to you, you should remember my birthday without reminding you. So among my friends, who make it a duty to send birthday greetings to me even without reminding them, I used to appreciates such gestures, no matter how it is sent.
Have you ever pause and ponder what birthday celebration is all about? I remember my boss telling me in one of my past birthday that, the fact that one is alive to witness another year is enough a celebration. What is your own perception of celebrating birthday?
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Kanu Nwankwo
By the time I come of age, I am oblivious of who I adore as a person, similarly I had always wonder at such truism as adoring someone you had never met as a hero. Equally in my amazement is to have someone you love to meet in person, all this I only wanton in fantasy by choosing either those who are heroes at that time or personalities that are popular.
However, by the time the Nigerian U17 triumph in Japan in 1993, I remember there is one Nwankwo Kanu, who perform excellently well at the tournament. As if that was not enough, his sojourning at Ajax Amsterdam together with Finidi George makes him an instant public figure. The Nigerian Dream Team triumph at the Atlanta 96 Olympic put him into final limelight as a world celebrity.
I had to confess here that my likeness for Nwankwo Kanu dated back to his playing days at Ajax, there I make sure I monitor his progress. By the time he won Gold at Atlanta 1996 soccer events, I have loved him with everything in me.
Like I said earlier on, Nwankwo Kanu must be the only person in my life that I love and does not know I existed. I adore him so much. I always pray for him consciously or unconsciously, monitoring his progress daily and eager to hear news of his sojourning in every premiership games.
I remember what I went through at the beginning of this season, I need step by step progress reports on his tranfer, so I had to add his name in Google alert to enable me monitor any available net news about him, this is to monitor his transfer progress to assuage my fear of him leaving England. I know it as a fact that he will prefer to stay in england and i keep monitoring whether there is any available club in England that is willing to sign him.
I am always devastated anytime I learnt of any negative views, comments about him. My entire household knew quite well that I am accustomed with one phrase about him - "I JUST LOVE THAT GUY".
My house, desktop, laptop, mobile phone are adore with his pics. Kanu is my man. The only opportunity I had to see him physically was at Abuja Stadium. I think we were playing against Malawi, I went to the stadium purposely to see him, and I am glad I did. The only thing i could do to stamp my presence was the shout of Papillo as he was returning to the dressing room after the match. I remember him waving back, probably not to me, but the waving back did a lot of consolation to me as if I am the one he is acknowledging.
My friends are in the habit of making jest of me because I dont have a particular club I support in England except any club that Kanu Nwankwo play for, So you can see that I have been and still be an admirer of Ajax, Inter, Arsenal, WestBrom and recently Portsmouth.
Ever ponder why football is a passionate game? I guess one of the reason is because we all have one or two of the players we adored, like I have in KANU NWANKWO.
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