Recycled Politicians and the Blaming game

I remembered vividly when President Goodluck Jonathan was contesting last April election, majority of voters were like, I am voting for Jonathan, am not voting for PDP, because PDP is Nigerian problem. Has anyone paused to pondered that PDP was actually formed in 1999 whereas Nigerian problem has been on over 50 years ago.

I made it bold to say that, we should stop singling out PDP as our problem as indeed the Politicians are our problem.  For instance, most of the Politicians are being recycled, and they are carpet crossing politicians, today they may be in ACN and before you know it, in another political dispensation, they are with PDP.  Mall El-Rufai was indeed a PDP member during Obasanjo regime, today he is dining and wining with CPC and at the same time becoming an emergency anti government crusaders.  Most of the politicians in the newly controlled ACN states in the south west were formerly with PDP, now they have cross carpeted to ACN.

I therefore enjoined most of us to stop blaming PDP as Nigerian problem, the politicians indeed as a whole are our problems.  The youth of this country should bear this in mind, as from experience, these politicians are using this against us, and at slightest opportunity, they also blame the ruling party, just to get noticed, and what do we get in return, the same treatment meted out to us by PDP. Paused, and ponder this.

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When Roger Federer won a record 6th ATP World Tour Final

I was in the comfort of my home watching the finals between Tsonga and Roger Federer.  It was a tense Sunday afternoon as with Federer recent form, I expect him to despatched Tsonga in 2 straight sets.  My expectations was coming to fore when suddenly Federer begin to confirm my worst fear, he began to fumble in the second sets having won the first set in 6-2.  I was under pressure as if if he won, my life depends on it, but the joy of him creating another record of 6 win of ATP world Tour final and winning his 70th career title in his 100th final keeps me under pressure.

So when the second sets got to a tie break, I can watch it anymore, because with the way it is going, I am pretty sure, my heart cant bear to watch him perform miserably anymore, so I switch channel, even though my thought is with the game playing on.  

A mild drama played itself in my household as regard the match.  The moment I switched channel my spouse was watching it in the bedroom, and she keep making side comments as regard the Federer lack lustre performance in the 3rd and final sets.  I had to warn her to keep it to herself because I cant bear to listen nor watch, as I prepared my mind for a loss. Any ardent Federer fan will remembered that the same Tsonga won against Federer at the Wimbledon even though Federer was 2 set up in the match, and the thought that the same scenario is about to play itself made me believed it is all over for Federer to win the 6th record world ATP tour title.

When my spouse came again to make another side comments which suggests Federer performance isnt encouraging, I set up the quarrel between us by switching off the DSTV Receiver and hell was let loose.  That solved my problem as the match was blanked out and I dont have anyone to feed me with the poor performance of Federer, even though my mind wass still on the outcome of the result.

Finally, I summon enough courage to confirm my worst fear a while later to confirm the outcome of the match on the internet, and you can imagine my joy when I saw that it was Federer that won the match. 

Ever pause to ponder what actually is our gain as fans when in actual fact, there is no any monetary satisfaction to be derived despite our support, and we go to the length of going under pressure and having blood pressure. Federer won, it calm my nerves and that is what matters!

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Gone in November!!! Adieu

The incident of 6 years ago today, is still very fresh in my mind. A day hardly passed without thinking about  you. The truth is, the reality that you are gone forever is the pain I get each time I remembered you. May the lord continue to forgive your sins. Rest in perfect peace my son. I missed you very much in my life. Adieu.

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Is GLO BIS COMPLETE Completes?

Yeah, the title was okay.  Glo revolutionise the Blackberry Internet Service popularly referred to as BIS to GLO BIS COMPLETE for 1,400 Nigeria Naira and they were so loud with the advertisement that they keep telling us that you can browse and do all that the full BIS subsprition will do.  This was evident from their advert to the extent that they will say a BIS without a browser is not a BIS.  So, has anyone pause to ponder whether the Glo BIS COMPLETE is really complete? Read along.

I started using Blackberry on the platform of Airtel which was a  24 month contract. At the expiration in August this year, I dediced to give GLO BIS a trial. I go for the full subscription of 3,000 Nigeria Naira per month, until a few weeks later they started having problems on their network.  Having been accustomed to all these Network Operators, I always believed that they were all the same in terms of network, so I still stick with them.  When the network became so bad in the month of October, I vowed not to waste my money on full BIS anymore, so I went for GLO BIS COMPLETE which is 1,400 per month.  On two occasions, there was total blackout on my BIS Network and I was with the believe that, they had started with their network problem again.  This happened to me during Sallah Holidays and through the holiday I was without BIS Network, I resorted to using wifi at home to power my BIS.  The following week after Sallah holiday, the same thing happened, up till this day.  But  days ago, I met someone who was also using GLO BIS COMPLETE, and I discovered that while mine doesnt have BIS network, the other person had.  I was surprised, I had to do a battery pull and it was still the same.  So this morning, I was still thinking about it, and I remember that I had no credit in my GLO line.  I didnt care if I dont have credit in any of my line as long as the other phone has, because I had two phones.  So I reasoned that perhaps, it was because there wasnt credit on my glo line that was the reason I couldnt get BIS network on my blackberry. So I bought credit online, and Bingo!! my BIS network came on.

This Network Operators are really taking us for a ride.  A full month subscription BIS should be working whether you have credit on your line or not. BIS has nothing to do with having credit on your sim, because it isnt pay as you go, it is a one off payment.  I want to believe that, there might be hidden charges apart from the amount charge for this BIS COMPLETE subscription which subscribers are not aware of, otherwise, I dont see the reason why a subscriber must have credit in his or her glo line before your BIS network become operational. Those who are using full GLO BIS should also take note of this discovery, they might be denying them the use of their money too simply because your glo line wasnt recharged.

Pause and Ponder, enough of this rip off. Haba!!!

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Babatunde Omidina (Baba Suwe) Drug Ordeal

On October 12 2011, Babatunde Omidina widely known as Baba Suwe was arrested at Murtala Mohammed International Airport as a suspect for ingesting drugs suspected to be Cocaine by National Drug Law Enfgorcement Agency (NDLEA).  He was detained to enable them investigate as the scanner revealed that there is a substance in his stomach suspected to be drugs.  All eyes and ears are on the incidence since Baba Suwe is a popular Comedian in the Yoruba genre of Nollywood.  However, days drags by, Baba Suwe was still being held because the suspected drugs in his stomach has not been excreted as expected.  Then days turn to weeks, still the NDLEA were unable to make him excretes the suspected drugs in his stomach.  On the 21st day in detention, he was brought to High Court as earlier ordered and he was granted bail on condition that if nothing was found on him at the expiration of an earlier court order which is expected to end in 3 more days. As nothing was found on him albeit after inhuman efforts to make him excretes the drugs, he was left off the hook after 24 days in detention.

One then wondered the lifespan of a wrap drugs ingested in a human stomach before it burst.  One also wondered why after 24 bowel movements, the NDLEA were unable to make Baba Suwe excretes the drugs.  I continue to pause and ponder what it would be like and how it had been like on ordinary citizen who are not as popular as Baba Suwe if this is what is obtainable from someone that is well known.  The NDLEA certainly are a laughing stock to international community and it really speak volumes about the type of equipment they are parading to fight the drug battle.  It continue to make me ponder if such treatment meted to Baba Suwe are obtainable in other countries, and then I continue to ponder still what it will take to nail a suspect at all cost and have me puzzled as to the type of investigations the NDLEA carried out before Baba Suwe arrest and what type of equipment they are parading to nail him despite the fact that a scan reveal something suspected to be drugs is in his stomach.

The DPP of NDLEA however shows the incompetency of the organisation when he claimed the suspected ingested drug is coming down slowly after 24 days and that they still want to keep Baba Suwe a few days more to monitor the suspected drugs, showing inhuman attitude to Baba Suwe plight. The blogger wondered further if it is one of the well known politicians, whether his detention can be as long as that of Baba Suwe.

Having said all this, it is believed generally that there is an iota of truth in every rumour , there indeed must be something in Baba Suwe Stomach as the scan clearly revealed it, and the insinuations that it was African Magic that prevented him to excretes them makes the whole matter very difficult to ponder.

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Congratulations Mr. President

Congatulations Mr. President. 

I just need to let you know that Nigerians voted for your personality,not because you are in PDP, majority of Nigerians voted for you because you are from south south, whom a lot of people believed are minority and whom had never ruled nigeria before.  The North had ruled us more than the West, you are the first from the South South to win an election and rule Nigeria, dont let Nigerians regret it.

Mr President, rule this country in such a way that when you want to leave in 2015, we will all be begging you to stay.  Represent the South South very well so much that Nigerians will realise their mistakes in denying the South South to rule ever since independence.

Mr President Sir, do you know most of your opposition supporters said you are clueless when it comes to affairs of the nation, please prove them wrong.

Goodluck to you in this onerous task ahead. Goodluck to Nigeria!

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When Government efforts on Health are white elephant

The national Health Insurance Scheme introduced by the government of Olusegun Obasanjo was hailed by everyone when it was first introduced. The scheme was introduced as a social security system that guarantees the provision of needed health services to persons on the payment of token contributions at regular intervals. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is a body established under Act 35 of 1999 by the Federal Government of Nigeria to improve the health of all Nigerians at an affordable cost.

Scorecard emanating from the progress so far about this scheme is not salutary at all.  In the other countries where this scheme is being practiced and where it was copied, the level of progress is very high. In Nigeria, there are various complaints, ranging from the beneficiaries being treated as second rate citizens when it come to administer of health facilities.

In some of the Hospitals being retained for the scheme, we are made to understand that each Hospital are entitled to N550.00 per month per a family, which means an hospital with 2,000 customers will rake in over a million naira per month whether the NHIS patients appear for treatment or not. One would have expected that such gratification would be met with commensurate services by the Hospitals, but reverse was the case.  

For example, beneficiaries of NHIS complaints that patients on NHIS patient are treated differently in most of the hospital albeit shabbily, they said they are made to see different consultants, and given cheap drugs, and in some cases discriminates as regards to Beds in case of Admission, compared to other patients who are are going to pay for their services instantly. 

The Hospitals prefer to deal with the patients who offered to make payment compared to the people on NHIS platform, thereby making NHIS beneficiaries look inferior to their counterpart who offered to make payment.  In most cases, NHIS beneficiaires ended up making payment too, so that they can receive the best medical care. This is indeed sad on our part as a nation.  

Have you paused to ponder that sometimes, we lack the understanding here in Nigeria that Government is doing all it can to better our lots, but sad that a lot of us prefer our old ways of being treated shabbily.

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I Still Hate Politics

Of recent, my facebook status and comments is on Politics, and mostly about the candidacy of the incumbent, President Goodluck E. Jonathan.  Until now, even at the time of writing this, I aint into politics, and would never will, because I cant stand the double dealing, carpet crossing, back stabbing etc, some of these clearly put me off.

I was however pushed into supporting the candidacy of GEJ by my facebook friends who mostly believed General Muhammadu Buhari and Prophet Bakare which they termed (BB) were a better candidate than GEJ.  Each time I logged in to my facebook account, it is one noise or the other about how he is the next best thing. The noise is so deafening that, they invented captioned like, 100 reasons why BB is the answer, why they dont vote Buhari in the past etc.  As a GEJ supporter, I began to run away from such post and chant. Then I decided to fight back, now a lot of people believed I am some kind of card carrying member of PDP.

Let me set the record straight, I have never met Mr President physically, nor do I belong to PDP, but he is my President, and I believed in him. I believed in his candidacy, but I am not his agent or that of PDP.  someone was so pissed off with the way of my strong defence for GEJ that he put it in his Status in capital letter that I am GEJ agent. I would love to, it is an honour, but I aint.

Who doesnt want to be linked with the President, no wonder I am with Dbanj as regard the Interview the President granted him on Silverbird TV. I used to tell people that, if it were to be Buhari that adopted that kind of style, Dbanj will receive lots of applause from the BB supporters. The condemnation was so deafening because most of BB supporters are elites who are online, mostly on facebook, twitter etc. Dbanj should ignore them, they will seize the opportunity if Buhari ask them to come and anchor that kind of programme for him too.

so, pause and ponder, with my recent recalcitrant posture on candidacy of GEJ, does it really look like am into Politics, while in actual fact, I hate politics with a passion.?

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When Domestic helps are Dubious

When i was young, I used to viewed it seriously the act of making someone an househelps. I used to go like, I wouldnt want my child to be one, so why would i used someone else child as one.  My orientations changes later in life when I discovered that they are necessary in one daily life. I agreed to this concepts even though I make sure they are treated best in my entire household.

Experience had shown that when seeking househelps, the agents are dubious, so also are the househelps too. The agents will want to supply to highest bidder, while the househelp themselves will come with just the cloth they are wearing, as if they dont have more than that one.  When they travel for holiday, they hardly come back, they prefer to try a new ground where they will be treated as fresh, and then get a new set of clothes and wages.  All these point to one facts, they are dubious and can never be trusted.  The househelp business is becoming a 419 sort of, all the parties involved are so dubious that it is very advisable to have the underlisted tips in mind.

The other day someone sent me a broadcast message on my blackberry, it goes thus:

1. Get your domestic helps to provide 3 guarantors each. Know these guarantors.

2. Call home several times a day preferably to a landline

3. Get to know your neighbours and try to be on good terms with them. Chances are they may report suspicious activity.

4. Have a close relative over as much as possible. Your sibling or parents is unlikely to harm your child.

5. Do not deliberately extend your hours at work. sitting idle in the office waiting for traffic to subside might not be such a good idea.

6. If you really dont have time to be a parent, then dont be.

7. Teach your child (especially your daughter) the parts of her body that are off limits to anybody except you or a doctor.

8. As early as possible, your child should know your name (not "mummy" or "daddy"), your address, where you work, and your telephone number.

9. Be kind to your domestic helps. whether you like to admit it or not, for some people, these helps do more parenting than parents!

10. Pray for your kids and be vigilant.

Pause and ponder, dont you think these tips are highly necessary?

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Is Facebook and Twitter killing Blogging?

Gone are the days when net crawlers like me will be refreshing Blog aggregator to get updates on bloggers.  You want to keep abreast to what happens around the world first hand through the inspirations of bloggers. Bloggers making waves back then are Chxta's world, Grandiose parlour, Akin's blog, Omodudu, Jeremy's blog, Funmi Iyanda's blog just to mention a few.

But with the advent of Facebook and Twitter, seems blogging is becoming history, as updates of blogs by bloggers is dying.  Take for instance, this year alone, and we are in march, Grandiose Parlour and Omodudu both only had  one updates, Funmi Iyanda hasnt updated since October last year, while Chxta's world updated last in February. Akin's blog and Jeremy's naija blog however  updated their blog regularly.

Yours truly also performed poorly in this regards, as my 2 blogs - Nollywood photoblog and this one had not seen updates in a long time.

While I am not saying categorically that Facebook and Twitter seems to be the only reasons, they may however contributed since in a few words, it is easier to capture whatever one need to update on the blog.

Pause and ponder, is this what is going to happen? I stand to confirm my worst fears on this in a couple of years. Meanwhile, this is a wake up call for me, as I am not determined more than ever to update my blogs as and when the need arises, twitter or facebook notwithstanding.

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Taking Advantage of others

One way or the other, we stand to take the advantage of others, knowingly or unknowingly. In the course of my life, I had learned that if you dont have a hard stern on some matters of life, people will take advantage of you. If you have a weakness, they will take advantage of you as long as your way of life will help them in their selfish interest, they will take advantage of you.

Now, there is this general saying that people used to say, I am me.  To me, it is the best way to live one's life. Be yourself, even if what you get from it is people taking advantage of you, in the end, you will know you live your life a fulfilled man.

One noticeable traits about my life is that, I had never and ever make a mockery of my friendship with women, to the extent that I would be taking advantage of them, I let them take advantage of me, and unknown to them, it gives me great satisfaction, and it pleased my conscience than me getting away with a seeming action of mine that would seem like I took advantage of them. The same with my fellow men.

My reader may pause and ponder whether this is right or wrong of me, but the truth is that, I am me, and I enjoyed being me.

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