10 Things to make your life easier

1.  Ants problem. Ants hate cucumbers. Keep the skin of cucumbers near ants hole or where they gather. Ants are gone.

2.  To remove gum from clothes, put the clothes in the freezer for an hour and then try removing the Gum. It will simply go.

3.  To whiten white clothes, Soak white clothes in hot water with a slice of lemon for 10 minutes. Then try washing them. It will be whiter.

4.  To give a shine to hair. Just apply one teaspoon of vinegar to hair, then wash         hair.

5.  To avoid smell of cabbage while cooking Keep a slice of bread on the cabbage in the vessel while cooking.

6. To get rid of smell of fish from your hands after cooking or after eating fish,           Now try washing your hands with a little vinegar.

7.  To avoid tears while cutting onions Just Chew a gum or cut onion under running tap, No more tears.

8.   To remove ink from clothes, Put toothpaste on the ink spots generously and let   it dry completely, then wash. the ink will be vanished as if it never been there.

9. To make the mirror shine you don’t have to buy any kind of liquid which are         made especially for cleaning it. Just Clean it with spirit or damp old newspaper  This will give a shiny mirror.

10.  To get rid of mice or rats, Now rat problem is the worst problem. But just sprinkle black pepper in places where you find mice or rats and see the effect. They will run away.

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When I had to switch from GLO Network to MTN

As a matter of policy, and that is right from inception of GSM, I dont patronise MTN especially to make calls, the closer I got to using MTN is their data services. I dont like the network one bit. For over 8 years now, I had sticked with my Glo line like a glue.  All that is now a thing of the past.
I am done using my Glo network.  After 8 years of being loyal to them, I am quitting the Glo line, and I am eating my word, I want to give MTN a trial.
A lot of people are asking me the real reasons behind my crossing the carpet to MTN, the reason is simple, though MTN isnt a perfect solution to the reason why I am leaving GLO, but then, I am tired of paying for poor services to GLO especially on data services here in Abuja.  Their data is so slow and unreliable and had put the use of my newly acquired smartphone into a white elephant. Enough is enough.  I would have loved to switch permanently to Etisalat which is still the best data services provider here in Abuja, but then, I am already using their network for my blackberry.
See, sometimes, when we grew tired of certain thing, we still change, change itself is constant. Ever pause and ponder about this?

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That Etisalat HAPPY WEEKEND Recharge Promo is Fraud

Ok, I received the SMS on my phone on Friday afternoon. It reads: "HAPPY WEEKEND is here again! Start recharging from 6pm today and get double on all your recharges of N200, N500, N1,000, N2,000 and N5,000 to call all networks".

As my phone had been out of credit for the greater part of the week and was looking for money to recharge, and as I was about to purchase a credit, I was like, let me wait till 6pm and recharge.

So when I got home later in the evening, I painfully bought 500 naira credit, and to my greatest surprise, I got the following reply. "Dear customer, for recharging N500.00 you have received an additional bonus of N500.00 both valid till 23.59 on Sunday."

This is fraud.  If you are giving me a bonus, it can expire, but my real earn credit I purchase cant certainly expired in 2 days.
What etisalat is doing is a big fraud to unsuspecting Nigerians.  What indirectly they are telling us is to recharge a lower denomination, because, in my case now, I recharge 500.00 and get another 500 naira, and since I did not make much call for the weekend, I lost both my original credit and my bonus. 

Someone should drum it into the ear of this network operators to stop using corny ways to extract money from the customers. When next I receive such weekend recharge promo, I am going to load just 100 naira, since they are telling us that we cant recharge more than that, less you end up forfeiting your credit.
Now Pause and Ponder, they even give us the option of recharging 5,000 naira credit and they expect us to finish all the 10,000 credit in 2 days. Now, should in case I recharge 5,000 naira credit, and I got 5,000 bonus, does that mean I will forfeit the whole 5,000 original credit when I couldnt even finish the bonus of 5,000 not to talk of the original 5,000 credit? That is a big FRAUD.

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How to Deactivate Annoying GLO Value Added Services

If you are my type that do received annoying value added services from GLO most especially from Glo Frenzo and GLO SMS Menu, then here is how to deactivate them.

There is this annoying text messages that the number start from 547*****, and also, they came in calls too. Well I grew tired of them and devote a whole day trying to figure out how to deactivate them. After scouring the internet, since their customer centre hardly help, all you need to do is to send UNSUB to 547.  That should sure do it.

Then again, there is this annoying sms from 8888, I dont even know how I subscribed to it, but they are sure annoying, as regards that, all you need to do is the following:

For word of the day sms UNSUB WORD to 8888,

For Jokes send UNSUB JOKE to 8888,

For Health tips send UNSUB HT to 8888,

For Weight loss tips send UNSUB WLT to 8888,

For Weight Gain tips send UNSUB WGT to 8888,

For Christianity send UNSUB CHRIST to 8888,

For Islam UNSUB ISLAM to 8888,

For Romance UNSUB ROM to 8888,

For Dating Tips UNSUB DAT to 8888.
For Hair Tips UNSUB HAIR to 8888

As for the Glo Radio and calls from 4040 number, if you are using a smartphone, just download any of the call blocker and include those numbers among the blocked calls. That should do it.

Now, just pause and ponder how this telecom companies can really bored us with unsoliciting value added services without telling us making it obvious how to deactivate them.

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The 5,000 Naira Note. What's the Fuss about?

I am not oblivious of comments on Facebook and Twitter about how the introduction of the new 5,000 naira note will aid inflation, aid corruption and of course shows insincerity of government as regard cashless policy.

Some sections of Nigerians just love to hate this government even in the midst of trying to do good things.  The introduction of the new note is a welcome development.

The CBN had said it times without number that the highest amount for any given cash transaction should not be less than 500,000 naira, so how would this aid corruption or affect the CBN cashless policy.  With the introduction of the 5,000 naira note, it means you carry fewer notes, and the ATM dispenses fewer notes too so much that, at a go, the amount that can be withdraw from ATM can be increased while the amount banks can load into their machines will increase.

Having said this, I call on Nigerians to always pause and ponder on government efforts and policies before condemning them to dist bins.

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GSM Companies Fraudulent SMS (Enough is Enough)

I had been constrained to document this on my blog.  The fraudulent SMS from the GSM companies has hit a high and I cant just take it anymore.  Our network operator (MTN, GLO, AIRTEL, and ETISALAT) had devised means of squeezing money out of the pocket of Nigerians and since it had been continuing unabated,  it had become some sorts of milking money from unsuspecting Nigerians.  One way or the other, you will just receive a text from your phone asking you to subscribed to certain tips, and as some of us had known that such SMS is being used to milk our credits, some of us just ignored such SMS.  The idea is that, once you subscribe, they keep deducting money from your credit.  There are some of them that will also ask you to join some bonanza with mouth watering offer, but since some Nigerians had known that it is just a gimmick to collect money from us, we just press the ignore button.
However, these GSM companies had now gone haywire, and a lot opf them dont even allow you to susbcribe before they start deducting money from your credit, all they want you to do is just reply with or without the keyword for subscriptions.
A case in point that forced me to make this write up was with Etisalat.  I woke on Sunday morning 12th August, 2012 and I saw the following SMS on my blackberry phone. (See picture below)

Oh, being a Muslim and who was fasting, I was very happy to receive such a FREE tips on islamic teachings, so I text option 2 back believing this is Ramadan period and I can do with words of Holy Quran moreso when it is FREE from my network operator.  The next reply puzzled me (see picture below).

I was very worried as to what they mean by subscription renewal is N50 per week, afterall I wasnt subscribing to anything, I was merely redeeming the FREE Islamic teachings that I WON.  Well, I said to myself that, that should be optional, and that once my FREE 5 days Islamic teachings that I WON is over, I wont subscribe.
But surprisingly this morning, 17th August, 2012, I received another SMS (see picture below) where my credit was debited with 50 Naira for subscription renewal.

This is FRAUD.  Now, I know you will said it is just 50 Naira, but, suppose 1 Million of their customer fall to these fraud SMS, they have make 50 Million Naira illegally by false pretense and without their customer willfully subscribing to the TIP. Did you see me trying to unsubscribe by texting STOP, it was shown delivered, but no reply yet.
Government should nip these act in the bud, it is becoming alarming.  Now, I can say I am computer literate, and that goes to recognising when an SMS from their end is to trap me to part with my credit, but what about this scenario?  I was told in the SMS that I received that I WON FREE 5 days of Islamic teachings, there was no where where the SMS said I should subscribe.  This is a FRAUD, is cruel and it despicable and preposterous, somebody should do something.
Now, Pause and ponder, if this is what is obtainable now, dont you think it will get to a time that credit disappearance will be the order of the day? Someone just said, it is already happening.

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How to remove "Facebook Timeline" on Google Chrome

I saw this on someone wall this morning, and I felt I should pass it around to those of us using Google Chrome and who HATE this "Facebook Timeline".

Using GOOGLE CHROME
1- while on google chrome
2- click the little wrench in upper right corner
3- click TOOLS
4- click EXTENSIONS
5- Then click bottom link-GET MORE EXTENSIONS
6- Type in TIMELINE REMOVE, or FACEBOOK TIMELINE REMOVE.
7- A? post will appear on right of page, select and Click ADD TO CHROME.

The one from www.timeline remove.com works well for me.

8- REFRESH FACEBOOK------ you will get the Old FB Wall Back.

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Beware of Abuja Green Taxi

My friend narrated how she was robbed by these Abuja Green Taxi and I felt I should spread the awareness to the General Public. She boarded one of the green Taxi around 7pm on Monday night, she was on her way to Gwarimpa. She said immediately she was about to enter, the taxi man open the inner light for her, she then proceeded and enter. She said when they were in a deserted road somewhere in Gwarimpa, suddenly, there was a high volume of music inside the car, and before she knew it, someone came from back seat and put a knife around her neck threatening to waste her if she make any noise. Thereafter, she was robbed of all her belongings, her wrist watch, phones, gold trinkets etc. They then took off and throw her outside the vehicle. She told me that, there was nobody on the back seat when the taxi man put on the inner light and that from the look of thing, the man that attacked her was from inside the booth, I guess it has to be those Abuja Green taxi that their booth are linked to the back seat. So, pause and ponder, when next you want to board any of the Abuja Green taxi, especially at night, check the booth to make sure, nobody is inside. Please pass this experience around.

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Etisalat FRAUD on Data rollover

If you are an etisalat easyblaze data users, there is this sms they used to send when you finished subscribing that, you can roll over your unused data after it expired at the end of the month. I want to tell you that, it is a complete fraud as there are hidden rules attached to it that they are not informing the unsuspecting Nigerian Internet Subscribers. First and foremost, I am a power user of Etisalat Internet, I used their network for my Blackberry, another for my Samsung galaxy tab and of course another one for my home Wireless router. So this is from my experience. My practice was to subscribe to N8,000 naira worth of their 6GB of Easy blaze for my galaxy tab and at the same time activates its hotspot wifi which I carry around as my mobile wireless internet which I use on my galaxy tab and in office. I normally subscribed to 1,000 naira worth of 200MB for my home wireless router since mostly it is only facebook my household browse mostly, so, 200MB is enough, besides, I complement that with the 6GB on my galaxy tab when I get home from work. Each time I subscribed to all these Data plans, I had never verified whether my unused data was transfer over to my new plan as I believed they are always. So, last month when I wanted to subscribed to my usual 6GB of data, I discovered that they have 10GB for 10,000 naira, and I was like, why not go for 10,000 naira 10GB instead of 8,000 naira 6GB of data, putting it at the back of my mind that, I can as well roll over the unused data. I did exactly. When it expired this morning, I quickly subscribed to their 200MB which is 1,000 naira believing that I have over 5GB of unused data in my previous 10GB I subscribed to last month, but I was surprised to see that my balance of data was just 260MB, meaning I was only given 60MB of unused data. I was so furious, and I quickly put a call to their customer centre, I was LUCKY enough to be answered to after 33 minutes of waiting on the queue. Their customer representatives, one YETUNDE, who refused to give her surname told me, there are rules governing it which is that, I should have to subscribed to another 10GB of data before I can get my unused DATA back. I was so furious and I made it known to her that, that is tantamount to fraud, because, there is nowhere the explanations is known to the general public. I then told her that, my 200MB data will soon expired, and that I am going to renew it, but am sure I have over 200MB unused, and that I will see whether what she told me is true or not. She further confirmed their company forgeries by revealing to me further that, for me to enjoy my unused 200MB, I have to subscribe before it expire. I quickly told her that, that too is a fraud because each time I want to subscribe before my data expire, they always told me to opt out before I can subscribe. These GSM companies are all FRAUD. When I ask the customer representative to give me evidence that I made this complain with their customer representatives, she told me, there is nothing to give me. whereas, Nigerian Communications Commission Consumer Affairs Bureau used to made us understand that if we are not satisfy with any answer to our customer grievances we can reach them, but first by collecting a ticket of that particular transactions. That is another FRAUD on the part of these GSM companies So, I paused and ponder, is there any iota of truth in any of these GSM companies mouth watering offer? From the above, there is an evidence that when they make a mouth watering offer, there are hidden rules on how they get their money back from the pocket of unsuspecting general public. I told the Etisalat customer representatives YETUNDE that I am putting this discovery on facebook, Internet so unsuspecting general public can be aware, I wouldnt want to dissappoint her. So when next time you are subscribing to ETISALAT internet, bear in mind the highest roll back of unused data they will give you is 60MB irrespective of unused GB you have.

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Pause to Ponder: Are extra lessons Necessary for School Children?

I came across this topic on Nairaland and it kept me glued to my computer screen reading the readers opinions on the subject.  After going through some of the posts, it occured to me is we had ever paused to ponder whether indeed extra lessons for school children are indeed necessary.  I look at it from my own child's  perspectives.  The school closes 1pm, he stayed back for lessons organised by the school authorities till 3pm, then his class teacher charges me extra amount for giving him extra coaching again, and when he get home, I got another teacher waiting 3 times in a week. So, it got me thinking whether indeed all those are really necessary?

Come to think of it, here in Abuja, we pay a lot to send this children to schools as schooling here are highly expensive. Now, it got me thinking again, with such high amount of money, why the need of paying more money for extra coaching.

There was a time I shun extra coaching by his class teacher, I remember that at the end of that term, his performance reduced considerably, and I still believed it was deliberate sabotage to make me realise the ward really need extra coaching.

There was a time I also noticed that my son doesnt like going to school, and I discovered the hour they spend at school is long.  School children go in the morning and come back as late as 5pm. In our days we closes by 1pm and straight we go back home, then we go back to school in the evening for games at our own volition.
The present ongoing are however the fault of some of nowadays parents. They prefer to leave their child in the hands of their teacher to hold them for them like a nanny till when they will close in the office, and from then on, the school authorities invented the extra school lessons to keep them at bay since they see most of the parents prefer to have their ward stay back in school till evening, and as if that was not enough, the respective class teacher also creates their own private lessons.

In conclusion, so, unless your ward are short in certain areas of subject, they dont need extra coaching.  Children needs rest, they need to play as playing is part of learning. They needs to inter mingle with other children. If you indeed needs to occupy them, let it be on some other areas of learning like music, religions, games, sports etc. Pause and ponder over this.

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What had become of Abuja Federal Housing Scheme Policy

I first moved to the city of Abuja in 2002. My first impressions when I secured a job back then was that it would be easy to get an accommodation.  My contact there keep assuring me how difficult it was then to get an accommodation and promised me that on my arrival, I would see things for myself.  Not only was there scarcity of accommodation, they were damn expensive. I remembered I rented a make shift self contained room for 50k in 2002 and I was forced to pay for 2 years.

But the Federal Capital put in place an housing scheme back then that will make accommodation available to all those working in the city. The policy was for the Federal Housing Authority to parner with private developers to build houses in a form of estates and sell same to the residents through NHF (National Housing Fund) mortgages institutions.  The idea was that all employers are to register their employees in one of the mortgages institutions with a mandatory contributions, and thereafter this will allow employees to acquire one of these houses paying upfront 15% of the total cost of the houses and paid the rest in 30 years through the mortgages institutions. What a laudable policy that would have sweep under the carpet the problem of accommodation in Abuja.

The programme took off well, the developers started building the houses in a form of estates. Such Developers like Prince and Princeses, Efab Properties, Sunnyvale, Suncity, Kabusa, Citec etc were into the project and they made available some of these estates.  But as times goes on, they started derailing. First by selling the available houses to those who are ready to make payment immediately or in few installments instead of 15 percent initial payment and the rest in 30 years through the mortgage institutions.  Then as time goes by, they started selling at exhorbitant prices, then to those who pay upfront even when the building isnt ready and then selling uncompleted houses, then selling developed lands at exhorbitant prices and finally selling undeveloped lands at staggering prices.  All these while, the FCDA nor the FHA see nothing in what these Developers are doing.  It is that bad that at the moment, once a land is sold to you, they will give you an allocation letter that you bought a house to the tune of say about 22 Million, whereas the true position of things was that, you bought a land for around 7 Million naira. This is fraud, and it speak bad of good and lofty government ideas.

I had always said this that, what the people contributed to Government failures are far too much than what government are going to take the blame.  Most times, when Government come with a laudable effort in a form of policy, we Nigerians always find a way around it to defeat the real purpose it was first put in place.

Ever pause to ponder that though the people are the government, no wonder, those put in charge by the people are doing exactly what the people wants. What a shame!!!

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When I had to pay 8,500 for 6 month Statement of Account

The CBN needs to do a lot more in regulating our banks.  There are a lot of hidden charges that had become rampant.  For instance if you are an habitual ATM users like me, you will discover that Banks now has two balances, one is ledger balance and the other is available balance. Most times if a lot of money pass through your account, your ledger balance is higher than your available balance, and at the end of the month, like my bank does, the differences between the ledger balance and the available balance disappear with no sms informing you that your account is debited.  The only sms I always receive is COT and VAT for such ledger balance disappearance.

That is just by the way.  I needed my 6 month statement of Account from my bank (Name Withheld) . When I applied as I used to do, this time around, they did not honour my request telling me the balance in my account wont accommodate the charges for the printing of the statement of the Account.  It was then dawn on me that all along, they had been debiting me each time I ask for statement of Account.  But on this particular occasion, the fact that my account wasnt funded made me know.  When I inquired how come I am going to pay 8,500 for just printing of statement of Account, I was made to understand that, there are lots of transactions in my account and that each page cost 250 naira only.  A quick mathematics gives me the idea that for 6 months statement of account, I was able to amassed 34 pages.  It then further dawn on me that withdrawing from the ATM which in some occasions might be 5 times in a day accounted for the heavy transactions which I am paying dearly for now.

Isnt it the practice of Banks that they should be sending customers their Statement of Accounts every month? Had they been sending it to me, would I not just compile the backlog of 6 months and make use of it?  I dont seem to get it.  Not sending the statement of Account is actually a deliberate action so that when a customer needs one, they can get more revenue from the transactions.

Then, how come printing just statement attracts 250 Naira? Why not a one time payment, why must it be 250 naira per sheet?  Are they discouraging the use of ATM, using of current account?  I am lost.

The Central Bank of Nigeria should do something.  There are lots of Nigerians who are not learned enough to be conversant with the corny practice of these Banks.

All said and done, ever paused to ponder whether I actually paid that sum to obtain the Statement of Account? Your guess is as good as mine!! I did exactly as what you can do in this situation, yes, just as you would do.

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The Winners and Losers of Removal of Petroleum Subsidy Protests

My initial position as regards the removal of the Petroleum subsidy which drastically put the pump price of fuel to 141.00 per litre had always been expressed on my facebook wall. For avoidance of doubt while I support the removal of subsidy, and that it should be remove, I believed it is not the right time, and if it is going to be removed at all, certain palliatives measure should have been put in place to cushion the effect of the removal of the subsidy.

On the second day the removal of the subsidy was announced, the protest that greeted it was alarming, people of Nigeria believed that government has come out to inflict pain on them and add more to their sufferings.  

I am with the government on this subsidy removal, there is no pain without gain, and from what I gathered, things would be better in no distance future from the proceeds gather from the subsidy.  I am also with the Protest too, though not to revert it to 65 Naira, but to serves as a wake up call to government that people of Nigeria are aware that the proceeds from the subsidy needs to be spend judiciously.

However, unknown to most  protesters, there are quite some people who are benefiting from the protest while there are others losing a great deal from it too. 

On the winners list are the following:

- the opposition. the President's loss is always their gain

- the so called Cabals. They will do anything to revert it back to 65 naira.

- the Nigerian Labour congress, NLC. They promptly call for strike, they will use it to negotiate for transport allowance.

- Government workers, they will still be paid during the period of Strike

- The Journalist, they get more news to publish and smile to the bank. They are actually working while some other jobs are grounded to a halt.

- Some politicians, they are using the protest to prepare themselves for 2015

- Nigerian Artiste. Most of them are siding with the Protesters to gain more support and launder their image

- The Senators, House of Reps. They got jumbo salary and government cant slashed it now because it will be a political suicide, most especially when removal of the subsidy is also a political suicide.

- The Governors. They stand to gain from the subsidy removal. More money for them to steer the affairs of the states.
- The people residing in the villages. They dont own a car, they dont own a generator, they were not subsidize fuel wise before its removal. Life continues for them.
- The GSM Operators. Strike or protests doesnt affect them, infact, they make more profits.

On the losing ends are the following

- Nigerian masses. They bear the brunt of the increase, the strike and wanton destruction in the wake of protests.

- The Traders, the Merchants. They dont have anyone to pay them transport allowance.

- The government, protest is discrediting Nigerian image they represents

-The Traders and self employed, nobody is going to pay them for days lost to Strike action.

- Economy of the nation is suffering as experts had put about N320 Billion naira as being lost to the protest    daily on Nigeria economy.

- The Banks. They will be forced to close down because of the strike.

- The sick and the hospitalised.

The Police. They are suffering the price increase, but cant complain.

- Travellers. All airport closed.
- The Rich.  They pay more to fuel their fleet of cars.
- The President, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Sanusi Lamido Sanisi. The hatred from angry Nigerians is too much.

These are just the little I can think of as at the time of writing this. This is indeed a period to pause and ponder on the pros and cons of this fuel subsidy removal. Pause and ponder about the protest, and pause and ponder on the way forward.

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The funny sights of Fuel Subsidy Removal

It is no more news that the federal government of Nigeria had removed subisidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as Petrol. What is funny about it is the sense of humour of Nigerians as regard the whole scenerrios. Here are some of them in pics as collated from facebook.

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