The Month of July

The month of July virtually come and go in my life, until I got married in 2004. From then on, it is always one event to celebrate or the other any time I witness the month of July.
For a start, I got married on 18th July 2004 precisely 3 years today, I guess today is the 3rd year anniversary of our marriage. As if that is not enough, my wife's birthday is also July 10th. I remember we tried as much as possible to hold our wedding on 10th July back then so that we would be celebrating two things together on 10th July, but tried as we did, the marriage could not hold on that day.
And lastly, our bundle of joy arrived on 28th of July making it another occasion to celebrate especially where birthday is concerned. I guess to save cost, we need to fix all the celebration till July 28th and make it 3 in 1. So far, I am the odd one out in the family as birth date is concerned, because I hold the same month with Nigeria Independence.
Ever ponder how some things are mere coincidence? I guess my family and the month of July is another coincidence.

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The Fighting Flying Eagles Meet their Waterloo

Just like I predicted in my last post that the flying eagles will not get past the next stage, it did came to pass yesterday when they met their waterloo in Chile.
However, the attacking flying eagles did fought gallantly, and it took the assistance of the centre referee to help subdue their fighting spirit. The truth is, the first goal, offside as it looks like, was allow for a goal by the match officials, and that demoralise the eagles. They press on forward to equalise, and again the referee came to the rescue of the Chileans again, by allowing another offsides that resulted in penalty.
Having said all this, the attacking flying eagles did their best, at least they were not disgraced in a competition where the likes of US, Mexico were also sent packing. The next thing is for the football authorities to learn from what went wrong and move forward. Just like I said earlier on in my post, it is good we do not get past this stage, as it would send a wrong signal that all is well with our preparations.

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The Attacking Flying Eagles wont go far

Mark my words, the flying eagles will not get pass the next stage of the competition. I had not seen any vision, I just felt they are not good enough for the trophy. Let truth be told, and let me set aside sentiments of being a Nigerian, the present flying eagles team lack what it takes to continue in the competition. The only thing good about this team is their attacking nature and ball possession, but they lack the experience and capacity of utilising such advantages.
The number 15 shirt - Ideye Brown who is the point striker lacks poor finishing, they hardly take shot at goals, and when they does, it is always at the wrong opportunity. The best among the team are number 6 shirt, Ambrose Efe, and the number 4 shirt. The goal tender is good too, and I wonder whether the injured first choice keeper can do better than him.
Just ponder over this, if we win our next match, we probably will reach the final, but I am quite sure we cant go beyond the quarter final stage, at least that will be a good commensurate to our poor preparation for the event, reaching the final will be like, everything is well with our football.

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Chris Benoit - The WWE Wrestler's Tragedy

The wrestling world has suffered another blow. WWE sensation Chris Benoit was found dead, along with his wife and son. He was 40 years old.

Benoit, his wife Nancy and his 7-year-old son Daniel were found in their Georgia home on Monday. On Tuesday, authorities announced that Benoit had strangled his wife and smothered his son before hanging himself.

Also today, the CNN on Larry King LIVE also confirmed that Benoit actually killed his wife and son before killing himself.

From an investigation that had taken place since that time when the incident happened, and continued at the crime lab earlier, where autopsies were performed on all three subjects, the case was ruled as a double homicide-suicide. Evidence in the home leads us to believe that Mr. Benoit had, sometime - possibly Friday, had murdered his wife by asphyxiation. Sometime shortly after that, on the early part of the weekend, the same for his son, Daniel, and, then maybe later on Saturday evening, some time early Sunday, had committed suicide by hanging himself in the basement area. Further results from the crime lab are still being awaited, which will include toxicology reports which can take up to several weeks to get all of that information back.

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The FIFA Ban of Flying Eagles Supporters in Canada

The news making round was that FIFA ban the flying eagles supporters club in Canada from drumming their trumpets, but it is not clear enough to me, because i had not been able to read it on the net where a reason was given as to why the ban was effected.
This is a sad development because drumming and singing had always been trademark of eagles supporters club. Is FIFA now saying, drumming in match venue is now outlawed? Or was there a particular law in the hosting country banning drumming or blowing trumpet? They have started another year of Ojoro, just like they did in the last edition of the competition all in the efforts of frustrating Nigeria in lifting the trophy.

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49 Sacked Unilorin Lecturers - The Real Issue

It is no more news that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) called off their over 2 months old strike last Sunday and directed its members to report back to work, what is news is that among the agreement reached was that the 49 University of Ilorin lecturers sacked 6 years ago may get reprieved, because according to ASSU there is a firm signals emanating from the government to reinstate the 49 sacked lecturers.
In an earlier post by this blog, I stated that, government had not been known to reinstate sacked employees and I still maintain it. The sacked of the lecturers concerned is a forgone issue, most especially when the last administration had turn a deaf ear to all pleas to reinstate them. Having said this, I want to believe there is more to it than what the ASUU want to make us to believe as to reason why the 49 lecturers were not reinstated. The government on the other hand will never come out to tell the world the truth about why they can never reinstate them. This blog will attempt to unravel real reasons why the 49 lecturers may never be reinstated.
The 49 sacked lecturers comprises mostly (if not all of them) non indigene of Kwara State, the state where the University of Ilorin was located. The University itself is a federal universities which make it possible for the non indigene to dominate the Vice chancellorship of the University from inception. As a result of this, at a certain stage, the majority employees of the University were non indigene of Kwara state. This also affect admission quota for the indigene of the state housing the University. As a result of this, the Kwara State indigenes mostly the elites had been lobbying incoming government to correct the anomaly, but they had always not been successful. Respite however came when Professor Shuaib Oba Abdulraham an indigene of Ilorin was appointed as the Vice Chancellor, he saw an opportunity to correct the anomaly as could be seen with the number of non indigenes of the state dominating the employee and admission quota of the university. I am sure the 49 sacked lecturers form a crop of those big wig among the top hierarchy of employees trying to see that the issue of correcting the anomaly never materialises. I want to further believe that this political bickering had been going on under like a cold war before ASUU embark on strike in 2001.
As usual, the Unilorin ASUU joined the strike, but the Vice Chancellor directed them to go back to work. The Unilorin ASUU refused, and the VC further threatened them that, whoever refused to go back to office shall be sacked and directed a strict monitoring of attendance. All other Academic Staff returned back to office and sign the attendance register except the 49 and they were subsequently sacked. The VC took the opportunity of the strike to get rid of the 49 lecturers to fulfill his mission The lecturer should have seen the handwriting on the wall by been wiser for it and return to office. All efforts to persuade the government to reinstate them since that time had proved unsuccessful, the Unilorin authorities does not help their matter either claiming that there is no more vacancy for their reinstatement even when Professor Shuaib Oba Abdulraham tenure ended, the same scenario still persists.
The irony of the whole matter now is that, since that strike, the University of Ilorin has never joined ASUU strike, and in the recent past strike which lasted over 2 months, they had been attending classes and due to finish the semester exam any moment from now.
So from the above analysis, one would see that, it is only a lip service the government is giving to their return back to the University, reinstating them back to that University would be a miracle, aside that, the only respite that the 49 sacked lecturers could get from Yar'adua administration is a retirement with full benefit as against termination of appointment.

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BOSO.ME - Check out his Vital Statistics

This series first commenced with chxta who had earlier on participates in this series by letting us into some of his vital statistics. Today, this blog try to bring out the vital statistics in BOSOME, I am sure you will love his responses to some of the statistical questions. Please read on.

BIRTH DATE:- 30^th October

E-MAIL ADDRESS :- me@boso.me.uk

ZODIAC SIGN :- Scorpio

CHILDHOOD NICKNAME :- Boso

FAVOURITE FOOD :- Beans and Dodo

FAVOURITE DRINK :- Fanta

FAVOURITE COLOUR :- Blue

FAVOURITE CAR :- Honda Accord

FAVOURITE COLOGNE :- Blue Water

FAVOURITE BOOK :- The Bible

FAVOURITE SPORT:- Soccer (Is there any other sport? Really?)

FAVOURITE NIGERIAN :- Wole Soyinka

FAVOURITE FOOTBALLER (MALE) :- Steve Gerrard

FAVOURITE SOCCER CLUB: Liverpool

FAVOURITE NIGERIAN FOOTBALLER (FEMALE) :-

FAVOURITE FOREIGN FOOTBALLER :- Steve Gerrard

FAVOURITE MUSIC (TRADITIONAL) :-

FAVOURITE MUSIC (FOREIGN) :- Blues

FAVOURITE NIGERIA MUSICIAN:- Big Lo

FAVOURITE FOREIGN MUSICIAN:- Ruben Studdard

FAVOURITE NIGERIA ACTOR (ENGLISH) :- Don’t watch Nigerian movies

FAVOURITE FOREIGN ACTOR:- Denzel Washington

FAVOURITE FOREIGN ACTRESS:- Sandra Bullock

FAVOURITE FOREIGN MOVIE:- Cool Runnings

FAVOURITE NEWSPAPER:- This Day

FAVOURITE MAGAZINE:- Don’t have one

FAVOURITE RELIGIOUS ARTISTE (MALE) :- Fred Hammond

FAVOURITE RELIGIOUS ARTISTE (FEMALE) Yolanda Adams

FAVOURITE GOSPEL SINGER:- Fred Hammond

UNCOMPROMISING HABIT:- Reading ANYTHING

UNCONTROLLED WEAKNESS :- Watch TV too much

PERSON I LOVE TO MEET AT THIS MOMENT:- Bill Gates

PERSON I DREAMT OF MEETING :- Bill Gates

FAVOURITE MODE OF DRESSING:- T shirt and jeans

FAVOURITE MAXIMS :- "You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence therefore is not an act, but a habit" Aristotle

MY GUIDING PRINCIPLES :- "No great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness" Aristotle

MY GUIDING SAYING:- "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I'm very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that." Bill Shankly

GIFT OR TALENT:- singing

HAPPIEST MOMENT IN LIFE :- day my daughter was born

MOST ADMIRED POLITICIAN:- Tony Blair

MODE OF RELAXATION:- sleep

MOST AMAZING TECHNOLOGY:- radio. Wireless technology has changed our lives in so many ways

I'm reading: BOSO.ME - Check out his Vital Statistics

Still Gunners for Life?

Of course, it is still a shock to some of us Arsenal Fans that our talismanic Striker, the Igwe himself, the slippery forward and of course the goal scoring king of Arsenal has left our darling club to another club that play our pattern of free flowing football, Barcelona. No doubt we will all missed him. As he bade farewell to arsenal fans in his interview at arsenal website, I was close to tears when he said these lines of words: “Arsenal will be in my blood as well as my heart. I will always, always, always remember you guys. I said I was going to be a Gunner for life and I did not lie because when you are a Gunner you will always be a Gunner. The Club is in my heart and will remain in my heart forever."
So as he is leaving the club for Barcelona, I ponder aloud as to what become the fans that are mostly fans of Arsenal because of Thiery Henry? The news perhaps is not yet out, but, I foresee Arsene Wenger also leaving the club in a matter of days or month, it will indeed be a miracle if he stay to see the end of his contract which end next year.
That would make an exit too much if Wenger joined Henry in leaving Arsenal. So, to Arsenal fans out there, would the slogan still be Gunners for life? To give my own candid answer, my heart had always been with Arsenal despite the fact that my Idol i.e Kanu Nwankwo left the club, I dont think there would be a different still, if not, than to see that my heart is still with the club that serve Kanu Nwankwo very well, and of course the best foreign Player I had ever loved - Thierry Henry and of course the Coach that make them - Arsene Wenger.
So I said, Gooners for life!!!

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Promotion

I got promoted in the office this week, having been traumatised about the outcome of the promotion exercised for the past 5 months now. Where I work, which is a federal government parastatals, promotion is like going for a job interview. You have to sit for a written examination, then thereafter attend an oral interview.

The preparation for those two is traumatic in entirety because you need to prepare very well like someone going to sit for Cambridge Examination. Then on the day of the interview, more trauma ensues because we were not interview during the appointed time. The agony is more increased when you realised that, you may end up been asked to come the second day to finish the interview, when you already prepared to let go all that you have memorised to go with the appointed day of the interview. But alas, the interview was compoleted that day.

Now come the result, it was delayed for over 5 months, leaving room for manipulation. At a time I gave up that it has been swept under the carpet, until this week when I received my promotion letter, and realisation that 8 out of 15 in our category scale through the interview.

Truth is, this is the first major promotion I had gotten in my entire working career spanning 15 years in different establishment, so it calls for celebration, and indeed "I must wash am".

But the strike action took shine off the good tidings as everywhere seem paralysed as a result of the strike action, so I may have to postpone the "washing" till later after the strike. You are all cordially invited.

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Darfur Crisis and Mixing Politics with Sport

I read this in today's Nigeria Daily Guardian, and cannot but copy and paste it into my blog. So I pause and ponder, Can this actually have impact on Darfur Crisis? Please read on.

Necessary boycott of Beijing Olympics

Sir: In the wake of the Chinese president - Mr. Hu Jinao's visit to Nigeria last year, some of us Nigerian writers warned in our open letter (The Guardian on Sunday, April 30, 2006) that empowering China with oil prospecting licence must be done when China is willing to be responsible to global covenants on the environment and to the immediate stop of the genocide project in Darfur.

The gloomy sands of Darfur are a desolation of tears and blood. Lots of cries for help yet no big one is underway. Over 250,000 helpless black people have been murdered and over two million are in hellish refugee conditions. And yet in both cases still counting.

China with its oil interest is one of the very few countries the Sudanese government relies on for cash and guns which makes China morally culpable in the mass slaughter.

We call on the Nigerian government to rally all other African nations to boycott the Beijing Olympics next year should China still insist on its deadly intimacy with the Sudanese government. Frustrating this deadly intimacy is much more critical than the impact of UN or AU peacekeepers in Sudan.

We must act now!

Damola Awoyokun
London.

I'm reading: Darfur Crisis and Mixing Politics with Sport

Was Supreme Court Wrong?

‘THE decision of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the apex judicial body, delivered on Thursday, 14 June, 2007, extending the tenure of office of Mr. Peter Obi as governor of Anambra State is riddled with serious and fundamental constitutional error. It was a landmark judgement but one without constitutional jurisdiction,” Lagos lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, said yesterday.

Fawehinmi explained, in a press statement, that he unreservedly disagreed with the Supreme Court because by the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999, “I believe that the highest court of the land has no jurisdiction on the matter”.

According to him, the Court of Appeal is the final court in matters relating to gubernatorial election as provided for in section 246(3) of the 1999 constitution.
The background facts, as provided by the senior advocate, are as follows:

“The decision of the Supreme Court arose from the governorship election that was contested in Anambra State in 2003. In that election, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the winner of that election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige took the Oath of Office and Oath of Allegiance contained in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution on 29th May, 2003.

“Mr. Peter Obi of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) challenged Ngige’s election in the Election Tribunal sitting at Awka, Anambra State.
“On Friday, 12th August, 2005, close to three (3) years after the election, Mr. Peter Obi won the election petition and Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige lost.

“However, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige went on appeal to the Court of Appeal. There again, Mr. Peter Obi won on Wednesday, 15th March, 2006. And because the Court of Appeal is a final court in such matters as provided for in Section 246(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, that was the end of the matter. No further appeal could go to the Supreme Court of Nigeria. “Mr. Peter Obi took the Oath of Office and Oath of Allegiance on Friday, 17th March, 2006. “On Saturday, April 14, 2007, Anambra State Governorship Election was conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Dr. Andy Ubah was declared the winner and on May 29, 2007, he took the Oath of Office and Oath of Allegiance under the Constitution. There were several petitions against the election of Dr. Andy Uba pending before the 2007 Election Tribunal in Awka”.

Asking whether the Supreme Court has the constitutional jurisdiction to determine the tenure of Obi, he stated: “The judicial institutions empowered by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to determine whether the tenure of office of any person under the Constitution has expired or ceased are: (a) Election tribunals; and (b) The Court of Appeal if there is an appeal to that Court of Appeal from the Election Tribunals. “Under the 1999 Constitution, the decision of the Court of Appeal in that respect is final. The relevant constitutional provisions are Section 285(1) and 246(3).

“Section 285(1) provides:- “285. (1) There shall be established for the Federation one or more election tribunals to be known as the National Assembly Election Tribunals which shall, to the exclusion of any court or tribunal, have original jurisdiction to hear and determine petitions as to whether- (a) any person has been validly elected as a member of the National Assembly; (b) the term of office of any person under this Constitution has ceased; (c) the seat of a member of the Senate or a member of the House of Representatives has become vacant; and (d) a question or petition brought before the election tribunal has been properly or improperly brought.”

“Section 246(3) provides thus:- “246(3) The decisions of the Court of Appeal in respect of appeals arising from election petitions shall be final.” “I will start with Section 285. For emphasis, the pertinent subsection above is 285(1)(b) which provides as follows:- “285(1) There shall be established for the Federation one or more election tribunals to be known as the National Assembly Election Tribunals which shall, have original jurisdiction to hear and determine petitions as to whether - (b) the term of office of any person under this Constitution has ceased”

Sounds convincing to me, does it mean the Supreme Court was actually wrong? Let us wait to replies from other learned lawyers in Nigeria and of course the full judgment of the Supreme Court coming up in July this year.

I'm reading: Was Supreme Court Wrong?

Supreme Court Grants Obi Tenure Extension

In a landmark judgement this afternoon, the Supreme Court ruled that former governor Peter Obi of Anambra State should go back to the Government House as governor of the state till March 17, 2010. The court also ordered that the incumbent Governor, Cheif Andy Uba, should vacate office as he ceases to be governor as from today. In the lead judgement, Justice Katsina Alu said INEC erred in law by conducting election in Anambra State when Peter Obi has not served his four-year term.
The court ruled that the four year tenure of Obi commenced from the day he was sworn in and will terminate on 17 March 2010. All the six justices of the apex agreed with the lead judgement. They all agreed that a governor should only vacate office four years from the day of assuming office. They said Obi had not served the constitutionally stipulated four years in office. The Supreme Court justices said a fuller explanations of the judgement will be given on 13 July, 2007. Obi was not in court but his deputy Dame Virginia Etiaba was in court.

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Pause and Ponder on Chxta's world

This blog intends to commence a series of a cursory look at Nigerian bloggers at a glance in a form of statistics. I therefore commenced this edition with a look at Chxta's world. Come along and take a look.

BIRTH DATE:- 10 May (He gave the actual year, but I edited it)

E-MAIL ADDRESS :-

ZODIAC SIGN :- Taurus

CHILDHOOD NICKNAME :- Chxta

FAVOURITE FOOD :- Plantain with anything

FAVOURITE DRINK :- Lemon tea

FAVOURITE COLOUR :- Blue

FAVOURITE CAR :- Range Rover Sport

FAVOURITE BOOK :- Things Fall Apart

FAVOURITE SPORT:- Football

FAVOURITE NIGERIA MUSICIAN:- Resonance

FAVOURITE FOREIGN MUSICIAN:- Nino Rota

FAVOURITE FOREIGN MOVIE:- The Godfather

FAVOURITE NEWSPAPER:- The Guardian (UK)

FAVOURITE MAGAZINE:- PC World

UNCOMPROMISING HABIT:- None really

UNCONTROLLED WEAKNESS :- Lie in on waking up

PERSON I LOVE TO MEET AT THIS MOMENT:- My girlfriend

PERSON I DREAMT OF MEETING :- Ioseph Dzhugashvili

UNCOMPREHENSIBLE QUESTION:- Lots in this questionnaire

FAVOURITE MODE OF DRESSING:- Casual

FAVOURITE MAXIMS :- Si vis pace para bellum

MY GUIDING PRINCIPLES :- History repeats itself, so we have to be careful to prevent that happening

MY GUIDING SAYING:- Vox audita parit, litera scripta manet

MOST CHERISHED POSSESSIONS:- My hard drive

HAPPIEST MOMENT IN LIFE :- Feb 7, 2000

SADDEST MOMENT IN LIFE :- Feb 13, 2000

MODE OF RELAXATION:- Reading

MOST AMAZING TECHNOLOGY:- Linux

I'm reading: Pause and Ponder on Chxta's world

Police to ban Okada from Lagos streets

Commercial motorcyclists, known in local parlance as Okada, will soon be banned from some major streets in Lagos State, according to the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bashiru Azeez. Azeez said at a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) forum on Tuesday in Lagos that the ban was to restore dignity to the areas that would be affected and reduce the crime rate in the state. The commissioner said the Command had already discussed the proposed ban with the state government. He said the police had discovered that some robbers used motorcycles for their operations, especially during traffic jams, adding that many commercial motorcyclists also flouted traffic rules with impunity. Azeez said a task force had been set up to decongest traffic jams on some major roads to reduce robbery and alleviate the sufferings of motorists. He disclosed that the police recently gave four motorcycles to each Area Command in the state for security patrol during traffic jams. Azeez, who stressed that the state police command was committed to guaranteeing security of lives and property, also said the state Police Command would soon recruit more personnel to improve security.
Has anyone started to pause and ponder over the implications? Especially in Lagos of all places!!!

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The Defiant of Okada Riders in Abuja

It isnt news that Commercial Motorcycle popularly called Okada was banned in Abuja last year, what is news is that the moment the Erstwhile Minister of Federal Capital vacated office as a result of the end of his tenure with the government of Obasanjo Administration, the Okada riders are back.
Most of them that were interviewed hinged their comback on the exit of former Minister, and of course the end of Obasanjo Administration. Of particular is the fact that, most of this okada riders believed that as long as Obasanjo and El-Rufai are no more holding forth in Office, the law banning their trade is no more enforceable.
This defiance caused the administration of Federal Capital to descend heavily on this and today, about 250 motorcycles had been impounded while a mobile court was set up to try offenders with over 20 already sentenced to 3 months imprisonment.
With the clampdown on them, one would have thought it will serve as deterrent, but some of them still remain defiant, choosing of course to operate early in the morning and of course in the evening when they know the task force would either not have resumed for work or had already closed for the day.
This defiance had caused this blogger to pause and ponder why they can subject themselves to such risk knowing fully well that they may be arrested and prosecuted. The truth however is that most of them are illiterates who does not believe that the law prohibiting their operations is still in force, other who are literate could not afford to leave the trade since it is a means of livelihood to them. One then ponders that there is indeed money in the business, no wonder some of the Okada riders does not own the Motorcycle, but are mere riders who are expected to deliver certain amount of money at the end of the day to the real owners. These types are the ones that remain defiant, believing that it is the Motorcycle who will suffer the consequences once it is impounded.
Despite the fact that it was only Abuja town that they were restrained from operating, they are however allowed to operate in Abuja town environs. One would have thought they will abide by this law, but they chose to remain defiant. Talk of New government, new sets of laws, at least, that is what the Okada Operators thinks.

I'm reading: The Defiant of Okada Riders in Abuja

Running Scared

We all must have experienced this one way or the other. But this particular one I am about to narrate happened to a friend, it was indeed 'running scared'
My friend had stayed in 6 different places in Abuja here and have each place demolished. He was so unlucky. Here in Abuja before Mallam El-Rufai came in as Minister, it is a common practice to see people building illegal mud houses. It is usually mud houses because the land itself was illegal, they bought the land for a meagre sum knowing fully well that the government can come at any time to demolish it. So my friend was unlucky to rent such houses on 6 different occasions and on each occasions, have his house demolished. The most painful aspect is that he ended up losing his rental fees on such scenarios.
I think he fell into such circumstances because he is a low income earner who cannot afford to rent those flats or self-contained room which goes for exorbitant amount. Now my friend live in the outskirt of Abuja and still scare that perhaps where he is resident could be subjected to another demolition even though it is in Nassarawa State. Now that is what I called 'Running Scared' . Can you blame him, the fear of 'Demolition' is the beginning of wisdom in Abuja.

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The Ceasefire that may not be honoured

The Niger Delta militant had again issued another ceasefire to incessant kidnapping of foreign national. In a statement issued yesterday, the joint militants group decided to recognise the government of Yar'Adua and decided to sheath their sword for another one month to allow dialogue. Amongst their demands is unconditional release of Mujahid Asari Dokubo, the leader of a militant group, release of Dieprieye Alamieseigha the former governor of Bayelsa State.
What this blog is particular about is the huge amount of money paid to this Militants as ransome. What happened to this large sum of money? who benefited from it, what was it used for and most importantly, can they actually stop this kidnapping in the event that ransom is involved and not more of proving of agitations.
What we are trying to say here is, at least some people have become rich as a result of this kidnappings, some large amount of arms have been procure with this ransom money and of course, it is becoming more of a quicker way to make money. If the above scenarios is wrong, then if eventually, the ceasefire is honoured and a truce was agreed upon, and the kidnapping stopped eventually, this blog is tempted to agreed that it was a political motivated unrest in the first place.
Truth is no matter the outcome of the ceasefire and truce with the federal government, this kidnapping has come to stay. Some people have seen this as a way of making it, and they will not want it to stopped. In all other places of the world where kidnapping is embark upon, it is always to agitate for a course, and mostly, where ransom demands is involved, it is not always a regular occurence as it is obtained in the Niger Delta.
However, let us give them the benefit of doubt, the ceasefire has already been declared, let us wait for the outcome of the truce and if indeed it happened, let us also wait whether the Militants will eventually make Kidnapping of foreign national a thing of the past.

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That Long Strike call by NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress has sound the drum of strike once again against the increase in fuel price and 10% VAT. In a statement issue yesterday, they warned that Nigerians should prepare for a long strike if the federal government refuse to play ball by reversing the VAT and Pump price of petrol back to its former position.
This blog wonder whether the strike can take effects at all. If indeed the ultimatum given by labour come to pass, it will be a testing ground by both the Federal Government and the Labour. This is because the Labour Union will be embarking on a strike first time after the erstwhile President Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has left the office, and also first time after the government has enacted a law making joint labour strike illegal. The labour will also want to test how this new government would handle labour strike compared to how it has been in Obasanjo era.
The federal government on the other hand would also want to test its newly enacted law banning strike by NLC and of course it will also be a test ground for how the new government and labour relations would be.
Whichever way, it is the masses that will suffer. Truth is, despite the hike in price of fuel, there is still some scarcity in certain areas making some people to buy pump price as high as 250 naira per litre. Some people believed, this is another way of government making the price to stay, since some people will argue that the price is still highly subsidised and that, that probably explained why it is still scarce.
This blog urge the labour to shelve its strike because it will still paralyse the economy. They should try and look for another avenue to make grievances known instead of strike. Strike, to me, should be the last resort after all available options have been exhausted. Using the joker of strike at any slightest opportunity by labour has beginning to make the strike action look old-fashioned, ineffectual and confrontational.

I'm reading: That Long Strike call by NLC

What to write?

For the past week, I had wanted to write, but always short of what to blog about. But, I think I had gotten over that, by just reviewing event of the country during the week.

The new president Umar Yar'adua jetted out of the country today, signaling his first official visit outside the country since his inauguration.

The Senate President is now Gen. David Mark, and the only thing the majority Nigerians remembered about him was his remark when he was Communication Minister during the past Military regime where he said "Telephone is not for the poor'

Nigeria also has its first female Speaker in Mrs Ette. She was also sworn in Yesterday. Remarks from his co-legislators indicates that she is very good for the job.

This blog however warn the principal officers to beware of the legendary "banana peels" especially in the senate that has characterise those who are first appointed on the first day of inauguration of Senate but never make it to till the end of their tenure.

There is more, but more gist later.

I'm reading: What to write?

A Fast one by Petrol Attendant

As if the increase in fuel prices is not enough, those Petrol Attendants would not stop trying to extort money from you by playing a fast one on you any time you are filing your tank at Petrol Filing Stations.
The computerised Pumping machine installed does not even detar them from pulling a fast one. One Petrol Attendant played a fast one on me today and actually got away with it, I discovered this because I paid for over 25 litre of fuel and yet my tank revealed he did actually play a fast one on me. He punch 2,000 naira worth of fuel on the computerised pumping machine quite alright, when the machine had dispensed 1,000 worth of fuel, I was carried away with the serene environment of Transcorp Hilton Hotel, and was distracted from monitoring the transaction. By the time I was jolted back to the transaction, the pumping machine merely read "preset" and I thot it has finished dispensing, since it will stop after the programmed input amount has been dispensed. It was when I enter my car that I knew he had play a fast one on me. Probably the machine stopped or he corniously tamper with it, the amount of fuel dispensed does not commensurate with the amount I paid.
Fellow bloggers shoud learn from this experience. Try and glue your eye to the pumping machine until the quantity of fuel you paid for is dispensed.
Has anyone pause to ponder that everyone has gone crazy with this get rich quick syndrome through this Oil money, even the petrol attendant are not exempted.

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