You cannot walk forward by looking backward.

The decision to let go of that which has completed its course in your experience is even more important than the decision to welcome new ideas. You cannot walk forward by looking backward. New wine cannot be put into old bottles, for the Bible states that the old bottles will break. You intuitively know what should depart from your life." ~ Raymond Charles Barker from The Power of Decision

How to install and use WhatsApp on your iPad and PC in five easy steps

WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. Currently, WhatsApp Messenger is ONLY available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone and Nokia. Sadly, it is not available for use on either an iPad/iPod Touch or a Computer.

What if I tell you that in five easy steps, you can get WhatsApp Messenger running on an iPad/iPod, a Mac and a Windows PC and use it without any issues? The awesome thing is that you do not even need to jailbreak your iPad or iPod to get it running. Are you excited already?

How to Download and use WhatsApp for a Mac and a Windows PC:

Requirements:

A Mac or a Windows PC
A mobile phone number
Working Internet Connection
Step by step guide:

Step 1: Download Bluestacks and install it on your PC    ​​


To Download Bluestacks, click www.bluestacks.com and download the software for either  a mac or windows PC. Bluestacks is a software that can run the mobile android environment on a desktop environment. It allows you run your favorite mobile apps fast and fullscreen in your browser and on PC or Mac.

Step 2: Launch Bluestacks after installation and search for Whatsapp
Run the Bluestacks player from the desktop icon to open a layout of the android platform. Click on the Search icon and search for WhatsApp.

Step 3: Install W​​hatsapp and accept terms and conditions
You will be required to log in to your Google account at this point as you’ll be navigated to Google Play.

Step 4: Type your phone number and get the verification code
After you have completed downloading and installation, go to WhatsApp from the main home screen. WhatsApp will ask you to enter a valid phone number.

Note: First type your Country Code like 234 for Nigeria and then your Mobile Number

Step 5: Introduce the verification code to enjoy Whatsapp on your PC​​​​​​
WhatsApp will try to verify your number, but it will most likely show a fail message. Do not worry. Simply click on "Call Me" to receive a automatic call on your mobile phone. You will get a confirmation number. Ensure to write the number down. Next is for you to type the received number in verification field.



You can now enjoy WhatsApp on your Mac or Windows PC same way you do it on a smartphone.



How to Download and use WhatsApp for iPad/iPod Touch:

Requirements:

An iPad or iPod Touch
A mobile phone number
Working Internet Connection
An iPhone and a computer to help transfer the data.
Step by step guide:

Step 1: Ensure that you already have Whatsapp running on your iPhone
If you do not, click www.whatsapp.com and downlaod directly on your iphone. You can equally download via Apple Store. When download is completed, activate with your mobile number to get started.

Step 2: Download iFunBox and install it on your Computer


To Download iFunBox, click www.i-funbox.com and download the software for either  a mac or windows PC. iFunBox is App Installer and File Manager for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Step 3: Connect your iPhone to the Computer and run iFunBox
On connecting your iPhone, allow the drivers get installed. When this is done, iFunBox will automatically recognize your device and open it.

Note: You must have iTunes installed on your PC or Mac. Lol! I am sure you already know this.

Step 4a: Copy the WhatsApp.ipa file from the folder where iTunes stores the data to the desktop
On a Windows PC, you will find it here: C:\Users\Username\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Mobile Applications\

On a Mac, you will find it here: /Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Mobile Applications/

Step 4b: copy the iPhone WhatsApp’s database to the desktop
Start iFunBox and since it has access to your device, simply copy the iPhone WhatsApp’s database to the desktop. You will find it here: \connected devices\your phone name\user applications\WhatsApp\

Once you see this, you then select the folders ‘Documents’ and ‘Library’ and click the ‘Copy to PC’ button seen on the menu bar. These two folders should be copied to your desktop.

Subsequently, uninstall WhatsApp from your iPhone and ensure not to use the SIM card to activate WhatsApp again.

Step 5: Connect the iPad/iPod to the PC and run iFunBox
When you connect your iPad/iPod, run iFunBox and simply install WhatsApp to the iPad/iPod by clicking the ‘Install App’ button found in the menu bar.

Next stop is to retrieve the WhatsApp.ipa file and install it and then copy the database from your desktop to the iPad. Do the same thing to get to the WhatsApp folder. It can be found here: \connected devices\your iPad name\user applications\WhatsApp\

You will have to now delete the folders ‘Documents’ and ‘Library’ and copy the earlier saved ones from your desktop to this location.

Enjoy!

11 Things you need to start telling yourself everyday

Every day, we constantly struggle with various problems, these are things you need to keep reminding yourself on a daily basis to help deal (cope) with these problems.

1. Past mistakes don’t determine who you are. Don’t let yesterday’s shortcomings prevent you from doing something great today. Learn from your mistakes and grow from them.

2. You are not your father, mother, brother, or sister. You came to this world as separate beings (even the Siamese twins). Define your own path and stop trying to follow someone else’s.

3. There are times in your life when you have difficult choices to make. Guess what? You’re going to make the wrong choice sometimes. Learn from the wrong choices but do not let them hold you back.

4. Everybody fails. It’s not just you and you’re not the first one to be in this situation. Take comfort in knowing that somebody else out there understands what you’re going through.



5. Believe in yourself. It doesn’t matter what labels have been put on you or what limitations you’ve been told you have. There is no one that can determine your value, you are what you tell yourself you are.

6. You’re better than being someone’s second choice. Don’t waste all of your time and energy trying to win the love or approval of someone that doesn’t want you to have it.

7. Its okay to ask for help or advice. It does not make you a beggar, it makes you better.

8. If you ask someone for advice, listen to it. Don’t just look for someone to agree with you.

9. Rome was not built in a day. Understand that small achievements matter and you are simply paving your way to even greater ones.

10. Don’t overestimate your dreams. Sitting around and doing nothing only makes the dream seem bigger, get up and start trying to make that dream come true.

11. Your friends will make or mar you. The people you surround yourself with will always contribute to your success and/or your destruction. Keep only people that will help you grow and not bring you down.


-Thought Catalog

Still on abducted Chibok schoolgirls

WE, Nigerian bloggers, view with grave concern the continued detention of the innocent school girls who were abducted from Chibok, Borno State on April 15, 2014.

We are of the strong view that no amount of social grievance either against the government and or the people of Nigeria can justify such an act of violence against school children. We therefore condemn the abduction in very strong terms.

Nonetheless, we are appalled that despite the increasing global attention on the missing girls, there seems to be a relative silence on it in the local press.

In addition, we have also noticed gaps in the narrative on this incident both on the social media platforms and in the international press.

It is understandable that given the strong emotions that this abduction have evoked, accurate and fact-based narratives are difficult to come by on this sad incident of violence.

We wish to point out that the abduction and continued detention of these innocent schoolgirls violate the provisions of a number of international conventions, optional protocols of convention and international legal instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory  and whose provisions bind all Nigerians.

We particularly call attention to those international conventions that enjoin parties in conflict to take special action to protect women and children in times of war and conflict and note that the abduction is an affront to their provisions and to every decent conduct.

We call on those detaining these girls to release them. We appeal to you in the name of God and in the names of all you hold dear.

We deplore the violence and loss of lives that have preceded this ugly event and urge you in the name of God who is a God of peace, reconciliation and forgiveness to embrace the path of dialogue as the only sure way of resolving the grievances that underlie this conflict.

We also call on the government of Nigeria to do everything in its power, even if it includes an international security agency, to bring the girls back from the hands of those who currently hold them, and restore a sense of security to the country as soon as possible.

Elections are coming up next year. Citizens want to be able to feel safe wherever they are.

Democracy thrives best when citizens feel empowered to pursue their daily chores without fear or threat to their lives and property.

Nwachukwu Egbunike, for Nigerian bloggers.

OAU student builds solar-powered car

When determination meets great innovation, then we have someone like Segun Oyeyiola. A final year student of Obafemi Awolowo University (O.A.U), Ile-Ife, in this interview with ’RONKE SANYA, bares it all on how he achieved the feat of building and driving a car that needs no fuel to move, but solar and wind energy:

Can you introduce yourself?
I am Oyeyiola Segun, a final year student of electronic and electrical engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. I am a native of Ifetedo, Ife South Local Government Area in Osun State, Nigeria.

I am a kind of person that see every problem as an opportunity for me to find a lasting solution to it. When others talk about problems facing them, I try to solve problems that come my way. I don’t give up on any situation that I find myself; I have always believed that there is a way out of every problem, if I look closely, so, I want to be known and identified as a problem solver.

 What problem did you identify that spurred you to make a solar powered car?
I noticed that there is a problem in our climate change which is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years and this is caused due to the effects of combustion of fuel.

If we can reduce or stop combustion of fuel, this world will be a better place for us to live. Most of us are not aware of this problem, so I thought of building a car that will not use fuel for its movement. This car will not produce carbon dioxide emissions that cause change in our climate.

How did you get the materials to build the car?
I used the available materials I could find around to build the car. I also used my personal money for the building of the car and the little funds my parents could also provide. However, I still need more funds to perfect the work.

When you wanted to start this project, what was the reaction of your friends and parents?
Most of my friends said that my country has not built a car that uses fuel; they wondered how I could possibly build a car that will not use fuel. They tried to discourage me but I told them that, we, the youths are the agent of change and it will start from somewhere. My parents knew the kind of person I was. They knew that I love bringing solutions to problems; they were just looking forward to how I would solve the problem.

When the car moved, right in their presence, they were very happy that I said it and I did it.

What kept you focused and determined?
I just believed that I could do it, despite all odds. I have made up my mind that the car would be the personal car that I will be driving around town.

How long did it take you to build the car?
I cannot really say for now but it is more than 12 months now. This was because I initially started getting the materials in bits.

Did you encounter any financial challenges?
Financial challenge has always been there but I just continued and moved on with my work because I am so optimistic about the future.

How does the car function?
The car uses wind and solar energy, most people think it is only solar energy because they can only see the solar panel on top of the car but the car uses wind and solar energy.

Apart from that, you can know the state of the car like the battery level, weather conditions, how far you can go and the GPS location of the car by installing the simple application I developed alongside the car.

How does the application work?
The application can be installed on your smartphone or your laptop, from this application, you will be able to get some information about the car. So it will also reduce the stress of manual checking of our normal car

 Do you plan to manufactor more of this?
The car is targeted to be used in Nigeria and Africa in general. This is because of our weather. If we refuse to make a car like this, no other countries will do it for us. So my plan is that this car will be our future car.

Apart from the fame that the production of this car has brought you, what else has it brought you? Has any company shown interest in financing or supporting you?
As of his moment, no company has shown interest in financing or supporting me. Maybe they are not aware of my project.

How did your lecturers react when you finished the project?
My lecturers are aware of it, one of them commented on it on my Facebook page. However, I have not met anyone personally.

Plan for the future
I plan to set up my own company and bring more people on board and work together as a team and achieve more.

Words of advice for other students willing to embark on a project like this too:
In life, there will always be challenging situations that will appear discouraging, we can’t run away from it, instead, we should see it as an opportunity to succeed. Make hard work your watchword, knowing that in every challenge, there is a way out of it.

Introduction to the average Nigerian – Japheth J Omojuwa

Are you ready to die for Nigerians?
For those of you that need to think very hard about that question, let me guide you into the thoughts that should help you make a decision. The Arab Spring started off the back of a citizen who immolated himself. Then others went mad and the spring consumed entrenched powers. If a Nigerian had done that, many things would have happened but certainly not the spring. If a Nigerian sets himself on fire over the issues and poverty faced by Nigerians, many possible questions would be asked.
“Why did he set himself on fire? Once there is life there is hope.” If the person did it in the morning, *average Nigerians would say, “why didn’t he do in the afternoon when workers are returning from work?” and if the person did it in the afternoon, average Nigerians would go, “he should have done it in the morning, cause traffic, so that others will join in the protest.” If the dead protester used, say 4 litres of petrol to burn himself, average Nigerians would say,”that’s almost N400 worth of petrol wasted. Why didn’t he use firewood?” And had the person somehow used firewood, the very same average Nigerians will go, “in this world of climate change and desertification, why in the world would he waste firewood to kill himself?”
If the person was the only child of his parents, average Nigerians would say, “why did he have to hurt his parents? Why didn’t he at least inform them so they’d be prepared” and were the protester to have siblings, average Nigerians will ask “why didn’t he involve some of his other siblings? It would have been more effective if he had burnt not only himself but may be two of his sisters and brothers for effect.”
If per chance the person gets saved and did not die, average Nigerians will ask “why didn’t he just die? Now he is useless to the society” and if the person used a gun, average Nigerians will ask, “why did he use a gun, that’s un-dramatic, he should have set himself on fire.”
There are a million questions and accusations that’d follow this act but only a few will be in line with the expectation of the dead; that the people for whom he died see a reason to commit themselves to the struggle for change in Nigeria.
Average Nigerians are not dumb; they are smart, in fact, too smart. They will not be asking those questions because they are dumb, they will be asking those questions to avoid anything that’d require them to fight, to agitate, to protest or make requests on the government for change to happen. The English language calls it cowardice but this is not directly reflected except you take a deep look at the underlying reasons why people ask questions when it is time for action and why they ask for action when they know deep down those who will hit the street are only ready to outline the issues first of all. So now, refer to the first sentence of this piece and see if you can answer the question better.
There is a recent example. The #OurNASS protests started in July as #AugustMarch on Twitter when as with the #OccupyNigeria movement, Nigerians on social media started discussing the need to take the anger on social media to the streets. This time, the debate was squarely about the pay of the National Assembly. At this time, everybody had something to say and virtually everyone agreed it was time. Of course as usual, the average Nigerian said, “all they can do is tweet and talk, they cannot go on the street to protest.” It does not matter that the bulk of these young people started and brought about the country’s most renowned protest, #OccupyNigeria. The average Nigerian felt the tweets and talks were useless because according to him, hitting the streets – even without thinking, facts and baring the issues before hand – was the only way forward. Despite the efforts to denigrate their attempts for change, these young Nigerians were undeterred and certainly did not thoughtlessly hit the streets. What they did was go behind closed doors to organise. What do we do? How do we do it? When is the best time to do it? Who should we work and partner with? They discussed and debated. They argued, agreed and disagreed but were never disagreeable. All the while, those who knew they were planning a protest did not have super ideas of what was best. If they did have them, they did not say a thing! You would think, based on the defined character of the average Nigerian above that they were simply waiting for when it was certain the protests would no longer hold. To then say, “why haven’t they come out to protest?”
Then the Nigerians who had spent the better part of about 10 weeks planning finally came out. They said they’d march in Abuja initially with respect to the pay of the National Assembly. It was designed as a peaceful protest in Abuja that’d involve engaging the National Assembly in a logical debate about its budgetary allocations and the discordant realities of poverty on the streets of Nigeria. The initial protest and engagement was designed to be a first of many steps to get the National Assembly to be accountable. Guess what, the average Nigerian who had those 10 weeks to map out so called better ideas on strategy and what to do finally spoke – on the eve of the protests. “No! This is not what we need. We need guns and bullets. How can we engage David Mark?” and “I am not interested in protests, when you are ready for a bloody revolution please call me” and bla bla bla and bullshit spilling all over!  “The ones we protested what changed? There are no successful protests.” If they sounded logical on the eve of the protests, they removed the mask over that when some of them went as far as mocking the protesters. One even said they should be shot at sight!
If you take one issue, they will say “what about this and that issue?” and if you bite the bait and take “this and that” issue, they will say “why not focus on one first.” If you are silent you are a coward. If you are too loud, then a politician has paid you. What then do you think these average Nigerians would have you do? Nothing! Be nothing! Do nothing! As long as you never existed, you’d be fine. Some call it envy and jealousy but I don’t think those words do justice to the phenomenon of hating those deemed to be at the forefront.
This is why I do what I do; it is who I am. This is why it looks as though I don’t give a …. It is because I don’t! Once I am convinced about the need for something, hating only spurs me on. I am not doing it trying to save a people or some people, I am doing it because this is my life. It does not matter what people say; that I collect money from the APC, that Bola Tinubu pays me, that Nasi El-Rufai pays me, that I am an American agent, that I am Illuminati, that I secretly work for the PDP…the accusations are endless but they all come from the same source; a group of people who would rather people like myself keep shut and come and chop. You find them on social media, mini contractors and Lilliputian ball boys and micro assistants of local politicians who believe that asking for a better country puts their own sources of income at risk. They’d do anything to defend their butter and bread, they’d say anything to shut people like myself up but shutting up would be a tragedy.
I am inspired by the fact that I am not alone. I have friends who are committed to this Nigerian project. Many of them would live easier lives minding their thriving businesses, but they’d rather commit to working for a better country. Many of them like myself have had countless opportunities to “take and be quiet” even as recent as two weeks ago but they remain undaunted. Many who would sell out assume others are like them so they accuse you of what you haven’t done. They say you will be who you have not been. They intend to live their unfulfilled lives waiting for you to fall. When you create that siege mentality around yourself, you against them, you know falling is in your hands and so you keep moving…but only forward. I appreciate my friends and those young Nigerians committed to take our country back! But for them, someone like myself would probably sign a long-term contract and just maintain a life in the United States and Europe. God bless these ones who keep the fire burning. They are not politicians but they are interested in politics. Like myself, they are accused by the establishment through their social media agents, of being sponsored by certain elements but all you need do is open your eyes and you’d see these young people are creating value beyond just making demands on the government of the day.
When we needed the National Assembly to make the then vice-president Jonathan to be acting president, they were there to ask for justice to be done. Today when they ask for justice from the same government, they have ethnicity thrown as a card to distract from issues. The ethnicity that was not there when we marched to have the President installed.
Going forward, I personally remain committed to my values and critical relationships. I believe there is a long way to go and needless battles must be avoided, as there are real ones ahead. I believe to have a better country the average Nigerian must become a sort of factivist with his or her work. It just matters that you don’t make activism that work. Get a job, and then fight through it. Don’t sell out and call a god today the one you called a fool yesterday, like one of these social media onenaija boys. There is no need for personal conflicts; if we fight using words, we’d have wasted our words. If we fight using blows, we’d have wasted our blows. Like the average Nigerian described above, people will always be who they are anyway and that diversity is what makes our world what it is. I am excited about tomorrow. I am excited because the future I see for myself and my country are way better than the realities we both see today. I know that what we see today makes it difficult to hope for a better tomorrow but I also know that we cannot judge a tomorrow that is yet to come. Like Nigeria’s future, tomorrow remains a clean slate for me and I hope to live it on my own terms like I have always done. I am not where I used to be; I have more than I have ever had. God has blessed me and I am now a blessing to many. Many things about me have changed but those are mostly things money can buy, the most important thing remains the same; I am the same ol’ Gee! Thank you for your support. I have been blessed by many of you and I have found strength at critical times because of your kind words. Have my best wishes. Glory to God!

*The average Nigerian must fight for his/her country or forget it altogether. There is no messiah coming to save us.

Beyond the Muslim/Muslim Ticket in APC

Since Femi Fani Kayode sounded the alarm of a possible Muslim/Muslin ticket in APC, there's been lots of talks in the Nigerian political circle.

Dele Momodu, CEO and publisher of Ovation International and a major political voice in Nigeria, wrote the article titled "Beyond the Muslim/Muslim Ticket."

Read and share your thoughts...

Fellow Nigerians, our country witnessed something unprecedented some 21 odd years ago. It was the audacious move by Chief Moshood Abiola who chose to appoint a fellow Muslim, Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe, as his Presidential running-mate for the June 12 1993 election. It appeared sacrilegious in a country that has always been sharply divided along ethnic and religious lines. The decision caused so much commotion in the ranks of the Social Democratic Party at that time. Indeed, Papa Adekunle Ajasin, elder statesman and former Governor of Ondo State, was so infuriated that he put a call through to Abiola and scolded him in strong words. A no-nonsense man, he was quoted as telling Abiola “…with this your unacceptable decision, you've murdered Christ a second time!” Abiola, a master at dousing tension with powerful wise-cracks was said to have replied “Baba, mi o si ni Calvary sir…” (I was not in Calvary sir). Papa Ajasin and other enraged leaders allowed Abiola to carry on with his gamble but I doubt if it was as simple as we tried to play it.

Even for us Abiola’s foot-soldiers at the time, what he did was a dangerous taboo. The news was broken to us by Dr Doyin Abiola, our boss at Concord newspapers, who invited Dele Alake, Segun Babatope, Tunji Bello and I to her office where she dropped the bombshell. According to her, “Daddy called from Abuja and asked me to tell you guys that he has changed his mind about picking a Northern Christian as his Vice Presidential candidate.” We all sank into our seats, in total shock and utter disbelief. The sad part was that we had earlier gone to town telling our media friends that Abiola was going to run with a Christian. We wondered the wisdom behind this damaging volte face. How were we to confront our colleagues with this apparent monstrosity?

Dr Abiola lectured us a bit on what her husband had taught her over time: “Daddy believes that if you must convince anyone about anything, the first person to convince is yourself… He has already convinced himself that the Muslim/Muslim ticket was doable. It is now up to you guys to convince yourselves.” It was more of an instruction than an argument or persuasion. By the time we picked ourselves up to brace up to the atrocious challenges we were sure to face, we received another salvo from Dr Abiola: “Daddy is set to flag off his campaign in Kaduna without announcing his running-mate” This was getting interesting.

Not only was Chief Abiola under intense pressure to pick a Northern Muslim he was also being inundated and suffocated with names of potential candidates by lobbyists and godfathers. It was such a big mess. But I think the SDP Governors won the day when they got Abiola to announce their choice of Kingibe. The rest is history. The didactic message from my preamble is that some seeds of discord were already planted in SDP from that moment on. I seriously suspect that many of those who lost the argument and the bid on that occasion only went away to nurse their injuries quietly but never forgave Abiola in the real sense. When the major conundrum erupted, it was like payback time.

History has a way of repeating itself. There are serious rumblings within the major opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC). The cause is the believable rumor that some powerful forces may have decided to try a Muslim/Muslim ticket again in the next Presidential election of 2015. A Nigerian journalist asked me on a flight to New York last week if I thought it was possible. Of course, Nigeria is a nation of possibilities. This epistle you are reading sums up my analysis during our long flight.

It is easier for a Muslim/Muslim ticket to work than that of a Christian/Christian. The heavily populated geo-political zones in Nigeria namely North West, South West and North East each have a large Muslim presence. Also the North Central is thickly populated by Muslims. The South East belongs almost totally to Christians just like the South South minus Edo State where we have pockets of Muslims. What is my verdict? A Muslim/Muslim ticket can win an election in Nigeria over and over again. The way Nigeria is currently configured makes it very practical and realizable. You and I can protest to high heavens and till kingdom comes, but the stark reality is that democracy is a game of numbers.

What I just postulated is not mere theory.  We have seen the actualization of it in the annulled mandate of June 12.  There is a caveat however.  Muslims or Christians are not likely to vote automatically for candidates on the basis of religion. Christians are as sharply divided as Muslim sects, though Muslims are likely to be more cohesive. I have lost count of how many Christian denominations there are. The Pentecostal churches seem to be more liberal than the Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists, Jehovah’s Witness, Methodists, and other old generation sects.

Religion is actually not the number one agenda on the list of politicians. It is money, raw cash. Money unites enemies on a regular day. On awkward days, its force is even more potent because the dark forces only have to deploy a greater amount of money and they are surely liable to have their way.

The second item on the political agenda is power. The in power holds the aces. He deploys the perks and largesse of power as he feels. The greatest of the greats eat from his palm. Some juicy appointments can instantly transform a certified pauper into a certificated billionaire. No one can compete with PDP on that level. The third is ethnicity or where you come from. The Nigerian commonwealth is a giant cake being rotated amongst the majorities. Jonathan’s emergence which catapulted a lumpen-proletariat from a minority zone into a position of absolute authority was either a deliberate accident or a complete miscalculation on the part of our Mafia dons. Now that he has grabbed power for a region that perceived itself as downtrodden, it has become difficult to dislodge him.

Other minorities in the country see him as a rallying or focal point.  It is now no longer easy to discountenance the minorities or relegate them to the background. Power-play in the Republic has changed and there is a new Sherriff with his full complement of dogged and loyal Deputies in town.  The President thus holds three of the four aces for becoming maximum ruler in our terrain. These are money, power and the area you come from.  The fourth is religion. The President certainly has enough resources to gather as many Muslims as Christians if he plays his cards right. He therefore has the unparalleled privilege of having the capacity to hold all the aces!

While the opposition seems to have the numbers on paper, mainly because the generality of the people who appear to be fed up with the ruling party, the choice of very controversial candidates may capsize their boat. Politics is like a game of football. You need both strikers and defenders to win. Only a foolish team would play the Brazilian style in a game against Brazil. APC has a guaranteed 60 to 70 percent of angry army of unemployed and very bitter youths just waiting to connect with the better candidates they know only APC can unleash. It cannot afford to try and match PDP cash for cash or insensitivity for insensitivity.  It must dare to be different even at great sacrifice to personal ambitions.

The game would be sweeter for APC, with a combination of experience and youthfulness, so as to tap into the abundance of restless youths plaguing our political landscape looking for salvation in the form of a leader whose ideals and vision are rooted in the 21st century.  Therefore, as a rule, one of the candidates for President or Vice President should currently be in service. Neither must have been out of touch for too long. That would be like recalling Segun Odegbami, Christian Chukwu or Stephen Keshi to come and play for Nigeria in the 2015 World Cup. Our coaches must be more creative and imaginative than that.

The opposition must be sensitive to the deep religious sentiments in Nigeria today. A government that preaches change must never be seen to seek to trample on rights and freedom of the people. Even if a Muslim/Muslim ticket can win in the long run, we must not run the risk of stoking the embers of religious conflagration. We already have enough problems in our hands, we should not add to it. To assume that Christians won’t mind a Muslim/Muslim ticket is a subtle way of turning them into inferior minorities. This type of insensitivity led to the collapse of law and order in the South/South where the militants had to take the law into their hands. The money that should be used for developing Nigeria in general is now being squandered on some nebulous amnesty program. We would have saved ourselves from this outlandish hocus-pocus if we had distributed our resources with simple common-sense.

This leads me to the next thesis. This is the first time the region that produces our golden eggs would be allowed to manage the poultry. The opposition seeks to sack their Farm Manager for several reasons all bothering on lack of effective leadership. The people of the South/South are insisting their son must serve the eight years of two terms permissible under our Constitution. Would it not be reckless to remove him and not give the zone at least the number two slot which may even be taken to be only a token gesture by those concerned? It is almost certain that Nigeria would know no peace if and when it happens that the South/South has lost out to other regions, so soon after the miracle that catapulted Jonathan to power, without the opportunity to at least play second fiddle.  This perfidy will be compounded by ignoring the religious background of the region and its strong Christian affiliations.  It will be like adding insult to injury. This is the crux of the matter.

The whole hullabaloo of angling for power in Nigeria is about gaining access to the oil wealth. How fair would it be to kick Jonathan out without having one of their own on the new ticket? I’m convinced APC has found itself in a volatile quagmire. How it wriggles out would depend on its willingness and readiness to think beyond politics of self and embrace politics of equity, justice and fair-play. There are many stars from every part of Nigeria who have the requisite brilliance to lead us out of the present mess. I would not say that Jonathan must remain in power by force, whether he performs or not, but we must also discourage any attempt to side-line the region that has suffered most despite its huge contributions to Nigeria’s development. It would have been easier to suppress this sentiment if our country was very normal but we are very far from it.

As a matter of fact, APC has a lot of convincing work to do in the Niger Delta in particular. It is not going to be an easy task persuading them to abandon the number one position for even number two. To suggest a worse position than number two would be tantamount to rubbing raw pepper to a fresh wound, and an affront of the worst order. Nigeria is already in its most delicate state and hanging so precariously right now. There is no guarantee that even the north would not see the intrusion of the South West into the current permutation as a surreptitious way to return to power so soon after President Olusegun Obasanjo’s eight years in office.

Those who genuinely love APC must speak up now. Many people are not speaking out for fear of ex-communication but we know the views mostly expressed in private. APC will fail if the people cannot see any serious difference between its operatives and the people they wish to replace.  In this regard, the alarm raised by Femi Fani-Kayode should not be dismissed offhandedly. Forget the messenger and let us deal with the message.  It does not matter to me if Femi has other personal motives. He has voiced out loud and crisp what many people are discussing in hushed whispers. His missive is strident and clear, in the dramatic fashion only patented for him.

The change we want can only be thrown into the Atlantic Ocean by APC. Many have decided to try them out under an uncommon article of faith. But it is doubtful if APC itself appreciates the magnitude of the burden it is expected to shoulder. They have done extremely well to have come this far. Their fall would be too cataclysmic and we may not recover from it for several decades.

Sadly for Nigeria, we would have been sentenced to many more years of retrogression. That would be democracy despoiled and another hope aborted.

Big shame!

The First case of the Ebola virus has been reported

Nigeria’s Problem is You!

Every day, I sit to ask myself… Whose problem is Nigeria’s? Because most at times, we act like it’s a foreign problem and we are just here to analyze, scavenge and then later leave.
Today, already known to us that on paper, Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa and the 26th biggest in the world (according to our rebased GDP which pits us at $509.9 billion). As much as it excites those rulers in power to flaunt this is not as much as it vexes those without power to hiss at this.
But realistically, today we are thronged with a mother of issues, ranging from wide spread poverty to inequality to public and private mismanagement and sorts. Every day, I watch the news about Nigeria, I read through comments on blogsites and online news platforms and my spirit breaks, then I ask myself… Who divided Us?
My spirit doesn’t break because we have a problem but because we are all looking at ourselves searching for those whose ethnic or religious group caused the problem we face today, all to feel cool with you, saying… once I can point my finger at someone then I am cool, and this most at times go into the lines of aggressive attack of our beliefs into ethnicity and religion.
Our division is our real problem and not any problem you think is our problem. No monster! No problem! No Government can stand against a majority and active united people. Some were paid to make a divide but how much is that soul worth?
The question today is… can we know where you stand? For or against those who are sucking us dry and flaunting figures globally, for or against those who are asking for overseas help to catch backyard terrorists, for or against those who are arresting those who demand for their rights, for or against those sucking and killing jobseekers, for or against those who treasure politics, self and family above national interest?
Ask yourself this question… When did you last see a protest and all your mind searched for was a reason why the protest shouldn’t have held. Are you that sold out? Why this fear for your freedom? If you don’t want it, don’t you think of your children? All I will say to you is that you are a coward whose lot will be to finally fall prey to these rulers, lick their feets and eventually end up as naught whose magnification they are today.
I just hope you can think this through and be so sure of where your allegiance lies because you will never be able to beat those whose morals, light, and right cannot be tampered with by those whose souls are bought.
Be Smart for your future and not just your deceptive safety or pocket!
Think this through.
Thanks for reading.

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What They Won’t Tell You: Why We Protested, Got Arrested And Will Of Course Protest Again #NISMurder

Over 17 Nigerians died. They died due to the negligence and greed of Abba Moro. Abba Moro is yet to be prosecuted and we are here to remind Nigerians that 17 people died.
They will of course try to discredit us. They might send down thugs to start a screaming fit within our lines. They might even start a fight or two so their police and civil security men to intimidate, harass, and possibly arrest us. They will do anything they can to take attention from what matters: that greed and negligence resulted in the death of over 17 of our comrades.
They won’t tell you that 20 people died in this same exercise in 2008 & Abba Moro was warned by the board and Immigration to postpone the exams so as to prepare adequately and avoid casualties. They won’t tell you that he refused to spread the exercise to universities and polytechnics to avoid the crowd. They won’t tell you that he knew all the venues were above capacity. They won’t tell you that he insisted on awarding this contract to Drexel Technologies LTD, a company that hasn’t filed returns since 1994, a company that benefited at least N693,000,000 from this exercise, a company that has ties to the minister himself!
Instead, they will write in the papers and claim we are sponsored by the opposition. That we are trying to stir up trouble. That we are doing it to get popular. If these accusations didn’t come up, this would no longer be Nigeria. What they won’t tell you is the hours we spent sending emails, DMs and SMS organising what time and date worked for most. They won’t tell you of the hours spent under the sun arguing about price, watching carpenters build coffins from scratch in Kugbo.
The won’t tell you that we are just Nigerians who only want the rule of law to be applied. And we don’t ask for much: the prosecution of the Minister of Interior Mr. Abba Moro for murder.
They won’t tell you that P.A donated N1,000.00 J.O donated N12,000.00 and a further N30,000.00. They won’t tell you that M.Y donated N10,000.00 F.H donated N5,500.00 K.A, M.A donated donated N1,000.00 Q.A donated N1,000.00 S.A donated N1,000.00 A.M donated N10,000.00 A.S donated N3000.00 D,O donated N1000.00, S.B donated N1,00.oo J.A N1,000.00 and we are still raising money for next week’s protest.
They won’t tell you we spent N7,000.00 last week on paint, N2,000.00 on transportation, N60,000.00 on coffins (N6,000.00 per coffin), N5,000.00 for transport (from town to Kugbo twice) and N4,500.00 to deliver the coffins to Moro’s place, N7,000.00 on two buckets of paint (oil and emulsion) or that we took our lunch hour and sacrificed personal time to make this happen.
They also won’t tell you that we aren’t doing this just for those who died or got injured. Only the protesters can tell you why we did this, and why we won’t stop until we get justice…
We are doing this because on the 15th of March it wasn’t us but on the next recruitment exercise, it could be any one of us. We are doing this because we want to live in a just and equitable society and we can’t achieve that until government stops rewarding the greedy and incompetent. We are protesting to remind you that over 17 people died because of the greed of a few. And we should all stand up until justice is served.
We were arrested yesterday according to what one of the officers called “order from the Minister” but were released about six hours later. We were moved between the Civil Defence (NSCDC) to Police to the State Security Service (SSS) but if all of the people who arrested us yesterday learned anything at all, it is that they must now know we are undeterred and undaunted. Let it be known and let it be clear, blackmail and intimidation cannot stop us. Only the sack and prosecution of Abba Moro can get us thinking of stopping while Drexel Technologies and all their cronies must be made to pay for what they did to fellow Nigerians and comrades on the 15th of March, 2014.
Amandla Awethu!!! We will not tire. We will not falter. We will not fail. Amandla Awethu!!! #NISMurder
PS: We will in due time share details around our arrests. We should at this time thank all our friends who kept the heat on. If we had any doubts about our collective struggle, the show of support was so overwhelming it drowned every doubt. We are all in this together.

Omojuwa arrested

Social media activist, Japheth Omojuwa assaulted and arrested in Abuja alongside other protesters by men of NSCDC as they protest the stamped of applicants of the NIS recruitment exercise

Attracting Real Opportunities (1)

My Mentor once said…

I am worried about a trend in Nigeria. There is so much emphasis on money at the expense of ideas. So much emphasis on faith at the expense of hard work. And so much emphasis on hope at the expense of concerted action. Realistically, those who are successful have learned to balance ideas and money, faith and hard work, hope and action.
Personally, I will also say that… I am worried about a trend in my generation. There is so much pursuit of “Grab Opportunities” that we leave our abilities and bury our affinities all in the claim that they can’t thrive in the land where all we think about is survival.
Truthfully, Nigeria is a country full of opportunities, but full of a chase for “grabbed opportunities” and this overtime amounts to massive frustration because only a few rightly placed ones hit them. Those who chase and hit “earned opportunities” are those who make their pursuit an overlapping subset of their abilities, their affinities and then opportunity comes rolling to make it a complete tricycle, meaning opportunity comes chasing.
This reminds me of the story of a regional manager in a major bank in this country, whose comfort in her “grabbed opportunity” was evident and one day he eventually got laid off after a major restructuring during the economic recession. The real problem now was that he didn’t know what to do even with a whopping N12 million at hand, so like every other typical Nigerian, He chased after the trending business the environment was investing in. In 10 months, the business was about folding up all because the world had moved on to the next so called opportunity.
The question for you today is…
What do you chase after, grabbed or earned opportunity? When you earn an opportunity, it sticks and even proffers better ones ahead, but when it is grabbed, it finds every way possible to leave.
Be Smart! Think about this…
Thanks for reading through.
(Don’t go off this page without sharing this article on the social media. It might just be all a mutual friend needs. It’s just a click away)

I am Steven Haastrup – The Executive Director of StartUp Nigeria, a StartUp Management Consultant, a Public Speaker and Writer

He tweets @StevenHaastrup

Youth Inclusion In Governance: Presented to the National Conference by Rethink Nigeria

Introduction

Global explosion in knowledge and social consciousness has enhanced the capacity of Nigerian Youths. However, their ability to utilize these assets effectively to drive national transformation would depend on the leadership opportunities available to them. According to an independent research by the British Council, by 2030; “Youth not oil, will be Nigeria’s greatest asset”. However, the way Nigeria defines the Youth and their place in the leadership of this nation is fundamental to Youth political representation and inclusion.
The concept of Youth as leaders of tomorrow has constricted a very important social category to the political fringe and reduced a demographic majority to political minority. This needs to change. This position document, amongst other things, seeks to advance an agenda that will enable the Nigerian Youth scale the wall of exclusion in leadership and governance.

Why Nigerian Youth?

The Nigerian Youth is easily a demographic majority considering an estimated population of 68 million Nigerian Youths. Put in context, this is twice the population of Ghana; more than the population of South Africa and bigger than the population of the United Kingdom. If the Nigerian Youth population were to be a nation, it would be the fourth largest country in Africa and 19th in the world. By sheer numerical strength, it would therefore be a major country.
However, despite the foregoing, the Nigerian Youth has since our nation’s return to democratic rule in 1999 been kept on the wings and fringes of leadership. By the position of this document, we refuse to see the Nigerian Youth as merely a representation of tomorrow’s leadership but a distinct social category of people who are educated, competent and prepared for the task of today’s leadership. A few examples of our national history buttress the fact that when given the opportunity, the Nigerian Youth possesses the capacity to lead and with distinction.

Shehu Shagari                                            
- Federal Legislator at 30
- Minister at 35
M.T.  Mbu
- Minister at 25
- High Commissioner to the United Kingdom at 26
Richard Akinjide
- Minister of Education at 32
Maitama Sule
-  Oil Minister at 29
Yakubu Gowon
- Head of State at 32
Audu Ogbe
- Minister at 35

More than half of the Balewa cabinet were 40 years and under.

Our Position

In the light of the above, we believe that democracy signifies the representation of people in government. Because it is also a game of numbers, representation in a democracy is expected to mirror the demographic composition of the population. By this understanding, we wish to affirm that not only is Youth a demographic majority in Nigeria but also, a distinct social category and as such, ought to be given its rightful representation in the leadership of this nation just as gender has attained recognition as a distinct social category.
While we understand that “Youth” in itself, as is the case with gender, is not a credential for leadership, for us at Rethink Nigeria, youth in this context relates to credible and competent young Nigerians between the ages of 18-40. Whereas the National Youth Policy considers Youth as young Nigerians aged between 18-35, we advocate for a rethink of this age policy to accommodate more Nigerians in the light of our socio-economic realities. This has been done before especially with the example in 2011, of the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWIN) Business Plan competition where the age of Youth was reviewed to create room for more Nigerians between the age of 18 and 40.
We therefore propose to the National Conference, the consideration and adoption of a 30 percent representation of Nigerian Youth in all political appointments at federal, state and local government levels irrespective of the political party in power, beginning with the next electoral dispensation in 2015.

SIGNED

Ohimai Godwin Amaize
Convening Volunteer
Umar Ahmed Shehu
Deputy Convening Volunteer
Anthony Ehilebo
Volunteer Secretary

For:

RETHINK NIGERIA

ABOUT US

Rethink Nigeria is an ideas-driven
movement of young professionals and intellectuals who are card-carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Comprising young party members between the age of 18 and 40, the group is aimed at spearheading advocacy towards realizing the following objectives:
Promote the politics of ideas and intellectual participation in politics.
Advocate for 30 percent youth representation in political appointments into public office at Federal, State and Local Government levels.
Membership is open to all card-carrying youth members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who share our vision.
Rethink Nigeria is officially affiliated to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through the office of the National Youth Leader.

El-Rufai, Fani-Kayode disagree with Presidency, SSS over attack

Two former members of the Federal Executive Council who claimed to have witnessed the heavy exchange of gunfire at the State Security Service Headquarters, Abuja, on Sunday, have disagreed with the Presidency and the SSS over the scale of the attack.
A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode; and erstwhile Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir el-Rufai, said the security breach on the SSS headquarters situated behind the Presidential Villa, was more than an attempted jailbreak.
The Presidency and the SSS had explained that the incident was a failed jailbreak which was promptly brought under control.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, who took to Twitter to calm frayed nerves had said, “What happened at the SSS headquarters this morning (Sunday) was an attempted jailbreak which has been effectively foiled. There is no cause for alarm.”
But sharing their experience on Twitter while the attack was said to have been on-going, they both gave vivid descriptions of the situation on the ground, describing it as a battle that ensued between security operatives and the attackers.
Fani-Kayode, who lives just a few meters away from the SSS headquarters, said the attack was “a full-scale battle” and dismissed the Presidency’s position as an after-thought.
While lamenting the security situation in the country, Fani-Kayode said the “battle” which he witnessed was a stand-off that took the security operatives about four hours to quell.
He added that it was laughable that Nigerians were made to believe that the incident started with a gun hijack when a suspect in handcuff disarmed a train security operative.
Fani-Kayode said, “I’m very close by and I can see it all. I live 50 metres away from the SSS headquarters and the Villa and what I witnessed with my eyes and heard this morning (Sunday) was a full-scale battle. I know what I saw and heard. If you are dumb enough to believe their lies, that is your problem and not mine.
“One Boko Haram gunman in a cell and in handcuffs held the Nigerian Army and SSS off for four hours in sustained and heavy gunfire! Please, if you believe that crap, you will believe anything!”
El-Rufai, who also claimed that the incident happened “in my neighbourhood,” said helicopter gunships had to be deployed before the situation was brought under control.
Arguing that the onslaught on the SSS headquarters was more serious than what Nigerians were made to believe, el-Rufai rained curses on those he branded as “planners of genocide.”
He wrote, “Exchange of gunfire with helicopter gunship hovering over the Aso Drive neighbourhood of Maitama adjoining the SSS Headquarters.
“Whatever this is, it appears more serious than an attempted jailbreak claimed by the SSS. May God protect the innocent and destroy the murderers, kidnappers and planners of genocide. Amen.”
Meanwhile, a concerned Nigerian Abubakar Usman, has warned that it was time the President stopped trading blames with state governors on who was responsible for the spread of terrorist activities in the country.
“What happened around Aso Rock today (Sunday) is enough for everybody to ask questions. How can some Boko Haram militants detained at the SSS facility in Abuja disarm SSS operatives for hours? We need answers.
“Should Jonathan, governors, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress continue to trade blames on who is sponsoring Boko Haram until we are all consumed?” he queried on Twitter.
Also, political blogger, Babatunde Rosanwo, said he was taken aback that suspected criminals such as Boko Haram members, could be detained at a facility close to the Presidential Villa.
According to Rosanwo, any gun attack close to where the President resides is a security breach, a development which he said should be handled with all sense of seriousness.
“Why keep high-value suspects at SSS HQ which is close to the President’s residence? I’m just curious. I hope there are no deliberate attempts to make the President panic and make security blunders. RIP to the men who bit the dust at the SSS HQ while on duty. Hopefully, the State will compensate their next of kin,” he added.
An online activist, Onye Nkuzi, described the incident as a “very serious crisis.” Expressing his fears, he added, “The SSS jail break story doesn’t sound too logical to me. How did it happen? Where did they get weapons from? This is a very serious crisis.”

CONFAB RESUMES PLENARY SESSION TODAY •DELEGATES TO VOTE ON RULES OF PROCEEDINGS

THE plenary session of the ongoing National Conference will resume today, even though on a rather sad note following the sudden death of a delegate.

A delegate from Bauchi State, and former Assistant Inspector General of Police, Hamma Misau, died on Thursday, March 27, a day after the plenary session was adjourned to today.

Before his demise, Misau was a delegate to the National Conference appointed on the platform of Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria (ARPON).

Confab’s Assistant Secretary, Media and Communication, Mr Akpandem James, confirmed that top on the list of issues expected by all delegates and observers would be a report of the outcome of the consultative meeting between the principal officers of the conference and selected delegates.

The conference chairman, based on a collective decision of the delegates, had last Wednesday appointed 50 representatives of the 492 delegates for crucial meeting on how to resolve the question of voting pattern.

Delegates are also expected to vote on the rules of proceedings to be adopted by the conference.

Sitting was adjourned on Wednesday last week to give the selected delegates sufficient time to discuss and agree on the issue which had earlier attracted heated debate among delegates.

Akpandem James also said continuation of the adoption of the National Conference Rules of Procedure earlier suspended last week also forms part of the issues slated for Monday when the conference resumes.

Although debates on the standing orders had almost been completed last week, delegates had insisted on sighting the clean copy of the rules before formally adopting it for the regulation of the affairs of the conference.

It was also gathered that the conference would also begin from today to discuss and adopt its Work Plan, proposed committee structure and group classification. Delegates are also expected to identify committees they want to serve.

The conference assistance secretary disclosed that: “The conference will call for submission of papers on thematic issues highlighted under the various committees to be announced. The papers are to be submitted before close of business on Thursday, April 3, 2014; or earlier.

Conference delegates are also expected to commence debate on the speech presented by President Goodluck Jonathan on March 17, 2014 when he formally inaugurated the conference at the National Judicial Institute.

The Extravagance Of The African Billionaire

When hopping on a plane it is understandable that you might carry a few personal belongings with you: a toothbrush or some bed socks, a little cash for incidentals in the airport or in-flight, duty-free shopping. So one can only imagine Christo Wiese’s surprise when he was stopped by customs at Heathrow Airport for carrying what he considered “small change”. Customs confiscated over $1 million in cash, the South African billionaire had bundled into rolls with elastic bands and nestled in his carry-on. A man with a personal fortune worth over $3 billion, complete with a wine estate, five-star hotel and private game reserve, considered this kind of cash “peanuts” – small change indeed.

Africa, a continent home to 80 percent of the world’s population living in poverty, is also the home of some of the world’s wealthiest people. Like their international brethren, despite the struggles of their poor neighbours, the region’s rich have no compunction about flashing their fancy cars, fleets of private jets, tickets to outer space, lavish weddings and exclusive and extravagant real estate.

In late 2008, South African luxury retail magnate, Johann Rupert, was quick to swear that his 22-year-old son Anton was not a “spoilt brat”, despite the young man having just smashed his father’s $1.2-million Ferrari F50 – one of only 349 in the world. Publicly, at least, the billionaire blamed only himself for his son’s error. The car – one of 400 sitting in the billionaire’s private-collection-cum-vintage-car-museum – did need driving to remain in mint condition, Johann Rupert said. “Cars that are not driven regularly suffer irreparable damage,” the tycoon remarked at the time. “The museum cars are therefore driven often.” Rupert senior brushed off his son’s ill-fated joy ride, saying: “I did far worse things at Anton’s age, often involving an Alfa Romeo Giulia Super.” Who knows whether the boy would have received more than a slap on the wrist had he taken out dad’s 2003 supercar Ferrari Enzo or the rare 1931 Austro-Daimler Bergmeister.

While Rupert seems fairly nonchalant about his jam-packed garage, Nigerian self-made businessman, Aliko Dangote, worth a whopping $20.2 billion, might be a bit more territorial about his latest purchase: a $43-million custom-made luxury yacht. The richest man in Africa for the second year running and widely reported as the 43rd highest-grossing billionaire in the world, Dangote paved the way to his billions through his publicly traded cement company, Dangote Cement, which operates in 14 countries on the continent. The yacht, named Mariya after his mother, can often be seen moored alongside Nigerian oil tycoon, Femi Otedola’s almost identical boat – in his case, named Nana after his wife.

AFRICA’S MONOPOLY “MAYFAIR”

If you are on the lookout for Africa’s superrich, Nigeria is the place to start. The capital Abuja is considered the most expensive city in Africa. A four-bedroom duplex in the upscale Maitama district, for example, runs to about $4 million. Nigeria’s vast oil resources and poor infrastructure raise the cost of living in this inland city but so do the tastes of some of its residents. Ferraris, McLarens and Lamborghinis have been seen on its roads, with local bloggers also claiming to have spotted a Bugatti Veyron (the world’s most expensive car at $2.4 million apiece), with a mystery driver behind the wheel.

Recently, well-heeled politicians and senior civil servants have been snapping up real estate in the city’s Goodluck Jonathan District, newly named after the Nigerian president, amid talk that the district will house governmental heavyweights like the Senate president and the speaker of the House of Representatives. Developers have scaled up prices accordingly: a 2,800-square-metre residential plot – undeveloped – now goes for upwards of $5 million.

Not far away on the coast near Lagos, the residents of the Banana Island district, a sliver of reclaimed land aptly named for its shape, enjoy first-world luxuries that elude many Nigerians and then some.

While a four-bedroom apartment can cost as much as $21 million, residents pay for benefits including a 24-hour electricity supply – a privilege found in only one other place in Nigeria: the presidential residence. Other rare conveniences include freshly paved roads and a central sewage system, not to mention a mosque, two watch towers and a banquet hall with seating capacity for 200 guests. The extravagantly landscaped grounds are decorated with statues of frolicking deer and a bull. In 2012, the rare luxury of its premises earned Banana Island the coveted “Mayfair” spot on Lagos’s first Monopoly board.

Among the residents of Banana Island is Mike Adenuga, Nigeria’s newest billionaire, who counts a gilded duplex in the development among seven homes he owns. This is not the only kind of real estate Adenuga has been buying. He recently spent $1.24 million on a burial plot in the Vaults and Gardens cemetery in Ikoyi, Lagos. The sum is typical of the cemetery, where vaults and plots costing millions wait for their super-rich occupants. Adenuga, who built his fortune in banking, oil and telecommunications, reportedly paid the same amount for his sister to be buried here after she passed away in 2009.

Eccentric as this may seem, Adenuga and the other buyers in Vaults and Gardens aren’t the only wealthy Africans to choose an exclusive resting place. Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed, the former owner of Harrods, once announced that he wanted to be mummified and entombed on the roof of the department store when the time came. “There’s a glass studio on the top floor in his private suite,” a long-time friend reputedly said. “It has a glass dome and he said he wanted to be placed beneath that.” The Qatari royal family, which bought the place in 2010 for £1.5 billion, may have other ideas.

HOW WEALTHY WOMEN PREFER TO DO IT

In the coming years, according to the United Nations, most African countries are expected to achieve growth higher than the global average, and the continent’s billionaires are reaping the rewards of this upward trend. The combined fortune of Africa’s 55 billionaires is $143.88 billion. There are three female billionaires in Africa.

Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of the president of Angola, enjoys a net worth of $2.4 billion. Her 2003 wedding to wealthy Congolese art collector, Sindika Dokolo, reportedly cost $4 million. African presidents mingled among the 100 guests, a choir was flown from Belgium and two charter planes full of food made the journey from France. Her 10-year wedding anniversary party this year was no less extravagant. The invitation to celebrate a “decade of passion, a decade of friendship, a decade worth a hundred years” meant three days of extravagance for hundreds of lucky local and European guests, who partied in Luanda and brunched on the swanky Mussulo peninsula.

New luxury apartments owned by dos Santos in the Angolan capital of Luanda, which the Mercer Group this year ranked the world’s most expensive city in which to live, currently stand empty. With rent costing upward of $3,000 a month, most Angolans would struggle to step foot in such a place.

Let’s not forget Folorunsho Alakija, who got her start in the early 1980s when she quit her job as a secretary at a bank to study fashion design in England. The ambitious Nigerian returned home to Africa to set up Supreme Stitches. She picked up an exclusive clientele, made friends in high society and enticed the wives to wear her designer threads. Her brand soon became a household name.

In 1993, Alakija began to dabble in oil exploration, despite having no experience in the industry. Her oil riches today have helped amass her a net worth of $7.3 billion. She gets around in a $46-million private jet and owns a reported five apartments in one of the world’s most expensive apartment blocks, One Hyde Park in London, where penthouses sell for up to $9,350 per square foot.





This story was written by David Nicholson and was first published on Ventures Africa magazine’s Richlist issue

Solving problems : A tip for entrepreneurs

Making money is not about focusing on your-self, on your wants and needs. You must think about helping other people. Creating wealth is nothing more than creating a system that efficiently solves problems, provides values or saves time and money. You need to understand what people are willing to pay for and what you are willing and capable of providing.

Many have made money and built reputations by solving problems. Doctors cure the sufferings of illness, psychiatrists helps heal the troubled mind, lawyers protect names from being tarnished, consultants offer marketing advice and a dazzling array of products helps to remove any inconvenience you might possibly encounter in your daily life.

Many people are solving problems. They are all offering solutions to people who need them. Some are giving them away for free, others are selling them for a price. When problem and solution is a perfect fit, a relationship of trust is built between two parties. If this helps me now, it might help me again. If this solves my problem, it might solve my friend's problem too.

There is a connection. The problem solver becomes more popular as more problems are solved for more people. Every time you sold a problem in a way that is better than others, you add undeniable value to the person in need.

Most of the time problem-solvers are already engaging your target audience but that doesn't mean you should stay away. There is always room for another solution, especially when its one that addresses the problem with more elegance, force, precision and style.
Succeeding for the long-term at growing business isn't just about making money; its about making money the only way that promises you long-term success. Its about being an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is someone who solves problems for people @ a profit. Successful entrepreneurs help people. The more people you reach out to and gets the effect of your product and get helped, the richer you become.

This doesn't mean you need to be solving the greatest problems in people's lives. If you focus on making money, sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. But if you focus on helping people and stick to your passion, you always win.

Moro Accepts Responsibility, Parradang Denies Role in Recruitment Tragedy

The Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, Thursday took responsibility for the March 15 death of 16 people during the recruitment exercise held for the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), saying, “the buck stops at my table”.

However, the Comptroller General of the immigration service, Mr. David Parradang,has absolved himself of blame, stating that the minister took the decision on the recruitment exercise unilaterally.


While appearing at the opening of a two-day public hearing held by the Senate Committee on Interior on the exercise, Moro said he regretted that a well-intended exercise ended in tragedy.


“As the Minister of Interior, under whose purview this unfortunate exercise took place, I cannot abdicate my responsibility. The buck stops at my table,” he said.

He said the decision to conduct the recruitment through online applications was informed by his personal experiences with regards to the recruitment process into the paramilitary services under his supervision as Minister of Interior.

“On my assumption of office as minister, I took cognisance of the unprecedented challenges facing the recruitment processes, procedures and practices in the paramilitary services under the supervision of the ministry.

“Such experiences were characterised by incoherent procedures, favouritism, job racketeering and unequal opportunities, among others, and therefore needed immediate attention. “The noble task before me was to institute measures that would ease the application procedures, enthrone an open and transparent process, allow for equal opportunities, institute a process for the engagement of qualified and deserving persons and also to ensure the reflection of federal character, pursuant to the applicable federal laws.

“In December 2012, the immigration service approached me with a waiver for the recruitment of 4,556 personnel from the Office of the Head of Service of Nigeria. The conduct of that recruitment was marred by controversy and accusations of tribalism, nepotism, job racketeering and lopsidedness. The exercise was cancelled.

“The recruitment procedures into the service is as contained in the Act establishing the board and guidelines for appointment, promotions and discipline for use in the Civil Defence, Fire Service, Immigration and Prisons Services,” he explained.

Moro, who also blamed the devil for the failure of the exercise, said contrary to allegations against him that he unilaterally took the decision on the exercise, a board meeting was held in May last year on the matter, adding that another one was held in January.

He also said he opted for the e-recruitment exercise in view of its successes when employed by the navy, army and some other paramilitary agencies.

Earlier, the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Parradang, and the Board of Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prison Services, had accused Moro of unilaterally ordering the March 15 recruitment exercise.

In his submission, Paradang, who said he was not aware of the aptitude test until a meeting of the board held in January, said: “In all my years in the service, nobody had ever taken away from us the power to recruit officers from level one to six,” adding that there was no budget for the exercise.

Parradang, who also said he was warned by the Budget Office not to go ahead with the recruitment without a budget cover, made certain recommendations which included allowing the service and the board to conduct a recruitment exercise in the future, adding that only those shortlisted for such tests should be invited. He also suggested that the exercise should be phased.

He also said contrary to reports, the total number of people who died at the exercise was 16 and not 23, explaining that seven died in Abuja, five in Rivers State, two in Niger, one in Benin and one in Ekiti.


In its submission, FCC, which was represented by Mr. Uche Diogu, said it first received a letter from NIS asking for waiver for the recruitment to fill  1,750 vacancies to counter the Boko Haram threat in July 2011.


Subsequently, he said FCC called several meetings to ensure that due process was followed, adding that it raised a number of observations and suggested that the March 15 exercise should be postponed.


“But the minister disagreed saying he had already made commitment to the exercise before the National Assembly,” he said.
The commission also said it only heard of the exercise on March 12 and called a meeting on March 13, where it advised against holding it as scheduled.

Also speaking, the Secretary of the Board of Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prison Services, Mr. Sylvanus Tapgun, who said Dextrel Technology, the consultants which handled the exercise, initially reported that 693,015 had applied for the job, he revealed that the company finally submitted the list of a total of 710,110 applicants when the application process was completed. He added that whereas 522,652 were eventually called for the aptitude test, the consultant was asked to provide funds for the exercise but declined, saying that was not its responsibility.


Tapgun also said the board, perceiving that the exercise might fail, proposed on February 20 that it should be staggered and be held from March 15 to 19, while the physical exercise should be shifted to March 29.

However, he said the minister refused to accept the board’s suggestion on the grounds that the pronouncement on it had already been made.

He said: “We drew the attention of the minister to the reality. We made our position clear that it might not succeed but he said we should work towards the date. We didn't have independent way of monitoring the exercise. We only relied on information from consultants.”

He also disclosed that on March 13, the consultant only released N45 million as against the N201 million it was asked to release for the funding of the exercise, claiming that it was not part of agreement that the consultant would fund the exercise.

Another member of the board, Mr. Mustapha Zakaria, who said the board, which was mandated by the Act establishing it to handle recruitment of officers from level seven and above, argued that agreement for the recruitment only took place between the minister and the consultant.

“The board was not carried along. We wrote a memo to the ministry that the agreement was in breach of the Act establishing the board because it exists as a separate entity. We said it constituted an infringement on functions of the board. “We also said it was inappropriate for applicants to apply online; that it was in conflict with the Act but we were ignored. We also disagreed with the arrangement that only one officer would be sent to each state to conduct the test. We said: ‘How could only one officer be sent to conduct a test?’ I have been on the board for six years but things had never been done in this manner,” he said.

In its testimony, a representative of Dextrel Technology, Theodore Maiyaki, said it signed the agreement with the Ministry of Interior to handle the recruitment process in April 2013 for the purpose of online registration in ministry and agencies.

He also said even though the company initially agreed with the ministry to charge each applicant N1,200, including bank charges, it eventually resolved to charge N1,000 after an interface with FCC.


He disclosed that the process held between September and October, during which he said a total of 710,110 applications were received out of which, he said, 522,652 were shortlisted. He admitted that the company received a letter from the board asking it to make a remittance of N201 million for the funding of the exercise.

“We didn't reply immediately but sought to meet with the board and drew attention of the board to Section 228 of contract agreement that the ministry would fund the exercise.

“We sent a letter that was dated March 7, in which we reiterated that our role was restricted to the digital quota. But we later agreed that since there was no funding provision for the exercise, the potential for rancour would heighten.

“After engagement, we found that the integrity of the exercise was critical to us, so the board approved N45 million. The decision was taken reluctantly but patriotically backed with a letter exonerating us from funding,” he said.

He also said in view of expansion of its infrastructure because of the influx of applications, the company experienced a breakdown of infrastructure three times, adding that the bank charged N250 per N1,000 deposited with it, amounting to N177 million. He also said the company spent N98 million as cost of execution.

Moro however, debunked Maiyaki's claim, saying the company was expected to fund the exercise.
The Head of Service, Alhaji Goni Aji, who was represented by the permanent secretary in his office, who simply identified himself as Yemi, said the head of service had no statutory power to recruit officers into any agency or ministry, noting that it is the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) that is vested with that power.

He pointed out that following the waiver requested for employment by NIS for the counter insurgency, it was granted after the agency met the conditions for the recruitment such as established vacancies, grade levels of those to be recruited, remuneration already fixed in the service, staff strength of the agency, financial implication and justification for the recruitment.

He argued that the NIS provided justification for the recruitment and was therefore granted the waiver to fill 4,556 jobs in 2012 after an initial waiver granted for recruitment in 2011

National Conference “Sleeping Delegate” Hamma Misau Is Dead

A delegate at the ongoing National Conference in Nigeria, retired police AIG Hamma Misau has died at the National Hospital in Abuja. Mallam Misau died last night of an undisclosed illness at the age of 67.
Mallam Misau became famous after a photo of him taking a nap at the conference was shared  on social media three days ago.
Barrister Mohammed Hamma a cousin to the retired police officer confirmed his demise. He said a Muslim funeral is due shortly in Bauchi for the late delegate. Mallam Hamma Misau hails from Misau in Bauchi state.

Nigerian Embassy Official, Mr. Abutu Caught On Camera: Promised To Smuggle Contrabands Via Diplomatic Channels

A staff of the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom Mr. Alfa Abutu is in soup. Deservedly so. He was caught on camera telling agents in an undercover investigation he could help move contrabands and cash from the United Kingdom to any part of the world using his diplomatic privileges.
Watch : http://www.itv.com/news/2014-03-26/caught-on-camera-embassy-worker-who-says-he-can-smuggle-stolen-goods-out-of-the-uk-in-diplomatic-bags/

Youth Delegate At National Conference, Hassan Rilwan Outlines His Agenda

There is a chance for youths to express themselves in the on going conference organised by the federal government. This can be done through this delegate : Hassan Rilwan, he is the publisher of Sardauna Magazine.
Read his outlined agenda.

Sequel to my nomination as a National Conference delegate representing Outstanding Youth Role models in the ‘Other Youths Organisation’ list, I thought it expedient and proper to create a 12-member think-tank (TT) comprised of a crop of intelligent and exceptional youths to discuss and formulate a viable youth agenda for the National conference.
The members of this Think-Tank are as follows:
Hassan Rilwan, Blossom Nnodim, Nasir Galadanchi, Japheth Omojuwa, Umar Musa Ikhilor, Linus Okorie, Ibrahim Wala, Alexander Mamchika Atta, Haruna Abdullahi, Ahmed Terab, Audu Maikori, Vera Ibe
Over the past few weeks, members of this think-tank have had series of interaction via various social media platforms (Facebook, twitter, blackberry group, whatsapp etc.) requesting for inputs from the general youth populace towards the formulation of a viable youth agenda for the National Conference. These online interactions have generated a lot of interesting feedbacks upon which members of the think-tank met to extensively deliberate on Saturday, March 22nd, 2014.  After a full day of brainstorming and passionate discussions amongst some members, the following was agreed upon as a viable youth agenda for the national conference.
EDUCATIONAL POLICIES
It has been observed that there is a wide gap between the educational content being presently churned out to the youth and the emerging realities of the society they face after graduation. This gap must be bridged. In this regard, it is our considered position at the policy objective of the State on Education as captured in Section 18 (3) of Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) be expanded to include the following:
(i)           Provision of free entrepreneurial training for the youth
(ii)          Provision of free Skills Acquisition Training for youths with or without formal education;
(iii)         Provision of free Leadership Training for youths at all levels of formal education
(iv)         Formulation and inculcation of a National Ideology at all levels of formal and informal education and training. This National Ideology should emphasizes honest hard work, dignity of labour, patriotism, pursuit of excellence, ethnic and religious tolerance and respect for individuals and human rights.
SOCIAL SECURITY FOR UNEMPLOYED YOUTH
A recent report suggests that 65% of the total Nigerian population is made up of young persons between the ages 0 – 25. Unfortunately, about 45million Nigerian youths are without employment. Despite the various government programmes and claims of reducing unemployment, the devastating effect was brought home to us during the recently organized NIS employment examination which saw the death of over 20 youths with several hundred injured. May their souls rest in perfect peace.
Consequent on the above, we therefore call for the establishment of a Youth Social Security Trust Fund (SSTF) to provide social security for unemployed Youth. Sources of such fund shall include (but not limited to): Government grant (1% of total emoluments of government employees), Corporate Social Security Tax (1% of net profit), International grants/donations (World Bank, USAID, DFID etc.).
It is our considered view that all other government programmes on Employment creation such as the National Directorate on Employment, YouWin, Sure-P programme for youth employment, Growth and Employment Project (GEP) should all be collapsed into this Youth Social Security Trust Fund.
In the light of the above, NYSC’s scope and mandate should be expanded to include graduates of all tertiary institutions (not just universities and polytechnics). The scope should also include youths who must have graduated from any informal sector of education (such as vocational and skills acquisition training Institute accredited by appropriate government regulatory body).
There should be an NYSC Reform whose end product should be the empowerment of the youth and provision of entrepreneurial skills for youth with ease of access to capital to set up new businesses and expand existing ones. The capital should come from the Youth Social Security Trust Fund.
It is our considered view that Social security need not be monetized in form of financial stipends to unemployed youth as this might amount to giving the youths fish instead of teaching them how to fish. It is also economically impracticable and will present a huge burden on government. Instead, funds in the Youth Social Security Trust Fund should be channeled towards the following:
(i)           Provision of very low interest loans (under 5%) for unemployed graduates of both formal and informal institutions who must have undergone the requisite entrepreneurial training via NYSC and have a viable business proposal.
(ii)          Provision of services such as Health services for unemployed Youth. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is currently expanding its scope to cover vulnerable persons (such as women and aged-persons) by 2015. It is our strong opinion that every jobless youth should be considered a vulnerable person and put under the scheme.
(iii)         Provision of employment opportunities/incentives for unemployed youths. Funds from the Youth Social Security Trust Fund can be used to create financial incentives for youth to take up employment in certain neglected sector of our economy (such as the agricultural sector).
With regards to Informal educational Training for youths without formal education, there should be a Skills Acquisition Certification and Regulatory Board that should regulate and certify existing skills acquisition and vocational training centres at all levels of government for quality assurances, regulation, efficiency and organizational purposes. This should solve the very low quality of our artisans and reduce capital flight due to our increasing reliance on neighbouring countries for them.
JUSTICIABILITY OF CHAPTER TWO OF THE 1999 CONSTITUTION
It is baffling to observe that the very chapter that captures the fundamental obligation of government towards its citizens (especially as it relates to socio-economic rights) is said to be injusticiable (i.e it cannot be a basis of suing government for their enforcement).
Here are a few of the socio-economic rights which government is obliged to provide:
(i)           right to General welfare and security, (S. 14(2)(b);
(ii)          Provision of Transportation: adequate facilities for movement of people, goods and services throughout the Federation (S. 15(3)(a);
(iii)         Provision of Physiological needs: suitable and adequate shelter, suitable and adequate food, reasonable national minimum living wage, old age care and pensions, and unemployment, sick benefits and welfare of the disabled are provided for all citizens (S. 16(2)(d);
(iv)         Right to employment: all citizens, without discrimination on any group whatsoever, [shall] have the opportunity for securing adequate means of livelihood as well as adequate opportunity to secure suitable employment (s. 17(3)(a);
(v)          Right to health: adequate medical and health facilities for all persons (S. 17(3) (d);
(vi)         Right to education, from cradle to grave: free, compulsory and universal primary education; free secondary, university education and adult literacy programme (S. 18(3)(a) to (d);
(vii)        The State shall not operate the economic system in such a manner as to permit the concentration of wealth or the means of production and exchange in the hands of few individuals or of a group (S. 16(2)(c);
(viii)      The State to ensure that the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good; (S. 16(2)(b);
(ix)         The State to control the national economy in such manner as to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity (S. 16(1)(b).
It is our considered view that Chapter 2 of the Constitution especially section 17 (3) that stipulates the socio-economic rights of the citizens should be made justiciable. This will make government to priotise the fulfillment of these basic needs to the people. In any case these very socio-economic rights have been captured in many International Conventions (such as the African Charter on Human and People’s Right) to which Nigeria in a signatory.
YOUTH PARTICIPATION
In view of the fact that the youth make up more than half of our country’s population, it is only reasonable that the government should direct its policy towards ensuring more participation for youth in governance. In this regard, we are of the view that:
(i)           There should be a downward review of the required minimum age for contesting elective offices for Federal and State Houses from 35years of age to 25/30 years of age.
(ii)          There should be a national bench-mark for determining who is a “youth” that is in line with international standards. In this regard, it is our considered view that the bench-mark should be fixed between 18-35 year instead of the present situation where persons above 45 and 50years are appointed to be in charge of youth affairs.
(iii)         The Minister for Youth Development should be appointed from amongst the Youths who will be more likely to be in touch with the needs and aspirations of the average youth and not from crops of elders who are totally out of touch with the realities facing the youths.
(iv)         Conscious efforts should be put in place to ensure that more youth are involved in government rather than for political thugery. The negative tendencies of some State Governors to set up youth thuggery groups to intimidate their political opponents and further their political dominance is very condemnable and must be stopped immediately.
CONCLUSION
It is imperative to state that the above issues facing the youth are not the only agenda the youth, (of which I am a representative), shall table before the Conference. We shall also come up with our position on Resource control, true federalism, State Police, indigeneship, and other critical issues which shall form the overall agenda for the National Conference. For now these issues facing the youth are our top priority.
Let us finally reiterate, that the National Conference is about the Future of Nigeria and the youth are the future of this country. We therefore urge all delegates to bear this in mind as they deliberate and take decisions. In paraphrasing the words of W.B. Yeats, we the youths are saying: ““But we, being poor, have only our dreams. We have spread our dreams under your feet; therefore tread softly because you tread on our dreams”
Hassan Rilwan @Hassan_Rilwan can be reached via engagehassan@gmail.com

Three Things TECNO Must Do To Chase SAMSUNG Out Of Nigerian Android Market

Nigerians love to show off! We love to pride ourselves as owners of what our next door neighbour is dreaming to have!
That’s why we can even borrow to buy the latest car. Hardly is there an expensive car that doesn’t exist in Nigeria. We love class and have no apologies about that.
This is what I expected the franchise owners of Tecno Nigeria to have keyed in on before invading the Nigerian phone market with sophisticated gadgets that no wealthy man would want to proudly use!
The fact is, besides the annoying keyboard sounds of Tecno phone, it is the most sophisticated , afordable phone in the market right now.
The question is, who wants to use a phone he can’t show off  to his friends and family?  A phone that does almost everything the most expensive phone can do except elevate your class? This is the question Tecno Nigeria didn’t ask and answer before setting up in Nigeria where class is everything.
WHAT CAN BE DONE:
Now don’t get me wrong, Nigerians love cheap things, that is where Tecno Nigeria got it right but it is wiser to give Nigerians the cheap product that has class and I quarantee you,  Tecno will sweep Samsung out of the market! Since the both run on Android OS.
FIRST, Tecno should get a top Nigerian celebrity as its brand Ambassador. A brand ambassador has a way of making people believe that the ambassador uses the product he or she is representing or endorsing.  Please I don’t mean celebrities like Terry G,  Nonso Diobi, Chioma Chukwuka-Akpotha, Benita Nzeribe, NO! These ones can’t change Tecno’s appeal to the wealthy.  You need artistes with powerful appeal level and class like RMD, Tuface, D’banj, Ramsey Noah, Jim Iyke, Tonto Dikeh, Genevieve Nnaji or Omotola Jalade.
SECONDLY, Tecno Nigeria must shoot TVC (Tv Commercial) that projects the product as product for the upwardly mobile. The truth is, a well packaged brand is infectious. The moment the average earner sees that the money bags are using a product, they start saving up to join the bandwagon and upgrade.
THIRDLY, Tecno must make sure  there is nothing in the phone that suggest it is made in China or better put, it is a China phone because Nigerians class anything from China as a low quality product.
If Tecno can judiciously follow these tips, I quarantee that they will chase Samsung out of the Android market.

The Writer, Paschal Oge Chikero, is a Blogger, www.chikeroonline.com.
The views expressed above are solely that of the writer and not of Edosomwan's Blog or its associates.

Why Do African/Nigerian Kleptocrats Steal Money They Don’t Need, Use, See, Reach, Or Ever Access?

A writeup By Austin Aneke
He is the author of Technology and Corruption and founder of www.june12post.com
Why do African/Nigerian politicians steal money they don’t use, see, need, reach, or access?  The stealing by government officials in Nigeria is systematic, planned, organised, endemic, and extreme. Nigeria’s thieving autocrats have turned every treasury in Nigeria into a crime scene. They spare no funds- no matter how consolidated. They spare no assets or public accounts because they are morally depraved and ethically bankrupt.
They steal so much that no matter how lavish their life styles within the country become, they can only use a fraction of their loot in their life time. Most times their loots are hidden in foreign bank accounts in tax heavens, especially Switzerland. Their stealing spree creates huge holes in the development process at home; hence HOME is unstable and unsafe to keep stolen funds. Home may explode at any minute.
Nevertheless, at the commencement of the inevitable trouble at home; the foreign hosts of their looted funds also commence their black mail. “Sorry you can’t reach the funds until we clarify certain issues”. The foreign host tax heavens- ensure that the funds are seized, forfeited and ring fenced. The looter gets ill and dies.
The US government recently froze about $483.00 million stolen by former Nigerian dictator – Sanni Abacha, in largest kleptocracy forfeiture action ever brought in the US. If you wish to know; the $483.00 million dollars, is in addition to the £500- $700 million dollars previously recovered from the same culprit by the Nigeria government. These were monies he never used, saw, reached, and as we now know- accessed.
So lets get it right.
Africa/Nigeria is not a tax heaven for depositing stolen foreign/local resources, because the regimes over time, have made it unsafe. However, Africans/Nigerians steal the funds and deposit them into foreign fortes because “HOME” is not safe. Africans/Nigerians lose the funds because the foreign thieves hosting the funds, blackmail their families and Nigeria- at their death, coup, or insurrection. The ultimate loser is the ordinary African/Nigerian in the street.
So when will African/Nigerian leaders stop stealing the funds they cannot use, reach, access, or touch; which are eventually lost to handlers of stolen goods, abroad. When will African/Nigerian leaders start copying Nelson Mandela and stop behaving in ways that endear them to no one? When will they start realising that the public at home and their foreign deposit countries loathe them? The foreign countries do not like them, but love what hey bring to them (stolen money), at the expense of their own people (Africans/Nigerians).
Is it not phony when you hear that Dangote is the richest man in Africa/Nigeria? He may be the richest business man, but he is clearly not the richest man in Africa or Nigeria. The richest men in Africa/Nigeria can be found in ex -ministers/Presidents, Prime Ministers, Governors. Nevertheless and unfortunately Forbes magazine cannot categorise them as richest, because first they know that their funds were stolen, and second- they are aware that they don’t even have access to their funds nor control them. Furthermore, because these funds running into billions are stolen and hidden, groups like Forbes find it difficult to categorise, classify, or measure their wealth. The recent missing $20 billion dollars in Nigeria is a case in point. This is just unaccounted funds just for about one financial year. Where do you think the money has gone? Mobutu is believed to have lost about £4 billion dollars of his country’s resources in Swiss Fortes.
“Kleptocracy is a form of political and government corruption where the government exists to increase the personal wealth and political power of its officials and the ruling class at the expense of the wider population, often with pretence of honest service. This type of government corruption is often achieved by the embezzlement of state funds”.
While the stealing continues, the primary schools are in shambles, there is no primary health care, the Universities are shot, poor roads are constructed, if at all, and there is no pipe borne water. The health systems remain so rotten that almost all the Kleptocrats pride themselves in accessing health facilities abroad.
Past and present African/Nigerian politicians compete on who builds the best marble houses, with looted funds, - for personal use, and on hill tops. They also compete on who is rated as having looted more billions of dollars, pounds and naira. And you know what; the people hail them in these unholy competitions. The people will say that “he/she is doing well”. “He just built a personal marble house after just 6 months in office”.
The culture of stealing public funds in Africa/Nigeria is alarming. African legislative houses are houses of thieves. Unintelligible gangsters rule Africa/Nigeria. African political officials are voted in- NOT to do well, but to help to dismember the treasuries.
So, when will African/Nigerian leaders start to realise the vanity of their stealing spree? When will they begin to realise that the deaths of African presidents Zenawi of Ethiopia, John of Ghana, and Bingu Mutharika of Malawi, all in one year, are enough signs to prompt them to reflect and realise the vanity of their stealing spree? When will they begin to realise that African/Nigerian people are the only losers in the stealing debacle? When will African/Nigerian people stop cheering their kleptocrats?
When will African/Nigerian politicians start returning their loots before they are lost to greedy western banks and countries? Who will introduce an African/Nigerian money return initiative to help save the stolen funds stashed in Switzerland and its ilk? When will the world commence prosecuting African/Nigerian politicians for economic terrorism against their people?


The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Edosomwan's Blog