Random Thoughts Of A Nigerian!

Matchday Experience: Chronicle of a First Timer

2017-03-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

After series of spiraling events, postponements, dilly-dallying, and a host of other stumbling blocks, I finally went to a Nigerian Professional Football League game (NPFL).

Prior to the formation of the League Management Committee (LMC) and reestablishment of the league, the league experienced an unprecedented level of decline. Although football is the country’s national sport, the domestic competitions suffered neglect and obscurity from the people, mostly as a result of the unsavory scenes that gritted match days. The situation grew even worse around the early 2000s when cable TVs became a commonplace, heralding a total development of Nigerians’ affinity for the European League, and most notably the English Premier League.

In the past, I have been to a national game, but the Shooting Stars vs. Plateau United is the first Nigerian League match I had ever seen – though I have watched numerous matches on TV. It was Sunday afternoon, and there wasn’t much to do, so, I thought of hanging out. It then came to me in an epiphany that there’d be an NPFL game. “No going back, the jinx of not seeing a game would be broken today,” I thought to myself.

By the time I arrived the stadium, it was about 20mins past kickoff. I saw people thronging hurriedly towards the ticket office and some others into the arena. Instantly, I was caught in the exciting frenzy, and I rushed along as if a step slower would make me miss the entire match.

At the ticket office, I saw people making frantic efforts to get tickets. There were young, as well as old people, male and female alike. I saw haggard-looking folks and something that describes poor – if not wretched, buying tickets to see the game. I was taken aback. More often, I have interacted with friends who are lovers of football but haven’t seen any sense watching a Nigerian League game on TV, talk less of going to the stadium to see a game. “Nigerian what?”, “It is a waste of time and money” they’d protest, with sullen and dismissive countenances. But there I was, with folks who epitomize the suffering Nigerians, yet for the craving and love of the game, can still manage to buy tickets for a league match. I was overwhelmed.

In the arena, the covered area ticket I got couldn’t get me a seat. Like many others, I had to find a place to stand at the terrace behind the seats. Well, it looked like there wasn’t a system to check if seats were still available for a particular stand before selling more, and apparently, the number of tickets printed for the match day exceeded the number of seats available. Nevertheless, I shrugged it off. I should enjoy this ‘historic’ moment, I said to myself.

No sooner have I entered that I noticed a trend. Both sides were apprehensive of each other, trying to get the away from their goal as quick as possible. At the brink of half-time whistle, the visiting team scored a goal from a throw, courtesy of the casual defending by the home side. From that moment, things took a dramatic plunge. Plateau United, the visiting team, started exhibiting antics.

By the turn of the match and few minutes of the second half, Shooting Stars had started to pile the pressure on the away side, looking for a way to turn things around. The antics and time-wasting tactics of Plateau United became recurrent, with their players suddenly dropping on the field, seeking medical attention, and bringing the play to a halt. It became rampant, with the Centre Referee failing to curb the excesses of the away side, and the fans having to endure a halt-play-halt game.

Things reached it peaked when a defender of Plateau United suddenly went down after Shooting Stars had spurned a chance. The medical staff of Shooting Stars, rushed in to attend to him, just as they’ve been doing throughout the match. They tried to lift the player out of the pitch with their stretcher, but the defender wouldn’t have any of it, deliberately refuting their attempts. The situation led to a scuffle between the visiting players and the home team medical staff. Eventually, the player was taken out of the pitch but was dropped outside in a cavalier manner, causing some of the Plateau United players to accost the medical staff leading to a push and shove confrontation. A few moments later, the General Manager of the home side then rushed to the touchline, angrily calling the attention of the referee, and saying something which was inaudible from the stands.

After a while, the skirmish started to die down, until the Coach of Plateau lunged towards the 3SC General Manager in what looked like fisticuffs were about to ensue. He was, however, held back by some members of his staff. This drew the ire of the Shooting Stars fans, with some throwing plastic objects towards the team members and staff of Plateau United. The pelting then fomented trouble among the home fans themselves, as some angrily challenged others that threw the objects towards the pitch, an action that seemingly meant to halt an action that could lead to a ban for the home side. Eventually, normalcy returned and the game was revived. Shooting Stars continued to pile the pressure, and they got their equalizer from the spot when a player who wanted to strike a rebound from an earlier shot was hacked down by an opposing defender. Tied at 1-1, the away side held on, employing their time-wasting antic, albeit mildly, as against their earlier actions. Finally, the Centre Referee blew the whistle, signaling an end to the game, but there was a sour taste in the mouth of the home team fans, while the away side shook themselves for a job ‘well done.’

As a football lover, I felt disappointed with the events of the day. A league that wants to grow, and willing to change the awful narratives around its reputation, and increase its fan base would do everything to avoid any dent, and ensure that such situations are dealt with to curb its reoccurrence. However, it wasn’t all negatives. I saw a passion in the fans, albeit laced with anger. I saw the capacity to check themselves even in the face of anger and incitement. I saw the prospect of fans being the ones to end the hooliganism in football. I see the possibility of the Nigerian League attaining greatness.

Who's here?

2013-12-02T11:47:00.000-08:00

Wait a minute! How did I get here? What am I looking for? Wait...something looks familiar...Random Thoughts of a Nigerian? Where did I hear that again?! Ah! I remember, it is a name of a blog.
Whose blog is it? Ermm, let me rack my brain... What?! My BLOG???

Okay, I know I have been lazy and I have forgotten this page entirely...well, not entirely. But who am I to blame if not myself. I totally agree that I'm at fault. However the truth is there is a different world out there, a world different from that of the internet, and if I don't want to be left behind, I have to give it my attention.

I can't promise and renegade, just like I did before. So, I am not going to promise now, I will only do what I can do.

Okay, so many things on my mind. A very hectic day plus it is my birthday.

I've to go now. See ya.

The Morning is Here

2012-07-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

Just saw this on my desktop. Didn't realize I didn't post. Wrote it on the morning of the UEFA Champions League Final between Bayern and Chelsea.

The morning is here, I woke up on the bright side, though I didn’t sleep very well as my mind was in MUNICH throughout the night, yes , in Munich. My football side got a better hold of me ahead my political side, and I felt putting it down might ease me from the pressure I am suffering from.

It is theUEFA Champions League Final and as a fan of Chelsea FC, I am relishing the night – the biggest night in European football and I can’t wait!

Then, the thought of other Chelsea FC fans struck me. How are they feeling now? Is the heat on as well? Do they feel uneasy as I am? I can only assume the answers to my numerous questions, but assumption is the lowest level of man’s knowledge.

A look at the history of my team (Chelsea) shows that we’ve never won the competition in our 107years of existence. The Champions League trophy is the missing feather on our cap, unlike our opponent, Bayern Munich, who had won the trophy four times.

My uneasiness is not because of the match alone, but because the match will be played in the domain of our opponent, in Allianz Arena! Coupled with the absence of major players like John Terry, Barnislav Ivanovic, Ramires, Meireless, this herculean task ahead alone sends shiver s down my spine, I tremble as I write this as there is only one thing on my mind, CHELSEA MUST WIN! The thought of not featuring in the next edition if the team fail to win is nauseating as the team finished on the 6th position in the EPL campaign.

Now, I wish I can just hibernate, and then come alive after the match and be told that Chelsea has won the Champions League. Well, that seems impossible somehow, I just have to be patient. What more can I do other than look forward to the evening.

NLC calls Off Strike!

2012-01-16T04:29:00.000-08:00

After six days of protests and mass rallies over the hike in the price of petrol, the Labour movement yesterday suspended its nationwide strike.
Labour leaders, under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) enumerated the gains of the protests.
It noted that the new N97 per litre price of petrol was a unilateral decision of the Federal Government.
The Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) had, on January 1, announced the withdrawal of petrol subsidy, which jacked up petrol price to between N138 to N200. The price hike caused increases in the prices of goods and services.
The Labour movement, on January 9, began the nationwide strike, rallies and protests following Federal Government’s refusal to revert the price to N65.
Announcing the suspension of the industrial action, rallies and street protest at the Labour House in Abuja yesterday, NLC President Comrade Abdulwahed Omar noted that the government “that chorused continuously that its decision to increase PMS (petrol) price to N141 is irreversible and irreducible, was forced to announce a price reduction to N97”.
In a statement titled: Suspension of strikes and mass protests against hike in fuel prices, Labour said: “With the experiences of the past eight days, we are sure that no government or institution will take Nigerians for granted again.”
The statement reads: “In the past eight days through strikes, mass rallies, shutdown, debates and street protests, Nigerians demonstrated clearly that they cannot be taken for granted and that sovereignty belongs to them.
“In the last 24 hours, the Labour movement and its allies who had the historic responsibility of coordinating these mass actions have had cause to review the various actions and decided that in order to save lives and in the interest of national survival, these mass actions be suspended.
“We note the major successes Nigerians scored in these past days in which they rose courageously as a people to take their destiny in their hands.
“First, the Federal Government that chorused continuously that its decision to increase petrol (PMS) price to N141 is irreversible and irreducible, was forced to announce a price reduction to N97. We, however, state categorically that this new price was a unilateral one by the Federal Government.
“Secondly, the government has been made to adopt the policy to drastically reduce the cost of governance.
“A third major success Nigerians recorded is to get the Federal Government to decisively move against the massive and crippling corruption in the oil sector. While until now the government has seemed helpless to tackle corruption, the mass action of the people has compelled it to address accountability issues in the sector.
“In this wise, President Goodluck Jonathan has told the nation that the forensic audit report on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will be studied and proven acts of corruption will be sanctioned.

Facts You Must Know ABOUT SUBSIDY: By Pst Tunde Bakare

2012-01-15T11:33:00.001-08:00

(SUBSIDY MADE SIMPLE aka SMS):

Pastor 'Tunde Bakare delivered this expose on Fuel Subsidy at The Latter Rain Assembly a few hours ago. Please read, digest, and share with as many people as you can. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!

1) DEFINITION

To subsidise is to sell a product below the cost of production. Since the federal government has been secretive about the state of our refineries and their production capacity, we will focus on importation rather than production. So, in essence, within the Nigerian Fuel Subsidy context, to subsidise is to sell petrol below the cost of importation.

2) THE UNSUBSTANTIATED CLAIMS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The Nigerian government claims that Nigerians consume 34 million litres of petrol per day. The government has also said publicly that N141 per litre is the unsubsidised pump price of petrol imported into Nigeria. (N131.70 kobo being the landing price and N9.30 kobo being profit.)

3) ANNUAL COST OF IMPORTATION

Daily Fuel Consumption: 34 million litres

Cost at Pump: N141.00

No. of days in a regular year: 365 days

Total cost of all petrol imported yearly into Nigeria:

Litres Naira Days

34m x 141 x 365

= N1.75 trillion

4) COST BORNE BY THE CONSUMERS

Nigerians have been paying N65 per litre for fuel, haven’t we? Therefore, cost borne by the consumers =

Litres Naira Days

34m x 65 x 365

= N807 billion

5) COST OF SUBSIDY BORNE BY THE GOVERNMENT

In 2011 alone, government claimed to have spent N1.3 trillion by October – the bill for the full year, assuming a constant rate of consumption is N1.56 trillion.

Consequently, the true cost of subsidy borne by the government is:

Total cost of importation minus total borne by consumers, i.e. N1.75 trillion minus N807 billion = N943 billion.

Unexplainable difference: N617 billion

The federal government of Nigeria cannot explain the difference between the amount actually disbursed for subsidy and the cost borne by Nigerians (N1.56 trillion minus N943 billion = N617 billion).

6) BOGUS CLAIM BY THE GOVERNMENT

A government official has claimed that the shortfall of N617 billion is what goes to subsidising our neighbours through smuggling. This is pathetic. But let us assume (assumption being the lowest level of knowledge) that the government is unable to protect our borders and checkmate the brisk smuggling going on. Even then, the figures still don’t add up. This is because even if 50% of the petrol consumed in each of our neighbouring countries is illegally exported from Nigeria, the figures are still inaccurate. Why?

WORLD BANK’S FIGURES: POPULATIONS OF WEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES

NIGERIA: 158.4 million

BENIN: 8.8 million

TOGO: 6 million

CAMEROUN: 19.2 million

NIGER: 15.5 million

CHAD: 11.2 million

GHANA: 24.4 million

The total population of all our six (6) neighbours is 85.5 million.

Let’s do some more arithmetic:

a) Rate of Petrol Consumption in Nigeria: Total consumed divided by total population:

34 million litres divided by 158.8 million people = 0.21 litres per person per day.

b) Rate of Petrol Consumption in all our 6 neighbouring countries, assumed to be the same as Nigeria:

0.2 litres x 85.5 million people = 18.35 million litres per day

Now, if we assume that 50% of the petrol consumed in all the six neighbouring countries comes from Nigeria, this value come to 9.18 million litres per day.

7) PATHETIC ABSURDITY

There are two illogicalities flowing from this smuggling saga.

a) If 9.18 million litres of petrol is truly smuggled out of our borders per day, then ours is the most porous nation in the word. This is why: The biggest fuel tankers in Nigeria have a capacity of about 36,000 litres. To smuggle 9.18 million litres of fuel, you need 254 trucks. What our government is telling us is that 254 huge tankers pass through our borders every day and they cannot do anything about it. This is not just acute incompetence, but also a serious security challenge. For if the government cannot stop 254 tanker trailers from crossing the border daily, how can they stop importation of weapons or even invasion by a foreign country?

b) 2nd illogicality:

Even if we believe the government and assume that about 9.18 million litres is actually taken to our neighbours by way of smuggling every day, and all this is subsidised by the Nigerian government, the figures being touted as subsidy still don’t add up. This is why:

Difference between pump price before and after subsidy removal =

N141.00 – N65.00 = N76.00

Total spent on subsidizing petrol to our neighbours annually =

N76.00 x 9.18 million litres x 365 days = N255 billion

If you take the N255 billion away from the N617 billion shortfall that the government cannot explain, there is still a shortfall of N362 billion. The government still needs to tell us what/who is eating up this N362 billion ($2.26 billion USD).

ILLOGICAL ASSUMPTIONS

i) We have assumed that there are no working refineries in Nigeria and so no local petrol production whatsoever – yet, there is, even if the refineries are working below capacity.

ii) Nigeria actually consumes 34 million litres of petrol per day. Most experts disagree and give a figure between 20 and 25 million litres per day. Yet there is still an unexplainable shortfall even if we use the exaggerated figure of the government.

iii) Ghana, Togo, Benin, Cameroun, Niger, and Chad all consume the same rate as Nigeria and get 50% of their petrol illegally from Nigeria through smuggling.

These figures simply show the incompetence and insincerity of our government officials. This is pure banditry.

9) FACT 9: The simplest part of the fuel subsidy arithmetic will reveal one startling fact: That the government does not need to subsidise our petrol at all if we reject corruption and sleaze as a way of life. Check this out:

a) NNPC crude oil allocation for local consumption = 400,000 barrels per day (from a total of 2.450 million barrels per day).

b) If our refineries work at just 30%, 280,000 barrels can be sold on the international market, leaving the rest for local production.

c) Money accruing to the federal government through NNPC on the sale, using $80/bbl – a conservative figure as against the current price of $100/bbl – would be $22.4m per day. Annually this translates to $8.176bn or N1.3 trillion.

d) The government does not need to subsidise our petrol imports - at least not from the Federation Account. The same crude that should have been refined by NNPC is simply sold on the international market (since our refineries barely work) and the money is used to buy petrol. The 400,000 barrels per day given to NNPC for local consumption can either be refined by NNPC or sold to pay for imports. This absurdity called subsidy should be funded with this money, not the regular FGN budget.

If the FGN uses it regular budget for subsidising petrol, then what happens to the crude oil given to NNPC for local refining that gets sold on the international market?

10) TACTICAL BLUNDER

The federal government is making the deregulation issue a revenue problem. Nigerians are not against deregulation. We have seen deregulation in the telecom sector and Nigerians are better for it, as even the poor have access to telephones now right before the eyes of those who think it is not for them. What is happening presently is not deregulation but an all-time high fuel pump increase, unprecedented in the history of our nation by a government that has gone broke due to excessive and reckless spending largely on themselves. If the excesses of all the three tiers of government are seriously curbed, that would free enough money for infrastructural development without unduly punishing the poor citizens of this country.

Let me just cite, in closing, the example of National Assembly excesses and misplaced spending as contained in the 2012 budget proposal:

1.Number of Senators 109
2.Number of Members of the House of Representatives 360
3.Total Number of Legislators 469
4.2012 Budget Proposal for the National Assembly N150 billion
5.Average Cost of Maintaining Each Member N320 million
6.Average Cost of Maintaining Each Member in USD $2.1 million/year

Time has come for the citizens of this country to hold the government accountable and demand the prosecution of those bleeding our nation to death. Until this government downsizes, cuts down its profligacy and leads by example in modesty and moderation, the poor people of this country will not and must not subsidise the excesses of the oil sector fat cats and the immorality precipitate fiscal scandal of the self-centred and indulgent lifestyles of those in government.

Here is a hidden treasure of wisdom for those in power while there is still time to make amends:

PROVERBS 21:6&7

“Getting treasures by a lying tongue is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death. The violence of the wicked will destroy them because they refuse to do just.”

A word of counsel for those who voted for such soulishly indulgent leadership:

“Never trust a man who once had no shoes, or you may end up losing your legs.”

This is the conclusion of the matter on subsidy removal:

i) “If a ruler pays attention to lies, all his servants become wicked.” (Proverbs 29:12)

ii) “The Righteous God wisely considers the house of the wicked, overthrowing the wicked for their wickedness. Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and will not be heard.” (Proverbs 21:12&13)

Thanks for your attention. God bless you all.

Pastor ‘Tunde Bakare

NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT TO FACE JUSTICE AT ICC

2012-01-15T07:52:00.000-08:00

Chairman Nigeria Union of Journalists in Europe, Mr.Wole Arisekola is to meet Head of investigations at the International Criminal Court who is currently investigating Nigeria. It is time we start the campaign for Nigerian Government to face justice at the International Criminal Court for killing innocent protesters. Many Nigerians have been shot dead by Nigeria police Force . The names include Late .Muyideen Mustafa killed at Ilorin, Ademola Aderinto, in Lagos; Raheem Mojeed in Osun; Olurin Olateju in Ibadan; Abdulgafar Mohammed Hadis, in Kaduna; Yahaya Abubakar Adamu, in Lambata; Rabiu Abubakar, in Suleja & at least fifteen other citizens in Lokoja, Jalingo, Kano, Maiduguri, Ibafo.
You should call or write to report Nigeria Police Force and its trigger happy officers to the prosecutor Mr. Luis Moreno – Ocampo or Mr. Michel De Smedt (Head of investigations) at the ICC who is currently investigating current Police brutality against innocent protesters in Nigeria .
Informationon and Evidence Unit
Office of the Prosecutor
Post Office Box 19519
2500 CM The Hague
The Netherlands
Tel. + 31 70 515 8515
Email otp.informationdesk@icc-cpi.int. Fax +31 70 515 8555.
Or NUJE@NigeriaUnionofJournalistsinEurope.com or Streetjournal@dublin.com
Please you can also send pictures of police brutality as evidence. Thanks and God bless.
Wole Arisekola. Chairman Nigeria Union of Journalists in Europe.

http://omojuwa.com/?p=2339

SEVEN FACTS... SHOWS JONATHAN IS CORRUPT: You read it b4 with sentiments.

2012-01-15T07:29:00.000-08:00

SEVEN FACTS... SHOWS JONATHAN IS CORRUPT: You read it b4 with sentiments.

ONE: WEAK LEADERSHIP

There is a general feeling that Jonathan is more of an administrator than a leader. He is better positioned only taktoe instructions rather than initiate new ideas, which is the hallmark of true leadership. As a Deputy Governor, he performed excellently as Alamieyeseigha's errand boy. Now Goodluck Jonathan cannot even control his wife Dame Patience Jonathan, who is now a wedge between the President and his followers. A man who cannot control his wife cannot be competent to preside over the affairs of 140 million people.

TWO: FALSE ASSET DECLARATION

Jonathan lied during his Asset Declaration. There are more than two gigantic hotels belonging to Jonathan which were not declared to the Code of Conduct Bureau. His wife Dame Patience Jonathan has a Hotel in Otuoke and three Housing Estates in Port Harcourt. She also hijacked properties meant for the Poverty Alleviation Programme in the State. Among the properties hijacked include: three 3 No. speedboats, 2 No cold stores. One at swali Yenagoa and the other at Twon-Brass. These were not declared.

THREE: THE N8 billion Gas Turbine Scandal

The Jonathan awarded a contract of N4 billion to buy two 2 No. Digital Gas Turbines. The contract value was reviewed upwards to N8 billion, but not even one Gas Turbine was procured. What Bayelsa people saw was the refurbishment of one of the Gas Turbines at Imiringi and no new Gas turbine was procured. It was a fraudulent deal Goodluck Jonathan awarded to an Ogbia woman, widely believed to be his girl friend.

FOUR: THE ANYIAM OSIGWE CONTRACT SCAM

Goodluck Jonathan in connivance with the then Deputy Governor Hon. Peremobowei Ebebi packaged a contract for one Anyiam Osigwe and Igbo contractor to build A 4-Star Hotel . Because of his financial interest in the deal, he rushed to commit the State Government into writing an agreement with the Igbo contractor. However, when Bayelsa indigenes got to know that the contract to build Yenagoa City they rejected the idea. This led to a consistent, sustained protest against the policy.

When theJonathan eventually tried to revoke the contract, Anyiam Osigwe threatened litigation hence Jonatha was blackmailed to award a contract the build a 4 star Hotel at the whopping sum of N3.2 billion. While negotiation were going on, the value of the contract was reviewed upwards to N5 billion. There are insinuations that the value has been inflated again. This illegal deal must be investigated because charity begins at home.

FOUR: THE INFLATED FLOWER CONTRACT

The wife of President Dame Patience Jonathan awarded a contract of planting flowers in the Mbiama Yenagoa road at a whopping sum of N500 million. We have two major problems with the contract. First, the contract was awarded to one of her cronies Mrs. Megan Bozimo. Secondly, the flower planting contract did not follow due process, as there were no tenders, bids and other procedures stipulated in the Due Process Rules or the Public Procurement Bill. The Bayelsa State Government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should investigate the award of contract to determine the degree of compliance with due process.

FIVE: THE ARUERA FOUNDATION N3 BILLION SCAM

The Aruera Foundation was established by Mrs. Patience Jonathan to siphon about N3 billion Naira. Numerous hotels projects built by the President as a Pet project to assist the poor and the less-privileged. More that N3 Billion NairaÂ was paid into the Foundation, with no visible impact on the lives of the less-privileged. Authentic from impeccable sources indicate that the money was used to acquire choice property in Otuoke, Port Harcourt and Calabar and Uyo.

SIX: THE BIG COVER-UP

Contrary to wide spread assertions that the Goodluck Jonathan left a healthy economy before he became Vice-President, the reality is that the Jonathan left behind a huge debt of well over N28 billion a reason most people blame for the slow pace of development in the State when Governor Timipre Sylva took office. It is surprising that the VP covered-up this mess when he publicly claimed that he was committed to transparency and accountability. Another cover-up is.

The actions of the Jonathan's former Chief of Staff Mr. Moses Otazi also betrayed his boss. He is believed to have stashed away the sum of N150 Million in the country home of his wife at Ewio but luck ran out of him as a local mafia group broke into the safe and made away with the loot. The man was obviously scared of lodging his lucre in the bank. Mr. Otazi we were told is not bank-friendly. This scam was also covered-up.

SEVEN: THE NEMBE-BRASS ROAD CLEARANCE SCANDAL

As Governance of Bayelsa State, Jonathan awarded the contract of clearing the Nembe Brass Road to a serving Senator one Chief Barigha Amange at a whopping sum of N530 million. We were reliably informed that apart from the contract sum being paid up front, the job was shoddily done due largely to the fact that there was neither survey nor soil test.

A Chief from the Nembe Community also informed us that prior to the award of the said contract the Nembe Chiefs Council had protested to Jonathan never to award the contract to the suspended Chief Amange because he was already from the community and was bent on destabilizing the community. But the President did not heed the advise this contract and the mode of its award did not follow due process as it was compensatory, essentially to enable the beneficiary raise money for electioneering campaigns.

By: http://www.facebook.com/DamiTalkCity

My question now is how true? but yet, current day happening is a pointer!

Jonathan Deceived Nollywood With $200m —Chukwurah

2012-01-15T06:56:00.001-08:00

Popular Nollywood actress, Clarion Chukwurah, has berated President Goodluck Jonathan over his purported donation of $200 million to the entertainment industry saying it was a deceit.

The actress who joined her counterparts in the entertainment industry in support of the masses against the removal of subsidy by the President, said nobody in the industry can say he has received the money from the President. President Jonathan had announced a donation of $200 million to the entertainment industry during a meeting with the stakeholders in the industry. He described this as a direct intervention lifeline for the exclusive purpose of supporting artist and developing the entertainment industry. The announcement was made at the 30th anniversary of the Silverbird Group in Lagos. He had immediately received commendations from actors, actresses and musicians most of whom released campaign songs for him and publicly endorsed him as their candidate. Chukwurah, while reacting to the removal of fuel subsidy by the President and some of his policies since he assumed office, Nigerians should not believe in his promises adding that the President is like other politicians who promise and fail. She said the President announced the huge sum for the entertainment industry as “a bait to get us all to endorse him for the election and sell our fans to him,” since the President believes that with such endorsement, their fans would do same. Also, musician, Daddy Showkey, regretted endorsing him during Jonathan’s campaign, saying the President had reneged on his promise to the people of the country. Daddy Showkey said: “though I followed him throughout the campaign period, endorsed him and campaigned for him, I don’t support this policy.” He added in pidgin English: “Jonathan, they say I should tell you to revert to the old fuel price of N65 per litre,” he said.

Lazy Me!

2012-01-15T06:47:00.000-08:00

What?! I've been too lazy about this blogging thing, but there is the urge for me to start writing! More like I have failed to #Occupythisblog! I need to start doing something!

Where is the inspiration again?! Oya the power of inspiration to write, DESCEND on ME!!! lol! For real I need to start doing something.

Expect more of news and write-ups. Sorry for not updating this page ever since, I am apologizing! If there is any inconveniences I might have caused, please pardon me, Ejor, biko, du'allah! lol. (Not sure if I'm right about du'allah).

Bamidele.

Future PC's

2011-11-12T07:29:00.001-08:00

Interesting, you need to see this.

From Shoshanna 1-18-6
Gates was on TV this morning from Las Vegas. It was really interesting. He says we will have these things in about 4 years. WOW...looks like Bill Gates was right a couple of years ago when he said "You haven't seen anything yet" ---- whaddya think these are? look closely n' guess what they could be... PENS WITH HIDDEN CAMS?? any wild guesses now? no clue?... ladies and gentlemen... congratulations! You have just now looked into the future... yep that's right! no booing now... you have seen something that would replace your PC in the near future.... NOW SEE THIS... In the revolution of miniature of computers, the scientists are ahead with Bluetooth technology... See the forthcoming computers within our pockets .. This pen sort of instrument produces both the monitor as well as the keyboard on flat surfaces from where you can just carry out the normal operations you do on your desktop.

Make Money Online (Without Spending a Dime)

2011-11-09T05:11:00.000-08:00

I'll be doing a lot of sharing, so this is one of them!

Making money online used to pretty much require you to have your own Web site, products to sell and some marketing savvy. But a new generation of dot-coms have arisen that will pay you for what you know and who you know without you having to be a web designer or a marketing genius.
But it's hard to tell hype from the real deal. I did a search on "make money online" and "making money online", and much of the information out there is just promoting various infoproducts, mostly about Internet marketing. I see why people sometimes ask, "Is anyone making money online besides Internet marketing experts?"
So I put together a list of business opportunities with legitimate companies that:

Pay cash, not just points towards rewards or a chance to win money
Don't require you to have your own Web domain or your own products
Don't involve any hard-selling
Aren't just promoting more Internet marketing
Give a good return on your time investment

In the interest of objectivity, none of the links below are affiliate links, and none of them have paid or provided any other consideration for their presence here. These are legitimate companies with business models that allow you to get paid for a wide range of activities. Help friends find better jobs.
Sites like ReferEarns, Zyoin, Who Do You Know For Dough?, and WiseStepp connect employers with prospective employees, many of whom are already employed and not actively job-hunting, via networking - the people who know these qualified candidates. Rewards for referring a candidate who gets hired range from $50 on up to several thousand dollars - not chump change. If you know a lot of job-seekers (and who doesn't these days?), this is a great way to break into the recruiting business with no overhead.
Connect suppliers with buyers.
Referral fees are a common practice in business, but they haven't been used much in online networking sites because there was no way to track them. Sites like Salesconx, InnerSell and uRefer now provide that. Vendors set the referral fees they're willing to pay (and for what), and when the transaction happens, you get paid. uRefer also allows merchants to set up referral programs for introductions and meetings, as well as transactions.
Write.
A growing number of sites will pay for your articles or blog posts. Associated Content and Helium will "pay for performance" based on page views for just about anything you want to write about. Articles on specific topics they're looking for can earn direct payments up to about $200. The rates are probably low for established writers, but if you're trying to break into the field and have time on your hands, they're a great way to start. Also, a lot of companies are looking for part-time bloggers. They may pay per post or on a steady contract. Our Weblogs Guide posts blogging jobs weekly in the forum.
Start your own blog.
You don't have to have your own Web site, or install blogging software, or even figure out how to set up the advertising. At Blogger you can set up a blog for free in less than five minutes without knowing a thing about web design, and Blogger even automates setting up Google AdSense so you can make money off your blog by displaying ads and getting paid when people click on the ads. To make even more money from it, set up an affiliate program (see below) for books, music, etc., and insert your affiliate links whenever you refer to those items. You'll have to get a lot of traffic to become a six-figure blogger, but pick an interesting topic, write well, tell all your friends, and you're off to a good start.
Related: Monetizing Your Blog
Create topical resource hubs.
Are you an expert on a particular niche topic? Can you put together an overview of the topic and assemble some of the best resources on the topic from around the web? Then you can create topical hubs and get paid through sites like Squidoo, HugPages and Google Knol. Payments are based on a combination of ad revenue and affiliate fees. You'll get higher rates doing it on your own, but these sites have a built-in supply of traffic and tools to make content creation easier.
Advertise other people's products.
If you already have a Web site or a blog, look for vendors that offer related but non-competing products and see if they have an affiliate program. Stick to familiar products and brands - they're easier to sell. To promote those products:

Place simple text or graphical ads in appropriate places on your site
Include links to purchase products you review or recommend in a blog, discussion forum or mailing list you control
Create a dedicated sales page or Web site to promote a particular product

They all work - it just depends on how much time you have to spend on it and your level of expertise with Web design and marketing. Related: How to Really Make Money on the Internet With an Amazon.com Affiliate Site
Microstock photography.
You don't have to be a professional photographer to sell your photos for money. People are constantly in need of stock photography for websites, presentations, brochures and so on, and are willing to pay for the right image. People generally search for images on stock photography sites by keywords, not by photographer, so you have the same chance as anyone else of having your image picked. Just be careful that you don't have images of trademarked brands, copyrighted art or people's faces that are readily identifiable (unless you have a model release), but just about anything else is fair game, and I promise - you'd be amazed what people need pictures of, so don't make any assumptions. If it's a decent photo, upload it. Some sites to get you started include Fotolia, ShutterStock, Dreamstime and iStockphoto. The great thing about this is that it's truly "set it and forget it".
The above list is by no means comprehensive, but it highlights some of the new and interesting ways to make money online without investing any money, without having a product of your own, and without having expert sales and marketing skills. Most of all, unlike taking surveys or getting paid to read e-mail, the potential return on your time investment is substantial.

From Scott Allen, former About.com Guide

Top 5 Paying Jobs in Nigeria

2011-11-07T01:26:00.000-08:00

I wonder why things is always the other way round in this country!
We were discussing the top 5 jobs in Nigeria on a forum, and this is what a friend posted. Thought I should share his analysis with you guys!

1.) Politics:

Minimum requirement: Toronto Certificate. None really. but for election, hmmm, maybe SSCE
Average Hourly Pay: Depends. It is not un-heard of to make as 'low' as N100 Million per hour in this field. The opportunities are endless really
Best Career Move: Run for the Presidency or Speakership of the NASS. Honestly, all political posts pay very good. Be brave, thats all
Accomplished people in this field: Omisore: High school drop-out, Former deputy Governor of osun-State; Bola Tinubu: BSC/reformed drug baron turn Yoruba leader, Former Governor of Lagos; Evans Enwerem: High School drop-out/former convict, Former Senate president; Ghalli Na'aba: SSCE (in view), Former Speaker.
Professional advancement: Pretty fast, as long as you do not offend your god-father.
Cons: god-fathers. They can do and un-do. Sometimes, it s very difficult to know whats going on in their mind and some of them with untreated mental issues make irrational/unpredictable decisions.

2) Church Business:

Minimum requirement: BSC in any of the Sciences.
Average Hourly Pay: Depends on where you loacte your church HQ; Lagos Vs other states
Best Career Move: Start your own church, perform unverifiable miracles, raise the dead, scare the shyyt outta your congregation, avoid paying taxes, and give yourself the G.O title. Dont forget to add "Daddy" before the G.O title
Accomplished people in the field: Enoch Adejare Adeboye: Ph.D, Mathematics and RCCG; Oyakhilome: B.Arch, Christ Embassy; Oyedepo: Bsc, Faith Terbanacle; Kumuyi: BSc Mathematics & Deeper life; DK Olukoya ; PH.D Microbiology & MFM
Professional advancement: Depends on how educated you are. It is not surprising that, in a profession where eloquence and charisma is all you need, the most successful are also the most educated. The best business model by far in present day Nigeria. Peace of mind, no tax, as long as you have the patience to stay in school and study one of the rigorous science, preferably mathematics. And oh, before I forget, unlike other aspects of our public life, here, Nigerian degrees are actually preferred to the foreign ones. And most careers start on campus.

Notable Exception: TB Joshua. Nuff said!
Cons: None really.

3.) Banking:

Minimum requirement: OND ( plus some unknown/unemployable overseas certificate)
Average Hourly Pay: Depends on creativity, connectivity, and personal ingenuity. Yearly pay could be as high as N150 Billion (Cecelia Ibru)
Best Career Move: Print your own money a la start your own bank
Accomplished people in the field: Erastus Adegbola:OND, Intercontinental; Fola Adeola: HND, GTB; Cecilia Ibru: MSc, Oceanic; Jim Ovia: BSc, Zenith
Professional advancement: Pretty fast, just start your own effing bank!
Cons: Bad belle people like the CBN governor. Political climate remain very unstable and tribalistic.

4) Human Rights Activists:

Minimum requirement: None. Most are HS drop-outs. Others Doctors, Layers and Nobel Laureates.
Average Hourly Pay: Depends on proximity to the ND
Best Career Move: Start your own Militia/Kidnap VIPs
Accomplished people in the field: Asari Dokubo: Alhaji, Mend; Jomo Gbomo/Henry Okah: WASSCE, Fake MEND; Dr. Fredrick Faseun: MBBS, OPC/OCP/And all possible combinations of O, P, and C; Wole Soyinka: B.A., Professional critic and behind the scene oil well owner/ contractor
Professional advancement: Simply, No glass ceilings. Best advice, be brave and have good juju-men at your beck and call.
Cons: Oil will soon run out. The future isnt bright for this profession.

5) Yahoo 2.0

Minimum requirement: Studentship, course of study is irrelevant.
Average Hourly Pay: Cant be calculated. Incomes are most often exaggerated. Nevertheless, very very very lucrative.
Best Career Move: Have a room on any university campus, federal universities preferably, and be willing to spend countless productive time in different cyber cafes.
Accomplished people in the field: TOBECHUWKU ONWUHARA, GED & TOP ten FBI list; Ade Bendel, HS drop-out & Convict; Fred Ajidua, WASSCE & Convict; Mr. Olaniyi Makinde, BSC Econs UNAD & Extradicted;
Professional advancement: Depends on luck, charm and EFCC. ROI is 100000%
Cons: Bad belle friends and the EFCC.

Brief History of Nigeria

2011-11-07T01:02:00.000-08:00

History

Early History

Little is known of the earliest history of Nigeria. By c.2000 B.C. most of the country was sparsely inhabited by persons who had a rudimentary knowledge of raising domesticated food plants and of herding animals. From c.800 B.C. to c.A.D. 200 the neolithic Nok culture (named for the town where archaeological findings first were made) flourished on the Jos Plateau; the Nok people made fine terra-cotta sculptures and probably knew how to work tin and iron. The first important centralized state to influence Nigeria was Kanem-Bornu, which probably was founded in the 8th cent. A.D., to the north of Lake Chad (outside modern Nigeria). In the 11th cent., by which time its rulers had been converted to Islam, Kanem-Bornu expanded south of Lake Chad into present-day Nigeria, and in the late 15th cent. its capital was moved there.

Beginning in the 11th cent. seven independent Hausa city-states were founded in N Nigeria—Biram, Daura, Gobir, Kano, Katsina, Rano, and Zaria. Kano and Katsina competed for the lucrative trans-Saharan trade with Kanem-Bornu, and for a time had to pay tribute to it. In the early 16th cent. all of Hausaland was briefly held by the Songhai Empire. However, in the late 16th cent., Kanem-Bornu replaced Songhai as the leading power in N Nigeria, and the Hausa states regained their autonomy. In southwest Nigeria two states—Oyo and Benin—had developed by the 14th cent.; the rulers of both states traced their origins to Ife, renowned for its naturalistic terra-cotta and brass sculpture. Benin was the leading state in the 15th cent. but began to decline in the 17th cent., and by the 18th cent. Oyo controlled Yorubaland and also Dahomey. The Igbo people in the southeast lived in small village communities.

In the late 15th cent. Portuguese navigators became the first Europeans to visit Nigeria. They soon began to purchase slaves and agricultural produce from coastal middlemen; the slaves had been captured further inland by the middlemen. The Portuguese were followed by British, French, and Dutch traders. Among the Igbo and Ibibio a number of city-states were established by individuals who had become wealthy by engaging in the slave trade; these included Bonny, Owome, and Okrika.

The Nineteenth Century

There were major internal changes in Nigeria in the 19th cent. In 1804, Usuman dan Fodio (1754–1817), a Fulani and a pious Muslim, began a holy war to reform the practice of Islam in the north. He soon conquered the Hausa city-states, but Bornu, led by Muhammad al-Kanemi (also a Muslim reformer) until 1835, maintained its independence. In 1817, Usuman dan Fodio's son, Muhammad Bello (d.1837) established a state centered at Sokoto, which controlled most of N Nigeria until the coming of the British (1900–1906). Under both Usuman dan Fodio and Muhammad Bello, Muslim culture, and also trade, flourished in the Fulani empire. In Bornu, Muhammad al-Kanemi was succeeded by Umar (reigned 1835–80), under whom the empire disintegrated.

In 1807, Great Britain abandoned the slave trade; however, other countries continued it until about 1875. Meanwhile, many African middlemen turned to selling palm products, which were Nigeria's chief export by the middle of the century. In 1817 a long series of civil wars began in the Oyo Empire; they lasted until 1893 (when Britain intervened), by which time the empire had disintegrated completely.

In order to stop the slave trade there, Britain annexed Lagos in 1861. In 1879, Sir George Goldie gained control of all the British firms trading on the Niger, and in the 1880s he took over two French companies active there and signed treaties with numerous African leaders. Largely because of Goldie's efforts, Great Britain was able to claim S Nigeria at the Conference of Berlin (see Berlin, Conference of) held in 1884–85.

In the following years, the British established their rule in SW Nigeria, partly by signing treaties (as in the Lagos hinterland) and partly by using force (as at Benin in 1897). Jaja, a leading African trader based at Opobo in the Niger delta and strongly opposed to European competition, was captured in 1887 and deported. Goldie's firm, given (1886) a British royal charter, as the Royal Niger Company, to administer the Niger River and N Nigeria, antagonized Europeans and Africans alike by its monopoly of trade on the Niger; in addition, it was not sufficiently powerful to gain effective control over N Nigeria, which was also sought by the French.

Colonialism

In 1900 the Royal Niger Company's charter was revoked and British forces under Frederick Lugard began to conquer the north, taking Sokoto in 1903. By 1906, Britain controlled Nigeria, which was divided into the Colony (i.e., Lagos) and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria and the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria. In 1914 the two regions were amalgamated and the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria was established.

The administration of Nigeria was based on a system devised by Lugard and called “indirect rule”; under this system, Britain ruled through existing political institutions rather than establishing a wholly new administrative network. In some areas (especially the southeast) new African officials (resembling the traditional rulers in other parts of the country) were set up; in most cases they were not accepted by the mass of the people and were able to rule only because British power stood behind them. All important decisions were made by the British governor, and the African rulers, partly by being associated with the colonialists, soon lost most of their traditional authority. Occasionally (as in Aba in 1929) discontent with colonial rule flared into open protest.

Under the British, railroads and roads were built and the production of cash crops, such as palm nuts and kernels, cocoa, cotton, and peanuts, was encouraged. The country became more urbanized as Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Onitsha, and other cities grew in size and importance. From 1922, African representatives from Lagos and Calabar were elected to the legislative council of Southern Nigeria; they constituted only a small minority, and Africans otherwise continued to have no role in the higher levels of government. Self-help groups organized on ethnic lines were established in the cities. A small Western-educated elite developed in Lagos and a few other southern cities.

In 1947, Great Britain promulgated a constitution that gave the traditional authorities a greater voice in national affairs. The Western-educated elite was excluded, and, led by Herbert Macaulay and Nnamdi Azikiwe, its members vigorously denounced the constitution. As a result, a new constitution, providing for elected representation on a regional basis, was instituted in 1951.

Three major political parties emerged—the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC; from 1960 known as the National Convention of Nigerian Citizens), led by Azikiwe and largely based among the Igbo; the Action Group, led by Obafemi Awolowo and with a mostly Yoruba membership; and the Northern People's Congress (NPC), led by Ahmadu Bello and based in the north. The constitution proved unworkable by 1952, and a new one, solidifying the division of Nigeria into three regions (Eastern, Western, and Northern) plus the Federal Territory of Lagos, came into force in 1954. In 1956 the Eastern and Western regions became internally self-governing, and the Northern region achieved this status in 1959.

Independence and Internal Conflict

With Nigerian independence scheduled for 1960, elections were held in 1959. No party won a majority, and the NPC combined with the NCNC to form a government. Nigeria attained independence on Oct. 1, 1960, with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa of the NPC as prime minister and Azikiwe of the NCNC as governor-general; when Nigeria became a republic in 1963, Azikiwe was made president.

The first years of independence were characterized by severe conflicts within and between regions. In the Western region, a bloc of the Action Group split off (1962) under S. I. Akintola to form the Nigerian National Democratic party (NNDP); in 1963 the Mid-Western region (whose population was mostly Edo) was formed from a part of the Western region. National elections late in 1964 were hotly contested, with an NPC-NNDP coalition (called the National Alliance) emerging victorious.

In Jan., 1966, Igbo army officers staged a successful coup, which resulted in the deaths of Federal Prime Minister Balewa, Northern Prime Minister Ahmadu Bello, and Western Prime Minister S. I. Akintola. Maj. Gen. Johnson T. U. Aguiyi-Ironsi, an Igbo, became head of a military government and suspended the national and regional constitutions; this met with a violent reaction in the north. In July, 1966, a coup led by Hausa army officers ousted Ironsi (who was killed) and placed Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon at the head of a new military regime. In Sept., 1966, many Igbo living in the north were massacred.

Gowon attempted to start Nigeria along the road to civilian government but met determined resistance from the Igbo, who were becoming increasingly fearful of their position within Nigeria. In May, 1967, the Eastern parliament gave Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka O. Ojukwu, the region's leader, authority to declare the region an independent republic. Gowon proclaimed a state of emergency, and, as a gesture to the Igbos, redivided Nigeria into 12 states (including one, the East-Central state, that comprised most of the Igbo people). However, on May 30, Ojukwu proclaimed the independent Republic of Biafra, and in July fighting broke out between Biafra and Nigeria.

Biafra made some advances early in the war, but soon federal forces gained the initiative. After much suffering, Biafra capitulated on Jan. 15, 1970, and the secession ended. The early 1970s were marked by reconstruction in areas that were formerly part of Biafra, by the gradual reintegration of the Igbo into national life, and by a slow return to civilian rule.

Modern Nigeria

Spurred by the booming petroleum industry, the Nigerian economy quickly recovered from the effects of civil war and made impressive advances. Nonetheless, inflation and high unemployment remained, and the oil boom led to government corruption and uneven distribution of wealth. Nigeria joined the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in 1971. The prolonged drought that desiccated the Sahel region of Africa in the early 1970s had a profound effect on N Nigeria, resulting in a migration of peoples into the less arid areas and into the cities of the south.

Gowon's regime was overthrown in 1975 by Gen. Murtala Muhammad and a group of officers who pledged a return to civilian rule. In the mid-1970s plans were approved for a new capital to be built at Abuja, a move that drained the national economy. Muhammad was assassinated in an attempted coup one year after taking office and succeeded by Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo. In a crisis brought on by rapidly falling oil revenues, the government restricted public opposition to the regime, controlled union activity and student movements, nationalized land, and increased oil industry regulation. Nigeria sought Western support under Obasanjo while supporting African nationalist movements.

In 1979 elections were held under a new constitution, bringing Alhaji Shehu Shagari to the presidency. Relations with the United States reached a new high in 1979 with a visit by President Jimmy Carter. The government expelled thousands of foreign laborers in 1983, citing social disturbances as the reason. The same year, Shagari was reelected president but overthrown after only a few months in office.

In 1985 a coup led by Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Babangida brought a new regime to power, along with the promise of a return to civilian rule. A new constitution was promulgated in 1990, which set national elections for 1992. Babangida annulled the results of that presidential election, claiming fraud. A new election in 1993 ended in the apparent presidential victory of Moshood Abiola, but Babangida again alleged fraud. Soon unrest led to Babangida's resignation. Ernest Shonekan, a civilian appointed as interim leader, was forced out after three months by Gen. Sani Abacha, a long-time ally of Babangida, who became president and banned all political institutions and labor unions. In 1994, Abiola was arrested and charged with treason.

In 1995, Abacha extended military rule for three more years, while proposing a program for a return to civilian rule after that period; his proposal was rejected by opposition leaders, but five political parties were established in 1996. The Abacha regime drew international condemnation in late 1995 when Ken Saro-Wiwa, a prominent writer, and eight other human-rights activists were executed; the trial was condemned by human-rights groups and led to Nigeria's suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations. Also in 1995, a number of army officers, including former head of state General Obasanjo, were arrested in connection with an alleged coup attempt. In 1996, Kudirat Abiola, an activist on behalf of her imprisoned husband, was murdered.

Abacha died suddenly in June, 1998, and was succeeded by Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, who immediately freed Obasanjo and other political prisoners. Riots followed the announcement that Abiola had also died unexpectedly in July, 1998, while in detention. Abubakar then announced an election timetable leading to a return to civilian rule within a year.

Nigeria re-achieved democracy in 1999 when it elected Olusegun Obasanjo, the former military head of state, as the new President of Nigeria ending almost 33 years of military rule (from 1966 until 1999) excluding the short-lived second republic (between 1979 and 1983) by military dictators who seized power in coups d'état and counter-coups during the Nigerian military juntas of 1966-1979 and 1983-1998. Although the elections which brought Obasanjo to power in 1999 and again in 2003 were condemned as unfree and unfair, Nigeria has shown marked improvements in attempts to tackle government corruption and to hasten development.

Umaru Yar'Adua of the People's Democratic Party came into power in the general election of 2007 – an election that was witnessed and condemned by the international community as being severely flawed.[31]

Ethnic violence over the oil producing Niger Delta region and inadequate infrastructures are some of the current issues in the country.

Yar'Adua died on 5 May 2010. Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was sworn in as Yar'Adua's replacement on 6 May 2010,[32] becoming Nigeria's 14th Head of State, while his vice,a former Kaduna state governor, Namadi Sambo, an architect,was chosen on 18 May 2010,by the National Assembly following President Goodluck Jonathan's nomination for Sambo to be his Vice President.[33][34]

Goodluck Jonathan served as Nigeria's president till April 16, 2011,when a new presidential election in Nigeria was conducted. Goodluck Jonathan of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the winner on 19 April 2011,having won the election by a total of 22,495,187 of the 39,469,484 votes cast to stand ahead of Muhammadu Buhari from the main opposition party, the The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), which won 12,214,853 of the total votes cast.[35] The international media reported the elections as having run smoothly with relatively little violence or voter fraud in contrast to previous elections.

Citation:

"Nigeria: History." The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia.
© 1994, 2000-2006, on Infoplease.
© 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease.
07 Nov. 2011 <http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0860005.html>.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria

My First Blog Post

2011-11-07T00:36:00.000-08:00

Let me start by introducing myself. I am Oladipupo Wasiu Bamidele, a Nigerian (although my friend will say we are not Nigerians since we don't enjoy anything from Nigeria, he will say we belong to the Federal Republic of the Masses), and as the title of the blog says, it is Random Thoughts. I'll just think about issues, ranging from the time past to the contemporary times and also the the future if there are any thought of that. Also jokes, entertainment gists and all that.

I hope you all will enjoy my blog, keep watching out for my posts!

Ciao!