Thursday 31 October 2013

An Open Letter To Mark Zuckerberg

Mr. Zuckerberg:
Facebook is failing marketers.
I know this statement sounds remarkable, perhaps even unbelievable. After all, you offer marketers access to the largest audience in media history and you know a remarkable amount about each of your users. As a result nearly every large company now markets on Facebook. Last year your company collected more than $4 billion in advertising revenues.
But while lots of marketers spend lots of money on Facebook today, relatively few find success. In August, Forrester surveyed 395 marketers and eBusiness executives at large companies across the US, Canada and the UK — and these executives told us that Facebook creates less business value than any other digital marketing opportunity.

Marketers say Facebook creates less business value than any other digital marketing opportunity
Why are business leaders less satisfied with Facebook than with any other digital tool? We believe there are two reasons.
First, your company focuses too little on the thing marketers want most: driving genuine engagement between companies and their customers. Your sales materials tease marketers with the promise that you’ll help them create such connections. But in reality, you rarely do. Everyone who clicks the like button on a brand’s Facebook page volunteers to receive that brand’s messages — but on average, you only show each brand’s posts to 16% of its fans. And while your company upgrades its advertising tools and offerings monthly or more, you’ve done little in the past 18 months to improve your unloved branded page format or the tools that marketers use to manage and measure those pages.
Second, your company isn’t good enough at the pure advertising business onto which you’ve shifted your focus. We estimate your site now delivers tens of billions of display ads every day. But fewer than 15% of those ads leverage your ever-growing cache of social data to target relevant audiences. And your site’s static-image ad units offer marketers less impact per impression than they could achieve with the ad units other sites offer. The result? The executives we surveyed said Facebook’s display ads were significantly less effective than the display ads they buy elsewhere online. They also reported that Facebook ads were less valuable than any other marketing tactic they could use on your site.
I believe there’s still time for Facebook to refocus its efforts and realize its enormous potential. To do that, you’ll need to once again build bridges between companies and their customers, you'll need to fully leverage social affinity data within your ad targeting products, and you'll need to better listen to the marketers who drive your company’s financial success. But you must act quickly, before more marketers act on their growing dissatisfaction and start earmarking an increasingly smaller budget share to your company. I hope our research convinces you and your team to change course.

Nate Elliott, Vice President and Principal Analyst, Forrester

Wednesday 30 October 2013

Comparison Chart: Christianity and Islam

 
Christianity and Islam are the two largest religions in the world and they have many points of contact. Both inherited from Judaism a belief in one God who created the world and cares about the behavior and beliefs of human beings.
The Prophet Muhammad knew Christians in his lifetime and respected them along with Jews as "People of the Book." Because of their monotheism and roots in the revealed Jewish Bible, the Prophet and his successors extended conquered Christians (and Jews) more freedoms than conquered pagans.
In the approximately 1,300 years of history since the life of the Prophet, the relationship between Christianity and Islam has rarely been harmonious. As it spread, the Muslim Empire quickly conquered much of the Judeo-Christian Holy Land and the Christian Byzantine Empire. The Christian Crusades of the 11th through 13th centuries, waged in large part against Muslims, served only to widen the divide between the two faiths. Constantinople, the "New Rome" and the center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, fell to the Turks in 1453 and has lived under Islamic rule ever since.
In recent centuries, mutual distrust between Christians and Muslims has continued to grow. On the other hand, some have pointed out that the conflict has more to do with political tensions and divergent cultural worldviews than with religion, and efforts have been made by both Christians and Muslims to find common ground and engage in respectful dialogue.
To illustrate the similarities and differences between the two largest religions of the world, the following chart compares the origins, beliefs and practices of Christianity and Islam. Please note that numbers are estimates and beliefs and practices are oversimplified for brevity's sake.


History & Stats
Christianity
Islam
date founded
c. 30 AD
622 CE
place founded
Palestine
Arabian Peninsula
founders & early leaders
Jesus, Peter, Paul
Muhammad
original languages
Aramaic and Greek
Arabic
major location today
Europe, North and South America
Middle East, Southeast Asia
adherents worldwide today
2 billion
1.3 billion
adherents in USA
159 million
1.1 million
adherents in Canada
21 million
500,000
adherents in UK
51 million
1.6 million
current size rank
largest in the world
second largest in the world
major branches
Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant
Sunni, Shiite


Religious Authority
Christianity
Islam
sacred text
Bible = Old Testament (Jewish Bible) + New Testament
Qur'an (Koran)
inspiration of sacred text
views vary: literal Word of God, inspired human accounts, or of human origin only
literal Word of God
status of biblical prophets
true prophets
true prophets
status of Jewish Bible
canonical
noncanonical but useful as a (corrupted) inspired text
status of Jewish Apocrypha
canonical (Catholic);
useful but noncanonical (Protestant)
noncanonical
status of New Testament
canonical
noncanonical but useful as a (corrupted) inspired text
summaries of doctrine
Apostle's Creed, Nicene Creed
Six Articles of Faith
religious law
canon law (Catholics)
Sharia
other written authority
church fathers, church councils, ecumenical creeds (all branches);
papal decrees, canon law (Catholics)
Hadith


Beliefs & Doctrine
Christianity
Islam
ultimate reality
one creator God
one creator God
nature of God
Trinity - one substance, three persons
unity - one substance, one person
other spiritual beings
angels and demons
angels, demons, jinn
revered humans
saints, church fathers
prophets, imams (especially in Shia Islam)
identity of Jesus
Son of God, God incarnate, savior of the world
true prophet of God, whose message has been corrupted
birth of Jesus
virgin birth
virgin birth
death of Jesus
death by crucifixion
did not die, but ascended bodily into heaven (a disciple died in his place)
resurrection of Jesus
affirmed
denied, since he did not die
second coming of Jesus
affirmed
affirmed
mode of divine revelation
through Prophets and Jesus (as God Himself), recorded in Bible
through Muhammad, recorded in Qur'an
human nature
"original sin" inherited from Adam - tendency towards evil
equal ability to do good or evil
means of salvation
correct belief, faith, good deeds, sacraments (some Protestants emphasize faith alone)
correct belief, good deeds, Five Pillars
God's role in salvation
predestination, various forms of grace
predestination
good afterlife
eternal heaven
eternal paradise
bad afterlife
eternal hell, temporary purgatory (Catholicism)
eternal hell
view of the other religion
Islam is respected as a fellow monotheistic religion, but Muhammad is not seen as a true prophet
Christians are respected as "People of the Book," but they have mistaken beliefs and only partial revelation


Rituals & Practices
Christianity
Islam
house of worship
church, chapel, cathedral, basilica, meeting hall
mosque
day of worship
Sunday
Friday
religious leaders
priest, bishop, archbishop, patriarch, pope, pastor, minister, preacher, deacon
imams
major sacred rituals
baptism, communion (Eucharist)
Five Pillars: prayer, pilgrimage, charity, fasting, confession of faith
head covered during prayer?
generally no
yes
central religious holy days
Lent, Holy Week, Easter
Eid-al-Fitr, Eid-al-Adha, month of Ramadan
other holidays
Christmas, saints days
Mawlid, Ashura
major symbols
cross, crucifix, dove, anchor, fish, alpha and omega, chi rho, halo
crescent, name of Allah in Arabic

Bola Tinubu's daughter installed as the Iyaloja of Lagos State


Former Lagos State Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu's first daughter, Folashade Tinubu Ojo was today October 29th installed as the new Iyaloja of Lagos and the President General of the Market Men and Women of Nigeria, taking over from her late grandmother, Habibat Mogaji, who died in June this year.

The installation took place at the palace of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu 1. Before her new appointment, Folashade was the Deputy President General of the Market Men and Women.

So is she qualified to be Iyaloja of Lagos or did she get the title because of her father?

Oduah in another car scandal, faces Reps panel today


Oduah in another car scandal, faces Reps panel today 
The embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah, has been linked to    another car purchase scandal.
This time, Oduah is said to have also approved the procurement  of two Lexus Limousine cars and two Toyota Prado jeeps.
The minister  is expected to appear before the House Committee on Aviation which is investigating the purchase of two  BMW bulletproof  cars for her by the Nigerian Civil  Aviation Authority at N255m.
 But during the sitting by the Senate Committee on Aviation which is probing the crisis in the Aviation industry, the   Managing  Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria , Mr. George Uriesi,  said the  Lexus Limousine cars and Toyota Prado jeeps were in the custody of a bank.
Uriesi, who   said the limousines were bought  for  N60m each , added that  he did not have details of the cost of the Prado jeeps.
He explained that the bank whose name he did not give,    funded the purchase of the four vehicles.
The FAAN  chief told the six-member committee that  while Oduah gave the approval, somebody whose  name  he failed to mention, signed on his (Uriesi) behalf.
An obviously enraged Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Mr. Hope Uzodinma, lambasted  him  for receiving approval from the minister instead of the Federal Executive Council.
 He was therefore ordered to  appear again before the committee on Monday with details of the transactions.
Uriesi, who was  said to have   sweated  in the air-conditioned room while the session lasted, was   also asked to bring along with him,  details of other vehicles   bought for  the agency’s  directors.
The  Senate  panel also resolved to  inspect the N255m bulletproof cars parked at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Meanwhile, members of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation are set to  quiz  Oduah on Wednesday(today) over the controversial bulletproof  cars.
The minister, who  was  summoned  by the committee to appear before it on Tuesday, had written ,  explaining that she had travelled to Israel to sign the Bilateral Air Service Agreement between Nigeria  and Israel.
On Monday, the committee  headed by Mrs.  Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, said Oduah would  now appear on Wednesday and not  Tuesday as ealier scheduled.
It claimed that  the decision was to give all stakeholders the opportunity to prepare their documents.
But the   committee    warned that it would not hesitate to take necessary actions against Oduah if she failed to turn up today (Wednesday).
As of  10pm on Tuesday, it was unclear if Oduah, who was on Monday accused by  the  House Committee on Public Procurement of shunning similar invitations 12 times, had returned from Israel.
As part of its preparations for the hearing,  a five-member sub-committee of the Onyejeocha-led Aviation panel  on Tuesday discreetly inspected the controversial bulletproof  cars at   the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
 A source privy to the visit, informed The PUNCH that the aim was to “truly establish that the cars were bought.”
 The source added, “This is an investigation and you do not leave anything to chance.
 “The idea of the inspection team was to go to the location and physically see the cars.
 “All these will form part of the final report to the House.”
 When   contacted, Onyejeocha    confirmed that a team visited the airport to inspect the cars.
 She, however, parried questions on the details of what the team saw.
 The committee chairman  said, “Yes, it is true that we set up a committee to go and inspect the cars.
 “The committee went to the airport but they have not reported back to us.
 “If you are interested, come to the hearing tomorrow, please, PUNCH.
 A senior official of the NCAA, who accompanied the sub-committee to the airport  said the lawmakers “saw the two bulletproof cars .”
The source added, “They   were satisfied. Some of them even stated that people were beginning to insinuate that  there were no cars. So, I think people can now ask the House members whether there are cars or not.”
Asked if  the committee members  were also shown the limousines parked at the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria site at the airport, the official said, “I don’t like joining issues, because people are beginning to write what they like.
“The cars we are talking about here are the bulletproof cars and not limousines.”
The House spokesman, Zakari Mohammed, said sanctions that could be imposed on Oduah if she failed to appear before the Aviation committee included issuing a bench warrant to facilitate her arrest.
He said, “What the committee will do is to apply to the Speaker (Mr. Aminu Tambuwal) for a bench warrant to be issued for her arrest.
“Once that is done and the speaker approves it, the Inspector-General of Police will be directed to arrest her and bring her before the committee.”

Tuesday 29 October 2013

Citadels of learning, Boko Haram’s new slaughter fields – By Alkasim Abdulkadir

The insurgency in Nigeria’s North Eastern corner has once more brought into sharp relief the precarious balance between life and death in the region. Scores of people are killed on a daily basis and the frequency has also ensured a sense of ‘tragedy fatigue’ amongst the country’s populace.
The sustained escalation of attacks by the Nigerian army on insurgent hideouts has motivated the insurgents to retaliate, targeting areas regarded as soft targets like schools. This became more notable after the offensive at Kasiya forest, which left about 16 soldiers dead alongside 150 insurgents; one of the most deadly face offs between the Nigerian Army and the insurgents.
But the Gujba emirate in Yobe State had not previously seen the kind of the violence that tore up the College of Agriculture located in the sleepy town 2 weeks ago. The attack at Gujba saw the insurgents round up scores of students and shoot them dead. With phone networks switched off by the authorities it became impossible to call for help from Damaturu, some 30 kilometers away. Most of the dead were discovered the next morning beside the fence of the institution – the slaughter lasting for almost two hours.
One of the survivors, Idris, who was widely quoted, said they started gathering students into groups outside, and then they opened fire and killed one group before moving onto the next and killing them. According to the Provost of the College, those killed were between the ages of 18 and 22. This also shows that the demography of the victims of the insurgents is changing; they are now focusing on young people.

Expert interview: Jacob Zenn – On terrorism and insurgency in Northern Nigeria

Jacob Zenn is an analyst of African Affairs for The Jamestown Foundation focusing on radical groups in Northern Nigeria and a Policy Advisor for the Nigerian-American Leadership Council working to leverage the diaspora community to tackle security and accountability problems in Nigeria. We met in London to discuss the current trajectory of militancy in the region.
MT: Magnus Taylor – Editor, African Arguments
JZ: Jacob Zenn
Intro: Jacob Zenn argues that whilst radical groups in Northern Nigeria are, for obvious reasons, gaining international attention at present, there are very few people working on them that specifically study the movements themselves. Specifically, Zenn is seeking to understand the distinctions between different forms of radicalism in Northern Nigeria such as that of the insurgent group ‘Boko Haram’ in the North East and the more internationalist ‘Ansaru’ which he suggests has been responsible for attacks in the North West and Middle Belt Nigeria.
JZ: There is a grassroots movement in North Eastern Nigeria, commonly called Boko Haram, but almost all of the attacks that happened in the North West, such as Kaduna, Niger State and Abuja, didn’t have the characteristics of Boko Haram – those states were where the kidnapping of foreigners took place, that was also where the UN attack happened, and that was where the suicide bombings of churches happened. It was commonly said that Boko Haram carried out all of these attacks in the North West, but actually, if you do a case study of all of the major attacks in the North West you find that something doesn’t fit with the style, the targeting, the timing of what happens with militancy in the North East.
A lot of what the North Eastern group of Boko Haram gets credit for in the North West is actually carried through a really interesting milieu of international groups, who carried out these suicide bombings and vehicle bombings, which are not in the style of the North Eastern group.
If you look deeper into the case studies you’ll also find that whoever was the mastermind of the attacks has links to Algeria or the Sahel.
Take the example of Mr McManus (a British engineer) who was killed with the Italian (Franco Lamolinara) in Sokoto in March 2012. The kidnappers in the video were all wearing veils, which is not an Nigerian style and is the style of kidnapping was very much that of AQIM, specifically Mokhtar Belmokhtar (an AQIM-affiliated commander thought to be responsible for the In Amenas attack in Jan 2013) and Abu Zaid.
The group also first called themselves ‘Al Qaeda in the Lands Beyond the Sahel’ –at a time when we know that AQIM is trying to move beyond the Sahel and expand southwards.
The negotiator they used was also the same one that Mokhtar Belmokhtar has used for decades – Mauritanian opposition politician and businessman Limam Chafi.

Monday 28 October 2013

Community Protests Against Mobil Oil Spill Thickens

A two-day conference, hosted by Nigeria’s leading policy advocacy group, Spaces for Change in Eket, Akwa Ibom State coincided with widespread community protests against the unpaid N26 Billion Naira compensation for the environmental atrocities committed by Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) Unlimited in the state. The aggrieved host communities: Eket, Ibeno, Ona and Esit-Eket are demanding compensation for the numerous oil spills within the state, especially the November 2012 spills which had destructive and deleterious effects on the environment and adversely affected the socio-economic development of the inhabitants of the areas of impact. Among other objectives, the conference, “PIB: Pulling Together for Environmental Justice”  aimed to provide a platform for stakeholders in the oil and gas industry and oil-impacted communities to develop and initiate joint action towards transforming local agitations into opportunities for peaceful change, environmental justice and corporate accountability, within the context of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
Local youth and women took the streets, chanting protest songs, mounting roadblocks and banners inscribed with varying messages of fury.  As the agitations thickened in tempo and speed, spreading across the four major oil producing communities, Mobil’s gates and facilities remained closed, forcing the company to shut down operational activities.  Particularly curious was the display of plantain tuskers, local deities and strange-looking cultural artifacts near the fence of Mobil’s airstrip at the Qua Iboe Terminal in Eket, where angry local youth invoked ancestral intervention in the current impasse between the oil conglomerate and the host communities.
Between August 13 and December 16 2012, no less than 10 incidents of massive oil spills have been recorded, resulting in adverse environmental impacts on the ecosystem and loss of traditional livelihoods. Despite admitting that the November 9, 2012 spillage in particular, was caused by a rupture in one of its pipelines, compensation remains unpaid several months after the incident occurred. To compound the situation, comprehensive clean-up and remediation of various sites of oil spills in order to restore the natural resources damaged or destroyed, have not yet taken place, constituting a legal infraction for which communities are entitled to legal remedies.
Another issue stoking the flame is the alleged state governor’s imperious meddling into the compensation dispute between Mobil and host communities contrary to Nigeria’s legal regimes on oil-related compensation. Widespread outrage and resistance greeted the announcement that Governor Godswill Akpabio plans to receive the compensation money on behalf of affected persons and communities, and use the funds to construct roads and other development projects across the largely-neglected oil producing communities. Perhaps most telling is that Akwa Ibom is the only Niger Delta State that has not complied with the constitutional stipulation requiring oil producing states to establish an independent commission to manage the state’s share of oil revenues derived from the 13% derivation fund. Unresolved questions of continuing illegality and a total lack of accountability for the state’s huge monetary allocations continue to fuel anger among indigenes of the state.
The situation in Eket is another sad example of unbridled corporate impunity that must be overturned in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. It further makes a strong case for the need to urgently reform the Nigerian oil regime, tightening and strengthening laws that protect the environment and expand community access to justice. Without any prior assessment of the extent of damage, and without holding any meaningful consultation with affected persons and communities, Mobil unilaterally announced an offer of N26.5 Billion Naira. How Mobil arrived at that compensation sum is still a mystery to industry watchers and communities alike. Tossing figures like carrots at polluted communities is consistent with the entrenched culture of impunity which has seen oil companies view paying compensation for oil spills as acts of charity or benevolence to communities they have wronged. In the same way, it is this often unchallenged impunity that makes them treat community demands for justice and accountability with distasteful condescension, and and consider them as “disturbance” to oil flow and production.

NSA scandal highlights Obama's unfulfilled promise


Some did it for the money, some did it for idealism, others didn't do it at all. The United States has seen a number of high-profile leak scandals in the years, most recently involving <a href='http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/10/politics/nsa-leak/index.html'>former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden</a>, who revealed himself as the leaker of details of U.S. government surveillance programs run by the U.S. National Security Agency to track cell phone calls and monitor the e-mail and Internet traffic of virtually all Americans. Snowden has been granted temporary asylum in Russia after initially fleeing to Hong Kong. He has been charged with three felony counts, including violations of the U.S. Espionage Act, over the leaks.
 Some did it for the money, some did it for idealism, others didn't do it at all. The United States has seen a number of high-profile leak scandals in the years, most recently involving former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who revealed himself as the leaker of details of U.S. government surveillance programs run by the U.S. National Security Agency to track cell phone calls and monitor the e-mail and Internet traffic of virtually all Americans. Snowden has been granted temporary asylum in Russia after initially fleeing to Hong Kong. He has been charged with three felony counts, including violations of the U.S. Espionage Act, over the leaks.

Military analyst <a href='http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/19/wikileaks.ellsberg.manning/index.html'>Daniel Ellsberg</a> leaked the 7,000-page Pentagon Papers in 1971. The top-secret documents revealed that senior American leaders, including three presidents, knew the Vietnam War was an unwinnable, tragic quagmire. Further, they showed that the government had lied to Congress and the public about the progress of the war. Ellsberg surrendered to authorities and was charged as a spy. During his trial, the court learned that President Richard Nixon's administration had embarked on a campaign to discredit Ellsberg, illegally wiretapping him and breaking into his psychiatrist's office. All charges against him were dropped. Since then he has lived a relatively quiet life as a respected author and lecturer. Military analyst Daniel Ellsberg leaked the 7,000-page Pentagon Papers in 1971. The top-secret documents revealed that senior American leaders, including three presidents, knew the Vietnam War was an unwinnable, tragic quagmire. Further, they showed that the government had lied to Congress and the public about the progress of the war. Ellsberg surrendered to authorities and was charged as a spy. During his trial, the court learned that President Richard Nixon's administration had embarked on a campaign to discredit Ellsberg, illegally wiretapping him and breaking into his psychiatrist's office. All charges against him were dropped. Since then he has lived a relatively quiet life as a respected author and lecturer.



Jonathan Pollard is a divisive figure in U.S.-Israel relations. The former U.S. Navy intelligence analyst was caught spying for Israel in 1985 and was sentenced in 1987 to life imprisonment. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly called for President Barack Obama to release Pollard after Pollard's wife appealed to Netanyahu.

Jonathan Pollard is a divisive figure in U.S.-Israel relations. The former U.S. Navy intelligence analyst was caught spying for Israel in 1985 and was sentenced in 1987 to life imprisonment. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly called for President Barack Obama to release Pollard after Pollard's wife appealed to Netanyahu.Wen Ho Lee was a scientist at the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico who was charged with 59 counts of downloading classified information onto computer tapes and passing it to China. Lee eventually agreed to plead guilty to a since count of mishandling classified information after prosecutors deemed their case to be too weak. He was released after nine months in solitary confinement. Lee later received a $1.6 million in separate settlements with the government and five news agencies after he sued them, accusing the government of leaking damaging information about him to the media.   Wen Ho Lee was a scientist at the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico who was charged with 59 counts of downloading classified information onto computer tapes and passing it to China. Lee eventually agreed to plead guilty to a since count of mishandling classified information after prosecutors deemed their case to be too weak. He was released after nine months in solitary confinement. Lee later received a $1.6 million in separate settlements with the government and five news agencies after he sued them, accusing the government of leaking damaging information about him to the media.

Wednesday 23 October 2013

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, ASUU DIDN'T KNOW AGREEMENT'S COST IMPLICATION– MAKU



The Federal Government did not calculate the cost implication of the agreement it signed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities in 2009, Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, has said.
Maku, who spoke at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, also alleged that ASUU too was unaware of the cost implication before the representatives of both parties signed the agreement.
He also disclosed that the government had offered additional N10bn for the payment of the allowances of the striking teachers which they turned down.
Maku added that the Federal Government spent more than half of its monthly income on salaries of public servants.
The minister said, “One of the things that have tormented all of us is the ASUU strike that has lasted for over three months. The strike arose out of a disagreement on the payment of allowances to our university teachers.
“There was an agreement in 2009 or so and sitting allowance was listed under the agreement. As at the time they were listed, neither the government nor ASUU was aware of the exact figures it was going to take to pay those allowances because the allowances were not calculated.
“In the course of this period, the allowances were calculated and the gross began to emerge. ASUU made a demand for the payment and government did not say no. The agreement was supposed to be implemented by the various university governing councils. They were also supposed to come largely from Internally Generated Revenue.”
Maku said in spite of these, when ASUU threatened to go on strike, government entered into negotiation with the lecturers in order to avert the action.
He said, “We also received a report on infrastructure requirement in the universities. President Goodluck Jonathan promised to deal with both problems as our finances would permit. We agreed there was the need to intervene seriously in the universities.
“What happened under this period is that government then went into negotiation with ASUU, put N30bn on the ground to enable the university councils to pay the allowances to the teachers and promised to pay the rest as time goes on. ASUU said no. They needed about N90bn at the same time.
“We negotiated with them until negotiation broke down. In spite of the breakdown of negotiation, the Federal Government convened a meeting chaired by the Vice President of the country in our continued determination to end the strike. Government again promised another N10bn for the payment of the allowances. That brings it to N40bn for the payment of the allowances.”
Maku urged parents and Nigerians to appeal to the striking teachers to call off the strike. He also called on the lecturers to put away politics from the struggle and consider the impact of the long industrial action on the development of their students.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, has called on the Federal Government and the lecturers to resolve their differences amicably.
Speaking during the 29th convocation of the university in Ilorin on Tuesday, he said both parties should consider the interest of the students and use dialogue to resolve the contentious areas.
Also, President, Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Shehu Sani, on Tuesday, condemned critics of the current strike by university teachers, describing them as ‘lackeys in government’.
Sani, in statement in Abuja, noted that the ASUU strike was “a patriotic act of resistance against bad and visionless leadership in the country.”
He said the strike was also “a genuine struggle to save the education sector from total collapse.”

Monday 21 October 2013

The longest flight in the world



Veteran passengers of the route say they'll miss the flight's generously spacious all-business-class seating configuration, with two seats in the center and single seats on each side of the cabin. A full flight seats about 100 passengers. The longest nonstop flights in the world at nearly 19 hours, Singapore Airlines' Flights 21 and 22, have linked Singapore and Newark, New Jersey, since 2004. The route -- which is flown by Airbus A340s -- is scheduled to be canceled in November. Analysts blame the move on low profitability.
     Aboard the flight you'll find 100 flat bed seats measuring 30 inches wide with a pitch of 64 inches, <a href='http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Singapore_Air/Singapore_Air_Airbus_A345_B.php' target='_blank'>according to SeatGuru.com</a>. Each seat includes access to Singapore Airlines' KrisWorld entertainment system, which boasts more than 700 audio CDs and 22 audio programs.  The flight serves breakfast, "light bites" and dinner. Passengers are offered an option of preselecting their meals before boarding. "The meals are paced well," says passenger Charles Yap. 

  The Boeing 777's General Electric GE90 is touted by Guinness as the world's largest, most powerful commercial airline engine. It's so huge that its diameter is about the size of the fuselage of a Boeing 737, <a href='http://www.ge.com/annual01/glance/index2.html' target='_blank'>according to GE</a>. Theoretically, you could fit the body of a 737 inside a GE90 engine -- kind of like a jet-fueled pig-in-a-blanket.    Climbers conquer Everest. Runners complete the marathon. And globe-trotters master the ultralonghaul flight.

Amazing advances in technology now let nonstop flights fly farther and cheaper for airlines than ever before. Many follow routes that take them near the North Pole as they whip over the top of the globe to the other side of the world.

But these giant intercontinental leaps present their own challenges: How do passengers and pilots deal with annoying and potentially dangerous fatigue that comes with marathon air travel? How do twin-engine planes figure into the future of longhauls?

Let's start with the king of nonstop flights: Singapore Airlines Flights 21 and 22 between Singapore and Newark, New Jersey. The route is the longest both in distance -- about 9,500 miles -- and in time -- about 19 hours.

Business traveler Charles Yap is a big fan of this route because it avoids a connection in Germany, which he says saves six hours. All 100 seats aboard the flight are business class. Add hundreds of in-flight movie choices, and longhaul travel isn't so bad for this Discovery Channel executive.

"If you're stuck on a flight, you might as well enjoy it," says Yap, 39.

His long-distance travel tips for surviving 19 hours aloft: "Walk around. Explore the cabin. Don't force yourself to sleep."

Ah yesssssssss, ssssssssslumber. Conversations with ultralonghaulers inevitably will turn to the subject of sleep. Specifically, avoiding jet lag.

"You should try on the day before to get on the same clock as your destination," advises Chris Uriarte, 36, an American Express exec who's flown the route about a dozen times.

"For long west-to-east flights -- a day or two before you leave, start moving your bedtime earlier in the evening. For long east-to-west flights, try to delay sleep until late at night. Planning ahead makes you a lot more productive when you hit the ground." Uriarte should know. He logs more than 200,000 flight miles a year.

Your seating position on the plane is "absolutely key," to a good longhaul, Uriarte says. Singapore uses Airbus A340s with a spacious 1-2-1 seating configuration. The back two rows are even better with 1-1-1 seating.

In general, Uriarte recommends aisle seats in the center section. Sleeping is easier when "there's no one climbing over you," he says.

Seats behind the plane's four wing-mounted engines will be louder, but some travelers enjoy being lulled to sleep by the jet noise.

'Dr. Sleepgood'

Sleep is Curt Graeber's business.

During his 19 years as Boeing's chief engineer for human factors, pilots nicknamed Graeber "Dr. Sleepgood" because he helped them manage fatigue on longhaul flights. "Buy a seat that has a bed, and you're fine," Graeber says with a chuckle. (The price tag -- often thousands of dollars -- is the real challenge.) Sleeping in a coach seat is no easy feat, Graeber acknowledges.

Try to sleep at the time when your body is asleep, he says, although "that's not always possible." And avoid eating a heavy meal.

For the traveler, avoiding exhaustion is nice if you can swing it. For pilots, it's critical.

Graeber ran a 1989 NASA/Federal Aviation Administration study that recommended allowing U.S. pilots to catnap in the cockpit -- but only under supervision of another pilot. Cockpit napping is allowed for pilots in Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. It's been accepted by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The FAA won't allow it. "Longhaul flights require relief crews," the FAA said in a written statement to CNN. "Rest is provided outside the cockpit. The FAA does not permit napping in the cockpit on U.S. air carriers."

The FAA's rejection of cockpit napping "doesn't makes any sense," Graeber says. "Everyone I talk to who uses it says it's an important stopgap measure to improve safety and reduce sleep loss."

Related: UK probes whether pilots fell asleep

National Transportation Safety Board investigators said they were concerned that pilot fatigue was a factor in July's deadly crash landing of Asiana Airlines Flight 214, a Boeing 777 which caught fire on a San Francisco runway after a 10-hour flight from South Korea. The NTSB has not yet issued a final report on the reasons behind the crash.

International longhaul pilot Justin Schlechter says he's seen the effects of flight fatigue firsthand. "It's tough," Schlechter admits. "It affects your reasoning surrounding your flying and the speed that your brain processes information."

Schlechter predicts that the FAA eventually will reverse itself and allow cockpit catnaps. "The international standard allows it," he says. "I think it's safer to take a controlled catnap. I'm in favor of it."

Here's what U.S. longhaul pilots are allowed to do to manage fatigue:

Typically, during a 14-hour flight, the captain and first officer will fly the first three hours. Then, they hand off the plane to a second crew and get some rest in a special compartment -- or in reserved seats in the passenger cabin.

During the cruise portion of the longhaul, pilots use various methods to keep sharp, such as checking fuel consumption and navigation, adjusting the ventilation, turning up cockpit lighting and engaging in energetic discussions with the other pilot.

Every three hours, the two crews will switch off command of the cockpit until about 90 minutes before landing, when the captain and first officer will land the aircraft.

Twin-engine longhaulers

So, those are some of the ultralonghaul challenges for humans. As for the machines -- they have their own hurdles.

Obviously over vast oceans it's critically important for airliner engines to be reliable and powerful. But hey, it's a business, so the engines also have to be efficient enough to keep airline fuel costs low.

Decades ago, that meant ultralonghaulers were likely four-engine planes, like the 747. In the unlikely event that an engine failed, the other three engines could power the plane the rest of the trip, no problem.

The downside: Four engines guzzle a lot of fuel.

"Now, engines are way more reliable," says travel expert and former airline manager Brett Snyder of CrankyFlier.com. They're also more powerful and fuel-saving.

That's why Boeing's twin-engine 777 Worldliner flies so many of the world's longest nonstop routes.

In the coming years look for newer wide-bodies to fly more longhaul routes, like Boeing's twin-engine 787 Dreamliner and the twin-engine Airbus A350 XWB. Both aircraft are made with superlightweight materials which also cut down on fuel costs.

Already, United Airlines has announced its Dreamliners will begin 14-hour nonstop service from San Francisco to Chengdu, China. British Airways plans to use the plane for a 10-hour nonstop from Austin, Texas, to London.

The FAA requires twin-engine planes to fly within close reach of a safe landing spot, in case of engine trouble.

Some travelers seem intrigued by the idea that an airliner can fly in a straight line with only one engine. "Wouldn't the thrust from the engine be unbalanced and make the plane fly in circles?" they ask.

If a 777 lost one of its two engines, the plane has a computer that automatically adjusts the aircraft's controls to compensate for unbalanced thrust. Pilots flying other airliners may have to manually adjust the plane to compensate.

How reliable are those engines?

"We've never seen an issue where a twin-engine plane has lost one engine during a transoceanic flight and can't make it somewhere with the other engine," says Snyder. "And engines almost never fail. With high reliability, airlines are free to look at economics and say, 'Why would we have aircraft with four engines when we can have one that performs the same mission with two and save us money?'"

What killed the longest flight in the world?

In fact, money is exactly what's being blamed for killing the longest flight in the world.

That's right -- after nine years of service, Singapore Airlines Flights 21 and 22 are scheduled for cancellation.

Snyder and most other experts suspect the airline got tired of dealing with poor profit margins on the fuel-guzzling four-engine Airbus A340. "They do use a ton of fuel, and that's always painful," says Snyder. "But the schedule advantage isn't that great either when you fly so far."

Also, the world's second-longest nonstop -- a Singapore Airlines 18-hour flight between Singapore and LAX -- is scheduled to be canceled this month.

That will leave Qantas Flight 7, a Boeing 747 from Sydney to Dallas, atop the list of world's longest nonstops by distance, at 8,600 miles. The longest nonstop by time will be Delta's Flight 201 -- a 777 from Atlanta to Johannesburg which clocks in at about 17 hours.

Fans of the Singapore-Newark flight say they'll miss its spacious seats and well-trained flight attendants.

On a Singapore passenger website, commenter Buster CT1K -- tongue firmly in cheek -- called the airline's decision to cancel the flight a "very sad day in the history of aerospace and aviation. First, man stops going to the moon. Then the space shuttle stops flying. Then Concorde stops flying. And now this. I will miss the Newark-Singapore nonstop very much."

The way Amex exec Uriarte sees it, for now, the airline industry appears to have pushed the longhaul envelope to the maximum.

"That's about as long as we're going to get," he says. "The days of the 19-hour flight are over."

source: www.cnn.com

Background on Racial Discrimination

Race is a significant social issue because people use racial differences as the basis for discrimination. Much of today's racism can be traced to the era of colonialism that began in the 1400s. When Europeans began colonizing Africa and the Americas, the white settlers adopted the idea that they were superior to the other races they encountered and it was their job to "civilize the savages." This false notion became known as "the white man's burden," and was used to justify the Europeans' taking land and enslaving people. In this way, naturally-occurring racial differences became the basis for systems of exploitation and discrimination.
Racism is the systematic practice of denying people access to rights, representation, or resources based on racial differences. Institutionalized racism is a thorough system of discrimination that involves social institutions and affects virtually every aspect of society.
It's important to remember that racism is neither natural nor inevitable. Through history, people of different racial groups have interacted and co-existed peacefully. During the Middle Ages, for example, Europeans looked up to the people of Africa and China, whose civilization and culture were considered to be more advanced. These ideas changed significantly during the colonial area.

Racism Against Native Americans

Millions of natives occupied the area now called the United States prior to the colonial era. In an effort to obtain much of the North America as territory of the United States, a long series of wars, massacres, forced displacements (such as the Trail of Tears), restriction of food rights, and the imposition of treaties, land was taken and numerous hardships imposed. Ideologies justifying the context included stereotypes of Native Americans as "merciless Indian savages" and the quasi-religious doctrine of manifest destiny which asserted divine blessing for U.S. conquest of all lands west of the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific.
Once their territories were incorporated into the United States, many surviving Native Americans were relegated to reservations--constituting just 4% of U.S. territory--and the treaties signed with them violated. Tens of thousands of were forced to attend a residential school system which sought to reeducate them in white settler American values, culture and economy.
To this day, Native Americans are the most harshly affected by institutionalized racism. The World Watch Institute notes that 317 reservations are threatened by environmental hazards. While formal equality has been legally granted, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders remain among the most economically disadvantaged groups in the country, and suffer from high levels of alcoholism and suicide.

Racism Against Blacks

Slavery in the United States began soon after English colonists first settled Virginia and lasted until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865. By the 18th century, court rulings established the racial basis of the American version of slavery to apply chiefly to Black Africans and people of African descent, and occasionally to Native Americans. The 19th century saw a hardening of institutionalized racism and legal discrimination against citizens of African descent in the United States. Although technically able to vote, poll taxes, acts of terror (often perpetuated by groups such as the KKK), and discriminatory laws kept black Americans disenfranchised particularly in the South.
Racism in the United States was worse during this time than at any period before or since. Segregation, racial discrimination, and expressions of white supremacy all increased. So did anti-black violence, including lynchings and race riots.
In addition, racism which had been viewed primarily as a problem in the Southern states, burst onto the national consciousness following the Great Migration, the relocation of millions of African Americans from their roots in the Southern states to the industrial centers of the North after World War I, particularly in cities such as Boston, Chicago, and New York (Harlem). In northern cities, racial tensions exploded, most violently in Chicago, and lynchings - racially motivated mob-directed hangings - increased dramatically in the 1920s.
Prominent African American politicians, entertainers and activists pushed for civil rights throughout the twentieth century, but the 1950s and 1960s saw the peaking of the American Civil Rights Movement with the desegregation of schools in 1954 and the organizing of widespread protests across the nation under a younger generation of leaders. The pastor and activist Martin Luther King was the catalyst for many nonviolent protests in the 1960s which led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The act prohibited discrimination in public facilities, in government, and in employment, invalidating the Jim Crow laws (which mandated segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans and other non-white racial groups) in the southern U.S. It became illegal to force segregation of the races in schools, housing, or hiring. This signified a change in the social acceptance of racism that had been written into American law and a profound increase in the number of opportunities available for people of color in the United States. While substantial gains were made in the succeeding decades through middle class advancement and public employment, black poverty and education inequalities have deepened in the post-Industrial era.

Thursday 17 October 2013

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers


Law 1
Never Outshine the Master
Always make those above you feel comfortably superior.  In your desire to please or impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite – inspire fear and insecurity.  Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.
Law 2
Never put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies
Be wary of friends-they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy.  They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove.  In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies.  If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.
 Law 3
Conceal your Intentions
Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions.  If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense.  Guide them far enough down the wrong path, envelope them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late.
 Law 4
Always Say Less than Necessary
When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control.  Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike.  Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less.  The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.
 Law 5
So Much Depends on Reputation – Guard it with your Life
Reputation is the cornerstone of power.  Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once you slip, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides.  Make your reputation unassailable.  Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen.  Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations.  Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them.
 Law 6
Court Attention at all Cost
Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing.  Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion.  Stand out.  Be conspicuous, at all cost.  Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious, than the bland and timid masses.
  Law 7
Get others to do the Work for you, but Always Take the Credit
Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause.  Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed.  In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered.  Never do yourself what others can do for you.
 Law 8
Make other People come to you – use Bait if Necessary
When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control.  It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process.  Lure him with fabulous gains – then attack.  You hold the cards.
 Law 9
Win through your Actions, Never through Argument
Any momentary triumph you think gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory:  The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and lasts longer than any momentary change of opinion.  It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word.  Demonstrate, do not explicate.
 Law 10
Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky
You can die from someone else’s misery – emotional states are as infectious as disease.  You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster.  The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you.  Associate with the happy and fortunate instead.
Law 11
Learn to Keep People Dependent on You
To maintain your independence you must always be needed and wanted.  The more you are relied on, the more freedom you have.  Make people depend on you for their happiness and prosperity and you have nothing to fear.  Never teach them enough so that they can do without you.
 Law 12
Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to Disarm your Victim
One sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest ones.  Open-hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people.  Once your selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate them at will.  A timely gift – a Trojan horse – will serve the same purpose.
 Law 13
When Asking for Help, Appeal to People’s Self-Interest,
Never to their Mercy or Gratitude
If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not bother to remind him of your past assistance and good deeds.  He will find a way to ignore you.  Instead, uncover something in your request, or in your alliance with him, that will benefit him, and emphasize it out of all proportion.  He will respond enthusiastically when he sees something to be gained for himself.

UCH Ibadan performs first open heart surgery

feat: The surgical team that performed the feat at University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan.
The first open heart surgery in a teaching hospital in Nigeria has been successfully carried out at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The feat was carried out by surgeons at the UCH in conjunction with a team of surgeons from Tri-State Cardiovascular Delaware, USA. (The surgical team that performed the feat pictured above)

A statement by the institution’s Head of Information Unit, Mr. Toye Akinrinola, disclosed that the four-hour surgery was to correct a leaking heart valve in a 19-year-old secondary school leaver.

An elated Chief Medical Director of the UCH, Professor Temitope Alonge, noted that the UCH was moved to embark on the exercise as a way of alleviating the hardship being experienced by Nigerians with heart-related challenges.



He stated that as the first teaching hospital in Nigeria, the UCH should take the lead in critical areas of medicine, propelling it into ensuring that complex surgeries (like open heart surgery) were carried out in the hospital.

“We are the pioneer teaching hospital in Nigeria, and we should be taking the lead. We are going to do this and we intend to make it a continuous exercise.

“In fact, within the next six months, we intend carrying out not less than 30 heart-related surgeries and at affordable cost to Nigerians.”

Alonge, who lamented that Nigerians pay exorbitantly to undergo such procedures outside the country, pointing out that the cheapest rate outside Nigeria was about N2.5 million.

“This is outside the airfare and hotel bills. It will run into millions. But with us here, it will be a lot cheaper and the access is there. The first surgery is heavily subsidised as a way of encouraging Nigerians to have confidence in our healthcare system.”

Alonge stated that the Federal Government had given the UCH a mandate to improve on the training of doctors as a way of enhancing more access to adequate healthcare in Nigeria.

Leader of the doctors from the USA, Dr. Kamar Adeleke noted that the patient would be back to his normal activities in less than two months.

“He does not have anything to fear about life expectancy. He will soon resume his normal activities, and do all the things he was used to before he took ill,” Dr. Adeleke said.

Adeleke gave assurance of his continued support to providing access to adequate healthcare as obtained in other developed countries.


Obama signs bill to end partial shutdown, stave off debt ceiling crisis




Watch this video
President Barack Obama signed a bill that ends the 16-day partial government shutdown and raises the debt ceiling, the White House said early Thursday morning.

Weeks of bitter political fighting gave way to a frenzied night in Washington as Congress passed the bill that would prevent the country from crashing into the debt ceiling.

Lawmakers worked precariously close to the midnight debt ceiling deadline amid warnings the government could run out of money to pay its bills if it didn't raise the debt ceiling.

Federal workers should expect to return to work Thursday morning, the director of the Office of Management and Budget said.

Director Sylvia Mathews Burwell said employees should check the Office of Personnel Management's website for updates.

Yosemite National Park said it was already resuming operations Wednesday night.

The GOP-led House gave the final stamp of approval to the Senate-brokered bill, passing it easily late Wednesday night. But it wasn't Republicans who made it happen; a majority of that party's caucus actually voted against the measure, which only passed because of overwhelming Democratic support
A temporary bandage

The debt cushion now extends through February 7, with current spending levels being authorized through January 15.

That means a few months of breathing room, but little more. After all, the bill doesn't address many of the contentious and complicated issues -- from changes to entitlement programs to tax reform -- that continue to divide Democrats and Republicans.

"We think that we'll be back here in January debating the same issues," John Chambers, managing director of Standard and Poor's rating service, told CNN on Wednesday night "This is, I fear, a permanent feature of our budgetary process."

The heads of the Senate and House budget committees -- Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington and GOP Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin -- will meet Thursday with an eye on addressing these budget divides. They'll helm budget negotiations intended to come up with a broader spending plan for the rest of fiscal year 2014, which ends on September 30.

Obama, for one, didn't seem in the mood Wednesday night for more of the same -- saying politicians in Washington have to "get out of the habit of governing by crisis."

"Hopefully, next time, it will not be in the 11th hour," Obama told reporters, calling for both parties to work together on a budget, immigration reform and other issues.

As he left the podium, Obama was asked whether he believed America would be going through all this political turmoil again in a few months. His answer:

"No."

Come together

The past 16 days of the partial government shutdown have come at a steep cost. Standard and Poor's estimated it took $24 billion out of the economy. The possibility of a debt default -- something that, Chambers pointed out, is gone for now but not entirely -- spooked investors on Wall Street and hiked interest rates.

And then there's the impact the ordeal had on politicians' image. If there's one thing polls showed Americans agreed on, it's that they don't trust Congress -- with Republicans bearing more blame than anyone else for what transpired.

Both sides talked past each other continuously, with Republicans insisting for a time that defunding, delaying or otherwise altering Obamacare must be part of any final deal. Democrats, meanwhile, stood pat in insisting they'd negotiate -- but only after the passage of a spending bill and legislation to raise the debt without unnecessary add-ons.

In the end, Democrats largely got what they wanted -- after some last-minute talks by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

"We've been able to come together for a lot of different reasons," said Reid, a Nevada Democrat.

Republicans did get a small Obamacare concession: requiring the government to confirm the eligibility of people receiving federal subsidies under the health care program.

But while some Republicans, such as tea party favorite Sen. Ted Cruz, claimed moral victories in energizing their movement, House Speaker John Boehner didn't pretend his side was the victor.

"We fought the good fight; we just didn't win," Boehner told a radio station in his home state of Ohio.

Boehner to fight another day

Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York blasted Cruz and the rest of the tea party wing in Congress for what he called the "reckless, irresponsible politics of brinksmanship over the last few weeks."

"It was not America's finest moment," he said.

Markets soar on agreement

News of the deal brought some relief to Wall Street as well as Washington, with pressure to resolve the impasse building with the approach of the Thursday deadline to raise the debt ceiling or face default.

U.S. stocks rose on the news of an agreement, with the benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average jumping more than 200 points on the day.

Reid hailed the agreement he worked out with McConnell as "historic," saying that "in the end, political adversaries put aside their differences."

McConnell fired an opening salvo for the budget talks expected to begin soon and continue until December when he said any ensuing spending deal should adhere to caps set in a 2011 law that included forced cuts known as sequestration.

"Preserving this law is critically important to the future of our country," McConnell said of the Budget Control Act, which resulted from the previous debt ceiling crisis in Washington.

The focus on an agreement shifted to the Senate after House Republicans failed on Tuesday to come up with a plan their majority could support, stymied again by demands from tea party conservatives for outcomes unacceptable to Obama and Senate Democrats, as well as some fellow Republicans.

Rep. Charles Rangel compares tea party in House to 'confederates'

Cruz, despite being in the Senate, is credited with spearheading the House Republican effort to attach amendments that would dismantle or defund the health care reforms known as Obamacare to previous proposals intended to end the shutdown.

All were rejected by the Democratic-led Senate, and Obama also pledged to veto them, meaning there was no chance they ever would have succeeded.

Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire called the House GOP tactic of tying Obamacare to the shutdown legislation "an ill-conceived strategy from the beginning, not a winning strategy."

Monday 14 October 2013

African Governance Prize Again Withheld

 For the fourth time in five years, a prestigious multimillion-dollar prize offered to African leaders for good governance went unawarded on Monday, renewing questions about the stringency of its rules, the paucity of contenders and the state of the continent’s democracy.
The prize, named for Mo Ibrahim, a Sudan-born telecommunications billionaire, was designed to reward democratically elected African leaders who retire voluntarily at the conclusion of their mandated terms after displaying strong qualities of governance and leadership.

The prize is worth $5 million over the first 10 years, followed by stipends of at least $200,000 a year.

Since its creation seven years ago, it has been awarded three times, in 2007, 2008 and 2011. Former President Pedro Pires of Cape Verde was the most recent recipient. Former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa was given an honorary award.

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation said on Monday that it had considered every African head of state or government who had retired in the past three years, but had decided not to award the prize this year.

The foundation did not elaborate on its reasons for withholding the award.

Salim Ahmed Salim, a former secretary general of the Organization of African Unity and a former prime minister of Tanzania who is the chairman of a panel set up to consider potential winners, said in a statement that the award “honors former heads of state or government, who, during their mandate, have demonstrated excellence in leading their country, and by doing so, serve as role models for the next generation.”

“After careful consideration,” he added, “the prize committee has determined not to award the 2013 Prize for Excellence in Leadership.”

The announcement came as the foundation made public its annual assessment of the state of African governance, which concluded that, while “overall governance continues to improve at the continental level,” aspects of life in Africa like personal safety and the rule of law had “declined worryingly.”

There is “a widening span in performance between the best and worst governed countries,” the assessment said. Divergent trends within its findings, it said, “may sound a warning signal, with the new century seeing fewer regional conflicts but increased domestic social unrest.”

Culled from www.newyorktimes.com

Emmanuel Emenike double leaves Ethiopia in despair

Ethiopia's Asrat Magersa shows his dejection after his team lost the first leg of the World Cup qualifier against Nigeria in Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia's hopes of making an unlikely appearance in the 2014 World Cup Finals suffered a major setback Sunday as a double from Emmanuel Emenike gave Nigeria a precious away victory in the first leg of their final African qualifier.

Ethiopia have been the surprise team in the 10 remaining African national sides bidding for five places in Brazil and dominated against their more illustrious opponents for over an hour in Addis Ababa.

But they let the Super Eagles off the hook through poor finishing, with Girma Adane wasting the best chance in the first half.

After the break the pattern continued but in the 56th minute they did go ahead in unusual circumstances as Behailu Assefa's cross was caught by Vincent Enyeama, but the referee ruled it had crossed the line.

Unveiling the Lies of Jewish Origin of the Igbo People and Revealing the Jewish Agenda in Igboland-Chibuzo Ihuoma

The truth about Igbo origin

There have been various tales of Igbo origin, some true and others false. Those true are, stories from Onu Igbo (from the mouth of Igbo without outside influencing); however, those that are false are, either unintentional and due to the lack of traditional history and foreign exploitation, or intentional and due to the works of dubious foreign entities who prey on people who have witnessed oppression and are deemed fit to be used as tools for a selfish agenda.
The Igbo are orally and archeologically proven to have migrated from no other area apart from the Niger-Benue confluence. It is this area that blood related groups such as the Yoruba, Idoma, Edo (Bini, Esan, Urhobo/Isoko, Etsako, Afemai), and Igala dispersed into various groups. The Igbo have no tradition of coming from anywhere else other than the nuclear Igbo area of the Owerri-Awka- Orlu-Okigwe axis, which happens to support the archeological findings.

The Falsity of Jewish ancestry

There have been attempts by various Zionist Jewish entities to try and sew Ndi Igbo into a “Jewish” ancestry. One of their deceptions is through the painting of the Biblical Eri and the Igbo Eri as one in the same. Those who are well versed in the Holy Bible, Igbo Traditions, and history as I, know that this claim is totally and grossly absurd. To begin, the names Eri (the son of Gad) of the Bible and Eri of the Igbo race are pronounced two completely different ways. The ‘E’ of the Biblical/Jewish Eri is equivalent to the ‘e’ in Easter and the ‘ri’ is equivalent to the ‘ri’ in ride. Examples of similar biblical names with long ‘E’ pronunciations are Elijah(ee LIE ja), Elisha(ee LIE sha), Egypt(ee jippt), and Esau(ee SAW). In contrast, the ‘E’ in the Igbo Eri is as the ‘e’ in echo and the ‘ri’ is as the ‘ree’ in reed. Examples of similar Igbo names with short ‘E’ pronunciations are Emeka, Enyi, Ebere, and Enugu. The only thing the Biblical/Jewish Eri shares with the Igbo Eri is the Latin Script in which it is written in. This is a major deception that is used on the Igbo who are unable to acquire access to the truth.
Another reason why the claim of the Biblical Eri and the Igbo Eri as one in the same is laughable is both the Bible and Igbo tradition prove it to be false. The biblical Eri (the son of Gad) was said to have been born during the biblical times of Genesis. The Book of Genesis is said to have been written in 1400 BC. That is over 1,400 years before Jesus Christ was even born. The Bible itself was completed roughly 2,000 years ago, so the time difference between the completion of the Holy Bible and the birth of the biblical/Jewish Eri is enormous. Do keep in mind that the completion of the Book of Genesis was a collection of records of events over thousands of years, according to religious doctrine and beliefs. In Contrast to the years of the biblical/Jewish Eri, the Igbo Eri is barely over 1,000 years old. Eri was the father of Nri, who establish a kingdom between 948-1000 AD and lasted in major influence up till 1911. Obviously Igbo and Jewish faithful are being taken for a ride. The two figureheads were two completely different individuals and had no connection whatsoever. Also, the Igbo Eri is not the progenitor of the Igbo race. He is the father of the Nri, Aguleri, and Umuleri clans of the Igbo race. Trying to link the entire Igbo race to this one man/figure is another attempt to sew the Igbo into Jewish ancestry. In fact, the Igbo are from a land of vegetation and have no tradition of migrating from anywhere outside the Niger-Benue Confluence; however, the Jews believe they migrated from a place known as “The Garden of Eden”, a place of vegetation and which they are yet to find the location of this particular place of origin of theirs. Going by the facts I just stated, if there is any of the two groups that is the ancestor of the other it is the Igbo that would be the ancestor of the Jews.
“While these Eastern theories of Igbo origin have been rejected by African historians as a worthless piece of creative imagination, “the theory resurfaced during the Biafra-Nigeria Civil War (1967 – 1970) when the Igbo race nearly accepted the suggestion that they were Israelites or Jews. This was because the Igbos associated the mass destruction of the Civilian Igbo race living in the Northern region of Nigeria with the genocide of the Jews in Nazi .Germany during the Second World War. The Biafrans of the Nigerian civil war also attributed the source of hatred for both Jews in Europe and the Igbos in Nigeria to their enterprising nature, economic and intellectual capability which were seen by others as an attempt to monopolize the economic and political power of the nation.”
As Emma Onwuzurike remarked in Nguma Uvuru (1991): “This unfortunate incident compounded the problem of Igbo origin. It even pressed the Jewish origin almost to a convincing point. However, the Hebrew or Jewish origin of the Igbos is part of the basic theory of Nigerian people origin which has been discarded by African historians as an unauthentic theory”

Sunday 13 October 2013

LORD LUGGARD THOUGHT ON NIGERIANS



"In character and temperament, the typical African of this race-type is a happy, thriftless, excitable person. Lacking in self control, discipline, and foresight. Naturally courageous, and naturally courteous and polite, full of personal vanity, with little sense of veracity, fond of music and loving weapons as an oriental loves jewellery. His thoughts are concentrated on the events and feelings of the moment, and he suffers little from the apprehension for the future, or grief for the past. His mind is far nearer to the animal world than that of the European or Asiatic, and exhibits something of the animals' placidity and want of desire to rise beyond the State he has reached. Through the ages the African appears to have evolved no organized religious creed, and though some tribes appear to believe in a deity, the religious sense seldom rises above pantheistic animalism and seems more often to take the form of a vague dread of the supernatural" 


"He lacks the power of organization, and is conspicuously deficient in the management and control alike of men or business. He loves the display of power, but fails to realize its responsibility ....he will work hard with a less incentive than most races. He has the courage of the fighting animal, an instinct rather than a moral virtue...... In brief, the virtues and defects of this race-type are those of attractive children, whose confidence when it is won is given ungrudgingly as to an older and wiser superior and without envy.......Perhaps the two traits which have impressed me as those most characteristic of the African native are his lack of apprehension and his lack of ability to visualize the future." 
---Lord Frederick John Dealty Lugard, The Dual Mandate, pg.70 (1926)"

DAME PATIENCE JONATHAN BAGS DOCTORATE DEGREE IN SOUTH KOREA

Patience Jonathan on Thursday October 10th bagged her fourth Honorary Doctorate degree since becoming Nigeria's First Lady. She got her latest honorary degree from the Hansei University in South Korean (pictured above with the president and Chancellor of the university, Sung-Hae Kim)

The university said they honoured Aunty Patie because she had worked 'hard for many good causes'.
“She’s a humanitarian who has dedicated her life to working for the less privileged in Nigeria and Africa especially for women and children. Her vision as the defender of the poor in Nigeria fits into Hansei University’s motto of a practising Christian. Now she’s part of our community." The university chancellor Sung-Hae Kim, said
"I was surprised that she travelled here for the Church Growth International conference years back to pray for Nigeria. For her selfless work, Hansei University confers this degree on her,” Yonggi Cho, co-founder of the Hansei University, said
“I was just doing my own thing not knowing that in far away Asia everything was being noted. I want to assure you all that with God’s help I will do more. My grandma used to say: `Whatever little you have, share; If you have a thousand and you can’t share, you won’t share a million if you have’.” Mrs. Jonathan said, thanking the Koreans.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the ceremony was attended by wives of the governors of Benue and Ebonyi, wives of the Chief of Army Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, among other dignitaries.