British Airways Contempt!

Hi folks,

This British Airways guys actually think they are still our colonial masters hence they can treat our complaints with levity.

Imagine this o!, The Director-General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, had on the directive of the Federal Government called with British Airways to explain why it maltreated Nigerian passengers on its flight 0075, that left London to Lagos on March 27.

Guess what? BA sent its junior officials to the meeting instead and peeved by the attitude, Demuren terminated the meeting and directed the airline to come at a later date with its top officers as representatives, remarking that the airline should not treat an issue, which the Federal Government is interested in with such levity. (I applaud this action with all my heart).
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Ojo Madueke and the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Robert Dewar Have held talks over the British Airways incident.
Madueke met with Dewar in his office in Abuja yesterday where he reiterated that President Yar’Adua’s posture on Citizen Diplomacy would not tolerate the inhuman treatment of any Nigerian for any reason, even when there are allegations of criminal activities.
He warned that the bilateral relationship which the two nations have enjoyed over the years has ensured the temperate reactions to the matter, but to maintain it, Nigerians must be treated with dignity within and outside the shores of the country.
He appreciated the British government’s interest in the matter while urging Nigerians abroad to always comply with the laws of their countries of residence.
Dewar has however gave the assurance that he had taken a special interest in the matter and would dig to find more information.
Also commenting on the issue, Minister of State for Air Transportation, Mr Felix Hyat, told newsmen when he visited Lagos on Wednesday, that government was miffed by the report and said it would give it full priority after the investigation by NCAA.
Hyat condemned the incident, and said maltreatment of Nigerian passengers by foreign airlines must stop, noting that government must ensure that similar thing never happen again.
It would be recalled that early last year, former Minister of State, Air Transport, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, had also condemned BA’s treatment of its Nigerian passengers.
Just to refresh our memory, on March 27, 2008 about 137 Nigerian passengers on board British Airways flight 0075 from London to Lagos, witnessed the gory treatment of a Nigerian deportee who was handcuffed and forced into the flight.
The way he was manhandled made the deportee to shout for help, which prompted a Nigerian passenger, Ayodeji Omotade, to call the British immigration officials manhandling the deportee to exercise restraint.
Angered by this, the immigrations officials took the deportee and the sympathiser out of the plane, arrested the later and detained him, while the deportee was latervreturned to the flight.
Outraged by the incident, Nigerians who either witnessed or read the report in the British tabloid, Daily Mirror, wrote a protest letter, signed by over 1000 Nigerians, to the President, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, demanding a front page apology in a Nigerian national daily newspaper to all passengers on-board flight BA0075, a written apology and appropriate compensation to Mr Ayo Omotade, lifting of the life ban imposed on him by the airline, and all criminal charges against him dropped forthwith.
But in a swift reaction, the British Airways in a statement, however, stated that it was right, and quoted the UK Immigration Act 1971, to back the action.

Let it go….

Let it go ….
By T. D. Jakes

There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you
this! When people can walk away from you: let them walk. I don’t want
you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you,
calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to
you. I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never
tied to anybody that left.

The bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made
manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt
they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you.
And if they are not
joined to you, you can’t make them stay.

Let them go.

And it doesn’t mean that they are a bad person it just means that their
part in the story is over. And you’ve got to know when people’s part in
your story is over so that you don’t keep trying to raise the dead.
You’ve got to know when it’s dead.

You’ve got to know when it’s over. Let me tell you something. I’ve got
the gift of good-bye. It’s the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in
good-bye.
It’s not that I’m hateful, it’s that I’m faithful, and I know whatever
God means for me to have He’ll give it to me. And if it takes too much
sweat, I don’t need it. Stop begging people to stay.

Let them go!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn’t belong to you and was
never intended for your life, then you need to……

Let it go!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains ……

Let them go!!

If someone can’t treat you right, love you back, and see your worth…..

Let them go!!

If someone has angered you ……..

Let it go!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge……

Let them go!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction……

Let it go!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or
talents .

Let it go!!

If you have a bad attitude…….

Let it go!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better……

Let it go!!

If you’re stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level
in Him……

Let it go!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship…….

Let it go!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won’t even try to help
themselves…….

Let them go!!

If you’re feeling depressed and stressed ……….

Let it go!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling
yourself and God is saying “take your hands off of it,” then you need
to……

Let it go!!

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things.
GOD is doing a new thing for 2008 !!!

Let it go!!

Get Right or Get Left .. think about it, and then ..

Let it go!!

“The Battle is the Lord’s!

Yar’Adua orders probe of British Airways incident

Even though our President is sick, his concerns for those he governed still overwhelms him. I hope this is true and not some political gimmick o! I wish him well sha but I am glad those BA people now know that are government is not a sleeping gaint. They cannot take us for granted. Pls read on.

Yar’Adua orders probe of British Airways incident
From Madu Onuorah, Abuja

PRESIDENT Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has directed the Minister of State for Transportation (Aviation), Mr Felix Hyatt, to begin an urgent investigation into a March 27, 2008 incident in which British Airways (BA) allegedly ordered more than 100 Nigerians off its London to Lagos flight “for protesting against the brutal treatment of a deportee aboard.”

Yar’Adua, who is in Germany for a medical review, asked Hyatt to take all necessary measures and protect “the travelling public from the humiliation they face daily from foreign airlines.”

A source told The Guardian that the President had seen reports of the incident from the British media, expressing “disgust” at the “seeming non-chalant attitude of BA officials.”

He, therefore, directed that since the minister has not forwarded any report of the incident to his office, he should be formally written to investigate the incident and report back to him.

The source added: “The President is said to be concerned by the recent resurgence of complaints about the poor treatment, discrimination and downright abuse meted out to Nigerians by some foreign airlines operating in the country.

“The President has also directed the minister to make it absolutely clear to all foreign airlines operating in Nigeria that under no circumstance will his administration tolerate the subjection of Nigerian passengers to less than acceptable standards of treatment.”

Death Scare!

Hi folks,

I had a terrible scare last night. I had closed from work and felt i should go to the salon and wash my hair. I got there and decided to fix a new bread. While we were on it, the powerful PHCN or (is it NEPA now), struck and so we had to rely on the generator to finish up the hair.

The salon had no ventilation and so we had to close the door and rely on the fan. The last thing I remember saying was when I celebrated the Liverpool own goal against Chelsea. Gradually we became sick. First it was headache and then dizziness, then fainting, then vomiting etc. The three of us in the salon were experiencing the same feeling at the same time. Only God’s intervention served us we would all have been dead within a twinkle of an eye.

The guy making my hair had managed to go out, and having taken in a little fresh air and poured water on his head had recovered quickly, he was the one that helped the rest of us (his younger brother and I) to recover. We had to put off the generator and use the phone light to finish up the hair after an hour of trying to recover from that terrible scare. I got home at 12 am because I had to drop them off.

I am glad to be life and I thank God for intervening just on time and giving Azuka (the hair stylist) the wisdom to aid our recovery. I now know why people die from generator fumes. Terrible feeling I tell u and the process is gradual. I actually saw death but cheated it. Praise God!

Well, I almost spoil my joy today when instead of deleting what was obviously a disgusting funwall i hit the forward button instead. I have been so sad all day but I feel better now that I have apologised to everybody. We are all humans and prone to mistakes. Please I am apologising again for a funwall you must have received from me via my email. I feel so ashamed but thank God for forgiving friends who have already accepted my apologise. Thanks and remain blessed.

I Love This: Maduekwe Locks out Permanent Secretary, Directors etc

Don’t you just love this country atimes? Just read the responses of some of the staff. Please read on

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe on Monday locked out the Permanent Secretary, Directors and some other employees of the ministry for reporting late to work.

Reports have it that the Minister, who reported for work at 8.15 a.m., gave the directive that the gates be shut however, respite came, when the Permanent secretary Alhaji Baba Kaigama arrived at 9.12 a.m. before the staffers were allowed in by security men.

Maduekwe, who later addressed the workers, berated them for finding it difficult to report to work on time having “after a nice weekend”.

The minister, who noted that it was not intentional to keep any worker ‘miserable’ under the heat of the sun, expressed surprise that majority of the workers were not at their duty posts at the stipulated time.

Maduekwe explained that under the civil service rule, workers were expected to be at their duty posts by 8 a.m. and close at 4 p.m.

“Because I travel frequently out of the country should not give you the illusion that I do not know what is happening in the ministry,” he said.

“This administration places emphasis on the rule of law, accountability and due process.

“If we must get it right, this ministry must lead by example and be a model in order to project a good image for this country,” Maduekwe added.

According to him, for the country to attain its vision of being one of the 2020 economies, its workforce must be hard working, disciplined and committed.

“We must get it right if we are actually going to be one of the 2020 economies, but you cannot attain this if you report to work late,” he stressed.

Maduekwe who noted that government was mindful of the challenges the workers faced, said such challenges were man-made and were surmountable.

“I am not pretending about problems of no power supply, lack of transportation and water, but you have to strive to achieve,” he said.

The minister granted the workers ‘a general amnesty’ with a warning that “it will not be so next time.”

Some of staff who reacted to the situation, expressed regrets that the minister was not being fair to them, adding that there were no staff buses to convey them to work.

“How do you expect us to put in our best when the issues of welfare, which is very paramount to our ability to deliver quality service is not addressed,” one of the civil servants said.

He explained further that though there were lots of challenges, workers had been jolted by the action and would also try to sit up.

Another civil servant described the minister’s address as a ‘political talk’ adding that more needed to be done than “speaking grammar”.

He said: “Ministers travel a lot, but do not know what junior workers that are doing the entire job go through.”

Brother Kidnapped Brother

Who is really benefiting from all these? I have said it before and I will repeat it again that this kidnapping and destruction of pipeline business is for the selfish few.

Aside from blowing up two of Anglo-Dutch oil gaint, Shell pipelines in Rivers State by the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), how can you explain this one where an elder brother (Ndego) kidnapped his own younger brother (8-year-old Israel) to get N1.5 million from their guardian (Ubogu) who was magnanimous enough to take him (the 8-year-old) in after the death of their father in a road accident?

Ndego narrated how he left the house to wait at a point on Jakpa Road where he had asked Israel to take him to under the pretext of getting acquainted with the neighbourhood.

The suspect, who is cooling his heels at an Ekpan Police Station cell, disclosed how he planned the kidnap with his friends in Lagos, adding that they left for Warri to execute the plan.

“My friend met his friend in Benin and it was there that we agreed to take him (Israel). What we agreed on after I took him to Benin was that my friend would call my aunt and demand N600, 000 ransom. I was surprised that he later called to demand N1.5million that was not the original plan,” Ndego added.

Ubogu left for Benin and found Israel where he was dumped by Ndego’s accomplices. Incredible! God help us.

EFCC Thanks for Uncovering Turaki’s N36B oil Block Fruad but Where is Iyabo Obasanjo

It is very interesting to seeing the way The Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)carry out its work.

It has just given us details of how the immediate past governor of Jigawa state, Alhaji Saminu Turaki, used a sum of N36 billion he allegedly stole from the state’s treasury, to buy oil blocks in the country.

EFCC told a Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital that Alhaji Turaki standing trial before the court on allegation of conspiracy, money laundering, theft, corrupt enrichment and looting of the treasury, “used the funds of Jigawa state to pay for oil blocks given to him by the Federal Government”.

EFCC further alleged that the former governor used his younger brother, Bashir Turaki and his companies, INC Natural Resources Ltd., Arkel Construction Nig. Ltd and Wildcat Construction Ltd., to siphon state funds while in office.

The EFCC said the accused was running the companies, using his brother and one Abdul Aziz Haliru, and had used the Jigawa government as a guarantor for the loan taken by the companies.

Turaki is also accused of making the government to give an irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) to the bank in respect of the loans taken by the companies.

EFCC further alleged that the bank was deducting the said loan from the statutory allocations meant for the state, until billions of naira was deducted.

The allegations are contained in an affidavit filed before the court by EFCC’s lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Jacob, the Commission also gave insight on how the alleged fraud by the former governor, now a Senator representing the state, was discovered.

According to the EFCC: “Sometimes in June 2006, the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) of the EFCC intercepted a suspicious transaction made by the agents of the accused.

Alhaji Turaki was arraigned in October 2007, on a 32-count charge of corruption and embezzlement of public funds, by the EFCC.

He has however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and had since been granted bail by Justice Binta-Murtala Nyako.

But my question now is, why is it so difficult to arraign Iyabo Obasanjo? Now she has gone into hidding. Well at least The Senate has asked embattled Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to appear before it next Tuesday over the case the Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has against her. I hope the EFCC will arrest her after her appearance

We’ll make Nigeria flow with milk, honey, says Ogbulafor

I hope this is not just political talk o! Nigerians right now are not in a right frame of mind for silly jokes. With the damning revelations coming from power probe, housing probe and even aviation probe, any cheap political talk is not welcomed at all o!

As far as I am concerned, the PDP chairman is overwhelmed with his new office hence he is talking carelessly. We need action to be matched with words and not even after he said he wants PDP to be in power for 60 years! Haba! We will all be ruined by then

We’ll make Nigeria flow with milk, honey, says Ogbulafor
From John-Abba Ogbodo, Abuja

NIGERIANS have been assured of the commitment of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to making the country a land “flowing with milk and honey.”

The National Chairman of the party, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, who said this on Wednesday night, expressed the resolve of the President and the party to “make whatever sacrifices that are necessary to accomplish this.”

Ogbulafor, during an interactive session with journalists, also disclosed that as part of measures to ensure that the governors of the party matched their electoral promises with action and operated within the ambit of the PDP manifesto, the leadership of the party would set up an evaluation team to monitor the performances of its state chief executives.

“If we are actually called to serve, we should put our lives into the service and live above selves. What will it pay a person if he gains all the things in this world and remain on negative side of history? Yar’Adua and the party will like to make history. The seven-point agenda touches every aspect of human life. With the support of Nigerians and the blessing of God, the President will implement the agenda and the country will be a beautiful place for all to live and milk and honey will be flowing. What we need is unity of purpose. We need peace, unity and love,” he said.

Ogbulafor reiterated that his election and that of the President came as an act of God and that made the challenge very unique. But he gave assurance that both Yar’Adua and the party would work hard to make life better for Nigerians.

“My emergence as national chairman is divine, purely an act of God. It therefore throws a lot of challenges to me as a person and a true Nigerian. If you look at the composition of the National Working Committee, members were carefully selected, fire-brand Nigerians, enthusiastic to move Nigeria and the party forward,” he said.

The PDP national chairman described President Yar’Adua as a silent operator whose emergence was by divine intervention. He noted that people who emerged through such circumstances would always be ready to offer services without counting costs and expressed the determination of the present PDP administration at all levels to remain on the good side of history.

He wants Nigerians to support the President and the party, pointing out that with such support, Yar’Adua would be able to implement his programmes and put smiles on the faces of Nigerians.

“Yar’Adua is a silent operator and his election is also is divine”, he said.

Still expressing gratitude to God over his emergence, Ogbulafor recalled that two weeks to the national convention at which he emerged, he was admitted in a hospital and had given up hope, but God still made it possible for him to emerge as national chairman. He maintained that power flows from God, stressing: “That is why when I see some people struggling for power, sometimes, I laugh. God crowns and equips the person.”

He reiterated the resolve of the present leadership of the party to practise internal democracy in the party so that it could return the party to the status envisaged by the founding fathers. He disclosed that as part of these efforts, the new leadership had started reaching out to aggrieved members who left the party with a view to wooing them back. Ogbulafor also said that the party would ensure a harmonious relationship between the Executive and the Legislature through constant dialogue and would give all members a sense of belonging.

The national chairman said in line with the manifesto of the party, the leadership would put a mechanism in place to ensure strict compliance by the governors and local council chairmen. He, however, expressed satisfaction with that which of the governors on the platform of the PDP had done but said the party would still put together a team to monitor their performances.

“Fortunately, our governors are putting a lot on ground to ensure development. We will rule this country for the next sixty years. The challenges are enormous. We will ensure that every member complies with the constitution of the party. The party will put in place a monitoring team in all states to monitor what our governors are doing. The challenge is to build a virile place which all of us will be proud of”, he said.

According to him, it is the hope of the party to attract all Nigerians to join PDP through a superlative performance and added that “I will not care if Nigeria becomes a one party state controlled by PDP.”

The national chairman concluded that the leadership of the party was eagerly awaiting the outcome of the work being done by a committee set up to review the report of the reconciliation committee headed by former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, so as to begin the implementation that would return the glorious days of PDP

I’m Cut Off Civilization!

Hi folks,

I don’t know how many MTN users are feeling depressed and frustrated as I am right now. I have been cut off civilization just because of the striking staff of Nigerian Tele-communications Limited.

Transcorp Hilton had dared the staff that they were not working and so they decided to proof their worth, today it is weeping and gnashing of teeth for those who have come to depend on the GSM to transact business.

The Minister of State for Information and Communications, Ibrahim Nakande, has appealed to the striking staff of Nigerian Tele-communications Limited “to return to work in the overall interest of the nation”.

Did I hear him right? interest of the nation? and if indeed that was the case, why has it been so difficult to meet the demands of the workers or at least sit down with them to dialogue and reach a common ground?

How can you be owing family men and women several months, how are they suppose to take care of basic needs like healthcare, school fees, house rent, feeding as well as transport themselves to work?

Rather than talk to them face to face he decided to send his appeal in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Okon Bassey, in Abuja.

The minister said that suspension of the strike would ensure a conducive atmosphere for negotiations to continue. He warned that the strike was capable of crippling the telecommunication sector, “which is neither in the best interest of the nation nor NITEL staff themselves.”

Can you imagine this man? That the strike is capable of crippling the telecom sector when already everything is at a stand still right now? As from 4 p.m yesterday upto this moment i am sending this post, I have not been able to communication with anyone because there is no service on my phone.

I also have a starcomms line and the management of starcomms had to warn in advance via a text message that as a result of the strike we are likely going to experience epileptic service.

The workers down tools nationwide on Monday following the inability of Transcorp, the core investor in NITEL, to fulfill an earlier agreement with workers over unpaid salaries.

The workers had complained that Transcorp owed them five months salary arrears and allowances. They also accused Transcorp of failing to confirm the appointment of workers who had been on probation since November 2006, when the company acquired the 51 per cent equity of NITEL.

Transcorp Spokesman, Mr Adedayo Ojo in a statement on Tuesday, insisted that the strike was unnecessary. He claimed that the company paid over N500 million on Monday to offset part of the outstanding salaries.
However, Mr Charles Amankwe, President, National Association of Telecommunications Employees, said Transcorp only remitted money for a month’s salary, in breach of their April 1 agreement.

As far as I am concern, the only language Nigerian businesses including the government understands is strike and if the issues of welfare are to be addressed. So I am going to bear this while I employ everyone trying to reach me to use the email facility.

This is the prize we all have to pay for things to move forward. God help Nigeria!

Iyabo Obasanjo Fears for Life!

Hi Folks,

Stories like this makes me want to puck. Is either she is playing with our intelligence or the EFCC and herself are playing out script but we are not fools. But again she is having a taste of her father’s medicine. He used the EFCC to mate out the same treatment including the former Plateau State governor.

Wonders they say will never end. Rather than go to the EFCC to clear her name she has embark on a cheap campaign that her life is in danger. She is also continuing in her father’s shoe of his contempt for the Nigerian media. Rather than talk to the Nigerian press about her plight she ran to the BBC but I can assure her it will not help her.

Hear her: “There’s a very huge anti-Obasanjo sentiment in the country now and honestly the behaviour is not normal.”

But pray, is it normal not to answer a call by a security agency or is it an anti-fraud agency to clear your name? Whether she likes it or not, her father is no longer the President of this country and she must pay for her sins. Like somebody said, she has not even achieved half of what the two former Ministers – Prof. Adenike Grange and Gabriel Adukuformer Ministers – Prof. Adenike Grange and Gabriel Aduku and yet they were humble enough to make themselves available including facing the embarrassment of the court. Who the hell is this woman?

If I may ask, what is the usefulness of her being alive? Her being alive is causing us terrible embarrassment all over the world worst than what the yahoo boys and our thiefing politicians are doing. Unfortunately for her she cannot even run abroad as is the normal practice with her likes. In the US, she is wanted and in the UK with the help of interpol, she is sure to be brought back in handcuffs. Even some African countries will not want anything to do with her talkless of seeking refuage there, so my advise now is for her to appear before the EFCC and hasten the process of either clearing her name or heading to jail. period!

Below is her story as given to BBC
Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, has said she fears for her life. Obasanjo-Bello is implicated in the N300 million Health Ministry scam and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) now wants her to be prosecuted for the alleged offence.
Her comments came after the anti-corruption agents raided her home in Abuja in an attempt to bring her to face prosecution.
She told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) yesterday that EFCC agents slapped her personal assistant during their visit to her house two days ago.
“I am afraid of the EFCC… they slapped my PA when they got to the house,” she said
“I’m not on the run but I feel as if I’m a victim of harassment… I’m afraid for my life,” she added.
Obasanjo-Bello, who chairs the Senate’s Health Commi-ttee, was charged along with ten other top officials of the Health Ministry, including two former Ministers – Prof. Adenike Grange and Gabriel Aduku – for sharing the proceeds of corruption
After charges against Obasanjo-Bello were read in court last week, the EFCC said she had to turn herself in as soon as possible.
She was said to have bolted out of the house through the back door when the men of EFCC came to her house uninvited on Tuesday.
She told the BBC she could not understand why her home was raided when she had visited the EFCC offices twice in the past week and made herself available through her lawyer.
“There’s a very huge anti-Obasanjo sentiment in the country now and honestly the behaviour is not normal.”
Grange and Aduku resigned from their positions in March after an investigation uncovered N300m had not been returned to the coffers of the Federal Government after the fiscal year ended.
Yesterday, Obasanjo-Bello did not show up in the Senate for the sitting.
Her seat beside Senator Anthony Manzo’s was empty at plenary and the Senate was spared her characteristic movements from one side of the chamber to the other during sitting.
The money was said to have been part of the unspent N300 million in the 2007 budget of the Health Ministry which was shared by top officials of the Ministry as Christmas bonus or gift.
All the accused persons, save Obasanjo-Bello, had been charged to court on account of being beneficiaries of the procceds of corruption.
Meanwhile, the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has chided the EFCC over its operatives’ failed attempt to arrest Obasanjo-Bello over her alleged involvement in the scam.
Aside from chiding the EFCC, the TMG through its chairman, Comrade Moshood Erubami, described the drama of the evasion of arrest by Obasanjo-Bello as not portraying her as a good representative of her people.
He said: “The TMG sees the whole episode as not portraying the Senator as a good and trusted representative of the electorate in her constituency.
“The question one should ask the on-the-run-Senator is, “if it is true that the money was meant for a retreat in Ghana, why is she on the run?”
The group insisted that the anti-graft body was still treating the arrest of the Senator with kid gloves noting that if Obasanjo-Bello were to be an ordinary Nigerian, she would have been arrested and arraigned for long by the EFCC.