President Jonathan Approves N5.7 Billion To Benefit Victims of 2011 Post-Election Violence - 25/4/2013

President Jonathan Approves N5.7 Billion To Benefit Victims of 2011 Post-Election Violence

Posted: April 25, 2013 - 19:20

By SaharaReporters, New York

As political calculations towards the 2015 elections take centrestage, victims of the 2011 post-election violence in nine States, one of them in the South, may be hopeful they will benefit from a N5.5 billion fund just announced by President Goodluck Jonathan.
A State House statement said the fund is meant for “direct disbursement” to those who suffered losses of property, means of livelihood and places of worship, but it is unclear if anyone has prepared such a comprehensive list.
The beneficiary States are: Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Niger, Sokoto, and Zamfara.  Katsina will get the largest sum of nearly N2 billion, while Bauchi will get N1.5 billion.  Akwa Ibom will get the smallest amount: N43 million.
Following the violence, President Jonathan set up a Panel of Enquiry, headed by Sheik Ahmed Lemu, with the mandate of identifying the spread and extent of losses suffered across the country.
Following the submission of the Lemu Panel’s report and its adoption by the Federal Executive Council, the Federal Ministry of Lands and Housing was mandated to assess the reported losses and damage to properties in all affected states, the statement said.
One of the key issues facing the “direct disbursement” is that a lot of the victims of the violence are Southerners who returned to the South following the violence, in which many members of the National Youth Service Corps were also killed.  It is unclear what mechanism has been put in place, if any, to ensure that the funds are not looted by the States, and that they reach those for whom they are intended.
Calls to the presidency for comment were neither answered nor returned.  SaharaReporters has contacted the State governors to obtain clarification on the disbursement of the funds but has yet received no information.
Text of the State House Press Statement
PRESIDENT JONATHAN APPROVES RELEASE OF N5.7 BILLION TO VICTIMS OF 2011 POST ELECTION VIOLENCE IN NINE STATES
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has approved the release of a total sum of N5,747,694,780.00 to nine states of the federation for direct disbursement to those who suffered losses of properties, means of livelihood and places of worship in the post election violence of 2011.
It will be recalled that following the post election violence and civil disturbances in some states after the April 2011 elections President Jonathan set up a Panel of Enquiry headed by Sheik Ahmed Lemu to among other things, identify the spread and extent of losses suffered across the country.
Following the submission of the Lemu Panel’s report and its adoption by the Federal Executive Council, the Federal Ministry of Lands and Housing was mandated to assess the reported losses and damage to properties in all affected states.
Based on the Ministry’s report, President Jonathan has approved the release of funds to nine of the 14 affected states as follows:
1.      Bauchi                 -        N1,574,879,000.00
2.    Sokoto                 -        N55,888,506.00
3.    Zamfara               -        N93,253,485.00
4.    Niger                    -        N433,375,875.00
5.     Jigawa                 -        N208,667,634.00
6.    Katsina                -        N1,973,209,440.00
7.     Kano                    -        N944,827,000.00
8.    Adamawa            -        N420,089,840.00
9.    Akwa Ibom          -        N43,504,000.00
Total                -        N5,747,694,780.00
President Jonathan has also directed that an Implementation Committee for the disbursement of the funds to beneficiaries in  the nine states be constituted as follows:
1.      Executive Governor  or Deputy Governor        -        Chairman
2.    Representative of State Government                -        Member
3.    Secretary of the Sheik Lemu Panel                   -        Member
4.    Representative of the OSGF                              -        Member
5.     Representative of the FMLH&UD                    -        Member
Inspection and assessment of damages and losses suffered are yet to be carried out in Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Kaduna and Nasarawa states as modalities and further instructions for the exercise are still being expected from the state governments.
Funds to cover the losses sustained by victims of the post election violence in theses five states will be approved and released at the conclusion of the assessment exercise.


Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
April 25, 2013

Patience Jonathan, Ailing Again, Dropped From State Visit Delegation To Namibia And South Africa

Posted: April 30, 2013 - 01:22

Nigerian first lady, Patience Jonathan

 The health of Nigeria's First Lady Patience Faka Jonathan has deteriorated again. She has become so critical that she has been dropped from President Jonathan’s upcoming official visit to Namibia and South Africa.
Sources in Aso Rock said Mr. Jonathan will fly out for the four-day junket to the two Southern African countries on May 5th and return to Abuja on the 10th.

Sources informed of the medical situation stated that Mrs. Jonathan remained unwell after returning from Germany about three weeks ago.  She had stated that her trip, which started on March 17 in Paris took her through Italy to Germany where she claimed she tendered to her foster mother, "Mama Sisi."

Since returning from that trip, the First Lady has remained under medical observation at the presidential villa.
 Her latest trip to Germany is the third medical trip since her prolonged trip last year where she spent several months in a Wiesbaden hospital.

Although she denied those details upon her return, in a thanksgiving service in February 2013, she confessed her travails, including nine surgeries within one month, and declaring she had died but was saved by God.
The presidency has refused to disclose the exact nature of her ailment, but medical sources say she is suffering from a deadly ailment that may be manageable.

Is Nigeria Fast Becoming The Rape Capital Of Africa? By Dotun Adepoju

Posted: April 29, 2013 - 15:29

By Dotun Adepoju

Barely a day now goes by without one reading the sad news report of yet another rape atrocity  against women in Nigeria! This madness is now getting to such an extent that  even the already pathetically useless, badly trained  and incompetent Nigeria Police Force (NPF) who so happens “to be our friend” do almost little or close to nothing in prosecuting alleged suspects of rape.  They just do not have the training even on how to handle victims. The male members of the NPF who attend to rape reports, and thus victims, are so crass it is unbelievable!

One of the most annoying things one comes across in the news report is where the alleged suspects use that same old chestnut “I am sorry, it was the devil that tempted…if you let me go I will not do this again”.  These stupendous statements to one’s shock are sometimes accepted not only as mia culpa indeed but sometimes reasons for letting alleged suspects get away with it. Their release from detention is predictably and always usually after a short spell in police custody after they would have bribed their way out of prison. These shameless lunatics  – alleged suspects - sometimes often return to the same neighbourhood where their victims reside simply because they too happen to live in same place! Are the authorities in charge of managing these incidents so callous?
Nigeria’s domestic rape victims are getting younger and this often now borders on paedophilia! How on earth does one stomach the news of the raped babies and children yet undeveloped? Rape victims are also sometimes young girls – usually children of other people - brought to the city from the village as house help or maids. Why are we so unprepared to make an issue of these atrocities and cry out loud? If you are a parent reading this how would you address the issue if your child was a victim of rape? Would you be embarrassed by it or would you fight ferociously for the suspects to be brought to justice? Why do we treat the abuse of children of poor people as being inconsequential? When did you ever read in the news of the rape of Mr Big Time’s daughter in VGC, Ikoyi or some posh neighbourhood in Lekki? Why is the rape of the poor bus conductor’s daughter, house girl next door, etc so irrelevant?
It is about time Nigeria and her rulers (I am sorry I can not refer to these often-times rogues as ‘leaders’) took the issue of violence against women and their protection very seriously. In the absence of real justice for rape victims it is almost tempting to suggest that rapists should be treated as armed robbers caught in the act where instant and street justice is dealt. That would result in anarchy but where is the justice for example, for the illiterate house girl raped by oga’s best friend when  Nigeria Police say it has been ‘settled’?
Where is the justice for the little girl raped by the deluded Pentecostal preacher who claims to be healing her of evil spirit? Where is the justice for the rape of a baby by the next door neighbour in the face-to-face room type accommodation in that poor part of town? Where is the justice for the abuse of school girls fingered and interfered with by a deranged school head mistress? Where is the justice for twelve year old girl raped but still yet still beaten and tortured by her guardian for being raped as if it was her fault? Are we as Nigerians so stupendously barbaric?

 This brings me to role of our so called First Ladies or whatever these sometimes inconsequential time wasters are called at federal or State levels. If in the absence of anything tangible to do, why can’t these women take up this issue of violence against women and rape issue in Nigeria?  Do women have to be attacked, raped and sometimes killed as in often reported in India today before these currently inconsequential First Ladies (sic) get off their over-privileged narrow behinds to take up these issues?  If there is only one thing these so called First Ladies (sic) can do and achieve during their husbands’ tenure in office, it should be to address the issue of women’s health, their Rights and protection from domestic violence and more importantly the rise of rape and abuse of women in Nigeria. Yes! It happens in Nigeria and in your faces too! We can not pretend and look the other way hoping this embarrassing and dirty deed would be swept under the carpet.
Nigeria might not be a haven for peace, tranquillity, good governance and accountability but heck it must not be allowed to become the rape capital of women in Africa. A certain part of the continent holds that dubious record (go figure for yourself). Rape and abuse of women is something we must not continue to look the other way and just hope the issue would go away. Nigeria is not ‘yet’ at India’s level of reported rape and abuse of women. However the rape and abuse of our women, girls and babies must not be allowed to go unpunished. With a population of over 160 million in the country, treating and counselling rapists is of no consequence and not a priority in myriad of issues facing the country under bad and corrupt governance. Capital punishment for convicted rapists would NOT be too harsh in my books. There are many Nigerians out there who will be happy to pull the lever and watch rapists swing. Alternatively convicted rapists can volunteer themselves for chemical castration provided they pay for it themselves and is not funded by tax payers money from the State.
As a man I am really angry.  I can only imagine what and how Nigerian women feel.
Dotun Adepoju
(Dotun1uk@yahoo.com)

Man Jailed 45 years For Stealing Nigerian Governor Aregbesola’s Phone-PUNCH Newspaper

Posted: April 30, 2013 - 06:26

BY TUNDE ODESOLA, OSOGBO

For stealing a N50,000 Sony Ericsson phone belonging to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, a 31-year-old Kelvin Ighodalo has been sentenced to 45-year imprisonment by an Osogbo High Court.
Ighodalo stole the phone from the pocket of Aregbesola on November 27, 2010, when the governor was being inaugurated at Government Technical College, Osogbo.
Justice Oyejide Falola, who heard the case, found Ighodalo guilty on six counts, which included conspiracy, stealing and fraud.
He was sentenced to 10-year imprisonment for the first three counts and five years for each of the last three which included impersonation, obtaining property by falsehood and collusion.
Falola, who ruled that Ighodalo deserved the jail term, held that the convict used the phone to obtain N500, 000 from the Owa of Ilesa, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, while he obtained N200, 000 from Mr Shengen Rahman, an associate of the governor.
The jail term, which Falola pronounced will run concurrently, means that Ighodalo will spend the next 10 years behind bars.
Assistant principal state counsel, Mr Biodun Badiora, told the court that the convict had served six-year imprisonment in Ikoyi prison custody in connection with a murder case in 2005.
Counsel to Ighodalo, Mr. Ameachi Ngwu, prayed the court to commit him to community service, stressing that the convict should not be incarcerated but rather be placed where people could see him as a convict.

We Have Not Rejected APC Merger Bid, INEC Says

Posted: April 29, 2013 - 14:44

APC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied newspaper reports that it has rejected a bid by some political parties to merge into the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“This is to affirm that the reports in the Nigerian Tribune and the Daily Champion are utterly false,” the commission said today in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Kayode R. Idowu.  “The Commission has not written to stop the merger bid as APC.”
The commission explained that it only declined an application by another association seeking to register as the All Progressives Congress of Nigeria (APCN), as the acronym proposed by that association is similar to that of another which is already seeking registration, supposedly the APC.
“The Commission hereby reassures Nigerians that it will always do the right thing as a dispassionate and impartial regulator of the political process,” the statement said.

High Court Hears Case Against Toll Collection on Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge

Posted: April 29, 2013 - 14:32

By SaharaReporters, New York

The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, will on July 9 rule on the legality of tolls on the Lekki-Ikoyi suspension bridge.
The case was filed by Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa against the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government to stop the tolling.
At the hearing today, the applicant, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, represented himself, while the federal government and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) were represented by Mr. Peter Okoli of the Federal Ministry of Justice.  Lagos State was represented by the Attorney General of Lagos State, Mr Adeola Ipaye.
Adegboruwa, citing Section 4(5) of the 1999 constitution, argued that since the federal act covered navigable waterways in Nigeria, including the Lekki and Lagos Lagoons, the House of Assembly of Lagos State cannot purport to make laws on the same subject.  He therefore asked the court to declare the Lagos State law as null and void, and tolling on the bridge as illegal.
Responding on behalf of Lagos State, Mr. Ipaye contended that Section 315(1)(b) of the constitution empowers the House of Assembly of a state to modify a federal enactment.  He described the case as premature, as the government has yet to decide on tolling, and urged the court to dismiss the case based on the preliminary objection filed on behalf of Lagos State.
Replying on points of law, Adegboruwa submitted that a parliament can only modify a legislation it has lawfully enacted, and that since the NIWA Act was enacted by the National Assembly, the Lagos State House of Assembly could not claim to modify or repeal it.  He further stated further that under Section 46(1) of the 1999 constitution, no case can be said to be premature.
On his part, Mr. Peter Okoli said the federal government did not file any process in court because it supports the case of the applicant that Lagos State has no power over federal waterways.
The presiding judge, Hon Jus Seidu, adjourned the case till July 9 for ruling.

Baga, The Military And The New Media By ‘Sola Fagorusi

Posted: April 29, 2013 - 10:27

‘If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it will be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun’ - Dalai Lama XVI
Last week, the story of the bloodshed in Baga, a fishing community in Borno State rested harshly on our ears. The news darkened our demeanour. It would not be erroneous to have the national flag flown at half mast in honour of the dead. The Joint Task Force took civilians as causalities in what they claim was ‘an ambush with members of the Boko Haram sect using civilians as cover.’ It was wrong especially given the account of the survivors.
The figures are contentious and the correct figure of the dead may never be known. Wars would always be fought by people and nations. And ‘all is fair in love and in war’ goes that old saying. Of the two warring camps – one is ready to fight and die, the other is paid to fight. The Joint Task Force, JTF should throw all at this war. The new media is now a war tool. It’s understandable since the internet itself was an initial product by the military. It’s high time the JTF and Military in Nigeria also began to engage vigorously with this tool if they aren’t already doing so. The US Army understands this hence its recent release of a 52 page social media handbook for soldiers, ditto the Air Force’s 41 page document for its personnel.
The war in Iraq and Afghanistan birthed some transformative Apps compatible with smart phones. One of the apps, in addition to mapping a territory and telling where civilians pass through regularly can detect explosives and also warfare weapons. It is an extensive form of Red Alert app designed by the 13 year old Israeli- Liron Bar,
While the Israeli and Hamas war lasted, there were places where the alert siren of the Military was faint. As Hamas rocket continued to be released and vice versa, Israelis were alerted by the app and it allowed them run to the bunkers for safety. It also allowed them to limit it to a particular geography and send messages to those in areas under attack and encourage them to relocate in some instances. The Defense Military website also had information of bunker locations, underground parks and other protected spaces.
Instances of new media use abound globally that the JTF can draw from. In 2006, the U.S and Iraqi Army had successfully raided a location in Iraq – rescued a hostage, killed 16 militants and found a heavy weapon armoury. By the time they got to their base, about 40 minutes after, the images had gone viral. Except that this time, the bodies had been adjusted, the guns removed and they were placed in a pose that seemed as though they were praying in a mosque when they were attacked. It weighed negatively against the Army. Luckily, the Army had also used a new media tool – a helmet camera. It showed the true story. The JTF can also benefit from this, knowing well never to engage with the enemy without this switched on.  This would have told Baga’s true story. You win a war on the offensive. The defensive is not where you should be, which the JTF is now. Having to explain what exactly happened to people. It is not the right location in the place of war. Our Military needs to thoroughly understand that information is now controlled by everybody. The recent hacking warfare between USA and China comes to mind to underscore contemporary warfare. Imagine if the people of Baga or members of the Boko Haram sect had managed to get out pictures of the women and children killed, the outrage would be worse and other operations may be compromised.
Remember the Navy Seal’s capture of Osama and the tweets by Sohaib Athar? If the operation had taken longer, it would not have taken long for Al-Qaeda to be in the know and storm that Abottabab resident in retaliation given information from the tweets. During the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah War in Lebanon, Hezbollah used the social media to quickly and consistently report the number and location of Israeli casualties faster. This had a negative effect on Israeli public perception. The military formation in Nigeria has the new media to use so that it is consistently perceived as giving the real information on the insurgency. The physical war should be waged alongside the psychological war and this can be in form of new media information flow.  A General explains– ‘... speed is of the utmost importance. The first story out tends to get repeated across multiple platforms and, the longer an adversary’s version of events is allowed to go unanswered, the more truthfulness it accrues in the eyes of many audiences.’ Same way you can’t trust guns to shoot the right people all the time is the same way all you see on new media is not true but then, if the enemy is engaging with it, why not you?
What the JTF should do is to share information as quick as they happen. Send mails to reporters, bloggers, social influencers and declassify images with caveats, if need be, so that they have an edge. The JTF should allow soldiers tell their own stories through video posts and interviews where necessary. All that needs to be done is to have social media engagement rules for them. The JTF would do well to read all the social media commentaries and comments on this Baga misadventure. It may learn a thing or two.
When the Israeli Defence Force killed Ahmad al-Jabari of Hamas, twitter was its choice of breaking the news. The video of marines urinating on corpses of alleged Taliban fighters in 2010 which caused massive condemnation was also birthed by the new media. It is one of the misuses by Soldiers. Social media is rewriting the rules of modern warfare. Families of soldiers will forever be grateful to new media as it allows them to easily reach their loved ones at the war front through Skype, Viber, instant messenger etc. If you can trust a Soldier with a gun, then you should be able to trust him with smart phones and gadgets as well. They only need engagement rules.
As a caveat, new media is definitely not all there is to finding a solution. It is just a useful part. My heart goes out to the people of Baga and to families of Soldiers who have lost their loved ones.
@SolaFagro on Twitter

Before We ‘Port’ To APC: Are Tinubu And Buhari Really Ready?

Posted: April 29, 2013 - 10:20

By Adekoya Boladale

Before Monday last week Nigeria mobile subscribers have been in captive of telecom operators. It is a slavery to be hooked to a non-performing, fraudulent and carefree company with no alternative to switch side without losing contact with friends and family. So you can imagine the joy and sigh of relief on the faces of these helpless subscribers when the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) rolled out the Mobile Number Portability exercise; a system that gives subscribers the opportunity to switch between telecom operators without losing the widely known-with mobile number.
If these telecom operators have kept subscribers in captive then Nigerians are in nothing short of hell. The country is presently been led by a political party that has failed in all ramification. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been running the administrative and structural affairs of this country for fourteen years and the only significant thing they have achieved so far is the revamping of the telecom industry which is even rumored to have been kick started by the Late Gen. Sani Abacha’s regime, other than this the nation has been thrown into perpetual corruption, maladministration, dictatorship, insecurity, deceit, aggressive hunger, betrayal and numerous loans. To say the least, PDP murdered that infant baby called Nigeria right from birth.
Like the telecom industry Nigerians deserve the right to ‘Port’ to a better, people oriented, creative, sincere and visionary political party. It is high time the country gain freedom from the captive of the mighty. However, the big question is to which political party? It is certain that come 2015 the Peoples Democratic Party will be widely denounced by change seeking Nigerians who can’t wait to enjoy good governance and development but which political party posses the qualities that Nigerians long for?
A fortnight ago the former Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) concretized the move to merge with other opposition parties to form All Progressive Congress (APC), a move which was widely supported by all members present at the national convention. During this period the party made available the manifesto of the new political party which they (merged political parties) believe would solve the manias in the country.
Obviously the most reasonable alternative party presently is the All Progressive Congress (APC), I understand some Nigerians feel the need to have a political party free from politrickers and opportunists, a party solemnly formed and funded by ordinary Nigerians who have no hidden or personal agenda whatsoever, however the present political structure of the country coupled with the political orientation and level of public awareness of vast majority of Nigeria electorates will make this impossible at this point in time. However, the All Progressive Congress really needs to put its house in order. Its decision in the next few months will determine if truly it has what it takes to deliver Nigerians from these shackles of slavery.
The attempt to renegotiate the oil deals is a laudable plan but this brings to mind the question of to whose ends would the renegotiation favour? Ordinary Nigerians and oil producing communities or the new breed of sycophants and rogues that my end up dominating the villa? The plan to also investigate the oil revenues and past political office holders is well thought of but is the party truly ready to face the challenges of combing corruption which requires that no sacred cow be left untouched? Would the party be ready to prosecute ex-governors, senators and honourables who have contributed immensely to the sour situation of the country even when these people are founding members of the party? Is the party ready to put the likes of Tinubu, Okorocha, Amosun, among others on the stand if need be?
Nigerians have been promised white elephant for so long that we easily realize when such lies are been told. Am not disputing the ability of APC to perform, that would be like condemning the masquerade before it get the chance to dance but I strongly believe Nigerians are tired of sweet and cheap talks channeled only to winning voters sentiments and emotional. If truly APC is ready to be the vehicle of change for Nigeria then we require a party that will opens its arms to welcome ideas and inputs from the people especially the youths, and not one that claims to be constructing a merger committee without the presence of the ‘future generation’. The party also has to take into cognizance the importance of the female gender as a resourceful and core element in nations building rather than the usual role of augmenting political formation and political gender equality gospel.
Above all, the most germane tasks of the party is ensuring an open and democratic presentation of a truthful, brilliant, courageous, dogmatic and God fearing individual to bear the party’s flag in 2015 and not just some handpicked scholars who lacks absolute knowledge about leadership. Nigerians can no longer take the nonchalant attitude of an acclaimed president to multiple civil genocides. The pills of hunger and unemployment shoved down our throat can no longer be accepted. What we require is a listener and a performer rather than an ‘I-don’t-give-a-damn’ leader.
On a last note, Mr. Tinubu and General Buhari should be aware that this time around it is no longer a Bourdillion or Daura affair which the world gives little attention to how it goes down. The situation at hand is long pass a beer parlour selection and negotiation mode, Nigerians are watching with keen interest if truly the APC is what it preaches.
Adekoya Boladale is a political scientist and wrote via adekoyaboladale@gmail.com
Twitter: @adekoyabee

Fraud Perpetrated By Mobile Service Providers In Nigeria

Posted: April 29, 2013 - 10:36

By Ibrahim Akosile

                                            

This piece is aimed at alerting Nigerian to fraud being perpetrated by mobile service provider in Nigeria. I had subscribed to Airtel’s daily internet package which is expected to provide me access to the internet for a day on my mobile phone. After paying the sum of four hundred naira, the advertised cost of the service, no such service was provided. Several calls to customer service did not go through.
Having heard many people spoken in favour of Etisalat service, I subscribed to their weekly 50MB data pack at the cost of five hundred naira; I had hardly browsed for ten minutes when I discovered that the internet service was disconnected. I later found out, when I checked my balance that the credit had burnt out. I subscribed to another weekly 50MB data pack only to have similar experience. Call to customer service gets terminated once you request to speak with customer service representation.
Irritated and frustrated, I decided that I am not going to suffer in silence hence, crying out publicly through this medium to alert people.

Why I Blame Nigeria Technocrats For Nigeria Woes By Paul Omoruyi

Posted: April 29, 2013 - 10:42

By Paul Omoruyi

I could not help but concur with a friend who told me recently that “Nigeria market women and day laborers are contributing more to the development of Nigeria than the PhDs and college graduates”. Think about it.
In the last couple of months, I have been invited to join several fora where some of the best and brightest Nigerians with great minds deliberate, debate and engage in intellectual discourse. Candidly, sometimes I feel I am not knowledgeable enough to be in some of those fora because of the degree of intellectual competence and insightful analysis demonstrated by the members.
Indubitably, Nigeria has been blessed with some of the finest minds in the black race. Some years ago, it was reported that the Yorubas are the most intelligent people among the black race. Whether you disagree or agree to that claim is another subject for discussion. But it gladdens me that Nigerians (whether Edos, Yorubas, Hausas, Igbos or any other Nigerian tribe) were considered as the smartest people among the black race. I see some of these amazingly smart Nigerians doing great things as Medical Directors, multi-million dollar Project Managers, Senior Engineers, Legal Advisers, Financial Advisers, and Political Advisers all over the world.
But truth be told, Nigeria today is like a nation of unintelligent people who lack the capacity for creative thoughts to change their sordid and dysfunctional society. The question is what happened to all these intelligent and “good” Nigerian people that they cannot come up with a decisive and transformational strategy to move the country forward?
I have been pondering on this question lately and discussing it with my fellow compatriots. Although my findings are not new but a reminder that we as a people need to go back to the drawing board and re-calibrate the governance parameters we defined years ago.
My teenage experience is a quintessence of most young Nigerians. When we gained admission to the university, our parents told most of us not to join the “Student Union Government” because they are bad boys there. All of them are mostly cultist. “They will kill you if you join them ooo; I no get pikin wey dem go kill”, my mom will yell.
My mother’s sentiment is what most of us grew up to hear and see in Nigeria politics and political process. We were warned by family members and even our teachers that “politics in Nigeria is a dirty game and a do-or-die affair. It is for thugs and not for the intelligent ones.” Nigerians are all too familiar with that cliché.
In those early years while our world views were being formed, we heard stories of our neighbors whose parents studied Abroad. When they returned to Nigeria to work and participate in “building Nigeria”, they were either killed or frustrated by Nigerians because they refused to join them in perpetuating corruption, malfeasance and sleazy deals. It is hard, very hard indeed to get those stories out of one’s head. They still reverberate today.
Visiting Benin City some years ago, during the former Governor of Edo State administration, I went to Ring Road (center of the commercial city). I noticed group of thug-looking middle-aged men indiscriminately whipping traders, kicking them in such a dehumanizing way.  Majority of the traders were women. Some of the women had babies on their backs. I just could not take the sight of the abuse; I brought out my head from the car to ask them why they would be whipping women with babies on their back.
My relative quickly covered my mouth, told me to get my head back inside the car and said “you wan kill us?” I asked her why she said that. She said those are “Bob Izua boys oo”. Who is Bob Izua? I asked inquisitively. They narrated stories of him and the amount of control he has over the government and people of the city.  When I inquired more about his background, I could not believe this was someone who cannot even make a complete sentence. However, he’s extremely rich through the Nigerian factor and controls a large part of the city’s transportation business. Only in Nigeria!
The story is not unique to that in Benin. All over Nigeria, we are controlled and ruled by some of the most docile minds you can ever come across because the intelligent ones refused to get involved and take over the affairs of running the nation. So I blame Nigeria technocrats who complain daily about the entropy and rot in the country but do nothing to get involved and change the status quo.
The more I see the downward spiral of the Nigerian state, the more I find prowess to get over the trepidation and apprehension of my mother. Should we continue to complain about thugs and feeble minds parading themselves as rulers or leaders in Nigeria or should we get involve and change things? This is a dilemma that many good, intelligent, technocratic and well meaning Nigerians grapple with everyday.
No nation of the world has progressed and developed when insipid, stale and visionless minds inundate the entire system of governance. Not until the technocrats took over Brazil, Russia, India, China, Singapore and Malaysia that those countries witnessed growth and development. Just less than a decade ago, these countries were still called third world countries on same par with Nigeria. But today, they are flourishing with productive and educated workforce because of the policies and reforms executed by technocrats.
Many Nigerian technocrats have jobs, legitimate businesses, political and non-political positions that provide them and their families decent middle-class living. So why get involve with the semi-literates and illiterates death-squad thugs that run the daily politics? This argument has been made but does no longer hold water if Nigeria must move forward.
Nigeria Technocrats need a new strategy and ideas to re-configure the current socio-political and economic landscape in the country. This is not about getting a large sum of money from a godfather sponsor to run for a political office. There is no new idea in that strategy. It is about using knowledge and modern thoughts that the old dogs lack to mesmerize them; thereby subtly and systemically wresting power out of them without gun shots. Think of Obama’s Community Leadership strategy that pulled the rug from under the feet of the Republicans. Before they could say Jose, he became the president and started fixing the damage done by the Republicans policies that brought economic woes to America.
Candidly, we never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, we need to build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.
Nigerians are all too familiar with the guns and bullets approach. That approach is the path of least resistance. A new knowledge-based paradigm shift is the way to go. I have seen the knowledge-mesmerizing approach work when the thieving Nigeria politicians get to the Western World with their stolen wealth. They become like the proverbial “chicken” begging for explanation for everything. They shiver at the thoughts of speaking with an American just to hide their ignorance. Look at most interviews where a Nigerian politician had to speak with a foreign news network. You will see the lack of exposure on display - Christiane Amanpour Vs. Goodluck Jonathan might be a good place to start.
To save Nigeria, the skilled professionals, technocrats, knowledge-based state actors with the “interest of Nigeria at heart” would have to rise up and take over the affairs of the nation.  Notice in the preceding sentence that “interest of Nigeria at heart” is in quote? Anyone with his country’s interest at heart will not siphon his country’s wealth and take it abroad to buy houses and keep it in their banks to develop those countries. Anyone with his country’s interest at heart will develop his country and people because of the future of their children and children children’s future.
Let me end this by re-iterating Edmund Burke “that when bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle”. All that is necessary for evil men to triumph is for good men do nothing. God bless Nigerians and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Richard Branson on the Importance of Creative Thinking

BY RICHARD BRANSON 

Image credit: Nicole Maloney from the RARE collection

Editor's Note: Entrepreneur Richard Branson regularly shares his business experience and advice with readers. Ask him a question and your query might be the inspiration for a future column.

Q: Do you feel that your personal traits and behaviors play a key part in your continuing success as an entrepreneur?
-- Clare, Entrepreneur reader

Every successful entrepreneur’s story is different, because when you build a company from the ground up, its culture and purpose usually reflects your personality and principles. That may be why the Virgin Group is so diverse, with so many businesses in so many different industries: I’ve always been a lifelong learner, interested in discovering how things work, and the people I work with tend to be similar.

I’m extremely fortunate in that I am able to occasionally host gatherings on Necker Island, bringing in innovative thinkers to help us expand our horizons. The discussions are wide-ranging, covering a variety of topics -- most people would be surprised at just how broad the parameters are. Just recently, with our not-for-profit foundation, Virgin Unite, we hosted a group of scientists from the University of Oxford. Led by Ian Goldin, who heads the Oxford Martin School, the researchers shared their thoughts on ways to manage the increasing human population and the resulting impact on the planet’s resources, despite the current lack of political leadership on both issues.

The importance of biodiversity isn’t a topic that would appear to have immediate applicability in the business world, but we were all fascinated. The researchers’ work focuses on mapping biodiversity and ecosystem services, from entire landscapes down to individual species. Their goal is to create effective technological tools to identify species and evaluate conservation locations. Kathy Willis, who is director of the Biodiversity Institute at Oxford, told us about their remarkable land mapping project, which will help businesses and other organizations to make more informed decisions about land use.

These may seem like lofty concepts, but this discussion got us thinking about how companies will need to adopt practices like land mapping if they are going to thrive in the coming years. Consumers are becoming increasingly frustrated with corporations that are only out for themselves, rather than helping their communities and the planet. Our group and other companies are going to need to know the answers to such questions as: Where is the most suitable and sustainable location to position our new factory? What impact will our new offices have on the surrounding ecosystem?

Everyone was energized by this challenge of envisioning and creating a sustainable future -- after all, who doesn’t have a vested interest in finding a solution? This is an area we are going to continue to explore, tackling the problems together. And as I was listening to the researchers and my team, I was reminded that learning is not just a luxury, but integral to the growth of our group and the health of our company.

If you are trying to grow a diverse, creative team, you don't need to bring your employees to the Caribbean to keep them learning. Invite guest speakers to your office. Go to events focusing on topics that are not strictly related to your industry and bring some of your employees along. Watch a few of the many incredible TED talks online. Remember, one of the best ways to learn is by taking your team members out of their comfort zone and embracing new ideas -- and you’ll see results. Focusing on a topic out of the norm can bring renewed vigor to everyday activities.

One of the results of this and other discussions on the topic of sustainability is that we are looking at ways to better account for the impacts our activities are having on the natural resources on which we rely. We’ve decided that we want our company to be around for a long time -- 100, 200, 500 years or more. That will only be possible if we build on the insight that doing good for our environment is good for business.

Our approach to growth won't work for everyone. As I've written before, if you want to be an entrepreneur, you should always build on your strengths and pursue ideas that interest you. While my talents and traits are certainly helping me with my work at Virgin, your own talents, goals and aspirations are likely quite different -- and will play a key part in your success too.

How Positive Thinking Can Make You a Better Problem Solver

BY JOE ROBINSON |

Professor of positivity: Barbara Fredrickson.

Image credit: David Lang

Bouncing back: Punching bags are good at it; humans, less so. A growing body of evidence, though, suggests you can ward off tailspins by building up your reserves of the best antidote to adversity: positive emotions, the hidden engine of resilience.

"We call it the 'undo effect,'" says Barbara Fredrickson, author of Positivity and a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, whose research has upended our understanding of a group of emotions that were once considered trifling but are now seen as central to persistence, innovation and success.

"Positive emotions help speed recovery from negative emotions," Fredrickson says. "When people are able to self-generate a positive emotion or perspective, that enables them to bounce back. It's not just that you bounce back and then you feel good--feeling good drives the process."

Negative emotions undermine the brain's capacity to think broadly and find creative solutions. The vise grip of fear and stress and the emotions they generate--anger, blame, panic, resentment, shame--limit thought to a narrow field that obscures options. In a work environment, negativity causes teams to lose flexibility and the ability to be curious.

"Losses loom larger than gains," Fredrickson explains. "Our mind is drawn into this mental time travel, and we're obsessing about something negative that happened in the past or we're worrying about what will happen in the future."

She has determined that you can reframe adversity and be more effective every day by countering negative loops with a buried resource--the well of joy, hope, amusement, gratitude, interest, appreciation, awe and other buoyant emotions we can call on as needed. These low-key assets have the power to calm blood pressure and operate as a kind of reset button for stress-addled minds and bodies.

In one of her studies, test subjects whose anxiety was driven sky-high by an impending public speech were able to reverse negative cardiovascular effects in less than a minute by viewing relaxing imagery. They were shown a tranquil film clip of ocean waves, a puppy playing, a sad film or a neutral screen saver depicting an abstract display of lines. Sensors tracking heart rate, blood pressure and artery constriction showed that those watching the seemingly positive imagery recovered the fastest. Another study, this one based on daily reports of positive and negative emotions, found that the more positive emotions people experienced, the more their resilience levels grew, enabling them to let go of negative events faster.

A report Fredrickson co-wrote on bouncing back from business failures ("Beyond hubris: How highly confident entrepreneurs rebound to venture again") suggests that the resources generated by positive emotions can help people overcome setbacks and start new ventures. In fact, the report contends, positive emotions have been shown to help businesspeople negotiate better, improve decision-making, boost creativity and drive high-performance behavior.

"Positive emotions expand awareness and attention," Fredrickson says, which is critical for anyone looking for an opportunity or trying to solve a problem. "When you're able to take in more information, the peripheral vision field is expanded. You're able to connect the dots to the bigger picture. Instead of remembering just the most central event, you remember that and the peripheral aspects, too."

Working with mathematician Marcial Losada, Fredrickson has discovered a tipping point of positive-to-negative emotions that spells the difference between flourishing and floundering. "It seems like we need at least three positive emotions to open and lift us up to counter every single negative emotion that drags us down," she says. "The good news is that the positive emotions don't need to be intense or profound. They can be rather mild. They just need to be frequent."

One of the easiest ways to combat the negative tide is through appreciation or gratitude. Fredrickson advises asking yourself what in your current situation you could be treasuring that you're not. Connecting with someone over a shared interest or amusement is another superb way to shift out of the negative frame. Or step back when you've hit a wall and take a break. Bring some music into your day.

The three-to-one ratio isn't something you need to meet every hour or day, but over time, if you're making deposits to your positivity bank, you get a big dividend. "There's really solid evidence that the positive emotions you feel today predict tomorrow's and next week's and next month's success, health and quality relationships," Fredrickson says, "because they build your resources and resilience."

Czech building explosion hurts dozens

Powerful blast in Prague damages buildings and blows out windows of neighbouring establishments.

A Prague fire department spokeswoman said there were no reports of deaths in the explosion [Reuters]

A powerful blast in the Czech capital, Prague, has injured dozens of people and possibly trapped many others inside a building damaged by the blast, emergency officials said. Monday's incident, which appeared to have been caused by a natural gas explosion, tore through a building near the National Theatre and blew out windows in neighbouring establishments, said Tomas Hulan, a police spokesman. "A gas blast seems to be the most likely cause. The explosion was rather massive and damaged windows in several streets," Hulan said. Up to 40 people were injured, according to Zdenek Schwarz, head of the rescue service in Prague. A Reuters witness at the site said about a dozen people were being treated by emergency services. Talking to Al Jazeera, Frantiske Bouc, business editor of the Lidove Noviny newspaper said people were "scared and shocked", adding that Prague "is not used to explosions". It was not clear how many people were  trapped in the building. "There is an unknown number of injured and trapped people," said Jirina Fikejzova, Prague emergency services spokeswoman. The street was covered with rubble and sealed off by police who also evacuated people from nearby buildings and closed a wide area around the explosion site. Witnesses said the blast blew out windows in Prague's landmark Cafe Slavia, and was heard as far as Prague Castle about 1.6km away across the Vltava river. Czech media quoted witnesses as saying they could smell gas in the street

Blue, Green, Gold? How to Manage Employees Based on their "Color" Temperaments

BY ANDREA HUSPENI 

Managing employees can be a tall task for any entrepreneur. But it can be particularly tough for young or first-time entrepreneurs. For these novice bosses, learning how to manage takes plenty of patience, lots of practice and a quick lesson on primary colors.

In the book Colour Savvy, authors Susan Geary and Anne Bulstrode, examine the four main temperaments people possess: Inquiring Green, Resourceful Orange, Organized Gold and Authentic Blue. They also offer up ideas on how best to deal with their strengths and weaknesses.

While hardly a be-all-end-all criterion, determining an individual’s "color," or temperament, can help newbie entrepreneurs discover an employee's particular preferences and ideal work settings -- which could in the end, lead to a more productive environment.

Below is the lowdown on the temperament traits, the best way to interact, and in what positions these people may be a good fit:

Inquiring Green

Mark Zuckerberg

Image credit: James Martin/CNET

Traits: Inquiring Greens are known for being independent and prefer to do things their way. With a bit of a stubborn streak, these individuals are not keen on people telling them what to do and favor facts and dates over abstract information. Also, these folks tend to look towards the future and focus less on the present and past.Entrepreneurs Fitting the Inquiring Green Temperament: Jack Dorsey, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs

Dealing with Greens: With their take charge personalities, they tend to chafe at micromanaging. When discussing issues with Inquiring Greens don’t be afraid to stand your ground, exert your arguments confidently and make sure your case is presented in a no-nonsense, logical way.

What position Greens may thrive in: Inquiring Greens focus on the big picture, leaving details in the dust. They are strategic thinkers and are often seen as visionaries. While they may be able to pave the way for your startup, they can come off as a bit antisocial and impatient. Positions in which Greens may excel include managerial roles, founders and marketing.

Resourceful Orange

Richard Branson

Image credit: twitter.com/richardbranson

Entrepreneurs Fitting the Resourceful Orange Temperament: Richard Branson, Marc Benioff, Herb Kelleher

Traits: Resourceful Oranges are on the squirrely side. They have difficulty standing still, tend to be impulsive and make hasty decisions. Their zealous temperament excels in a constantly changing environment.

What position Oranges may thrive in: Because Resourceful Oranges can flourish in unstable environments and aren’t tied down in their ways, they are considered the most adaptable among the four temperaments. They tend to thrive when deadlines need to be met and multitasking is required. Grab a Resourceful Orange, when problems arise, as they are apt to take control of situations, stay calm, and tend to be charming. Positions Oranges may enjoy: sales, PR, crisis management

Organized Gold

Marissa Mayer

Entrepreneurs Fitting the Organized Gold Temperament: Marissa Mayer, Sheryl Sandberg

Traits: These people tend to prefer structure where responsibilities are presented to them in a clear cut format. While Organized Gold can take direction well and can be easy to manage, they do have difficulty with change. They thrive in routine environment and may find it challenging to stay relaxed when different situations arise. Organized Golds can oftentimes be labeled as overprotective and are known to be workaholics.

Dealing with Golds: When confronting Organized Golds, present your argument in a logical, easy-to-understand format. Make sure you make Golds feel like they are part of the team. Also, be prepared for that employee to be quick to provide critiques for you, too.

What positions Organized Golds may thrive in: They enjoy being social and like the sense of community, making them a great team player. And, as the name suggests, these people are great organizers and priority setters.  Positions Golds may enjoy: HR, managerial roles, developer, engineer

Authentic Blue

Oprah

Image credit: msdramatv.com

Entrepreneurs Fitting the Authentic Blue Temperament: Oprah, Howard Schultz, Chad Hurley

Traits: Authentic Blues are very much in touch with who they are and are known to look for the meaning in everything. While this temperament lends itself to being a natural communicator, these people may also be overly sensitive and may not take criticism well.

Dealing with Blues: Authentic Blues handle confrontation best when you look to the future and provide specific, personal stories for context when trying to get your point across. Also, just like with other temperaments, it is important to listen to these individuals when they voice their concerns.

What positions Authentic Blues may thrive in: People possessing this temperament are great at communicating their needs and can be known for their storytelling skills. Positions Authentic Blues may enjoy: PR, marketing,

What management lessons would you offer to startup or young entrepreneurs? Let us know in the comments section.

Israel points finger at Iran over drone from Lebanon

Israel believes that Iran's Revolutionary Guard was responsible for the unmanned drone launched from Lebanon that was shot down in Israeli airspace on Thursday.

An Israeli navy vessel and helicopter search for the wreckage of the drone shot down by the air force  Photo: AP

Phoebe Greenwood, Gaza City

The United States has urged Israel to demonstrate restraint in its response to the alleged incursion, according to Lebanese media reports.

"The Israeli military command doesn't treat drones launched from Lebanon lightly, since their goal may be not only taking pictures, but also an assassination of senior officials, military or political," an unnamed Western diplomat is quoted in Nahar newspaper.

The Israeli prime minister was flying across northern Israel when the drone was spotted above the sea on Thursday, 10km west of the port city Haifa. Mr Netanyahu's helicopter was forced to land and was grounded until the Israeli Air Force had secured Israeli air space.

Initial media reports presumed the drone had been launched by Hizbollah. In October last year, the Lebanese militant group has claimed as a great victory their successful piloting of an unmanned drone in the skies above the Israeli Negev for more than half an hour before it was downed, several miles from Israel's Soreq nuclear facility. In fact, the Israeli military had stated only that an unmanned aircraft had been launched "from Lebanon".

Iran's involvement in this cross-border incident, and Washington's pleas for restraint, may explain Benjamin Netanyahu's failure to threaten retaliation for the incursion. The Israeli prime minister said only that he has taken "the attempt to breach our borders very seriously".

According to Syrian rebels and Israeli intelligence, Tehran has poured Revolutionary Guard soldiers into Syria and Lebanon to support its Shiite allies. The Iranian fighters, thought to include several senior commanders, have been tasked with arming and training Syrian soldiers in sophisticated weaponry, such as short and long range missiles, and upgrading Hizbollah's drone capabilities. Arab media outlets have reported that Iran transfers five tonnes of weaponry into Syria every week.

But while drone flights over Israel may be provocative, it is Bashar al-Assad's vast cache of chemical weapons in Syria that are of urgent concern to both Israel and the US. Barak Obama warned the Assad regime on Friday that proof it had used chemical weapons against its people would be a 'game-changer'.

"Israel has laid down a clear red line that if strategic weapons are moved, it will take action. Otherwise it is sticking by the international understanding that there is almost nothing Israel can do that will make the situation better. There is no great appetite in Israel to do anything," a diplomat told The Daily Telegraph.