Some things here in Nairaland are really strange.
Someone (maybe Seun) is responsible for allowing topics to make the front page or simply pushing topics to the front page. I wonder what the objective and motive of such person is!
Just a few questions:
1.How come several topics that cast aspersions on christian leaders always make the front page? Are they the political leaders who have brought untold hardship and woes upon our dear nation?
2. Why are we not seeing topics on Islamic leaders (maybe accusing them of not restraining the excesses of their members eg BH in the north or why are some receiving funds from Al-kaida)?
3.When topics on BBA (that tear down our moral fabric as African because of the tacit promotion of flirting and immorality) are being discussed, how come these same people who eagerly castigate christian leaders have nothing to say against BBA? Come to think of it, which responsible person delights in watching other people taking their shower?

I think it is clear that christian ministers are men of God and not God of men; and as men, they are fallible. But even if they fall, God has an ordained way of disciplining them and straightening them out, and I know that destructive criticisms and peddling of hatred on Nairaland is NOT one of such ways.
Peace be upon us all!

We have just learnt that Ibori has been sentenced to 13years imprisonment in Britain; he shall effectively spend 7years in prison. So we expect him back in Nigeria in 2019.
This is how I suspect he will be received on his return:
* A cultural group will be at the airport to receive him;
* In his first statement, Ibori will claim that he was victimised by detractors;
* A fully-packed thanksgiving service will be organised for his honour where the "man of God" will extol the "sterling" qualities of an illustrious son like Ibori;
* Ibori will vow to deliver Delta State to the PDP in the 2019 elections;
* PDP will immediately start lobbying for a state pardon for Ibori!

So, what do you think will happen when he finally returns after his jail term?

There has been so much clamoring from the government and her agents that the removal of fuel subsidy is long overdue. I would like us to review their reasons and see the wisdom or folly therein; below are their justifications:
1. A cartel profits from it: If the federal government knows of the existence of a cartel that is milking away the subsidy and cannot take measures to stop them or put controls in place to mitigate such leakages, then the federal government has failed. Many allude to the fact that the cabal is very powerful; but there is only one Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria! The president should wield this power given to him by the constitution; Obasanjo, in all his errors, was a C-in-C indeed. Why punish the generality of Nigerians to stop a small cartel?
2. Nigeria is subsidizing almost the whole of West Africa Fuel: They say that since our fuel is always being smuggled out of Nigeria, we are wasting our subsidy on other nations. This is laughable because fuel is not being smuggled out of Nigeria, it is being “SHIPPED” out of Nigeria! I worked at Maiduguri for a while and I know that people use tankers to ship fuel out of Nigeria; that is not smuggling but shipping. But here is the question: whose duty is it to stop this smuggling, sorry shipping? Why should the govt use the excuse of its failure as justification to remove subsidy.
3. Fuel is comparably too cheap in Nigeria: Well, this depends on which country we are comparing Nigeria with (we must also compare the minimum wage in those countries and their per capital income with Nigeria). If we are to compare Nigeria with any country, it should be an OPEC or some other major oil producing nation. Is there any OPEC nation that imports refined fuel? Is there any OPEC nation whose refineries are comatose? How much do these OPEC nations sell fuel to their citizens?
4. It will free up money for infrastructural development: What has happened to all the monies budgeted for infrastructural development in the past? What about the monies that had been freed up in the past when subsidy was reduced? The Lagos-Ore-Benin road has been in a sorry state for more than a decade and there have been budgets year after year for road maintenance and construction. By the way, since Diezalen Allison Madueke wept on that road and said “The Fed Govt owes Nigerians an apology”, it has been almost 5 years now and the road has even grown worse.
5. The subsidy removed will be used to provide cushioning measures to the masses so that the effect will not be felt: Question (maybe to Lagosians): Is there any way you will beautify a road that will make the bus driver not to increase his fare if fuel is increased from 65 naira to 142 naira? After such increase in transport cost, what do you think the food stuff sellers and landlords will do? I do not think any cushioning measure exists that will prevent the bus driver that plies Ikotun to CMS not to increase his fare from 500 naira to 1000 naira id fuel is increased from 65 naira to 142 naira.
My conclusion is that the govt must never punish its citizenry to make up for its inefficiencies; if our leaders need to go take a refresher course from Venezuela or some other similar OPEC countries, then so be it.
Suggestions
• Fix our refineries and build new ones, preferably in partnership with the private sector on a BOT scheme. Added to the above, a better alternative in building refineries will be a PPP (private - public partnership); this will definitely reduce the start up costs for the investors and will go a long way in keeping down the prices of the finished products.
• Effectively police our borders to curtail the shipping of our refined products to neighbouring countries. The fed govt could even enter into agreement with those countries such that we supply them fuel officially at an agreed price (Gaius Obaseki started something like that).
• Cut the wings of all such cartels, if at all they exist.

Added to the above, a better alternative in building refineries will be a PPP (private - public partnership); this will definitely reduce the start up costs for the investors and will go a long way in keeping down the prices of the finished products.

There has been so much clamoring from the government and her agents that the removal of fuel subsidy is long overdue. I would like us to review their reasons and see the wisdom or folly therein; below are their justifications:
1. A cartel profits from it: If the federal government knows of the existence of a cartel that is milking away the subsidy and cannot take measures to stop them or put controls in place to mitigate such leakages, then the federal government has failed. Many allude to the fact that the cabal is very powerful; but there is only one Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria! The president should wield this power given to him by the constitution; Obasanjo, in all his errors, was a C-in-C indeed. Why punish the generality of Nigerians to stop a small cartel?
2. Nigeria is subsidizing almost the whole of West Africa Fuel: They say that since our fuel is always being smuggled out of Nigeria, we are wasting our subsidy on other nations. This is laughable because fuel is not being smuggled out of Nigeria, it is being “SHIPPED” out of Nigeria! I worked at Maiduguri for a while and I know that people use tankers to ship fuel out of Nigeria; that is not smuggling but shipping. But here is the question: whose duty is it to stop this smuggling, sorry shipping? Why should the govt use the excuse of its failure as justification to remove subsidy.
3. Fuel is comparably too cheap in Nigeria: Well, this depends on which country we are comparing Nigeria with (we must also compare the minimum wage in those countries and their per capital income with Nigeria). If we are to compare Nigeria with any country, it should be an OPEC or some other major oil producing nation. Is there any OPEC nation that imports refined fuel? Is there any OPEC nation whose refineries are comatose? How much do these OPEC nations sell fuel to their citizens?
4. It will free up money for infrastructural development: What has happened to all the monies budgeted for infrastructural development in the past? What about the monies that had been freed up in the past when subsidy was reduced? The Lagos-Ore-Benin road has been in a sorry state for more than a decade and there have been budgets year after year for road maintenance and construction. By the way, since Diezalen Allison Madueke wept on that road and said “The Fed Govt owes Nigerians an apology”, it has been almost 5 years now and the road has even grown worse.
5. The subsidy removed will be used to provide cushioning measures to the masses so that the effect will not be felt: Question (maybe to Lagosians): Is there any way you will beautify a road that will make the bus driver not to increase his fare if fuel is increased from 65 naira to 142 naira? After such increase in transport cost, what do you think the food stuff sellers and landlords will do? I do not think any cushioning measure exists that will prevent the bus driver that plies Ikotun to CMS not to increase his fare from 500 naira to 1000 naira id fuel is increased from 65 naira to 142 naira.
My conclusion is that the govt must never punish its citizenry to make up for its inefficiencies; if our leaders need to go take a refresher course from Venezuela or some other similar OPEC countries, then so be it.
Suggestions
• Fix our refineries and build new ones, preferably in partnership with the private sector on a BOT scheme.
• Effectively police our borders to curtail the shipping of our refined products to neighbouring countries. The fed govt could even enter into agreement with those countries such that we supply them fuel officially at an agreed price (Gaius Obaseki started something like that).
• Cut the wings of all such cartels, if at all they exist.

What can Nigeria Broadcasting Commission learn from this with all the effects of[b] Project Fame, Maltina Dance Halls, West Africa Idol etc? [/b] [i][/i]Could this be the reason for the mass failures in SSCE, GCE, NECO JAMB etc when one considers the huge number of people that troop to these auditions?

Let us have your thoughts, personal observations and opinions on this issue.

China will limit the number of entertainment programs allowed to air on television, from match-making game shows to dance broadcasts, and push to replace them with morality-building programing, Chinese media reported on Tuesday.

China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television starting next year will restrict shows that "record the dark and gloomy side of society," the Southern Metropolis Daily said.

"For every satellite TV station, no more than two entertainment programs can be aired during prime time from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. every night," the paper said, citing a directive from the national broadcasting watchdog.

Instead, the newspaper said, the extra time slots would be filled with programs that "promote harmony, health and mainstream culture."

The official Xinhua news agency said the directive aimed to guard against "excessive entertainment" by restricting game shows, talk shows, talents shows, and reality shows, among other types of programing.

At least two hours of news would have to be broadcast during the last six hours of the day on 34 stations, Xinhua said.

A notice of the announcement was not available on the agency's website and telephone calls by Reuters went unanswered.

Chinese media reported in September that the watchdog had asked provincial television stations to limit certain types of broadcasts and boost production of shows about housekeeping and ethics, but the industry was waiting for formal notification.

In September, the agency ordered a popular television talent show akin to American Idol, Super Girl, off the air for a year after it exceeded broadcasting time limits. It has also recently reiterated its ban on sex-related television and radio advertisements, such as ads for breast enlargement surgery.

China routinely censors anything it considers politically sensitive or offensive, from songs to films, in contrast to the patriotic fare of state broadcasters.




What can Nigeria Broadcasting Commission learn from this with all the effects of Project Fame, Maltina Dance Halls, West Africa Idol etc? Could this be the reason for the mass failures in SSCE, GCE, NECO JAMB etc when one considers the huge number of people that troop to these auditions?[/b][b]

@ KX: Do you really thing that the 'odeeshi" of a Nigerian politician will expire and he will not have a fall back plan?
I am deeply surprised that Ghadaffi that does not give a damn about the lives of fellow citizens would not use diabolical protection from his African brothers.
I guess death catches up with every one!

If this guy had been a Nigerian Head of State or President:
1. His "Odeeshi" from the Bakassi Boys would have bounced back all the bullets from the insurgents
2. His "Disappearing Amulets" from the Egbesu Boys would have catapulted him to his mother's village.
3. His "Madarakan" from OPC would have warded off all his enemies before they reach where he is.

Why should someone who sat tight for 42 years, amassed wealth and had the heart to kill his own people not take measures like consulting his Nigeria and Ivorien friends to protect himself from such brutal death?

Let us have your views people.

I do not underatand your position. Are we using the success or failure of some select individual contestants as d yardstick for assessing the fairness of the elections?

@All: A debate can show us many things about the debater:
1. His sagacity
2. His astuteness
3. His character
4. His fluency etc
So we should ask ourselves: "what is it we really want in a Nigerian leader?" As for me, a Nigerian leader needs to be intelligent and fluent to some extent; but above all, he needs to be a man of proven CHARACTER.
In developed economies where the institutions are all in place, we could dispel the requirement of character cos the leaders have no choice than to comply with laid down principles and procedures; but in Nigeria where a leader has the capacity to convert the entire wealth of our nation to himself overnight, we need a man of proven CHARACTER to be at the helms of affairs.
My vote is for BUHARI/BAKARE.

I do not think we should blame the man that has his hand on her rear transformer; when a married woman goes to such a high tension social gathering without her husband and without a wedding ring, she is surely inviting something. Added to that, she turns up dressed like a Nigerian University jambite trying to seduce unwary lecturers.
I think we should let her be; I once read an interview where she said it was her husband that nick named her "Omosexy".

@poster: With due respect, this is a Mazda MPV and NOT Nissan.
Thanks

Hello, I just called your line; I will need details of the engine capacity and the odometer mileage of this mini van.
Thanks.

To some extent, I quite agree with Holydante. GEJ is not even being perceived as a toothless bulldog by detractors; they see him as toothless lamb! Whether they are correct or not, your guess is better than mine.
A President needs to draw a line between his capacity as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of a country (and by inference, the Chief Security Officer of the nation) and his quest for re-election as an aspirant. Should we in the spirit of politics fairplay allow candidates to disrespect the office of the president? Should we allow people to make incite-ful statements that can heat up and boil up the polity?
GEJ should remember that a lot of his supporters are behind him because they believe he does and will still do a good job as their president. Part of that good job includes maintaining the sanity in the polity and upholding the sovereign unity of the nation.
Please GEJ, rise up to your responsibility as our president for now; that will give you a better chance of re-election next year.
God bless Nigeria.

Hello,
I am offering N1.1m for this ride. When can I come for inspection if you accept?

Please post the pictures of the mini bus or send to: hisroyaltallness@yahoo.com
I am seriously interested and have plan to acquire a Sienna next week. Let me have a look so that I can make a good decision.
Thanks

Hi Banix, will this ride fly for N750,000 cash down?

Are you sure this is a 4 cylinder mini bus? I've never seen a Sienna 2000 that is a 4 cylinder engine.
Please verify and revert.
Nice looking ride though!

Am offering N1.1m cash for this mini bus. Thank you.
Respond to: hisroyaltallness@yahoo.com

The mini bus looks clean! I am interested. I offer N1.1m for it and can have your money ready for you after inspection on Monday 6th Dec.
Send me a mail (hisroyaltallness@yahoo.com).
Thanks

I called your Airtel and MTN lines but there was no response.
The mini bus looks really clean! But remember that it is a Dodge and it has fabric interior and not leather.
Would you release it for N800,000? Please let me know so that we may start arrangement on inspection.
Please respond to: hisroyaltallness@yahoo.com

Please kindly let me have pictures of engine and asking price; send to hisroyaltallness@yahoo.com.
Include contact phone number also.
Thanks

Please post pictures of the Odometer and engine. I can have 850k cash for you by Monday 29th november. What do you say?

Banix,
You have never hid details of the cars you advertise; why start now?
Would it not be consistent with your marketing character (which has been commendable, if I may add) to have told us that it is a Nigerian used Sienna for Bleep number of months being offered at NXXX, Bleep?
Please consider coming out with the complete details.
Thanks

Looks clean enough; can N850k take this ride home?

OK man! Please send detailed pictures and asking price to: hisroyaltallness@yahoo.com; I would also like you to include your contact phone number. Thanks

Waoh! This is the first time I ever heard of a ghost car being sold!
Please post pictures and details

Looks clean! may I know the exact state of the odometer? Is the seat fabric or leather. Finally, can N1m fly this ride?

The minister made a point; however, I consider the term "NAIJA" to be a connotative word that has a meaning only in the consciousness of those who use it. Since the minister does not use it, it will be difficult for her to really comprehend the meaning people have ascribed to it.
For me, the word "NAIJA" depicts the following:
'Belonginess'
Solidarity
Identification
Avowed Patriotism etc

So, madam minister, do not be offended at the youths who choose to identify with their country by giving it a pet name. Virtually all the songs that the term "NAIJA" has been used have been songs of solidarity.
I am proud of my country!

Hi, banix,
The ride looks clean an inviting! But please realise that it is still fabric seat; so please reduce to N1.1m
Cheers