Scam Messages (1)

A scam is a "dishonest scheme". It follows therefore that a scammer is a person who performs dishonest schemes.

It is not news that there are scammers every where and everyday they (scammers) come up with new "schemes". For the past 7-8 months I have been receiving emails from a group of scammers posing to be "Interswitch" officials. In Nigeria, Interswitch is the premier transaction switching platform. When the word "Interswitch" is mentioned, the first thing that will come to a lay man's mind is ATM cards.

One of such mails read was notifying their "valued customers" that their services are currently being upgraded to a more secured system. In that same mail, the reader is expected to click on a link to register all debit cards, X-change cards and ATM cards. The email further warned that only registered cards will work on the ATM machines.

At first I panicked. But when I remembered that I do not have a functional ATM card at that time, I just ignored the message by deleting it immediately. By the next day when I opened my mail, I saw 2 more of such scam messages. Are people this desperate? Na wa o! Anyway, this time around I took my time reading through the message, thinking it could be true after all. I put my cursor on the link and a very different web address was displayed on my tool bar! It was then I confirmed it was a scam mail.

Some days later, while I was discussing the issue with some friends, I discovered that some people have actually fallen prey to this bait and their accounts were "cleaned" by these fraudsters! But come to think of it, why would anyone reveal his/her PIN to anyone??!!

Although these mails go directly to my bulk mail, some still filter into my inbox. I even received one purportedly sent from the Central Bank of Nigeria. Here are some of the recent scam mails I have received:

Message 1:

Dear value customer,


You have received 1 new message waiting in your inbox folder.


click here to read


PS: To switch off email notifications of new messages, go to 'My Account' after you've logged in.


Regards


Message Depertment.


INTERSWITCH LIMITED.

Message 2:

Dear value customer,


We regret to inform you that access to your ATM CARD "POWERED BY INTERSWITCH"


has been temporarily limited.


To restore your account please click the link below and provide us with the required information:


click here to restore your account


PS: Your account will be restore in the next 48hrs.


Regards


Online Services.


INTERSWITCH NIGERIA LIMITED.

Message 3:

Verify Your ATM Account Statement Now..
Mon, October 19, 2009 7:09:20 AM
From: Central Bank Of Nigeria


Dear ATM Card User,


This is to hereby notify you of the recent Central Bank of Nigeria Directive to all banks to switch to the new and secured chip ATM cards.


With this directive,all old ATM cards shall be inactivated. With the new Cards,there shall be no more transaction charges when you use your ATM cards and it is more secured.go to the website below to register for your new card;


http://atmcardupdate2009.4t.com/online/cbn.html


You are getting this mail because you have not updated.


REGARDS


Mr.Tony Ede
Assistant Director,
LAGOS OFFICE
Office Address:Tinubu Square,Lagos
Postal Address:P.M.B. 12194,Lagos.
Fax: +234(1)882 617

So I guess since I did not "update", by clicking the link, the messages will not stop. The most recent is this one:

Please note that Your Interswitch ATM Card is about to expire
Please note that Your Interswitch ATM Card is about to expire.
In order for it to remain active, please Use the button below to
Activate and get Unlimited Access on your ATM Card.
click here to re-activate your account


PS: Your account will be re-activate in the next 48hrs.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notice that the messages are laced with gramatical errors. This show how "literate" the scammers are Also, when I put my cursor on the links, different web addresses are displayed. Some of the links have the following addresses:

"tanway.cz/components/login.html"; "tatarmoscow.ru/html/images/forum/login.html"; "ussonline.free.fr/uss/administrator/components/com_remository/login.html".

Now, note that the above addresses have no link to the real interswitch web address which is "interswitchng.com".

Interestingly, Interswitch has denied ever sending any of such messages. The caveat is found on the real interswitch website.

Some banks have also published and circulated several warnings, advising that no one should disclose his/her PIN to anyone. For instance, I received a mail that read thus:

Dear Friends,


We have been alerted to a fraudulent email purporting to originate from Central Bank of Nigeria and advising customers to log on to the following website http://onlinecbnservice09.t35.com/CBN-OnlineService.html to download individual forms that must be completed to upgrade their ATM cards to the new ATM machine code including your mobile number and email address where verification codes will be sent.


Please note: On no account should you visit any website in order to upgrade your ATM card based on an email purporting to either represent Interswitch, the bank or Central Bank of Nigeria . Such an act would immediately compromise your ATM card and render your account vulnerable to fraudulent withdrawals.


The claim that failure to upgrade your ATM card will render the card unusable is totally untrue and is merely a way of luring you to divulge your ATM card details.


If you have already responded to such fraudulent email, immediately notify your relationship manager or call CIC on (01 – 2800822, 01-2644754- 59, 08035606000, & 08025606000) to disable your card to prevent fraudulent withdrawals from your accounts until such a time that you can safely change your PIN.


Forwarding this alert to friends and family members would also help inform them and combat this fraud.


Thank you.


IT Risk Management

I can not asertain the authenticity of the telephone numbers, since I have not had cause to call them. However, my advise to all is this: DO NOT DISCLOSE YOUR PIN TO ANYONE!

Apapa-Oshodi Express Way again!

Hmmmm!

When will the Federal Government do something about the bad roads in Lagos State? This thing is getting very embarrassing! Haba!

I spent four unproductive hours on the Apapa-Oshodi Express Way this morning. The reason? It rained and because of the bad state of the roads, there was so much flood on the road. I once called it river trinity, but I think I should rename it to "Apapa-Oshodi Ocean". The flooded road made it very difficult to drive smoothly.

In the process of driving carefully, the person driving this vehicle, found himself/herself in this condition

Pedestrians had to wade through the flood as well

After driving wading through the first part of the flood, this is what I saw.

The trailer in the above picture rammed into a pedestrian bridge and then a section of the bridge collapsed. As a result, the traffic was terrible.

These are the pictures from the second half.

I am looking forward to the day it will rain and the roads in Lagos will be flood free.

Related Links

Craters on the Road

River Trinity

Eko o ni Baje

A Nation at 49

Yesterday, 1 October 2009 was the 49th independence annivarsary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a Nation. Happy INDEPENDENCE ANNIVESARY my dear Country.

My wish for this great Nation is to keep growing strong. I believe that Nigeria will survive all odds.

There so may issues I would have liked to write about, such as the eratic power supply, bad roads, miliants in the Niger Delta, strike by teachers and lecturers, strike by medical workers etc. Of all these, the one that tops my list is the unrest in the Niger Delta. The entire militancy episode had been a huge bone in the neck of all well-meaning Nigerians. For years, I have avoided visiting that part of the country. This is strange particularly for someone from that part of the country.

During the just concluded sittings of the Truth and Reconcilliation Commission in Rivers State, so many "things" were brought to the open. I was among the group of Nigerians, particularly the Niger Delta people who hoped that the findings of the Commission will bring lasting peace to the Niger Delta. Wishful thinking.

On Thursday, 25 June 2009, the Federal Government proclaimed amnesty for the Niger Delta militants. Simply put, amnesty is a pardon for government offenders. The condition attached to this was that the militants would "willingly" give up possession of all illegal arms in their possession. Not so long after the amnesty programe began, some "militants" surrendered their arms and then they were rehabilitated. They even had the opportunity to get some pocket money! Anyway, I have been watching the whole process keenly. When the word militant is mentioned their are some names/groups that pop up in my head. Names like Ateke Tom, Tompolo, Boyloaf and groups like MEND. So far, Boyloaf laid down his arms some weeks ago and yesterday, Ateke Tom laid down his arms.

All I am praying for right now is for a lasting peace in the Niger Delta. I am also praying that the education sector would get the needed attention it deserves.

Happy Independence Celebration!
Long Live Nigeria!
Long Live my fatherland!

It is well with NIGERIA in Jesus name.

Gist

Sometime ago, I was informed that there was in circulation, contaminated beans. Immediately, I ensured that the proteinous legume was not included in any meal I eat or prepare! That means no more "moi-moi", no more "akara".

Just as I was adjusting to a non-beans diet, I received a text from a friend of mine. The text reads thus:                    

"Pls avoid eating apple for now.

        News said there are so many people

        in d hospital now. Pls pass it on."

All I could say was "very soon there will be nothing left for us to eat". As if to buttress this "fact", I received an email that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned that nobody should eat apples for sometime. This really got me worried because I love apples, afterall, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away".

Well the good news here is that there is a press release from NAFDAC stating that they never issued any alert warning the public against eating apples! In a statement by the Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, NAFDAC promised to launch a full-scale investigation into the matter. Please read full story here.

OTHER GISTS

In another story published in the Vanguard newspaper recently, a couple were accused of "plucking" out the eyes of another man because he refused to move out of the flat. This, I call "man inhumanity to man". For more on this, click here.

In another strange but true story, I read about a 61 years old American woman, Penelope Sharon Jordan, who hid the body of her dead mother for almost 6 years! She did this to enable her collect her mother's pension! What was she thinking of? She is 61 years old! Read the full story here.

Which way Nigeria?

"I want to know. . . which way Nigeria?"

Yes. Which way Nigeria? That is a million naira question that has to be answered.

There are so many things that are infrastructurally ill and are in need of great over hauling!

It saddens my heart to read in the national newspapers of the ongoing national strike embarked upon by the University Lecturers. This strike has been on for several months. Infact it is a spill over of previous strikes! As if that is not enough, Teachers in the primary and secondary schools in Nigeria have also embarked on a strike! What is going on?

There is a popular saying that education is the bedrock of a nation. In otherwords, education is the foundation of a Nation. The foundation unpon which a Nation is built.

It is a known fact that a building with a bad foundation will fall. A building with a faulty foundation is bound to develop structural problems in future (that is if the building is ever completed).

Rather than take positive steps towards ensuring that the education sector does not collapse, the Federal Government are neglecting that sector and "ordering" that the striking lecturers/teachers call off their strike. Why not embrace dialogue and find a way out of this incessant strikes? People have argued and reasoned that the Federal Government is not perturbed about these strikes because the Ministers, members of the House of Assembly, Governors, Commissioners and other politicians do not have children schooling in Nigeria! I think I agree with that school of thought.

In a quick defense, the education minister, Mr. Sam Egwu, (who incidentally was a university lecturer before becoming a politician in the corridors of power) said its no big deal for Government officals to send their children abroad to earn a degree! That, I think is a very watery defence. These are the same people engaging in a project to "re-brand" Nigeria. I wonder, how can Nigeria be fully "re-branded" if certain fundamental issues are left unattended?

Sometime in August 2008, the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), the registered body for Nigerian Teachers embarked on a strike that kept pupils in primary and secondary schools at home for sometime. The strike was suspended after the intevention of the Governors Forum with a promise that the enhanced Teachers Salary Scale (TSS) will be implemented on or before September 1, 2009. One year after, only 17 states have implemented the TSS. The other 19 states have not implemented the TSS and so the NUT have embarked on another strike!

Last Sunday, there was a World Cup qualifying football match between Nigeria and Tunisia. The match ended with a 2-2 draw. This draw, according to football analysts is not a good result because the chances of Nigeria going to the World Cup is very slim. But despite this 2-2 draw, the Federal Government, through the football governing body gave each player a match bonus of $10,000! What a waste of money!

Why can't the Federal Government encourage the Lecturers and Teachers the same way they are encouraging these football players who ironically did not show that they deserve that match bonus!

Rest in Peace Gani

The peoples lawyer, Chief Abdul-Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi, popularly known as "Gani" has passed on to join his ancestors. Gani has gone to rest in the bossom of his creator.

Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), one of the greatest and outspoken lawyers in Nigeria died on Saturday September 5, 2009.

Chief Abdul-Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi (SAN) was a social critic and commentator. He never held anything back whenever he had to address any legal/political/national issue.  He was an activist. He was a human activist who would not compromise his stand on truth and justice.

Whenever Gani sees something "wrong" with the system, he makes sure his voice is heard. He had always been a thorn in the flesh of the Federal Government of Nigeria. There are several law suits instituted by Gani against the Government. Only recently, some weeks to his death, he instituted an action against the current civillian Government. 

As a result of his boldness, the learned SAN (or SAM - Senior Advocate of the Masses) had served prison terms in most Nigerian prisons.

Gani will be greatly missed by all Nigerians! Indeed, no one can ever step into Gani's shoes, the shoes are just too big for any feet to fit into.

Baba sun re O! Baba rest in peace!

Baby Goat

Is this a goat or a human in goat skin?

Well, if it is truly a goat, it must be a very precious goat!

Just wondering, did this guy tie the goat to his back or the goat is just clinging on him?

Hmmm!

This guy stands 6 foot tall
He has a good reading habit
Whenever I see him, he is either reading a newspaper, a magazine or any other reading material

He is always dressed in a pair of trousers, shirt and a jacket
The trouser is brown, the shirt is blue and the jacket is red
What a combination of colours!

He has no fixed abode, he wanders from place to place

I have termed him a mentally challenged man
As a man in that class, nobody wants to be associated with him
I want to believe he is from a family, he definitely was born of a woman
. . . but nobody goes close to him

I wonder . . .
What could have been responsible for his present state?

One day I heard him speak!
He has a good command of the english language
Infact he speaks better than some mentally fit people

I was very impressed!
Now what could be wrong with him?
I just wonder

One day I stopped to have a word with him . . .
I asked him if he would not mind if I give him some clothes . . .
His reply: "I would mind. I'd rather you give me money instead"

I pondered over this for I thought to myself he sure knows what he wants!
But I have a problem, I can not give him money!
Money to do what?

Well he gave me an answer. . .
I saw him drinking a big bottle of Guiness Stout a couple of days back!
So, if I had given him money. . . he would have used the money to drink beer or smoke weed instead of eating good food!

. . . craters on our roads!

There has been a little break from the rains. At least there had been no rain for some days now. I thought with this little dryness, there would be a free flow of vehicular movement on the Apapa/Oshodi Expressway. For the period it rained, I was always resuming late. It is not news that the roads are bad, but whenever there is any little rainfall, there will be traffic jam. The sort of traffic commuters are faced with is really alarming! What is going on?

There are so many pot holes on our roads. These pot holes are better described as craters because they have graduated to another level! Just imagine a hole wide and deep enough to contain three large tyres, like that of a trailer! Yes. That is how wide some of these craters are. The craters along the Apapa/Oshodi express way are awesome! Every day these craters expand and if a driver is not careful, the car could get stuck in one! Especially when covered with rain water.

As if that is not enough, the trailers and other large trucks have taken over the road leaving little or no space for smaller cars to drive through.

The irony of all these is that the Apapa/Oshodi Expressway is a very MAJOR road in Lagos. It is a major road which leads to one of the major ports in the Country - Apapa Harbour. Everyday hundreds of trucks, trailers and containers ply that route in order to get to the Port. The amount of revenue generated from that port can not be over emphasised. The question now is -"WHY IS THAT ROAD NEGLECTED! WHY?!

Sometime last week, the minister of works was in Lagos to examine the deplorable state of the road. News had it that he was trapped for just two hours and his aides and officials "advised" him not to go any further! Why? How then would he know the state of the road? In my opinion, the minister would not appreciate what commuters who ply this route go through. On a typical day, when the traffic jam is at its peak, people remain on a spot for as long as one hour. It does not matter if you leave your house at 5am, once the road has traffic, you cannot escape it! It is that bad. I am speaking from experience.

Apapa/Oshodi Express way in pictures!

- Flood on the road!

Well no matter what I still believe . . . "Eko o ni baje"

God help us!

. . . and MJ dies . . .

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, . . ."

- Ecclesiastes 3 verses 1-2

Michael Jackson, the king of pop music died on Thursday, 25 June 2009. Although I would not say I am a devoted fan of MJ, I enjoy his music and I like to watch him dance!

Michael . . . has left his impact in musical history. Like Bob Marley, he is a musical legend.

REST IN PEACE MJ!

Swine Flu

There is a new disease affecting humans, which could lead to death. This disease/virus/illness is the SWINE FLU! As the name connotes, it is mainly found in pigs.

Swine flu is a type A influenza virus. Although this virus is not common in humans, but there is a high risk of infection for people working and living with pigs. In other words, Swine flu is usually diagnosed only in pigs or people in regular contact with them.

The swine flu was first reported in Mexico and several people have been reported dead while so many people are ill. As at last night, more than 1,000 people were reported ill in Mexico as a result of the Swine Flu.

The symptoms of Swine Flu are, just like the common flu in humans. These symptoms are fever, cold, cough, sore throat, aching limbs and headaches. Pneumonia and respiratory failure can occur leading to death.

There has been no report on the spread to Africa (yet).  However, in order to minimize the spread of the Swine Flu into Africa ALL Countries should screen EVERYBODY coming into their territory.

In his words, the acting Director of the CDC, Richard Besser said, “We do not know whether this swine flu virus or some other influenza virus will lead to the next pandemic.”

People at risk should cover their mouth when they cough. They should regularly wash their hands with an alcohol-based cleaner and and avoid close contact with the sick. Patients with the disease should stay at home to minimise the spread. Although there is no need to avoid eating pork, I suggest that if you must eat pork, then make sure it is well cooked! 

Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people. 

More information here. And here.

World Malaria Day

Today is Malaria Day. This a day set aside for recognizing the global effort to provide an effective control of malaria.

The theme of this year's World Malaria Day is "Counting Malaria Out". By the end of the year 2010, it is expected that people living in malaria infested regions would have access to effective and affordable treatment for malaria.

Statistically, there are 109 countries infested with malaria today. Most of these countries are in the sub-Saharan Africa. Most of these Countries have initiated steps to roll back Malaria in the region. In Nigeria, most States distribute mosquito treated nets to people. However, only Zambia has been able to reach the Roll Back Malaria target of more than 50% reduction of mortality from malaria compared to 2000.

It is expected that other African countries would take a cue from Zambia and work towards eliminating malaria in Africa.

Malaria is indeed a killer sickness as it kills more than one million people per year. The most hit are pregnant women and children under the age of five.

Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium. This parasite is transmitted into a human body through the bites of mosquitoes infected by the parasite. As soon as the parasites are transmitted into the human body, it multiplies in the liver, and thereafter infect the red blood cells.

When an individual has been infected with the malaria parasite, some of the symptoms such a person will notice include headache, fever and vomiting. Once these symptoms appear, the infected individual should see a medical doctor for appropriate treatment. In many parts of the world, the parasites have developed resistance to a number of malaria medicines. Therefore, no one should administer any self medication.

Prevention is better than cure.

Malaria, like most ailments, can be prevented or controlled.
Some of the suggested preventive/control measures are:
1. Keeping the environment clean. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water, so as a preventive measure, all drainages must always be clean.
2. Use a bed net (popularly known as mosquito net) preferably the treated nets.
3. Spray apartments with insecticide at least twice a week.
4. Get proper treatment when diagnosed with malaria

Africa can be malaria free!

Baby in the House

Sometime ago, I narrated how my two kids bombarded me with all sorts of questions and of course demanded for an additional baby. Well that has finally come to past. They now have a baby sister to call their own. Yes O! I had a beautiful baby girl a couple of weeks ago. So, right now I am at home nursing my little angel!

I thank God Almighty for a very safe, smooth and successful delivery. It was by the Grace of God that I was able to carry the pregnancy from the beginning to the end. It was also by the Grace of Almighty God that the delivery was uncomplicated, defiling all medical myths. Father Lord, I thank You for all these and much more in Jesus Name!

I do not mind waking up at odd hours to attend to my baby. However, when One Dresser, the night crawler wakes me up at 2am or 3am, I get really upset! Well for one he is not my baby!

Let’s leave One Dresser for a later time. I actually thought that with the birth of this Baby, my older kids will let me be! But no, they would not, particularly my son. As far as he is concerned I have to give birth to a baby boy, so they can be two in the house! Can you imagine?! I just informed him very sweetly that Mummy is through having babies. Although this did not go down well with him, but I only pray he understands.

Now I have three kids. For the purpose of this blog I’ll name them Gee!, Tee! and Little Dee! Gee! is 7. Tee! is 3 going on 4. Little Dee! is 0 years old. LOL!

Got to go now, Little Dee! is calling! By the way I am a firm believer of exclusive breast feeding, so I breast feed Little Dee! on demand.

House of God

Today is Ash Wednesday!

Ash Wednesday, which is the seventh Wednesday before Easter, marks the beginning of Lent. The phrase Ash Wednesday is derived from the biblical practice of receiving a mark of ashes on the foreheads of people as a sign of repentance and mortality.

Most Orthodox Churches observed this day by holding services/masses. I was in Church this morning and after the usual celebrations it was time to receive the ash. There was an announcement that we should do it in an orderly manner as directed by the ushers and other officials. To my utmost shock, people were actually rushing, leaving their pews to join other pews and therefore making the whole thing dis-organised!

I was so shocked that I had to ask one of this "shunters" why he was acting in such a manner. I asked, "why are you doing this? Why are you rushing? Will the ash finish?" I had to ask him, just in case he did not remember he was in the house of God! Well I achieved my aim, because the man was visibly embarrassed!

Anyway, for all who believe in the essence of Lent, let us use this period and get closer to God, our Creator and pray to always do His will. Without God in our lives, nothing can be achieved. Turn that around, with God in our lives, we can achieve ALL that we ever wished for. That is FAITH.

Eko o ni baje (2)

Lagos State has changed! Yes O! There is a great wind of change sweeping through Lagos State. This wind of change is ridding Lagos of all vices!

One of such include the indiscipline and reckless nature of drivers, especially the commercial bus drivers! These group of people have been known for their gross indiscipline. Now they drive with some sense of "orderliness" You hardly see them weaving in and out of traffic for fear of having their vehicles impounded by the law enforcement agents.

Also, it is now illegal to trade on the streets of Lagos. This is very common at major bus stops like Obalende, Mushin, Oshodi etc. I drive through Oshodi most days and I must say, the traffic I experience on that route, especially on my way home after work, is very bad! However, this is now a thing of the past thankfully. These days, the drive home is so smooth that I get home before the day gets dark!

On a typical Tuesday, driving through the Osolo Way (off airport road) is an almost impossible task. This is because of the activities of the traders in the popular Aswani market.

Well, that was in the past! Now the whole road is free as all the traders have been "advised" to move into the market. No more street trading.

Illegal structures are being pulled down! In the course of these beautification of Lagos State, so many people are affected either because their shops were demolished or because their houses were demolished! I am not a holding brief for the State Government, but I must say the actions of the Governor are in order. The demolished structures, were illegal in the first place. Most of them were built over canals and gutters, thereby blocking the drainage system. Some were even built on the roads, obstructing the free flow of vehicles on the roads. Some even display their wares on the rails! Why would any sane human being put himself or herself to such risk by trading on the road or on the rail? The truth of the matter is that over the years, the State Government "closed its eye" to these wrongs. Not any more!

Governor Fashola is out to ensure that Lagos State gets a new look. Yes, a Brighter and Rewarding Future is very certain for the people of Lagos State. Well done Babatunde Raji Fashola!

Eko o ni baje!

Obama becomes the 44th President of America

Barack Hussein Obama officially became the 44th President of the United States of America at exactly 12.06pm, on Tuesday the 20th day of January 2009.

"Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real . . . but they 'll be met."

This is one of the many inspiring phrases I picked from Obama's inaugural speech. And I'd like to add this ... Yes you can! Yes Americans will meet those challenges! In deed, all Nations of the World can meet all challenges they face! Yes we can!

Some historical facts to note:
* Barack Obama is the 1st BLACK President of the United States of America.

* The Lincoln Bible has not been used in an inaugural ceremony since 1861. That means Barack Obama is the 2nd President to use that Bible.

* Barack Obama is the 5th youngest person elected as President of the USA.

* Barack Obama became President of the USA at 12.00pm even without taking oath. This is because the American Constitution states that the term of a President begins at noon!

* Obama's inauguration is the most expensive ever!

I join several millions to say CONGRATULATIONS to the 44th President of the United States of America, Mr. Barack Hussein Obama.

Okada in Naija

For those who do not know, there is a new law in Nigeria ensuring that all okada (motor bike) riders and their passengers wear a protective helmet. The interesting thing now is that most okada riders I see now are wearing "hard hats" instead of "helmets".

Some okada riders are even improvising by using an empty paint bucket, like the one in the picture below.

I received this picture in my mail and I felt I should share the laugh! Notice that this rider has another "hard hat" strapped to his motor bike, he just chose to use an empty paint bucket!

Children in Love

Who says children do not know love?!

I just read the news about two little Germans aged 5 and six who planned to elope to Africa to get married!

The children, who say they are "very much in love", packed some of their belongings and headed for the airport. They were stopped by a by a policeman in Hanover.

Read more here.

Happy New Year

Welcome 2009!

May the joy, peace and love of God Almighty continually permeate the earth.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Tanker Drivers on Strike!

Petroleum tanker drivers are on strike! Is that suppose to be news? Well yes it is, at least for now.

Why is it that every festive period, particularly Christmas, these people just look for any opportunity to hike the price of petrol!

The reason/excuse given for the strike is that officials of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) extort money from them; harass and intimidate them. Why was this protest not staged earlier? I do not believe that all these complaints just started. Over the years, there had been several issues between these two bodies. The tanker drivers, drive and park any how. It is so bad that they even park on bridges! When the LASTMA officials, in doing their job, impound the offending tanker or impose a fine, the others will choose to go on strike! What nonsense! What happened to law and order?

On the other hand, when the LASTMA officials "relax" and just close their eyes to the various offences committed by the tanker drivers, it becomes business as usual. They park indiscriminately, causing unnecessary traffic and chaos.

I am not holding a brief for the LASTMA officials (at times they also get on my nerves, particularly when they fail to do their work properly) but the truth must be said. Let us all maintain some sense of order and our society will be a better place for all.

Thank God that the kids are on holiday. For the past one week, we (hubby and I) leave the house earlier than usual. As early as 6.20am today, because of the so call strike or protest by the tanker drivers, all the gas stations were already jam packed with vehicles, waiting to buy fuel! The queues were so long and scattered! Haba!

New Ministers in Nigeria

Prof. Dora Akunyili is now the Information and Communications Minister. Until this appointment, she was the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Prof. Dora Akunyili is a Pharmacist. I thought she would have been made the Minister in charge of Health Matters. Yes! That way, the fight against fake/sub-standard drugs and food products would continue. With this appointment, she ceases to be the helmsman in NAFDAC! I only pray that the new NAFDAC Boss, will as much as possible, continue in the fight against fake drugs and food products.

Please don't get me wrong, I am not saying she should remain on one post forever, but at least lets commend her and keep up the the good work.

Prof. Akunyili, I will miss your presence in NAFDAC!

"Child Witches"

Wonders shall never end in deed!

I watched with utmost disdain the in human treatment meted out to little children in Akwa Ibom State by one so called "pastor" otherwise known as Bishop Sunday Ulup-Aya. He claims he has the power to free children from witchcraft. Looking at this self acclaimed Bishop all I can see is FAKE! Who appointed him as a bishop in the first place? He is a FAKE and surrounded by FAKE! A dirty looking hungry man decided to make himself rich, and he said to himself, "let me tell all gullible parents that their children are witches or wizards, and I have the power to set them free from such spirit". O yes and the gullible parents believed and submitted their precious babies to some horrific tortures! Very pathethic indeed.

One of these children even had a nail, about 3 inches long pierced through her skull!

Mary, whose picture appears below, was burnt with acid by her own mother!

Another child, Ekemini was tied to a tree by her own father! She was tied by her ankles!

There was also a story of a set of twins neglected by their mother because another human being branded them to be witches!

All these pictures are courtesy of the Observer.

All these inhuman treatments are meant to free the children from witch craft. Some are made to drink a "special" mixture prepared by the bishop. This concoction is a combination of local gin, some herbs and the bishop's blood! The bishop also administers a strange concoction into the eyes of the suspected child "to blind their spiritual eyes! How can one describe these inhuman treatment meted out to small "innocent" children by a fellow human being?

Haba! The fake hungry bishop even opened his wide mouth to state that there are over 2.3 million witches in Akwa Ibom State! Now that is a State where the last census results show that there are 3.9 million people in there. In other words, more than half the population are "winches". That is alarming! In his own statistics, only children are witches. So the adults are free. Hello! Which crystal ball revealed this to him?

As far as I am concerned, those parents who subject their children to such barbaric and inhuman treatment should see a shrink! Infact they are also witches! It takes a witch to know a witch!

In order to perform his exorcism Ulup-Aya demands a fee of N400, 000 (approximately $3,390) per child, or I mean "client". Initially, I thought this amount was too high for the average man in a remote area. I thought it was an error, a slip of tongue. In his words, once the child has been initiated into the witch craft world and also eaten there, then it becomes a serious case. Hence the high fee charged for deliverance. If the gullible parents are unable to pay, Ulup-Aya then holds the child captive until the bill ransom is settled. The children are not allowed to defend themselves; they are tortured and forced to admit to an offence or guilt they know nothing about. Ulup-Aya even admitted that he has killed a total of 110 suspected child witches! What?! That is murder! This is the height of in human treatment!

The video of this horrific story is even available on the web courtesy of YouTube. See more here.

In one of my previous posts, a fake pastor raped a little girl to death. This girl was also suspected of being a witch. For the love of humanity what is are all these stories about witches? May the Almighty God have mercy on us all!

The good part is that bishop has been arrested! Praise God! I pray that he gets a double portion of all he deserves from the long arm of the Law!

What sort of "Christians" are we breeding in Africa?
What sort of Christianity is been practiced in Africa?
Why are people (Christians) so gullible?

It's my Birthday!

It's my birthday!

Today is the beginning of another year in my life! I am thankful and indeed grateful to the Almighty for His favours and blessings upon my life. He is a wonder to my soul!

I woke up this morning and I just praised Him like never before! I looked around me to see the numerous blessings upon my life. O Lord! Thank You.

Father! I thank You for bringing me this far in life. I look forward to many more fruitful years.

Obama! Obama! Obama!

Barack Hussein Obama II has emerged the 44th President of the United States of America! After the most expensive and longest campaign, the most historic election ever, BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA has emerged as the 1st black President of the greatest Nation on earth, the United States of America! Obama has realized the dream of Martin Luther King.

In the spirit of sportsmanship, John McCain called Obama and conceded the race to the White House.

Obama's speech was very moving and at the same time very powerful. He acknowledged everybody. In his words, "it's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America."

For those who still had doubts, he said "if there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer." "We are and will always the be the United States of America . . .because of what we did on this day, change has come to America."

Obama also acknowledged that "the road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there."

As we all congratulate the President elect, we also mourn with him in his loss. His Grand mother, who had always been there for him passed on to eternal glory after a long battle with cancer. She died in the early hours of Monday. May her gentle soul rest in peace. Amen.

Congratulations Senator Obama!

Octogenarian arrested!

I just read here that an octogenarian, Edna Jester was arrested in the United States for taking a teenage neighbour's football! Hmm! This ball was not just "taken", the teenage played (throwed) the ball into the old woman's yard!


Now for "taking" the ball Edna Jester was arrested for "petty theft".

She is to appear in Court on the 12th of November, 2008.

My questions:
1. Would it amount to "theft" if I seize a football thrown into my compound by some kids?
2. If there was a damage who would be responsible for that reckless act?

Read the full gist here.

Evil "pastors"

I just read a very sad story of how an 11 years old girl was raped to death by a so-called pastor. The story has it that a prophetess informed one Mrs. Bassey that her only daughter, Covenant was a witch and therefore needed some form of "spiritual cleansing" to chase the spirit of witchcraft away.

Mrs. Bassey was so afraid that she agreed to take her daughter for the spiritual cleansing. However on the appointed day, madam prophetess was out of town. Now this made Mrs. Bassey panic. She then confided in a friend of hers. This friend now recommended a "man of God god" to Mrs. Bassey. This man of god, one Henry Evbotokhai, is the pastor in charge of a church known as Miracle Deliverance Ministry, some where in Lagos. Mrs. Bassey took her preciuos little daughter to Mr. man of god for deliverance. The man of god demanded for N2,000 to enable him do the deliverance.

Anyway, Mrs. Bassey left her daughter with the pastor for 3 whole days. On the 3rd day, when Mrs. Bassey went to pick her daughter, believing that she would have been witch-free by then, she was shocked to find the place under lock and key! She finally reported to the Police, narrating her ordeal. When the door was forced open, the lifeless body of Covenant was found in a pool of her own blood. On further investigations, it was revealed that Covenant was raped to death by the so-called pastor!

The innocent child died for nothing!

Click here to read more.

My questions:
1. Is that pastor real?
2. Is Mrs. Bassey a church goer? (Note I did not use the word "christian")
3. IF she is a church goer, why did she not meet her own Pastor/Reverend Father/General Over Seer etc for counselling?
4. Is such a crime permissible?
5. Why are humans so mean even to their fellow humans?

I just wonder.

Nigeria is 48!

Hurray Nigeria is 48!

The 1st day of October is the independence anniversary for NIGERIA! Every year, October 1st is declared a public holiday. Workers stay at home and just relax with friends and family.

The Nigerian history is incompleted without the story of her independence from its colonial masters.

Let me go into a little history by informing those who do not know that the first black speaker of the House of Representative was Jaja Wachuku. Jaja Wachuku replaced Sir Frederick Metcalfe. It was during his tenor as Speaker, on the 1st day of October 1960, that Wachuku received the Freedom Charter, Nigeria's Instrument of Independence from the Queen of the United Kingdom. The Queen was represented by Princess Alexandra of Kent at the independence ceremony.

The At 48, I'd say Nigeria is still a "young" growing Nation!

Happy INDEPENDENCE anniversary Nigeria!

Long live Nigeria! Long live Africa!

Tainted Milk Scare

It is no longer news that "tainted milk" formula has killed several babies in China.

The milk is tainted or contaminated with the toxic chemical melamine. Melamine is a clear to whitish substance that normally exists in crystal form. Ordinarily, this dreaded chemical called "Melamine" is used in combination with formaldehyde (another chemical) to produce a resin used in several products ranging from white boards to counter tops. Melamine also has a high nitrogen content that can fool quality tests for protein content in milk.

If consumed by humans, especially by small children, melamine can cause kidney stones and other potentially fatal complications.

Today the scare of the tainted (contaminated) milk is spreading fast and most Countries are taking serious steps to avoid the milk getting to its shores! Most countries have banned the import of Chinese dairy products.

The dreaded chemical (melamine) that makes the formulas "tainted" has also been found in ice cream! Now this is really scary considering that ice cream is consumed by most humans today.

About 20% of the dairy companies tested in China had sold products tainted with melamine. Suppliers to the companies are thought to have added the banned chemical, normally used in plastics, to watered-down milk to make it appear higher in protein.

You can read more stories by clicking the links below:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-09-17-china-babyformula_N.htm

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2008/09/200892435458424120.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/09/25/china.milk/index.html

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Some weeks ago in Nigeria, reports had it that there was fake "SMA" baby formula in circulation in the Nigerian markets! The question now is WHY ON EARTH will a human being release fake/adulterated products into the market for others to buy?

Please if you are a nursing mother out there, as much as possible let your baby feed on breast milk exclusively for the first six months. Please don't say it is impossible. It is very possible, particularly if you set your mind to it. I am a working mother and I fed my babies exclusively on breast milk for the first 6 months. How was I able to achieve this? Well, I was expressing the breast milk! It was tough though, but I was determined to give the best to my kids.

AWARD!

Whao! This is so GREAT! I received an award from ALOTED.

Like every recipient is expected to do after receiving an award . . . here is my thank you speech.

"I would like to say a very big THANK YOU to everyone on blogville! My special thanks to Aloted for passing on this award to me. Thank you! And thank you to all who read this blog . . . "

The RULES:

1. When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, together with the name of the person who gave you the award, and link the person back.

2. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or even more) that you find brilliant in their content or design.

3. Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with an award.

5. And then pass it on!

To this end therefore, I hereby pass on the award to the following people:

1. LG
2. OLUWADEE
3. RAYO
4. TOBENNA
5. MZ DEE
6. ALOOFA
7. GEISHA.SONG

Scams!

Why do people waste their time on scams? Are there people out there who still fall for scams? Well I'm just wondering. . . and I sincerely hope nobody is still that gullible.

Two days ago I received a text which states thus:

"Congratulations, you have won N150,000 your no. is among the 42 lucky winners of la casera drink bonaza ticket no. 60.call 08069049283 to claim your prize"

Imagine! The scammer(s) must be . . . I am looking for the right word to post here . . . but I am short of words. The first thing I thought of doing was to send a text back for the scammer to try again! Well, I just chose to ignore the text.

Then again, some minutes ago, I received another text that reads thus:

"Congratulation you have won 10 000dollars or one gsmpaklogo you r pass is 0789 ; Call Now this number 0043820899395"

Now I know for certain that these people have lost it! O! After trying me with N150,000 they thought I'd move for 10,000! Chei! I really pity them. Another thing that turned me off was the fact that the scammers have a poor command of English language and grammar!

How can these fraudsters be brought to book? Any ideas?

Fear of Trailers!

In a previous post, on PHOBIAS I said that I am claustrophobic! I just discovered that I have other phobias. . . and the top on the list is "fear of trailers with containers". May be I should call it "trailercontainerphobia". I hope that makes some sense.

It does not matter who is doing the driving (hubby, me or a commercial driver), I get very jittery when my vehicle is directly beside a trailer container. This is because most times these containers are not properly secured to the trailer and any slight "shake" on a rough road (which is not uncommon here) could make the container fall! It is that bad.

I have heard stories of people been crushed to death by these containers. I have seen some containers lying on their sides on another smaller vehicle. Sometime ago, I heard a story about a woman who went shopping with her kids. When she got to the market, she parked her car and dashed out with her kids to do the shopping. When she returned, her car was buried under a container! Yes. Everyone was thankful that no life was lost. Thank God for that. Some people had not been so fortunate.

Some weeks ago I witnessed one container falling off a trailer! O! I was so shocked! When this happened, of course there was no movement. The traffic that built up immediately was great! When I narrated the incidence to Hubby later in the day, he told me how his friend escaped a similar accident some years back!

Thankful Heart

Thank You Lord for today!

May Your gentle and loving presence be with us all!

Female Kidnappers on the prowl

What is this life turning into? I mean why are people so mean to their fellow humans? The news today reported how the Nigerian Police nabbed 2 female kidnappers! They kidnapped the baby and demanded for N1 million naira as ransome. Imagine, one of the kidnappers is even related to the mother of the baby who is just a little over one year of age! Haba! That is the height of wickedness and heartlessness!

The report has it that these girls who are undergraduates in one University, traveled to Lagos under the guise of visiting her Aunty. Thereafter, they kidnapped the boy and took him to Edo State. They placed a call to the parents of the boy, with a threat that they (parents) should pay the ransom or forget about their baby!

Thank God for technology. The call was eventually traced to Benin. The Police, had their chance to shine because they were able to apprehend the suspects in Benin City, Edo State. The boy was rescued unhurt! Thank God O!

May God continue to protect us from all these fake people we call our friends and relatives. AMEN!

Usain Bolt!

The date was 16 August 2008. The event was the men 100 meters race at the Bejing 2008 Olympics. I was actually watching the Olympics! Anyway I was glad I did because I watched Usain Bolt bolting his way through the race! That was a very good race. I personally feel he would have achieved a lower record time if he had completed the race before celebrating. Some meters before the finish line, Usain throw out his arms in a manner that says "come get me if you can" to the other athletes. Be that as it may, USAIN BOLT set the new world record by finishing the 100 meters race in 9.69 seconds! What a speed!

As if that was not enough. Usain went on to snatch the gold in the mens 200 meters race! He set another world record with a timing of 19.30 seconds.

Bolt is now the current fastest man in the World after Carl Lewis who made the World Record in 1984! With these great achievements, Usain is now the proud holder of the World and Olympic records in both 100 meters and 200 meters! Also, he is the first man in history to break both world records at 1 Olympics!

I join the World in celebrating his great success! Today 21 August 2008 is Bolt's 22nd birthday. Happy Birthday Usain Bolt. You gave yourself a very good birthday gift. Congratulations!

All for little Safa'a!

Yesterday I watched CNN and I saw a young couple release their one and only little boy (Safa'a) to the hands and care of Surgeons to operate on him.

Safa'a was was diagnosed in with Wilms' tumor. According to medical experts, Wilms tumour is the most common kidney tumor in children. The good news here is that if it is diagnosed on time, the cancer has a high survival rate.

When I saw the baby on the TV I was shocked! I can imagine his pains and sufferings! O! and the poor Mother. O my God! I prayed to God to save him and spare his life!

Well thank God for good Samaritans all over the globe. Safa'a was able to go for his surgery in Jordan with the help of an 85-year-old liquor tycoon.

The surgery lasted FIVE hours, and it was a success as the massive tumor was removed completely! Praise God!

Safa'a's parents were overjoyed! His mother in her joyous mood said "I cannot put my happiness into words." And the Dad said "this is such a happy occasion. You brought happiness into the hearts of parents."

I am indeed very happy for Safa'a and his parents! I wish him a smooth recovery process.

Voodoo in Government

For some time now there has been a new twist in the Nigeria politics. Apart from the "shaky shaky" going one amongs the politicians, there are more revelations to show that most office holders are into all sorts of diabolical stuff!

Can you imagine that the Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ambassador Sam Edem, spent 1 billion naira to secure the services of a sorcerer to employ spiritual means to enable him secure contracts from the Akwa Ibom State Government? Wonders shall never end!

The stories also have it that Edem burnt a whole N270 million at a cemetery in Port Harcourt. He later bathed with the ashes of the burnt N270 million in order to realise his wishes from the State Government. What are these wishes? In his statement, the voodoo man, one Dr. Perekambowei Ogah informed the Police in Benin, Edo State that he (Ogah) was paid the sum of N15 million by Ambassador Edem. He said the money was to make some sacrifices in order to ensure that Edem retains his position as the Chairman of NDDC when the board was dissolved!

O that was not all. The voodoo master informed the Police that Edem also instructed him to "work" on the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Dr. Godswill Akpabio, in order to secure contracts from him. Edem also wanted Mr. Timi Alaibe, dead! Now Timi Alaibe is the Managing Director of NDDC, and he also works in the same office with him (Edem) to enable him have his way in decision making processes. And the final straw was for Ogah to "work" on Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan! Can you imagine? Edem wants Mr. VP to always give him (Edem) support if there is any plan to remove him. Let him stay there forever!

The secrets became known when Edem demanded for a refund of his money on the ground that Alaibe never "died" on the date he was expected to "die". The native doctor refused to make any refund but rather insisted that there were some outstanding of his professional fees!

Oga Edem, Oga for NDDC reported the matter to the police as a case of fraud. Of course in investigating the matter, the Police arrested the native doctor. As is expected, he has to write his statement. The said statement was what revealed all these to the general public!

In his own statement, Edem said he was under a spell when he made the payments he made to Ogah. “The amount of money the fraudster collected from me through the hypnotic spell is about N800million. The extortion spread over months and were always with death threats to my person and family members, friends and staff”.

Anyway, our own President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has ordered an investigation into these allegations. In addition, the President directed Mr. Mike Okiro, the Inspector General of Police, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to get to the root of the matter.

My own is that there is no smoke without a fire somewhere. I only pray that justice prevails.

Democracy!

I read in the papers today that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria had resolved to (amongst other things) reconstitute the present Board of Trustees of the Party. The National Execuive Committee of the PDP also reolved that the constitution which made the chairmanship of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) an exclusive preserve of former Presidents will be reviewed. This is a big blow to bros OBJ! I wonder how and what he feels about these various recommendations/resolutions as they concern him. Anyway that is for him to wonder and for Nigerians to . . .

Please read. . .

Obasanjo's ouster looms as PDP okays new BoT

IN what appeared like the beginning of the end to the former President Olusegun Obasanjo's hold on the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the leadership of the party rose from a marathon meeting yesterday, endorsing the recommendations of the two panels raised by the party to pacify aggrieved members who left the party. One of the recommendations is that the present Board of Trustees of the party be reconstituted and its functions refocused. Obasanjo was absent at yesterday's meeting.

The party, under the chairmanship of Senator Ahmadu Ali, set up a reconciliation committee in July last year headed by former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, but the report of the panel was not implemented. The committee noted that most of the former members of the party complained of lack of internal democracy in PDP and declared the urgent need to do something about it. The committee recommended that article 12:77, which was introduced during the 2006 constitution amendment exercise, should be expunged.

The clause makes the chairmanship of the board the exclusive preserve of former presidents on the platform of the party, which was what led to Obasanjo's emergence in succession to Tony Anenih as BoT chairman.

Another panel set up by the party under the chairmanship of Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Bello Haliru Mohammed, upheld the recommendations.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, the national secretary of the party and the national publicity secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje and Prof. Ahmed Rufai Alkali respectively, said the meeting resolved that a meeting of founding fathers of the party be convened before the end of the year to work out the way forward for the party. They also said the meeting decided that henceforth, rule of law would be allowed to guide the party in all actions.

"NEC considered the recommendations of the Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed-led Committee that reviewed the report of Dr. Alex Ekwueme's National Reconciliation Committee. NEC deliberated extensively and arrived at the following resolutions:

"A summit of the founding fathers of the Party has been summoned for the last quarter of 2008 to deliberate on how best the Party can revert to the original values and principles on which it was founded.

"NEC believes this would form the bedrock for reconciliation and internal democracy.
"The Party henceforth commits itself strictly to its electoral guidelines and constitutional provisions on issues of nomination.

"The era of arbitrariness in the nomination process is over. NEC also resolved to propose an amendment to the provisions of the party's constitution that deals with the leadership, membership and functions of the Board of Trustees.

NEC accepted the recommendation that the Board of Trustees should revert to its advisory role as contained in the PDP Constitution 2001 (as amended). NEC also accepted the recommendation that any member of the Board of Trustees can aspire to Chair the Board as against the current provision that limits the chairmanship to former holders of particular offices. NEC also resolved on the reconstitution of the Board of Trustees in line with the proposed amendments."

"A special National Convention of the Party shall hold in the first quarter of 2009 to consider these constitutional amendment proposals," they disclosed. The two men further said that the meeting also decided to set up a think-tank at all levels to advise the party, while an evaluation committee would also be set up to appraise performances of elected members of the party.

"The PDP shall set up standing monitoring committees to evaluate the performance of its elected officials in each geo-political zone. Each committee shall comprise members drawn from the six geopolitical zones who shall ensure compliance to the Party's manifesto in the conduct of state affairs.

"NEC resolves to establish a think tank at National and State levels that will brainstorm, digest and proffer advice over key issues that will put the Party ahead of its rivals. This think-tank shall work with the Peoples Democratic Institute, PDI and relevant agencies of government.

"NEC also proposed an amendment to the PDP 2006 Constitution to include the power of each state caucus to co-opt elders into its membership. This will address some of the complaints of sidelining by members of the party. All nominations for appointments must come from the recommendations of state caucuses," the meeting resolved.

It was resolved that all members of the party who defected should be contacted immediately. The party reconstituted its disciplinary committee with the following members.

For more please go to Guardian Online

In a related development, the former EFCC Boss, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was demoted from the rank of an Assistant Inspector-General of Police to Deputy Commissioner of Police. Read more on that here.