HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA: Prof SOYINKA turns 78 today

Pa Wole Soyinka clocks 78 today.The author, poet, playwright and Nobel Prize winner was born 13th July 1934. There's a lecture at the Muson Centre today to mark his 78th birthday. Wishing him many more happy years ahead
Nigerian rapper Saucekid was also born today I wish them both Good luck
If you were not born in the month of july, you are missing. am happy to be born in the month of july.

NEWS: DANA AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION REPORT REVEALED

The acccident investigation bureau has submitted a preliminary report onm the crash of Dana Air's'MD83(5N-RAM) in lagos on June 3, 2012. The report determines the main facts about flight 992.
Get the report at http://lindaikeji.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/dana-air-crash-accident-investigation.html?m=1 http://lindaikeji.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/dana-air-crash-accident-investigation.html?m=1

5 KEYS TO PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT

We can accomplish anything we desire in life if we care to know and do what it takes. To keep yourself positive and to achieve your goals faster, here is a five-step principle you need to know to become an effective, positive ‘possibility thinker’ in your own life.

Imagine Your Perfect Future
Perhaps the biggest obstacle to creating a wonderful life is ‘self-limiting beliefs’. Everyone has them and some people have so many that they are almost paralysed when it comes to taking action. A self-limiting belief is an idea you have that you are limited in some ways, in terms of time, talent, intelligence, money, ability or opportunity. The way you free yourself from these negative brakes on your potential is to change your thinking about who you are and what is truly possible for you.

Show Me the Money
Start with your income. How much do you want to be earning, one, two, three, and five years from today? Look around you and ask, “Who else is earning the kind of money I want to earn, and what are they doing differently from me?” If you don’t know or you are not sure, go and ask them. Do your homework.

Design Your Perfect Life   
Imagine your perfect lifestyle. If you had no limitations at all, how would you like to live, day in and day out? If you were financially independent, what kind of home would you live in? What kind of car would you want to drive? What kind of life would you like to provide for your family? What sort of activities would you like to engage in throughout the week, month, and year?

Turn Your Ideal into Reality
When you sit down and design your ideal lifestyle, you can then compare it to what you are doing today and notice the differences. You can then start thinking about how you could bring your real or current lifestyle closer to your ideal. When you idealise your income and your lifestyle, you develop vision for your life. You begin to practice a key quality of personal leadership. You begin projecting into the future and making plans to turn your future dreams into a current reality.

The Person you Become
Create an ideal future in terms of your personal and professional development. What kind of person do you want to be in the future? What additional knowledge and skills do you want to acquire? In what areas would you like to become absolutely excellent? What subjects would you like to master? What do you need to learn to move up in your field? What is your growth plan to get from where you are to where you want to go?

Action Exercise
Look for something good in every problem or difficulty. Practice being an inverse paranoid, convinced that there is a vast conspiracy to make you successful.

Source :Genevieve magazine, written byJoy Isi Bewaji

MORE THAN TWO DECADES, STILL COUNTING

Oh! It is finally here……… the rate at which my phone line buzzed with calls made me feel as if I was in Eldorado. I have never received so much calls and texts like this in my life time I guess. My last birthday was….. Oh! I can’t talk about it.

It is my birthday and I so love it. Yay!

I am so Zen………. I am the king of plans (trust me with those entire index cards hanging on my wall) but for the first time in my life, no plans! Just taking it as each second comes along and I am loving it.

I remember growing up and wishing I was older but you know those know those boxes that give you options which go from 21 – 29, to 30 - 39, to OVER 40...(as if being 40 and over was some incurable disease) gives you a kind of impression that getting old is a bad thing.

But seriously! When did getting older become such a chore and bore and fear?

I also remember those days (as if I am that old sef) that revealing your age is not a big deal for me but I now find it hard to disclose my age.It would be fair to say I am somewhere in the middle of21 – 29. I mean! Your age didn’t matter that much did it?

But I was wrong. Yes I was!

Now I understand everything, even as I struggle with a reluctance to admit how old or young I really am.
The truth is, our ages may not bother us personally, but it sure bothers society, and they are determined to put us in boxes according to our age. Not personality or ability. But age.

You can’t get into school before a certain age; you cannot work in a bank after a certain age. If you are a certain age, you should either be married, or at least, suitably upset that you are not, and when you are a certain age, then you should face your studies, and not members of the opposite sex! In some countries, permission to drink is granted based on age, and others determine criminal responsibility based on age.

Even there is something called “football age” amongst footballers you see guyz and chicks over 25 entering for an under 17 competition.

Seriously! Are they scared of their age? To me age is just numbers

If there is anything I have learnt in recent times is that it is never too late to live your dream. I have heard stories of people old enough to be my grandmother that still pursued college education and achieved it.

There is a giant difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t require any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change. Everyone has the carte blanche with their lives use yours wisely.

Enough of the pep talks jare. So here I amgrateful for the extra twelve months I marked. The new experiences learnt, the mistakes made the pain and love shared.

For those who are attempting to find out my age, don’t sweat it.I am the same age as my tongue and a little older than my teeth.

Everyone is being marvellous. On Facebook, twitter, what else……. You guyz are fab. Shout out to my parents (you rock) and my friends.

The race is not to the swift.So I will cut my next birthday cake with grace and smiles(even if I didn’t cut one today).

NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT: Customer care and Service delivery in Nigeria

Service delivery is about delivering your services as effectively as possible to the satisfaction and delight of the customer.

If there is one thing lacking in most industries in Nigeria, I must tell you is good customer care and service delivery. One thing that still perplexes me till date is how they treat you like trash neglecting the fact that you paid for the service. I doubt if there is anyone in this country that have not been treated this way, the president of the country I guess.

The power of a pen, they say is mightier than the sword and this morning I am gonna wield mine against these industries that offer the worst customer care and service delivery in Nigeria because it is the only tool I have.

There are so many industries at fault here but I have taken my time to pick out some that are really good at giving you shit for your money, they take you for granted, treat you like trash. I present to you the TOP 3 INDUSTRIES that offer the worst customer care and service delivery in Nigeria.

EATERIES: It is only in Nigeria that we queue to eat the food we pay for. The way eateries in Nigeria attend to customers pisses me off. They have this mentality “they are hungry so we can treat them anyway we like or oh! look at these beggars” I went to SHOPRITE some months ago to get some groceries so I decided to buy rice and chicken because I was famished, after queuing for like 10mins I was finally attended to by this chick and when she brought my food, it was as cold as my late grandmother’s body. I returned the food insisting that she warm up the food. I waited for another 10mins and when she brought the food, OMG!!! It was as if she dumped the food in the freezer, I requested for my money, I activated the ‘craze’ I had in me. I did not let anybody buy food until I was refunded my money.

GSM Networks: I don’t even think they know what customer care means, sometimes I wonder if those they have at the customer care service are well trained. Many Nigerians are victims of these guys but we are complacent so we suffer in silence. You recharge your phone and call for less than a minute and by the time you check your account balance it is as empty as I don’t know. You can’t make a phone call in some places in Nigeria because the reception is bad and they tell you they are everywhere you go. Hardly will you see a Nigerian that has not had similar experience with these GSM networks. One thing that has always worked for me is that I always stood my ground.

Early this year I subscribed to the BIS, the unlimited monthly plan on one of this GSM networks but they yanked me off after a day. I called the customer care helpline series of time with different voices telling me the same bullshit that there is nothing they can do about it. I was so pissed that I decided to visit their head office on the Island; I even had to queue before I was finally attended to. When I explained to the guy in charge, he collected my phone and checked some things and he was like “sir there is nothing we can do about it” (I so love this part) “WHAT!!” I shouted after waiting for like 2hrs? I hit his table with my fist. I was so ready to fight anyone. I just kept shouting and screaming. Trust me after 10mins of ‘craze’ my data plan was restored and I was given another one month extra.

BANKS: Yes banks. They surely deserve this spot. If there is any industry in Nigeria that would treat you like trash anytime, any day, it is the banking industry.

Nigerian banks have come to take customer care for granted so much that their services have now become so incompetent. You go to Nigerian banks to make transactions and you would be told there is no network; you queue for hours before you can deposit cash, when you take a complaint to the bank you have to wait another 2weeks before it is being considered.

Even online banking is nothing to write home about in Nigeria, we are scared of the ATM machines, your account get debited without you getting no cash.

When it comes to service delivery and customer care in Nigerian banks every family has a story to tell.

There are other industries that I have not mentioned; the Aviation industry (airports and airlines) - remember DANA? Hell yeah! The Nigerian police, PHCN-they give you bills without supplying electricity. Even the government- we pay taxes and #99 for fuel and we get nothing, not even good roads. You miss a flight, you pay extra. The flight get canceled, they don’t pay you.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

The reason why these industries take us for granted is because we keep quiet. Sometimes it is not about the money, it is the principle. We have to stand on your ground. You can’t just shut up while they treat you like trash, it is a service they are offering and you paid for it.

One think that always works for me is ‘craze’, maybe you should stick to it to.

TOP TEN ARTISTES "REPPIN" NIGERIA ACROSS THE BORDERS

If there is anything to be proud of in Nigeria, it is definitely the entertainment sector, especially the music industry. Nigerian artistes are now forces to be reckoned with in the international scene following collaborations with international acts especially P-square’s “beautiful oyinye” feat Rick Ross which threw many off balance.

Today I am gonna be talking about Nigerians who are making Nigeria proud in the international entertainment market, these are Nigerians abroad who are in the climb in their careers and a must-watch and must hear for 2012.

This is my TOP TEN list of Nigerians that are ‘reppin’ our great nation across the borders.

10) SEYE ADELAKUN

This young lad is known for his unique synthesis of Afro beats, indie, pop, R&B and Rock. He is the younger brother of Olugbenga, bassist and co-vocalist. He is a guitarist having played for Paloma Faith and supported tours with the likes of Enuchi sunde.

Seye is half Nigerian and half Kenyan and he is definitely an artist probably going to take over the music industry, soon.

9) AiRiS- (pop/soul/RnB recording Artist)

Many are familiar with this chick and her debut single “without you” which received engaging reviews from the African music industry which was also followed by “sick in love”, “olowo orimi”

She was born to a Nigerian father and Egyptian mother. She spent her young adult years between Nigeria, UK and Egypt. Her work brings a unique mixture of pop and soul to the African music industry.\she moved to Nigeria to pursue her singing/ songwriting career in the spring of 2010.

8) JOSH OSHO

Born 1992 to a Nigerian father is a song writer based in UK. His first single “Redemption Days” was released on the 4^th September 2011 which featured ghost face Killah . His follow up single “Giants” featuring Childish Gambino released 20 April 2012.

This young chap is a must – watch and must – hear.

7) DELE – (RnB singer/song writer)

I am still confused on where to place this 23 year old Nigeria’s UK based RnB singer on my list. This guy is good; I mean it when I say good.

Dele embarked on his first international tour titled ‘out of towner’ this May across Atlanta, USA where he is currently working on some projects. He got his inspiration from the soulful tones of Boyz II Men’s musical versatility.

He is recognized as one of UK’s most talented R&B performers. This dude is definitely reppin Naija and with singles like ‘we knee’, ‘Feel it’,’ Ex’,’ F U Right’, he is poised to shock the music industry with his soothing and sexy vocals

6) ADENIKE – singer/song writer

Adenike Jemiyo is a Nigerian song writer/ singer based in UK. One thing I like about this chick is her soulful vibes coupled with electric style and powerful voice.

The dynamic songstress has apowerful tone and sound that will cause you to remember every word and note that she sings after she finishes. Nike’s coice is even more beautiful than her newly released debut EP “beautiful”, which is  on it’s own right, very beautiful indeed.

Her debut EP also featured a touching emotional video by Olan Collardy “I stayed”. Her blood is green and she is making Nigeria proud.

5) TYLER the CREATOR- (rapper/record producer/music video director)

You may not believe this, but he is a Nigerian. Tyler Gregory Okonma, born in Los Angeles, California to a Nigerian father and a mother of African – American with a Canadian descent. He is a very controversial American rapper, record producer, music video director.

He  won the MTV VMA 2011 for the best new Artist and with his albums “Bastards” and “goblin” as well as being the leader and co-founder of alternative Hip hob collective Odd Future.

Tyler is definitely an artist to keep an eye out for. His new album is slated to drop sometime this year

4) NNEKA

Nneka Lucia Egbona has brought us hit like “Heartbeat”, “Viva Africa” for the 2010 FIFA world cup in South Africa. Nneka is slowly becoming an enigma still sticking to her roots with her music.

The 31 year old songstress was born to a Nigerian father and a German mother. Having toured with the likes of NAs and Damian Marley. Nneka is definitely another artist reppin Naija to the core.

3) TAIO CRUZ- (British singer/songwriter/rapper and entrepreneur)

I think we all know the Pop and RnB singer-songwriter who has featured the likes of Kesha, Cherylcole, Mcfly, Travie Mccoy, Ludacris, Florida and other international acts.

He is born to a Nigerian father and Brazillian mother. His debut album “Departure” which Cruz wrote, arranged and produced achieved success  in the UK and earned him a MOBO award nomination> he released his follow up album ROKSTARR. He has written songs on albums by cherylcole, JLS, The Saturdays, David Guetta. He also wrote some songs for Justin Bieber’s album.

I must tell you this dude is reppin the Nigerian blood.

2) WALE-(singer/songwriter)

Olubowale victor Akintimehin born September 21, 1984 is an American rapper from Washington D.C born to Nigerian parents.

Nominated BET hip hop nawards Best artist 2010, Best collaboration and every once in a while he does a freestyle on apopular Nigerian song like “Oliver twist”.

Now signed to Rick Ross’ Maybach music group with two successful albums “Attention Deficit” and “Ambition”. He is one Nigerian abroad keeping it real and reppin Naija to the fullest.

 

1)TINIE TEMPAH- (Rapper/songwriter)

Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , a 23 year old rapper with hit songs like “Pass out”, “Frisky”, “written in the stars” and “Miami 2”

He has blown into the scene like a wildfire especially when he made the cross over to the US market with the same album.

He is a multiple MOBO and BET award- winning artist headlining concerts worldwide.

Naija is going places especially in the entertainment sector. I represent Naija. Do you?

Nigeria’s Security crises: “NAUGHTY JONAH”AT IT AGAIN

PRESIDENT Goodluck Ebele Jonathan left the country on a trip to Rio de Janero, Brazil for the United Nations’ Earth summit, Rio+20; at a time the country was facing serious security crises.

In response to the critics Jonathan said “one of the problems we have is that some Nigerians play politics with everything, but we cannot destroy our country because of personal political ambitions”. Adding that much of the incessant and often unjustifiable criticisms of his administration were based on lies.

There are so many flaws in the statement made by the president.

” Incessant and often unjustifiable criticism of his administration”. What is not justified in the criticism of his administration? His choice of Rio over the security of his people was a poor decision.

Hundreds died last Sunday, more were injured. Whatever benefit the summit has for Nigeria could be obtained in his absence. He should have devoted himself to resolving the crisis. Was his trip to Brazil a demonstration of indifference to the bloodshed at home?

Should he be reminded of his oath of office?

He swore to uphold the constitution, which in section 14 (2b) states, “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” Where is the security for our people? Will the president find them in Rio? I doubt if he even knows the constitution. I am not sure if he is even qualified to be the president of this country judging by his decisions. The word Priority is not in his dictionary, if he has one.

The people have lost confidence in government protecting them.

Hardly a Sunday passed since the beginning of 2012 without a church being attacked. Where the killings are not in churches, gunmen repealed at robbery operations return to take out as many people as they like.

Government reacts mostly through condolences and toothless threats to the attackers who know that they are above the law. What leadership has GEJ provided in this matter?

If the tragedy in the Northern Nigeria is not politics then what is it? Our presumed leader has not given us the answers we need in this country.

GEJ upon arrival at Rio, Brazil

Criticism is the only democratic tool left for us to use in this country. The level of impunity worries Nigerians, governments ask for patience.

 Should the president not have stayed home to oversee the brewing crisis?

While hundreds are being obliterated, the president jets out to Rio to attend an Earth summit. It is a shameful and disgraceful misplacement of priority. GEJ has not even succeeded in saving Nigeria and he is rushing abroad to save the Earth.

Jonathan has shown that he is not ready and competent to lead Nigeria. Other world leaders will privately mock him. They would say “what is he doing here? Nigeria is on fire and he has not put off the fire and he is here to save the Earth?” what a hero he is.

Charity, they say, begins at home. But ‘Naughty Jonah’ does not care

BOKO HARAM SET TO ATTACK LAGOS & IBADAN- Pan-Yoruba group warns

A new pan-Yoruba group, Apapo Oodua Koya, (AOKOYA) said today that it has “trusted” information that Boko Haram, the dreaded extremist Islamic group, is likely to attack Lagos and Ibadan in the next few days or in the month of July.

“Boko Haram thinks the best way to get attention is through sustained attacks, but the surest way to dominate national discuss and stir critical opinions is to take the battle to the country’s economic hub, which is Lagos and Ibadan,” the group said in a statement in Ibadan signed by its Secretary for Internal Affairs, Alhaji Mufatau Adedoyin.
  

“That is the new thinking of the Boko Haram leadership.”
AOKOYA expressed regret that the political leadership of the South West has no concrete plans to curtail the “almost inevitable” suicide bomb attacks that the Islamic group may unleash on the largely urbanized Yoruba region.
It said that the frequent activities of Boko Haram in Kogi State, plus last weekend’s bomb attacks on Kaduna city are clear indications that cities in South West Nigeria must be prepared for their own dose of suicide attacks from Islamic fundamentalists pushing for sectarian leadership of the country.  The group described the bombing of ECWA church in Kaduna as a calculated attack on the Yoruba people, as they are the most notable worshipers in ECWA churches across the country.
Said the statement: “We have intelligence information that Boko Haram will attack the largely vulnerable Yoruba cities on or before the month of July this year. We fear the carnage that will result from violent attacks on Yoruba cities. It is naïve to assume that Boko Haram will spare Lagos, Ibadan, Warri or any of the Yoruba cities. At present, the Yoruba political leadership relies on the Nigerian Police and the State Security Service, (SSS). These groups are too polarized, corrupt, inept, politicized, ill-motivated and hunted by low morale to be able to offer any hope for the Yoruba people.”
AOKOYA, which describes itself as a Yoruba self-determination group, noted that as Nigeria inches towards 100 years of the forceful amalgamation of the country by imperial lords, “the dissolution of the country should be a natural expectation given the tear, sorrow and blood” that has been Nigeria’s story since 1914.
“There cannot be any redeemer for a nation that is destined and designed to collapse,” it said. “We urge the Yoruba people to rise up and work hard to ensure minimum casualty in our search for the inevitable Oduduwa Republic. We seek alliance with the Middle-Belt, Igbos and the South-South, for the greater future of a traumatized population that have been pushed into the cesspool of underdevelopment, hunger and starvation in the hands of a hateful social and political system that offers nothing but destruction and the spilling of human blood.”
Calling for the assistance of the international community to Nigeria “to prevent the carnage that may arise from the inevitable break-up of the country,” AOKOYA said the bombings will not abate simply because the social and political contradictions of a diverse, plural society being forced to live under one law and value has reached its breaking point.
“The issue is no longer whether the country will break-up, the real issue now is when and how,” the statement said.  “The people face the grim reality of either a violent break-up or ceaseless confrontation with blood and anguish in the hands of extremist forces.”
Culled from Sahara Reporters.

CALL OF SHAME : 'I took the bribe' - Farouk Lawan

When I read about the subsidy probe and the $600,000 Hon. Farouk Lawan allegedly received from Otedola of Zenon oil, I was not interested and looting money has become a national anthem amongst our presumed leaders. But what prompted me to act were comments of some comments made by some Nigerians. I am really perplexed by the way some Nigerians think.

Someone said “the truth of the matter is that our leaders are corrupt to the marrow. To hell with these self – imposed leaders of ours, May God bless our one and only GEJ for having the will to unveil the dreaded cartel that has held this country hostage since time immemorial”.

“May God bless our one and only GEJ for having the will”? What will is that if I may ask? Is it all about PDP or Nigeria? Let us not forget that GEJ, Otedola, SSS, Farouk Lawan are all in the PDP.

A subsidy probe committee was set up which was headed by Hon. Farouk Lawan to monitor the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government and since it has submitted its report, nothing concrete had been done about it. The subsidy probe committee had earlier sent a report to the executive but it wasn’t acted upon but now that there are allegations against the chairman of the committee that he received bribe, the report has lost its credibility.

Hon. Farouk Lawan had denied the allegation earlier that he received 600k from Otedola but according to THIS DAY newspaper, he revealed that he actually collected $500,000 and not $600,000 from Otedola, whom he accused of offering him the money to influence the probe panel’s report. He also said it was Otedola that initiated the bribe offer in order for him to remove Zenon’s name from the list of companies that collected foreign exchange from CBN without importing petroleum products.

Lawan said he had informed the chairman of the house committee on Narcotic drugs and financial crimes, Hon. Adams jagaba, through a letter dated April 24, 2012 of Otedola’s alleged persistence to bribe him to influence the outcome of the investigation. 

Femi Otedola, businessman and President, Zenon Oil & Gas •Farouk Lawan

Lawan also said he attached “the sum of 500,000 dollars only offered to me with another promise of 2million, five hundred thousand dollars” to the letter.

Lawan, in a statement in which he gave a detailed account of what transpired between him and Otedola, said “I had considered bringing this issue as a matter of privilege on the floor of the house latter today (April 24), but I am concerned that the controversy it will generate will dwarf the contents of the report, which needs public attention so that necessary reforms in the sector could be affected”.

Farouk Lawan

“I gave the desperation of Mr. Otedola, handling this matter, in a firm but diplomatic manner is necessary as he has also made some veiled threats which put me and members of the committee in a delicate situation”.

“Veiled threats which put me and members of the committee in a delicate situation”? What threats? What delicate situation? Let us call a spade a spade, both of them are guilty (the person that gave and the one that received the bribe).

Nigeria is not PDP and PDP is not Nigeria. Nigerians should open their eyes to clearly see what is happening here. Let us alight from the “one chance” bus that the PDP has put us into.

I agree that Farouk Lawan should be prosecuted but others should too. We have so many cases that have been swept under the carpet. These things happens every day in government circles and nobody blows it open because they all benefit one way or the other.

As I said earlier, let us not forget the fact that GEJ, Otedola, Farouk Lawan, EFCC, SSS are all PDP. It is a planned work and he (Farouk Lawan) foolishly fell for it.

Femi Otedola

All these people in government do the same thing but you only get exposed if you are not in the good books of those that matters. A country where majority live below poverty level and Otedola has $3million to bribe some body. May the end be the best for the just and honest ones.

There was a confirmed case of #155 billion fraud against the government office including GEJ. What did they do about it?

Now that it is obvious that everything in Nigeria is corrupt, what would ordinary Nigerians do? Who are we going to cry to for help? EFCC, SSS, Senate, who?

God knows!