Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Expose Corruption Everywhere in Nigeria

Do you know that over 20 million Nigerians have graduated from tertiary institutions since 1948 to date? But majority of them have wasted their skills and talents and have done more harm than good to Nigeria. Their mismanagement of the civil service made Nigeria to become one of the most corrupt and underdeveloped countries in the world. But to make matters worse, their ill-bred children and grandchildren are following the evil footsteps of their cheating, lying and stealing foolish and corrupt parents, uncles and aunts. The cankerworms destroying our beloved country.

These brainless and shameless brutes and intellectual morons who cheated their way into the tertiary schools and also cheated and forged their way into the public and private sectors are the enemies of our progress. We must expose them and get rid of them by simply rejecting them everywhere we spot them.

Expose the cheats among us and expose corrupt ones in the schools and offices in Nigeria.

We must practice and uphold the best principles and practices of scholarship and workmanship.

We must respect and uphold the dignity and integrity of human values and virtues and we must stop behaving like ANIMALS in the jungle.


Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Do You Know the Best Hotels in Nigeria?

Vote for the best Hotels in Nigeria.

Are you ready?


18:09
Florida Cities Among the Most Popular Destinations for U.S. and International Travelers According to hotels.com Hotel Price Index
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Albuquerque Has Lowest Hotel Prices in the U.S. According to hotels.com Hotel Price Index
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New York City Hotel Rates Drop 30 Percent According to hotels.com Hotel Price Index

Hi Nolly of Nigeria Nominated for the HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards 2009

Hi Nolly of Nigeria has been nominated for the HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards 2009 in the Cinema category. The following report contains the details.


29 Sep 2009 15:03 Africa/Lagos



HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards 2009

Record Number of Thematic TV Channels Take Part in This Year's Event

PARIS, September 29/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --


- Viewers Now Voting for Popular People's Choice Award!


From rewarding a fresh take on videoclips, to documentaries exposing the most spectacular human achievements, and sports coverage putting you at the wheel of a Formula 1 car, the HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards is a unique event for celebrating the achievements of thematic satellite channels. Now in its 12th edition, this international award is bestowed annually on thematic channels broadcast by Eutelsat satellites that are considered by an international jury to have excelled in terms of programming ideas and innovation.


For this year's event, the jury of journalists and media experts assessed a record number of channels broadcasting in Europe, the Middle East and, for the first time, in Africa. Among the 144 channels viewed, a total of 34 in 11 thematic categories have been shortlisted for an Award on the basis of the quality of their programme production and innovative concepts.


The nominations for 2009 are:



THEME CHANNEL COUNTRY
HDTV Deutsche Welle TV Germany
HD Suisse Switzerland
National Geographic Italy
Channel HD

Childrens' Baraem Qatar
K2 Italy
Tv-nanny Russia
Cinema ale kino! Poland

Hi Nolly Nigeria/UK
Wojna i Pokoj Poland
Culture/
Education
Nostalgia Russia
Red Italy
Zakon-TV Russia

Documentaries BBC Knowledge UK
IZ TV Turkey
Vremya Russia

Fiction Fox Retro Italy
M-Net Action South Africa
Tele Klub Russia

Lifestyle Auto Plus Russia
Body in Balance Germany
World Fashion Channel Switzerland

Music C Music TV UK
Nigezie Nigeria/UK
Trace Tropical France

News BBC Persian UK
France 24 France
SKY TG24 Italy
TVN CNBC Biznes Poland

Sport ESPN Classic Italy
SKY Sport24 Italy
Yacht & Sail Italy

National Window CCTV 9 China
Duna TV Hungary
Yes Italia Italy




Votes open for People's Choice Award!


Repeating the popularity of the past three years, this year's HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards includes the People's Choice Award, which will go to the channel with the largest number of votes from viewers. All participating channels are eligible to take part in the People's Choice, with viewers invited to vote through each channel's website and key industry sites including hotbirdtvawards.com, eutelsat.com, eurovisioni.net, satexpo.com and lyngsat.com/hotbird.html.


3D - a first Award in 2009


Continuing the HOT BIRD(TM) TV Award's strong tradition of celebrating technical innovation, an Award will be presented for the first time for pioneering developments in 3D transmissions.


The 2009 HOT BIRD(TM) TV AWARDS ceremony event will be held on November 20 in Venice at the Scuola Grande of San Giovanni Evangelista.


HOT BIRD(TM) TV AWARDS Jury


Jerzy Barski, TV-Sat Magazine (Poland), Jacques Braun, Eurodata TV (France), Paolo Dalla Chiara, Pentastudio (Italy), Giovanna Maggioni, Upa (Italy), Asu Maro, Milliyet Sanat and Milliyet Daily (Turkey), Mimi Turner, Hollywood Reporter (Europe), Stefanie Von Beoczy, EGTA (Europe). Jury coordinator: Duilio Giammaria, Rai (Italy); technical expert Mauro Roffi, Mille Canali (Italy).


The HOT BIRD(TM) TV AWARDS is an event promoted by Eutelsat, Europe's leading satellite operator, with the collaboration of Eurovisioni, a leading European event dedicated to the video market, to be held in Rome from 11 to 14 of October as part of the International Film Festival of Rome, and SAT Expo, the international exhibition of advanced digital and satellite telecommunications, which will be held in Rome from 4 to 6 February, 2010.


Eutelsat Communications


With capacity commercialised on 27 satellites providing coverage over the entire Europe as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of turnover. At 30 June 2009, Eutelsat's satellites broadcast almost 3,200 television channels and 1,100 radio stations. More than 1,000 channels broadcast via its HOT BIRD (TM) video neighbourhood at 13 degrees East which serves over 123 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Group also provides TV contribution services, data services and broadband solutions on ground, at sea and in flight.


http://www.eutelsat.com


SAT Expo


SAT Expo Europe is the international event dedicated to the aerospace industry, its services and applications and integrated telecommunications. Held annually in Rome, it houses an exhibition area, which comprises representatives of the industries, applications and services of the four aerospace macro areas (Earth observation, navigation, exploration and space transportation, integrated telecommunications) and three days congresses (Mediterranean Space Conference), dedicated to aerospace market and its internationalization. SAT Expo Europe enjoys the patronage of the Presidency of the Italian Republic and the scientific collaboration of ESA and ASI.


http://www.satexpo.it


Eurovisioni


Eurovisioni, International Festival of Cinema and Television, was created in 1987 and now in its 23rd edition. Eurovisioni 2009 (from 11 to 14 of October) is dedicated to creativity and innovation in the audiovisual market, is part of the European events for the Year of Creativity, and received the patronage of the Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano, the European Commissioner for Information Society and Media, the Council of Europe, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Presidency of the Senate, the Presidency of the Chamber of Deputies, the Lazio Region, the Province and Municipality of Rome, and others. Among others, the initiative is supported by ARD, BBC, Canal +, Eutelsat, France Television, RAI, RTVE, TVP, ZDF.


2009 edition takes place during the fourth International Film Festival of Rome.


http://www.eurovisioni.it



Press Contacts:
Press Contacts HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards
Eutelsat: Vanessa O'Connor, Tel. +33-1-5398-3888, e-mail:
voconnor@eutelsat.fr
Promospace: Matteo Sassano, Tel. +39-0444-543-133, email
msassano@pentastudio.it

Organisation:
Promospace - Tel. +39-0444-543-133 - e-mail:
hba@satexpo.it




Source: Eutelsat Communications

Press Contacts: Press Contacts HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards, Eutelsat: Vanessa O'Connor, Tel. +33-1-5398-3888, e-mail: voconnor@eutelsat.fr, Promospace: Matteo Sassano, Tel. +39-0444-543-133, email: msassano@pentastudio.it; Organisation: Promospace - Tel. +39-0444-543-133 - e-mail: hba@satexpo.it

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Saturday, September 26, 2009

Made in Aba versus Made in China Gucci



These days to show class, wearing apparels with the labels of world famous fashion designers is the rigueur of posh places and events of the Nigerian nouveau riche. But most of them are only aping Western elites, posing and posturing with false airs and graces as they dress to impress their peers and the poor ones they want to hoodwink. So to them wearing their bling bling Guccio Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana (D&G) or Coco Chanel is chic.



I started my professional career at 18 when most of my mates were still competing for matriculation in the early 1980s and was already a well paid prolific scriptwriter for the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Channel 10 before I turned 24 and could afford to buy any of the so called foreign made posh designers from Gucci to Giorgio Armani, but even though more pay tempted me to shop where the movers and shakers of the upper social class loved to shop, I ignored the Nigerian Joneses and even met the top Nigerian fashion designer Sefinatu Mohammed at the Federal Palace where she used as her base. She thought I was a bad dresser, but I preferred to spend my money on buying loads of chocolates for her only daughter.



I loved to dress to express myself as a bohemian artist and poet and not to impress anyone. Even being close to the pretty daughter of a diplomat in the upscale Ikoyi did not change my attitude. But I was compelled to join the Joneses when I got a new job as the Art/Features Editor of a national Children’s magazine published by a French trained fashionable young millionaire with our office on the eleventh floor of the high rise Western House on Broad Street. My boss, Tunde Ereola insisted on wearing mostly made in France and made in Italy designer silk shirts and 100% wool jackets and he bought some for me. We dressed alike and walked tall at posh clubs and social functions in Lagos. I loved and treasured the Valentino Garavani suit he gave me until a Shomolu washerman ruined it.

I was chauffeur-driven in a Toyota jeep and dressing to impress his clients and peers became my duty, but not my passion. I was glad when I left to concentrate on writing my books and working as a national program consultant for the UNICEF at 25 and my job did not require wearing foreign designers’ apparels. I could wear my proudly made in Aba shirts and trousers and shoes and never cared about my peers parading like peacocks in their made in Milan designs.

Today, I smirk when I see the younger Turks of our so called Nigerian Hip-hop generation displaying their bling bling Gucci, D&G or Versace, because most of them do not know that thousands of poor people are being cheated and exploited as factory hands in China and other Asian countries to mass produce their so called Gucci, D&G and Chanel clothes and footwear and sold to the ignorant wannabe Joneses of the Nigerian nouveau riche. I am proud to wear my made in Aba shirt and trousers and boots and walking tall anywhere. Even the wedding suit of the popular Nollywood star Emeka Enyiocha was cut and sewn by a local Igbo tailor in Yaba and he was looking like one million dollars as he was wore it on his wedding day.

There is really nothing special about parading the labels and tags of top foreign fashion designers. They are not better than our own Deola Sagoe, Frank Oshodi, Modela, Mon Ami, Mudi, Remi Lagos and the unsung masters of made in Nigeria fashion industry.

I would love to show off an original Frank Oshodi suit or a Mudi shirt than parade myself in a copy of an original Gucci or Armani mass produced in Asia and pretending that it’s original apparel from an Armani Emporium in New York.

I am also a fashion designer of unisex apparels made in France and with the same world class quality as any original Gucci or D&G as displayed on my popular fashion, life and entertainment blog Kisses 'n' Roses where I also promote and sell the original designs of Giorgio Armani and other famous names and not mass produced in China or Bangladesh. Therefore, I can tell the real McCoy from the copies being displayed by Nigerian Hip-hop artistes and actors on their red or yellow carpet events in Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt.

I am very proud of our made in Aba or made in Yaba clothes, footwear and bags and still walking tall and proudly Nigerian online and offline.

The man makes the suit and the suit does not make the man.

Read the following extract from the New York Times:
For more than a century, the luxury fashion business was made up of small family companies that produced beautiful items of the finest materials. It was a niche business for a niche clientele. But in the late 1980s, business tycoons began to buy up these companies and turn them into billion-dollar global brands producing millions of logo-covered items for the middle market. The executives labeled this rollout the “democratization” of luxury, which is now a $157-billion-a-year industry.

To help these newly titanic brands retain an air of old-world luxury, marketing executives played up the companies’ heritage and claimed that the items were still made in Europe by hand — like Geppetto hammering in his workshop by candlelight. But this sort of labor is wildly expensive, the executives routinely explain, which is why the retail prices for luxury goods keep going up and up.
In fact, many luxury-brand items today are made on assembly lines in developing nations, where labor is vastly cheaper. I saw this firsthand when I visited a leather-goods factory in China, where women 18 to 26 years old earn $120 a month sewing and gluing together luxury-brand leather handbags, knapsacks, wallets and toiletry cases. One bag I watched them put together — for a brand whose owners insist is manufactured only in Italy — cost $120 apiece to produce. That evening, I saw the same bag at a Hong Kong department store with a price tag of $1,200 — a typical markup.

How do the brands get away with this? Some hide the “Made in China” label in the bottom of an inside pocket or stamped black on black on the back side of a tiny logo flap. Some bypass the “provenance” laws requiring labels that tell where goods are produced by having 90 percent of the bag, sweater, suit or shoes made in China and then attaching the final bits — the handle, the buttons, the lifts — in Italy, thus earning a “Made in Italy” label. Or some simply replace the original label with one stating it was made in Western Europe.

Not all luxury brands do the bait and switch. The chief executive of the French luxury brand Hermès readily told me that some of its silk scarves are hemmed by hand in Mauritius, where labor costs less. And Louis Vuitton, which boasts that it churns out its $3 billion worth of leather goods each year in its company-owned factories in France, Spain and Southern California, announced in September that it plans to build a factory in India to produce shoes

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/23/opinion/23thomas.html?_r=1



Thursday, September 24, 2009

"Say You're One of Them" Is a Must Read




22 Sep 2009 21:34 Africa/Lagos



Oprah's Book Club, the Progressive Book Club, Publishers Weekly, and the New York Times Agree: "Say You're One of Them" Is a Must Read

NEW YORK, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Selected more than a year ago by Progressive Book Club (www.progressivebookclub.com) as one of the most important books about the realities of life for Africa's children, Uwem Akpan's acclaimed collection of stories, "Say You're One of Them", has consistently garnered high praise from the literary world. And now the book has received one of the highest endorsements possible: Oprah Winfrey has announced that it has been selected for Oprah's Book Club.


Told through the eyes of children, "Say You're One of Them"'s stories are startlingly real and compassionate as they humanize the perils of poverty and violence in Africa. The stories take place in Nigeria, Benin, and Ethiopia, and reveal in beautiful language the harsh consequences for children immersed in war-torn and impoverished Africa. Christians clash with Muslims, parents succumb to AIDS, and monstrous events ensue -- all seen here through the wide-eyed gaze of the children caught in the middle.


"This wonderful, insightful book is finally getting the accolades and attention it so deserves," said PBC president Elizabeth Wagley. "Each story has enduring resonance, a terrible beauty of its own. Together, this collection enlarges what we know of children in danger, the innocent victims of tribal conflicts, genocide, and the ravages of AIDS. These are subjects that often make people avert their eyes from the horror -- but literature like this can move us to look, to listen, and to act."


"In this collection, [Akpan's] aim seems to be to dramatize partisan hatred at work," writes Maureen Corrigan, PBC Editorial Board member and book critic for NPR's Fresh Air. "Akpan's brilliance is to present that brutal subject through the all-too-real voices of children; he never succumbs to the temptation of making his narrators endearing or overly innocent. They've seen too much to pretend purity."


About Progressive Book Club


Progressive Book Club finds and promotes important authors, ideas, and new voices. Part e-bookseller and part online magazine, the club offers a unique opportunity to buy new books and support important causes with every purchase. PBC has created a 21st-century platform that enables people to learn, connect, and engage on the issues they care about most -- while keeping progressive ideas at the center of the national debate.


Contact:
Progressive Book Club: 212-871-8210
www.progressivebookclub.com

Source: Progressive Book Club

CONTACT: Progressive Book Club, +1-212-871-8210


Web Site: http://www.progressivebookclub.com/



Nigerians Report's Editor's comment:

I am happy for Father Uwem Akpan, and for the insight of Lady Oprah Winfrey.

This is good news for us.

As already noted that “Oprah's book club is the biggest in the world with almost two million online members and books chosen for Oprah's book club invariably skyrockets to the top of the U.S. bestseller lists”. Uwem knows how best to use his fame and fortune for the glory of God.

His comprehensive education is a good vehicle for his creative genius.

Nigeria is blessed with many gifted thinkers and writers. But most of the adult population of the over 151 million Nigerians pay only eye service and lip service to art appreciation of the beautiful and wonderful works of God. Hypocrisy is common way of life among most of the so called believers.

Less than 50, 000 copies of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s prizewinning books have been sold in Nigeria when over 600, 000 copies have been sold in America. I hope the millions of Catholics and Christians and other faithful citizens irrespective of their beliefs in Nigeria will buy Uwem Akpan’s book after all the praise singing.

Buy a copy to read and do not borrow it and buy more copies and give them out as gifts.

Don't forget that Jesus was a priest and a poet.
~ Uwem Akpan










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Thursday, September 17, 2009

Robbed, Threatened and Murdered : The Top 5 Most Dangerous Holiday Destinations

17 Sep 2009 08:45 Africa/Lagos

Robbed, Threatened and Murdered : The Top 5 Most Dangerous Holiday Destinations

UTRECHT, The Netherlands, September 17/PRNewswire/ -- All holiday goers want to enjoy a carefree time. Sadly, too often holiday goers get caught up in unsafe and unpleasant situations. The holiday review website Zoover has compiled a list of holiday destinations that are best avoided if you want to enjoy a carefree and much earned vacation.


1) Durban, South Africa


In South Africa some cities are unable to guarantee your safety. Especially the harbor city of Durban is notorious as far as personal safety goes. A. Dijkhzuizen has the following warning: 'Be careful, don't just get into a taxi. You could get ambushed, robbed etc. Taxi chauffeurs are regularly murdered, especially those driving busses or vans'.


2) Rio de Janeiro, Brasil


This South American metropolis is known for its criminal activity and corruption . The reason Jeroen van den Bos won't return to Rio de Janeiro, in his words, is: 'At first glance it appears to be a beautiful city but in reality it's polluted and we were robbed at gunpoint of our money, sunglasses and sports shoes in the Ipanema suburb. The police did not make us feel any better or safer'.


3) Nairobi, Kenya


The capital of Kenya displays a large discrepancy between the wealthy and poor. Bert has the following to say: 'Kenya and the capital Nairobi are beautiful but terribly criminal. Make sure that you take a taxi at night or are escorted at night because 'going out' without such safety precautions is foolish'.


4) Playa el Agua, Isla Margarita


This popular coastal destination is becoming increasingly unsafe. 'Very dangerous, we could not even leave our compound. Several people were robbed, and I mean with a gun to their head', according to Wendy who spent her holiday there.


5) Caracas, Venezuela


In the capital city of Venezuela, poverty is sadly the cause of much criminal activity. Tonny Oosterwaal experienced this first hand: 'I was robbed at gunpoint which caused my wife to faint', he told Zoover.


Zoover.co.uk


http://www.Zoover.co.uk is an independent and free holiday website where holiday destinations and accommodations are reviewed. Zoover is active in The UK as well as Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, The UK, The Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Switzerland and Turkey.


Source: Zoover

Note for editors (not for publication), More information: Contact Chrit Blonden, Telephone number +31(0)88-8786885, E-mail c.blonden@zoover.com



Ranet, truet og myrdet

Bestjålet, truet og myrdet

Rånade, hotade och mördade

Beroofd, bedreigd en vermoord

Beraubt, bedroht und ermordet!

Robados, amenazados y asesinados: Top 5 destinos de vacaciones más peligrosos

La bourse ou la vie : les 5 destinations de vacances les plus dangereuses

Os 5 destinos de férias mais perigosos

Minacciati, derubati e rapinati : Le top 5 mete più pericolose


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Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Global Poll: Widespread Perception of Serious Lack of Political Tolerance

15 Sep 2009 16:00 Africa/Lagos

Global Poll: Widespread Perception of Serious Lack of Political Tolerance

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll finds a widespread perception of a serious lack of political tolerance. Large majorities around the world perceive that people in their country are not completely free to express unpopular views; that opposition parties do not get a fair chance to express their views and influence government decisions; and that legislators have limited freedom to express views that differ from their political party's.


The poll, sponsored by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and released in conjunction with International Democracy Day, also finds overwhelming global support for the freedom of diverse political expression and, more broadly, for democracy.


WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted the poll of 21,285 respondents in 24 nations that comprise 64 percent of the world's population, including most of the largest nations--China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia and South Africa--as well as Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Germany, Great Britain, France, Israel, Poland, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Kenya, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, the Republic of Korea, and Palestine. The margins of error range from +/-2 to 4 percentage points. The surveys were conducted between April 4 and June 30, 2009. Not all questions were asked in all nations.


No nation has a majority saying that people are completely free to express unpopular views without fear of reprisal. Only 4 nations have majorities saying that opposition parties mostly get a fair chance to express their views and influence government. Majorities in 20 nations say legislators feel free to express views that differ from those of their party only sometimes, or rarely.


This perceived lack of tolerance contrasts sharply with overwhelming support for the freedom to express diverse political views, which is supported by majorities in all nations.


"Around the world we find a remarkable consensus that a diversity of political views should be tolerated, together with a widespread perception that such diversity is not fully tolerated in society in general, or even in the functioning of legislatures," comments Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org.


Majorities in all nations (averaging 90 percent) say it is important to live in a democratically governed country, with 67 percent saying it is very important. Among those who say it is very important to be free to express unpopular views, 80 percent also say it is very important to live in a democracy.


WorldPublicOpinion.org, a collaborative project involving research centers worldwide, is managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland.


Source: Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland

CONTACT: Steven Kull, WorldPublicOpinion.org, +1-202-232-7500


Web Site: http://worldpublicopinion.org/



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Pan African Telecommunications Museum

Dear Publishers and Editors,

We the African Council for Arts & Culture (AFCAC) are a registered Panafrican cultural development organisation based in Germany.

To help commemorate the development of telecommunications in Africa, we are promoting the PAN AFRICAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS MUSEUM (PATM). This museum will showcase the development of wireless communication in Africa from the talking drum to the latest device.

There shall also be permanent and temporary exhibitions with crowd-pulling effects in the museum facilities.
Stakeholders of the African Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sectors who become members of the Pan African Telecommunications Museum will have space to exhibit their brands for as long as they remain members.

Apart from the African ICT stakeholders, membership of the PATM is open to any natural or legal person in singular and plural interested in the advancement of Appropriate Technology, Arts, Culture, Heritage and Social Responsibility.

African cities of the member states of the African Union invited to apply for the hosting of the museum and members will vote for the best candidate city.

To give the cities within your target groups a chance to apply we shall very thankful if you kindly publish the attached press release in your respectful medium (downloadable from: http://www.africac.org/PanafricanTelecommunicationsMuseum.html).


Do not hesitate to contact us for clarifications and details:

Yours sincerely,

Bubacarr Sankanu
African Council for Arts and Culture (AFCAC)
Pan African Telecommunications Museum
Postfach 800144
D-51001 Cologne, Germany

Tel.: 0049152-0444-246
Fax: 0049221-9646-412
Emails:princebubacarrstm@africac.org [mailto:princebubacarrstm@africac.org]
secretariat@africac.org [mailto:secretariat@africac.org]
Site:http://www.africac.org/PanafricanTelecommunicationsMuseum.html


Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Corruption and Strangulation of Nigerian Youth by the NYSC




The Corruption and Strangulation of Nigerian Youth by the NYSC


Youths obey the clarion call
Let us lift our nation high
Under the sun or in the rain
With dedication and selflessness
Nigeria is ours, Nigeria we serve
.

This is the first stanza of the National Youth Service Corp(NYSC) anthem.

Looking closely to the words of the anthem, it exhibits the willingness of the great Nigerian youth who invariably would become the future leaders of our country to obey the call to serve his fatherland selflessly, but that’s not the case.

What is now obtained is the corruption of the mind of the great Nigerian Youth. How, you may ask? I will tell you. You may be aware of the fact that money changes hands and favors are obtained to influence the posting of the prospective corps members to what is called the “STATES OF MILK AND HONEY” where there are better opportunities in the sense that the availability of white collar jobs are higher than in other states. These most sought after states include Lagos, Abuja, Rivers, and Bayelsa, but this is not the end. After securing the posting to any of these so called “milk and honey” states, more money changes hands and more favors are granted to post the corps members to lucrative companies, such as banks or oil companies that pay well. The ideology is that the more you have, the better your placement. This is a country that is breathing fire and brimstone on corrupt practices, but embedding it knowingly in the minds of the future leaders of the country.

One may ask why the craze for better employment opportunities? The answer is simply the inability of the scheme to pay corps members sufficiently. The monthly allowance of a corps member is N9, 770 (about $90) only. If you get lucky to get posted to an organization that pays sufficiently, you may get from N8, 000 – N40, 000, excluding the allowance from the Federal Government, but if you are unlucky, you get stuck with the regular N9, 770. From this meager allowance, you are expected to feed, transport and accommodate yourself, because most of the employers do not provide accommodation and to worsen the case, this petty cash allowance is not even paid on time.
Let us break this down logically. You are posted to teach at a school in Ojo suburb of Lagos state and this is your first time in Lagos and no form of accommodation is provided. You are lucky to have a friend that resides in Ikoyi, but he daily transport fare is N500 and approximately N10, 000 monthly. How are you expected to feed, bathe, clothe and transport yourself to the NYSC Secretariat, pay the small levies imposed and other activities??? It often makes one wonder if its self-service or government imposed slavery?

This is a very serious issue that needs looking into.
Accommodation and transportation are important things that are very necessary for a corps member during the service year and the government should look for ways to lessen the burden of corps members.

Nigerian Youths do not deserve to be subjected to this form of physical, psychological and social trauma. It can be authoritatively said that the government is nurturing a corrupt and mentally broken-down youth in Nigeria.


By AI, A NYSCorps member serving in Lagos, Nigeria.
October, 2008.

Editor’s Statement: Nigerians Report is committed to reporting the truth without fear or partiality for the common good of humanity.

Every evil begins with a lie and the only way to get rid of evils is to expose all the lies of the devils in our midst no matter their rank and file without apologies or regrets.


Sunday, September 13, 2009

International Hacker Pleads Guilty for Massive Hacks of U.S. Retail Networks

11 Sep 2009 17:38 Africa/Lagos

International Hacker Pleads Guilty for Massive Hacks of U.S. Retail Networks

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An international computer hacker pleaded guilty today to multiple charges relating to hacking activity and credit card fraud, announced Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Lanny A. Breuer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Michael Loucks, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Benton J. Campbell and Director of the U.S. Secret Service Mark Sullivan. More than 40 million credit and debit card numbers were stolen from major U.S. retailers as a result of the hacking activity.


Albert Gonzalez, 28, of Miami, pleaded guilty today to 19 counts of conspiracy, computer fraud, wire fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft relating to hacks into numerous major U.S. retailers including TJX Companies, BJ's Wholesale Club, OfficeMax, Boston Market, Barnes & Noble and Sports Authority. Gonzalez was indicted in August 2008 in the District of Massachusetts on charges related to these hacks.


Gonzalez also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to hacks into the Dave & Buster's restaurant chain, which were the subject of a May 2008 indictment in the Eastern District of New York. The pleas in both cases were entered before U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris in federal court in Boston.


"Consumers must be able to trust that the credit and debit cards they use everyday in thousands of stores around the world are safe from unlawful access," said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division. "Working together with U.S. Attorneys' Offices around the country and with the invaluable support of law enforcement agencies, we will continue our efforts to identify and prosecute hacking and credit card fraud."


"The investigation and prosecution of identity theft is a top priority of the Department," said Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Michael Loucks. "In the past 10 years there has been a dramatic growth in the transfer and storage of credit and debit card data on computer networks. It is thus compellingly important that we work hard to investigate and prosecute the theft of personal identity data that citizens entrust to computer networks every day."


"Computer hacking and identity theft pose serious risks to our commercial, personal and financial security," stated U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Benton J. Campbell. "Hackers, including those who commit their crimes from abroad, will find no refuge from the reach of U.S. criminal justice -- they will be found, prosecuted and convicted."


"Technology has forever changed the way we do business, virtually erasing geographic boundaries," said U.S. Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan. "However, this case demonstrates that even in the cyber world, there is no such thing as anonymity. The Secret Service, in conjunction with its many law enforcement partners across the United States and around the world, continues to successfully combat these crimes by adapting our investigative methodologies. We realize our success in this investigation is due in part to the cooperation of these partners in more than a dozen international law enforcement agencies."


According to the indictments to which Gonzalez pleaded guilty, he and his co-conspirators broke into retail credit card payment systems through a series of sophisticated techniques, including "wardriving" and installation of sniffer programs to capture credit and debit card numbers used at these retail stores. Wardriving involves driving around in a car with a laptop computer looking for accessible wireless computer networks of retailers. Using these techniques, Gonzalez and his co-conspirators were able to steal more than 40 million credit and debit card numbers from retailers. Also according to the indictments, Gonzalez and his co-conspirators sold the numbers to others for their fraudulent use and engaged in ATM fraud by encoding the data on the magnetic stripes of blank cards and withdrawing tens of thousands of dollars at a time from ATMs. According to the indictments, Gonzalez and his co-conspirators concealed and laundered their fraud proceeds by using anonymous Internet-based currencies both within the United States and abroad, and by channeling funds through bank accounts in Eastern Europe.


Based on the terms of the Boston plea agreement, Gonzalez faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 25 years in prison. Based on the New York plea agreement, Gonzalez faces up to 20 years in prison, which the parties have agreed should run concurrently. He also faces a fine of up to twice the pecuniary gain, twice the victims' pecuniary loss or $250,000, whichever is greatest, per count for the Boston case and a maximum fine of $250,000 for the New York case. Gonzalez also agreed to an order of restitution for the loss suffered by his victims, and forfeiture of more than $2.7 million as well as multiple items of real estate and personal property, including a condo in Miami, a 2006 BMW 330i, a Tiffany diamond ring and Rolex watches. Included in the forfeited currency is more than $1 million in cash, which Gonzalez had buried in a container in his backyard. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 8, 2009.


Gonzalez remains under indictment for charges brought in August 2009 by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey of conspiring to hack into computer networks supporting major U.S. retail and financial organizations and steal credit and debit card numbers from those entities. Among the corporate victims named in that indictment are Heartland Payment Systems, a New Jersey-based card payment processor; 7-Eleven Inc., a Texas-based nationwide convenience store chain; and Hannaford Brothers Co. Inc., a Maine-based supermarket chain. Charges in that case remain pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. While Gonzalez has pleaded guilty to the Boston and New York charges, he has not pleaded guilty to charges pending in New Jersey and remains presumed innocent of those charges.


The Boston case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Heymann and Donald Cabell of the District of Massachusetts. The New York case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Campos of the Eastern District of New York, and Senior Counsel Kimberly Kiefer Peretti and Trial Attorney Evan Williams of the Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. All of these cases are being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service.


Source: U.S. Department of Justice

CONTACT: U.S. Department of Justice, +1-202-514-2008, +1-202-514-1888
(TDD)

Web Site: http://www.usdoj.gov/


Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
11 Sep 2009
21:21
Frost, Lyman, Marshall, Sestanovich Join NED Board of Directors




Startup Weekend Nigeria Rocks!