Àwọ̀n ọ́mọ́ Yorùbá, ẹ́ ronú!

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Give President Goodluck Jonathan A High Five!

Give President Goodluck Jonathan a High Five!
Photo: President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan and Hon. Ndubuisi Ebiliekwe(Ebilikoko).
Source: Nigerians Report Online.



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Transcript of the G-24 Press Briefing

WASHINGTON, 10 October 2014 / PRN Africa / -- Ms. Elnagar: Hello, everyone, and welcome to the IMF World Bank Annual Meetings, and to the G-24 Press Briefing. I am Randa Elnagar from the IMF Communications Department. Let me remind you that we have Arabic and Spanish interpretation in the room.

On the podium with me here is the Chair of the G-24, Dr. Naglaa el-Ehwany, Minister of International Cooperation in Egypt; she is on the right. Representing the First Vice Chair on her right is Mr. Alain Bifani, Director-General of the Ministry of Finance in Lebanon. On Mr. Bifani's right is Mr. Andres Velasco, Director of Macroeconomic Policy in the Ministry of Finance in Colombia. In addition, we have Ms. Marilou Uy, Director of the G-24 Secretariat.

First, we are going to start with Ms. El-Ehwany's comments and after that we going to take questions. Thank you.

Ms. El-Ehwany: First, let me welcome all you to this press conference. You have our communiqué, so I can be very brief.

Our meeting focused on two central issues, the Global Economy and Implications for Emerging Markets and Developing Countries and Financing for Development. We also discussed the Role and Reform of both the IMF and the World Bank Group.

First, our Ministers agreed that we continue to face a global economy that is highly uncertain. Growth forecasts have been revised downward since April and downside risks have risen. In the short term, the tapering of monetary policy in major advanced economies poses immediate risks of turmoil in global markets and adverse spillovers for EMDCs. In order to avoid these harmful spillovers and spillbacks, we urged advanced economies to take steps to coordinate and more clearly communicate their policies. It will also be crucial to ensure that emerging and developing countries have access to adequate and more flexible financial safety nets.

Ministers also discussed the considerable long-term risks associated with the potential for an extended period of low or stagnating growth, particularly in advanced economies, which would adversely affect developing country growth prospects. We called on advanced economies to implement deeper structural reforms and more supportive fiscal policies.

While our own economies have been broadly resilient since the crisis and have continued to account for the majority of global growth, it will be critical for us to take actions to support quality and inclusive growth in the long term through increased investment, especially in infrastructure, job creation and improved productivity. We also stressed the absolute imperative of a sharper focus on equality and social inclusion both as outright objectives and as channels for growth.

Achieving our growth and development goals in an inclusive, sustainable way will also require substantial augmentation and revitalization of development finance. We committed to broad actions to strengthen domestic sources of finance, but also called for cooperation from the international community on tax evasion and noncompliance, delivery of aid commitments and strengthened development banking.

With regard to the IMF, our discussion today revolved around the absolute imperative of coming to closure on IMF quota and governance reforms. We are deeply disappointed that the already agreed 2010 package of reforms has not been implemented. This impacts the credibility, legitimacy and effectiveness of the IMF and prevents us from undertaking further necessary reforms and meeting forward-looking commitments.
We believe that all options to sustain voice and governance reforms need to be considered, keeping in mind that the goal of any reforms must be to recognize the growing role of emerging markets and developing countries in the global economy while enhancing the voice of the poor and small, low and middle-income countries.

We also discussed the role and reform of the World Bank Group. We stressed the importance of recognizing the changing global economic realities and the changing development landscape in the governance structure of the Bank, and called for both full implementation of the 2010 governance reforms and also the conclusion of the next Shareholding Review by October 2015, as previously agreed.

Finally, we expressed our deep concern for those countries affected by the Ebola outbreak and underscored the urgent need to contain the outbreak and mitigate the human and economic costs. We call, therefore, for urgent and concerted support by the international community and welcome the stepped-up efforts of the World Bank and the IMF.
With that, we open the floor for questions. Thank you.
Ms. Elnagar: Please identify yourself and your organization.

QUESTIONER: You mentioned in the communiqué the IMF proposals on collective action clauses in sovereign debt. I noticed that in the paper by the International Capital Market Association they also mention Creditor Committees and engagement with creditors in the event of a restructuring which was not mentioned in the IMF paper. Is that something that the G-24 considers important?

Ms. Uy: The G-24 would like to see progress in a much more—as a comprehensive sovereign debt resolution system so that one could have an orderly process of debt resolution in case of default. We are encouraging all options; there are several options on the way forward. Even within the Group, there could be some disagreement on how to actually pursue it, but what we are encouraging is steps toward that. The IMF paper is a step in that direction. There is also some further talk on a multilateral system and that is also an option that could be pursued later.

QUESTIONER: My question goes to Her Excellency, Dr. Naglaa. Have you agreed who is going to be the ED, whether Egypt and Emirates have agreed whether Dr. Shaalan will continue to be in his place or Dr. [?] is stepping in?

Ms. El-Ehwany: We have not yet decided and maybe by tomorrow the picture will be clearer.
QUESTIONER: [THROUGH INTERPRETER] How far has Egypt succeeded in marketing economic success and the positive results that Egypt managed to achieve through the International Monetary Fund, through the signals of the Monetary Fund.

Ms. El-Ehwany: [THROUGH INTERPRETER] Our relation with the International Monetary Fund is an old relation and it is based on cooperation. Egypt has invited a mission from the International Monetary Fund to come to Egypt by the end of this year in order to discuss the Article IV consultation.

We are proud in Egypt that the economic reforms that have been made by the government in the past few months was homegrown. These reforms were homegrown; it means they were inspired by the belief of the government and the political leadership that there should be reform that should be taken because it has been a long time since these reforms should have been taken a long time ago regarding the procedures of subsidy and financial reform, and so on. Therefore, the signal sent by the International Fund and also other international and financial institutions are to the benefit of the national economy, and we will consult with the mission to be sent by the Fund by the end of this year in order to review the situation and the economic landscape in Egypt.

QUESTIONER: My question is for Dr. Bifani. I want to know some of the countries of the G-24 now are facing serious challenges, whether they are military, political tensions, the flow of refugees, and so on and so forth, regarding these countries. So, I want to know how did you discuss this during today's meeting and what are the steps that you can take in order to support such countries, and if Egypt has a certain role they can play in the G-24

Ms. El-Ehwany: Well, Egypt is a member of the G-24 and we have been chairing this round. All the tensions you have mentioned have been discussed in the last round and in this round also. We are cooperating with all the member countries to solve the problems and tensions. Maybe my colleagues also would have some answers to these issues.

Mr. Bifani: Indeed, as a member of the G-24, we are probably the country that has the biggest number of refugees for the time being. We have effectively 1.5 million refugees for a population of 4 million persons in Lebanon nowadays. The cost is huge; it is a humanitarian cost and it is a human disaster. It is also a stress on the public finance of Lebanon. The economy is strained greatly by the situation. Our losses are in billions of dollars.

For the time being, we also face security issues due to this situation, knowing that at the same time the mobilization of the international community has been very much below expectations and that the support that we were expecting from donor countries has been very much under what Lebanon would have expected. This situation is one of the main reasons why we are here. We are discussing with the institutions the means and the possibilities for us to mobilize more support and to channel it through the Lebanese government properly so we can achieve better results on a humanitarian level and at the same time on the security and stability of the country. Any country in the world that would face such a massive inflow would be at risk at any point in time.
QUESTIONER: You mentioned the quota reforms both at the World Bank and the IMF and I was wondering if you discussed any possibilities for next steps and whether you think a discussion on the 15th Review should begin in January even without U.S. ratification, and also what would you like to see out of the next World Bank reforms that are supposed to be completed in a year.

Ms. Uy: Yes, IMF governance reform was discussed quite extensively in our meetings. We continue to press for the ratification of the 2010 Reforms and it is also in our communiqué that if that would not be the case, we do call on the IMF to find some interim solutions if that ratification does not happen.

Now, the objectives that we are hoping to see is to recognize the increased importance of developing countries in the governance of the IMF, and that is the end objective of which interim solutions are directed toward, and the 15th Review, if it happens, would also be directed toward those objectives.

As far as World Bank governance reform, the promise is to have a review in October 2015 for the next steps, and that was agreed. What we hope is a roadmap by that time and due ambition in the pursuit of governance reform, in voice and governance reform in the World Bank, and also to recognize the role, the increasing role of emerging countries, emerging and developing countries, and to protect the share of the poorest.
QUESTIONER: Do you have any specific proposals for the World Bank?
Ms. Uy: Not at this point simply because the discussions are still ongoing.
QUESTIONER: [THROUGH INTERPRETER] You spoke, Your Excellency, about the issue of uncertainty over the global environment and the situation in the Middle East. What kind of steps are suggested by the G-24 to face such challenges? The second point is, how does the G-24 look at the prospects of the international alliance against ISIL and how it might bear going ahead for the six months?
Mr. Bifani: [THROUGH INTERPRETATION] - Of course, the situation in the region is very much and what is going on nowadays is just a natural sequel to the recent developments over the last couple of years. The response is not through only war. It is also a response through economics and through steps to be taken by the Leaders of the region.

The Arab society has come to know how dangerous terrorism is from the perspective of economics. As to the economic impact, there is an impact that has been created by the inflow of refugees. Also, another impact is that now a whole generation is not schooling. Also, there is an impact on how to manage the revenues of the natural resources against the backdrop of losses. Also, there are sometimes sectarian rifts, sometimes other types of rifts that are emerging.

There is a part of this generation that is not training in schools. It is rather training in extremism and this has an economic impact. I do not have a quantification of the same, but it is catastrophic and it requires that there has to be an education strive that is based on a thorough understanding and a practical one, indeed, of the underlying issues and why the phenomenon has increased in volume over the last couple of years.
QUESTIONER: I am going to touch base on the same answer that his Excellency, Mr. Bifani, just stated.
I see a certain role for the World Bank in terms of the displaced people and individuals, and I insist these people are not called migrants because they are not migrating; they are refugees. Some people are trying to avoid such terminology because they want to basically avoid responsibility. I am not referring here to international organizations; I am more referring to countries.

However, I speak here as a Lebanese because we are suffering. Of course, Mr. Bifani is here wearing the Ministry of Finance hat. He has to give official numbers. We are well aware that the number exceeds 1.5 million. The registered number is 1.48, I think, so it has basically touched 2 million plus, almost half of the population.

Why am I involving the World Bank here? Simply because usually the countries, they stand in line when negotiating with the World Bank due to the technical assistance and the financial assistance that institutions such as the World Bank and the Monetary Fund provide.

Therefore, I do believe that such institutions as the World Bank need to take a further role in terms of pushing other donor countries and organizations in terms of helping countries like Lebanon to cater for such displaced people. What is happening in Lebanon and other countries, but namely in Lebanon, is disasters and the—

Ms. Elnagar: What is the question, sir?
QUESTIONER: The question is, what is the World Bank currently doing to push donor countries and other organizations further to take an active role in terms of the displaced people?
Ms. Elnagar: This is the G-24, sir. We have representatives of the country, but if Mr. Bifani wants to take the question?
Mr. Bifani - Very briefly, because actually the World Bank is one of the organizations that did the most in our specific case. We have seen the President of the World Bank mobilizing and coming to Lebanon and going to see the refugees and the host communities, establishing a Trust Fund for the situation in Lebanon and providing the first commitments. So, effectively we would really wish that many others would follow the path of the World Bank in this specific case.
One of the very interesting things that took place is that the World Bank took the lead in calling for countries and called for a couple of meetings, is urging donors all the time to support the country and to support, if you want, the host community in addition to the refugees, because one very important issue is, yes, the support for the refugees is critical, but at the same time you have host communities that are totally distressed and need as much support as the refugees. But in this specific regard, I think the Bank has done a lot of things, and we were just reassured by the President that he will continue to do so and push forward.
Ms. Elnagar: Thank you very much, everyone, and we hope you enjoy the Annual Meetings. Thank you.

SOURCE International Monetary Fund (IMF)





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Hadejia-Jama'are-Komadugu-Yobe Basin Trust Fund Gets €2M Grant

 Photo Credit: The Komadugu Yobe Basin Project.


ABIDJAN, Côte d'Ivoire, 10 October 2014 / PRN Africa / -- The African Water Facility announces today, October 10, 2014, that it had offered the Hadejia-Jama'are-Komadugu-Yobe Basin Trust Fund a €2 million grant for the preparation of a strategic action plan to develop water resources in the Komadugu-Yobe basin in Northern Nigeria. Over 15 million people depend on the basin and stand to benefit from this project, particularly farmers, pastoralists and fishermen.

The economy of the basin is highly dependent on freshwater resources, particularly on the livelihoods generated from the wetland ecosystems, including agriculture, fishing, livestock production and related activities. Kano city and other major urban towns and rural settlements have also seen a significant increase in water demand for human consumption and other urban needs.

The project is designed to help meet these water needs and address the associated challenges through an integrated water resources management approach focused on the reoperation of the Tiga and Challawa Gorge dams. Particularly, it will help enhance urban water supply, agriculture water management, aquaculture, rangeland management, as well as ecosystem services through enhanced water resources allocation, utilisation and management.

“This new action plan is poised to address, in a more sustainable way, fundamental water resources management issues that are currently preventing millions of people from living better lives in Northern Nigeria,” said Akissa Bahri, Coordinator of the African Water Facility. “We anticipate for the ecological services and the livelihoods that are dependent on the basin's river system to be fully regenerated, bringing a much-needed boost to the local and regional economy.”

The strategic action plan will outline the short- to long-term actions and related investments needed to restore rational water management in the basin through re-optimisation and re-operation of the Tiga and Challawa Gorge dams, identified as primary solution to improve the use of the basin's water resources and to increase water flow in the lower part of the basin and to the Lake Chad.

The Hadejia-Jama'are-Komadugu-Yobe Basin Trust Fund will be executing the project in partnership with the Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission. The Fund is jointly funded by six states of Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Plateau and Yobe, in collaboration with the Nigerian Federal Government.
The new plan also presents an opportunity for greater collaboration between Nigeria and the Komadugu-Yobe Basin riparian countries, which should lead to increased mutual benefits.

SOURCE African Development Bank (AfDB)

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MTN, Airtel and Orange Top Shortlist for 2014 AfricaCom Awards

South Africa-based multinational mobile telecommunications company MTN, Bharti Airtel and Orange top the shortlist for the 2014 AfricaCom Awards coming up on November 12, at the Waterfront LookOut in Granger Bay, Cape Town, South Africa. The following is the complete report and all the leading contenders shortlisted for the 7th Annual AfricaCom Awards.  

The shortlisted contenders or the various categories in 2014 are:

Best App for Africa
Orange – Libon
Orange – Orange Self-care Application: My Orange
Kirusa – InstaVoice
Bharti Airtel- Internet.org App
Spice – Mziiki

Best Connectivity Solutions for Africa
Orange – My Social WiFi
Liquid Telecom – 100Mbps FTTH Service
Breeze Micro and World Telecom Labs – New Inter-city VoIP Routes in Nigeria from Breeze Micro and World Telecom Labs
WIOCC – Connecting Somalia – closing the final link
Sky Vision – SkyVision Hybrid Satellite and Terrestrial network solutions

Best Cost Efficiency Solutions For Africa
TKM Maestro - TKM Cost Efficiency Solution
Nomanini – Nomanini payments platform
Digital Route – Mediation Zone
Afrigis – Voting Station Monitor USSD Solution
Huawei – Africa’s 1st SDN Innovation
Opera Software – Opera Web Pass
Fairwaves – Mobile network which you can build yourself

Best Device for Africa
Solarway - Solar Powered Mobile Phone Charging Station
Solarway – Solar Kiosk
Equatel – Equatel SIM Payphone
Nomanini - Nomanini payments platform
Bharti Airtel – Airtel Red

Best Marketing Campaign
MTN – MTN Corporate Campaign
OgilvyOne Africa /Airtel Zambia – Go For It : Be Whatever, Do Whatever
Orange – Emergency Credit Campaign
Orange – Orange Football Club Campaign
Huawei – MTN’s Mandela Birthday‘ 67 Minutes
Onlime – Marketing Campaign – Rebrand
Millicom Tanzania TIGO – Free Facebook in Swahili
Bharti Airtel – Mr Money Campaign

Best Mobile Money Solution
Orange – Mobile Travel Tickets
Orange – Mobile Pensions
Mobile Pensions – PocketMoni Mobile Money Service
Bharti Airtel – Airtel Money
Mahindra Comviva – Mahindra Comviva mobiquity Connect

Best Network Improvement
Ericsson - Unitel Angola, Smile Nigeria, TiGO Senegal
World Telecoms Lab – Nigeria’s new interconnect exchange carriers and World Telecom Labs’ 2nd Generation VoIP Switches
WIOCC – Extending WIOCC’s Pan-African Network into Somalia
Tigo Rwanda – Tigo Voice and Data Mobile Services
Bharti Airtel – Nigeria Data Service Improvement
Liquid Telecom – Upgrading and improving the fibre network of Liquid Telecom Kenya

Best Pan African Initiative
MTN - MTN GLOBAL MPLS VPN
PCCW Global – High-Quality Calling with Direct Routing in Africa
Orange – Pan-African Partnering Play Store
Liquid Telecom – East Africa Fibre Ring
Airtel Africa and IBM – Business Intelligence Solution (based on Cognos, DB2, Websphere, AIX and IBM Blade Center)

Breakthrough LTE Development
PCCW Global - Global LTE Roaming for African Mobile Subscribers
Ericsson – LTE Market Impact
Ericsson – Breakthrough LTE Development – Unitel
Orange – LTE for fix
Huawei – Innovative LTE Rollout
Smile Communications – SmileON and Data Management
Telkom – LTE
Surfline – Deployment of 4G LTE network in Ghana

Changing Lives Awards 
Afrigis - Gender-Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC)
Orange – Digital School Project
WIOCC – Closing the final link – connecting Somalia
afb Mauritius Ltd – Mobile Consume and Businesses Unsecured Credit
TXT Ghana – JOB 1917
Bharti Airtel – Ebola Initiative
Sky Vision – Ghana Crossover Academy
Telekom – TNM Moyo Cover

Excellence in Customer Experience Management
Procera – RAN Perspectives
OgilvyOne Africa /Airtel Ghana – Uncle MB | Sorting data drama
SafariCom – Customer Care support for M-PESA product – the leading mobile money transfer service in the world
Orange – ’100% Successful Calls’ Suites of services
Bharti Airtel – Airtel Premier

Most Innovative Service 
Huawei – Huawei’s Digital Music Service for MTN
Millicom Tanzania TIGO – Tigo Pesa – International Mobile Money Transfer
Econet Renewable Energy Systems – Titan – Home Power Station
Opera Software – Opera Web Pass
Orange – Facebook Partnerships
Kifiya Financial Technologies – Digital Finance and Payment Service

VSAT Innovation for Africa
Afrique Telecom – Full VNO OSS/BSS for VSAT Industry and Customers
Liquid Telecom – Shared MPLS Satellite service
EMC – Fully managed VSAT services
Sky Vision – Sky Vision Active Series

About AfricaCom 2014

Africa’s premier communications congress and exhibition returns to Cape Town on 11-13 November for its biggest and best year yet. This year’s conference programme will cover a host of new topics affecting companies in Africa’s digital market. Experience strategic content from 300+ business supremos and digital gurus, representing the entire communications ecosystem across Africa and beyond. Discover a record-breaking 375+ exhibitors showcasing their solutions and services, plus a host of new features from the Africa Com Village, Google Big Data & Cloud Developer Zone, Entrepreneur Incubator Hub to the highly-popular Africa Com Masterclass Theatre!

For media related information, please contact:
Elize Engle
Tel: 021 461 6764
Cell: 074 132 3255
Fax: 021 464 1124
Email: elize@networxpr.co.za
Web: www.networxpr.com
Twitter: @NetworxPR
Facebook: NetworxPR







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Unstoppable Foundation Kicks Off International Day of the Girl With Plan To Educate 5,000 In 2015

Photo Credit: UNICEF Haiti, 2014.
 
Unstoppable Foundation Kicks Off International Day of the Girl With Plan To Educate 5,000 In 2015  

5,000 CAN Program to Create Sustainable Education for Children

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On the eve of this year's International Day of the Girl Child, The Unstoppable Foundation (www.unstoppablefoundation.org) has kicked off its unprecedented 5,000 CAN campaign to bring sustainable education to an additional 5,000 of the world's most vulnerable children during 2015. Founder and CEO Cynthia Kersey and legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg revealed the ambitious program at an invitation-only donor luncheon in Los Angeles.

"The inspiration for the 5,000 CAN initiative was ignited by Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban because of her courageous stand for an education.  We are inspired by Malala's commitment and promised her that we will not stop until this critical mission of education for every child is achieved," said Kersey.

The Unstoppable Foundation is taking action by funding programs that deliver long-term sustainable education in sub-Saharan Africa, where the need is greatest.  In a region of Africa where one in ten children dies before the age of five and 12 year-old girls are married off, The Unstoppable Foundation delivers a comprehensive approach to uplifting the entire community out of extreme poverty.

"Education for every child is the greatest human rights movement of our time.  The new 5,000 CAN campaign challenges us all to create a future for the next 5,000 children -- many of them girls -- who are deprived of their right to go to school.   If one child can change the world, imagine what 5,000 can do," Kersey said.

Since The Unstoppable Foundation was established during 2008, 6,028 children are receiving an education and daily nutritious meal, and more than 20,000 people have access to the five pillars of education, clean water, sanitation, healthcare, food and nutrition, and adult income training.  The Unstoppable Foundation partners with organizations on the ground to implement their programs and create self-sustaining communities that are based upon the five pillars.

The Unstoppable Foundation is a non-profit humanitarian organization bringing sustainable education to children and communities in developing countries, thereby creating a safer and more just world for everyone.
To learn more about The Unstoppable Foundation 5,000 CAN program, please visit www.5000CAN.org.

SOURCE The Unstoppable Foundation
CONTACT: Judith Czelusniak, Judith@JudithMail.com, 1 (917) 655-3217
RELATED LINKS
http://www.unstoppablefoundation.org


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Malala Yousafzai: Journey to the Nobel Peace Prize

Malala Yousafzai: Journey to the Nobel Peace Prize

Life for Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has never been particularly normal. WSJ’s Dipti Kapadia looks at Ms. Yousafzai’s life since she was shot in 2012. Photo: AP.

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What Shall We Call this Generation of Nigerian Youths?

 Young Nigerians at an event. Photo Credit: Nigeria Intel. 


What shall we call this generation of Nigerian youths?
The Yahoo-Yahoo generation?
The Facebook generation, but who hate reading books?
The generation with worsening mass failures in SSSE/WAEC examinations and UME?
The generation of the most unemployable graduates?
The generation with MBA holders who cannot even write a business plan?
The generation of graduates who cannot read and who cannot spell?
As seen even in wrong spellings and grammatical errors of headlines on newspapers, TV and websites like the one saying "who is the hottest" of two Nolywood actresses when even my kid in the kindergarten knows it should "who is hotter".
The generation of university students who cannot compose formal letters?
The generation of youths who celebrate mediocrity and their government also makes mediocrity the order of the day from Yenagoa to Abuja and government appointments are now like playing roulette and coincidentally the pockets of the roulette wheel are numbered from 1 to 36, the total number of the states in Nigeria.
The generation of ring tones singers who claim to be musicians, but who cannot read music and chant ditties worse than nursery rhymes.
The generation of youths who prefer cheating and lying and living in denial as their lifestyle.
The generation of youths without conscience and without shame who scramble for political bribes as cheap as mini bags of rice and recharge cards.
The generation of youths who now see getting a job as a miracle; getting a visa is a miracle and getting bursary is a miracle.
The generation of youths with girls who think and work more with their loins than their brains.
The generation of youths who have skills and talents, but prefer handouts all the way from the classroom to the boardroom.
The generation of youths with the largest population of users of mobile phones, tablets and laptops, but lagging behind Kenya in developing tech startups and prefer useless idle chats and gossip to brainstorming on ideas that will reform and transform them.
The generation ruled by herd mentality and marches on to the drumbeats of mediocrity to the chaos of sociopolitical anarchy.

We have within us, from the start, that which will distinguish us from the vulgar herd.
~ Jean Henri Fabre

As far as I'm concerned, it's a damned shame that a field as potentially dynamic and vital as journalism should be overrun with dullards, bums, and hacks, hag-ridden with myopia, apathy, and complacence, and generally stuck in a bog of stagnant mediocrity.
~ Hunter S. Thompson

There's a lot of mediocrity being celebrated, and a lot of wonderful stuff being ignored or discouraged.
~ Sean Penn

All greatness of character is dependent on individuality. The man who has no other existence than that which he partakes in common with all around him, will never have any other than an existence of mediocrity.
~ James F. Cooper

In the republic of mediocrity, genius is dangerous.
~ Robert Green Ingersoll

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/mediocrity.html#6RSAYOCysjd8UdQR.99

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, aka "Orikinla Osinachi",  Publisher/Editor of Nigerians Report Online, author of Children of Heaven, Scarlet Tears of London, The Language of True Love, Bye, Bye Zimbabwe, In the House of Dogs, The Prophet Lied, Diary of the Memory Keeper, NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® and other books in print and electronic versions distributed by Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Lulu, Tower Books and other booksellers worldwide. He has been a former aide in the publicity department of the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur's Presidential Campaign in 1990 and now coordinating the Transform Nigeria Network in the social media.
 

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India, China and Nigeria To Lead Emerging Markets Tech Sector Growth in 2015

India, China and Nigeria will lead the emerging markets for tech devices in 2015 according to STATISTA.
You will find more statistics at Statista




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Youth Empowerment is the Key to Nigeria’s Future — by Hon. Ndubuisi Ebiliekwe (Ebilikoko)

Youth Empowerment is the Key to Nigeria’s Future — by Hon. Ndubuisi Ebiliekwe(Ebilikoko)

He has been in politics right from undergraduate days as a student of Agricultural Engineering at University of Nigeria Nsukka. Toughened on the turf working in the background as a grassroots man, this time Ndubuisi Ebiliekwe wants to take the gauntlet fight for youth visibility in Imo State politics. He wants to start as a member of the house of assembly representing Ideato North constituency on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP

 Can we meet you?

 I am Hon. Ndubuisi Ebiliekwe, A graduate of University of Nigeria Nsukka, I studied Agricultural Engineering.

 What do you do now for a living?

 Since I left the University, I have been into business, I am into manufacturing and I trade on imported goods as well. I started with the manufacturing of bottled water, and I expanded into importation of drugs. I am the owner of June Industries and Company Limited and koko Pharmaceuticals Limited.  These companies run on quality. We try to import and market pharmaceutical products of quality. 

 How did your foray into politics start; is this a sudden move or have you been into politics silently over the years?

 I have been into politics as a member of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) since 1999, even as an undergraduate. When I left University in 2003, I tried to run for the Local Government Chairmanship Election in Anambra State but eventually there were no elections, so most of us went back to our various businesses. Today I have come to Imo State politics and I am aspiring for Imo State House of Assembly. 

 How did you get involved in Anambra State politics? One would assume that   since you came from Imo State, you would base your political ambitions in Imo State.

I was born and bred in Anambra State, precisely in Onitsha. Onitsha is a commercial metropolis where originally, there were no social boundaries based on indigenship. Everyone was linked by business interests and all were perceived as citizens and all participated equally in leadership of the area. But when Chris Ngige came into power, he introduced what he called the Anambra People’s Forum, by which he spread the attitude among Anambra Indigenes  that ‘foreigners’ were no longer welcome to participate in the politics of Anambra State.  So those of us who were not from Anambra State were left with no choice than to seek our true roots and that led us back to our states of origin. At the long run, politics in Nigeria is the same everywhere, as far as I have seen. So I brought my years of political experience back home to my roots in Imo State.

 If one may ask, what really is your mission in politics; what would you want to achieve when given an opportunity to lead by being elected into political office?

My passion is for the youth, the young people of our generation. I have struggled through obscurity, right from my university days and among the myriad of people from my age bracket in demographic, I knew how only few of us, by dint of pure hard work and God given grace, were able to make it out of the struggle for survival and stay afloat today. I have seen what needs to be done to help the youth, I have seen how the youth’s enormous potentials can be turned into a great positive force in building the economy of this country, rather than allowing them to lay waste and become social nuisance as a result of lack of empowerment. It makes me restless every time I ponder on it, I cannot sleep comfortably, I feel compelled to seek a pedestal upon which to stand and rearrange the social system and give opportunities for the young people of Nigeria to be used as change agents in giving a good and prosperous existence to this nation. For me that pedestal can only be gotten through a leadership position in the policy of this nation. So that is my mission in politics. I strongly believe in the transformation agenda of President Good luck Jonathan because it is youth-driven and youth objectified. The time has come for Nigeria to think in futuristic terms, and our vehicle into the future is the youth; what we do with them determines the kind of future we will have here. I don’t know whether any other person sees what I am seeing; I hope a lot of people are thinking the way I do because failure to do so in this country is like walking blindly towards a precipice!

 What is it in your background that makes you feel qualified to lead?

 I have succeeded in areas where so many of my peers have failed. I have swam in waters where others could not take a dip! I succeeded in business as a manufacturer without anything but my God given dogged abilities. I am one of those who have tried and found out that persistence and consistency wins every battle in the end. I have never aimed low, and I have never hit as low as average in my targets. I veered into politics right from my undergraduate days in the University, when the preoccupation of every responsible student was graduation. As early as then, I saw the need for me to play a role in changing the scheme of things in society from the leadership level. I was a full member of PDP, I participated in ward and local government politics, and I still graduated with flying colours as an Engineer. And seeing that the society had no ready employment for me, I quickly created an enterprise for myself and grew it up to international level. I contested for leadership at the Local government Level in Onitsha but was not given the opportunity to play on a level ground. If things were not so, I would have proven that I have the ability to “rally men and materials to a unified objective”, like General Charles Montgomery would say, and that is my definition of leadership. I strongly believe that participatory politics is what will lead this country out of its political and economic quagmire. Until every man, every woman, every youth in this country comes out to vote for leaders whom they know will represent their interests, we will not move forward. But let’s hear your next question.

 In Imo State currently, your party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, is in opposition and you are from the same constituency as Rochas Okorocha, who is in the All Progressives Congress party, APC, what gives you the confidence that you will be elected?

 In Nigeria, if you understand our politics very well, the electorates vote individuals and not political parties. I know that my people know me and they will vote for me. Then again, if you have been following the political trends in Imo State for some time now, you will notice that the core political followership and structure at the grass roots and other levels, rests on the PDP. The leadership at the top may be allowed to come from another party, just as I said earlier, Nigerians, when the need arises vote for the individual, not for the party. Finally, my constituency is not even being represented by APC. The incumbent member of the house of Assembly representing my constituency currently is an APGA party member. So it’s not about the political party, it’s about the man the electorate is looking at. I know that the PDP is still in control in Imo State. I have confidence that if I am given the opportunity at the primaries, we will make a victorious and positive difference in the lives of the people. 

 What have you done for the people in your constituency so far that gives you the confidence that they will vote for you?

 I have on record over three thousand youth in my area that I have in my own little way, enabled to have a better footing in life by my economic empowerment efforts and also through sponsoring their education. I have been on ground for years; I am a true village man. My manufacturing business is sited in the village and apart from enabling people to create their own enterprises, carving their own individual survival niches; I am also very strong in employment creation. I make bold to say that I have one hundred percent support of the people that I will represent them in the coming election. If PDP fails to choose me to represent my constituency in the forth coming election, the party may lose my constituency.

 If one may ask, why did you choose PDP as a platform in the first place?

 Except you cannot see, PDP is the standard setting party in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. In terms of ideology, the party believes in rallying the tremendous leadership potentials of this country under one umbrella and harnessing their resources towards the socio-economic engineering of this country for a higher per capita income and better standards of living for the people and for stronger impacts on the civilization of Africa and the world in General. I saw this as far back as 1999 and that was when I joined the party.  The transformation agenda of President Good Luck Jonathan and the PDP governors and their achievements so far in that regards, lends stark evidence to this. PDP has made tremendous contributions towards the consolidation of Nigeria’s newfound democracy. Infact, without PDP and the people that constituted the party, Nigeria’s democratic process would have been impossible. There is also strong youth involvement in PDP, this is the only party in which young people are allowed to aspire to all positions and given the platform to make meaningful contributions. For me PDP is just the party for every discerning Nigerian.     

 To what then would you attribute the fact that Governor Rochas Okorocha came from another party and wrested power from PDP in Imo State?

 Like I said earlier, Nigerians, when push comes to shove, will vote for the individual and not the party. At the point of Governor Rochas’ entry, PDP in Imo State mismanaged its successes. There were lots of miscalculations here and there we took the people’s support for granted. Those mistakes have been made and learned from; the PDP in Imo State today and in Nigeria generally is poised for more purposeful and well informed decision making. There are no more chances for costly errors. Coming results will soon prove to all that we are not joking. And Rochas Okorocha that you speak of was a super star member of the PDP in the first place. It was in our party that he learned the ropes, before he sought the ticket of another party because PDP mistakenly denied him then. Since then he had moved from party to party seeking the proper accommodation to carry out his good visions. I make bold to say here that if he seeks to come back to PDP tomorrow, we will welcome him back as one of us. We are one big family here and we are one. We are looking for those who have the proper vision that will take this country to greater heights. We are not contesting it with anybody, PDP is the largest party in Africa and this time around, we are taking back all our states.

 Talking about vision, if you are given the opportunity by being elected as a member of the House of Assembly, what do you have in mind for your constituency?

 Having lived among my people and seen their hearts desires, you can be sure that I have a vast retinue of issues I would want to iron out when I get there. I do not think that this one page interview will accommodate all my vision if I am to start stating them. There are issues of health, Education, Employment and so many other issues bothering on the day to day lives of the people. But one thing that is burning in my heart is the fact that young people are not being properly represented in Nigeria’s politics today. We are shying away and leaving the older people to make our leadership decisions and this is affecting things. These people are not computer age compliant, they are drawing us back from coming to par with the speed of development elsewhere. It is my deep desire to make far reaching efforts to integrate the youth into our polity at all levels and all ramifications. Give the youth prominence and the chances to act as change agents in our polity; you will see Nigerians thinking like the rest of the world in terms of development, technologies and the economy. I intend to start that movement in my constituency.

 Are there mistakes that the current administration has made that you would like to correct?

 I am not seeking election into an executive office I am only going to be a legislator.  But if eventually I am given the opportunity to be a lawmaker, one of my cardinal objectives will be to push for legislature that will encourage the establishment of more industries to create jobs. The level of youth unemployment in Imo state is indeed a strong cause for concern for me. There are no industries in my constituency and what is youth empowerment without job creation? The few that used to be there have all broken and closed down. That is why I strongly concur with President Jonathan’s efforts in improving power generation. If that is achieved, the face of Industrialization in Nigeria including my constituency will change entirely.

 The Rochas Okorocha administration is doing a lot in the area of education. But no one seems to be paying much attention to helping the youth to be self employed. Globally today, the paradigm shift is towards enabling young people to employ themselves, what are your thoughts in this direction?

 I have already said that  in my own little capacity I have funded small businesses for thousands of young people in my area. One area that I have also seen a lot of potential is in encouraging the youth to go into agriculture. I believe that if a good approach is employed, such as setting up farm sheds which will teach them how to rear poultry and supplying them with affordable inputs and also, like the American government did some years back, the government can buy what these young farmers produce and process it into packaged food in big factories. If young people know that there is a ready market for their produce and that there is profit to be made by going into agriculture, believe me they will troop into agriculture and Imo state will become the food basket of Nigeria. I intend to start that experiment with my constituency. 

 2015 is sure to be a kind of turning point in Nigeria’s political history. PDP is making efforts to regain states that they have lost in previous elections, what assurances do you have that the PDP will regain Imo State next year?

 If PDP can regain states in the South West, Imo State will be an easy job for us. APC as far as Imo indigenes are concerned is a funny party.  We do not know the party. There are other parties that have been on ground but APC is not one of them. All the political structures in Imo state belongs to PDP and none of them have collapsed, none of them can collapse. No other party can defeat PDP in Imo State in 2015.

 Since you joined politics in 1999, which people have you looked up to for encouragement and for motivation as role models?

 My big cousin, Chief Sir Tony Ezenna, has been a great source of inspiration to me. He has been a very big PDP stakeholder in Imo State. I have known him since I was born and I have followed his political history. I know his great vision for Imo State PDP. He has never been faulted with any anti-party affairs; he has been a perfect party faithful, a good visionary and a great contributor for the stability of PDP in Imo State. With his presence in Imo State, it will be impossible for anyone to take away Imo State from PDP come 2015. Our Visionary state chairman, Barr. Nnmadi Anyaehie has repositioned the party in the state thirdly is Senator Hope Uzodinma, who is the distinguished Senator representing our senatorial zone. He has kept the structure of PDP intact in Orlu Zone.   He has left giant strides in his wake and created a track record that will be hard to beat. His youth empowerment achievements are second to none and his contributions towards President Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda are great; these are the people I look up to.

   What do you advice members of your constituency to do during the next PDP primaries and in the coming general elections?

 Give me an opportunity and if in four years you do not see my impact, opt for another person. Do not lose your focus on PDP; we will not let you down, never! And please make sure you vote for our great party PDP.

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