Monday, July 31, 2006
...talking about the odious 1
--- Imams demand inclusion on FG civil service payroll
Some moslem clerics rising from a recent meeting in Minna, Niger state have issued a communique demanding their inclusion on the FG civil service payroll for their "laudable" roles in "moulding and re-shaping the society". In a nation where pensioners are dying on pension queues and bonafide civil servants stay home for centuries on industrial actions due to unpaid salaries, it is amazing that a group of ragtag "religious leaders" are demanding to be "rewarded" for their contributions to society. Pray, which "contributions" are we talking about here? Fatwahs, numerous religious riots on the mundane, and imposing sharia in a secular nation? How many people would qualify under the category of "moulders and re-shapers of society?" Since when did a voluntary religious obligation become a government responsibility? Methinks FG's unnecessary pandering to every whim of a section of this country and her unwholesome involvement in primarily private religious affairs such as the hajj has emboldened these fellows to further desecrate the sanctity of the constitution. Does the constitution still mean anymore than a mere document today? All hail the Islamic republic of Nigeria!

 
posted by david at 10:56 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 0 comments
Saturday, July 29, 2006
hizbollah and the questions we all refused to ask
While the world has been riveted on the Isreali "over-reaction" to the capture of two of its soldiers, no one has stopped to wonder why hizbollah, not a recognised national army, is in possession of 13,000 katyusha rockets and other weapons of mass destuction.
Why is a guerilla force allowed to possess weapons and set up a military base on the Isreali border? Why is it okay for Hizbollah to mount cross border raids into Isreal and rain rockets down on Haifa?
The mass media has focused mainly on the tragedy going on in south Lebanon yet few are aware that whole Isreali villages along the Lebanese border have either been completely evacuated or bombed. Millions of Isrealis live in bomb shelters and many are refugees in their own country. "Brave" Hizbollah fighters hide among their civilians even going as far as hiding rockets in civilian homes, a situation that has forced the IDF to increasingly target civilians in its 2 week offensive.
Why should a guerilla force possess sophisticated weapons many African nations can only dream about? Self defence? Why has the Lebanese army been too impotent to effectively secure its border with Isreal?
Why is a terrorist organisation rewarded with government positions as has recently been demonstrated in Palestine and Lebanon?

It is so easy to castigate Isreal for an inappropriate use of force in the present conflict but until the ability of terrorists to secure weapons of mass destruction is addressed, the middle east will remain a cauldron of violence. It is not enough to call for a cease fire, such should include a lasting solution to the myriads of armed terrorist organisations massed along Isreal's borders increasing calling for her destruction. Until then, a cease fire is just opportunity for the bad guys to regroup and return with even more vengeance.
 
posted by david at 11:23 AM ¤ Permalink ¤ 1 comments
Friday, July 28, 2006
Funsho Williams and the security challenge
The death of Lagos state Governorship aspirant, Chief Funsho Williams, once again reminds us of the fact that in Nigeria, life is not a sacred commodity, security of lives and property is best left in the hands of God and and our police force is the most impotent in the entire world.

Immediately the news of the death filtered into the public domain, government officials fell over themselves to give the usual official rhetoric of bringing the killers to justice.

Lagos state has just placed a N10m bounty for information that could lead to tracking down the killers.
"I assure Lagosians that everything will be done to unravel the mystery surrounding this dastardly act and bring the perpetrators to book". - Gov Bola Tinubu.

“this is one murder the police must fish out the perpetrators. It is a sad day for democracy. Williams death is a devastating one and an act of cowardice. Williams is an accomplished and refined politician and an ardent believer in democracy.” - President Obasanjo.
The President has ordered the IGP to ensure that a pathologist thoroughly examine the body of the late politician. There is something wrong when the President has to remind the IGP how to do his job.
On his part, the Police IG has vowed that the killing will not join the list of unresolved high profile political murders.
However we have all seen this before. The President barks orders, the IGP falls over himself to arrest every ant seen around the crime scene, governors offer unreasonable bounties, protests are made, politicians fight over themselves to send condolences usually only through the media and then we forget again and the vicious cycle continues while the killers cool off their heels waiting for the next victim.

While the police continues to struggle with high profile political murders, ordinary citizens have no hope of getting justice or protection from the same inept force that has since failed to nab the killers of the nations former IG. Very likely the killing of Chief Williams will go the same way as that of Harry Marshal, Dikibo, Rimi and others.
After blowing a lot of hot air, Nigerians will once again lapse into a state of selective amnesia and life will continue as before, justice remains unserved and killers are allowed to roam free as our police force continues to grope in the darkness of inefficiency.

Perhaps it is high time the police stopped putting us through the public relations stunt that their investigations have turned into. We are better off putting our safety in the hands of God, thankfully He does not demand tax for His services.
 
posted by david at 10:41 AM ¤ Permalink ¤ 2 comments
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Islam and the burden of terrorism
With every passing minute, the threat of fullscale war continues to loom larger on the Isreali-Lebanese border, Iraq and Afghanistan remain quagmires in which American and British troops are deeply enmeshed, Syria and Iran, the not-so-secret hands behind Hizbollah continue to issue threat to world peace, Palestine under Hamas leadership remains under constant Isreali bombardment. Somalia, Sudan, Chad, Niger remain the face of Islamofacist regimes bent on undermining the rule of law, freedom of expression and a complete disregard for the sanctity of human life in the name of religion.

The usual rhetoric by world leaders after terrorist activities is to hide under the banner of political correctness by claiming terrorism as the action of a few bent on giving Islam a bad name. We now know better. From the jubilations in mainly Islamic countries after Sept 11, to the recent protest by Shiite muslims in Kaduna in support of Hizbollah, we are now fully aware that while terrorists may not yet be in the majority, they enjoy a wide range of support from their fellow muslim brothers. Muslims are quick to point out that "islam" means peace yet the only peace they have offered the world is the peace of the graveyard.
Islam remains the only religion in the world where killing of innocent civilians is sanctioned in the name of God. Ever since the advent of sharia law in the northern part of Nigeria, all we have to show for it is increased religious riots, public flogging, amputations and the rise of religious militia. It has been used as a political tool to try to undermine the democratic process and thanks to it, Kano state has dragged Nigeria back to the stone age as we now account for 79% of the world's polio cases. Almajiri's are a common sight in the north, VVF is common among women married off before puberty to men old enough to be their grandfathers.

Muslims the world over have been quick to condemn the Isreali invasion of Lebanon. The same leaders have been silent over the issue of Darfur and Somalia. These leaders kept quiet when Hizbollah raided and captured 2 Isreali soldiers unprovoked. Innocent Jews are killed daily by rockets fired from Lebanese territory and terrorists, once unknown faces are now actively involved in the political processes of their respective nations. Even countries such as Iran and Syria are actively involved in funding and arming terror organisations.

'Moderate' muslims remind us that acts of terrorism are only the actions of moslem extremists. It is becoming clear that the extremists may now far outnumber the 'moderates'. We are increasingly aware that muslim children are constantly fed with hatred for western governments and the number of terror organisations now trying to outdo each other in claiming responsibility for one terror act or the other is now on the rise.
Thanks to Islam, the world may never be the same again. Not even Africa is safe anymore, thanks to the Nairobi bombing, Darfur, Somalia and Osama bn Ladens recent threat to "liberate" Nigeria, the era when Africa felt immune from the Islamofacist crisis is now over.

Communism has since crashed, but in its place is perhaps one of the deadliest forms of government, islamofacism. As usual, most of the world seems to be in denial, pretending that all is well and that Islam means peace. Sept 11, July 7, Nairobi, Mumbai, Madrid and now the middle east is confirming the otherwise.
 
posted by david at 12:37 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 6 comments
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Critiquing the critic
"...i have a dream that someday, critics the world over will be free to criticise without being judged and put down..."

When people post short stories on the web or on public forums, they most times do not forget to add the "please criticise this story for me" tag at the end of the tale. However, for most, the actual meaning of criticism is "please tell me this story is the best you have ever read"!

Of recent, one of the latest fads on Nairaland has been the posting of short stories by several members with the call on other members to read and criticise the story. Nowadays it is becoming dangerous to actually critic a short story. The vast majority, many of whom do not read books and whose idea of literary style is no more than monotonous dialogue, are quick to jump to the "more, more, this is excellent" bandwagon without actually taking the time to decipher what makes a good or bad story. For the critic, "negative" criticism is simply not allowed. He is viewed as being egoistic, inconsiderate and "afterall how many stories has he written."

Many fail to understand that the role of a critic may infact be of more benefit than the majority of sycophants and praise singers who simply want to be seen as being in support. Less than 50% bother to take the pains to read the stories before heaping effusive praise on what may at best pass for a third grade attempt at play writing. Criticism is not always positive, infact in most cases it is not meant to be positive. It is a system of check and balance put in place to sharpen the writer's skill by highlighting areas that need strenghthening, literary styles that could best be done away with and improving the literary skills of the writer.

Criticism may be harsh but in the end, countless people have benefited from its positive sides. While criticism sees the cup as half empty, the writer sees it as an opportunity to plug the leaks and find ways to fill up the cup. Unfortunately, the critic is more often than not the bad boy. He never sees anything good in a story, "afterall she's just a kid and it was meant as a joke", forgetting that the greatest writers of all time started from humble beginings too.

Writing is not meant to be a skill for all, but for those who do intend to take it serious and
develop their God-given talent, criticism may well be the long ardous road to literary genius.
 
posted by david at 5:41 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 1 comments
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Isreal and the middle east onslaught
For once, Isreal has decided to take its battle to the home of the enemy. Anyone who noticed the ease with which Isreal captured Hamas government officials, raided and destroyed their homes would not believe this were the same men who once strotted the stage promising to annihilate the state of Isreal.
Lebanon has since become Isreal's latest target in a bid to resolve the constant terrorist killings once and for all. Most Arab nations as usual have jumped on the "destroy Isreal" bandwagon, few of them remember ever reprimanding the terrorists from carrying out almost daily attacks against defenceless and innocent Isreali civilians.
Syria and Iran as usual rather than toe the line of rationality have instead chosen to issue empty threats and flex their political and military muscle. In the end the entire world is the worse for it. The world is less safe and with escalating violence, oil prices may soon reach a record $100 per barrel.
In the end those who will suffer the most are the poor women and children in Palestine, Lebanon and perhaps Syria dragged reluctantly into a senseless war by mindless politicians. Of course not a few expect Isreal to show restraint but it is proof once again that patience does have an elastic limit and silence must not be taken for timidity.

This present action might not bring the desired middle east peace but countries thinking of targeting Isreal might be forced to take a pause.

Note: Now that oil prices have jumped to almost $80 per barrel, will Nigerians now get their desired "dividends of democracy" or will ghana-must-go bags continue to exchange hands as usual?
 
posted by david at 4:42 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 5 comments
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Political headbutting Zizou style!
Zinedine Zidane will probably be remembered as the greatest midfielder of the last decade. The son of immigrant Algerian parents will be revered for his sublime skills, passing, vision and extraordinary goals on the field of play. He will also be forever remembered for his last act on the football pitch, a vicious head butt into the chest of Italian defender, Marco Materazzi. Whether Marco called Zizou a terrorist or not is open to debate but he has probably learned his lesson, even patience itself has an elastic limit.
There are many people Nigerians would love to give the Zizou treatment, below are my list of potential candidates for the Zizou-butt:

Baba - for taking Nigeria back to the political wilderness, for wasting our oil resources and an unsuccessful attempt to take us on the long road to Zimbabwe.
Atiku Abubakar - The coward who'd rather cling to power than take the honourable route out even after falling out with his boss.
Alhaji Bukar Ibrahim - The governor of Yobe state who's economic genius includes placing "repentant" robbers on the states payroll.
Gov Kure - Thanks to him, we now know the south-south can never produce any presidential "material".
RTD Brig. Gen David Mark - According to him, the most successful countries in the world have been ruled only by ex-military men. Bill Clinton must have been in his brigade.
Ibrahim Galadima - If not for his bungled handling of the NFA, perhaps Super Eagles players may have been to Germany to watch Zizou's head butt.
Samaila Sambawa - Lesson in how not to run the sports (er football) ministry.
Gov Gbenga Akala - Area boy in power.
 
posted by david at 2:55 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 1 comments
Saturday, July 08, 2006
"Repentant robbers"; a new way to curb crime?
Thanks to harebrained schemes by the government of Yobe state, it may now be more profitable to be an armed robber than a university graduate. In a nation where citizens with masters degrees are still looking for non-existent jobs years after leaving school, "repentant robbers" in Yobe state would now be granted pardon and paid N5,200 per month if he surrenders his weapons and swears an oath in public that he will never engage in banditry again.

To say this scheme is simply the dance of the absurd is being economical with the truth. When did armed robbers start carrying ID cards? How does the state government intend to identify who is truly a robber or not? With thousands of jobless youths and almajiris roaming the streets of Yobe, how many "robbers" does the state government intend to care for? This again points to the failure of the Nigerian state, in a country where policemen depend on N20 check point tolls to survive, workers are either underpaid or unpaid, thousands of youths leave school with no means of livelihood, the few workers are being thrown out of jobs and companies are folding up at an alarming rate, the Yobe state government has chosen to spend scarce resources on "repentant robbers"!
I do not blame the Yobe state government. It does not generate the revenue it so lavishly wastes on irresponsible schemes such as this. When states do not have the responsibility of generating their own revenue, it does not care how it wastes its "share" of the national cake. If the money were from state tax payers, it is not likely Gov. Bukar Ibrahim would be thinking of paying "repentant" criminals a sum of money even university graduates cannot dream of.

Rather than curb crime, this scheme is likely to serve as an incentive to take to crime. We don't even have to look too far, it is not unlikely that members of the committee in charge of this scheme would fill the roster with their relatives and friends as "repentant robbers" and further serve as an unecessary drain of public funds.
Schools are dilapidated, roads are in shambles, no jobs, no water, electricity does not exist and yet we have the funds to pay criminals.
When government officials, the greatest of all official robbers, swear on the bible and qu'ran, it is not a guarantee that our foreign reserve would be not end up in their private pockets. What right have we to expect more honesty from petty thieves?

Nigerians must rise to this unecessary waste of funds and call the Yobe state government to order. Public funds must be used judiciously for the good of law abiding citizens, the place of a criminal must remain firmly behind bars.
 
posted by david at 1:45 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 1 comments
Thursday, July 06, 2006
nairaland.com, 9 months after!
It would be exactly 9 months in a few weeks that i mistakenly stumbled on the Nigerian forum, Nairaland.com. It's been 9 months of fun intermingled with disappointment, dismay and despair. 9 months of the mundane and important, 9 months of learning how not to massage egos, 9 months of words of encouragements, intellectual challenges and downright insults. 9 months of being banned, unbanned and being uncertain when the next sledge hammer ban would fall.

It is sad that most of the brilliant minds that used to keep us so busy on the forum have slowly trickled away, unfortunately we are left with teenagers pretending to be adults, those whose parents would be ashamed to see their pictures and posts online. People who have so little to contribute and yet waste tons of space. People like Rhodalyn, supposedly 17 yet is as dumb as dumb ever gets. Never seen a sensible post from her, all she's thinking about is turning 18 to have sex with her boyfriend!
Lord!
Eveseh? Another issue entirely! Let's not go there. Maki posts pictures that leave nothing to the imagination, as for aqua, any day he posts something that is not fit for the "Adult" section would be a miracle. The sections that get the most buzz these days are the offtopic and chatterbox sections where "intellectually stimulating" discourses such as "the hottest girl on NL", "questions for Rhod", Ciarra vs Beyonce", "what are you eating now" and others hold sway.
Gone are the days when the likes of Ijebuman and Nferyn held us spelbound on the politics section. Akolawole who was doing a marvelous job in the sports section has since been given the "ban" treatment, where are the likes of Owo and Ono? So many have left and in their place we now have the likes of Efani, Bigshishi, retro and eveseh.
The likes of Retro are just 18 and yet sex, boys (blacks road closed!) and cigarettes are like second nature. Hotangel, i really don't see why so many people are so fixated on that girl. Colorless would be the word, neither here nor there.
True Nairaland has grown to be the biggest online forum for Nigerians but it's administrative style has allowed it to become infested with bored teenagers eager to massage their insecure egos by constantly hiding behind the facade of anonymity to insult those old enough to be their parents. Diddy4 has told all those "adults" who want respect from his teenage group to show them respect first, i'm wondering when the world suddenly turned upside down. Perhaps fathers are now supposed to respect their sons first.

For those still interested in some scrappy bit of intellectual excercise, a good place to start may be the religion thread. The likes of TayoD, Gwaine, Syrup, Ajia23, Logical are posters worth taking a second look at. For those interested in the absurd, you might want to start with the recycle bin and then move to the offtopic (more like cat fight/dissing zone) threads.

Great threads still exist, friends and partnerships have been forged through that forum, bridges have been built, lessons learned. Nairaland has come a long way from its small beginings but is gradually falling prey to the vices that befell one-time hit social networks such as friendstar. It has the potential to be a major meeting point for Nigerians world wide, but whether the admin is up to the task of taking the forum to the next level remains to be seen.
 
posted by david at 6:06 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 17 comments
xyz: Hello Davidylan, This Is Xyz From Nairaland.com
XYZ: Hello Davidylan, this is XYZ from Nairaland.com
Davidylan: hi
XYZ: hello

*5 minutes wait*

XYZ: asl please
Davidylan: please introduce yourself first
XYZ: XYZ from nairaland.com
Davidylan: are you new? i've never seen your Nairaland id before.
XYZ: yes i'm new
XYZ: Buzz
XYZ: talk to me
XYZ: Buzz

*Davidylan sets YIM to invisible*

For the many members (especially those in Europe and the USA) of nairaland.com (Nigeria's premier public forum) with visible Yahoo messenger indicators, that is a taste of what everyday looks like logged on to your YIM.
I am sure i'm not the only one who is constantly peppered with this kind of desperate girls who don't seem to have anything to say beyond "hello this is ABC from nairaland" or "will you be my friend?"
I sometimes wonder why people still havent learnt the basic skill in human relations. If you initiate a conversation, the onus lies on you to carry that conversation at least until you can convince the other individual why you deserve a piece of his precious time. Dont say hi and then start buzzing and telling me to talk to you because i just can't! i don't know you and i did not start my day planning to talk to you!
 
posted by david at 2:47 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 2 comments