Namibia’s President Hifikepunye Pohamba Wins Prestigious Mo Ibrahim Award

VENTURES AFRICA – The $5 million African leadership prize had been awarded to Namibia’s president, Hifikepunye Pohamba, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation announced this week.
The award was bestowed to Pohamba for bolstering governance, media freedom and human rights in the southern African country of Malawi. Pohamba, who is now 79 years of age, is one of the founders of Namibia’s ruling party, South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo).
Swapo was involved in a bitter struggle for liberation with the colonial power of apartheid South Africa.
He was incarcerated with other political prisoners during South Africa’s bloody and colonial rule over Namibia.
According to The Guardian newspaper, Pohamba was lashed in public for advocating for an independent Namibia during the struggle days.
Pohamba’s win is the first time the prize has been awarded since 2011, when it was bestowed to Cape Verde’s former president Pedro Verona Pires.
The prize is said to be the world’s most valuable individual prize, with the winner pocketing $5 million over a decade and $200.000 a year for life.
“President Pohamba’s focus in forging national cohesion and reconciliation at a key stage of Namibia’s consolidation of democracy and social and economic development impressed the ‎prize committee,” The Guardian quoted Salim Ahmed Salim, as having said.
Salim is the former prime minister of Tanzania and chairman of the prize committee, which announced the winner at a ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya.
Pohamba was elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2009. He is the first acting president to win the prize, but he has said he will hand power over to Prime Minister Hage Geingob, who won November’s presidential election, later this month. “During the decade of Hifikepunye Pohamba’s presidency, Namibia’s reputation has been cemented as a well-governed, stable and inclusive democracy with strong media freedom and respect for human rights,” Salim told The Guardian
culled from Venture Africa Magazine

Chibok and #BringBackOurGirls SAGA: The Emerging uncomfortable and suspicious Dimensions

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BOKO HARAM TO BE STAMPED OUT IN 3 MONTHS – NORTHERN GOVERNORS.

Extracts from commuique issued by the Nothern governors forum and singed by Niger State’s Governor.

The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) on Saturday said all elements of the Boko Haram terrorists group would be stamped out within three months.
Gov. Babangida Aliyu, Chairman of the forum, said this in an address at a joint Northern States Governors/United States investors’ summit held in Abuja.

“The coming of the United States’ army to rescue the abducted Chibok school girls was as a result of the meeting the northern governors held with the American Government.

It said that, the symposium organised by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and NSGF between March 17 and March 19 in Washington laid the foundation for the summit and partnership with investors.

Read more: http://dailypost.ng/2014/05/11/boko-haram-insurgency-will-end-three-months-northern-governors/

EXTRACTS FROM BOSTON RALLY:

Darren Kew, associate professor of Conflict Resolution at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, speaking at the rally suggested that as Boko Haram evolves from an organisation into a movement, the government should pursue a strategy that would “separate the hard-liners from the fence sitters” in the group.

Kew also proposed engaging the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Security Council, noting the need for a resolution that condemns the acts of Boko Haram.

As events unfold, co-organizer of the Boston protest, Godwin Nnanna, say the aim of the rally was to, among others, support the growing movement to ensure this issue remains in global discuss.

Read more: http://businessdayonline.com/2014/05/chibok-girls-anger-spreads-as-search-continues/#.U3ChCSeGuaQ

THE GOVERNOR OF NIGERIA'S BORNO STATE SAYS HE HAS INFORMATION ON THE WHEREABOUTS OF ABOUT 200 SCHOOLGIRLS KIDNAPPED BY ISLAMIST GROUP BOKO HARAM.

Governor Kashim Shettima said he had passed reports of the sightings of the girls to the military for verification.

Mr Shettima added that he did not think the girls had been taken across the border to Chad or Cameroon.

Earlier, France's president offered to host a summit on Boko Haram.

"I suggested, with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, a meeting of Nigeria's neighbouring countries" Francois Hollande said.

"If the countries agree, it should take place next Saturday" he added.

Countries neighbouring Nigeria, such as Cameroon, Niger and Chad, would be invited to the security summit.

Aides said the US, UK and EU would also be likely to attend.

The US, UK and France have already pledged technical assistance to the Nigerian government.

Meanwhile, President Jonathan said an Israeli counter-terrorism team would arrive in Nigeria to help in searching for the schoolgirls, who were abducted last month.

'Slaves'

French troops entered Mali last year to push out al-Qaeda affiliated militants.

Both the US and UK distanced themselves from suggestions that they would send soldiers to take part in the military operation in the vast north of Nigeria.

"There's no intention at this point to be putting any American boots on the ground" said US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel on Sunday.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said it was unlikely Nigeria would ask for British troops to help, but he added: "I said to President Jonathan where we can help, please ask, and we will see what we can do."

"I rang the Nigerian president to offer anything that would be helpful and we agreed to send out a team that includes some counter-terrorism and intelligence experts to work alongside the bigger American team that's going out there."----à source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27368744

Chibok Affair: The Emerging And Uncomfortable Facts, By Fani-Kayode

Now that the operational leadership and visible face of Boko Haram, in the person of the filth called Mr.  Abubakar Shekau (aka Darul Tawheed), has finally admitted that they were responsible for the abduction of hundreds of our school girls and that they intend to ‘’sell them in the market  like slaves’’, it is pertinent and necessary for us to consider some  of the emerging, though uncomfortable, facts.
This will enable us to understand the nature of who and what we are dealing with and allow us to consider what the appropriate response ought to be if we really want to solve the problem. Permit me to share the following facts that have been brought to my attention:
1.  That the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has told us that 90 per cent of the girls that were abducted from their school at Chibok were Christians.
2. That President Goodluck Jonathan himself alluded to this during his last media chat when he said that ‘’the majority’’ of girls that were abducted were Christians.
3. That the majority of the girls that either ‘’escaped’’ or were released by their abductors were Muslims.
4. That the Governor of Borno State refused to accept the counsel and abide by the directives of WAEC that the exams should not take place in Chibok due to the precarious security situation and instead he insisted that the exams should take place there and that he would guarantee the security of the children.
5. That the Christian Association of Nigeria has formally accused the Governor of Borno State of ‘’conspiracy and collusion’’ and they have urged him to tell us exactly where the girls are and what he knows about the whole incident.
6. That the girls that have been kidnapped are being raped up to 15 times a day by their captors and that those amongst them that have refused to convert to Islam are having their throats cut (read the testimony of one of the girls that ‘’escaped’’ on page 8 of the Vanguard Newspaper, 5th April, 2014).
7.  That  there was not a single adult in the school grounds watching over the 278 girls that entire night apart from one security man and that there was no electricity, no generator, no principal, no matron, no house master and no house mistress in the grounds with them.
8. That the children were all alone in their dormitories that night in the blistering heat and deepest darkness before the Haramites arrived to burn their school and carried them away into captivity.
9. That the soldiers that were guarding the school in Chibok were redeployed a  few hours  before Boko Haram launched their attack and abducted the children.
10. That up till now pictures of the abducted girls have not been produced or released by the school authorities or the state government.
11. That this was a predominantly christian School and that Chibok is a predominantly Christian community.
In my view, these facts are relevant and instructive. When one considers them, the picture of what really happened at Chibok on that tragic night, what the real intentions of the abductors and their secret sponsors were and what is really going on now is getting clearer by the day.
Ordinarily, whether the children are Christians, Muslims, pagans or atheists really should not matter because, regardless of their faith, we want them all back and we must fight for them all to be returned to their homes and loved ones.
Frightening dimension
However, the fact that 90 per cent of them are Christian adds a sinister and frightening dimension to the whole horrific episode and it is glaring evidence of the fact that Christian girls are now being targetted by the Islamists and that those girls are being ‘’sold in the market’’, being forced to convert to Islam and being turned into sex slaves.
Let me put it on record that  I am one of those that believe that the Federal Government has failed woefully in their primary duty to protect the Nigerian people and I have enunciated that position more than anyone else in this nation in numerous essays and contributions over the last three years. However, I honestly believe that, today, the problem has become so serious and pronounced and that the conflict has reached such a critical stage that criticising and lambasting the government alone will not help. The truth is that such an approach has, certainly, not achieved much in the last three years because nothing has changed.
I believe that it is time for us to change tactics in order to achieve better results even though we must not relent in demanding that our President and his security and intelligence agencies do their job properly and provide the necessary security for our people. We also need to understand and appreciate the fact that this matter goes way beyond politics. It goes way beyond whether you are for or against President Jonathan.
It goes way beyond whether you are in the APC, PDP, APGA, Labour or UPN. It goes way beyond whether you are a progressive or a conservative. It goes way beyond whether you are a christian or a muslim or whether you are from the north or the south.
The bitter truth is that regardless of wherever you come from, whatever your faith is and whichever side of the political divide you stand, we all have a duty to get to the bottom of this matter, join forces, close ranks, find out what is really going on and bring this nightmare to an end. We must join hands with all men and women of goodwill and, together, we must fight this insidious evil that seeks to envelop our land and overwhelm our people.
To be sure, there is only one thing worse than failing to protect your people and that is when you organise and mobilise some misguided and mentally unstable miscreants to use religion as a political tool and get them to blow up, kill, abduct, rape and maim innocent men, women and children in an attempt to destabilise the country, spark off a religious war, change the status qou, pull down the government, induce a military coup, dismember our country and cow the Nigerian people into submission.
Secret supporters
That is what those who are the secret supporters and sponsors of Boko Haram are doing and attempting to achieve. They are also interested in furthering the sinister and barbaric agenda of the Taliban, the Al Nusra Front, Al Shabab, Islamic Jihad, Hamas and Al Qaeda whose wish is to destroy the secular state and to establish an Islamic fundamentalist state. They wish to establish a radical new caliphate in the west African sub-region where christianity and moderate Islam is banned, where women are treated like sub-human beings and chattel and which is governed by the strictest form of Islamic Sharia law.
To this end, it is interesting to note that the evil is spreading. A glaring testimony to that sad fact is the fact that an army barracks was attacked by Boko Haram in the Camerouns on 5th April and after killing two army officers they freed all their fellow terrorists and Islamists that had been detained there.
What is going on is dangerous, bloody, vicious, heartless, brutal, deep, dark and sinister and it is a conspiracy of monumental proportions. It is a conspiracy which we have all fallen victim to. It is a conspiracy that is fuelled by secrecy and strengthened by the reluctance of those that know better and that know the truth to speak out and expose it.
It is a conspiracy that also receives massive funding and covert support from various governments and royal families in the Middle East whose support for the salfists is well known and whose wahabbi doctrines and philosophy is exceptionally dangerous. These are the type of people that we are dealing with and these are the times that we are living in.
It is good news that the international community are set to play a greater role in this fight and that they are ready to assist us in resisting terror and waging war against what is esentially a relentless and vicious global jihad.
However this is not enough. The fight is still primarily for our President and the Nigerian people to lead.
It is left for the President and his team to rise up to the occasion, tell the Nigerian people the bitter truth about all that is going on behind the scenes, remove the kid gloves, get real and fight the Haramists and their sponsors with all that he has got.
If he refuses to do it or if he is cowered into not doing so by the moderate and dovish voices that appear to be around him, he can be rest assured that sooner than later this country will break up and he will go down in history as the last President of a united Nigeria. Worse still, if he is not careful there may well be a military coup which will not be welcome by any right-thinking person and which everyone dreads. We must assist him as best as we can to ensure that this does not happen.
I have little doubt that the President knows who those that are behind Boko Haram are: it is now time for him to exercise his full powers, expose them and deal with them in a brutal and savage manner.
It is time for him to show strength and to lead us into this war against terror boldly. It is time for him to be a Commander-in Chief that we can all be proud of. It is time for him to use his full power and to detain and interrogate all those that he suspects may be linked to the terrorists.
It is time for him to rise up to the occasion and to crush the evil and the forces of darkness that have challenged our way of life, everything that is dear to us and indeed our very existence.
It is time for him to use every method known to man to vigorously fight the insurgency, including better intelligence gathering and the usage of ‘’black ops’’, ‘’wet boys’’, covert operations and maximum co-operation with various foreign and international intelligence and security agencies.
It is time for him to ruthlessly bomb the notorious and Boko Haram-infested Sambisi forest …and burn it, together with everything and everyone that is in it, to the ground. It is time for him to exercise the right of ‘’hot pursuit’’ and to pursue the Haramites into the Camerouns, Chad, the Niger Republic or anywhere else if and when it is necessary for him to ever do so.
It is time for him to prove to the world that the Nigerian people are not insensitive cowards and that we know how to fight and to protect our own. It is time for him to rise up and to exercise the full powers and authority of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is time for him to do whatever it takes to bring our girls back home and to let us hold our heads up high  once  again.
*Fani-Kayode is a former Minister of Aviation.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/05/chibok-affair-emerging-uncomfortable-facts/#sthash.xcahDZZf.dpuf

NSA surveillance is logical; Snowden is fake. Gathering even more larger data.

Our health is so important to us that, we do not reserve anything to privacy-even in our unconscious state (emergency).

How much privacy, how much data-info should our doctors have regarding our body? Our doctors HAVE access to any data-info the needed about us private or public to save our life. Right?

how much data/info should our security people have about our streets, our neighborhoods, our cities? How much data/info should our guards have about our premises?

In this world where "data criminals" are everywhere, hacking everything hackable to obtain data/information about us with the intent to hurt us or break established laws guarding the people.

There is a very urgent need for us to have "data police" (and that's what NSA has done and should be praised not criticized). How much of data should our "data police"-security personnel have about us?

The how much, is left for the skeptics/critics  to Answer
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As far as I am concerned in my own little knowledge, the surveillance is illegal only when those data are used to "hurt" us or break established laws of the state.

My only concern is "How trustworthy are NSA to be entrusted with these data? Not just that of the American people but of other nationalities? How trust worth are they?

As for issues of sovereignty; that is settled already by the fact that its called 'Secret,Spy,espionage' or whatever you call it.

Until Snowden did what he did, these data are been collected and we are not hurt. We have been going about our normal daily activities and nothing changed. Hun?

by the way, I see the whole NSA surveillance  scandal as a sting/covert operation by the NSA-CIA probably to gather even more larger data about how different countries will react in a possible "Data-war" situations. Or even maybe they want to know their strongest allies also. Edward Snowden is only acting a script.

(Mind you these are strictly my own opinion and personal views.)

His Excellency must Hear this

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Just bumped into this Info on the internet, I was flabbergasted by this amazing innovation in democratic leadership displayed by the Korean Government. I wish my excellencies will read this and hopefully Nigerians will see replica of this in major cities in Nigeria like Abuja, Lagos, Kano, etc.  
In a true democracy every citizen has a voice, but many don’t feel like politicians actually listen to them.

There's something unsatisfying about making a traditional complaint. As you're filling out the form, you can almost see the government bureaucrat crumpling it up and throwing it away a few days later. Wouldn't it be great if you could just yell at the pencil pushers directly? In Seoul, you can.

In order to promote itself as open to what the public has to say, the Seoul government (Korea)  has installed Yobosayo – a large, ear-shaped sculpture  symbolizing the Mayor and his administration's openness to public opinion and feedback. That records the opinions of passersby and relays it over speakers in City Hall.
Designed by artist Yang Soo-in, who creates participatory public art. The sculpture’s title means ‘Hello?’ in Korean and is situated outside City Hall, where dissatisfied citizens normally go to lodge a formal civic complaint by filling out a form. Instead, the big ear sounds a message when someone walks past, inviting people to leave a message for government officials. Passersby can lean into the sculpture to offer criticism, question ,complain or praise of the government’s services, their opinions on current political events or even just air their thoughts. Whatever they have to say is recorded by a microphone located inside the ear and each message is then broadcast through speakers located around City Hall. Sensors on each speaker detect how many officials are listening at the time and the soundbites that attract the biggest audience are saved for posterity – hopefully for authorities to take into consideration.

A previous installation was a box made of one way mirrors in which people could record a message. When people were not recording, previous messages were relayed for passing pedestrians.
“It's a positive and addictive social game, where if you do not like the message you're hearing from the box, then the only thing you can do is for yourself to participate and leave your version of the story to diminish the density or the importance of other messages,” explained Yang Soo-in in a TED talk.

Born Again King; Olu of Warri Abolishes some unholy traditional practices

The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase II, announced the abolition of some of the ancient Itshekiri cultural practices. The Olu of Warri who is a born again Christian with a Foursquare Worship Centre in his palace, had last Wednesday September 4th declared in a document titled, “The New Order of Iwere Kingdom,” that the “Ogiame” title which had been in existence for over 500 years would no longer exist because it is purportedly associated to a river goddess. He now only wants to serve one God.

The Olu of Warri in the document, said:

“I also repent for the name and title of “Ogiame” that my ancestors and I have borne, as it connotes our allegiance to Umalokun (goddess of the river) and other deities of the sea, all of which are false gods. Today, I renounce our allegiance to Umalokun and other gods of the sea, land and sky. On behalf of the royal bloodline, the throne, the people of Iwere land, I publicly enter into a new covenant with God.” 

Not only did the King renounce his traditional title of Ogiame, he also dissociated himself from some of the kingdom’s age-long traditional practices, which he described as paganism. This seeming born again position by the King has been seen to be an insult to the traditional history of the Itsekiris. 

Practical steps to achieve Vision 2020 faster

This is an article i wrote long time ago(which was published in certain newspaper and online websites) I am Re-publishing it here due to my laziness and lack of time.

Innovative Solutions to Nigeria ’s Tarnishing Image and the road map to Vision 2020.
“Practical steps to achieve Vision 2020 faster and easily by enhancing the power of the internet”
“It is no more a news that Nigeria government is dreaming that by 2020 Nigeria will be one of the 20 largest economies in the world, able to consolidate its leadership role in Africa and establish itself as a significant player in the global economic and political arena.”
The Nigeria ’s economic potential is well recognized. It is the biggest economy in the West African sub region. Given the country’s considerable resource endowment and coastal location there is potential for strong growth. Yet Nigeria has realized very little of this potential. Previous efforts at planning and visioning were not sustained. The history of economic stagnation, declining welfare and social instability, has undermined development for most of the past 30 years.
But in recent years, Nigeria has been experiencing a growth turnaround and conditions seem right for launching onto a path of sustained and rapid growth, justifying its ranking amongst the N11 countries. These are the countries identified by Goldman Sachs to have the potential for attaining global competitiveness based on their economic and demographic settings and the foundation for reforms already laid.
The previous administration had declared the intention to pursue the vision of placing Nigeria among the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020 and the current administration is committed to the attainment of this vision.
The Business Support Group is an initiative of the Secretariat of the National Steering Committee of Vision 2020, which is intended to engender Private Sector support for the NV2020 process. The Business Support Group is headed by Alhaji (Dr) Umaru Mutallab.
The key functions of the Business Support Group are to;
• Generate Publicity, public opinion and national buy-in.
• Mobilize Resources from the Private Sector
• Organize fund raising activities to support NV2020;
• Provide Technical and Financial support
The above article is the real vision that is set to place Nigeria as a great country among other great nations of the world. But the bad Image of the country been portrayed in other great nations is in no way going to help this vision. In view of this I try to put up this practical step to helping realizing this great vision of our great country-Nigeria.
To achieve this vision Nigerian Government needs Correct the bad image been portrayed, make her country a save-heaven for investors, Encourage Businesses operating in the country and as well attract foreign investor. So, the Government Through its ministry and parastatals should make sure that adequate policies, rules and regulations are put in place and also make sure that such are strictly implemented as this is the backbone of development. Such Policies, regulations and rules should be imposed on Individuals, Businesses and NGO’s especially those carrying out activities on the internet. Because the rate of Internet fraud emanating from Nigeria is very alarming and this will continually foil every positive steps taking by the government in achieving the NV2020. So, Strict Rule, Policies and regulations (by CBN, NCC, EFCC,, ICPC, NPF, NIG, AIMN, etc) should be imposed on Individuals, Businesses and NGOs transacting businesses activities on the internet from Nigeria .
Such will be a welcome development and will bring many benefits to Nigeria and indeed Nigerians. Such benefits as:
* Reductions in internet fraud from emanating from Nigeria, this will give her good image which it can leverage among the committee of nations to attractant the much needed FDI.
* Revenues will be generated from every legal business transacted on the internet from Nigeria .
* It will attract foreign investors, to the Country.
* Many doors of great business opportunities will be opened to Nigerians.
* It will foster good international relation between Nigeria and other Nations.
* It will as well, Reduce unemployment rate in the country.
* Commercial Activities in the country will receive a major boost.
* These will bring rapid growth in the nations Economy, educational sector.
* And finally, all these syncing together will Help Nigeria achieve her Vision 2020.
The so-called Yahoo-Yahoo boys have very brilliant brains, that if Nigerian Government can make it a priority to channel her policies towards developing the youths to make innovative use of ICT to bring development to the country.
All Nigerians, wherever they are, should place not just their hand on the desk but their heart, Mind, Love, strength and idea to make this great NV2020 a reality. So, join the call to tell the whole world that Nigeria is a safe secure paradise for investors with genuine Interests and businesses for the people of Nigeria (The most populous and greatest black nation in the whole world)

33 Years old who has 11 wives with 30 children

This is amazing, a young man of 33 years old marrying 11 wives with 30 children? this is bad! in fact it is an abuse. the guy even has the gut to ask from the government, this na craze!
Hell is just getting worse. The man in question is the infamous, Desmond Hatchett of Knoxville, Tenn., who has fathered an astronomical 30 children with 11 different women by the age of 33.

Via Huffington Post:
A 33-year-old Knoxville, Tenn. man with 30 children appeared in court this week to ask the state for child-support help, Memphis news station WREG reported Wednesday.
Desmond Hatchett has fathered 30 children which is believed to be the record in Knox county, according to the Los Angeles Times with 11 different women. His youngest children are toddlers and his oldest is 14.
Hatchett reportedly asked the court to give him a break on his payments, claiming that he’s struggling to make ends meet with his minimum-wage job. Currently, the state requires him to divide 50 percent of his earnings among the 11 women, some of whom receive as little as $1.49 a month, WREG reports.
How did Hatchett come to father so many children? “I had four kids in the same year. Twice,” he told Volunteer TV in 2009. He also told a local news station that year that he was “done” having kids (he had only 21 at the time).
Hatchett isn’t the only serial father to make headlines. NFL player Antonio Cromartie, 28, famously fathered 10 children by eight women in six states.

This man doesn’t need a break from child support, he needs a break from sex. What are your thoughts? Post your comments below.