HCOTN 080416

1. Shelve strike, I’ll honour pact, Buhari tells doctors
   Doctors: Honour pact, we’ll shelve strike
    
2. Oil firms not paying accurate dues to NDDC – Semenitari
   So, what’s the NDDC been doing with the dues it’s got so far. Shouldn’t the NDDC be giving account of their stewardship so far?
3. Buhari, Obasanjo meet inside Aso Rock
   “You know that not too long ago, I was out there. I have come to share some of my experiences with him (Buhari),” he said.” So, all the ‘ajala’ that Baba has been doing did not give him experiences. Una well done…
4. 5% Value Added Tax too low – Osinbajo
   Hmmm…The hand of Esau, the voice of Jacob…Well done… Here’s a comment that captures my thoughts “Most Nigerian businesses are already over taxed, VIO, LASDRI, FRSC, Police, LASTMA, LASAA, LIRS, FIRS, Local govt stickers, area boys, nurtw, LASEPA, SONCAP, MOE. as a business, one comes in contact with these agencies and more than two times in a month. That's more than enough tax”.  It’s already difficult to do business in this climate. Any attempt to increase taxes will be stiffly resisted…Businesses pay so much taxes and they still have to ‘help’ Government do what the taxes were meant for….Hmmmmmm…
5. Dangote commences construction of Cote d’Ivoire cement plant
   I wish I could blame him for crossing to Cote D’Ivoire. I think the FG need to ask themselves if there was anything they could have done to get him to have built ANOTHER plant in Nigeria instead…
6. Farmers can’t access funds from banks – FG
   “Ogbeh, however, stated that the government was WORKING HARD to address the development, and stressed that it was high time the nation fed its citizens and reduced the importation of food to the barest minimum”. It’ll be nice to know what “WORKING HARD” means objectively…What’s the government REALLY doing about this?
7. Naira to weaken ahead of budget signing
   “Meanwhile, the Kenyan, Ghanaian and Zambian currencies are expected to gain ground next week with the cedi recording its first year-to-date gain in recent years after weeks of consistent rally on renewed investor confidence underpinned by improved foreign exchange inflows, according to analysts.”
   Nigeria, why? Why is our own like this na? When will we be able to have INVESTOR CONFIDENCE. I have a lot to say about gaining INVESTOR CONFIDENCE…Investors are wise enough to know more than you’re really telling. If they fell for every “smooth talker”, they won’t have the money you’re hoping they’ll invest. It’s #JollofRice eaters that you can bamboozle with propaganda. Those that have money to spend are not fooled by propaganda….
8. Supporters’ club backs Siasia
   I don’t think the supporters’ club are in order here but what do I know? I don’t think it’s wise to take sides when there’s a dispute between an employee and his employer. What do you think?
    
   It’s a great day to be alive. Though, I’ll have preferred to be a Ghanaian, Kenyan or Zambian at this time, na Naija we dey. Let’s keep doing our bit in our own corner to lift up our fatherland. Keep praying. E go better…May God bless, keep and prosper the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
    
   Enjoy your day.

HCOTN - ABOUT FIRM HANDSHAKES

And policemen are still on the road collecting bribes. Please check the police "check points" around Badia, Coker etc. They mount illegal check points in those places in the mornings and harass road users. That's part of the corruption we need to fight...I don't think the senior brother of "Body Language", aka "Firm Handshake" has shaken that away...What a people!

Good morning, my good people. Please let's continue to pray for our nation and contribute our quota to national development, not because a firm handshake shows class and confidence but because that's what God expects of us. I pray that those that love Nigeria and her peace will continue to thrive and prosper. May God expose and disable every enemy of Nigeria, in Jesus' Name. If you think that's harsh, tell the enemies to stop doing evil. In the timeless words of a great woman, "If you don't want to be witch-hunted, don't be a witch".

Enjoy your day.

HCOTN 020416

On top of the other issues, LAGBUS drivers are also on strike. Warris all dis? Na dem go leave Nigeria for me. This is my country and I will outlast all of them.

DPR can close Oando petrol station in Jabi for adulterated petrol but no arm of government can call the wicked souls that are hoarding fuel and selling to black marketers to order... Issorait...

As the economic matters don reach, The Punch is even inviting churches to announce their programs for a token and win more souls for Christ.. Chai!

Civil war veterans say that the government spends millions of Naira to remember dead soldiers but forgets those of them that are alive. Bet why?

High Chief Modupe Oluwole (HCMO) turned 60 and was interviewed by The Punch's Life and Times (LAT). The excerpt below caught my attention...

LAT: Apart from the positive attitude that you said you always have, what other things would you say helped you in graduating into a big distributor of the major giants in the liquor industry in Nigeria?

HCMO: The number one helper is my husband. Help is not always about money. He may not have been able to assist me with money but he allowed me to have a space to do my business. He is always positive; he is not a typical Nigerian man that begins to doubt his wife immediately she is out of his sight, no. My husband is always ready to vouch for my integrity and you can see that we are in perfect harmony. If he wanted to stop me, he didn't want to say it directly but they say action speaks louder than words. But he has been a gentleman and because of this, I don't joke with him. We have cooks and stewards but I cook his meals..

Happy birthday ma. You and your husband's heads are there ma...And you're very beautiful too...<3. And PMB's 1984 regime destroyed her kiosk o. Sigh!

Adam & Eve asked "What will you do if your spouse is having an affair with your senior colleague. See answers...
Woman 1: I'll divorce him
Woman 2: I'll resign from the work
Woman 3: I'll pray for the affair to end
Woman 4: I will not work with my boss again
Woman 5: I'll forgive my husband
Man 1: I'll end the marriage
Man 2: I'll threaten to divorce her
Man 3: She must marry my boss
Man 4: I will pardon her
Man 5: I'll do DNA tests for my children immediately

Note that most of the women will fight for their relationships and resign. No man said anything about leaving his job. I actually lean more towards the men's position. I won't leave my job because of a cheat...I wish him the best with his fellow cheat...Whether I forgive him or not, I will not leave my job...

You'll know your village people are seriously after you if after interviewing for 3 months, you accidentally send a mic drop email (Google's April Fool Gmail button) to the HR. Please go and wash your head; it's not a joking sturv...Next time, please don't use Gmail for important emails on April 1...Gmail is free so Google can add any App that catches their fancy...

I can't believe there was a time I used to study the "Change of Name" and "Obituary" sections like someone preparing for exams. I've been delivered so I won't tell you who died and who changed their names. Lol.

And there was El Classico. I saw the match when it started but the sleep did not allow me watch it. Please, who won?

It's the beginning of another week. May it be a fruitful and productive week. I pray that all the class and confidence that Baba's award winning "firm handshake" represents will translate to affordable and steady fuel/power supply and improved standards of living for the citizenry.

May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

FUEL SCARCITY - MATTERS ARISING

I'm not saying the Minister OF STATE for Petroleum shouldn't resign; I just think that if the junior minister should resign, it makes sense that the actual Minister of Petroleum should also resign...Abi?

It is obvious that PMB cannot be President and Minister of Petroleum at the same time. If it's about cost cutting, let's try Pastor Prof. We don't have much to lose (is there anything worse than this fuel scarcity that even the Minister of State HOPES will abate in 2 weeks?)...

We can't be playing shameful games like this ooo. Anyway, we're complaining about fuel scarcity but there's still traffic jam. Abeg, where thr black market sellers dey see the fuel wey dem dey sell? Hmmm.

As annoyed as I am, I'll still #PrayForNigeria. Na our fatherland. May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. May those that love her peace experience peace with prosperity. May the Lord trouble all her troublers, in Jesus Name.

ON MALLAM EL-RUFAI'S "ANTI-CHRISTIAN" BILL

Here's the comment I made on the post where I got a copy of the Bill (Thanks Samuel and Brymore).

"I think it is wise to know what is involved in obtaining a license. My gut feeling is that this bill conflicts with a fundamental human right - freedom of association. Some people do not believe in the "ideals" of CAN. There's PFN so why have they been excluded? I believe the bill addresses fundamental issues BUT it violates at least one fundamental human right. I hope the Kaduna State Assembly does not pass this bill in its current form..."

Some may think it's just about addressing Noise Pollution and stopping false prophets from milking the people. What I know is that when the promoters of this bill talk, they will not tell us how the bill makes all Christians in Kaduna become CAN stooges or how Shias are excluded...I sincerely hope the Kaduna State House of Assembly does not pass the bill as it is. They should ask the governor to deal with the part that takes away people's freedom of worship/association then reintroduce the bill...After all, the NASS rejected Senator Olujimi's bill and we're told it would be reintroduced after the portions that conflict with religion and cultural practices are expunged...

An injustice in Kaduna is an injustice in Nigeria...

Gender Equality Bill - Matters Arising

Sometimes, I wonder what goes on in some ladies' minds. Let me give some frank talk here...You can't buy love with money...

I'm on a post where the Senate's rejection of the Gender Equality bill is being analyzed. I'm stunned that the Senate is talking about Sharia Court of Appeal judgments as the reason why the bill cannot sail through. It makes no sense to me. The bill itself seems like a repeat of existing laws to me but let me review it again.

I'm actually more stunned about how the right of a woman to inherit her late husband's properties is cropping up. I have never understood why women refuse to make their own money and are waiting for their husband to die so they can inherit his property. I can't understand how a man will rather leave his siblings as his next of kin and not make a will to protect his OWN children but that's a topic for another day.

I was busy one day but my ears caught the gist between 2 of my male colleagues. One of them was telling the other one that he wasn't treating his wife right. The gist is that the wife will invest in property and put it in her husband's name while the man would invest in property in his own name. The man said he had asked her to invest in her own name (women can own property in Nigeria o) but she refused because "God has made him the head". That part is confusing me o. If God made him the head and the head instructed you, Madam, to invest in your name, are you not rebelling against God if you continue to invest in his name and disobey instructions? The man knows what he is seeing and you're doing your own thing...Kontiniu.

If something happens to the man now and what the man saw that made him give such an instruction happens, the same woman will begin to tell us #StoriesThatTouchTheHeart. I don't get this thing of women expecting the men to take care of ALL their bills yet they're talking about #GenderParity. We need to make up our minds o. If we're talking about parity, we need to up our game as women. If we expect men to pick ALL our bills, we have to dance to their tunes and hope they are good & faithful men. We can't eat our cake and have it ooo.

Back to "Hallowed Chambers", I hope they know that the female population in Nigeria is not a small thing...These women gave their all to get this government in (I'm not one of those that voted for this government so I can say "Those"). I'm tempted to mock the women that put in their all to install this government but I'll resist the temptation... I asked during the campaigns what this government was offering the women. The answers I got were insults and questions on what the past administration had done for women. I hope women begin to wake up and realise that there is strength in numbers. I hope we begin to focus more on collaboration, instead of competition.

We need more responsible women in leadership and governance. If we can manage to rise above our differences as women and #LeaveTrashForLAWMA (eg the smear campaign against Olori Wuraola disguised as "harmless gossip), maybe, just maybe, we can begin to get more of the change we're looking for.

In conclusion, I hope the Senate realize that they don't want to annoy about half of their population to please the minority. I also hope that the sponsor(s) of the bill will do a better job of informing the public and getting support for the bill (and similar bills) if it is truly reintroduced, as rumoured.

Enjoy your day.

GEJ, THE DEMOCRAT

Democracy is about allowing the majority have their way and the minority have their say.
Let's take a look at the sharing of money from the Excess Crude Account. The Chairman of the Nigerian Governor's Forum at that time, Rotimi Amaechi, and his fellow governors kept agitating for the sharing of monies from the Excess Crude Account. GEJ resisted for so long but as a DEMOCRATIC leader, he gave in to the NGF. I think it's weak leadership but strong leaders are RARELY democratic...

Case 2 - Removal of Fuel Subsidy in 2012 and #OccupyNigeria. GEJ announced the full deregulation of the petroleum industry and we occupied Nigeria (including Hephzibah Oyinda). GEJ gave in to the wish of the people and we continued with the subsidy fraud. 4 years later, I wish he wasn't so democratic.

Democracy is the government by the people, of the people and for the people. It is based on the notion that sovereignty belongs to the people. I am not convinced that we can survive as a nation with this structure that we have while practising democracy. Democracy and this unitary government that we're calling Federalism is not for Nigeria. It's either we stick with democracy and practice TRUE federalism OR we keep our unitary government and ditch democracy. The two of them cannot coexist, irrespective of which party or person is in power.

The only time we will experience TRUE change is when we fix the anomaly of the unitary government disguised as Federalism (assuming we choose to keep democracy). Unfortunately, those that have the constitutional power to effect the change are benefitting from the current arrangement...

GEJ probably deserves the award but it doesn't have an effect on the prices of goods and services in Ogba market, lol.