How Nigerian Lawmakers Underdeveloped Nigeria
In any given democracy, the legislature performs three functions: lawmaking, appropriation and oversight of the executive. I bear the Nigerian legislature witness that they actually make laws, especially the ones that would not upset the applecart. They do a lot of appropriation—and carefully jack up the budget to accommodate their own interests. Oversight function? Of course, they do perform it excellently, as long as the agency or ministry or parastatal they are overseeing would "support" public hearings and give committee members tickets and bundles of dollars to fly to some unknown republic to attend "capacity-building" conferences. And so it goes.The legislature, I want to declare today, has contributed immensely to the underdevelopment of Nigeria. We often look at the clueless executive branch of government as the source of our woes. I suppose we are correct to a large extent. After all, the executive is responsible for policies and the implementation of law and order in the society. The executive runs the machinery of government day to day. But there is the principle of separation of powers and checks and balances. The judiciary serves as a check. While it has not been perfect in any way, the judiciary has certainly helped stabilise this democracy with timely interventions that have checkmated anarchy and diluted dictatorship.But to effectively put the executive in check, however, we need a very active and proactive legislature. We need a legislature that puts the executive on its toes through oversight functions. I am going to use the current House/Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) scandal to illustrate my point on the diabolical legislature today. The House Committee on Capital Market recently decided to probe the fatal crash of our stock market, once regarded as yielding the most profitable returns globally. I am usually sceptical when our lawmakers suddenly want to investigate something for public good. I am very, very sceptical.I am sorry to be so cynical, but since when did the lawmakers love Nigeria so much that they want to do something for our progress? Since 1999, they have been investigating and probing all kinds of things and we never got any result. There was so much noise over the probe of power projects in 2008—excuse me, what was the outcome again? I seem to have forgotten. Recently, there has been a lot of noise and public posturing over the probe of petroleum subsidy management. Discerning Nigerians know very well that nothing would ever come out of it, if our past experiences could serve as a guide. I can list a thousand probes and a thousand no-outcomes. So, pardon my scepticism.And so the House Committee on Capital Market decided to probe the stock market crisis. The crash has led to the erosion of the wealth of millions of Nigerians. It has led to the death of banks and stockbrokingfirms. Many investors have developed incurable health problems as a result. Some have died from high blood pressure and stroke. Thousands of jobs have been wiped out. Probing the immediate and remote causes would ordinarily be to the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians and perhaps help us come up with policies to be better prepared for future volatilities. From every indication, this should be an excellent exercise.The Hon. Herman Hembe-led committee then wrote to the market regulators, SEC, inviting them to the public hearing. But what happened next? The committee attached to the same letter a list of its expenditure, totalling N39,844,490. The list includes snacks and drinks, as well as "official reporters" and "computer consumables". Even without uttering a word, the motive of the committee was clear: bring some coins to the table to "support" the public hearing. I won't be surprised if the same letter containing the "requirements" was also sent to other invitees to the public hearing. You can have N39 million from as many willing sponsors as possible. And don't forget that the House has a monumental budget for public hearings. If you doubt me, please go through the budget of the National Assembly. So we are faced with a situation where the lawmakers eat the same cake two, three times. Who says you can't eat your cake and have it? That's an outdated proverb.What happened next? SEC chose to play ball. The decision makers at SEC decided that the probe would be good for the market and opted to support the committee with "not more than N30 million only". Look at it again. SEC could be culpable in the crash of the market. In fact, a thorough probe could reveal that the body shirked its responsibilities and was mainly responsible for the crash that nearly ruined the economy. So by the time SEC decides to "support" the probe with N30 million—in addition to an early favour done toHembe to fly to Dominican Republic—what would be the outcome of the probe? Let me guess: a clean bill of health for SEC! And so, we keep destroying Nigeria in the name of probes and public hearings.Of course, the "sponsorship" deal went awry along the line. SEC insiders claim that the money was to be paid directly, electronically, into the committee's account but Hembe requested, through an intermediary, that N5 million should be paid to him personally (Hembe has denied this allegation). SEC pulled the plug on the deal. The hearing started the following day. Hembe let all hell loose, questioning the SEC DG, MsArunma Oteh, in the most condescending way possible. The woman, in failing to respond to the questions satisfactorily, quickly adopted the well-tested strategy of hunting the hunter: she alleged that it was because she failed to pay bribes totalling N44 million that Hembe was harassing her (can I add that she only agreed to part with N30 million?).Fellow Nigerians, we would never have heard of these shady dealings if the monies had been released and collected. All we would hear is that the House Committee on Capital Market had probed the stock market crash and absolved SEC of all blame and declared that the collapse was caused by the global economic crisis which—in this age of globalisation—no economy is insulated. That would be the end of the matter until the committee members are broke again and decide to probe the sale of one listed company or the other. And then a letter would be written to SEC summoning them to the public hearing. And the list of "requirements" would be attached. And so it goes.The latest scandal is perhaps one of the smallest. It is common knowledge that committees of the National Assembly engage in this unholy act on a regular basis. It starts with appropriation. A ministry would say it wants to spend N100 billion in 2013; the committee would call the minister aside and promise to help him jack up the budget in exchange for a few billions. A deal is struck. Professor Fabian Osuji would forever regret agreeing to serve this country. In 2004, some members of the National Assembly allegedly told him to bring N50 million so that his ministry's budget could be passed. The deal went bad and the man was publicly humiliated. Also, I was told that when the House committee started probing power projects, a member called one of the contractors and asked that if they would raise some amount of money to be distributed to committee members, the panel would turn out a favourable report.These evils are perpetrated not only at the federal level but also in the states. It is an open secret that in many states, members of the House of Assembly are put on special monthly allowances by the governors. Some monies are not to be accounted for at all. We would not have the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) running after governors today if the state lawmakers were alive to their oversight responsibilities. The laws of the land empower only the House of Assembly to probe a governor and remove him or her from office if found guilty. But this is just on paper. They've gladly surrendered their independence to the executive.In more ways than one, the legislature is contributing its own quota to the underdevelopment of Nigeria. How can the lawmakers be accepting flight tickets and bales of dollars from the same people they are expected to put in check? How can they be colluding to jack up the budget in exchange for contracts and kick-backs? How can they be sending a list of "requirements" to the same body they want to probe? What are we turning this country into? Is there a way out of this conspiracy to keep Nigeria perpetually down through abject greed, crass incompetence and crude selfishness?One good act is more than many good thoughts
Monday, March 26, 2012
How Nigerian Lawmakers Underdeveloped Nigeria
Sunday, March 25, 2012
How to identify a fake mechanic — The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper
The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper
Breaking News, information and opinion in Nigeria
25th March, 2012 )
How to identify a fake mechanic
March 25, 2012 by Kunle Shonaike 2 Comments
"Kunle, how can I quickly spot a fake roadside mechanic to avoid letting me let one, in the guise of working on it, damage my car?"
I must confess that this question, from a disturbed female enquirer who'd just fallen victim to sheer quackery, is a very emotive one for a man like me. And since I cannot proffer any hocus-pocus method of answering this genuine question, I'll resort to the scientific way discernible to me: that's to itemise some scenarios that must naturally trigger your mental alarm bells.
The very first thing that should raise your mental red flag is during your initial moments with any mechanic; you must have observed a problem in your vehicle (which is very likely iconified on the vehicle's dashboard) before taking the automobile to him, or calling him to work on it.
If, when he starts to examine the vehicle and notices any of the warning lights on the dashboard is lit but he doesn't attempt to use a diagnostic machine to scan the vehicle to let the vehicle's On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) system specifically "tell" him what's wrong with the vehicle, then you're very likely dealing with a "speculator" or "trial-and-errorist" (you see, it sounds like "terrorist!").
And if he, like so many of the quacks say, "don't worry about those lights on the dashboard, they don't mean anything," then I bid you to do a runner.
The other way to easily recognise an incompetent roadside mechanic is the way he goes about solving an identified (or perceived) problem on a vehicle: One, if you've just bought a vehicle and a mechanic tells you to remove the vehicle's thermostat and re-direct the radiator's fan/s, he's either a quack or he's just far behind modern automotive technologies.
Two, if you take an automobile to a garage and a mechanic (after the vehicle's engine has cooled) insists that the radiator's fan/s must start automatically with the engine as soon as the engine is restarted, you're very likely dealing with the wrong auto technician.
Three, if a mechanic is working on some major components and systems of your car (say, the engine combustion system, the fuel system or the cooling system) and instead of using basic inexpensive precision tools like "combustion pressure tester," "fuel pressure tester" and "cooling pressure tester" he's making presumptuous conclusions to assume the correct working conditions of the system/s, albeit he may not be a quack per se but his work will pretty likely lead you to frustration alley.
My non-scientific conclusion on this somewhat disturbing issue is this: any automotive engineer or mechanic, including yours truly, who doesn't read fastidiously to catch up with the ever-improving technologies in automobiles and be comfortable in using some basic maintenance and repair tools will soon slip into quackery faster than he knows. Shi kena.
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Thursday, March 22, 2012
Yams help keep blood pressure in check
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By Yinka Oshifuye
There is this believe that yams are not good for people living with diabetes. On the contrary, yam has a low glycaemic index. In order words yams contains complex carbohydrates that deliver the goods gradually, slowing the rate at which their sugars are released and absorbed into the bloodstream.
In addition, because they're rich in fibre, yams fill you up without filling out your hips and waistline. Yams are also a good source of manganese, a trace mineral that helps with carbohydrate metabolism and is a cofactor in a number of enzymes important in energy production and antioxidant defences. In effect, moderate intake of yams is indeed beneficial for the diabetic.
Most people eat do not enough fruits and vegetables, but also consume high amounts of sodium as salt is frequently added to processed foods. This class of people may be deficient in potassium as low intake of potassium-rich foods, especially when coupled with a high intake of sodium, can lead to hypertension.
Being a good source of potassium(a mineral that helps to control blood pressure), eating yams can help make up for the low amount of fruits and vegetables we consume. Dioscorin, a storage protein contained in yam, may also be of benefit to certain individuals with hypertension.
Preliminary research suggests that dioscorin can inhibit angiotensin converting enzyme, which would therefore lead to increased kidney blood flow and reduced blood pressure.
High intakes of vitamin B6 have also been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. Because yams are rich in vitamin B6, it makes a great deal of sense if we include it in our diet.
Vitamin B6 is needed by the body to break down a substance called homocysteine, which can directly damage blood vessel walls. Individuals who suffer a heart attack despite having normal or even low cholesterol levels are often found to have high levels of homocysteine. Vitamin B6 has also been an especially popular supplement with respect to premenstrual
syndrome (PMS) in women, especially in conjunction with the depression that comes with it.
It is better for you to roast your yams as research has shown some nutritional advantages to roasting over boiling. At the same time, however, when it comes to a potentially problematic substance like phytic acid, which can sometimes block absorption of desirable nutrients like zinc and iron a wet-heat cooking method might be helpful. You can either steam your yam or cook in just enough water to avoid risk of excessive leeching of water-soluble nutrients!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Simply say, ‘thank you’ — The Punch - Nigeria’s Most Widely Read Newspaper
punchng.com 
by on March 10, 2012
by on March 10, 2012 
Thank you'. It sounds pretty simple, isn't it? There are many reasons to say thank you— after receiving a gift, or attendance of your graduation, birthday, baby shower, wedding parties, etc.
Every culture demands that you say, 'thank you.' It is considered right and proper that one says a 'thank you' after receiving a gift. It has to be timely too. Holding out for a year, no matter the circumstances, is rude.
So, let's start with sending thank you notes.
First, they must be handwritten. But considering the environment we are, this could be sent either by mail, Blackberry Messenger, Short Message Service, or any form of electronic communication. Starting 'thank you' notes is usually the hardest part, so just sit down and write one note. Then write another. If you keep that up, you will soon find that you are done and your manners will still be intact.
Moreover, these notes should be sent in a timely manner. Etiquette experts explain that "timely" means doing it within three weeks of having received the gifts or any kind gesture (attendance of parties etc).
Thank you notes are to express appreciation for a thoughtful act, expression, or gift. They don't have to be long, but it is important to make mention of the gift received or the reason the note is being given. Don't say "thanks for the lovely gift." Say, instead "thank you for the beautiful necklace. It goes very well with a pair of earrings I bought last year." Discuss how you plan on using the gift and tell the person a little bit about what it means to your relationship with them. Allude to the future. You might say something like, "I am so glad you were able to come to my Christmas party. I hope our kids can get together some other time."
Another time that it is appropriate to write a thank you note is after a prospective employee has a job interview. It has been said that it is important to get that note written and sent by return mail. The prospective employee thanks the interviewer for taking time to speak with him or her and re-establishing why he or she would be a good fit for the job. Surveys have shown that thank you cards have often given prospective employees a keen edge over other interviewees when the decision of which person to hire is made.
If you are really delinquent in sending out a thank you note, apologise briefly and humbly. Don't belabour the point, though, as that will cause the recipient to feel like they were a burden to you.
When do you say thank you?
- For an act of kindness: When your child (ren)'s teacher invests his or her time and energy in them, a thank you is in order. Even if your co-worker is actually expected to do that job for you, saying 'thank you' shows you respect the working relationship and builds trust between you.
- Thank others for everything— from opening a door for you to cleaning up after you or buying you a meal. Neglecting to do so shines a spotlight on your selfishness and tells others that you think the rest of the world should be doing those things for you.
- Say thank you when criticised constructively: Not everyone is out to get you, so remember to keep yourself in check as you are getting criticism. Always be willing to accept advice from those who you know are interested in your improvement. Then humbly thank them for the things that help you become a better person. Even if someone criticises you out of ill will, they still might have a valid point. When you get over your initial reaction, examine the critique for its worth and thank them for any valuable advice that may have slipped through their snide comment. Saying thank you in this situation does something very interesting to people. When they see that you are becoming a better person by taking their vicious advice, it confuses them. They might start to see that you aren't the threat they imagined and may begin to treat you differently.
When not to say thank you
- Do not thank someone sarcastically out of frustration. An example? Imagine if your spouse locks the keys in the car on your way to the airport, a sarcastic "thanks" is only going to make that person feel worse. Hauling a sarcastic "thank you" out of frustration is only meant to make you feel important. Manners are about making others feel important! Have patience in that situation.
- Thank you is a special phrase that should be used for building someone up. Make it a habit to spend a little time remembering all the things your spouse does for you—parents and friends as well. Then, even if it's just a few words, say thank you often.
- That goes for your kids too. Teach appreciation by example. Thank them for jobs well done. Thank them for working hard. Then help them know when it's their turn to thank someone else.
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How to Make Reading on Your Computer a Better Experience
How to Make Reading on Your Computer a Better Experience
feeds.gawker.com by 
The key to getting your computer monitor into shape is partially about reducing eye-strain, but it's more about creating an environment that's more comfortable to read. Let's take a look at a few of the tools you can use, starting with some simple monitor calibration tweaks and moving onto browser extensions, webapps, and a few other changes.
Calibrate Your Monitor Specifically for Reading
We won't be needing any fancy calibration tools here. Instead, we'll just use the built-in tools on Windows and Mac to make the screen a little warmer. For Windows, the display calibration is the Control Panel > Display and in Mac OS, it's under System Preferences > Display.
- Run through the initial settings to adjust your basic set up, but pause when you get to the Set Basic Color Settings page in Windows or the Target White Point Adjustment on Mac OS.
- Drop the Color Temperature (Target White Point on Mac) into the yellow. This yellows the screen and provides a warmer look. For a lot of people, it also makes it easier read for long periods of time.
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Now your screen has a slightly warmer tone that makes it a little easier to read text on. If you're looking for a quick toggle that does the same thing, F.lux allows you to set the color warmth depending on the time of day for Windows, Mac, and Linux. For a lot of people, this makes reading long articles more comfortable, but to make it even better, we have to get rid of all the other junk on the screen.
Enhance Your Reader
One of the reasons reading on a computer is a pain is the amount of distractions on a single page. Trying to read a long article with a bunch of ads and weird layout makes it hard to keep your attention on the article at hand. Here's a few ways to get rid of the clutter and enjoy a clean reading experience.
- iReader browser extension: The iReader extension for Chrome and Firefox drops all the clutter from a page and allows you to concentrate on what matters: reading. Click the iReader button and the extension pulls the text out of the page and gets rid of the ads and images.
- Bookmark services: Instapaper and Read it Later are great bookmarking services, but they also make the experience of reading long articles a lot easier. If you want a service that customizes the look of the text and backgrounds, Evernote Clearly for Chrome and Firefox adds background and text color options to make reading a better. You can change the text and background color to fit whatever mood you prefer.
Remix Your Environment for Better Lighting
Lighting plays a big factor in your reading enjoyment whether you're reading a book or a computer monitor. While we typically can move around to seek out a good lamp when huddled up with a good book, the same can't be said about our monitors. Thankfully, there's a few things you can do to make the lighting work to your advantage.
- Use a small table lamp instead of an overhead lamp while reading: Think about reading long articles or books on your computer the same way you do reading a book. Use smaller room lamps instead of overhead lights when you reading. Overhead lights are tough on your eyes and can make it difficult to focus on the screen. With a small lamp, it's often more comfortable to look at the screen.
- Avoid windows behind you: Obviously this can't be changed by everyone, but if you can, avoid having a window behind you. The bright light from the sun reflects off the screen and creates a glare on the screen. Simply adjust the angle or direction of your screen to correct for this a little. Without the glare, reading long chunks of text is easier.
Set Up an Adjustable Monitor Stand
One thing you may have caught yourself doing when reading is leaning into the screen when you're deep into a good chunk of text. We likely do this because we're used to reading books a lot closer to our faces than we sit to screens. It's possible to set up your monitor for this so you don't have to lean in every time. Here's a couple different options to make this easy.
- Set up your monitor on a mount: Monitor mounts like this one are handy for a number of reasons. Not only do they make it so you can adjust your screen for for better ergonomics, they also make it so you can pull the monitor toward you and get a closer look at the screen when you need it.
- Create a rolling stand for your monitor: For a more DIY approach, you can put your monitor on wheels and roll it up to you when you need it. You don't have to spend a lot of money either, IKEA hackers shows how to do it with the incredibly cheap LACK tables by hiding wheels underneath the wood.
If you can't get comfortable you can always print pages out, or send your text over to an ereader or tablet with the bookmarking services mentioned above. But if you're stuck in front of the screen without other options, the above tricks can make the experience of reading on a computer monitor better. Do you have any tricks for reading long articles or books on a monitor? Share them in the comments below.
2015 Presidency: ACN / CPC Dialogue Over Gov Fashola – 247ureports
2015 Presidency: ACN / CPC Dialogue Over Gov Fashola – 247ureports
247ureports.com by Published On: Mon, Mar 5th, 2012
Reports | By 247ureports
2015 Presidency: ACN / CPC Dialogue Over Gov Fashola
Gov Fashola of Lagos State
The permutations of 2015 presidency has begun. Information available to 247ureports.com through sources close to the headquarters of the Congress for Progressive Change [CPC] indicate that the political owners of the Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN] and the CPC have openned channels of communication against the upcoming presidential elections of 2015. This is as stalwarts within the two political parties have sighted the unfolding political upheaval squiring around the regions of the country as an opportunity. A source confirmed.
According to the information received, the feelers from within the political movers of the two parties indicate President Goodluck Jonathan is near certain to not join the presidential race in 2015. According to the source, the growing religious tensions among the religious fundamentalist in the various regions of the country is believed to play the determinant role on President Jonathan's decision to walk away from the polls. They believe that the President will make the decision to not contest largely due to the expected unrest in some regions of the country, and lesser on his pledge to serve one term only.
On the mood of the silent rejection by the north of President Jonathan's presidency and the southwest outpouring of public anger towards the presidency following the sudden hike in the price of petrol – along with the striking silence of the southeast and south south regions of the country, the two parties believe they could tap into the opportunity. In their take, the southwest and the north will not vote for a Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] candidate for President in 2015.
This notion is boosted by a recent online chat where the former minister to the federal capital territory of Nigeria, Malam Nasiru El Rufai [a member of CPC] told 247ureports.com that the CPC would prefer Governor Fashola of Lagos State be given the presidential ticket – aside from General Buhari who was the presidential flag-bearer for the CPC in the 2011 elections. A source in CPC however discounts Gen Buhari's ambition as unattainable in 2015 owing to the perception of Buhari being a religious zealot. Non-Muslims are reported to be uneasy with Buhari's candidacy. According to the source, Gov Fashola [also a Muslim] does not carry the same baggage that Gen Buhari carries – and would not alienate non-Muslims around the other regions of the country.
"Talks between agents of the General's presidential campaign team and that of ACN are taking place in Abuja", stated a source in the government house in Lagos who went on to deny that Governor Fashola is considering dumping the ACN for the CPC – and that the governor has not indicated interest in the joint presidential ticket. The source however stated that the governor has been in talks with top CPC personalities in the likes of Pastor Tunde Bakare, Malam Nasiru El Rufai along with Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] governors from two northern states. The source admitted that although the Lagos State governor might have not made a decision, his body language and demeanor indicates "he is entertaining it".
Adding an unlikely twist, Governors of two northern States, Kano and Jigawa States, in the persons of Gov Kwankwaso and Gov Lamido, both PDP members have indicated interest in joining the presidential race in 2015 under the PDP – just as the Vice President of Nigeria, Arc Namadi Sambo has also indicated interest in joining the fray. Sambo's decision to join the fray has in turn changed the dynamics for the two northern governors – because of the fear the of not winning the PDP presidential ticket against the candidate-ship of Sambo. This realization has in turn led them to the doorsteps of the CPC and ACN -particularly to the office of the Lagos State governor.
The former governor of Lagos State and the strongman of ACN, Bola Tinubu is reported to be determined to beat the PDP in the upcoming 2015 presidential race. He is said to have begun underground preparations against the 2015 exercise. According to a source, Tinubu has made clear indications to the northern political elite that the ACN is willing to collaborate to produce a joint ticket in 2015. In particular, the ACN strong man has begun marketing of Gov Fashola to the northern political elite as a viable candidate that is sell-able to the south and to the north. According to sources, Bola Tinubu has met with some Governor's of the States in the north – the likes of Gov Nyako of Adamawa State and others.
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AUTOMEDICS:I have a Toyota Camry 94/96 model V6 auto.Last december,i changed the engine & in february i discovered its fuel consumption has increased substantially,exhaust fumes blue smoke,fuel pouring out frm the exhaust manifold on the engine & from the exhaust pipe @ the rear.The engine oil had mixed with fuel in the engine.My technician advised i replace the brainbox & air spedometer.Pls is it that the engine i bought is nt ok or what could be the problem? JACOB 08034722937
@Jacob. Itz either d piston ring has worn, which will definately need replacement or d engine block bores has worn as well. Dat may need u 2 place sleeves in2 or u change d engine block.