Social Commerce and Product Discovery Network

5 yrs

Full Text Of President Buhari's Independence Day Speech.

Muhammadu Buhari @MBuhari

Fellow Nigerians,

I speak to you today as your President and fellow citizen on this epoch occasion of our country’s 60th independence Anniversary.

As President, I wish to renew my appreciation to Nigerians for entrusting me with your hopes and aspirations for a better and greater Nigeria.

Today, it is my unique privilege to re-commit myself to the service of this great country of great people with profound diversities and opportunities. We are bound by destiny to be the largest and greatest black nation on earth.

At this stage in our nationhood it is important that we reflect how we got here to enable us work TOGETHER to get to where we aspire to be as a strong indivisible nation, united in hope and equal in opportunity.

On October 1st 1960 when Prime Minister Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa received the constitutional instruments symbolizing Nigeria’s independence, he expressed his wish that ...

... having acquired our rightful status as an independent sovereign nation, history would record that the building of our nation proceeded at the wisest pace.

This optimism was anchored on the peaceful planning, full and open consultation and harmonious cooperation with the different groups which culminated in Nigeria emerging as a country without bitterness and bloodshed.

Our founding fathers understood the imperative of structuring a National identity using the power of the state and worked towards unification of Nigerians in a politically stable and viable entity.

That philosophy guided the foundation that was laid for our young nation of 45 million people with an urban population of approximately 7million occupying an area of 910,768 square km. These demographics led to development challenges for which major efforts were made to overcome.

Today, we grapple with multiple challenges with a population exceeding 200million occupying the same land mass but 52% residing in urban areas.

Sixty years of nationhood provides an opportunity to ask ourselves questions on the extent to which we have sustained the aspirations of our founding fathers. Where did we do the right things?Are we on course? If not where did we stray and how can we remedy and retrace our steps?

Upon attaining independence, Nigeria’s growth trajectory was anchored on policies and programmes that positively impacted on all sectors of the economy. However, this journey was cut short by the 30-months of civil war.

We came out of the civil war with a focus on reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation that enabled the country to put in place world class development structures and a strengthened public service that well served the government.

This positive trajectory continued with a return to democratic government which was truncated by another round of military rule.

For a cumulative 29 of our 60 years existence as a nation, we have been under military rule. My summary of our journey so far as a nation is necessary to appropriately chart where we need to go and how to get there TOGETHER.

Today, I am aware that our economy along with every single economy in the world is in crisis. We still face security challenges in parts of the country, while our society suffers from a high loss of moral rectitude which is driven by unbridled craving for political control.

An underlying cause of most of the problems we have faced as a nation is our consistent harping on artificially contrived fault-lines that we have harboured and allowed unnecessarily to fester.

In addition, institutions such as civil service, police, the judiciary, the military all suffered from a general decline.

We need to begin a sincere process of national healing and this anniversary presents a genuine opportunity to eliminate old and outworn perceptions that are always put to test in the lie they always are.

The stereotype of thinking of ourselves as coming from one part of the country before seeing ourselves as Nigerians is a key starting point to project us on the road to our deserved nation’s evolution and integration.

To start this healing process, we are already blessed with the most important asset any nation requires for such – OUR PEOPLE – and this has manifested globally in the exploits of Nigerians in many fields.

It has been demonstrated time and time again that Nigerians in the diaspora frequently excel in science, technology, medicine, sports, arts and many other fields.

Similarly, the creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness of the Nigerian at home has resulted in globally recognized endeavours.

I am convinced that if we pursue our aspirations TOGETHER we would be able to achieve whatever we desire. That informed our adopting the theme TOGETHER to mark this epochal event.

Together we can change our condition for the better and more importantly together we can do much more for ourselves and for our country.

I chose the path of self-reflection because this is what I do on a daily basis and I must confess that at most times, I always felt the need for a collective reflection as I know that the foundation for a solid future which this administration is laying...

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5 yrs

Nigeria@60: The Beautiful Woman That Was Stripped Naked Back Home.

Odiri was born on the 1st of October 1960. She grew up in the United Kingdom with her parents, who passed away in a fatal road accident when she was 5. She had to grow up with her aunty in Coventry.

Her aunt was married to a white man. She grew up with so much passion, and interest in African history. She focused so much on Nigeria, and when she was 28, she decided to move back to the most populous nation in Africa to trace her roots.

Odiri, an epitome of true African beauty and brains, was already doing well for herself. She was a medical doctor in London, and her brainy nature earned her a high post at a reputable hospital with a short period.

She was able to establish contact with one of her uncles in Nigeria. She planned to relocate to the country permanently and contribute her quota to the development of the health sector. Her uncle talked her into establishing a hospital in her home-town in the southern part of Nigeria.

She kept on wiring funds to him to secure land, erect a building and acquire certain medical supplies and equipment. She invested her entire life-savings into this project, which was expected to benefit her, as well as the general public.

She soon packed her belongings and sold others off and flew to Nigeria.

She arrived in Nigeria from the UK so late in the night. Her uncle faltered in his plan to come to receive her at the airport. Odiri didn't mind. She got a cab and wanted to check into a nearby hotel. The cab driver realized she was a novice.

Her British accent gave her away. He convinced her about taking her to a beautiful, safe and affordable hotel. She agreed, and they embarked on the short trip. The cab driver had ulterior motives.

He contacted a gang of armed robbers. They waylaid them along the road and led them into an uncompleted building in a remote area. Odiri was shocked. All her monies, mobile phones, laptop, clothes and documents were all taken from her. The gang of robbers numbering 5, including the cab driver took turns to rape her.

Odiri was a virgin, and she lost her virginity painfully on that fateful day. She felt she was dreaming, but she wasn't. It was a reality that was playing out. The robbers soon left her almost unclad with her torn clothes. She managed to gather strength and tried contacting her uncle as she knew his phone number off hand.

She spoke to a stranger who volunteered to allow her to use his phone. Her uncle's number was unreachable. He purposely did that to avoid her.

He was scamming her all along with the hospital project. He diverted the funds into his private use while he tendered fake pictures, videos and documents to convince her that the project was ongoing and close to completion. Odiri wandered around the street close to being naked. Many felt she was mentally unstable, and they tried avoiding her.

She was helpless and unable to think straight. The night was getting darker, and she had no place to sleep. A police van on patrol stopped her. She felt a sense of hope and succour on citing the security operatives, but she never suspected they were about to compound her woes. She narrated her story to the police officers. They nodded in disbelief. Unfortunately for her, she was found around a flashpoint where some prostitutes used to hang around while waiting for prospective customers. She was told she was under arrest.

They ignored the bruises on her body and demanded a bribe in exchange for her freedom. She had nothing to give. They handcuffed her and took her to their station to be locked up. Odiri cried her eyes out, and all her pleas of being innocent fell on deaf ears. She had lost everything, and there was no hope. Her dream of being a shining light in Africa was gone. Her uncle was already basking in euphoria of unexpected success.

He went to the church to give thanks to 'God' for blessing him. He delivered a cooked up testimony, and the large congregation tapped into it. They wanted the same. But it wasn't God who blessed him, the devil did. The reason why he was living large was the exact reason why Odiri was behind bars for days, living on stale bread and water in a dirty and stuff cell.

The police weren't ready to release her except she parted with some money as bail. They denied her all efforts to communicate with the United Kingdom embassy in Nigeria for any necessary support. Odiri lost her love for Nigeria and Africa as a whole. Her sense of family was gone. Her hopes were dead. Odiri soon suffered a mental breakdown and became a patient at the psychiatric hospital, which was severely underfunded by the government. This aggravated her condition and left an indelible mark on her body. Till date, she still struggles to recover from the trauma of falling from grass to grace.

This is just a parable. Odiri doesn't exist. Odiri signifies Nigeria. Odiri exemplifies the poor masses. Her uncle represents the political class who have eaten away the future and destinies of over 200 million Nigerians. The reason why they are living in affluence today is the same reason why over 90 million Nigerians live in abject poverty. The police officers represent that failed institutions managed by unscrupulous people who have failed to respect the codes of conduct guiding their respective offices. They live for their selfish interests, and they bend the rules to suit their nefarious purposes. The cab drivers and the armed robbers are by-products of a failed society. They represent the cankerworms eating up the security architecture of Nigeria. The society made them. They represent the bandits, Boko Haram, kidnappers, hoodlums and other outlaws making lives uncomfortable for innocent people in Nigeria.

Fortunately, Odiri hasn't died; her uncle hasn't been brought to book. She managed to survive the trauma, but her life has lost direction. She developed other underlying ailments during her travails, and she has been living with them. Time has passed; she is 60 today. Her dreams and life aspirations have failed to materialize. There is virtually nothing to celebrate.

Welcome to Nigeria. A blessed country that is well-populated with high quality human and material resources, but only working for a few ruling elites. The self-acclaimed giant of Africa where lions are led by goats.

Nigeria clocks 60 with an aged leader superintending over a sick economy, and depressed people, whose woes have been compounded by massive inflation and the coronavirus pandemic. Over a decade ago, the dream of most Nigerians was to become doctors, lawyers, nurses, engineers, fulfilled entrepreneurs and others. But today, everything has turned upside down. The biggest dream of most young people is to leave the country and acquire dual citizenship for their unborn children. This move is a sure escape route from the scourge of poverty. There is nothing to celebrate today. We can only thank providence for the gift of life. Our succour might be in heaven at the end of the day.

Odiri, who was full of life and had a bright future, was forever stripped naked in a public place and hasn't recovered.

#nairaland

5 yrs

Newlywed BP vice president, 61, hanged himself at his £2million home a week after being made redundant, inquest hears

-Nick Spencer, 61, was found dead at his £2million home in Buckinghamshire
-He spent a decade working for the oil giant BP when he was forced to leave
-The father-of-two became depressed and worried about finances, his wife said
-Sitting at Beaconsfield, a Buckinghamshire coroner recorded verdict of suicide

The vice president of British Petroleum hanged himself at his £2million home a week after he was made redundant, a coroner heard today.

Newly-married Nick Spencer, 61, was found dead at his luxury home where he lived with his wife Eve in Buckinghamshire in April.

His inquest heard he spent a decade working for the oil giant BP when he was forced to leave the firm on March 31 this year.

After he was told of the redundancy the successful father-of-two became depressed and worried about managing his finances, Eve told the coroner.

In a statement she said: 'Since he was made redundant he had been depressed.

'He had been looking for a new job and I felt he seemed positive but there was an oil crisis because of Covid-19 and he was worried about remortgaging the house and the finances.

'In the period leading up to his death, he seemed a bit more down and it was the 12th anniversary of a family bereavement.

'On the evening before his death, we watched the news and went to bed. We talked about TV and he came to bed at 2am which was unusually late.

'At 6.40am on April 7 he got up. He was normally an early riser and I went back to sleep. I later went into the study and saw the letters he had written. I opened the one addressed to me and called the police, I was very worried.'

The first police officer to arrive at the home in Beaconsfield, Bucks., discovered Mr Spencer hanged in the house's garage. Eve identified the body as her husband at 10.30am.

Pathologist Dr Steven Corrigan confirmed the cause of death as hanging.

After graduating from Harvard Business School in 1999, Mr Spencer became a general manager at European Refining, directing three refineries across Europe.

He went on to work at ConocoPhillips for the next seven years, tasked with establishing the business in the MENA region.

In October 2009, he joined British Petroleum (BP) as a business unit leader working for the next five years at the largest refinery in the US.

Following his huge success, he was selected as Vice President of Global Refining in November 2014 where he led 7,500 employees with a gross margin of $6 billion.

He stayed in this position until he was made redundant in March this year.

In a report to the inquest a psychiatrist confirmed seeing Mr Spencer on January 18 where he referenced his employment coming to an end, stated he had had suicidal thoughts for a while and even had a specific plan in mind.

#nairaland

5 yrs

Rivers community deserted as army invades area, burns down houses

There is panic in Okoma community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State as men of the Nigerian Army allegedly invaded the community and burnt down several houses.

Residents of the area said the incident happened on Saturday, adding that they do not know the reason for the action.

WhenVanguardvisited the troubled area, yesterday, the community was still deserted with few aged persons stranded in the community.

Speaking, the Paramount Ruler of the community, Chief Felix Ogubie, said residents have moved to nearby communities for refuge following molestations from the soldiers, who invaded the area.

He said: “We were here in our house when soldiers came and started shooting and destroyed houses. They said they were after oil thieves. They beat up women and men.

“They are the same people that eat with those oil thieves. They came and burnt my house without any reason. I am not involved in what they are doing, so also others.

“They burnt many houses and our people have all left the community. We don’t want Shell Petroleum Development Company in our land again. They should remove their facilities here.

“The people doing this oil business are not from here. They come from other communities and states. When we report the boys to the security operatives, they will still inform the boys who gave them the information and the boys will come after such persons.”

He called on the federal and state governments to intervene in the matter, adding that the community has not resettled since the incidence as military men still visit the area at intervals.

However, at press time, the Nigerian Army has not responded to the calls and message made to it on the development.

#vanguard

5 yrs

Nigeria At 60 – Reawakening Our Patriotism

Nigeria’s independence anniversary celebration is an annual ritual that is commemorated on October 1. There is always a lot of elation and jubilation amongst the political Stalwarts, that is, those who the vicious pioneers and feint upholders of this crumbling geopolitical edifice are called Nigeria. The leaders of this ailing geographical contraption are quick to appraise their minute achievements in governance, thereby, regarding the prevailing woes in the country as consequences of the failures of preceding administrations.

On the other hand, a greater number of the citizens, especially the economically deprived and bellicose secessionists have lost hope in the country due to the myriads of problems bedeviling her. The country’s leadership has not taken sustainable expedient measures towards ameliorating the suffering of the unemployed youths. The country’s grassroot infrastructure is in shambles; with most communities still lacking numerous essential social amenities. Education in Nigeria, especially at the tertiary level, trails in perpetual despair. The country’s foreign debts continues to aggravate despite the fact that it is lavished on servicing recurrent expenditures like salaries and allowances, and refinancing overdue obligations which will not develop the economy. The unmitigated devaluation of the Naira, which is now ₦387 to $1, has resultantly worsened the perils of importers; thereby causing less importation and unprecedented inflation in the country. It is certainly perspicuous that Nigeria has not lived up to the dreams of our founding fathers; who envisioned a country of equal opportunities for all, devoid of ethnocentric favouritism and religious bigotry. The dreams of our founding fathers have turned evanescent due to the failures of our post- independence leaders.

But all hope is not lost. Although, there are a million and one reasons why Nigeria has failed and lost her pride of place in the comity of nations. I strongly advocate for a restrategised effort in fixing Nigeria. In reality it is Nigerians that will make Nigeria better. The continuous repatriation of Nigerians abroad and persistent xenophobic attacks on our brothers and sisters living in Ghana, SouthAfrica, China, and other countries have made more exigent the need to rebuild our country.

It is evident that private sector investments are the building blocks of sustainable economies all over the world. Affluent Nigerians should invest in large-scale agriculture, industrialisation and basic infrastructure. This will create more jobs for the teeming unemployed citizens. It is disheartening that the rich and affluent flaunt their SUV’s and luxurious cars on deteriorating roads. Moneybags keep on sharing cars as souvenirs without building or renovating the roads via community service, for the cars to ply on. This should change.

As electorates, the citizens should demonstrate their legitimate powers by voting for ingenious and incorruptible leaders. We must collectively reject vote buying, godfatherism, and electoral malpractices. Through our unflinching support to the electoral umpire, we can build upon the gains of our electoral reforms even as we clamour for improved electoral process.

The war against corruption would demand a collective effort. Each citizen should detest any appearance of corrupt practices even in offices, churches, communities and all spheres of life. If we all decide, we can change the status quo. It begins with me and you.

Ultimately, the role of citizens in nation building cannot be overemphasized. This is a clarion call to Nigerians to reawaken their docile patriotic spirits to save Nigeria from her topsy-turvy nationhood. Chukwudi Maurice Nwobu
Awka
#orientdailynews

5 yrs

Social Media Users React To Reno Omokri’s Comment On Sociology

Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has said a bricklayer is more relevant than a sociologist. The ex-presidential aide took to his Twitter page to share his opinion on the relevance of sociology in the year 2020. According to Omokri, the return on investment for sociology is minimal, adding that it is a waste of time studying such course for four years in the higher institution. He tweeted: “What is the relevance of sociology in the year 2020? The Return on Investment for such a course is minimal. In profit and loss accounting, reading sociology for 4 years is purely a loss, in terms of time and money. A bricklayer is more relevant!”

Meanwhile, social media users have since then reacted to this statement, some partly concurring and some others vehemently antagonizing him.

Twitter user, ClintonOkwara wrote “I wouldn’t agree less. But it can actually be a foundation to something. I actually have a friend or let us say two who studied sociology and I am really glad the way their discipline shaped their thinking and how they approach certain things. They are on a second degree now though.”

Anikingsley3 wrote “I am a sociologist by discipline… and I would say that one’s man meat is another’s poison. Sociology is a good course and enables one to understand the society well. You can as well learn a trade for yourself because the country made it so and not the course itself”

Chekwube Omada, commenting from his facebook handle, said “It isn’t something new to hear about this statement. So many people have been saying this ignorantly. And this has proven that many are educated-illiterates. This is a statement made by people that see things from the myopic point of view… if sociology is the study of human society, can we say the knowledge of human society isn’t important?… it is shameful to say that a particular field isn’t important. It is a sign that one is ignorance of what he is talking about. So unprofessional…”

Responding to these and many other reactions on social media regarding his comment on sociology, Omokri stated; “many were upset when I said a bricklayer is more relevant than a sociologist in today’s world. I am not a nice man. I don’t pretend to be nice. The world has changed. Skills are worth more than many degrees. Don’t be mad at me. Be mad at reality.

#orientdailynews

5 yrs

Nigeria At 60: Healthcare System Now Worse Than Pre-Independence – Medical Professionals

As Nigeria celebrates its 60th independent anniversary, medical professionals have described the country’s current healthcare system as a shadow of what it used to be in the pre-independence era.

The medical professionals, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ibadan, were unanimous in their assessment that the standard of healthcare was better under the colonial rule than it is today.

According to them, poor funding, obsolete equipment, brain drain, unhealthy inter-professional rivalry and incessant healthcare workers’ strike are some of the factors responsible for the decline in the nation’s health sector.

Dr Ayotunde Fasunla, Chairman, Oyo State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), said that Nigeria’s healthcare system had retrogressed since the country’s independence from the British colonial overlords.
“The healthcare system in Nigeria since independence, 60 years ago, has steadily undergone a decline in productivity and output.

“Reasons for this malady are multi-factorial and border on poor funding and maladministration, leading to infrastructural decay and brain drain.
“The multiple industrial actions and progressive inter-professional disharmony experienced in the last decade have further worsened healthcare service delivery,” he said.

Fasunla further stated that the low funding of the country’s health sector had also resulted in the inability of the three tiers of the healthcare structure to carry out their individual mandates.
According to him, the by-pass of the primary health care has hindered effective healthcare delivery.

“With the gross under-funding of the health sector by both the federal and state governments, many institutions are currently functioning below optimum, and the primary health care, which should have provided immediate care for the citizens, has almost collapsed.
“The burden of care has shifted to the secondary and tertiary institutions, thus causing congestion and inefficiency in such centres,” he said.
The NMA chairman said that the country was also very far from achieving universal health coverage.

“The relatively poor uptake and distribution of health insurance has also had a negative health implication, as many patients have to pay out-of-pocket in a country where poverty is endemic.
“The situation is quite gloomy and requires urgent intervention by government and all relevant stakeholders in bringing about the desired change towards achieving the global sustainable development goals,” he said.

Also, Dr Olusegun Olaopa, a former President, National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), said that the quality of healthcare delivery in the country had diminished since independence.
Olaopa said that although access to healthcare had expanded, there had been a drop in standard compared with the pre-independence era.
“There is a lot of difference between the pre-independence healthcare system and the current one.

“When the British military sponsored Nigerians to train as doctors through missionary intervention and medical adventures by individuals, our healthcare system was a lot standardized. Even though the coverage was very small, they maintained some high level of standard.
“Professional ethics were learnt and exhibited; facilities were few but they were comparable with what was available in England and other developed world.

“What we have today is a shadow of what it used to be and the standard has continued to fall.
“Independence came; the colonial masters left but our nepotism-induced inefficiencies and political maneuvering have taken the best of us.
“Today, only a few hospitals or healthcare centres can boast of anything that has some semblance of international standard,” he said.
The medical experts called on government to urgently address the numerous challenges that had hitherto plagued the health sector in order to save it from total collapse.

NAN reports that in April 2001, African Union countries made a pledge to allocate, at least, 15 percent of their annual budgets to the health sector in order to strengthen the healthcare system.
NAN also reports that 19 years after, Nigeria has yet to reach the target, with less than five percent of its annual budget still going to the health sector. (NAN)

#orientdailynews

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