………….PokeNosing……………

While reading through The Punch Newspaper of Thursday, 8th January, 2009 there is this piece under the Super Thursday feature with the title 419 and the Longman Dictionary.

There, the writer wrote about the negative international recognition which the inclusion of the coinage "419" in the Longman Dictionary of Contemporay English brings to the country.

Also in today’s Saturday Punch, a letter was written by a reader who was complaining of Wikipedia’s unfair comment on Nigeria, as if the article on Advance fee-fraud was incorrect, the teenager went on to say Wikipedia should’t have published such article.

As much as I agree that the Article is an "image spoiler" for the country, I also know that it is no longer a ‘world news’ that Nigeria has been linked as the "Capital" of Advance fee-fraud; though this menace is going on in other countries AND that it is not just Wikipedia that is been unfair but our corrupt leaders who have deprived the Nation of resources that could have been used in developing the Country.

Back to the inclusion of 419scam in the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - it defines it as:
419 scam [countable]
an illegal way of getting money from someone by sending them an email promising that they will make a lot of money if they invest in a business activity which does not really exist [= advance fee fraud].

It is our prayer that we will get things right in this Country and our Nation shall be free from every form of Corruption; if "people in high places" will agree; but the major worry as the writer in Thursday’s Punch points out is that each time the word is used in whatsoever manner, the name of Nigeria as a country of origin will come up.

While browsing through the net as usual, I came across a company’s site where they are carrying out a research on "If you are the US President what will you do?"

I became interested in it because this period is a crucial one in the United States as the Presidential election about to take place.

Why not voice out what you will do if you are the President or perhaps the next president.

Its been a while since I made my last post; School work, no access to the internet etc. has been responsible.

I was in a bus and I heard passengers discussing that the price of Sachet Waters’ popularly known as ‘Pure Water’ has been increased from or was about to be increased to 10.00 Naira……..I was like wetin happen? The same discussion was going on among my siblings when I got and we all ‘kicked’ against it.

I travelled to Ijebu Ode on a ‘futile mission (mission to be discussed another day)’ when I approached a pure water seller in the car park and she told me….’N10.00 ni Pure Water’ (Pure Water is now N10.00).

You might begin to wonder, why is this guy blogging on ‘Pure Water’ price increase, is not just N5.00 increase? Well, I just felt the increase is not necessary, as it is not justified. Why does the price have to be increased…….is it water that is now expensive or the sachet?

Anyway, let their association or whoever is responsible for this increase, please do something. We enagage in serious scrutiny of this sachet waters in search of NAFDAC Nos, etc and what they could do is to increase the price and not the quality….haba

Pure Water is by the way,

Another thing I’ll like to talk about is Vehicle Passengers Manifest, I have been travelling in recent time and I have just discovered that there is now a Vehicle Passengers Manifest form which we will have to fill before leaving motor parks, I don’t know if this is done in all parks- but I think its a nice development (God forbid accident).

There is the need for the government to enlighten the general public on the benefits as some passengers are not willing to fill this form and they usually say ‘we forbid all accidents on our way’ - me too, but lets just fill this form and pray for God’s ultimate protection.

I am tired,……..so I’m sorry if my thoughts are not well organised, I had this opportunity tonight and I felt like letting this out.

Thank y’all.

I wish my dear Country the best as it clocks 47.

Even as we clock 47……..

I wish we get to a zero level of corruption,

I wish poverty reduces in the land,

I wish electricity becomes stable,

I wish we have a good road transportation network,

I wish health care becomes accessible and affordable,

I wish there is peace in the Niger Delta,

I wish employment is generated for the unemployed,

I wish we live in Unity,

I wish we have service oriented leaders,

I wish we have a buoyant economy,

I wish the NFA gets it bearing,

I wish the educational system is properly organised,

……In all, I wish we have a system where things work out, where our economy and country in whole becomes an enviable one and actually takes her place as the giant of Africa which it claims to be.

God bless Nigeria!!!

I’ve been travelling a lot in recent time and the number of policemen I’ve encountered has given rise to this post.

From Lagos to Ibadan, Otta to Ijebu Igbo and Otta to Idiroko - if you are familiar with any of this route, am sure you would have lost count of the number of men of the Nigerian police on this road…..

I am not saying this is not good, at least to check crime rates that do occur on these route, but what now happens when this men turn their duty post to a money making venture. They stop commercial vehicles at will, well trust drivers too, they already know their responsibilities to the Police………..

As if this is not enough, what really baffles me is this - how do you identify a Policeman if he’s not on uniform? I came across some road blocks where these men are not putting on uniforms, but they are usually armed. Do we just recognise them with their ammunitions……..when their supposed enemy (men of the underground) are usually armed as well. Imagine this guy I saw wearing a top, a three quarter shorts, a gold necklace, a gold hand chain and series of gold rings on his finger with a rifle in his hand - is this guy a Policeman?

Let the Authorities do something about their men, I don’t think there is a law prohibiting them from wearing their uniform when on duty…..am sure its an easy way of identification and please let them do their job on these roads.