The alliance between Dragon & the Bear: US Faces Its Ultimate Nightmare – Eric Kraus

By simultaneously attacking Russia and seeking to contain China, the United States has driven an alliance between the two – which should be Washington’s ultimate nightmare, Eric Kraus, an expert on Asian and Russian investments, revealed.

© Sputnik/ Michael Klimentyev

We are clearly moving toward a multi-polar world: while the US is little by little losing its status of top economy, new kids on the block – the world’s emerging powers – are rapidly scoring points, Eric Kraus, a prominent expert in Russian, Asian and Latin American financial markets and Director at Principal Asset Management advisory company, told Sputnik.

10 years ago the US added to world economy 139% more than did China. China slowdown today? China 39% more than US pic.twitter.com/EF0iqrDXm4

— Danny Quah (@DannyQuah) April 15, 2015

However, “rather than seeking to coopt Beijing by gradually increasing the role of China in the international financial institutions, [Washington has] instead driven the Dragon to realize that it must create parallel institutions instead,” Eric Kraus underscored. The expert elaborated that in 1945 the United States alone accounted for slightly more than 50 percent of global GDP (Gross Domestic Product). So far, it was logical that Washington was allowed to create a system that served as a basis for the post-world financial order.

Why is China in ‘crisis’ with 7.4% GDP growth & US is ‘booming’ with 2.4% growth? http://t.co/pw7zZzUzuT @JohnRoss43 pic.twitter.com/EaXND7ThLC — michael burke (@menburke) February 24, 2015

“It is in the nature of empires to do so – the US was neither the first nor the last, and it benefitted greatly from the system it created – but then ultimately became lazy and complacent.”

It is worth mentioning that the United States now accounts for about 20 percent of global GDP, while China has emerged as the “world’s largest trading economy, source of most global economic growth, largest importer of most industrial commodities, and increasingly, the largest source of investment capital the world over,” the expert emphasized, adding that by PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) measures China has become a slightly bigger economy than the United States.

So far, it is understandable that China is inclined to create a system more beneficial for its own interests, moving away from a dollar-based trading system and establishing competing financial institutions to the US-controlled World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), development banks and etc.

On the other hand, “by simultaneously attacking Russia and seeking to contain China, [the US has] driven an alliance between the two – which should have been Washington’s ultimate nightmare,” the expert underscored.

Eric Kraus, a financial strategist and an author of a widely read informative newsletter “Truth and Beauty (…and Russian Finance),” also shared his views on the future of the ruble and the state of the Russian economy in the forthcoming months.

#Russia‘s huge oil offer to #China will quicken both country’s #superpower status. #geopolitics #economy #Vankor pic.twitter.com/efKxnWM59X

— Fuad A. (@FuadGlasgow) April 8, 2015

“Those of us in financial markets have long realized that the Russian markets are never as good – or as bad – as they first appear,” the expert remarked.

Although there was a wave of panic in December 2014, as people thought that Washington had leverages to arbitrary create a financial crisis for Russia, the sanctions were actually “pretty trivial except for the psychological effect.” In contrast, the collapse in oil prices was really damaging.

“The drop in the ruble shielded Russia from the worst of the impact of falling commodity prices – salvaging the budget and the trade surplus. Now, as the panic subsides and commodity prices begin to rebound, the ruble has strengthened a bit too fast for my tastes. At current oil prices – the ruble should be around 55,” Eric Kraus underscored.

The expert elaborated that “were the ruble to strengthen this would cause some damage to the real economy – and especially, would deprive Russia of the benefit of a ‘good crisis’ – like in 1998 the collapse of the ruble is fueling domestic agriculture and manufacture.”

 

He pointed out that the Central Bank of Russia should not allow the currency to again become overvalued, especially if oil prices recover faster than expected. According to the strategist, Brent crude may surge up to $60-80 for the balance of 2015.

At the same time, Iran’s return to the market is unlikely to provoke further slide in oil prices, the expert deems. And the point is that “the commodity cycle is turning.”

“Five years ago everyone discovered the commodity super-cycle and thought that commodities could only rise and rise. Then two years ago, suddenly everyone decided that commodities were dead and could only collapse. Both ideas were false. The overshoot in commodity prices is driven by financial speculation, and I expect to see the hedge funds taking the bullish side of the trade – pushing prices up,” Eric Kraus explained.

“Even iron ore and coking coal are now rebounding – oil will too – whatever happens with Iran,” the strategist revealed.

 

Source

Pic: Woman, (Alleged Witch) Nabbed defecating in a pastor's home

Irregular story reaching us. This lady is alleged to be a witch or something. I don’t get the story so I’ll simply give you a chance to read from the horse’s penmanship. See bellow….


A woman who can only be identified by her surname, Mahlalela, from Ebatsakatsini near Komatipoort in South Africa was caught red handed by a child in the wee hours of this morning, in the kitchen, defecating in a bucket inside the house of the Word of God Church Pastor, Pastor Nsingwane.

The man of the cloth says the way the woman got into his house remains a mystery as the doors and windows in the house were all shut and locked. When asked by the police what she was doing in the house, Mahlela told the police officer she was at the house to perform evil deeds on the family but she was caught, changing her earlier statement in which she’d claimed to be part of a team which works for a certain master and that she fell off the rope she was holding on to when she and her 15 collegues were flying.

“We use a rope to fly and I was sitting at the back when I fell off,” she said.

The village of Ebatsakatsini is a place created for people evicted from any of the 54 villages around Nkomazi after being accused of witchcraft

A threat to ‪#‎US‬ domination? ‪China-Russia Cooperation is Changing World Order – Chinese Media

The Ukrainian crisis and Western sanctions accelerated the expansion of cooperation between Russia and China in the political, military and energy fields.

China’s policy of openness and Russia’s East course are closely interconnected, with both countries having a lot in common and enjoying a historic opportunity for the further development of their bilateral relations, the China Times wrote.

Russian-Chinese relations underwent the most rapid development among three groups of partners (China-Russia, China-South Korea, Japan-India). The expansion of the cooperation between both countries was accelerated by the Ukrainian crisis and Western sanctions and is gradually becoming a threat to US domination, the newspaper wrote.

Speaking to China National Radio on Sunday, Renmin University Professor Jin Canrong explained Russia and China’s common positions regarding the Second World War, noting that the Chinese leadership’s participation in May’s victory celebrations in Moscow signifies the high level of Russian-Chinese relations.

Russia and China expanded their ties in the political, military, energy, investment, humanitarian and technical fields. At the moment, the trade volume between the two countries amounts to $ 100 billion and is expected to double in the next five years.

In May, leaders of 26 countries, including China, India, Vietnam, North Korea and Mongolia will attend the Victory Day parade in Moscow. Additionally, Russia’s decision to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank may reinforce the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to strengthen cooperation with these very states.

Russia and China have already reached a consensus regarding the supply of Russian Su-35 fighters. The leaders of both countries are expected to declare their plans to hold joint naval exercises in the Black Sea during the next negotiations.

According to the newspaper, this means that Moscow and Beijing are taking a strategic position to confront the US in a “new era of the cold war.”

Top 100 Universities In Africa (See If Your School Made It)

Acquiring knowledge is relevant, yet what transcendentally wins is the source and nature of the data you get which thus characterizes your what you have learned.The world university ranking (4icu.org) is a prestigious approved site that rates the vast majority of the major higher institutions over the globe. African Universities simply like others aren’t an exception.

The following is the rundown of main 100 universities in Africa (2015)

Dividend of democracy ? There Were No Boats With Migrants Before Overthrow of Gaddafi - UKIP Leader

A small vessel heading for European shores capsized off the northern coast of Libya overnight, with scores of bodies reportedly washing ashore later and 49 out of as many as 700 on board rescued.

 

Nigel Farage, the UK Independence Party (UKIP) candidate for next month’s elections, blamed the incumbent prime minister Sunday for the surge in Europe-bound migrant boats, the latest display of which may have lead to nearly 700 deaths, the Telegraph reported.

“There were no migrants coming in these quantities before we bombed the country, got rid of [ Libya’s longtime leader Muammar] Gaddafi, however bad he might have been, and destabilized the whole situation.”

The Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and the British Army took part in a 2011 NATO campaign that overthrew Gaddafi and led to his murder. Fighting continues to date and several insurgent groups, including offshoots of the Islamic State, have capitalized on the power vacuum left in the wake of the crisis.

“It was the European response that caused this problem in the first place. The fanaticism of [then-French President Nicolas] Sarkozy and Cameron to bomb Libya… We ought to be honest and say we have directly caused this problem.”

His party campaigns on the platform of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union ahead of the May 7 General Election.

“They have completely destabilized Libya, to turn it into a country with much savagery, to turn it into a place where for Christians the place is now virtually impossible,” Farage said, adding that he was open to an idea of offering refugee status to “some Christians from those countries.”

This year alone 950 people perished while crossing the Mediterranean in search of refuge, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Italian coast guards rescued 11,000 people from shipwrecks in the Strait of Sicily over the past week.

Rewriting History? Western Boycott of Victory Day Parade in Moscow Unacceptable - Belarusian President Lukashenko

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that Western leaders are wrong in refusing to participate in the Victory Day Parade to be held on May 9 in Moscow.

“I do not support those politicians who refuse to come to the celebration in Moscow on purpose, although they did seem to want to come earlier.”

He did note, however, that cancellation is possible in the event that there are similar celebrations in their home countries.
“It is another thing if they are busy at home. If they have similar celebrations at home, we will welcome it, we will be glad that together with us the Victory Day is celebrated in other countries,” the Belarusian president said. “If it (the refusal to come to Moscow) is an insult against Russia, against those Soviet people and the people of Eastern Europe, who we freed, then such an approach is against those people too and not just Russians who are allegedly fighting in Donbass.” “The refusal to show up is the wrong approach,” the Belarusian leader concluded.

 

An Anonymous commentator said, “The animosity toward Russia right now is so strong that US leaders would prefer to not have anyone know that Russia was an ally against the nazis in WW II.

Also, since the Ukrainian government has nazi sympathizers, they don’t want that mentioned or someone might ask “Why did we fight them then and we’re allied with them now?”.

About More Than 300 Arrested in South Africa Over Attacks on Foreigners

Almost three weeks of ongoing anti-migrant violence in South Africa have killed at least six people. The most recent attack took place on Saturday in the city of Johannesburg, with small armed groups attacking several local shops owned by foreigners.

 

South Africa condemns the recent wave of attacks against immigrants from other parts of Africa and arrested 307 suspected perpetrators to date, South African Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba said.”Once again, I need to vocally condemn killing of our brothers and sisters from other parts of the African continent. No amount of frustration or anger can justify these attacks and looting of shops,” Gigaba said as quoted by the BBC.

On Saturday, South African President Jacob Zuma canceled his visit to Indonesia over the attacks at home.

“@soulbabang: I Condemn South Africa’s xenophobia. RETWEET if you do same. @Gidi_Traffic pic.twitter.com/aAupp3dBKS

— GIDITRAFFIC (@Gidi_Traffic) April 17, 2015

In March, traditional leader of the Zulu nation King Goodwill Zwelithini reportedly blamed foreigners, who had moved to South Africa in large numbers since the white-minority rule ended in the 1990s, for a high crime rate. The Zulu king urged the expatriates to return to their native countries, contributing to the hike in violence.

S’Africa attacks: Nigerians lose N21m, says envoy

Zimbabweans moving their belongings from a temporary refugee camp in Chatsworth, South of Durban in South Africa before boarding a bus back to their country… on Sunday | credits: AFP

Nigerian Consul-General in South Africa, Amb. Uche Ajulu-Okeke, said on Sunday that Nigerians lost more than N21m Rand (1.2m) in the on-going xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Ajulu-Okeke told the News Agency of Nigeria by phone from Johannesburg, South Africa, that the loss included looted shops, burnt shops, two burnt mechanic workshops, 11 burnt cars and two stolen cars, among others.

“Nigerians have compiled the cost of the damage to their property and it is totalling about 1.2m Rand or N21m, which will be sent to the Federal Government for further action,” the ambassador said.

She said that two of the three Nigerians who were wounded during the attacks in Durban had been treated and discharged from the hospital.

The consul-general said that she would go back to Durban to assess the situation on ground and meet with the provincial authority on the security of Nigerians in that province.

She said, “The Nigerian mission in South Africa is on top of the situation. We are working hard to protect Nigerians in South Africa.

“Though the task has not been easy but we are trying our best. In one of the hot spots at Jeppe, near Johannesburg, the mission assisted about 50 stranded Nigerians to re-settle.

“I have also visited the site of the attacks in Johannesburg to assess the damage and it was enormous.”

She said the Nigerian mission would meet with the Nigerian union chapters in the nine provinces of South Africa to devise means of checking further attacks.

“I am bringing all Nigerians together so that we work out a vigilance and alert mechanism; they will also tell me what their challenges and issues are,’’ she said.

Okeke said the mission and the Nigerian Union had been working together to meet the challenges caused by the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians.

I asked for forgiveness for reconciliation and to pursue genuine peace –Fayose

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said his asking for forgiveness should not be taken for cowardice by his opponents, saying his tenure in office will be determined by God.


He said he took the step to seek a genuine reconciliation with the All Progressives Congress, whose 19 lawmakers in the state House of Assembly were plotting his impeachment.

The governor spoke on Sunday at the thanksgiving service organised for him at the Cathedral Church of Emmanuel, Anglican Communion, Ado Ekiti, to celebrate his electoral victory at the Supreme Court.

Fayose said,

“I asked for forgiveness for reconciliation and to pursue genuine peace. Waiving the olive branch does not mean cowardice, it is for peace.

“Conspiracy is against God’s will. What better way could one seek peace other than asking for forgiveness.”

The governor advised the APC to emulate President Goodluck Jonathan who conceded defeat and saved Nigeria from disintegrating.

“When I contested for Senate they said I lost and I did not fight anyone. I did not go to the tribunal and I was saying good things about the government then. The opposition should be courageous enough to accept defeat. I follow Jonathan in and out of office. Jonathan gave up for survival of Nigeria. Jonathan prevented the prophecy that Nigeria would break up in 2015.

“I’m enjoying the mandate of God through his people and that cannot be controverted. My sin is because I allowed the common man to breathe the air of hope.

“The people have spoken (governorship election), they said it was military intervention. They spoke the second term (presidential election), is that one photochromic? And they spoke again the third time (House of Assembly election).

“If God that gave me victory cannot defend me, I better go home. If the people cannot defend the mandate they gave to me, I better go home. Power doesn’t come from man. Power belongs to God. Anyone against the voice of God is following Satan’s way.

“In a democracy, you need a simple majority to win elections, but I enjoy total majority. They want to take government by force, firing shots at people; that is coup against the people. They said they are coming again tomorrow, we are waiting for them.”

A statement by the Special Adviser on Media to Speaker Adewale Omirin, Wole Olujobi, said the governor in his broadcast demonstrated that he was never committed to the peace he preached barely 24 hours before his inciting broadcast.

“How do you reconcile this inciting broadcast with a plea he made for peace not quite 24 hours earlier, which Ekiti people and indeed Nigerians thought was a good move by the governor to thaw the frozen relationship between him and the lawmakers?

“This is a confirmation of what Dr. Omirin said in his Sunday Punch interview that the governor can’t be trusted in any peace move.

“It is shocking that the governor, who refused to make any remark or commitment during the church service after the man of God appealed to him to embrace peace, could go on air few minutes after the church service to start inciting workers, traders, okada riders and artisans to defend him with their last drop of blood.

“As if his inciting live broadcast was not enough, Ekiti people were shocked when a public service announcement started running intermittently on the state media urging okada riders to look out for strange faces across the state and attack them because they are thugs that are being imported into the state by the APC lawmakers.

“They are also to converge on the House of Assembly as early as 6am on Monday to prevent the lawmakers from performing their legal duties,” the statement added.

Stressing that they were not planning any invasion of the state with thugs, the lawmakers called the attention of Nigerians to the unlawful acts of the governor in his desperate move to ensure that the lawmakers were rendered ineffective in the discharge of their lawful duties.

Snoop Dogg reposts his Photo with Timi Dakolo on his IG page

Timi Dakolo posted his photograph of himself with Snoop Dogg on his instagram page, the US rapper saw it and reposted all alone instagram page. That is cool!

Nigerian Army entered Sambisa Forest yesterday in search and rescue of missing Chibok girls

As indicated by NTA, the Nigerian Army landed Sambisa Forest yesterday April 18th in hunt and conceivable salvage of the missing Chibok young ladies.

Ondo disease: WHO suspects Pesticides

The community inhabitants may feel that what is transpiring is profoundly spiritual however the World Health Organization claims an alternate hypothesis. They say pesticide poisoning is the reasonable justification of the weird affliction that has hit two groups in Ondo state prompting 14 passings.

Head of Public Relations/Social Media for the World Health Organization and the UN Organization for general wellbeing took to twitter to declare the new discoveries as WHO proceeds with its exploration on the bizarre infection.

23 year old female nabbed for stabbing colleague to death during an argument

Yusuf Monsurat (23), an understudy of D.S. Adegbenro Polytechnic, Itori, Ogun State in the picture above has been captured by the Ogun state Police command for stabbing her partner, Eric Moses, to death in their school hostel taking after a contention on March 17th.

As per  Tribune, Monsurat who claims not to know how the incident happened, was a close friend of the deceased until she began to suspect him of being a cult member. This made her withdraw from him and even withdrew more after Eric confessed to her that he was indeed a cult member.

Monsurat says she had a dream on the day of the incident and in the dream, she saw Moses and herself engaged in a quarrel, and Moses slapped her in the dream. She said as soon as she woke up, she approached one of her friends who she narrated her dream to. As she was narrating her story, she said Moses overheard, approached her and picked a quarrel with her. An argument ensued and before she knew it, Moses began beating her. She claims Moses then picked up a knife to stab her but she defended herself and the knife pierced his neck, leading to his death.

“I am from Kwara State. I am in my second year studying Business Administration.

I can’t really remember what happened. Only God knows. He was my hostel mate. Sincerely, speaking, I can’t really remember anything. God knows. I have not been feeling fine. It is just like a dream. We had a normal argument that could come up between students that day. I sat in front of my room when he came. All I remember was that he wanted to stab me with a knife. We started struggling with the knife and in the process of defending myself, the knife pierced his chest. He later fell. I don’t know what came over him that made him take a knife to want to stab me.”she said

Ogun state Police command spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi confirmed the incident and said she will be charged to court soon.

Reuben Abati reacts to Punch Story - 'Jonathan demands ₦2trn election funds refund, audit'

Find his response below…

The front-page story of the Sunday Punch of April 19 alleging that the Presidency spent a whopping N2 trillion on the 2015 General elections, and that a Committee of Five has been set up by President Jonathan to conduct an audit of how the funds were disbursed by party members and state officials is mischievous, false and embarrassing.

The President has not set up any committee as alleged in that story. It is also not true that the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party used state funds, or spent N2 trillion during the campaigns. The innuendoes are wrong-headed; the motives behind the story are suspicious.

The story alleges, for example, that the Presidency spent N2trillion on elections and embarked on a money-sharing spree to party

members, support groups and state officials. The authors of the story and their self-appointed megaphones further insinuate that public funds were deployed in this regard. Their allegation of a theft of public funds is extremely malicious.

How much is the budget of the Federal Government of Nigeria? The annual budget of the Federal Government is a little over N4 trillion.

The story is practically suggesting that half of the federal budget was spent on elections. This kind of reckless insinuation is meant to incite the public and instigate national crisis.

With FAAC having to do everything possible every month to ensure disbursements and with the Federal Government heavily committed to the war against terror in the North East, where is the alleged N2 trillion from the Federal purse?

President Jonathan and the People’s Democratic Party conducted the 2015 elections in strict accordance with the rule of law. The suggestion of any unlawful conduct cannot be sustained under any circumstances.

President Jonathan has done his best to protect and strengthen democracy and promote peace.

He justly deserves all the accolades that he has received from both Nigerians and the

international community for this. Certain persons and interest groups may not be happy that his profile has further risen and that his legacy is assured; but they do their country gross disservice when they act so unpatriotically.

Anyone who is engaged in imposing a crisis on the country by any means is not being fair to Nigeria. We can only appeal to the public to be wary of such reckless tactics now on display, which form the substance of an odd, malicious campaign after the elections.

We are particularly worried that since the March 28 and April 11 elections, some persons have continued to work very hard to diminish the Jonathan Presidency. They need to be reminded that the time for politics is over; it is now time to focus on the in-coming government, with emphasis on national development and moving the country forward.

Reuben Abati

Special Adviser to the President

(Media and Publicity)
April 19, 2015

Sen. Uche Chukwumerije passes on @75

Nigeria’s ex-Information Minister, and Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District Sen. Uche Chukwumerije passed on today Sunday April 19th after a fight with lung cancer.


He was encompassed by his family as per an announcement released by his child, Chidi Chukwumerije. He was 75 years of age.

Sun re O!

Ase!

Omotola's youngest child turns 13

Omotola’s youngest child, Michael Ekeinde is 13! Amazing! The pleased mum posted these photographs on instagram and composed “”Happy 13th birthday kiddo! We love you! Welcome to the Teen world …with no drama!*side eye*”

Xenophobia: Law breakers get police backing In South Africa (Photo)

The most annoying aspect is that this law breakers break the law under their police supervision. Security forces turn their backs while their kin steal from a store belonging to a nonnative.


Wait oh, if these ones don’t have any sense, the police will likewise say they don’t have sense?

The extent that I am concerned, they are supporting these assaults on different Africans. Most exceedingly terrible still, their legislature hasn’t reacted yet. Such a disgrace! Nothing has made me so frantic in quite a while. In the event that like me, you saw that video of kids tied up, beaten and gas poured on them, you would be very mad as well.

Photo: 3 year old girl kidnapped in Ojuelegba, Lagos, today

3 year old Oluwabunmi Ajelero has been announced missing. Her family say she was kidnapped from Surulere Baptist Church today. Anybody with valuable data should  please call 08022289455.

 

'Why I’m not proud to call Buhari my president' - Femi Aribisala

Vanguard columnist Dr. Femi Aribisala, in an interaction with Vanguard editors, explains why he is not proud to call president-elect, Gen. Buhari his president.


Read below…

How did you come about your claim that INEC rigged the election for Buhari?

There are certain things that are interesting about this election. The first one is that it is one of the most keenly contested elections that we have had in this country. It involved more people. But 10 million less people voted than last time, which gives us some idea as to how true some of the figures we have been having before had been. But the question is: Where did the decline of 10 million come from? I discovered that it came disproportionately in certain areas than it did in others. And to some extent, if you look at the PVC distribution, you can project the election. It is because Buhari could campaign in the South, but the North didn’t permit same kind of liberty for the president.

The president was stoned in Bauchi and he was threatened. By the time the pattern of PVC distribution became very known even in war-torn states, it was easy to know that it had been front-loaded. When you then analyze the election result itself, you will discover that some places just had an incredible suppression of voters in spite of high level of interest. Some people had an incredible number of voters. And I am still interested in why more people voted in the governorship election in Katsina than the presidential election.

On alleged gang- up against President Jonathan

If Buhari had contested in the United States, there is no way that he could win. It is impossible. We know his antecedents. Nigeria doesn’t even teach history in schools. Once you bring up the antecedents, the very idea of having such a person gunning for a position, not even talk of the presidency, would have nullified his candidacy. I was not just writing about Buhari because he tried to arrest me. There were all sorts of things that he did and for which he never apologised. Buhari took ownership of those things. And he never asked for forgiveness. At different points in the history of Nigeria, he was given an opportunity to do that.

We set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission but he refused to do it. You don’t forgive a man who does not repent. With regards to President Jonathan, I had a problem with the gang-up. And I think it is wrong for two major tribes to gang up against someone from the minority. Why should a President be called clueless? I don’t think that someone will get away with calling Obasanjo clueless. Somehow I feel that the South-South is entitled to have their son as president and we were acting as if we were doing them a favour. If it was not providence that threw up Goodluck Jonathan, I wonder if we would have considered having a South-South president. In the interest of national unity, the North-West producing the president again does not balance any equation in Nigeria. If we are talking about a president from the North, we should be talking about the North-East. I was offended that from the beginning, some people insisted that there would be a civil war if the man ran. They also insisted that they would create a problem if the man ran. And I said that Nigeria belongs to every one of us. So that was an issue to me. Wole Soyinka had vowed not to support Buhari but a few weeks to the election, he asked Nigerians to forget the past and move on.

Are you not being unfair to Buhari given the circumstances we found ourselves?

I said you only forgive somebody who repents. Buhari has never asked anyone to forgive him. So you are jumping into conclusion that we have a new Buhari? And the fact that he has won the election has not won him forgiveness. We are going to see if Buhari has changed. And I have said that if he has changed, he will do more than just wearing a suit. He will come out and apologise for things done and overdone. He said he took responsibility which is different from apologising. The man who admitted stealing a cow is different from the one who said forgive me for stealing a cow. Buhari is a very deliberate man. I am not persuaded by the election campaign that Buhari is going to be a very competent president. I have not seen any competence in him. There was nothing in the campaign that was of substance that impressed me. No new ideas came from Buhari or the APC. Most of the people in APC are PDP people. So I am not persuaded that we are in for any new thing. But I hope you are right.

Beyond Buhari, you are also not a friend of Bola Tinubu. What are your reasons?

I wonder why anybody will be a fan of Bola Tinubu especially if you live in Lagos. He is not a democrat. I don’t like Bola Tinubu because he has monopolised Lagos politics. To some extent, Ekiti governorship election was lost because of him. I live in Lekki and every day I have to pay toll fare and I wish I was not doing that. APC is in control of the media to a very large extent. Governor Fashola has gotten an easy pass with the media. It is easy for a Lagos State governor to be seen to be good because he has resources. In the light of the resources of the state, only 10 percent of the people have access to potable water, the same percentage has access to educational structures. In order for the APC to survive, the resources of this state had to be commandeered for political purposes.

So, you can see the end justifies the means. I think it will be foolish of Tinubu to take AIT to court over the Lion of Bourdillion case because if he does, the kind of things that would be revealed about him would be shocking. This godfather business is undemocratic. Let people choose their leaders. One person cannot sit somewhere and decide what is best for everybody. I don’t believe that elections are free and fair in Lagos. I do not believe that Jimi Agbaje lost this election. It was APC’s manipulation that brought out the governorship election result. That is my own opinion. Not many Nigerians are asking Buhari to apologise. What exactly do you want him to apologise for?

It is part of my problem with the media at the moment. We are being given the impression that Buhari won by a landslide. Please let us look at what INEC declared. 12.8 million people voted for Goodluck Jonathan. So don’t assume that they don’t have their reasons or that the people that want him to apologise don’t exist. I maintain that it is very easy to say that we don’t want to look at the past because we want to look at the future. But we need to understand the past in order to move to the future.

So, Buhari needed to apologise. He needed to ask for forgiveness because he killed people through extra-judicial means, he jailed people for telling the truth, he kept people in jail even when kangaroo courts that he set up said they were not guilty. He manipulated the judiciary into jailing some people. I could go on and on. That is why I said that if we were a serious democracy, he would never have gotten away with it. There is a reason Buhari was not nominated by the northerners. They voted for Kwankwaso and Atiku at the primaries. Buhari got his candidacy through Tinubu. We don’t have to pretend that Buhari is well liked because he has won, it seems to be like that but we should know that he only has the plurality of 2.5 million votes.

In your penultimate column you claimed the emphasis on the alleged rigging was in the South-South and South-East, but the PDP was beaten in areas where they had strengths like Niger, Kaduna and other places.

You think the resentment was not real? I mentioned those areas as well. I mentioned Kano, Jigawa, Katsina and Bauchi. I said the results from these places were inflated. We have video recordings of underage voting. There is a problem with the election because if we accept what the PVCs are saying that 17.1 million registered for the election in the North-West alone, the zone will determine future elections. If they decide that they want somebody to be president, by the time we will be looking at the result and they will come up with 9.1 million from Kano, the whole equation would change. What can you get from Imo and Anambra? So, if the North-West vote is more than the South-South and South-East, there is going to be a problem. There will be a problem if we don’t get the proper census of Nigeria. They used to tell us that Kano was bigger than Lagos. Jigawa was split from Kano and Kano is still supposedly bigger than Lagos. In this last election, about 3.1 million people voted in Kano and Jigawa. And 1.4 million people voted in Lagos. That is twice the number of the people in Lagos. I don’t believe these figures. If you do, fine. I am entitled to my opinion.

You said you don’t like Tinubu because of the reasons you adduced, but when the books would be written, it would be said that Tinubu contributed significantly to Buhari’s emergence as a democratically elected president. What do you make of that?

I don’t agree that Tinubu made Buhari the president. Let’s get the facts right. Tinubu made Buhari the presidential candidate of the APC. But in the presidential election, Buhari did not win Tinubu’s votes. And that is part of the problem. All the discussion before was that everything would be determined in the South-West, but Tinubu did not deliver the South-West. The margin of defeat in the presidential election was not much in Lagos. Tinubu, to some extent at the presidential level, is expendable. And that is the problem. You can actually not choose a president just from the North. It interests me that while the campaign was going on, all the northerners making noise that it was their turn disappeared. They did not campaign with Buhari. The people campaigning were Tinubu, Amaechi, Fashola. I bet you that the northerners are going to come out come May 29. And you will see it happen. Don’t think that the people that had been clamouring for power to return to the North in the past six years, were doing that for Tinubu to inherit. I don’t believe that. They have an agenda. That is why I said the story is not told because the election has taken place, the story will unfold when the administration comes on board.

Are you saying that you are impressed with Jonathan’s performance?

Continue reading on Vanguard

The Xenophobia Syndrome - by Charly Boy

I am not feeling good today. Perhaps I got up on the wrong side of the bed. But the bad news from my telephone conversation with my granddaughter who is an undergraduate in Mauritius last week could be a factor.


She expressed her deep concerns regarding safety in her country of study, highlighting strings of attacks on foreigners.

I have been most worried about the too much bickering and guarding of territory stories making the rounds. It appears Xenophobia is becoming the mass ideology of the century.

The events of the past 2weeks in South Africa and indeed other parts of the world have got me really thinking.

Nigerians who live in Western/European countries complain about racism and being second-class citizens in their host countries.

Britain is making anti-immigration laws and tightening its borders everyday because they believe they are being overwhelmed by the increasing demand to create opportunities for its teeming immigrants, neglecting its own.

Japanese government, having become extremely worried by this hostile anti-foreigner development, is keen to attract millions of new tourists and business visitors to Japan over the next decade; but with “Don’t come to Japan if you’re a foreigner” clause.

This is the message from many Japanese hotels in a recent survey conducted by the Japanese Ministry for Tourism. Haba!

Even in our own Nigeria, we see pockets of tribal and religious Xenophobia here and there. Isn’t that really insane? For instance, just before the recently concluded presidential elections, there was a mad exodus, people leaving the cities for their villages due to fear of the unknown. This fatal inhibition cannot be divorced from the spreading of unguarded comments and positions which evoked fear in the hearts of most Nigerians; pitching us against one another. Na wah!

Is it therefore any wonder at the extremity of our own African brothers in the South meting out the worst treatments on their fellow Africans? Hmmmnnn!

South Africa is experiencing one of its worse case of xenophobic syndrome simply because they believe that foreigners are taking away their luck and their jobs.

I do strongly believe this is a wake-up call to everyone that, if we believe, our land can still be green. To begin to look homeward and think of ways to make this our home (Nigeria) better and truly standout like the giant it’s meant to be. I think it is high time our leaders began to look inward, create a life for our teeming population and make Nigeria a proud home where citizens are not looking to run away (even when running away means being a 3rd class or no class citizen at destination).

What is it that we lack that we cannot begin to focus on our diversity which is the core strength that we have and use it to create a world where our children will be happy and proud to live in? Truth be told, so long as we continue to ignore our youths who I still believe are the life wire of this nation; so long as we continue to encourage brain drain and capital flight by running to and developing other countries instead of ours, the story will continue to be that of raising another man’s child. No matter how long you keep that child and nurture it, the DNA can never confirm the child as yours.

As we all anticipate a positively impacting CHANGE, I look forward to a Nigeria where her honourable youths, leaders and indeed every citizen will rise up and build the nation of our dream. A nation where we will sincerely fight corruption, tribal and religious sentiments as well as all other things that create the divide and focus on the one thing we have in common, NIGERIA/Poverty.

Let the ties that bind us be NATIONAL PATRIOTISM or nothing.

Collective fear stimulates herd instinct and tends to produce beef/hate towards those who are not regarded as members of the herd.

Let this not be a piece you read and do nothing about, let it inspire you to begin the change from your individual space. To think that your being poor or less privileged is because someone else (foreign to you) is rich and doing well is the actual meaning of Xenophobia.

Think, then let me know what you think….

Suffering from Koro Syndrom or Foreign Accent Syndrome? See 12 Weird Mental Disorders That Will Leave You Speechless

Mental issue influence a lot of people in the public arena today and have been for many years. Thankfully innovation and sufficient exploration has now made it much simpler for us to perceive, comprehend and treat numerous issue that were once obscure. Additionally called psychiatric issue, a mental issue is a behavioral example that has a tendency to bring about torment and/or a weakened ability to capacity in the public eye. Here are 12 unusual mental issue that will presumably abandon you confused.

 

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIST

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIST

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIST

 

1/12: Weird Mental Disorders That Will Leave You Speechless (Koro Syndrome)

This issue is culturally specific – so far cases have been found in China, Japan and India. Koro disorder sufferers accept that the genitalia is contracting and will in the long run proceed until it thoroughly vanishes within them. For men it is frequently the penis and for ladies, the areolas.

There have even been amazing situations where the patient accepted that after the genitalia vanishes inside it will kill them. Clinicians assume that social convictions and psycho-sexual clashes have basic impact in the improvement of this disorder.

2/12: Weird Mental Disorders That Will Leave You Speechless (Clinical Lycanthropy)

This mental disorder has gained a lot of attention because of the prominence of wolves and werewolves in today’s popular society. Sufferers of this disease accept that they can transform into wolves or werewolves, and will customarily invest evenings in the forested areas, trusting it to be their regular natural surroundings. Clinical lycanthropy is not specific to only animals. Persons may believe that they can really change into any creature. This capricious conviction is connected with modified perspectives that go hand in hand with psychosis.

3/12: Weird Mental Disorders That Will Leave You Speechless (Autophagia)

A lot of us have found out about cannibalism where people eat different people, however with autophagia the individual really eats up parts of their own body. Persons who experience the ill effects of this condition frequently have a feeling of excitement or strain before conferring the demonstration, trailed by emotions of satisfaction or joy while doing it. After the demonstration is finished anyway, they may feel guilt and regret ̶ however this is not the situation for everybody.

4/12: Weird Mental Disorders That Will Leave You Speechless (Boanthropy)

This is a mental issue where the sufferer confided in himself/herself to be a bull or a dairy animals. This broken conduct by and large starts as a dream and later changes into a hard and fast mind flight.

It is acknowledged that Nebuchadnezzar, King of the Neo-Babylonian Empire encountered this condition due to the Book of Daniel where it communicates that he “was driven from men, and did eat grass as bulls.” This condition can probably be impelled by subliminal treatment..