Nigerian politicians are all claiming to be agents of change but who really are the true change agents. Incumbent, Dr G E Jonathan has since shown himself to be no different from all the others. Indeed he is just another politician after votes for whatever it takes.
However, the debates which Dr Jonathan cowardly avoided has brought previously unrated candidates to the fore. One of them is Dr John Omoniyi Dara of the National Transformation Party ( N T P ). Now if the people of Nigeria really want a change, Dr Dara is a man I would put my money on. He spoke of specific strategies which he would adopt to solve the nation's problem as per the NEDG debate of 29/03/2011.
Dr Dara is the change agent we await. I hope the people of Nigeria would see through the propaganda of the ruling party and see their option which has been made very clear now, more than ever before.
From the self-debate or forum which Dr Jonathan attended 30th march, he showed himself to be a ' company man' He kept saying his party would do this and that. He did not seem willing to think out of the box. And that is just what we need now- someone who will dare to step out of the usual way of doing things. Should we have the misfortune of returning the incumbent President to Aso Rock we would have signed away again our next 4 years as a nation. Worst part of it is that the lives that are being killed daily for which no action has been taken by this government to stop would likely become a common place thing.
The ACN man Ribadu brings nothing really to the table other than mere wind and sound. Rtd. Gen. Buhari has not been able to show us he has anew song really, and too bad the man he could have used to sell himself to the nation, Pastor Bakare also avoided their much needed debate.
Prof P O Utomi of the SDMP had a tie with Dr Dara for the job of the nation's president, however unfortunately Prof Utomi was reported yesterday to have asked his supporters to vote for Alhaji Shekarau
probably being convinced that his party did not have the geo-spread required. However, I feel he gave up too quickly. Those who are looking for the fresh man for the job sre spread nation wide and would have seen or heard the debate.
Dr John Omoniyi Dara is therefore the man for the job of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Illegality and Illegality and Illegalities! When Will the Nigerian Federal Government Return the Monies Seized from the so-called 'Wonder-Banks' to the Subscribers?
Those who read my posts have often asked me why I pursue the issues I write about. They say such topics do not bring in the money, so what could be in it for me, they ask. And I myself have often wondered about it too. Still, I cannot help it. I only write what I have a feeling for; and that seems to be to champion causes. Although the people I am speaking for may not even be aware of it, it is just for a good conscience that I write such as this. I hate unfair treatment. I hate illegalities.
Some days ago, I saw on STV (Nigeria) some men discussing their frustration by the Nigerian Government in getting their terminal benefits due from their former employers who had been shut down by her agency, the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN). The men used to work for some of the closed Banks; closed down because they did not meet the recapitalisation standard required in 2005. They had formed an association of 14000 members - the total number of staff members displaced by the forced closure. Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the predecessor of the present CBN governor, apparently had guaranteed the displaced staffers the payment of their terminal benefits should their banking institution not make it through the recapitalisation exercise. They had been seeking to obtain a performance of the promise, but nobody was paying attention. Not the CBN governor, Lamido Sanusi, not the Minister of Labour, not the Senate President; and Mr President, Goodluck Jonathan himself ignored them too.
Well, one argument they brought forward which I took away is the fact that the banks did not die a natural death. They were closed down by the Central Bank, not for committing an offence, but for not being rich enough. Since when did not being rich enough become ground for extermination? But of course, since they look to be the under-dogs no body is considering answering to their needs.
This is so unjust!!! When the custodians of our national conscience do not take a stand for the down-trodden what hope is there for the ordinary man in the street?. Only when the big shots get tangled in the ropes do we see government bodies responding. Why do we fool ourselves in this country. Justice is given only when it will create sensationalism, only when the recipient is one of those 'deserving it'. When will every citizen of this land be accorded the recognition fundamental to their status as bona fide human beings who also bleed blood?
Very much like the case of the bank workers whose employers' offices were forcibly closed down is the matter of the so-called 'Wonder-Banks' of 2007. In much the same way as the killed Banks, these firms of fund managers were hounded like criminals, man-handled and exploited by the Police and the armed forces at the instigation of the Central Bank of Nigeria, in the main. They claimed they were out to protect the investing public. They closed the shops of the Fund Managers, froze and confiscated their accounts which held subscribers monies, and to this moment none of the agencies responsible for breaking up these firms has thought it fit to initiate a process of refunding the subscribers their monies, even if they want to do it by themselves.
If you asked me, I'd tell you that abuse and corruption do not come any clearer than this. While the finance agencies of government claimed they were out to protect the public, they were the ones who registered these companies. They knew they were fund managers, and they knew what fund managing entails. I guess, they just did not imagine that they would be that effective and successful.
The Fund Managers, fondly called 'Wonder-Banks' by the government agencies and their detractors, did not fail. Just like the banks closed down from the recapitalisation exercise of 2005, they did not die a natural death. They were frustrated by the agencies of the Finance Ministry as a personal vendetta against some of their very well known successes, like Alhaji Yusha'u Maiyaki, Managing Director of NOSPETCO OIL & GAS LTD. This man's humane posture in sharing with his subscribers the profits that the multi-nationals usually distribute among themselves riled the princes and capitalist king-pins so much so that they blackmailed him into the list of 'wonder-banks'. How dare he give riches to the slaves born to work their capitalist mills?!
The government of Obasanjo had no issue with these firms. But it was the stooges of Obasanjo, who pretended to be under him who then ran berserk to strike the death hammer. While I will not deny the government the right to make policies, I refuse to agree that the government has right over my rightfully acquired property. This is the way I mean it: If I am given to drinking, for example, the government has no right to seize or steal my money from me on the grounds that they want to keep me from drinking. It is my money and I do with it whatever I choose, as long as I do not hurt anyone else doing it! The government, by not responding to these issues, condones the unjust actions of her agents. They have no right to sit on investors monies all these years just because they say the investment product is risky. As things are, the government is the one who has brought in the element of risk; it did not come naturally in the normal course of their business.
But Nigeria Central Bank has seized investors monies in the said 'Wonder-Banks' for near four years now on the pretext that they want to rescue investors. Investors who were not in danger of any sort in the first place.
Since this is a land where very few people speak the truth, it has become necessary to call on all the good men of the land to ask the government for these monies to be returned to their owners before this matter becomes statute barred. The EFCC, Mr. Festus Keyamu, Barr.Falana, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, Chief Aremu Obasanjo, President Goodluck Jonathan, and all sincere and honest leaders of thought of Nigeria should rise up now and address this long lingering issue. These people, who are equal citizens as we are, deserve justice too. Some of them may have died over these four years, still, let them be refunded their monies now. At 50 years of nationhood let us begin to see men and women who will stand for truth, justice and fairness.
The time has come to stop living for self, always asking 'what's in it for me'. This land is bleeding, filled with people whose right have been trampled upon one way or another. Let us begin to right the wrongs we have caused over the years. Let justice not be for only those who can pay for it. In this perpetually green land let it be known far and wide that justice is for all – freeborn or slaves, strangers or indigents!
Some days ago, I saw on STV (Nigeria) some men discussing their frustration by the Nigerian Government in getting their terminal benefits due from their former employers who had been shut down by her agency, the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN). The men used to work for some of the closed Banks; closed down because they did not meet the recapitalisation standard required in 2005. They had formed an association of 14000 members - the total number of staff members displaced by the forced closure. Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the predecessor of the present CBN governor, apparently had guaranteed the displaced staffers the payment of their terminal benefits should their banking institution not make it through the recapitalisation exercise. They had been seeking to obtain a performance of the promise, but nobody was paying attention. Not the CBN governor, Lamido Sanusi, not the Minister of Labour, not the Senate President; and Mr President, Goodluck Jonathan himself ignored them too.
Well, one argument they brought forward which I took away is the fact that the banks did not die a natural death. They were closed down by the Central Bank, not for committing an offence, but for not being rich enough. Since when did not being rich enough become ground for extermination? But of course, since they look to be the under-dogs no body is considering answering to their needs.
This is so unjust!!! When the custodians of our national conscience do not take a stand for the down-trodden what hope is there for the ordinary man in the street?. Only when the big shots get tangled in the ropes do we see government bodies responding. Why do we fool ourselves in this country. Justice is given only when it will create sensationalism, only when the recipient is one of those 'deserving it'. When will every citizen of this land be accorded the recognition fundamental to their status as bona fide human beings who also bleed blood?
Very much like the case of the bank workers whose employers' offices were forcibly closed down is the matter of the so-called 'Wonder-Banks' of 2007. In much the same way as the killed Banks, these firms of fund managers were hounded like criminals, man-handled and exploited by the Police and the armed forces at the instigation of the Central Bank of Nigeria, in the main. They claimed they were out to protect the investing public. They closed the shops of the Fund Managers, froze and confiscated their accounts which held subscribers monies, and to this moment none of the agencies responsible for breaking up these firms has thought it fit to initiate a process of refunding the subscribers their monies, even if they want to do it by themselves.
If you asked me, I'd tell you that abuse and corruption do not come any clearer than this. While the finance agencies of government claimed they were out to protect the public, they were the ones who registered these companies. They knew they were fund managers, and they knew what fund managing entails. I guess, they just did not imagine that they would be that effective and successful.
The Fund Managers, fondly called 'Wonder-Banks' by the government agencies and their detractors, did not fail. Just like the banks closed down from the recapitalisation exercise of 2005, they did not die a natural death. They were frustrated by the agencies of the Finance Ministry as a personal vendetta against some of their very well known successes, like Alhaji Yusha'u Maiyaki, Managing Director of NOSPETCO OIL & GAS LTD. This man's humane posture in sharing with his subscribers the profits that the multi-nationals usually distribute among themselves riled the princes and capitalist king-pins so much so that they blackmailed him into the list of 'wonder-banks'. How dare he give riches to the slaves born to work their capitalist mills?!
The government of Obasanjo had no issue with these firms. But it was the stooges of Obasanjo, who pretended to be under him who then ran berserk to strike the death hammer. While I will not deny the government the right to make policies, I refuse to agree that the government has right over my rightfully acquired property. This is the way I mean it: If I am given to drinking, for example, the government has no right to seize or steal my money from me on the grounds that they want to keep me from drinking. It is my money and I do with it whatever I choose, as long as I do not hurt anyone else doing it! The government, by not responding to these issues, condones the unjust actions of her agents. They have no right to sit on investors monies all these years just because they say the investment product is risky. As things are, the government is the one who has brought in the element of risk; it did not come naturally in the normal course of their business.
But Nigeria Central Bank has seized investors monies in the said 'Wonder-Banks' for near four years now on the pretext that they want to rescue investors. Investors who were not in danger of any sort in the first place.
Since this is a land where very few people speak the truth, it has become necessary to call on all the good men of the land to ask the government for these monies to be returned to their owners before this matter becomes statute barred. The EFCC, Mr. Festus Keyamu, Barr.Falana, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, Chief Aremu Obasanjo, President Goodluck Jonathan, and all sincere and honest leaders of thought of Nigeria should rise up now and address this long lingering issue. These people, who are equal citizens as we are, deserve justice too. Some of them may have died over these four years, still, let them be refunded their monies now. At 50 years of nationhood let us begin to see men and women who will stand for truth, justice and fairness.
The time has come to stop living for self, always asking 'what's in it for me'. This land is bleeding, filled with people whose right have been trampled upon one way or another. Let us begin to right the wrongs we have caused over the years. Let justice not be for only those who can pay for it. In this perpetually green land let it be known far and wide that justice is for all – freeborn or slaves, strangers or indigents!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Does the American Dream Have to Die With Michael Jackson?
Courtesy of Hubpages' for.ever.landis I wish to republish the following hub for the share truth in it and the injustice meted out to MJ
"The American Public Must Demand Honest Journalism.-
-by Forbes Everett Landis
Do you think it is a good idea to keep silence about the attacks on one of the most visible achievers of the American Dream? Are we not forfeiting our children’s future into the hands of bullies? Is it not time for us to speak up about the damage opportunistic journalism is doing to our culture? --
Last year, the news of pop-superstar Michael Jackson’s premature death shocked the world. As I am a classical music fan, not a connoisseur of pop music or any of its stars, Jackson’s death did not immediately evoke any particular emotion in me. I just let it go.
But as the days went by, and as I passively soaked in more and more news reports on Jackson’s death, I began to feel increasingly uncomfortable. A man had passed away: What need was there for the media to so eagerly show humiliating images of how Jackson would have looked on his death-bed? I was prompted to look into the case more thoroughly.
After more than a year, although I am not a Michael Jackson fan per se, on closer inspection I have come to admire his scale of contributions and humanitarian messages espoused within songs of his. And despite my hitherto skeptical view of the frenzied remarks often made by Jackson’s hard-core followers, I feel the need to say this:
To keep the American dream alive for our children, we should stop abusing our talented and creative spirits out of jealousy and misunderstanding.
Jackson had to deal with the media condemning him as strange, weird, and even labeling him a fr.eak, both figuratively and literally. My opinion about this is clear: Though at times, to subjective eyes, Jackson might have looked ‘different,’ half of this eccentricity was due to the fact that he was born to be an artist inevitably different from others because of his imaginative and creative nature, and half because he was forced into being so unconventional by a degree of media pressure few, if any, have ever experienced. Being different from others does not equate being harmful to others. As long as one does not violate others’ human rights, one has the right to be him or herself. In a society that prioritizes human rights and freedom, I find no justification for hurtful attacks on people who are perceived to be ‘different.’ These kinds of attacks are especially sordid when they involve the spreading of knowingly false rumors for financial gain. After Jackson’s acquittal on alleged child related charges in 2005, several journalists, such as Aphrodite Jones, came forward to confess that most of the media in attendance intentionally put objectivity aside in covering the Michael Jackson case by fragmenting the facts divulged in court, reporting only anti-Jackson information.
The human race has quite often owed its scientific or artistic progress to the “weird” and the “eccentric.” Let us consider, for example, Galileo Galilei, who was charged for openly discussing Copernican theory, a concept seen as sinful and roundly condemned at that time; later, of course, this theory went on to become the accepted standard of scientific understanding of the universe. We might also stop to consider how treasonable the very idea of democracy once was, how dangerous the aristocracy felt it to be; later, democracy became the world’s prevailing political philosophy. We can also remember that the concept of equality between : women and men, among different ethnicities, or diverse religions, was derided when it emerged. Also, had she not thought differently from others, might Mother Teresa not have been a stay-at-home mom instead of traveling to India and risking her life for humanity?
Keeping the history of these exceptional ideas and people in mind, I can almost guarantee that if one had killed all the “freaks” among our Australopithecine ancestors 3.5 million years ago, our species might not have made it to the 21st Century. We might very well have just remained a much more primitive species, one without the use of fire and the wheel, let alone an orchestra, or democracy, or computers. Is it not, after all, diversity that allows for evolution?
In other words, "weirdness" is sometimes the inevitable result of an exceptional imaginative ability that sees no boundaries in search of all the creative possibilities. As long as such individuals do us no harm, we should let them be. It is our duty to be respectful of those who are different not only because every human being is entitled to freedom, but also because diversity is at the root of human survival; diversity or “difference” is what allows for new ways of looking at things and indeed for innovation to occur.
To those who think that the Jackson’s spoken voice was peculiar, I would say that I see no significance in it. The spoken voice cannot be uncoupled from the singing voice that so many lauded. It might also be helpful for you to consider this information in order to broaden your understanding of the global context: there are countries where people respect those who speak softly, in a calm, non-aggressive manner. The American standard, where a loud voice is seemingly necessary to assertiveness, is not the only standard in the world.
To those who criticize the 'King of Pop' for purchasing Neverland, I pose this question: Would you have survived without buying a Neverland-sized residential property if you were in reality never able to explore any place alone without being horded by an ensuing media and public frenzy whenever you stepped out of your front door? A huge residence with a vast garden might have been the only possible way for this worldwide megastar to relax and enjoy some fresh air without constant intrusion from the public. He said in an interview that he loved animals and nature just in the same way as famed animal welfare activist Dr. Jane Goodall did, and he simply surrounded himself with them at his personal retreat. After all, Jackson earned his money through incredible hard work and a perfectionist work-ethic. In light of his Guinness record-making support of no less than 39 charities, it may very well be hypocritical to criticize his spending habits. It is noteworthy that Jackson regularly donated proceeds, from his concerts on tours, to charity and during his career, he gave away upwards of 300 million dollars to philanthropic efforts.
Having demonstrated that there is nothing inherently wrong with living unconventionally, the question now turns to whether or not Jackson ever harmed anyone with his behaviors. Here I will discuss the child related allegations leveled against him. ---
In discussing the two instances of allegations Jackson was faced with, I would like to focus my attention primarily on the 1993 case due to the fact that the more recent (2003-2005) accusations ended with Jackson receiving a full legal acquittal on all counts, the extremely low credibility of the accuser’s mother playing a significant factor in this exoneration. In other words, Jackson was found not-guilty so I believe we must discount this case.
Considering that the laws of most U.S. states set down one’s right to sue anyone without being counter-sued solely in retribution for one’s lawsuit, one can safely sue anyone he wants to sue. Thus, the extortion of popular and wealthy persons is an increasingly attractive ploy for those seeking a quick buck. Fast and easy money may once have come at a personal price, that being distrust from one’s community. But, with cities growing ever larger and more impersonal, an individual’s local reputation is of gradually thinning importance, resulting in more room for thievery. To some mischief minded, the risk of exposure as an extortionist might thus seem lower when compared to the potentially enormous financial benefits of a scam. As a result, a millionaire, especially one whose professional value is greatly magnified by fame, is more vulnerable than ever. According to the National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect, in 1998, 71% of the abuse reports were revealed to be false or unfounded. The false accusation rate even rises to over 90% when a custody battle and money is involved (as was the case between the plaintiff’s parents in the 1993 allegations against Jackson, who was a friend of the child's mother). In the 1993 case, the charges never went to trial but were settled out of court.
The record illustrates that the financially troubled accuser’s father had previously approached Jackson’s representatives with a monetary request well before he sued for the alleged molestation, demonstrating that he would have refrained from filing suit in exchange for money. Would any parent with real care for the well-being of his or her children make such a deal?
As evidence for my position, I present the recorded phone conversation in which the accuser’s father is heard to say that everything [is] going “according to a certain plan,” that he would win “big time” and that Jackson would be ruined forever. These words sounds far more like the words of a mercenary than those of a father concerned with justice for his son.
It should also be emphasized that Jackson was never indicted on the 1993 allegations, even after an intensive 13-month investigation including interviews with over 400 witnesses in and out of the country, extensive searches of his residential properties, and even a 25 minute full-body examination in which Jackson had every part of his body photographed, videotaped and examined. And in the six years before the statute of limitation had expired, no criminal charges were ever filed. After the District Attorney’s office spent millions of tax payer dollars in hot pursuit of the singer, had they found any evidence of molestation, they would have been certain to indict Jackson. Civil settlement does not prevent criminal indictment. The 13-year-old boy at the center of the allegations refused to testify criminally and his father, the main individual behind the allegations, committed suicide within months of Jackson's death.
Having discussed the mischaracterization of what people might dismiss as “weird,” and having made plain the falsity of the allegations made against Jackson, accusations that in my view look suspiciously extortionate, as highlighted above, I would now like to consider Jackson’s moral conduct with reference to the caricature presented of him:
Regarding integrity, Jackson’s deeds and lifestyle, apart from the media’s fabricated stories, remained consistently appropriate. In fact, his decency made him look almost old-fashioned, even when he was young, when compared with many entertainers’ indulgences in sex, alcohol, and drugs. Interviews with Jackson indicated that he felt it highly inappropriate to remark publicly on his sexual life. This strikes me as an example of his dignity and modesty. However, this very reserve may ironically have fueled further baseless speculation about Jackson’s sexual orientation. I wish to ask : is publicly questioning a person’s sexual life not way more inappropriate than that person’s choice of silence out of a desire for privacy regarding the same? The fact that Jackson was not involved in a multitude of sex scandals with women, a fact which should normally invite respect, seems unfairly to have been justification for the media to pathologize Jackson. It is beyond ridiculous to construct the lack of lasciviousness and scandal as itself scandalous and suspect.
Many people have also remarked that Jackson did not curse at all, especially when he was younger. Only after suffering numerous hate campaigns founded on falsehoods did he insert a very small amount of profanity into his songs, in response to a world which had betrayed him so deeply. Even then, his use of profanity stayed away from vitriolic attacks , but came across more as an artistic expression of deep anguish. some of the lyrics from a song entitled “Tabloid Junkie” from his HIStory album go thus:
“It’s slander with the words you use
...Assassinate and mutilate
as the hounding media in hystera
...You say it's not a sin
But with your pen you torture men
Then why do we keep foolin' ourselves
Just because you read it in a magazine
Or see it on the TV screen
Don't make it factual…”
Jackson also faced many accusations regarding his appearance and changed skin tone. But, turning this around, what might this suggest about those themselves who so scrutinized the way he looked? What does it say about their own biases ? And about the people who claimed to know details about every surgical procedure Jackson allegedly had, calling him a freak without even having seen him actually ? Or who refused to acknowledge the pigment destroying disease Vitiligo which he was a sufferer of ?
After the 2003 allegations, the media repeatedly displayed pictures of Jackson in an emaciated state, not out of questions about his well-being, but it would seem, simply in order to taunt him. While Jackson was indeed beginning to look fairly thin, but isn’t taking somebody’s tired physical appearance as direct evidence of inner abnormality only reveal our own superficiality ? Maybe , just maybe anyone else would have looked equally fatigued had they suffered the anguish of having to relentlessly fight vicious and false allegations all the while being condemned in the court of public opinion even before being found guilty by the legal system. Whereas under the laws of the land, one is granted the presumption of innocence until they are actually found guilty.
On the topic of morality : Which is more admirable, giving people hope by regularly visiting and donating to hospitals and orphanages, or telling scandalous stories based on speculation or lies? Which is more despicable, pursuing an exceptionally rigorous dedication to artistic perfection, or giving in to jealousy and greed to bring down an artist? The tabloid press, of course, uses this strategy on most celebrities and public figures. One might argue that Michael Jackson had learned to use the press as cynically as it used him ; that he , especially in the early days, once believed that “all publicity is good publicity,” One might even go so far as to say that Jackson purposely flaunted his eccentricities to generate press and in turn album sales. He did, after all, have a fine artistic sense of the dramatic. Maybe so, but this seems true up to an extent only : it might be the case that being an international headliner he could not escape the tabloid press any where he went and so he attempted to make lemons into lemon aid. Here my issue is what the media’s handling of Jackson devolved into, ultimately devouring him. And what this says about societal norms and ethics.
In this matter , critics have accused Jackson of not opposing false information adamantly enough. Pondering that charge, I suspect that having been abused by the media intrusiveness from his early days in the spotlight, Jackson might have come to feel vulnerable and victimized. He reported feeling very uncomfortable giving press interviews since he said his words were often taken out of context and even misquoted. As he resignedly confided to an associate that the press would not highlight good things because to the press, good news did not sell. No matter what he did, or what he accomplished. Rather the accent was always on sensationalizing even the trivial, leaving him to deal with an equation where visiting the burns unit at a hospital where he had made donations and where he was casually inspecting the equipment got translated into headlines of him freakishly sleeping in an oxygen chamber. Realistically speaking, had Jackson attempted to fight every rumor reported or printed about him, he would be left with no time or even resources to do anything else. Instead he stated having to “run the race of endurance” to withstand all the assaults made against his name throughout his career. In the end ,we must ask ourselves, what is more faithful and true, labeling someone a freak without even having met them personally and without possessing any evidence of wrongdoing ? Or showing fortitude in the face of hostility and simply expressing who one really is by letting his work speak for itself ?
Some might argue that the attacks Jackson had to suffer from the media and from consumers can be justified as a natural price to pay for the fame and fortune. No, I say. That is too high a price being charged from a human being. Those who knew Jackson said that the 2005 trial and it’s coverage had a devastating impact on him. Those attacks had after a point exceeded all justifiable limits . To live under such harsh scrutiny, what kind of psychological and emotional damage might that inflict on the recipient ? May I note that he was not paid to endure pain, but for his relentless efforts and dedication to his craft.
The American media have disgraced themselves by displaying to the world the schoolyard bullying of a talented and creative soul with great achievements . Now consider how this public bullying of a legendary figure might present itself to a new generation of youth, how it might play out in their minds and affect their morale ... Might this type of public bullying not discourage youngsters of today from pursuing their own creativity, their own inner diversity, for fear that they themselves might incur such abuse ?
The coverage of Michael Jackson’s life poses among other things, these questions to America: Does fulfilling the American Dream require that one subject oneself to unending media intrusion, to lies about one’s self for the sake of selling newspapers, and where one unproven accusation is enough to undo years and years of achievement and all the hard work and initiative that would necessarily have been part of the process? Do you want your children to live in a world where pursuing the American Dream involves the risks of a nightmare of mistrust and abuse?
I refer again to the journalists who later admitted their purposely distorted and biased reporting on the Michael Jackson child molestation cases. If we recall for a moment the enormous number of journalists who surrounded the Santa Barbara County courthouse, one can surmise that the handful of journalists who came clean about their deception makes up only a tiny fraction of those involved.
I suspect that there were hundreds more who remained silent and who knowingly bent the truth to sell papers and boost network ratings. I also suppose that there are thousands of people who, having received one-sided information, once believed the larger than life Jackson to be no better than a freakish criminal, but who, after his death felt compelled to research the facts themselves, and have now come to see him just as one of us, a burdened human being and a caring parent, as well as a uniquely talented artist and a devoted philanthropist who had remained for many a global ambassador. Perhaps these now better-informed members of the public have come to doubt the veracity of the media itself, not just when it comes to Michael Jackson, but in general.
I speculate that there is a pervasive feeling that it is safer to say nothing when it comes to Michael Jackson for fear of being promptly stigmatized. However, we need to address the implications of such silent behavior. What does our silence about the attacks on one of the most visible achievers of the American Dream say? What does it say in light of the American Constitutions’ declaration of the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ? If we play it safe, we are forfeiting our children’s future into the hands of bullies. It is time for us to speak up about the damage opportunistic journalism is doing to our culture. As Edmund Burke once penned, “all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”"
Do you think it is a good idea to keep silence about the attacks on one of the most visible achievers of the American Dream? Are we not forfeiting our children’s future into the hands of bullies? Is it not time for us to speak up about the damage opportunistic journalism is doing to our culture? --
Last year, the news of pop-superstar Michael Jackson’s premature death shocked the world. As I am a classical music fan, not a connoisseur of pop music or any of its stars, Jackson’s death did not immediately evoke any particular emotion in me. I just let it go.
But as the days went by, and as I passively soaked in more and more news reports on Jackson’s death, I began to feel increasingly uncomfortable. A man had passed away: What need was there for the media to so eagerly show humiliating images of how Jackson would have looked on his death-bed? I was prompted to look into the case more thoroughly.
After more than a year, although I am not a Michael Jackson fan per se, on closer inspection I have come to admire his scale of contributions and humanitarian messages espoused within songs of his. And despite my hitherto skeptical view of the frenzied remarks often made by Jackson’s hard-core followers, I feel the need to say this:
To keep the American dream alive for our children, we should stop abusing our talented and creative spirits out of jealousy and misunderstanding.
Jackson had to deal with the media condemning him as strange, weird, and even labeling him a fr.eak, both figuratively and literally. My opinion about this is clear: Though at times, to subjective eyes, Jackson might have looked ‘different,’ half of this eccentricity was due to the fact that he was born to be an artist inevitably different from others because of his imaginative and creative nature, and half because he was forced into being so unconventional by a degree of media pressure few, if any, have ever experienced. Being different from others does not equate being harmful to others. As long as one does not violate others’ human rights, one has the right to be him or herself. In a society that prioritizes human rights and freedom, I find no justification for hurtful attacks on people who are perceived to be ‘different.’ These kinds of attacks are especially sordid when they involve the spreading of knowingly false rumors for financial gain. After Jackson’s acquittal on alleged child related charges in 2005, several journalists, such as Aphrodite Jones, came forward to confess that most of the media in attendance intentionally put objectivity aside in covering the Michael Jackson case by fragmenting the facts divulged in court, reporting only anti-Jackson information.
The human race has quite often owed its scientific or artistic progress to the “weird” and the “eccentric.” Let us consider, for example, Galileo Galilei, who was charged for openly discussing Copernican theory, a concept seen as sinful and roundly condemned at that time; later, of course, this theory went on to become the accepted standard of scientific understanding of the universe. We might also stop to consider how treasonable the very idea of democracy once was, how dangerous the aristocracy felt it to be; later, democracy became the world’s prevailing political philosophy. We can also remember that the concept of equality between : women and men, among different ethnicities, or diverse religions, was derided when it emerged. Also, had she not thought differently from others, might Mother Teresa not have been a stay-at-home mom instead of traveling to India and risking her life for humanity?
Keeping the history of these exceptional ideas and people in mind, I can almost guarantee that if one had killed all the “freaks” among our Australopithecine ancestors 3.5 million years ago, our species might not have made it to the 21st Century. We might very well have just remained a much more primitive species, one without the use of fire and the wheel, let alone an orchestra, or democracy, or computers. Is it not, after all, diversity that allows for evolution?
In other words, "weirdness" is sometimes the inevitable result of an exceptional imaginative ability that sees no boundaries in search of all the creative possibilities. As long as such individuals do us no harm, we should let them be. It is our duty to be respectful of those who are different not only because every human being is entitled to freedom, but also because diversity is at the root of human survival; diversity or “difference” is what allows for new ways of looking at things and indeed for innovation to occur.
To those who think that the Jackson’s spoken voice was peculiar, I would say that I see no significance in it. The spoken voice cannot be uncoupled from the singing voice that so many lauded. It might also be helpful for you to consider this information in order to broaden your understanding of the global context: there are countries where people respect those who speak softly, in a calm, non-aggressive manner. The American standard, where a loud voice is seemingly necessary to assertiveness, is not the only standard in the world.
To those who criticize the 'King of Pop' for purchasing Neverland, I pose this question: Would you have survived without buying a Neverland-sized residential property if you were in reality never able to explore any place alone without being horded by an ensuing media and public frenzy whenever you stepped out of your front door? A huge residence with a vast garden might have been the only possible way for this worldwide megastar to relax and enjoy some fresh air without constant intrusion from the public. He said in an interview that he loved animals and nature just in the same way as famed animal welfare activist Dr. Jane Goodall did, and he simply surrounded himself with them at his personal retreat. After all, Jackson earned his money through incredible hard work and a perfectionist work-ethic. In light of his Guinness record-making support of no less than 39 charities, it may very well be hypocritical to criticize his spending habits. It is noteworthy that Jackson regularly donated proceeds, from his concerts on tours, to charity and during his career, he gave away upwards of 300 million dollars to philanthropic efforts.
Having demonstrated that there is nothing inherently wrong with living unconventionally, the question now turns to whether or not Jackson ever harmed anyone with his behaviors. Here I will discuss the child related allegations leveled against him. ---
In discussing the two instances of allegations Jackson was faced with, I would like to focus my attention primarily on the 1993 case due to the fact that the more recent (2003-2005) accusations ended with Jackson receiving a full legal acquittal on all counts, the extremely low credibility of the accuser’s mother playing a significant factor in this exoneration. In other words, Jackson was found not-guilty so I believe we must discount this case.
Considering that the laws of most U.S. states set down one’s right to sue anyone without being counter-sued solely in retribution for one’s lawsuit, one can safely sue anyone he wants to sue. Thus, the extortion of popular and wealthy persons is an increasingly attractive ploy for those seeking a quick buck. Fast and easy money may once have come at a personal price, that being distrust from one’s community. But, with cities growing ever larger and more impersonal, an individual’s local reputation is of gradually thinning importance, resulting in more room for thievery. To some mischief minded, the risk of exposure as an extortionist might thus seem lower when compared to the potentially enormous financial benefits of a scam. As a result, a millionaire, especially one whose professional value is greatly magnified by fame, is more vulnerable than ever. According to the National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect, in 1998, 71% of the abuse reports were revealed to be false or unfounded. The false accusation rate even rises to over 90% when a custody battle and money is involved (as was the case between the plaintiff’s parents in the 1993 allegations against Jackson, who was a friend of the child's mother). In the 1993 case, the charges never went to trial but were settled out of court.
The record illustrates that the financially troubled accuser’s father had previously approached Jackson’s representatives with a monetary request well before he sued for the alleged molestation, demonstrating that he would have refrained from filing suit in exchange for money. Would any parent with real care for the well-being of his or her children make such a deal?
As evidence for my position, I present the recorded phone conversation in which the accuser’s father is heard to say that everything [is] going “according to a certain plan,” that he would win “big time” and that Jackson would be ruined forever. These words sounds far more like the words of a mercenary than those of a father concerned with justice for his son.
It should also be emphasized that Jackson was never indicted on the 1993 allegations, even after an intensive 13-month investigation including interviews with over 400 witnesses in and out of the country, extensive searches of his residential properties, and even a 25 minute full-body examination in which Jackson had every part of his body photographed, videotaped and examined. And in the six years before the statute of limitation had expired, no criminal charges were ever filed. After the District Attorney’s office spent millions of tax payer dollars in hot pursuit of the singer, had they found any evidence of molestation, they would have been certain to indict Jackson. Civil settlement does not prevent criminal indictment. The 13-year-old boy at the center of the allegations refused to testify criminally and his father, the main individual behind the allegations, committed suicide within months of Jackson's death.
Having discussed the mischaracterization of what people might dismiss as “weird,” and having made plain the falsity of the allegations made against Jackson, accusations that in my view look suspiciously extortionate, as highlighted above, I would now like to consider Jackson’s moral conduct with reference to the caricature presented of him:
Regarding integrity, Jackson’s deeds and lifestyle, apart from the media’s fabricated stories, remained consistently appropriate. In fact, his decency made him look almost old-fashioned, even when he was young, when compared with many entertainers’ indulgences in sex, alcohol, and drugs. Interviews with Jackson indicated that he felt it highly inappropriate to remark publicly on his sexual life. This strikes me as an example of his dignity and modesty. However, this very reserve may ironically have fueled further baseless speculation about Jackson’s sexual orientation. I wish to ask : is publicly questioning a person’s sexual life not way more inappropriate than that person’s choice of silence out of a desire for privacy regarding the same? The fact that Jackson was not involved in a multitude of sex scandals with women, a fact which should normally invite respect, seems unfairly to have been justification for the media to pathologize Jackson. It is beyond ridiculous to construct the lack of lasciviousness and scandal as itself scandalous and suspect.
Many people have also remarked that Jackson did not curse at all, especially when he was younger. Only after suffering numerous hate campaigns founded on falsehoods did he insert a very small amount of profanity into his songs, in response to a world which had betrayed him so deeply. Even then, his use of profanity stayed away from vitriolic attacks , but came across more as an artistic expression of deep anguish. some of the lyrics from a song entitled “Tabloid Junkie” from his HIStory album go thus:
“It’s slander with the words you use
...Assassinate and mutilate
as the hounding media in hystera
...You say it's not a sin
But with your pen you torture men
Then why do we keep foolin' ourselves
Just because you read it in a magazine
Or see it on the TV screen
Don't make it factual…”
Jackson also faced many accusations regarding his appearance and changed skin tone. But, turning this around, what might this suggest about those themselves who so scrutinized the way he looked? What does it say about their own biases ? And about the people who claimed to know details about every surgical procedure Jackson allegedly had, calling him a freak without even having seen him actually ? Or who refused to acknowledge the pigment destroying disease Vitiligo which he was a sufferer of ?
After the 2003 allegations, the media repeatedly displayed pictures of Jackson in an emaciated state, not out of questions about his well-being, but it would seem, simply in order to taunt him. While Jackson was indeed beginning to look fairly thin, but isn’t taking somebody’s tired physical appearance as direct evidence of inner abnormality only reveal our own superficiality ? Maybe , just maybe anyone else would have looked equally fatigued had they suffered the anguish of having to relentlessly fight vicious and false allegations all the while being condemned in the court of public opinion even before being found guilty by the legal system. Whereas under the laws of the land, one is granted the presumption of innocence until they are actually found guilty.
On the topic of morality : Which is more admirable, giving people hope by regularly visiting and donating to hospitals and orphanages, or telling scandalous stories based on speculation or lies? Which is more despicable, pursuing an exceptionally rigorous dedication to artistic perfection, or giving in to jealousy and greed to bring down an artist? The tabloid press, of course, uses this strategy on most celebrities and public figures. One might argue that Michael Jackson had learned to use the press as cynically as it used him ; that he , especially in the early days, once believed that “all publicity is good publicity,” One might even go so far as to say that Jackson purposely flaunted his eccentricities to generate press and in turn album sales. He did, after all, have a fine artistic sense of the dramatic. Maybe so, but this seems true up to an extent only : it might be the case that being an international headliner he could not escape the tabloid press any where he went and so he attempted to make lemons into lemon aid. Here my issue is what the media’s handling of Jackson devolved into, ultimately devouring him. And what this says about societal norms and ethics.
In this matter , critics have accused Jackson of not opposing false information adamantly enough. Pondering that charge, I suspect that having been abused by the media intrusiveness from his early days in the spotlight, Jackson might have come to feel vulnerable and victimized. He reported feeling very uncomfortable giving press interviews since he said his words were often taken out of context and even misquoted. As he resignedly confided to an associate that the press would not highlight good things because to the press, good news did not sell. No matter what he did, or what he accomplished. Rather the accent was always on sensationalizing even the trivial, leaving him to deal with an equation where visiting the burns unit at a hospital where he had made donations and where he was casually inspecting the equipment got translated into headlines of him freakishly sleeping in an oxygen chamber. Realistically speaking, had Jackson attempted to fight every rumor reported or printed about him, he would be left with no time or even resources to do anything else. Instead he stated having to “run the race of endurance” to withstand all the assaults made against his name throughout his career. In the end ,we must ask ourselves, what is more faithful and true, labeling someone a freak without even having met them personally and without possessing any evidence of wrongdoing ? Or showing fortitude in the face of hostility and simply expressing who one really is by letting his work speak for itself ?
Some might argue that the attacks Jackson had to suffer from the media and from consumers can be justified as a natural price to pay for the fame and fortune. No, I say. That is too high a price being charged from a human being. Those who knew Jackson said that the 2005 trial and it’s coverage had a devastating impact on him. Those attacks had after a point exceeded all justifiable limits . To live under such harsh scrutiny, what kind of psychological and emotional damage might that inflict on the recipient ? May I note that he was not paid to endure pain, but for his relentless efforts and dedication to his craft.
The American media have disgraced themselves by displaying to the world the schoolyard bullying of a talented and creative soul with great achievements . Now consider how this public bullying of a legendary figure might present itself to a new generation of youth, how it might play out in their minds and affect their morale ... Might this type of public bullying not discourage youngsters of today from pursuing their own creativity, their own inner diversity, for fear that they themselves might incur such abuse ?
The coverage of Michael Jackson’s life poses among other things, these questions to America: Does fulfilling the American Dream require that one subject oneself to unending media intrusion, to lies about one’s self for the sake of selling newspapers, and where one unproven accusation is enough to undo years and years of achievement and all the hard work and initiative that would necessarily have been part of the process? Do you want your children to live in a world where pursuing the American Dream involves the risks of a nightmare of mistrust and abuse?
I refer again to the journalists who later admitted their purposely distorted and biased reporting on the Michael Jackson child molestation cases. If we recall for a moment the enormous number of journalists who surrounded the Santa Barbara County courthouse, one can surmise that the handful of journalists who came clean about their deception makes up only a tiny fraction of those involved.
I suspect that there were hundreds more who remained silent and who knowingly bent the truth to sell papers and boost network ratings. I also suppose that there are thousands of people who, having received one-sided information, once believed the larger than life Jackson to be no better than a freakish criminal, but who, after his death felt compelled to research the facts themselves, and have now come to see him just as one of us, a burdened human being and a caring parent, as well as a uniquely talented artist and a devoted philanthropist who had remained for many a global ambassador. Perhaps these now better-informed members of the public have come to doubt the veracity of the media itself, not just when it comes to Michael Jackson, but in general.
I speculate that there is a pervasive feeling that it is safer to say nothing when it comes to Michael Jackson for fear of being promptly stigmatized. However, we need to address the implications of such silent behavior. What does our silence about the attacks on one of the most visible achievers of the American Dream say? What does it say in light of the American Constitutions’ declaration of the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ? If we play it safe, we are forfeiting our children’s future into the hands of bullies. It is time for us to speak up about the damage opportunistic journalism is doing to our culture. As Edmund Burke once penned, “all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”"
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
A Land in Need of Patriots!
When a nation is adjudged to be a toddler after being in existence for years long enough to be looked upon as a matured person, if it were a human being, it is not to be just glossed over. There is hope that a toddler will grow and develop in the course of time, given that care and nurturing will be provided. If a nation however is said to be a toddler at fifty years of existence it is a situation of despair. Why? Well, for one the machinery of state would have been set in motion and taken root and would be hard to stop its rolling. It would be hard for people to agree to go back to the drawing board to make corrections, especially with opportunists and sycophants looking to capitalise on system failures. So, it is a state of profitable chaos for the opportunists.
Our dear, but late nationalist Fela Anikulapo Kuti sang 'Food, light, water, road'. Basic necessities of living, things taken for granted even in some African countries not as endowed as this land is, are what we still spend our precious lives seeking till we drop dead in the course of it.
Harnessing the Power of Vision
Vision is a word easily under rated. The ability to envision is such a great power men have not fully grasped its importance. Most educated minds do not get round to using the power of vision to solve their problem, how much less the uneducated. Every man who wants to succeed in life will succeed, not because of education, true. But every man who wants to take charge of the affairs of a people should be educated. Not education represented by just the show of paper certification, but one attested to by the acceptable working of the person's mind. And the person should be capable of having and using the power of vision.
This green land remains nothing but a green land to all still, notwithstanding that skyscrapers are rising up all around us daily. Those charged with planning our collective experiences as a people cannot SEE where we ought to be going. They cannot see the components of a tomorrow that is not yet made present so they cannot take us there. Can someone go to where he does not know how to get to? It's your fault for asking him to take you there!
We can only blame ourselves for our lot as a people. Do we as individual citizens practise envisioning. We are the way we are because we have left our minds unattended to. We are accidents. We should be thankful we even still exist. These days, people think up their fate and work it out into manifestation. People see their experiences before they get into it.
The rulers of this never changing green land have one common vision for certain. They SEE themselves having access to A LOT OF MONEY that nobody would ask them to give account of. Even the uses to which they put the looted money show an alarming level of brainlessness!
Does It Matter Who is to be Blamed?
I would be uncomfortable if a professor was to be the head of government, much the same as I would be were he a stark illiterate. This is not just because he might have 'doctored' his credentials but rather for our lack of controlling institutions. The rulers of this land have always been bigger than us, bigger than the institutions by which they emerged. We have rulers with superstar status and privileges, so nobody is able to check them once they assume office. We are yet to find a leader for this grossly abused land.
For lack of any idea as to which way to go, a lot of opinion leaders have always found it convenient to blame the military for the way we are today. I believe that that aspect of this lands evolution has been over-flogged. Lets move on for God's sake. Let those who want to go on stealing steal and get out of the way so those who have ideas of what to do can get on board.
Am I being sarcastic? No! You want to charge the rulers of this land for misappropriation? It will take forever. There are very few who would not be indicted. And some will let it degenerate to a tribal witch-hunt and turn it into a fiasco. No. Leave what has been done alone. Let those who can change things take over.
Who Should be in Power?
For me, anybody who can do the job, anybody with a vision and the heart to actualise it. Anybody with a vision and who can articulate and share it with us and let us decide whether it is where we want to go too. That person should be in power.
These, as yet faceless individuals, for the most part, may be old or young, familiar or yet to be known, and may be of whatever religious inclination but of an acceptable professional calling. As long as the person can see a beautiful picture others cannot see yet, and is able to dream dreams others would call impossible at present, that is the one being awaited.
This person may be of any gender, tribe or social status for all we care (permit me to speak for you all children of this land). The persons don 't have to be university dons, but should be skilled in solving problem and keeping promise.
Our dear, but late nationalist Fela Anikulapo Kuti sang 'Food, light, water, road'. Basic necessities of living, things taken for granted even in some African countries not as endowed as this land is, are what we still spend our precious lives seeking till we drop dead in the course of it.
Harnessing the Power of Vision
Vision is a word easily under rated. The ability to envision is such a great power men have not fully grasped its importance. Most educated minds do not get round to using the power of vision to solve their problem, how much less the uneducated. Every man who wants to succeed in life will succeed, not because of education, true. But every man who wants to take charge of the affairs of a people should be educated. Not education represented by just the show of paper certification, but one attested to by the acceptable working of the person's mind. And the person should be capable of having and using the power of vision.
This green land remains nothing but a green land to all still, notwithstanding that skyscrapers are rising up all around us daily. Those charged with planning our collective experiences as a people cannot SEE where we ought to be going. They cannot see the components of a tomorrow that is not yet made present so they cannot take us there. Can someone go to where he does not know how to get to? It's your fault for asking him to take you there!
We can only blame ourselves for our lot as a people. Do we as individual citizens practise envisioning. We are the way we are because we have left our minds unattended to. We are accidents. We should be thankful we even still exist. These days, people think up their fate and work it out into manifestation. People see their experiences before they get into it.
The rulers of this never changing green land have one common vision for certain. They SEE themselves having access to A LOT OF MONEY that nobody would ask them to give account of. Even the uses to which they put the looted money show an alarming level of brainlessness!
Does It Matter Who is to be Blamed?
I would be uncomfortable if a professor was to be the head of government, much the same as I would be were he a stark illiterate. This is not just because he might have 'doctored' his credentials but rather for our lack of controlling institutions. The rulers of this land have always been bigger than us, bigger than the institutions by which they emerged. We have rulers with superstar status and privileges, so nobody is able to check them once they assume office. We are yet to find a leader for this grossly abused land.
For lack of any idea as to which way to go, a lot of opinion leaders have always found it convenient to blame the military for the way we are today. I believe that that aspect of this lands evolution has been over-flogged. Lets move on for God's sake. Let those who want to go on stealing steal and get out of the way so those who have ideas of what to do can get on board.
Am I being sarcastic? No! You want to charge the rulers of this land for misappropriation? It will take forever. There are very few who would not be indicted. And some will let it degenerate to a tribal witch-hunt and turn it into a fiasco. No. Leave what has been done alone. Let those who can change things take over.
Who Should be in Power?
For me, anybody who can do the job, anybody with a vision and the heart to actualise it. Anybody with a vision and who can articulate and share it with us and let us decide whether it is where we want to go too. That person should be in power.
These, as yet faceless individuals, for the most part, may be old or young, familiar or yet to be known, and may be of whatever religious inclination but of an acceptable professional calling. As long as the person can see a beautiful picture others cannot see yet, and is able to dream dreams others would call impossible at present, that is the one being awaited.
This person may be of any gender, tribe or social status for all we care (permit me to speak for you all children of this land). The persons don 't have to be university dons, but should be skilled in solving problem and keeping promise.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Re : Zain Nigeria 'Wake Up A millionaire' Promo- Insider Dealings?!
Hi All,
I just thought you would like to know how things went with Zain. Well, throughout the second day that their terms and condition required them to try and contact me I DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING FROM ZAIN. NO CALL (missed or otherwise), NO SMS, NO EMAIL MESSAGE to the effect that they were obligated to contact me for my winnings. That was on Wednesday, 14th July. So, I said to myself, 'they would try again on the 3rd and last mandatory day that they are required to contact me'.
Was I disappointed!? Big time. Thursday fizzled out, morning through night. And NO FURTHER ATTEMPT WAS MADE BY ZAIN NIGERIA TO CONTACT ME.
Still, ZAIN NG should tell us who owns this number
0808 000 0000
and how come after getting me the first day it ceased being on Zain's Network.
Yet they continue to inundate me with SMS to text WIN to 222. One of such SMS I got on the 15th inferred that
"...would you just be sending texts (responses) while others take what you deserve..." As if I could do something to them other than what I am doing right now.
Integrity The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality
Still with my points standing now at over 4,400,000 and knowing that ZAIN lacks the integrity to keep her promise; ceasing to participate further might just be what the culprits of this crime want me to do. So, I am just going to go on and give them a hell of a game, spend my money and give them an overwhelming score and leave them to wrestle with their conscience the rest of their lives.
The final take from this is that despite all the propaganda an organization executes, its character and disposition will never be different from those of its workers and administrators at any given point in time..
wealthyaffiliateuniversity
I just thought you would like to know how things went with Zain. Well, throughout the second day that their terms and condition required them to try and contact me I DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING FROM ZAIN. NO CALL (missed or otherwise), NO SMS, NO EMAIL MESSAGE to the effect that they were obligated to contact me for my winnings. That was on Wednesday, 14th July. So, I said to myself, 'they would try again on the 3rd and last mandatory day that they are required to contact me'.
Was I disappointed!? Big time. Thursday fizzled out, morning through night. And NO FURTHER ATTEMPT WAS MADE BY ZAIN NIGERIA TO CONTACT ME.
Still, ZAIN NG should tell us who owns this number
0808 000 0000
and how come after getting me the first day it ceased being on Zain's Network.
Yet they continue to inundate me with SMS to text WIN to 222. One of such SMS I got on the 15th inferred that
"...would you just be sending texts (responses) while others take what you deserve..." As if I could do something to them other than what I am doing right now.
Integrity The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality
Still with my points standing now at over 4,400,000 and knowing that ZAIN lacks the integrity to keep her promise; ceasing to participate further might just be what the culprits of this crime want me to do. So, I am just going to go on and give them a hell of a game, spend my money and give them an overwhelming score and leave them to wrestle with their conscience the rest of their lives.
The final take from this is that despite all the propaganda an organization executes, its character and disposition will never be different from those of its workers and administrators at any given point in time..
wealthyaffiliateuniversity
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Zain Nigeria 'Wake Up A millionaire' Promo- Insider Dealings?!
Econet followed MTN to enter the GSM telecoms market in Nigeria in 2001. Since then the company has passed through many hands, changing its name all the time; such that many may not even know that they are the number two GSM company in Nigeria, as per time of entry. Perhaps a tell-tale symptom of an identity crisis. From Econet to Vodacom to V-Mobile to Celtel to present Zain, and still looking to soon become Bharti Airtel. Really, one should endeavor to find out what is making these investors run away. It's not as if they are the only telecoms operator in Nigeria.
Zain Nigeria is currently running a promo which is timed to end on 24th July; by which it hands out 2 million Nigerian Naira to supposed winners and 10 million to a winner of the monthly draws, the last of which was said to have taken place in June.
I have never really won anything in my life, so I usually am not given to participating in promos. However, being a subscriber to the Zain Network even right from their days as Econet, my number was recognised by their system for prospecting. And so they bothered me with so much SMS to the effect that I should play. I dare say, some of the messages prompting my participation were rather creative and funny. And so, along the line in the month of May, I responded to one of their SMS to join in; and that was it. I soon caught on about how the game was played. It seemed all they needed you do was to respond to their SMS, which gives them a chance to make N100 from you each time you respond. However, they pay you back by assigning you some points which translate to participation allowances in the draws. Well, the rest of the details as well as terms and conditions applying are available at http://www.ng.zain.com/
Now, here is an aspect of the promo conditions which I think the staff members of the organizers are violating; and it is turning the show into another sham, or possibly the whole thing is just a gimmick by Zain Nigeria to milk Nigerians fast before they run off handing over to Bharti. They have seen the psyche of the Nigerian that he likes free things. But are these promo winnings really free? They just pool these N100 SMS takings into billions and pay paltry N2m per daily winner; and of course, smile away to the bank with the remaining billions for doing nothing.
Look at this provision in the terms and conditions.......(if you will)
"Winners of a draw are not excluded from participating in subsequent draws.
During a period of 3 days following the end of each Draw, at least three attempts will be made per day to communicate by telephone with the selected winner using the MSISDN corresponding to the SMS of the entry, in order to notify the winner of the prize awarded and of how it may be claimed. Some personal data will be required of the winner, namely: name, government issued identification document and SIM certificate, in order to verify his/her identity.
In the event that it is not possible to establish a telephone communication with the winner and when the aforementioned attempts for such purpose have been made, the Winner will be replaced with one of the Substitutes. The Organiser is only under the obligation to make reasonable efforts to establish telephone communication with the Winner and is not in a position to guarantee successful connection. The rights of the Winner at this point automatically extinguishes if the Organiser is unable to reach him/her after 72 hours, the Organiser shall not be held liable for the inability to reach any Winner or failure to present the prize to the Winner."
Wow! That's basic English, right? No Lawyer needed to interpret. Well, the most recent draw was made on Monday, 12th July. So, anybody who won has Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to be called-up by the organizers, if they were sincere. And they should attempt to contact the winner at least 3 times on each of those days.
So, what's my concern in all these details? Again, the matter of seeming lack of integrity in Nigerian companies. It seems I may have won a prize and Zain did not keep to the condition it set out to contact its winners.
In the morning of Tuesday, 13th July (following the Monday draw) I was out in my yard cleaning my car. The time was around 9:00 am. My phones were in the house. I heard my Zain phone ring twice, but before I could get to it it stopped ringing. I thought it was a flasher, so I let be. The call never came back. By the time got in and checked I saw a strangely characterized Zain number as a missed call. The number is
0808 000 0000.
The caller spent just 1 (one) minute trying to reach me, having called at 9:27 am and 9:28 am.
I tried returning the call but was told the number did not exist on Zain's Network, meaning it was insider (or official use) number.
I was distraught. I figured it could be the PROMO people making a lame attempt to contact me. So, knowing the condition quoted above, Iexpected they would call back again that day, and 2 more days to come, if they don't get me.
But, alas! Tuesday went by and no other effort was made by Zain to reach me as their 'terms and conditions' stipulated. And who is to say if they will indeed try within the remaining 2 days, Wednesday and Thursday.
Now, of course I tried chasing the prize, called 111. NO GO. I went online, searched their site for anyhow I could register my complaint. STILL NO WAY!
As a matter of fact, at 20:21 on 11/07/2010 I received an SMS offering 40000 EXTRA points to my then 3704660 points if I sent 1 SMS to 222 by 21:45 that day, WHICH I DID. However, when they responded, I saw that only 1000 points were given bringing me to 3705660 ( instead of 3744660). At that point I knew that the human element had begun to play. THEIR CORRUPT AND INSIDIOUS HUMAN ELEMENT. I had a premonition that something grave was about to happen. And when I called '111', the dedicated toll-free customer care line, to make a complain and request that my points be correctly updated, and could not get through, I knew the more that they had begun to show their true colour.
wealthy affiliate university
Zain Nigeria is currently running a promo which is timed to end on 24th July; by which it hands out 2 million Nigerian Naira to supposed winners and 10 million to a winner of the monthly draws, the last of which was said to have taken place in June.
I have never really won anything in my life, so I usually am not given to participating in promos. However, being a subscriber to the Zain Network even right from their days as Econet, my number was recognised by their system for prospecting. And so they bothered me with so much SMS to the effect that I should play. I dare say, some of the messages prompting my participation were rather creative and funny. And so, along the line in the month of May, I responded to one of their SMS to join in; and that was it. I soon caught on about how the game was played. It seemed all they needed you do was to respond to their SMS, which gives them a chance to make N100 from you each time you respond. However, they pay you back by assigning you some points which translate to participation allowances in the draws. Well, the rest of the details as well as terms and conditions applying are available at http://www.ng.zain.com/
Now, here is an aspect of the promo conditions which I think the staff members of the organizers are violating; and it is turning the show into another sham, or possibly the whole thing is just a gimmick by Zain Nigeria to milk Nigerians fast before they run off handing over to Bharti. They have seen the psyche of the Nigerian that he likes free things. But are these promo winnings really free? They just pool these N100 SMS takings into billions and pay paltry N2m per daily winner; and of course, smile away to the bank with the remaining billions for doing nothing.
Look at this provision in the terms and conditions.......(if you will)
"Winners of a draw are not excluded from participating in subsequent draws.
During a period of 3 days following the end of each Draw, at least three attempts will be made per day to communicate by telephone with the selected winner using the MSISDN corresponding to the SMS of the entry, in order to notify the winner of the prize awarded and of how it may be claimed. Some personal data will be required of the winner, namely: name, government issued identification document and SIM certificate, in order to verify his/her identity.
In the event that it is not possible to establish a telephone communication with the winner and when the aforementioned attempts for such purpose have been made, the Winner will be replaced with one of the Substitutes. The Organiser is only under the obligation to make reasonable efforts to establish telephone communication with the Winner and is not in a position to guarantee successful connection. The rights of the Winner at this point automatically extinguishes if the Organiser is unable to reach him/her after 72 hours, the Organiser shall not be held liable for the inability to reach any Winner or failure to present the prize to the Winner."
Wow! That's basic English, right? No Lawyer needed to interpret. Well, the most recent draw was made on Monday, 12th July. So, anybody who won has Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to be called-up by the organizers, if they were sincere. And they should attempt to contact the winner at least 3 times on each of those days.
So, what's my concern in all these details? Again, the matter of seeming lack of integrity in Nigerian companies. It seems I may have won a prize and Zain did not keep to the condition it set out to contact its winners.
In the morning of Tuesday, 13th July (following the Monday draw) I was out in my yard cleaning my car. The time was around 9:00 am. My phones were in the house. I heard my Zain phone ring twice, but before I could get to it it stopped ringing. I thought it was a flasher, so I let be. The call never came back. By the time got in and checked I saw a strangely characterized Zain number as a missed call. The number is
0808 000 0000.
The caller spent just 1 (one) minute trying to reach me, having called at 9:27 am and 9:28 am.
I tried returning the call but was told the number did not exist on Zain's Network, meaning it was insider (or official use) number.
I was distraught. I figured it could be the PROMO people making a lame attempt to contact me. So, knowing the condition quoted above, Iexpected they would call back again that day, and 2 more days to come, if they don't get me.
But, alas! Tuesday went by and no other effort was made by Zain to reach me as their 'terms and conditions' stipulated. And who is to say if they will indeed try within the remaining 2 days, Wednesday and Thursday.
Now, of course I tried chasing the prize, called 111. NO GO. I went online, searched their site for anyhow I could register my complaint. STILL NO WAY!
As a matter of fact, at 20:21 on 11/07/2010 I received an SMS offering 40000 EXTRA points to my then 3704660 points if I sent 1 SMS to 222 by 21:45 that day, WHICH I DID. However, when they responded, I saw that only 1000 points were given bringing me to 3705660 ( instead of 3744660). At that point I knew that the human element had begun to play. THEIR CORRUPT AND INSIDIOUS HUMAN ELEMENT. I had a premonition that something grave was about to happen. And when I called '111', the dedicated toll-free customer care line, to make a complain and request that my points be correctly updated, and could not get through, I knew the more that they had begun to show their true colour.
wealthy affiliate university
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Product Review : Cobranet.org's U GO WIFI Broadband scam?!
wealthy affiliate university registration
Life is so full of issues. It's often said that what you don't know won't hurt you. Lies. Bury your head in the sand, may be. But, just because you do not know that someone is stealing from you does not mean that you are not suffering loss.
Since my foraging into the internet enterprise world I have come across an unbelievable crass dishonesty in the companies that promise to provide acceptable satisfying internet connection service.
Glo was the first I tried, a 24-hour monthly post-paid plan with a large deposit, supposed to be with unlimited data download. Lies. I discarded it within 3 months when it could not deliver and all I was doing was pay them more and more money every month.
Then, I bought Multilinks 24-hour pay-as-you-go plan which promised much, yet did not deliver again. However, I was glad to be able to determine how much they make from me, or did I? Most of the the time they were up-grading or down. And nobody ever gets back to you on the subscription money that they made you lose. The man at the other end of the phone always says they will tell Management about your complaint. And I always wondered if Management was always so self-centered that it did not see that subscribers had paid for services on such days as their system breaks down and that some remedy would be in place for them.
I tried another Glo pack when someone said they'd got better. But no, the night pack I bought was billed in the end as if I was on a 48-hour daily plan, if only there could be such a timing.
i prospected Viotel and finally bought a one off daily usage which i negotiated to obtain a 48-hour link. But the first 24-hour was wasted because their system was down. Lucky that I was given 48 for 24. None of these companies ever gives a refund or reimbursement.
Then, in an office 3 months ago, talking out loud about my search for an ISP that keeps its words and someone mentioned COBRANET.ORG. They were said to have a product called UGO which was in different plans and was said to be reliable. I was willing to try them. I called-up their contact man before I left the place. Within days I was connected and sincerely thought I had found a package I would stay with. I went for a limited 2GB monthly pack with free night browsing (00:00 - 06:00 hrs) supposedly not deducted from my data quota. Lies. The first month they cut me off 3 days before my account was due. The second month, this past June, they cut me off 7 days before i was due. Then I raised an alarm. They finally explained it away. OK, then I bought a scratch card and purposed to recharge during the free browsing time, which I did 2 nights ago. Guess what? COBRANET too is a liar. My usage during the supposed free browsing period was deducted. I was angry that a company would come so low as to rip people off. I logged in my complaint and discovery to the support center. By the break of day I received a call from them seeking again to explain. Of course, I wasn't going to go for that again; I asked them to correct it instead, and that I was not going to use the facility until they assure me that things were sorted out. They just hung up, and apparently did nothing to remedy the wrong deduction,as I discovered when I logged in again last night during the free browsing period. By the time I logged off 0:56:38 - 2:35:46, my available data volume had been knocked down to 1.99GB. I tried again to register this at the COBRANET support center and discovered they had disabled the tab. So much for quality customer service in Nigeria.
Internet Service Providers
My point in all I've said here is not to witch-hunt any brand or company, but to highlight how these companies are riding roughshod over customers and taking them for granted. You make a subscription for which they are unable to deliver and they never at least say they are sorry, let alone replace your lost airtime. I propose here that some regulatory organization should look into the way these ISPs are treating their customers.
Strangely, I was browsing the web last night in hope of seeing an online broadband wireless (satellite) ISP which I might subscribe to, so I won't have to deal with the crooks who operate in the guise of companies here in Nigeria. Know what I found? I found that the highest package the Nigerian ISPs provide goes for as little as GBP5.00/monthly from their international counterpart which converts to less than N2000 here, yet these local companies charge as much N50,000 for the same pack and still do not deliver. All they care for is the money they extort from customers, just because we have no choice........just yet! I have not found one yet, but I will one day find an ISP that will service me from as far away as UK, USA, Germany, China, or India etc. And then the Nigerian crook companies would learn that truly the world is a global village and customer satisfaction is not to be trifled with!
Life is so full of issues. It's often said that what you don't know won't hurt you. Lies. Bury your head in the sand, may be. But, just because you do not know that someone is stealing from you does not mean that you are not suffering loss.
Since my foraging into the internet enterprise world I have come across an unbelievable crass dishonesty in the companies that promise to provide acceptable satisfying internet connection service.
Glo was the first I tried, a 24-hour monthly post-paid plan with a large deposit, supposed to be with unlimited data download. Lies. I discarded it within 3 months when it could not deliver and all I was doing was pay them more and more money every month.
Then, I bought Multilinks 24-hour pay-as-you-go plan which promised much, yet did not deliver again. However, I was glad to be able to determine how much they make from me, or did I? Most of the the time they were up-grading or down. And nobody ever gets back to you on the subscription money that they made you lose. The man at the other end of the phone always says they will tell Management about your complaint. And I always wondered if Management was always so self-centered that it did not see that subscribers had paid for services on such days as their system breaks down and that some remedy would be in place for them.
I tried another Glo pack when someone said they'd got better. But no, the night pack I bought was billed in the end as if I was on a 48-hour daily plan, if only there could be such a timing.
i prospected Viotel and finally bought a one off daily usage which i negotiated to obtain a 48-hour link. But the first 24-hour was wasted because their system was down. Lucky that I was given 48 for 24. None of these companies ever gives a refund or reimbursement.
Then, in an office 3 months ago, talking out loud about my search for an ISP that keeps its words and someone mentioned COBRANET.ORG. They were said to have a product called UGO which was in different plans and was said to be reliable. I was willing to try them. I called-up their contact man before I left the place. Within days I was connected and sincerely thought I had found a package I would stay with. I went for a limited 2GB monthly pack with free night browsing (00:00 - 06:00 hrs) supposedly not deducted from my data quota. Lies. The first month they cut me off 3 days before my account was due. The second month, this past June, they cut me off 7 days before i was due. Then I raised an alarm. They finally explained it away. OK, then I bought a scratch card and purposed to recharge during the free browsing time, which I did 2 nights ago. Guess what? COBRANET too is a liar. My usage during the supposed free browsing period was deducted. I was angry that a company would come so low as to rip people off. I logged in my complaint and discovery to the support center. By the break of day I received a call from them seeking again to explain. Of course, I wasn't going to go for that again; I asked them to correct it instead, and that I was not going to use the facility until they assure me that things were sorted out. They just hung up, and apparently did nothing to remedy the wrong deduction,as I discovered when I logged in again last night during the free browsing period. By the time I logged off 0:56:38 - 2:35:46, my available data volume had been knocked down to 1.99GB. I tried again to register this at the COBRANET support center and discovered they had disabled the tab. So much for quality customer service in Nigeria.
Internet Service Providers
My point in all I've said here is not to witch-hunt any brand or company, but to highlight how these companies are riding roughshod over customers and taking them for granted. You make a subscription for which they are unable to deliver and they never at least say they are sorry, let alone replace your lost airtime. I propose here that some regulatory organization should look into the way these ISPs are treating their customers. Strangely, I was browsing the web last night in hope of seeing an online broadband wireless (satellite) ISP which I might subscribe to, so I won't have to deal with the crooks who operate in the guise of companies here in Nigeria. Know what I found? I found that the highest package the Nigerian ISPs provide goes for as little as GBP5.00/monthly from their international counterpart which converts to less than N2000 here, yet these local companies charge as much N50,000 for the same pack and still do not deliver. All they care for is the money they extort from customers, just because we have no choice........just yet! I have not found one yet, but I will one day find an ISP that will service me from as far away as UK, USA, Germany, China, or India etc. And then the Nigerian crook companies would learn that truly the world is a global village and customer satisfaction is not to be trifled with!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)