The luxuries of yester-years become our necessities of today. Some years ago owning a mobile phone or getting access to the internet was a luxury; but today, its a necessity that I can not live a single day without !

It remains mine to wonder or yours to ponder. It still baffles my imagination why some people would know what is right from wrong, good from evil and yet chose to carry out what is evil. Can there be a world where we all know what is right and do what is right without being compelled by the law to do what is right?

Sometime ago, I embarked on one of my regular weekly morning exercises of walking around and I came across this neighbourhood in a built up area. The neighbourhood is an average neighbourhood no doubt, with some affluent buildings around. Surprisingly, one would have thought the rich or affluent in this neighbourhood would be more conscious of doing what is fair and right in the sight of man, but in many instances, the reverse is the case.

There was this plot, though an empty parcel of land overgrown with bushes and weeds just adjacent to this magnificent mansion. But it pricks my imagination to see residents of this magnificent edifice most of the time coming out to pollute another man’s environment and plot of land, just because it is un-developed.

Such misdemeanor usually creates problems for the developers when they finally decide to develop this parcel of land. But before then, it constitutes health hazards and pollution to the other members that reside on this same street. Rather than complain, the other occupants of the street also contribute to the heap of rubbish used to pollute an innocent man’s plot of land.

In some very dare cases, this heap of rubbish (household jetsam’s and flotsams) and sometimes all the leftovers from meals are dumped at the corner of the street, with reckless abandon.

Though we use to have health inspectors, so one would think, but I think the health inspectors are better at inspecting their own pockets!

It becomes 5 in 2008 and 200 at the signpost, a critical moment stood at 247, the lifeline is non negotiable. What does it take to be here? I ask myself and within me comes the gentle soft voice-“patience, perseverance, faith, hope, dreams, visions and determination”

Dreams at night and visions at day, of what could or would have been, add up one on the other from moment to moment. There can never be any such opportuned time as the moment.
Add 5 to the moment and a new vision would be born then another 5 and a new chapter would have been written to give 1+1=10 then after all these what next?

I was introduced to HIM at infancy, and I have come to realize that He is more than a friend, or a family member but would He be with me for all eternity?
Wave of thoughts flood through my imagination and I keep wondering for the answer to the question before me. Just as I manage to provide this answer, another question crops up again.

Perhaps life was meant to be this way, for it to be this interesting but perhaps only to myself, maybe only to myself; to help me appreciate life with a bit more purpose and focus like never before.

This is a puzzle I love to play around with in my imagination; though it may not make much meaning to anybody but myself and I can read so much and much more from it. When I always occupy my mind with something interesting, life can never be dull and boring to me, so I suppose!!

The gubernatorial election result that was hotly contested since April 14th 2007, when it was first declared has now been finally resolved.
The ruling political party (PDP) that was formally declared winner on the 14th of April 2007, when the poll took place, lost out in the final battle as its previous victory was revoked twice by the presiding judges of the election tribunal handling the cases.

It was first revoked by a tribunal judge on the 20th of March 2008 and it was revoked again finally by another tribunal judge, while on appeal on the 11th of November 2008.

The opposing political party (AC-Action Congress) was able to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the former ruling political party of the (PDP-Peoples Democratic Party) stole the election victory by widespread malpractices and rigging in connivance with the state electoral body INEC who was suppose to be the unbiased umpire in the election contest.

Giving the verdict on the final judgment of the case brought before it, the political party AC (Action Congress) was declared winner of the April 14th 2007 election into Edo state gubernatorial seat. This verdict supported the earlier verdict by the first tribunal on the same case.

It has been proven beyond all reasonable doubt by the incorruptible judge of the tribunal, after carefully and painstakingly analyzing the evidences presented by both parties to the case that the political party (Action Congress) or AC as it is officially known should be the winner of the election, having scored the highest number of all the valid and genuine votes cast in the election.

The governorship candidate of the political party AC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was declared winner of the April 14th 2007 gubernatorial election of Edo State of Nigeria on this day the 11th of November 2008.

The electoral body INEC was ordered by the court to issue a certificate of office to the winner of the election with immediate effect.

Come Wednesday, the 12th of November 2008, the governor elect, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole would become the officially recognized Governor of Edo State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for an official tenure of 2008 to 2012.


This is another giant stride for democracy in Nigeria, where the will of the people is not thwarted and circumvented by some greedy and corrupt few.

From the previous night when the tribunal result was declared, there has been jubilation all around Edo State, because it gives one so much joy to know that one can change any government legitimately and peacefully, who is irresponsible and insensitive to the sufferings of the people. This shows again that Nigerians and the Edo people have come a long way to civilization and I hope we uphold and maintain this civility.

May the will of the people always prevail against all odds.
May we remain truly united under true federalism, justice, fairness and the rule of law.

Long live the good people of Edo State, long live Edo State and long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
God bless Nigeria

Danger lurking!
Ever since blogging became the trend, I just couldn’t help being more observant and more conscious of my environment. I am very much fascinated at the changing world and our attitude towards it for better or for worse.

I was just taking a drive across my hometown the other day and I noticed something interesting when it suddenly began to rain. Initially the rain started slowly and there was nothing really dramatic about it at first but few minutes later when there was traffic hold up, I just couldn’t help looking out through the window in amazement.

As soon as the rain began to pour heavily, the residents of this locality were out of their houses in droves and as if it was a rendezvous, they were all making frantic efforts at filling up the drainages (gutters) that ran across their streets. While most of them were busy emptying their household rubbish into the public drains (gutters), others were busy at whatever they had been doing and took no notice, apparently turning a blind eye to all these razzmatazz.

While all these had been going on, I just watched in amazement and wondered if all these were due either to their ignorance of the consequences or sheer wickedness.

Later in the evening I switched on the Television to watch the evening news and holy shit, and lo! Disaster was making the headlines.
In other parts of town, erosion was causing great havoc and destruction just in the middle of the heavy downpour. People’s houses were flooded and their properties destroyed within split seconds. Blocks of fences were pulled over and people’s houses were flooded like abandoned swimming pools!
There were reports of deaths in some areas across the state as a result of the flooding after the rains.

I just shook my head in disbelief and wonder at the bizarre nature of human attitude, wickedness or maybe ignorance.

Smoking and Your Lungs

Chances are, you started smoking because it was cool, sophisticated, and glamorous. Or your friends smoked and you were curious about what smoking was like.
Now you know smoking is anything but cool. It makes you cough, cuts your "wind," gives you bad breath, and stains your teeth. It's also expensive; in one year, a heavy smoker may spend $1,000 or more on cigarettes.
More important, smoking causes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, heart disease, and gum disease. It increases your chances of having a stroke, diseases of the blood vessels, and stomach ulcers. Women who smoke during pregnancy may have premature babies. Smoking increases the risk of osteoporosis in women. And smoke in the air harms nonsmokers.

You and your defense system
The insides of your lungs are exposed to the environment every time you breathe. To protect them from foreign particles that could enter the body through this route, the lungs have several defense mechanisms.
Tiny hairlike cilia line your bronchial tubes. Normally they are in constant movement, sweeping germs, dirt, and mucus out of your lungs. But tobacco smoke slows down and actually paralyzes the cilia. Dirt particles and germs that enter the lungs are not removed. And the mucus that collects in the lungs provides a fertile environment for germs to multiply. This is the reason smokers suffer more respiratory infections.
Mucus lining the airways serves two purposes: it helps remove dirt and germs and it moistens the air you breathe. Smoking dries out the mucus, further hampering the defensive action of removing foreign matter. Smokers often experience dry, scratchy throat because the normal moisture is absent.

The chemicals in tobacco
Tar is a cancer-causing substance that clings to the inside of your lungs, forming a brown, sticky coat. All tobacco contains tar. Many people switched to low-tar cigarettes in the belief that these brands were less damaging. But the fact is, even small amounts of tar can still cause cancer. In addition, many smokers who switch to low-tar brands take deeper draws and smoke more cigarettes.
Nicotine causes the blood vessels to constrict, raising your blood pressure and forcing your heart to work harder than it should. Smokers suffer from cold hands and feet caused by poor circulation. In time, this can cause vascular diseases.
Burning tobacco produces carbon monoxide. Each time you inhale the hot smoke, you are taking carbon monoxide into your lungs. The tiny blood vessels in your lungs pick up this carbon monoxide instead of oxygen. Tests on smokers have found that carbon monoxide levels in their blood are 15 times higher than in the blood of nonsmokers. As a smoker, your entire body is chronically oxygen- deficient.

It's not too late to quit
Even if you have been smoking for years--even if you already have a lung disease--quitting smoking now will greatly improve your health. The cilia will begin working again and help keep your lungs swept clean. Your blood vessels will relax, allowing the blood to flow normally, so your heart will no longer work so hard. Your lung tissue will become healthier and you will breathe easier.

Excerpted from Mosby's Medical Encyclopedia
Copyright (c) 1994-5, 1996, 1997 The Learning Company Inc. All Rights Reserved

Everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy a good sleep or a good night rest, but here in my hometown, I think it is quite unfortunate that we do not enjoy these rights as much as one would love to.

Many people are so ignorant of the effect of noise pollution that they enjoy contributing to it. I once took a ride with a friend who was a truck driver and it was amazing what I noticed in him. The truck driver would engage his horns even when there was no clear reason to do so. Sometimes he would engage the horns just when he noticed that people were around and watching him go by, even when traffic was smooth and no obstruction on the road. He would nevertheless engage the horns just to attract attention and the weird admiration of some people perhaps.

I had gotten irritated once and asked him why he enjoyed it even when there was no cause for it and his only logical response was that he does it just for the fun of it and that the more it pissed people off, the more he enjoyed himself.

In the cities the story is the same, because most of our cities are dotted by shopping complexes and mini market stores vis-à-vis residential houses. The marketers in these stores, especially the electronics and the stores selling discs, turn their stereos to alarming volumes because they want to attract potential customers.

Motorbikes which are alternatives to buses and taxis, as quick modes of transportation, out-number the vehicles and one could just imagine the blaring of motorbike horns almost instantaneously at every ten to fifteen seconds interval as they make use of the road.

In my side of town where I live, though a middle class neigbourhood, but the rise of the middle and working class has made noise pollution a hellish experience. Most people in my neigbourhood can now afford the luxury of private generators and the noisy type for that matter. When the inefficient national electrical corporation disrupts electricity supply, my neigbourhood could best be described ironically as a razzmatazz, because almost every home in the neigbourhood switches over to generators and the noise pollution it generates is just explosive!

Once in a while around a typical street intersect in Benin City Edo State, one would find such disgusting content as the corpses of dead animals like a little dog’s, a little goat’s, or rabbit’s. It could be just the body parts of these animals cut in pieces and placed in a container usually a native pot. It could be mixed with other stuff like cowries, metal coins, native chalks, palm oil etc.

It was believed by some people that these were sacrifices done to appease some strange spirits from who knows where. But to think this could still be done at this day and age is baffling and more baffling is the fact that it is still being done secretly by even the well educated and some elite in the society.

It wouldn’t be worrying if the content of this decomposition is properly disposed of adequately. But instead it is left on the public street for everyone to see such disgusting sight and perhaps to enjoy the ravaging smell of the decaying corpses of animals.

Such sacrifices are usually placed on the street intersections in the dead of the night.
I sought to know the rational behind this habit and came to the funny conclusion that it was always done for spiritual protection by those who had sought the services of witch doctors.

The witch doctors though inconspicuous are still very much patronized by the elites in the society. Such services are usually at their peaks during festive seasons and during election periods, when these so called “well to do” need favours from the gods in whatever form which money can not buy.

It would not be disgusting enough if it were to be done in their private houses, where it is not allowed to pose any health risks to innocent citizens. For it to be placed on the street corner, which is being used by the general public is quite barbaric, backward and it poses some health risks to the society.

Health inspectors/officials from the local government are good for nothing and could be better described as figure heads.

My heart bleeds for you...

Some years ago, he was still in his teens. He was my senior in age and I looked up to him like a role model. He was everything I had wanted to be like. He was responsible, intelligent, ambitious and diligent. He had a lot of dreams and visions. But all that changed when he was brainwashed with the chance of a better life in a far away land.

He was taken to a destination, I know not. But some say it was the Middle East. I heard he mixed up with the wrong crowd and was found in the wrong place and at the wrong time. He was locked up for a number of years, maybe ten years or more.

Some say it was drugs he got involved with, others say he was innocent but was found at the wrong place with the wrong crowd.

But today, the person I once admired and looked up to like a role model is now a shadow of himself. I couldn’t bear to ask him how it all happened for fear I might even hurt him more, let alone talk about it. Some say he has gone psycho, others say he had been so hurt that he isn’t normal anymore.

He doesn’t even remember who he used to be. Whatever happened to those ambitions and visions of his teenage years? What ever happened to those dreams? All is now gone with the times. How he has changed so much. Sometimes I can barely recognise him. He just lives like nothing had happened, but just a faint shadow of his former self.

My heart bleeds for you. I wish I can turn back the clock of life and put it back to the days when all was well, when we were all innocent and just sweet little kids.

I am sorry you found the wrong side of life...
..How my heart bleeds for you!

It will never cease to amaze me.

On a beautiful Saturday morning, I was walking down a street uptown in my home town in Benin City, Edo State, when I came across a burning building. The people in the vicinity made frantic efforts to put out the fire but their efforts were fruitless. When they called on the State Fire Service Department for immediate help, the State Fire Service arrived at the scene eight hours later after the fire had totally ravaged everything!

The baffling side of the story was that the office of the state fire service was just less than fifty meters (50 Meters) away from the scene of the fire accident.

A couple of months ago, a residential building close to where I live, was engulfed with flames and the State Fire Service was called upon only for them to come when the flames had exhausted its fury and done all the damage it could possibly do.

A renowned market was burnt down totally sometime ago but yet nothing could be done to minimize the extent of the damage by the usual late arrival of the State Fire Service.

It is no surprise because, sometime ago too, a public building caught fire and the State Fire Service building was just adjacent to this burning building and yet nothing could be done to save the situation.

Meanwhile when one visits the department of the State Fire Service, one could see on display several fire fighting vehicles, trucks and machines on parade around their department, all beautifully painted and from every indication must have cost successive Governors of the State massive budgetary allocations but yet “good for nothing” and worthless!.

The other time I overhead a crowd of people saying that “each time there was fire incident the State Fire Corporation would always complain of either lack of water in their tanks or lack of fuel in their vehicles” and yet nobody has ever been brought to book for this indiscipline and appalling situations.


This is the more reason why it will never cease to amaze me!

Re-emergence of
‘The rule of law’
In Nigeria

If but in all things, the current presidency of Nigeria in 2008, is writing its name in marble. It will be on the record as one of the best presidency Nigeria ever had, despite its controversial election victory and coming to power.

It vowed to tackle corruption head-on and to promote the concept of the rule of law and constitutionalism. Without mincing words, for the time being, it has fared well in doing so as at the middle of 2008: unlike its’ predecessors who grossly abused office witch-hunting opponents and displaying favouritism in some quarters.

The current presidency has esteemed valued judgement in exhibiting fairness and justice in some ramifications and more is still expected. Like the Oliver Twist in Charles Dickens novel, Nigerians would never stop-short at demanding more of what they know is good. Therefore, despite the leaps and bounds of the current presidency in Nigeria, the citizens consider these agreeable and want the presidency to accomplish more and to shun favouritism and lopsidedness if it is to have any appeal to the average Nigerian.

For the first time in this era of Nigeria’s history of this wonderful generation of youth, have we experienced what it really means to practice ‘the rule of law’

In Edo State in early 2008, in a court judgement after considering all the evidences before it, without fear or favour but in accordance with the rule of law, the presiding judge ‘overturned the presumptuous victory’ of the ruling political party. Such actions as this has given a lot of Nigerians confidence and some respite in the system, and endeared them more to their country.

Nonetheless, similar occurrences have taken place in some other states of the federation nationwide, where the election victories of most candidates have been contested in court by the aggrieved opponents, for proper scrutiny and evidences. One should note here that the judiciary in Nigeria has lived up to its expectations for the time being.

There are some perceptions around the country that justice, equality and fairness exists more with “the rule of law”.

There is no doubt that one is happy with the political trend in the present dispensation and prays for leaders with integrity, objectivity and purpose to lead Nigeria to greater heights and development and a future where the rule of law is fundamentally protected and safeguarded!

Do we celebrate mediocrity and inefficiency in Nigeria?

Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), in any single day would always find reasons to interrupt the electricity supply. One would think maybe it is because of maintenance but this would last for hours, sometimes more than ten hours.

When you begin to think all is well, they would interrupt the supply within seconds and then bring it back in another split second, just for the glory of interruption and inefficiency!

If a neighboring West African Country could celebrate a whole 365 days of efficient power supply, why can’t Nigeria celebrate a single day without power failure?

Is it that the staffs of PHCN are bored with their work that they would trip it off every now and then just to keep up the unbeaten records of frequent interruption and inefficiency?


Walk into the banking premises of a reputable bank in Benin City, Edo State and you would be pleased to see ATM machines everywhere, for easy access to quick cash in case you have emergencies to spend on. But mind you, there is no single day that you won’t see crowds and line-up of people all waiting to use the poor machines, which in some quarters looks like my abandoned fairly used tokumbo T.V.

There is never a day that I don’t find people milling up in line waiting to use the machines and there is never a day, that half of these machines don’t break down and their stomachs turned inside-out like sick crocodiles.

YOUTH AGAINST CYBER CRIMES AND FRAUD PRESENTS

YOUTH VOICES ON CORRUPTION AND GOOD GOVERNANCE.

AGENDA: Press Conference on Youth Position on Etteh Saga and related Issue.

BY: Mbasekei Martin Obono (PRESIDENT)

Venue: Trade Union Congress National Secretariat.

Date:On 29th October, 2007

Contact: 017402451

Email: martobono@yahoo.com

Good afternoon fellow Nigerian Youth, Gentlemen and Women of the press present. I welcome you all as we honor this epoch - making occasion, it is an epoch assembly because we determine our fate in the Nigeria of today - the fate of the Nigerian Youth, it is indeed a day were we have to strike a balance between the imbalances of self – government of the wicked and corrupt politicians whose clandestine and impious agenda is to use their position against the popular will of the majority majority. The Nigerian Youth has been silent for too long, the implication of this hush is seen as weakness by the people who govern us, that is why they treat us the way they do. Now we have woken up, today is ours and the future belongs to us. We would not take a seat while we watch the likes of Patricia Olubunmi Etteh and a host of others ridicule our fight against corruption in Nigeria.

Corruption and fraud are worst adversaries of development and good governance. Nigeria is not supposed to be plaque with this massive unemployment, epileptic power supply, poorly equipped hospitals, if not for corruption and mismanagement of public funds. 30 years ago, Nigeria undertook massive investment in public enterprises worth over $100 billion, but at the end of 1996 our net returns on investments was less than $0.5 per annum? Until recently, NEPA served 12% of Nigerians with an average of 6hrs daily, yet it attracted N 20 billion subsidies yearly, or haven’t you heard that the government of General Babangida has not been able to properly account for $12 billion gulf war oil money? Most developmental activities have been thwarted by corrupt public office holders and we must put an end to it now that the government of President Yaradua is still new, before it eats deep in our system like a cankerworm.

We have watched the unfolding events in the lower chamber of the national assembly; we have also noticed the leadership’s height of incompetence since its inauguration. According to a commentator, the house has adjourned in the past 3 months more than any other house since 1960. The sit – tight attitude of the dishonorable speaker of the lower house is the altitude of insensitivity and callousness to the people she portrays to represent.

Madam speaker, when you were made head of the House of Representatives, we were very happy, I can vividly remember my comment on takingitglobal website after your election as a speaker. Little did we know you were going to betray our trust so soon? I still cannot imagine how you would want to renovate your house with N238, N 570, or

N628 million whatever the true figure is, in this rising phase of poverty, in a country were her ex – service men who fought for the sovereignty of Nigeria live under the bridges of Abuja.

Whatever the true figure you wanted to use to renovate the house with is, you have tried to defraud our nation twice. First, you wanted the approval of a body massage chair worth N 98 million, when you know quite well that you would end up buying it for a few hundreds of thousands at most. When you were denied, you went ahead to approve

N628 million for you and your deputy’s house renovation, furnishing and official cars. Knowing fully well that it wasn’t part of the 2007 annual budget, you boycott due process, yet you talk about due process. After perpetrating this act of fraud. We are not asking you to step aside this time around to allow the speaker pro tempore preside on the Idoko report. You are too fraudulent to be in the helm of affairs, you and your accomplices should be impeached, recalled by the people you claim to represent, arrested, tried and jailed for attempting to defraud Nigeria. You do not have any moral justification to be within the confines of the lawmaking arm of the government.

It is a pity that Dr. Fredrick Fasheun of OPC who most of us respect so much would want to interpret the campaign for Etteh’s removal as a plot against the Yoruba race, we all know that when Madam speaker leaves the exalted position, another Yoruba person would be made speaker of the house, I strongly campaign that another woman be used to replace her, Baba, we plead with you not to remind us of the sensitivity of our ethnic differences. We expect that you would teach us the younger generation to defend the unity of Nigeria and not its disunity.

Chief Olabode George also, made a blunder and ridicule of the intellectual capability of Nigerians who fought for democracy, when he agreed that Paticia Etteh did not follow due process in the award of the contract but that does not mean that she should be impeached. Chief George, must we wait for her to keep on attempting fraudulent practices in Nigeria? Must we wait for her to empty our national treasury before something is done? The answer is a capital no and she must go to jail now.

Today, we are campaigning against our youth involvement in cyber crimes, how do we justify our campaign, when the older ones – our leaders are busy with fraudulent practices, who do we use ask them to emulate? How do we tell the unemployed graduate not to be fraudulent when all he reads on the pages of newspapers is embezzlement of public funds, inflation of contracts and other financial misconduct?

Whilst we appreciate the Farouk Lawan lead Integrity Group for exposing the gullibility, surreptitious and irreverent plan of Patricia Etteh, her deputy and the rest, we place a vote of no confidence in your so called Integrity Group campaign, based on the allegations that you championed the cause because of denied juicy committees, implore the ICPC to investigate your activities and if found guilty, you should face the music. We have had enough in the last government, and we are no longer going to watch you all treat us with impunity. We want credibility and accountability in the law making arm of our government this dispensation.

Mr. President Yaradua, some of us saw credibility, integrity and accountability in you among other candidates in the April polls that was why we voted for you. Although, your party and her devilish leadership rigged for you and you watched, many have appealed that with these most essential elements you poses, you should intervene in the crises rocking the lower house of the assembly, as a party leader, not as a president because of your respect for the rule of law and the principle of separation of powers, but you have refused – we are watching. Please Mr. President, we are not too happy about the way the Attorney General of the Federation is going about the anticorruption war, especially with the investigations of James Ibori and Orji Uzor Kalu, I wonder if as an AGF he is supposed to be a defense counsel to those who looted public funds or a prosecutor? Mr. President, beware of his likes, whose agenda is to derision our war against corruption in Nigeria, under the pretence of rule of law and due process. I strongly posit we don’t need such a man occupy a powerful position as the AGF. Since his ministry is constitutionally recognized, he can undo any process on the war against corruption war. His credibility is being questioned by commentators daily, and this does not tell well for your leadership which claims to have a zero tolerance for corruption. Mr. President, my advice is that, if you must curb corruption, you need not surround yourself with the list of questionable characters of Ambassadors, who have not even represented your Party well enough to talk less of the entire nation Nigeria, or Michael Aondakaa and a host of others.

My Fellow Nigerian Youth, this is a struggle we must fight to finish, it is a strenuous life we must hope to endure with joy, if we must have a better Nigeria. The fight against fraud and corruption is not for the feeble mind, it is for the strong and courageous. My fellow youth and compatriots, each one of you carries on your shoulders not a burden of doing well for the sake of self, but for the sake of the entire citizenry - the sake of humanity. At every stage, and under all circumstances, the essence of the struggle is to equalize opportunity, destroy stolen privileges of massive employment, adequate power supply, good roads, right to good education and health. But to achieve all these, we must have the right kind of character – the character that breeds success. The character that makes a boy first a good son to the home and community, a brilliant student in the classroom and a good citizen to the nation.

To Yahoo boys engaged in cyber crimes, it is because of Nigeria we are Nigerians, it is because of our future we fight corruption. We don’t have any other home like this and we would never have. I therefore appeal to you all to drop your fraudulent acts, let us serve our fatherland, let us embrace hardwork, let us be honest. Cyber Crimes and fraud would lead us nowhere; it rather destroys our creative ability, global trust and may in the long run cause us isolation among the comity of nations. We are the future Nigeria, now is our time to prepare ourselves for leadership and we cannot be preparing for leadership while we are deeply engrossed in fraudulent acts. Let us work to make Nigeria great again. Let us not let the labor of our heroes past and present be in vain. I encourage you to face your studies and shun all manner of financial misdemeanors, there is nothing like good education and legitimate success. As for those who don’t have a job just hold on, it may be tough today, but that doesn’t mean you should trade your conscience for peanuts. Just keep holding on things would always change for the better, if you don’t give up, that’s were tenacity cuts it.

God Bless You all. Long Live Nigeria.

A cross examination of the global perspective on 'yahooism'(cyber crimes and fraud)and yahooist (perpetrator), is tantamount to consideration and examination of same.

"Yahooism" is an act of cyber crime that defrauds unsuspecting victims in foreign countries of their hard – earned money. In some instances, the unsuspecting victim is used to defraud banks, postal agencies, shops, etc. The yahooist (perpetrator) sends fake cheques or postal money orders to victims in either of the following countries: Canada, United States of America, United Kingdom and other European Countries, Asia as the case maybe. When the cheques or money order are cashed, the victim is told to send the money through western union money transfer in Nigeria, in other cases, the victim is told to send the money to another country were the yahooist they has built networks over time. The mode of money collection is usually dependent on the modus oparandi the yahooists use.

The paramount classification of yahooism as a branch of cyber crime and transnational crime is not only expedient in understanding its mystery and in propounding a lasting solution when considering curbing the menace. Yahooism is the fastest growing transnational crime in recent time, especially in Nigeria. Suffice it to say that, in its classification with advance fee fraud, its major differentiating factor lies in the innocence of the yahoo - victim, and the gullibility of the advance fee fraud - victim. Although, most criminals are dropping advance fee fraud and embracing yahooism because of its broad spectrum.


In Nigeria today, cyber crimes has found its roots in the society. Like a cankerworm it has eaten deeply in the society and finally been accepted by thesame society. It is difficult to deny youth support of the menace with yahoozee shirts, yahoozee dance steps, yahoozee songs and even some young people identify themselves as yahoo boys and girls.

The major implication of the conscious unconscious acceptance of this menace in the Nigerian society in the nearest future is high level of dis-interest in education and touting among young people. In the long run, there would be more 'physically organized crimes', when the criminal network is explored, ranging from cheap assasinations, armed robbery, terrorism, drug trafficking and 'cronic' corruption. Corruption is gradually institutionalizing itself, presenting protection for her ex-government officials and in the prosecution of the nations former speaker of the national assembly on the six hundred and twenty eight million naira contract scam. Suffice it to note that public prosecutors have been recommended and nominated by corrupt caucuses in other to protect the interest of people who looted national and state treasury. This is acheived through legal frameworks. People who have contributed to the death of many Nigerians, as a result of failed or poorly implemented policies tha would bring about good and accessible roads, better primary health care delivery system and functional educational facilities to ehance learning.


Corrution and Crime is evolutionary changing, if the networking involved in yahooism and the immaturity of the yahooist are explored, exploited and properly structured it would be easier for structurally organized crime groups like the Italian Mafia, Japanese Yakuza, Chinese triads who have heavy presence in North America, Japan, United States and other countries to tap and explore the unexplored network of the yahooist in Nigeria for their clandestine and impious agenda.

According to Lupsha's useful stages of crime development, From the Predatory to Parasitic and to Symbiotic stage. Lupsha opined that, the predatory stage is when street gangs or other local crime groups use criminal violence to maintain dominance over a territory, to eliminate enemies, and to create monopoly over the illicit use of force. Criminal acts at the predatory stage tend to be directed at immediate rewards and satisfaction, rather than long range plans or goals. Although, yahooism and the yahooist have grown beyond the Predatory stage because of its long range planed reward system of involvement.

At the parasitical stage, they develop a corruptive interaction with legitimate power sectors, and mold their control of a territorial base with the broker's need for illicit services. Lupsha emphasized that at the parasitical stage, there usually needs to be a "window of opportunity" through which the gang can pass to emerge as a fully – fledged organized crime group. In Nigeria, the "window" has already been opened – cyber crimes (yahoo – yahoo) and there has also been interaction between brokers and politicians, who attain power through some cyber criminals financial supports, especially at the local government levels.

These befitting "window" has levels of organization. Each level has its own category or level of influence before the circle of crime would be successful. At one stage, it involves the yahooist sourcing for a victim who a time can be gullible or an innocent person attempting to render assistance. This depends on the method used by the yahooist. On another stage, it involves brainstorming, and maintenance of the relationship with the victim, consultations are made among yahooist, information is gathered and materials like the counterfeit cheques, money orders are sent to the victim for cashing.

The final stage involves receiving the money from the cashed cheque or money order. This stage encompasses a greater network which may involve bankers or bank manager, who clears the yahooist with false identity. In other instances were huge sums of dollars are involved, an account of a multi national is provided, so that the Financial Intelligence unit would not suspect such transfer as a result of the high level of transfers and lodgments made in and out of the accounts on daily basis. Sometimes, the money may travel to different countries or continents before hitting its final destination; this is so that the process would break traces. The signatories to these accounts who are usually business moguls often have a percentage from the benefits of the fraud proceeds.

The parasitical stage gives us an insight as to the networking involved in the crime, and how easy the "window of opportunity" inherent can pose a tremendous threat to our society in the short run. It is threatening because, the power brokers, ruling class, politicians and terrorists groups can exploit these organized skills, network to create monopolies, scarcity, political violence and corruption, bad leaders into power and havoc in the society.

Lushpa wrote that the symbiotic stage is the stage of acceptance meaning that crimes, businesses and political system grows into mutuality. The politicians and the people they govern become used – to and dependent on the parasite – the monopolies and networks of the organized crimes for sustenance.

Many are of the opinion that cyber crimes and fraud does not affect them in Nigeria, as a result, they care less about its activities. But the truth of the matter is when crime reaches the symbiotic stage, it is no longer a law enforcement problem, it is a matter of national security and economic threat.

In considering national, regional and global security as public relations professional, it is pertinent to inform us that cyber crime or yahooism posses a threat to global peace and conflict resolution in these phase of rising advocacy for globalization and liberalization of economies. If we must practice the aforementioned in its totality as well as maintain peace internationally, International organizations (UN, ECOWAS, AU, EU), governments, professionals in the security sector, prolific writers and scholars must also move from the unadventurous approach to the adventurous by considering cyber crimes and fraud as a threat to global peace and conflict resolution.

IF the United Nations publication which states among others that its purpose is for maintaining international peace and security and to develop friendly relations among nations based on the principles of equal right and self – determination of peoples. Then there must be a need for these international organizations to strengthen regional organizations that would in turn equip governments and its agencies like the EFCC and ICPC as well as NGOs and CSOs. To make laws, fasten investigation and prosecution processes as well as man an effective campaign against the menace.

Mbasekei Martin Obono

Lagos, Nigeria 234-1-7402451, 234- 0806-0622035

The morals of some of our youth is going to land them in real big trouble, this is because they act like they dont know the difference between good and evil, right and wrong. There is a need for a total change of values and norms among young people. Today, most youth spend so much time at the back of their houses lifting bars, drinking and smoking the better part of their lives away.

It is pertinent to note that there must be a paradigm shift in youth percieved values, the average youth must move from body building to brain building, especially when we consider that the pen and the brain are stronger than the might of a giant. It is in brain building that we can solve the problems of the our socio - economic and political crisis, technological inadequacies and also build an army of intelligent people who would use their knowledge for the defense of national territories. This is a process i refer to as moving from alcoholism or drugaholism to being a thinkaholic and then an actorholic. The lack of the art of thinkaholism and brain building is what is giving rise to increased youth involvement in cyber crimes and other crimes. This is because of the sudden awareness of most of this young people that time is running out on them and they feel it is ' too late' for them to start any legitimate.

We need to encourage the youth in our societies to build their brains through learning and proper education. Young people must be taught to understand that, wisdom and intelligence are the worlds most wanted skills. Yes phisical appearance matters but of what use would it be when a beauty queen opens her mouth and what comes out of it is a thousand grams of ignorance.

Kingdoms and Economies have been turned around just by the power of the mind, which is constantly being renewed. In our world today, nothing is constant, therefore, young people must constantly be taught to be dynamic in their perception of things.


Mbasekei Martin Obono