You've got to love Belgium..

Taxis block Brussels airport after police shooting

Taxis blocked off Brussels airport for several hours after an unlicensed driver was grazed by a police bullet during a chase, local media report.

Cabs were parked across the A201 motorway from late on Tuesday until 0500 (0300 GMT) on Wednesday as rumours spread that the driver had been killed.But his injury was minor and he was released from hospital into custody.

A policeman had reportedly opened fire to stop the taxi as it drove away with him clinging to the bonnet.

The policeman who fired was also detained as investigators and prosecutors in Brussels carried out investigations, Belgium's Le Soir newspaper reports.

Pepper spray

Police were making routine checks for unlicensed taxis when they signalled the driver to stop around 1900 on Tuesday, according to another newspaper, La Derniere Heure.

Far from stopping, the 28-year-old driver accelerated, prompting a policeman to jump on the bonnet.

After being carried along for 2km (1.2 miles), he fired at least once into the dash-board, forcing the driver to stop.

A brawl reportedly followed in which the policeman fired another shot, grazing the driver's shoulder.

Some 200 drivers joined the protest which followed and a second driver was arrested as he tried to "avenge" his colleague.

At 0230, police wielding truncheons and using pepper spray tried to clear the motorway but the stand-off only ended after negotiations involving a trade union representative.

La Derniere Heure notes that unlicensed taxi drivers have been a problem at the airport for years.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13359071

Things that make you go WTF (in Brussels)

Bilingual Hell

Brussels is a fascinating place. Even though it claims to be the 'capital of Europe', it's not exactly a visitor friendly place unless you speak French and Dutch. One of my biggest pet peeves is the way streets names are displayed. Brussels is officially bilingual, which means street names are displayed in French and Flemish (Dutch), but sometimes only the Flemish name is displayed and so you can imagine a scenario where you're looking for a street with a French name like "Rue de la Loi" but the sign displayed is "Weestraat" (which is the Flemish name for the same street). How the hell are you supposed to connect the two?

Customer Service???

qu'est-ce que c'est? (what is that?) is the rude response (if you're lucky to get one) you are likely to get from most customer service staff around here. Initially I thought it was just me, but almost everyone complains about the same thing. From the airline check in staff to the supermarket check out staff, they all have one thing in common, they are not there to serve you - the customer, so don't bother them.

Brussels Estate Agents

The devil is truly a Brussels estate agent, if you can help it, avoid dealing with this particular specie while staying in Brussels. They are rude and unprofessional and they think they are doing you a big favour if they respond to your emails or return your calls. Since Brussels is the "capital of Europe", and accommodation is in short supply, the estate agent is truly king around here.

Zebra Crossings

"A zebra crossing typically gives extra rights of way to pedestrians". A shocking surprise awaits anyone gullible enough to believe that statement in Brussels. I have learnt that you cross the road at your own peril, if you assume the driver will stop. The only way to cross is when the approaching vehicle has come to a complete stop and the driver beckons to you to step on the zebra crossing.

Metro

The best thing about the Brussels Metro is that you can ride it for free most of the time (unless your station has ticket barriers installed LOL). It runs well most of the time but be prepared for unexpected or unannounced closures (due to strikes or when the metro drivers are having a really bad day). This has happened to me twice, luckily Brussels is a fairly small and compact city and I had my GPS to guide me to my destination.

d'enregistrement, Registreren

Meaning Registration, now this is a big deal in Brussels (actually in Belgium too). How can you be a proper police state if you don't know everything about everyone living in your country?

This is serious business and failure to notify the local authority (communale) of your presence could lead to serious consequences (or so I heard).

Health and Safety Nightmare

I have a new found respect for the health and safety authorities in the UK. Here in Brussels some of the things wey my eye don see while flat hunting....is it loose and exposed electrical wiring or the sixth floor flat with French doors which opened into a balcony with only a low flimsy barrier stopping you from plunging to the street below....I have definitely seen scary things in this town.

Loose Uneven pavements

I was walking down a side street in Porte de Namur the other day and I swear for one second I thought I was in Lagos driving down a road peppered with potholes, which was strange because I was walking not driving. I ended up doing a very strange walk which could easily pass for break dancing and MJ's moonwalk combined. There are some parts of this city where you need to have shock absorbers just to walk on the pavements.

The Tax rate

In November 2009, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development confirmed once again that Belgium has one of the highest tax burdens in Europe. It amounts to – including social security – 57.3% for a single earner. This compares to an average 44.5% in Europe.

I think this statement speaks for itself....

Shop Closing Times

Most of the shops close by 6pm every day. It is very strange indeed...I haven't spent the weekend here yet, but I heard shops do not open on Sunday WTF?

Another one of those WTF moments...

also see things that make you go WTF

In the News:
Abraham Adesanya's Burial to Gulp N150m
http://allafrica.com/stories/200805140261.html

THE funeral ceremonies for the late leader of the pan-Yoruba socio- cultural group, Afenifere, will gulp over N150 million as each governor of the six South- Western states is to contribute N25 million toward the burial.

Spending 150 million Naira (appx $1.3 million, £670,000) on a funeral is just for lack of a better word, CRAZY!!!.
Apart from being the leader of NADECO (during Abacha's regime) i can't think of anything else Adesanya did to warrant such a 'lavish' funeral. If his family wants to spend 150 million Naira to bury him, that's their own prerogative, but why should money better spent on schools, roads and hospitals be used to celebrate his death ?

God knows what will happen when the "strong man" of Ibadan Lamidi Adedibu eventually kicks the bucket...
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An Ijebu state??

My attention has been drawn to an article titled "The Creation Of A New State For The Ijebus" on Nigeria Village Square. Now, as an 'expert' on all things Ijebu, the other half keeps telling me i'm not because i was born, well ehem somewhere else.. , anyway thats just bad bellics, even if an Ijebu was born on the moon, na Ijebu.. . Akin take note ; - )
but i digress, we don't need a bloody state what we want is the return of our kingdom (Ijebu Kingdom).

We have those pesky Brits to thank for destroying a great kingdom. The Ijebu monopoly on the trade routes between Lagos and Ibadan led to the Battle of Yemoja River in 1892, as the Ijebus don't like to fight (we're lovers oops sorry 'traders' not fighters) it turned out to be a very short fight with the Brits. It seems our 'jazz' (our homegrown juju) doesn't work that well against Maxim guns.

But seriously who really wants an Ijebu state, apart from thieving politicians looking for relevance and other avenues to divert government funds into their own pockets.

'WTF' Moments

Last time there was a "WTF" moment on this blog was this time last year (see previous post), But seriously when it comes to Naija every day is a "WTF" moment.
I don't know if it has something to do with the coming elections but the number of "WTF" moments in the last few weeks is mind boggling even by naija standards.

check out the top 5 in recent days

5. SR reveals Bukola Saraki's (governor of Kwara state) stupendous wealth, if you had money in the former Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria (SGBN) (like one of my friends did) you now know who "took" your money

4. "Daniel may have his own weaknesses, but such can be corrected" Is Obj's response to corruption 'allegations' made against the governor of Ogun state (Gbenga Daniel). I suppose that only applies to those in the "right" party while those in the "wrong" party end up on the EFCC "list"

3. "We need his experience to win the polls." is what Obj had to say about the antics of Lamidi Adedibu, Political Godfather in Oyo state. I'm sure his experience of thuggery, rigging and intimidation will serve the PDP well..

2. Yar'Adua's rumoured death. Yar'Adua catches a 'cold' and the whole country sneezes

1. Atiku flies out for treatment to a torn knee cap (shame he didn't break his neck while exercising)
Obviously if Atiku had any intelligence this would have been a great opportunity to gain political capital by using a local hospital ( according to his officials the equipment to treat him was available in Lagos)
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Who will fight?

An interesting article from sahara reporters...

The Angry Nigerian In Diaspora (from sahara reporters)
http://www.saharareporters.com/www/article/detail/?id=255

By ‘Tosin Olawale Duyile

I am an angry Nigerian in diaspora. I mean a very angry Nigerian.

I am so angry that I look at our country’s neighbour Ghana and dream about what could have been in ours.

I am so angry that I wish and dream that I could be in a position with resources to hire a professional assassin and do something similar to what Jerry Rawlings did to the pigs and rats that looted his country’s treasury, to the thieves that have stolen and to those still stealing our country’s wealth, inheritance and resources.

Oh I am so angry, so angry that I constantly dream about what I would do if I have the resources at my disposal and tremendous will-power to execute my plans. If I do, I would target the corrupt leaders, including governors, administrators, legislators, political eunuchs, ex-khaki boys and hangers-on one by one. I would provide the hired assassin with high powered telescopic rifle with lead encased bullets and eliminate these bastards from afar one by one. I would then leave ransom notes at the scene and place anonymous advertisements in several national newspapers with clear instructions for each and everyone of the rest to return their loots to the national treasury. Believe me, there will be no hiding place for any of them.


But then I, like most other Nigerians am a coward. The only thing we as Nigerians are good at doing is talk and write. Talk is cheap. I sometimes watch some Nigerian current affairs discussion programmes via satellite television here in the UK. I feel so disgusted at times at the filth coming out of the mouths of the participants that such programmes rather than provide a psychological uplift, actually make me more depressed. I always look at them and think ‘birds of the same feather’.

A so-called journalist working for BEN TV in London (I won’t mention his name) interviewed Babangida last year and sucked up to him throughout the interview. He neither asked him any probing question, nor took him to task about his crimes against the Nigerian people. Rather, he pretended to be his son and kept referring to him as ‘My Father’. I felt like smashing my TV to pieces. I was angry that my 2 young children could feel the anger oozing out of me. I reckon this journalist was harbouring the hope of landing a plum job if the ‘evil genius’ (as he is called) returns to power.

The fundamental problem of the Nigerian polity is precedence. Precedence in that it is in the psyche of the Nigerian that if he / she is elected to, or appointed to a position of power or that which controls resources, he / she would embezzle and misappropriate funds and nothing would happen. Worst case scenario if he / she is found out – he would be incarcerated for a few months at worst, and later freed to enjoy his / her illicit gains.

I have often debated this ‘precedence’ problem with my compatriots here in the UK. The universal consensus is to adopt Rawlings’s solution to Ghana’s problem – Line up the leaders and corrupt officials (past and present) and shoot them, but not before they return their ill-gotten wealth. Failure to cooperate means that their immediate and extended families would be complicit and suffer the same fate. To the reader of this article, this may sound callous and inappropriate and against the fundamental principle of human decency. But desperate times call for desperate measures.

Prayers and talk alone cannot solve Nigeria’s problems. Make no mistake, the majority ethic groups of South Africa dismantled the apartheid structures not because of international support, but because there was no other option but death in struggle.

In the film Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Corleone (played by Al Pacino) visited Cuba around the time of the revolution. In the scene, they witnessed a revolutionary blowing himself up rather than be arrested by the police. His partner in crime told Corleone to ignore the action, but Corleone wisely did not and flew back to the States. His words were that the revolutionaries would succeed because they were not afraid of death. True to his words, they succeeded. I suspect that that part of the film is reminiscent of the Fidel Castro’s struggle for power in Cuba.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not a communist. In fact I am a very successful Town Planning Consultant here in the UK and I run my own business. But the message I am trying to put across is that until we as Nigerians take matters into our own hands and target these corrupt and satanic politicians and bureaucrats and force them to experience the penury and hopelessness that millions of Nigerians currently experience, we are condemned to eternal damnation. No amount of prayer will solve our problems. We need to take the bull by the horns and adopt the biblical principle of ‘heaven helps those who help themselves’.

We should adopt the same draconian principles that the Animal Rights Movement have put into perfection in the UK and the US by targeting companies and organisations profiting from research using animals, mainly primates. Some may call this terrorism, but in the long term, it would be successful. Of this I have a firm and unshaken conviction. The one thing that these dubious politicians and brigands fear is death and injury. History and posterity will forgive anyone who dares to follow this path. All peaceful means have been exhausted to stop the looting and mismanagement of our resources to no avail.

I empathise with the various militant groups operating in the Niger Delta, but they seem to have got their priorities wrong by kidnapping foreign expatriates. They should instead kidnap people like Odili and the others who mismanage their resources. Kidnapping foreigners only tarnishes our image abroad. To an average British or Korean or Chinese or Filipinos, these people are simply terrorists, no different from Al Qaeda operatives. The foreigner is not interested in the injustices in the Niger Delta area.

A taxi driver of Ghanaian descent took me to Heathrow Airport on my way to Lagos last year. This gentleman was so much in tune with the current affairs in Nigeria that he mockingly showed me Umaru Dikko’s grandiose mansion in Hammersmith. His exact statement was that what Umaru Dikko put Nigerians through, can never happen in Ghana. I nearly cried.

The sad thing about the sorry state of the Nigerian nation is that the younger generations do not know better. When I was in Nigeria last year, I engaged in a dialogue with a University Undergraduate, whom I have known since he was born. I told him in no uncertain terms that if Babangida returns to power, that would be the end of Nigeria. His emphatic conviction was that Nigeria would improve. I was alarmed and asked him why. His response was that Babangida would facilitate corruption and in his words allow everybody to chop. Babangida’s motto according to him is ‘You chop I chop’. At that very moment, I lost hope and firmly believe that I will never see a better Nigeria in my life time.

Nigeria’s politicians and power brokers are like a malignant tumour that feed on the organs of the body. Unless they are wiped out (I mean literally) there is no salvation for this great country of ours.

I remain angry, but take comfort in that my dreams may yet come to fruition in my lifetime. Any volunteers?

Things that make you go WTF

What The Fuck is going on..

In the news: Dirty old man!
A 45- year- old callous father, Fadahunsi Oriarewo, has been arrested by the police for allegedly defiling a six-year-old girl in Festac town Lagos, after enticing her with N10 for the purchase of sweets (candies).

But Oriarewo, a caretaker at the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in the area, denied the rape allegation, telling Saturday Sun that he only sexually assaulted little Miss Robinson.
"This is a surprise to me. I did not do it (penetrate the girl). I only fingered her. Na my finger I take touch her. I swear I no do am at all," he said in Pidgin English.
<\snip.>
Also, sources around the neighbourhood further told Saturday Sun that raping of underage girls has been a common occurrence in the area for sometime now. They disclosed that a 14-year-old girl was raped in the area few weeks back and pleaded with the police to get to the root of the case.
http://odili.net/news/source/2006/mar/25/814.html

While the Nigerian government concerns itself with irrelevant sexual issues, sexual crimes against underage kids go unpunished. Many cases are not reported and the response the accused man gave in the above news story, that he did not 'rape her but only fingered her' (as if either of them is a lesser crime) reveals how prevalent such abuses have become.
Nigerians talk about morality and spew so much religious bullshit that if you didn't know better you might start believing it.

stumbled on this interesting article in the Washington Post, African Christians a Growing Dynamic Force.
Anyone extremely sensitive about religion will have to forgive me, but what a load of crap

I found the following parts of the article extremely amusing
"You want to see where Christianity is heading?" said Campbell Shittu Momoh, an author on Nigerian religious affairs. "Come look at Nigeria. It's already here."
And it's Hell, if that's where christianity is heading, thank God i got out quickly

"The church in Nigeria is very, very disciplined and focused," said Dickson Adeyanju, the chief religion correspondent for The Guardian, the largest newspaper in Lagos. "That sets them apart."
yeah very focused on getting people's money and sucking them dry through tithes

"Adeboye radiates confidence _ even when making eyebrow-raising predictions.
Most followers wouldn't dare question him. Adeboye says he has a pipeline to God. He makes headlines in Nigeria each year with prophecies, which are usually vague and open to many interpretations. This year's include that a "major evil organization" will suffer a blow."
probably Dr Evil's Organisation

"What I'm talking about here is not spiritual authority, but economic authority. The pastors can basically do whatever they want with the money," said Samuel Bayo Arowolaju, a Nigerian-born expert in African churches now living in suburban Chicago. "The pastors of this church become superheroes or kind of mini-gods."
while their followers become 'Religibots'. Might as well call them by their true name, c u l t s
Characteristics of a cult

The service in early February _ with its "modest" crowd of 300,000 _ raised "a couple of tens of thousands of dollars," said Adeboye. There's one at least that big every month in addition to thousands of smaller weekly services in Nigeria and around the world. Adeboye tells the faithful: Give so you can get.
"It is clear in the word of God that you don't get out of poverty by praying. You don't get out of poverty by fasting," Adeboye said after the nearly nine-hour event. "There's only one way of getting out of poverty. It's by sowing."
Sowing what and where? His church i suppose.

"Why did I join Daddy's church? Take a look around," she says, waving her hands at the crowds. "Daddy inspires. Daddy tell us Jesus is right here to help improve our lives. The Anglican church was all about, 'Don't do this, don't do that.' Daddy is all about possibilities and making breakthroughs. It deals with heaven, but also the here and now."
whats all the 'daddy' stuff about?? [and who's the daddy? ; - )]

Daddy is pleased.
who wouldn't? He's smiling all the way to the bank
i have to admit that in their own way they are providing some form of employment through their business enterprises (the university,bank,drycleaners etc)
but at what price???
turning Nigerians into 'RelgiBots' who can't think for themselves.
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In the News: I will contest the 2007 presidency -IBB
Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, finally takes the speculation off his rumoured ambition to run for the nation's top job come 2007.
"I am ready for 2007… if I get the nomination of my party, I will contest", the Minna General told a team of editors in a no holds barred interview during the week.
http://odili.net/news/source/2006/mar/25/818.html

The original trickster (or is it evil genius??) is back and God help us all if he makes it to Aso rock. Only a country like Naija will produce such a person like IBB. And it's only in a country like Naija such a person will even consider going for the presidency again.
Now i'm not one of those people who will blame IBB for every ill that has befallen naija since 1985, that he outsmarted nigerians time and time again shows how slick and smart he is. The guy obviously knows our people well and deserves his nickname 'maradona'.
But like Maradona's addiction to cocaine (which destroyed his football career), IBB is addicted to power, and his pursuit of that power will ultimately lead to his downfall...
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Quote:
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.
One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

get involved by sponsoring an African child today:
http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/westafrica/