Nigeria Overtakes South-Africa As Continent's Largest Economy_naijaswap

Nigeria is expected to release revised economic numbers from 1990 to 2008. That is expected to show that the country has overtaken South Africa as Africa's largest economy

.With us to discuss all this is professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Léonce Ndikumana. He is a professor of economics at UMass Amherst, as I mentioned, and he's the director of the African Policy Program at the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI).Thank you for joining us.LÉONCE NDIKUMANA, ASSOC. PROF. ECONOMICS AND LAW, UMKC: Thank you very much for the opportunity.DESVARIEUX: So, Professor, let's talk about Nigeria. It's moving to become the number-one economy on the African continent. What is the cause behind this rapid economic growth?NDIKUMANA: Thank you very much. I think this is a very important and interesting question.There are two things that we need to single out. One is that even as of today, Nigeria is the second-largest economy on the continent, with about $262 billion in 2012, compared to $384 billion GDP for South Africa.

The second one is that Nigeria had been growing quite fast. In 2011, they grew by 7.4 percent, which that went down a little bit to 26.6 percent in 2012. At the same time, South Africa's been growing a little bit slower, in the range of 2 to 3 percent, which is consistent with a more mature economy. So that by itself would mean that over time Nigeria is going to get closer and closer to South Africa. Even if you look at the last 12 years, in 2012 the economy of South Africa was about three times larger than the economy of Nigeria. Now it's about 1.5 percent.Now you bring in another factor, which is the rebasing of the national data in Nigeria, which is something that other countries are going to also have to undertake because their national accounts based on outdated--have outdated bases, in the sense that some sectors which were not there when they were doing the calculations now are more predominant in production of goods and services. 

One of the biggest new innovation is the telecom sector, which is becoming a bigger and bigger part of the service sector. So this requires countries to go back in their statistics and redo the weighting of each economic sector. And this, for many countries, is going to result in a larger major amount of national output, which is GDP. Ghana has already done it, and Nigeria is on track of releasing their new statistics. And this will result in a larger GDP for Nigeria. And, again, as you said, it may be the case that they may be either closer, even take over South Africa, assuming that South Africa doesn't do the rebasing [incompr.]DESVARIEUX: And I can imagine what's propelling this rapid growth is that three-letter word, oil, since Nigeria has a lot of it. What do you make of that?NDIKUMANA: Yes. As you indicated, the rapid growth in Nigeria over the past years is driven mainly by the oil sector. 

To give you an example, of the six point--while the country as a whole grew by 6.6 percent in 2012, the oil sector actually grew faster, by 8 percent, which means that some of the sectors were shrinking. And this poses--is a source of concern because oil, the oil sector, as we know, is a very capital-intensive sector, which means that it doesn't create lots of jobs.At the same time, since we're talking about South Africa and Nigeria, they share two important problems. One is unemployment, and the second is [incompr.] to global markets, shocks in global markets. Unemployment has been high in South Africa. It's known. And they have very good statistics. It's about 25 percent. In fact, Nigerian unemployment over the past two years has been increasing from 21 percent to 24 percent. So even as the economy's growing in Nigeria, unemployment is actually growing at the same time, which is the result of the fact that growth is taking place in sectors that are not creating employment. So this is a major, major problem for Nigeria.


At the same time, the sectors which are the life--which provide the life for the majority of the population, especially agriculture, is not growing as fast, because there has not been sufficient investment in technology so that productivity in agriculture, the mainstay of the livelihood of the population, is actually seeing a decline in productivity. And that is true for Nigeria as well for many other countries.

So the challenge for Nigeria is how to harness these oil resources so that the growth in revenue that's coming from oil can actually trigger expansion in other sectors outside of the oil sector

Forget Agreements, ASUU Strike 2013 Not Ending Soon!!_naijaswap

Forget Agreements, ASUU Strike 2013 Not Ending Soon!! Asked when the lecturers would call off the strike, he said, “I doubt if the strike is ending soon. The problem is with the Finance Minister. Where is government getting N1trn from? Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU have given the Federal Government certain conditions to be met before the union could call off its four-month old strike. Part of this condition, is that all federal parastatals in charge of fund, labour, and education must sign the agreement purportedly reached between its leadership and the Federal Government on Tuesday. A prominent member of the union, who craved anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on behalf of the union, told our corespondent that doing this would give the association the confidence that “the Federal Government knows what it is doing when it signed the agreement.” He said, “I must tell you that our mandate remains. The only mandate we have is that 2009 agreement must be met. We have not reached any agreement with the Federal Government. “Since the Federal Government wants to be releasing N220bn every year for five years, then all monetary and regulatory agencies must sign. The Central Bank of Nigeria, Ministries of Finance and Labour, National Assembly, Office of the Presidency, National Universities Commission, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Trade Union Congress and our umbrella body, the Nigeria Labour Congress, must sign with consequences stated. “The reason we will ensure this is that we don’t want argument tomorrow that the agreement was entered in error or that they don’t know the implication of signing the agreement. If possible, documents that will provide for automatic deduction of the agreed money at a particular/agreed date must be provided.” The leadership of the union had engaged in a 13-hour marathon meeting with government delegation led by President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja between Monday and Tuesday. Though it was generally perceived that both ASUU and the Federal Government achieved breakthrough in negotiation for the first time after the lengthy meeting with the President, Saturday PUNCH learnt that the lecturers might not be in a hurry to go back to class. Another source close to ASUU who was also part of the marathon meeting with the President in Abuja, said there was nothing new in what the President promised members of the union. According to him, government had always failed in implementing agreements reached with ASUU. He said, “Truly the President sat down for more than 13 hours with us. He told us that we were not leaving the venue until the issues were resolved. The Federal Government also promised to inject funds into the system, but a promissory note is not enough. “Where would the money come from? There is no assurance that government will provide money especially with the mop-up policy in place that ensures that unspent money is refunded to government’s coffers at the end of every year.’’ Asked when the lecturers would call off the strike, he said, “I doubt if the strike is ending soon. The problem is with the Finance Minister. Where is government getting N1trn from? A government that could not implement agreement between 2009 and 2013, what is the guarantee that they would honour this agreement. “It is all politics. We are still awaiting directives from our branches. We have told them the outcome of the meeting with the President but we are waiting for them to tell us what they think of government’s proposal. “Imagine the Minister of Education has travelled out of the country. He was appointed Vice President for UNESCO General Assembly. How can he travel out of the country without resolving the crisis in the education sector?’’ He said the Federal Government should spend the trillions of dollars in its Sovereign Wealth Fund to finance University education and improve infrastructure in the country. The Director, Press and Public Relations of the Ministry of education, Mr. Olu Lipide, told one of our correspondents on Thursday that government was waiting for ASUU to take the necessary steps.  — with naijaswap

Nigeria’s State Governor Fayemi Sets History: Appoints Youngest Special Assistant In Country_naijaswap

Comrade Oyebode with new boss, Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State

Credit: NEWS AT 247

As part of his efforts in ensuring participatory governance and bringing government to grassroot, the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi has appointed a former prominent student leader as his Special Assistant on Students’ Matters; an office which he hopes will bring about a working relationship between the Government and the Governed.

It would be recalled that Dr. Fayemi, the Ekiti State Governor, had promised to choose among three nominees presented to him, who have got impeccable antecedence and of proven integrity, during his interactive session with the Student leaders at a parley about two months ago. The governor has thus fulfilled his promise in making history, by not only creating such an office but also confirming the appointment of Adeolu Oyebode as the most preferred.

By the virtue of the appointment, Oyebode sets history by becoming the first Special Assistant on Students’ Matters in Ekiti State and also the youngest Special Assistant in Nigeria. He is in his mid twenties.

Oyebode was the Chairman of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Joint Campus Committee Ondo and Ekiti States, between 2008 and 2010, a position which gave him the opportunity to negotiate on behalf of students and youths of Nigeria with Governments and institution administrators both at Local, State and National level and also a member of prominent youth organizations in Nigeria.

As at his appointment, the Ikere-Ekiti born activist is the Ekiti State Coordinator of Socialist Youth League and the director of programmes and planning of the International Youth Congress of Nigeria, the Nigerian charter of International Youth Congress (IYC) Inc. – United State of America (USA).

While reacting to the appointment and the history made, Oyebode said it was dedicated to the constituency that produced him.

“I give glory to God for the history made, as defined by you, but the fact remains that I return all accolades to that Students’ Constituency that produced me, there is every possibility that I might not have been considered for this assignment if I wasn’t produced from the students’ activism constituency and definitely, the confidence reposed on me by the students who are left on campus that made my recommendation must not also be dashed”

“I see this task as an assignment of my life; I must not fail these young ones, my principal Mr. Governor and my generation because of tomorrow”

Another Actress Delivered By TB Joshua_naijaswap

Lately, Nollywood actors and actresses have been seeking deliverance and they are all choosing to go to TB Joshua’s ministry to get saved.

Late Enebeli Elebuwa, Camilla Mgberekpe, Jim Iyke are some of those who have relied on TB Joshua for deliverance and now actress Nneoma Ukpabi is now joining the group.

According to reports, Nneoma Ukpabi has been having issues with overdue pregnancy. She was pregnant for 10 months. She had previously undergone two Caesarians for her other children. She was again booked for an operation for the third time because her placenta could not support the baby.

It was revealed that the doctor told her she could not go through normal labour because it could become life threatening. A lady encouraged her to pray and believe in God and brought out the Anointing Water stating that it was from the SCOAN.

The lady ministered it to her in the name of Jesus Christ and 15 minutes later the first stage of labour took place as blood and water gushed out.

She was taken to the hospital where she later delivered the baby safely without operation. She is now happy with her two months old baby girl, what a miracle!

odyguard Or Breast-guard? Rihanna’s Boobs mistakenly Grabbed In Public By Her Security_Naijaswap

RIHANNA – sexy mistake

Credit: 
Sexy goddess and Bad girl singer, Rihanna, has tempted the guys working for her too much by her provocative wears to the extent that one of them lost control and took his hand to her breast rather than her waist recently, in a bid to protect her from the public it was caught on camer

I was pelted with tomatoes for snatching my friend’s husband in a movie — Shan George_naijaswap

Shan Gearge
| credits: File copy

She cause ripples with her acting skills and interpreted her scripts professionally. Then, Cross River State-born actress, Shan George made headlines as one of the sexy actresses in Nollywood. She opens up on her career and life

 You have been quiet for a while, what have you been up to?

I am working on my latest film entitled ‘Finding Goodluck’. It will be released very soon.

 It was said you withdrew because of the emergence of young girls in the industry?

I have heard this lot of times but we should all realise that this industry has no age limit. I am still acting and will still be acting till death. I was not seen for sometime because when you do a job for about 10 years or more, you are balanced well and need not be seen everywhere like before. That does not mean you are no longer in the industry. Entertainment is ageless and unending.

 Or were you intimidated?

I think it’s a shallow way of thinking. It’s not a competition of youthfulness. It is an industry that accommodates everybody of any age. Actors such as Justus Esiri and Sam Loco-Efe died as actors at a much matured age. It is no longer the home video era where you shoot a movie in two weeks. Now, movies are taken to the cinema and that means your script has to be very good. The same applies to your logistics of location, audition, actors and lots more. All these take a very long period to put together. My latest work took me two years to put together. If you are seeing in me in 10 movies some years back, it’s no longer like that because I am more involved in film production. Some people should grow up, please.

 So far, how many movies have you produced?

I produced my first movie when I was at the University of Lagos which was in 2008. It was titled All for Winnie.  Till date, I have produced 22 movies in all.

 Where did you get the money to fund all these works?

It has been God all the way.

 There are some actresses who haven’t produced a movie till date?

You don’t have to produce a film if you don’t have the desire to do so.

 What inspired you to go into production even as an actress?

I started as an actress and a producer. Let me say its desire and ability that brought me up into producing. Some people may not just want to produce, not because they don’t have the money, but they don’t desire it.

 How has those scandals published in the media affected you?

As a human being, such things affect me. How we cope with it is what makes us different. For me, I see it as the hazard of the profession. Fortunately, my children are adults and can decipher truth from falsehood. Truth is, when people write false comments about you, those who are very close to you (your family) always know the truth. They are those who matter to me.

Once you have a clear conscience, then there is no fear.

 How do you cope with fans who either like or hate you for roles you play in films?

I love all of them. I show them love because I know some will hate you and others will like you. The men? You don’t even need to be a celebrity before men rush at you. Any man makes advances at every good-looking woman.

 Where did the issue of your third marriage emanate from?

There was no third marriage. Actually, it was a role I played in a movie. Entitled ‘Heartbreak’, it was shot late last year in Abuja. In the movie, I got married and the production pictures circulated in the media as part of publicity stunt for the movie. Then, some bloggers, who claim to be journalists, got hold of it and said I got married! It was just a movie wedding not a real one.

 When do you plan to re-marry since your children are all grown and you have debunked any recent marriage?

I have re-married! There has been no divorce although we have fought and gone our separate ways, but we are still together.

 Let’s talk about your marriage

I don’t think it is a relevant question because it is an African mentality. It is only a man who wants to ask you out that should ask if I am married or not. The Shan George in films and that in real life are two different people. The Shan George they created in the entertainment was full of life, loved high-flying lifestyle and was sexy. That has nothing to do with my person.

The reality of it is that most people have this sex idol image and they want to keep hammering on the sex issue. They keep saying I wear skimpy clothes but now some girls wear more terrible clothes. In those days, we wore skimpy clothes only to act films but now you see them wear it on the streets!

 Are there times you regret being an actress?

Yes. I do nurse regrets when people assume you are the roles you interpret in films. It is make-believe and if you don’t do it well, no producer comes for you again. The number two challenge of acting is the fact that people think you are what they see in movies. If you were living in a big house or you are a big Abuja babe and then when they see you in real life they want to see you in that wealthy appearance and opulence which is not in existence and then it has a psychological effect on those acting.

There was a time I was pelted with tomatoes at Alade market because some of those people believed I snatched my friend’s husband in a movie! That aside, some actors act as rich men/women in films and cannot extricate themselves from such roles in reality. They now live beyond their means and get involved in scandals because they are so desperate to meet with the standard. I am not a victim of that anyway.

 Is that a challenge in the make-believe industry?

Yes, some actors find it hard to come out of a character and be themselves. If you are not careful, you lose yourself in the middle of different characters.

 But there are films you expose a bit of flesh.

Yes, that was then. Now, I reject some scripts not because they would not pay me, (in fact, they are willing to pay double) but because of obscenity. Recently, I was invited to shoot a film in Ghana and I rejected the script because it exposes a lot of my body as a character in the movie. The producer was willing to pay me in millions but I refused.

 How have you been able to maintain your trim stature?

I’m just lucky because I don’t diet or go to the gym; but I am very careful about what I eat.

 Do you have a beauty routine?

My hair is natural, my skin is natural and I do not apply make-up. Therefore, I do not have a beauty routine.  I use normal lotion.

 Do you have dreams?

I don’t waste time dreaming. Dreaming is for people that are sleeping as far as I am concerned. As long as you are doing something, you don’t dream. You can probably have a projection when you are working on something. I live with my projection and when I am done, I rest and move to another.

 How fashionable are you?

I might wear designer clothes but I just get to the boutique and pick what I like. As long as it is fine and fits me, I wear it. I don’t follow the trend. Fashion does not me feel high. If you are too intellectually balanced, it is hard to pull off fashion trends because it is a thing of the mind and your mind is on intellectual things. So, there is no time for fashion.

 Are you still the sexy Shan?

I remain Shan George and I don’t understand what you mean by being sexy.

Bieber filmed sleeping by Brazilian fan_Naijaswap

Justin Bieber is once again the subject of media attention in Brazil, with a female fan recording a video of him sleeping topless.

Blogger Perez Hilton has identified the woman as 26-year-old Tatiana Neves Barbosa, a bodybuilder and actress.

The clip shows Bieber snoozing on a bed before the woman turns the camera on herself, where she poses before blowing him a kiss and walking out of the room.

It comes after Bieber was seen sneaking out of a brothel last weekend soon after arriving in the country.

He was also charged yesterday by police for graffiting the side of a multi-billion dollar hotel.

Etisalat Nigeria launches GEM loyalty programme_naijaswap

                       

 Etisalat Nigeria has launched a new loyalty programme called Etisalat GEM, as it celebrated its fifth anniversary in Nigeria with a cocktail party attended by over 200 of its high-value customers. Customers who spend NGN 10,000 to NGN 30,000 monthly will get an Etisalat dongle with 500MB data monthly for six months as well as 10 minutes of calls and 50 SMS to Etisalat lines free on their birthdays. Customers who use between NGN 30,000 and NGN 50,000 will enjoy a free MiFi device with 500MB data monthly for twelve months, a free VIP ticket to watch Barcelona live at the Nou camp in Barcelona, special invites to Etisalat exclusive events, free calls and texts on their birthday and a card to gain express service at any Etisalat Experience Centre nationwide. For customers who spend over NGN 50,000 a month, they will get free devices from Apple, Blackberry, Samsung or Nokia, a USD 1,000 shopping voucher, free tickets to watch Barcelona, special invites to Etisalat exclusive events, free calls and SMS on their birthdays, and an Etisalat High Value Identity card. Customers with a minimum balance of NGN 5,000 before traveling can receive calls free when roaming in select destinations around the world.

Ghana Sacks Minister, Victoria Hammah, Over $1m Claim_naijaswap

caption: Victoria Hammah

By SaharaReporters, New York

While Nigeria is going in circles about Minister Stella Oduah who is entangled in an embarrassing corruption maze, reports from Ghana say that Victoria Hammah, the country’s Deputy Communications Minister, has been fired allegedly for saying on audio tape she would not quit politics until she has made $1m.
On the tape, which is suspected to have been made by her driver, she is quoted as saying, "If you have money then you can control people."
Ms. Hannah has been in controversy before, after saying last August there was pressure on her to steal public money because people believed that, being a Minister, she was rich.
According to the Ghanaweb news site, she further said, “Corrupt politicians are the reflection of [a] corrupt society!"
Ms. Hannah was fired just one day after the tape which contains her $1m-making ambition went viral on social media.  It was also played on a local radio station.
In Nigeria, as reported by SaharaReporters on Thursday night, the House of Representatives’ Committee on Aviation which probed the allegations of fraud against Ms. Oduah refuted every single one of her claim, describing them as false or unsupported by the evidence.
Still, the Minister, a personal friend and major 2011 campaign supporter of President Goodluck Jonathan, remains in office.
Before his departure for Israel on October 23, Mr. Jonathan set up a three-man panel to probe the allegations against Ms. Oduah, giving it two weeks to report.
But for the first week he then travelled with a member of the panel, as well as the Minister whom he was supposed to have been investigating.
The panel is now illegally several days behind its deadline without an extension, and Mrs. Oduah remains in office.

• 

FIFA 14 gets new Xbox One and PS4 gameplay video_naijaswap

FIFA 14 on Xbox One and PS4 features more than 1,000 new animations made possible by the power of the next generation consoles and the new EA Sports Ignite engine.

These new animations have made it possible for new gameplay features such as Elite Technique and In-Air Play to be introduced, bringing more realism to the best-selling football franchise.

Elite Technique
New touch passes, slices and lobs have been added, along with behaviours like off-balance shots, panic turns, missed shot reactions and more.

In-Air Play
For the first time ever in the FIFA series, multiple players can compete for balls in the air. Not only will there be situations where three or four players can all vie for ball, but each will also have greater control with a variety of new headers. Players will be able to adjust the power, angle and direction of the header as they contest for the ball.

Military rule no longer fashionable –Jonathan_naijaswap

naijaswap

President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday warned that the global community is no longer inclined to tolerate a role in governance by the military in Africa and other parts of the world.

A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, quoted the President as speaking while addressing a special session of the National Peoples’ Assembly in Bissau, Guinea-Bisau.

Jonathan was quoted as calling on the country’s Armed Forces to embrace total respect for democracy and constitutionalism in the interest of their nation.

“It is no longer fashionable today to see the military parading themselves as the custodians of political power. Rather, it is fashionable for the military to embrace the protection, preservation and total respect for constitutional order and democracy in order to build a prosperous and an egalitarian society,” Jonathan was quoted as saying at the session which was also attended by members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of civil society organisations.

Jonathan, who said he was in Bissau to show solidarity to the Government and people of Guinea Bissau as part of efforts to ensure lasting peace and stability on the African continent, re-stated Nigeria’s condemnation of  recent attacks on the Nigerian Embassy and Nigerians in Guinea Bissau.

He said mischief makers in the country should be discouraged from inciting the public against brotherly Nigerians and Africans.

The President called on the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to bring the perpetrators of the criminal attacks to justice.

“We should be our brothers’ keepers and work hand-in-hand in this era of globalisation so as to reap the fruits that come with it. I want to reassure you that the incident that led to the death of a Nigerian will not deter us from our desire to ensure that peace and stability is restored in Guinea-Bissau,” he told the Parliament.

Jonathan and the 13-hour ASUU romance_naijaswap

When State House correspondents were trekking the about 500 metres distance from their base, the Council Chamber Briefing Room, to the Conference Room of the First Lady’s Office inside the Villa under the scorching sun on Monday, nothing gave them an inkling that they would end up passing the night outside like destitute.

Their destination was the venue of a meeting between President Goodluck  Jonathan and the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities aimed at resolving issues that led to the union’s current industrial action.

By the time we arrived at the venue, members of the union’s delegation were already seated. ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Faggae, led the union team which included past presidents such as Prof. Abdulahi Sule-Kano, Prof. Dipo Fashina and Prof. Festus Iyayi. Other members of the delegation were Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, Prof. Victor  Osodeke, Prof. Suleiman Abdul, Dr. Victor Igbum and Mr. Michael Odunmoraye.

Their countenance was not mistakable. They looked combative. It seemed they had made up their mind ahead of the meeting. It appeared to be fight to the finish for them.

This was further confirmed when the union leaders rejected the snacks provided for them before the arrival of the President. I do not know why they decided to take after the biblical Daniel who made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank. I won’t know whether it was for fear of being poisoned or being blackmailed.

Apart from turning back the stewards who wanted to serve them snacks and juice, the university teachers also avoided the kolanuts, bitter kola, sweets and water that were already on their table before their arrival like a plague.

The Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, who noticed the development asked Faggae why he and his members refused to eat  but the union leader replied that they were fasting. When the minister faulted his fasting claim, Faggae again replied, “We don’t want to eat so that we can save government money for the implementation of the agreement.”

The meeting started at about 2.40pm with the arrival of the President and his retinue of aides that included Vice President Namadi Sambo; Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim; and Minister of Labour, Emeka Wogu, among others.

As customary with meetings of this nature, journalists were asked to leave immediately after the President exchanged handshakes with all members of the delegation and settled down for business. That was however not after he had made it clear to the striking teachers that the issue must be resolved in that meeting.

It is no longer news that the meeting did not end until 3.30am on Tuesday. They only observed a short break around 6.15pm to allow participants to stretch their legs and probably make further consultations.

While Jonathan and members of his team retired into one of the ante-rooms inside the venue of the meeting, the union leaders again showed their distrust for government when they held their consultation inside a white bus parked outside the premises. The Toyota Hiace bus marked Lagos BU 190 EPE was the one used to convey them to the venue. The break and consultation session ended at about 6.50pm.

As the meeting dragged, stewards were seen moving another round of refreshment into the venue. Since we had been locked outside, I could not confirm whether the union leaders who would have been famished by that time finally changed their mind and took part in that refreshment.

While the meeting lasted, it was not an exciting experience for the journalists who were left at the mercy of cold outside the venue where they kept vigil. Some resorted to getting a nap on the tiled floor. That was the sacrifice we were ready to pay for the sake of our younger ones who have been shut out of their schools since July.

By the time they emerged from the meeting, Faggae was still looking combative. He answered questions as if journalists were the cause of the strike. He promised to take the President’s message back to his members who would take a final decision on the matter.

As at the time I was writing this, the union had not made any pronouncement on the industrial action. In case the strike had not been called off at the time you are reading this, I will want Faggae and his members to learn from a short story of the tortoise and his father-in-law narrated to me by my late grand-mother.

The story has it that the usually greedy tortoise sneaked into his father-in-law’s farm in the midnight to steal some tubers of yam and was caught red-handed. The father-in-law decided to punish the tortoise by tying him to a tree beside the road. Other villagers who were on their way to their farms in the morning were full of abuse for the tortoise when they were told of what happened.

However, the story changed when the villagers were returning from their farms in the evening and still met the tortoise serving his punishment. They turned the heat on the father-in-law, saying he had been punished enough and should have been left off the hook. The blame was for the tortoise in the morning while the father-in-law got the blame in the evening. I hope ASUU will read in between the lines of this short story and “do the needful,” apologies to the embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, who has the copyright of that language.

Between compensation and assistance for Boko Haram victims

Journalists left the Villa some minutes after 4am on Tuesday at the end of the ASUU meeting, thinking that they would be spared a few hours to freshen up and rest before returning for the day’s activities.

This was not to be. As early as 10am, members of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North chaired by the Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Taminu Turaki, had started arriving the Villa. The committee was billed to submit its report that day.

Because of the importance of the committee, no journalist would  want to miss that presentation. Jonathan again arrived for the event at about 11am. Politicians don’t sleep, so also are journalists reporting their activities.

What I found interesting (or do I say confusing?) was when the President declared that his government would not compensate victims of violence being orchestrated by Boko Haram but will assist them. I started wondering whether there is any major difference between “compensation” and “assistance.”

“Government is not going to compensate. It is not an issue of compensation but how do we assist people who have suffered to get back to business one way or the other? Government will look into this and other recommendations in your report and see that the right decisions are taken,” he said.

Either he compensates or he assists victims, the point remains that something ( I think cash) will go their way. All na grammar, a friend of mine will say.

people in world history_Aristotle-Naijaswap

I.

INTRODUCTION

	Aristotle

	Aristotle A student of ancient Greek philosopher Plato, Aristotle shared his teacher’s reverence for human knowledge but revised many of Plato’s ideas by emphasizing methods rooted in observation and experience. Aristotle surveyed and systematized nearly all the extant branches of knowledge and provided the first ordered accounts of biology, psychology, physics, and literary theory. In addition, Aristotle invented the field known as formal logic, pioneered zoology, and addressed virtually every major philosophical problem known during his time. Known to medieval intellectuals as simply “the Philosopher,” Aristotle is possibly the greatest thinker in Western history and, historically, perhaps the single greatest influence on Western intellectual development. Encarta Encyclopedia Corbis
	Full Size

Aristotle (384-322 bc), Greek philosopher and scientist, who shares with Plato and Socrates the distinction of being the most famous of ancient philosophers.

Aristotle was born at Stagira, in Macedonia, the son of a physician to the royal court. At the age of 17, he went to Athens to study at Plato's Academy. He remained there for about 20 years, as a student and then as a teacher.

	Raphael’s School of Athens

	Raphael’s School of Athens The School of Athens (1510-1511) by Italian Renaissance painter Raphael adorns a room in the Vatican Palace. The artist depicts several philosophers of classical antiquity and portrays each with a distinctive gesture, conveying complex ideas in simple images. In the center of the composition, Plato and Aristotle dominate the scene. Plato points upward to the world of ideas, where he believes knowledge lies, whereas Aristotle holds his forearm parallel to the earth, stressing observation of the world around us as the source of understanding. In addition, Raphael draws comparisons with his illustrious contemporaries, giving Plato the face of the Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci, and Heraclitus, who rests his elbow on a large marble block, the face of the Renaissance sculptor Michelangelo. Euclid, bending down at the right, resembles the Renaissance architect Bramante. Raphael paints his own portrait on the young man in a black beret at the far right. In accordance with Renaissance ideas, artists belong to the ranks of the learned and the fine arts have the stature and merit of the written word. Encarta Encyclopedia © Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
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When Plato died in 347 bc, Aristotle moved to Assos, a city in Asia Minor, where a friend of his, Hermias, was ruler. There he counseled Hermias and married his niece and adopted daughter, Pythias. After Hermias was captured and executed by the Persians in 345 bc, Aristotle went to Pella, the Macedonian capital, where he became the tutor of the king's young son Alexander, later known as Alexander the Great. In 335, when Alexander became king, Aristotle returned to Athens and established his own school, the Lyceum. Because much of the discussion in his school took place while teachers and students were walking about the Lyceum grounds, Aristotle's school came to be known as the Peripatetic (“walking” or “strolling”) school. Upon the death of Alexander in 323 bc, strong anti-Macedonian feeling developed in Athens, and Aristotle retired to a family estate in Euboea (Évvoia). He died there the following year.

II.

WORKS

Aristotle, like Plato, made regular use of the dialogue in his earliest years at the Academy, but lacking Plato's imaginative gifts, he probably never found the form congenial. Apart from a few fragments in the works of later writers, his dialogues have been wholly lost. Aristotle also wrote some short technical notes, such as a dictionary of philosophic terms and a summary of the doctrines of Pythagoras. Of these, only a few brief excerpts have survived. Still extant, however, are Aristotle's lecture notes for carefully outlined courses treating almost every branch of knowledge and art. The texts on which Aristotle's reputation rests are largely based on these lecture notes, which were collected and arranged by later editors.

Among the texts are treatises on logic, called Organon (“instrument”), because they provide the means by which positive knowledge is to be attained. His works on natural science include Physics, which gives a vast amount of information on astronomy, meteorology, plants, and animals. His writings on the nature, scope, and properties of being, which Aristotle called First Philosophy (Protē philosophia), were given the title Metaphysics in the first published edition of his works (60? bc), because in that edition they followed Physics. His treatment of the Prime Mover, or first cause, as pure intellect, perfect in unity, immutable, and, as he said, “the thought of thought,” is given in the Metaphysics. To his son Nicomachus he dedicated his work on ethics, called the Nicomachean Ethics. Other essential works include his Rhetoric, his Poetics (which survives in incomplete form), and his Politics (also incomplete).

III.

METHODS

Perhaps because of the influence of his father's medical profession, Aristotle's philosophy laid its principal stress on biology, in contrast to Plato's emphasis on mathematics. Aristotle regarded the world as made up of individuals (substances) occurring in fixed natural kinds (species). Each individual has its built-in specific pattern of development and grows toward proper self-realization as a specimen of its type. Growth, purpose, and direction are thus built into nature. Although science studies general kinds, according to Aristotle, these kinds find their existence in particular individuals. Science and philosophy must therefore balance, not simply choose between, the claims of empiricism (observation and sense experience) and formalism (rational deduction).

One of the most distinctive of Aristotle's philosophic contributions was a new notion of causality. Each thing or event, he thought, has more than one “reason” that helps to explain what, why, and where it is. Earlier Greek thinkers had tended to assume that only one sort of cause can be really explanatory; Aristotle proposed four. (The word Aristotle uses, aition, “a responsible, explanatory factor” is not synonymous with the word cause in its modern sense.)

These four causes are the material cause, the matter out of which a thing is made; the efficient cause, the source of motion, generation, or change; the formal cause, which is the species, kind, or type; and the final cause, the goal, or full development, of an individual, or the intended function of a construction or invention. Thus, a young lion is made up of tissues and organs, its material cause; the efficient cause is its parents, who generated it; the formal cause is its species, lion; and its final cause is its built-in drive toward becoming a mature specimen. In different contexts, while the causes are the same four, they apply analogically. Thus, the material cause of a statue is the marble from which it was carved; the efficient cause is the sculptor; the formal cause is the shape the sculptor realized—Hermes, perhaps, or Aphrodite; and the final cause is its function, to be a work of fine art.

In each context, Aristotle insists that something can be better understood when its causes can be stated in specific terms rather than in general terms. Thus, it is more informative to know that a sculptor made the statue than to know that an artist made it; and even more informative to know that Polycleitus chiseled it rather than simply that a sculptor did so.

Aristotle thought his causal pattern was the ideal key for organizing knowledge. His lecture notes present impressive evidence of the power of this scheme.

IV.

DOCTRINES

Some of the principal aspects of Aristotle's thought can be seen in the following summary of his doctrines, or theories.

A.

Physics, or Natural Philosophy

In astronomy, Aristotle proposed a finite, spherical universe, with the earth at its center. The central region is made up of four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. In Aristotle's physics, each of these four elements has a proper place, determined by its relative heaviness, its “specific gravity.” Each moves naturally in a straight line—earth down, fire up—toward its proper place, where it will be at rest. Thus, terrestrial motion is always linear and always comes to a halt. The heavens, however, move naturally and endlessly in a complex circular motion. The heavens, therefore, must be made of a fifth, and different element, which he called aither. A superior element, aither is incapable of any change other than change of place in a circular movement. Aristotle's theory that linear motion always takes place through a resisting medium is in fact valid for all observable terrestrial motions. He also held that heavier bodies of a given material fall faster than lighter ones when their shapes are the same, a mistaken view that was accepted as fact until the Italian physicist and astronomer Galileo conducted his experiment with weights dropped from the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

B.

Biology

In zoology, Aristotle proposed a fixed set of natural kinds (“species”), each reproducing true to type. An exception occurs, Aristotle thought, when some “very low” worms and flies come from rotting fruit or manure by “spontaneous generation.” The typical life cycles are epicycles: The same pattern repeats, but through a linear succession of individuals. These processes are therefore intermediate between the changeless circles of the heavens and the simple linear movements of the terrestrial elements. The species form a scale from simple (worms and flies at the bottom) to complex (human beings at the top), but evolution is not possible.

C.

Aristotelian Psychology

For Aristotle, psychology was a study of the soul. Insisting that form (the essence, or unchanging characteristic element in an object) and matter (the common undifferentiated substratum of things) always exist together, Aristotle defined a soul as a “kind of functioning of a body organized so that it can support vital functions.” In considering the soul as essentially associated with the body, he challenged the Pythagorean doctrine that the soul is a spiritual entity imprisoned in the body. Aristotle's doctrine is a synthesis of the earlier notion that the soul does not exist apart from the body and of the Platonic notion of a soul as a separate, nonphysical entity. Whether any part of the human soul is immortal, and, if so, whether its immortality is personal, are not entirely clear in his treatise On the Soul.

Through the functioning of the soul, the moral and intellectual aspects of humanity are developed. Aristotle argued that human insight in its highest form (nous poetikos, “active mind”) is not reducible to a mechanical physical process. Such insight, however, presupposes an individual “passive mind” that does not appear to transcend physical nature. Aristotle clearly stated the relationship between human insight and the senses in what has become a slogan of empiricism—the view that knowledge is grounded in sense experience. “There is nothing in the intellect,” he wrote, “that was not first in the senses.”

D.

Ethics

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HISTORIC SPEECHES

From the Nicomachean Ethics

The Nicomachean Ethics, by ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, examines the nature of eudaimonia, or happiness. The philosopher identifies happiness with goodness, but the problem of defining goodness then arises. This excerpt from Book I of the Ethics, consisting of chapters 5, 6, and 7, discusses the nature of happiness and asserts that human happiness derives from “self-sufficiency,” by which Aristotle means the application of reason to fulfill one’s innate abilities.

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It seemed to Aristotle that the individual's freedom of choice made an absolutely accurate analysis of human affairs impossible. “Practical science,” then, such as politics or ethics, was called science only by courtesy and analogy. The inherent limitations on practical science are made clear in Aristotle's concepts of human nature and self-realization. Human nature certainly involves, for everyone, a capacity for forming habits; but the habits that a particular individual forms depend on that individual's culture and repeated personal choices. All human beings want “happiness,” an active, engaged realization of their innate capacities, but this goal can be achieved in a multiplicity of ways.

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is an analysis of character and intelligence as they relate to happiness. Aristotle distinguished two kinds of “virtue,” or human excellence: moral and intellectual. Moral virtue is an expression of character, formed by habits reflecting repeated choices. A moral virtue is always a mean between two less desirable extremes. Courage, for example, is a mean between cowardice and thoughtless rashness; generosity, between extravagance and parsimony. Intellectual virtues are not subject to this doctrine of the mean. Aristotle argued for an elitist ethics: Full excellence can be realized only by the mature male adult of the upper class, not by women, or children, or barbarians (non-Greeks), or salaried “mechanics” (manual workers) for whom, indeed, Aristotle did not want to allow voting rights.

In politics, many forms of human association can obviously be found; which one is suitable depends on circumstances, such as the natural resources, cultural traditions, industry, and literacy of each community. Aristotle did not regard politics as a study of ideal states in some abstract form, but rather as an examination of the way in which ideals, laws, customs, and property interrelate in actual cases. He thus approved the contemporary institution of slavery but tempered his acceptance by insisting that masters should not abuse their authority, since the interests of master and slave are the same. The Lyceum library contained a collection of 158 constitutions of the Greek and other states. Aristotle himself wrote the Constitution of Athens as part of the collection, and after being lost, this description was rediscovered in a papyrus copy in 1890. Historians have found the work of great value in reconstructing many phases of the history of Athens.

E.

Logic

In logic, Aristotle developed rules for chains of reasoning that would, if followed, never lead from true premises to false conclusions (validity rules). In reasoning, the basic links are syllogisms: pairs of propositions that, taken together, give a new conclusion. For example, “All humans are mortal” and “All Greeks are humans” yield the valid conclusion “All Greeks are mortal.” Science results from constructing more complex systems of reasoning. In his logic, Aristotle distinguished between dialectic and analytic. Dialectic, he held, only tests opinions for their logical consistency; analytic works deductively from principles resting on experience and precise observation. This is clearly an intended break with Plato's Academy, where dialectic was supposed to be the only proper method for science and philosophy alike.

F.

Metaphysics

In his metaphysics, Aristotle argued for the existence of a divine being, described as the Prime Mover, who is responsible for the unity and purposefulness of nature. God is perfect and therefore the aspiration of all things in the world, because all things desire to share perfection. Other movers exist as well—the intelligent movers of the planets and stars (Aristotle suggested that the number of these is “either 55 or 47”). The Prime Mover, or God, described by Aristotle is not very suitable for religious purposes, as many later philosophers and theologians have observed. Aristotle limited his “theology,” however, to what he believed science requires and can establish.

V.

INFLUENCE

Aristotle's works were lost in the West after the decline of Rome. During the 9th century ad, Arab scholars introduced Aristotle, in Arabic translation, to the Islamic world (see Islam). The 12th-century Spanish-Arab philosopher Averroës is the best known of the Arabic scholars who studied and commented on Aristotle. In the 13th century, the Latin West renewed its interest in Aristotle's work, and Saint Thomas Aquinas found in it a philosophical foundation for Christian thought. Church officials at first questioned Aquinas's use of Aristotle; in the early stages of its rediscovery, Aristotle's philosophy was regarded with some suspicion, largely because his teachings were thought to lead to a materialistic view of the world. Nevertheless, the work of Aquinas was accepted, and the later philosophy of scholasticism continued the philosophical tradition based on Aquinas's adaptation of Aristotelian thought.

The influence of Aristotle's philosophy has been pervasive; it has even helped to shape modern language and common sense. His doctrine of the Prime Mover as final cause played an important role in theology. Until the 20th century, logic meant Aristotle's logic. Until the Renaissance, and even later, astronomers and poets alike admired his concept of the universe. Zoology rested on Aristotle's work until British scientist Charles Darwin modified the doctrine of the changelessness of species in the 19th century. In the 20th century a new appreciation has developed of Aristotle's method and its relevance to education, literary criticism, the analysis of human action, and political analysis.

Not only the discipline of zoology, but also the world of learning as a whole, seems to amply justify Darwin's remark that the intellectual heroes of his own time “were mere schoolboys compared to old Aristotle.”