#FreeNnamdiKanu

http://www.thebiafratimes.co/2....016/08/nnamdi-kanu-l

Central Bank Of Nigeria’s Decision To Sell Subsidized Forex To Pilgrims Will Cost N7.6 Billion

The Central Bank of Nigeria has issued circular notice instructing commercial banks to sell dollars to Pilgrims going to the Hajj at an exchange rate of N197.

The Central Bank explains that the sale of the forex will be funneled through commercial banks who are then mandated to sell to pilgrims at N197. Pilgrims are expected to purchase a minimum of $750 and a maximum of $1000 per pilgrim. The circular also reveals there are a total of 65,197 Pilgrims, thus the CBN will sell as much as $65,197,000 assuming every Pilgrim buys as much as $1000 each.

Nigeria’s official exchange rate closed at about N315 which suggest that this sale could cost Nigerian tax payers about N7, 693, 246,000 in exchange rate loss (based on 315 -197=118).

MY THOUGHTS:

How on earth will a government prioritize religion over the economic growth of the nation? What values has this Pilgrimage brought to this country. None, instead we keep spending billions on something that has no economic value to the country.

If this policy has been channeled to the Manufacturers, do they know how it would have helped the country come out of its present woes, do they know how many people they would have helped to revive their business. Today, businesses are been crippled down because of the harsh forex policy of the Federal Government, Forex is scarce, when you find anyone they are too expensive to get. But the Government deemed it fit to subsidize this same Forex for people going on Pilgrimage to either Mecca or Jerusalem, something that adds no value to the economy. This pilgrims even come back worst than they were when they travelled.

I think this country is not serious about revitalizing the economy; the people there at the Central Bank of Nigeria are highly incompetent for coming up with such an Idiotic policy. What kind of segregation is this? A parent cannot afford to send school fees to their wards schooling abroad because of scarcity of Forex, a manufacturer cannot afford to import tools for production because of scarcity of Forex, a businessman cannot afford to buys good and services abroad because of scarcity of Forex; yet a Pilgrim going on Pilgrimage without adding any value to the country is giving preferential treatment over others (the real economic boosters) because someone at the top values religion over the economic well being of the country. Too bad!!!



CONCLUSION:

Until we begin to pay more attention to the wellbeing of this country and on how to improve the economic decay of this country, instead of thinking on Religion divides, this country will continue to go downwards.

Anything about Pilgrimage to either Mecca or Jerusalem should be a private business, either the Mosques or Churches should sponsor them, the government should stop sponsoring of Religious activities because this country is a SECULAR STATE, though I still have my doubt about that because of the imbalance of our CONSTITUTION.

A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE!!!!

DEVELOPES COUNTRIES LEARN FROM MISTAKES, BUT THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES KEEP DWELLING ON THEIR PAST MISTAKES, HENCE MAKING THE SAME MISTAKES THEIR FOUNDING FATHERS MADE!!!

I REST MY CASE!!!!

Abuja Bureau Chief ABUJA — The United States of America has warned its citizens against travelling to 20 states in Nigeria due to security concerns. According to the travel advice on the Department of State’s website, the North-Eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, where the Boko Haram terrorists were more brutal, topped the list.



It read: “The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travelling to Nigeria and recommends that U.S. citizens avoid all travel to Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states because the security situation in northeast Nigeria remains fluid and unpredictable.The Department of State strongly urges U.S. citizens in Nigeria to consider their own personal security and to keep personal safety in the forefront of their travel planning. This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Warning for Nigeria dated February 5, 2016.



“The ability of the Mission to provide assistance to U.S. citizens in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states remains severely limited. The Department recommends against all but essential travel to the following states due to the risk of kidnappings, robberies, and other armed attacks: Bauchi, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, and Zamfara. “The Department also warns against travel in the Gulf of Guinea because of the threat of piracy. Based on safety and security risk assessments, the Embassy maintains restrictions for travel by U.S. officials to the states listed above; officials must receive advance clearance by the U.S. Mission for any travel to those states.



“The U.S. Mission advises all U.S. citizens to be particularly vigilant around government security facilities; churches, mosques, and other places of worship; locations where large crowds may gather, such as hotels, clubs, bars, restaurants, markets, shopping malls; and other areas frequented by expatriates and foreign travelers.

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By Biafra Reporters

8 hrs ·

FROM CHANGE TO RESTRUCTURE NIGERIA, ALL WE WANT IS BIAFRA
The political cabals in Nigeria are at it again, with their cries of deception in order to garner attention and empathy from the people. It is laughable that the likes of…
WWW.THEBIAFRATELEGRAPH.CO|BY XXXXX

By Tim Tochukwu

For Biafra Choice Writers



Biafrans have once again picked holes with the claims of Nigerian military, on its operations in the past one week. The military had been claiming it was successfully bombarded militant camps in the creeks of Western and Eastern parts of Nigeria. But Biafran people are challenging that claim saying the military should show photographs of militants they have been killing in the operations.

Biafrans took this position in support of a recent statement from Niger Delta Avengers’ (NDA) spokesperson, General Agbinibo, who described the Nigeria military actions as unprofessional war games.

Indeed, it was the NDA which first castigated the Nigerian military, for claiming to have bombed and taken out militant camps when it was actually bombing women and children. Challenging the military to show pictures of the militants it had killed, Agbinibo said “we are sure they won’t share the images of militants killed because there is none except innocent women and children”.

Going further, Agbinibo said Nigerian military and Nigerian government was promoting lies with the intent to intimidate the NDA, but declared that NDA was not intimidated. He the military and Nigerian authorities “think they can intimidate NDA with those scrap jet bombers”. Describing the jets as fourth generation aircrafts, he said: “They can deploy fourth generation jet bombers that will not stop us fighting for our people.”

For many Biafrans who spoke in support of the NDA, they said Nigeria was a country of lies, which have never told its citizens one single truth throughout its years of existence. Terry Karibo, an IPOB member in Bayelsa, was among the most vocal who commented on the development. He said the military was only playing mind games to deceive its gullible citizens: “Throughout the time they were making those claims, I was busy laughing. Told my comrades that they were playing mind games with those monkeys and baboons they called citizens. Of course, they were lying, what they best is to lie. They took their so-called fighters and bombers to Lagos and Ogun states, and they were telling the people they were killing militants. Don’t they know where the freedom-fighters are? They should go there and bomb, then come to telling stories of bombing. They could not even show pictures of the militants they killed. Shameless Nigerians!”



Continuing, Karibo went on to wonder why people thought that Nigerian military, which bombed churches, hospitals, bus and train stations, during Biafra/Nigeria war, could change today to bomb real targets. he said that the best the military could do, apart from killing women and children would be to bomb illegal bunkering sites

"What does the Bible say
about courage?"
Answer: In the Bible, courage is also called
“good cheer” as in Mark 6:50 when Jesus
gave the command to the disciples who
saw Him walking on the water of the Sea of
Galilee and coming toward them. The Greek
word translated “courage” and “good
cheer” means literally “boldness and
confidence.” In the Bible, courage is the
opposite of fear. When God commands us
to fear not, to be of good cheer, and to
have courage, He is always commanding
against fear, which is the opposite of
courage.
But God doesn’t simply command courage
with no reason behind it. In nearly every
incident where God says “fear not,” there
follows a reason to have courage, and that
reason is God Himself, His nature and His
perfect plans. When God calms Abram’s
fears after his battle with the kings of
Sodom, the captivity of Lot and his rescue,
God says, “Fear not, [for] I am your
shield” ( Genesis 15:1 ). When Hagar was
despairing for her life and that of her child
in the wilderness, the angel of the Lord
tells her, “Fear not, for God has heard the
voice of the boy where he is” ( Genesis
21:17 ). God’s promise to the Israelites in
Isaiah 41:14 is similar: “Fear not [for]…I am
the One who helps you.” In each incident,
we see God commanding courage, not
because it is natural for man to be brave
and courageous, but because, when God is
protecting and guiding us, we can have
courage because we are confident in Him.
In the New Testament, we see the angel of
the Lord telling Mary to have courage to
face the trial of being pregnant with Jesus
by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit,
despite having no husband. Again, the
reason for her courage is that the almighty
God controls all things: “Do not fear…for
you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30 ).
The shepherds are similarly commanded to
be of good cheer and have courage by the
angel who brought good tidings of great joy
( Luke 2:10 ), and Zacharias was told not to
fear, for his prayer had been heard (Luke
1:13 ). In each incident, the courage
commanded is the result of understanding
the foreknowledge and sovereignty of God,
whose plans and purposes cannot be
thwarted and whose omnipotence makes
every circumstance of life subservient to His
will.
God’s promises to us have the same
rationale. We can be confident,
courageous, and of good cheer because of
Him. “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of
the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the
LORD will be your confidence and will keep
your foot from being snared” ( Proverbs
3:25-26 ). Here is the promise of God’s
superintending care for us, a care that is
absent from the lives of those who reject
Him. But for those who have placed their
faith in Christ for salvation, we are to have
no fear because “it is your Father’s good
pleasure to give you the kingdom” ( Luke
12:32 ). In this great promise lies the basis
of our confidence, our courage, and our
good cheer.