You'll never catch a successful person saying, "It's not fair."
Over 2,500 years ago, philosopher and poet Lao Tzu taught that our words become
actions, which eventually become our destiny.
In first century Greece, historian and essayist Plutarch declared that a speaker's state of mind, character, and disposition are exposed through their words. And Napoleon Hill, the twentieth century father of personal success literature, asserts that words plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.
"Across the planet, sages insist that words are potent and should be chosen and spoken with care, for they are 'the most powerful drug used by mankind,' as Rudyard Kipling warns," says Darlene Price, president of Well Said, Inc., and author of "Well Said! Presentations and Conversations That Get Results." "If they're right, it stands to reason that what we say to ourselves and others plays a critical role in helping us achieve success."
Regardless of how you may define success, words will help manifest that vision into reality.
"There are also words and phrases that can damage your self-image, mar your reputation, and jeopardize your success," Price says. "To optimize your success, eliminate this language from your vocabulary and never speak it to yourself or another person."
Here are 17 phrases successful people never say:
"I have no choice," or, "I had no choice."
"Successful people always see the options, regardless of the circumstances," Price says. "To say we have no choice in the matter implies that we perceive ourselves as a victim; that we are less powerful than our environment." These weak words relieve the speaker of all responsibility.
Successful people say: "I have a choice," "Here are our options," or, "Let's imagine all the possibilities." They know that claiming and exercising the power to choose is the first step toward achieving their goals, she says.
"I should have," or, "I could have."
The words "should," "could," and "ought" imply regret, blame, finger-pointing, and fault, whether you say them to yourself or another person. "Successful people don't wallow in the past, and they rarely regret a decision or action," says Price. "Even if it's deemed a failure by others, they accept it as a learning experience that gets them one step closer to their goal."
Similarly, they avoid: "You should have," and, "You could have." "There's no quicker way to upset a boss, colleague, or customer than to suggest they're guilty of something (even if they are)." Instead, take a collaborative approach. Say, "Please help me understand why…" or, "Next time may we adopt an alternative approach…"
"I can't do that," or, "That's impossible," or, "That can't be done."
Not only are these words self-limiting, others perceive them as pessimistic, unconstructive, even defeatist, Price explains. "Achievers know there are countless roadblocks on the road to success — barriers that may stall or stump, but never stop them." They either remove the barrier, or figure out a way to go over, under, or around it.
The words "can't" or "impossible" rarely enter the minds of successful people.
"Instead of throwing in the towel," Price says, "they speak in terms of alternative ways to get the work accomplished: 'What I can do is...' 'I'm sure there's a way to...' 'Instead of ___, let's try___.'"
As the great industrialist Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't — you're right."
"That's not my job," or, "I don't get paid enough for this," or, "That's not my problem."
Successful people help others succeed.
As billionaire Warren Buffett says, "Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago."
"Think of 'planting trees' as your job," Price says. "If you're asked to do something by your boss, coworker, or a customer, it's because it's important to them. Therefore, as a team player, goal No. 1 is to figure out how to help them get it accomplished."
Even if it's not in your job description, by saying so displays a career-limiting bad attitude. Even if your boss lays an unreasonable request on your desk, reply positively by saying, "Sure, I'll be glad to help you accomplish that. Given my current tasks of A, B, and C, which one of these would you like to place on back-burner while I work on this new assignment?"
"This response clearly communicates a prioritized workload, alongside a willing attitude to help," she says.
"But we've always done it that way," or, "That's not the way we do it here."
Successful people are passionate about innovation, finding a better way of doing something. In fact, Steve Jobs said, "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." For this reason, effective managers value employees who demonstrate creative thinking, flexibility, and problem-solving skill, Price explains.
"These phrases, in one fell swoop, reveal you are the opposite: stuck in the past, inflexible, and closed-minded," she says. "Even if you disagree with someone's idea, say instead, 'Wow, that's an interesting idea. How would that work?' Or, 'That's a different approach. Let's discuss the pros and cons.'"
"It's not fair."
She got a raise, you didn't. He was recognized, you weren't. That department is receiving funding, yours isn't. "Injustices happen on the job and in the world every day," she says. "Successful people are proactive about issues versus reactive. Instead of complaining or whining, take action: document the facts, build a case, and present an intelligent argument to the person or group that can help you."
"He's a jerk," or, "She's lazy," or, "My job stinks," or, "I hate this company."
Successful people avoid words of judgment, insult, and negativity, says Price.
"Regardless of your feelings or the circumstances, avoid making unconstructive or judgmental statements that convey a negative attitude toward people or your job." If a genuine complaint or issue needs to be brought to someone's attention, do so with well-documented facts, tact, consideration, and neutrality.
"Nothing tanks a career faster than name-calling or mudslinging," she says. "Not only does it reveal juvenile immaturity, it's language that may be libel and fire-able." Successful people choose words carefully to state observable facts and avoid disparaging language.
Think positive at all time.
Monday, 28 July 2014
Bakare wants FG to apologise to Boko Haram over killing of leader
Lagos—CONVENER of the Save Nigeria Group, SNG, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has said one of the ways to end Boko Haram insurgency is for the Federal Government to apologise to members of the sect over the murder of their leader, Mohammed Yusuf, in 2009.
He, however, said last Wednesday’s attack on former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari’s convoy in Kaduna State is an indication that bombing in the country is taking a new dimension.
Bakare, who is the Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, spoke during a state of the nation address at a church service in Lagos.
Proffering ways of ending the Boko Haram insurgency, Bakare said there was need for “updating and strengthening of military capability, creation of jobs and enhanced welfare to discourage recruits of the sect, diplomatic engagement with the international community, creation of an atmosphere of political inclusion rather than exclusion, among others. We need a strong and well coordinated approach to terrorism.”
Bakare, who was Buhari’s Vice-Presidential running mate in the 2011 presidential elections, said “but for the timely intervention of God, last week’s assassination attempt on General Muhamadu Buhari might have marked the beginning of the end for Nigeria if it had succeeded. We will not also ignore the fact that at the root of the escalation of the Boko Haram crisis was oppression and injustice.
”The summary execution of the Boko Haram’s former leader, Mohammed Yusuf in 2009 provided the soil of martyrdom for the nurture and growth of the sect. Government must declare peace first of all; apologising for the murder of Mohammed Yusuf to the sect members not their sympathisers or bandits.”
Boko Haram attacks Cameroun
Maiduguri — Nigeria’s neighbour, Cameroon, yesterday, came under attack from Boko Haram Islamic sect as the terrorists launched an offensive on the home of Cameroon’s vice Prime Minister, Amadou Ali, abducting his wife and killing three others in the northern town of Kolofata.
boko-abducted-girls
A local religious leader and mayor, Seini Boukar_Lamine, was also kidnapped in a separate attack on his home.
According to Cameroon=s Information Minister, Issa Tchiroma told Reuters news agency yesterday that, “I can confirm that the home of Vice Prime Minister Amadou_Ali in Kolofata came under a savage attack from Boko Haram_militants. They unfortunately took away his wife. They also attacked the lamido’s (religious leader’s) residence and he was also kidnapped,” he said, adding that at least three people were killed in the attack.
Boko Haram fighters clashed with the Cameroonian army in cross‑border attacks twice since Friday, killing four soldiers.
Cameroon has deployed more than 1,000 soldiers along its border to help combat the Nigerian armed group.
In May, Boko Haram kidnapped 10 Chinese workers from northern Cameroon._
A massive assault last week by Boko Haram in which the group took control of northeast Nigerian town of Damboa displaced more than 15,000 people.
Meanwhile, two persons suspected to be residents of Damboa community taking refuge amongst the over 10,000 displaced persons in Shaffa District of Hawul Local Government Area of Borno state were slaughtered weekend by gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram sect.
Sources in Shaffa explained that the attackers who also went away with two Pickup vans belonging to residents of the area. removed the heads of the deceased and placed them on their chest before fleeing without confrontation.
Another source added that the attackers who after slaughtering their victims also warned residents including the Traditional ruler in Shaffa to desist from accommodating any Damboa refugees or risk deadly attacks.
It will be recalled that multiple attacks on Damboa Local Government Area of the state which claimed the lives of the Commanding Officer of 195 Battalion, a Divisional Police Officer, DPO five policemen and 16 soldiers as well as many civilians led to the sacking of thousands of residents who fled to different locations, while others were taking refuge in designated camps in Biu and Maiduguri metropolis.
Speaking further on the attack on two of the refugees, a top politician from Shaffa who did not want his name to be mentioned in print for security reason, told our Correspondent that “the gunmen did not touch any residents of Shaffa as they only traced their victims and killed them before firing sporadic gunshots in the air warning people especially the traditional ruler (name withheld) to stop receiving or accommodation any Damboa fleeing victim or risk attacks on his community”.
It was also gathered that the gunmen before fleeing Shaffa told residents that they (terrorists) have vowed to hunt any fleeing Damboa refugee and kill, alleging that the people of Damboa were their enemies who were against their mission.
Ebola: Arik Air suspends flights to Liberia, Sierra Leone
We were under pressure to release victim – Hospital
By Sola Ogundipe, Olasunkanmi Akoni, Lawani Mikairu, Daniel Eteghe & Gabriel Olawale
Lagos—Arik Air yesterday said it had suspended flight operations to Liberia and Sierra Leone following the death last week, of a Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, of the dreaded Ebola disease, even as it advised that all inbound flights into Nigeria from any of the Ebola affected countries be immediately suspended by the Federal Government.
Sawyer flew into Nigeria onboard Asky Airline to attend an ECOWAS conference in Calabar, Cross River State.
This came as First Consultants Medical Centre Ltd, Obalende, Lagos, the hospital where the first Ebola victim in Nigeria died, said it was under serious pressure to release the victim.
Confirming the suspension of the flights yesterday, Arik Air General Manager, Public Relations, Mr Ola Adebanji said “As a result of the first Ebola virus death officially confirmed in Lagos, and involving a Liberian national who flew on a foreign (non-Nigerian) based airline from Monrovia via Lome (Togo) into the city last week, Arik Air will be suspending operations into Monrovia (Liberia) and Freetown (Sierra Leone) effective July 28, 2014.”
“The suspension will be in force until further notice. This decision is a pre-cautionary measure aimed at safeguarding the precious lives of Nigerians. Arik Air is taking this important measure as a concerned corporate citizen bearing interest of Nigerians at heart.“
According to him, the airline acknowledged steps the Federal Government of Nigeria was currently taking to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, saying “however, we feel compelled to take the decision to immediately suspend services into the two Ebola affected countries due to our interest in the well being of Nigerians.”
He explained that at the early stages of the development across West Africa, the Gambian government took the proactive decision to stop airlines, including Arik Air, from bringing inbound passengers from Monrovia, Conakry, Guinea, and Freetown into Banjul.
Adebanji added “Hence, in line with the actions taken by the Gambian Government, we trust, and are confident, that the Federal Government of Nigeria shall take all steps necessary to control and curtail the spread of the virus. We humbly suggest that as a first step, all inbound flights into Nigeria, originating from any of the Ebola-affected countries, be immediately suspended.”
Meanwhile, First Consultants Medical Centre Ltd, Obalende, Lagos, the hospital where the first Ebola victim in Nigeria died, has spoken out on the circumstances surrounding the incident.
In a statement by the hospital’s Chief Consultant/ Medical Director, Dr B.N. Ohiaeri and the Senior Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist, Dr. A.S. Adadevoh, it said the hospital was under pressure to release the victim.
According to the statement, “He was fully conscious and gave his clinical history and told us he was a senior diplomat from Liberia. We refused to let him out of the hospital in spite of intense pressure as we were told he was a senior ECOWAS official who had an important role to play at the ECOWAS convention in Calabar. The initial test result from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital laboratory indicated a signal of possible Ebola Virus Disease, but required confirmation.
“We then took the further step of reaching out to senior officials in the office of the Secretary of Health of the United States of America, who promptly assisted us with contacts at the Centre for Disease Control and World Health Organisation regional laboratory centre in Senegal. Jointly working with the state, Federal agencies and international agencies, we were able to obtain confirmation of Ebola Virus Disease (Zaire strain). The gentleman subsequently died on Friday at 6.50am (25th July, 2014).”
Following the death of the patient, the duo said there was “orderly temporary shutdown of the hospital with immediate evacuation of in-house patients. This was followed by appropriate professional removal of the body and its incineration under WHO guidelines witnessed by all appropriate agencies,” noting that the reopening of the hospital would also be in accordance with WHO guidelines.
The statement added that in keeping with World Health Organisation guideline, the hospital had been shut down briefly for full decontamination.
Meanwhile, a cross section of Lagos residents has urged the state and federal governments to spread their dragnet nationwide to ensure that all the co- passengers aboard the Asky aircraft that brought the victim to Nigeria are quickly located and screened for the virus.
Speaking to Vanguard at the departure wing of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, a middle-aged man, who identified himself as Olukayode, said it was not good enough for the co-passengers to have been allowed to go away without ensuring their health had not been compromised.
Another passenger who pleaded anonymity said screening of people should have been adopted earlier to stop the spread of the disease.
By Sola Ogundipe, Olasunkanmi Akoni, Lawani Mikairu, Daniel Eteghe & Gabriel Olawale
Lagos—Arik Air yesterday said it had suspended flight operations to Liberia and Sierra Leone following the death last week, of a Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, of the dreaded Ebola disease, even as it advised that all inbound flights into Nigeria from any of the Ebola affected countries be immediately suspended by the Federal Government.
Sawyer flew into Nigeria onboard Asky Airline to attend an ECOWAS conference in Calabar, Cross River State.
This came as First Consultants Medical Centre Ltd, Obalende, Lagos, the hospital where the first Ebola victim in Nigeria died, said it was under serious pressure to release the victim.
Confirming the suspension of the flights yesterday, Arik Air General Manager, Public Relations, Mr Ola Adebanji said “As a result of the first Ebola virus death officially confirmed in Lagos, and involving a Liberian national who flew on a foreign (non-Nigerian) based airline from Monrovia via Lome (Togo) into the city last week, Arik Air will be suspending operations into Monrovia (Liberia) and Freetown (Sierra Leone) effective July 28, 2014.”
“The suspension will be in force until further notice. This decision is a pre-cautionary measure aimed at safeguarding the precious lives of Nigerians. Arik Air is taking this important measure as a concerned corporate citizen bearing interest of Nigerians at heart.“
According to him, the airline acknowledged steps the Federal Government of Nigeria was currently taking to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, saying “however, we feel compelled to take the decision to immediately suspend services into the two Ebola affected countries due to our interest in the well being of Nigerians.”
He explained that at the early stages of the development across West Africa, the Gambian government took the proactive decision to stop airlines, including Arik Air, from bringing inbound passengers from Monrovia, Conakry, Guinea, and Freetown into Banjul.
Adebanji added “Hence, in line with the actions taken by the Gambian Government, we trust, and are confident, that the Federal Government of Nigeria shall take all steps necessary to control and curtail the spread of the virus. We humbly suggest that as a first step, all inbound flights into Nigeria, originating from any of the Ebola-affected countries, be immediately suspended.”
Meanwhile, First Consultants Medical Centre Ltd, Obalende, Lagos, the hospital where the first Ebola victim in Nigeria died, has spoken out on the circumstances surrounding the incident.
In a statement by the hospital’s Chief Consultant/ Medical Director, Dr B.N. Ohiaeri and the Senior Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist, Dr. A.S. Adadevoh, it said the hospital was under pressure to release the victim.
According to the statement, “He was fully conscious and gave his clinical history and told us he was a senior diplomat from Liberia. We refused to let him out of the hospital in spite of intense pressure as we were told he was a senior ECOWAS official who had an important role to play at the ECOWAS convention in Calabar. The initial test result from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital laboratory indicated a signal of possible Ebola Virus Disease, but required confirmation.
“We then took the further step of reaching out to senior officials in the office of the Secretary of Health of the United States of America, who promptly assisted us with contacts at the Centre for Disease Control and World Health Organisation regional laboratory centre in Senegal. Jointly working with the state, Federal agencies and international agencies, we were able to obtain confirmation of Ebola Virus Disease (Zaire strain). The gentleman subsequently died on Friday at 6.50am (25th July, 2014).”
Following the death of the patient, the duo said there was “orderly temporary shutdown of the hospital with immediate evacuation of in-house patients. This was followed by appropriate professional removal of the body and its incineration under WHO guidelines witnessed by all appropriate agencies,” noting that the reopening of the hospital would also be in accordance with WHO guidelines.
The statement added that in keeping with World Health Organisation guideline, the hospital had been shut down briefly for full decontamination.
Meanwhile, a cross section of Lagos residents has urged the state and federal governments to spread their dragnet nationwide to ensure that all the co- passengers aboard the Asky aircraft that brought the victim to Nigeria are quickly located and screened for the virus.
Speaking to Vanguard at the departure wing of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, a middle-aged man, who identified himself as Olukayode, said it was not good enough for the co-passengers to have been allowed to go away without ensuring their health had not been compromised.
Another passenger who pleaded anonymity said screening of people should have been adopted earlier to stop the spread of the disease.
KOEMAN PICKS UP THE PIECES AFTER SAINTS EXODUS
Ronald Koeman tried to insist earlier this month that Southampton are not a selling club, but the Dutchman has been unable to stop the summer exodus.
Luke Shaw has signed for Manchester United while Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert have moved to Liverpool.
Dejan Lovren is on the verge of a €25m switch to Liverpool and right-back Calum Chambers is set to join Arsenal in a €20m deal.
It won't stop. The only jewel left in the crown is Morgan Schneiderlin, with the midfielder a target for Arsenal and Tottenham.
Schneiderlin is, understandably, increasingly desperate to follow his team-mates out of St Mary’s and fears getting stranded in a relegation battle this season.
The asset stripping, which started with the departure of manager Mauricio Pochettino to Tottenham, has left Southampton financially secure but they now have little over a month to build a squad that can survive in the Premier League.
It is unclear exactly what Koeman was told when he took the Saints job in June but a promising team - Southampton finished eighth last season - has been ripped apart and their new manager has been left to pick up the pieces.
SA disappoints Keshi, appoints ‘Shakes’ Mashaba
South Africa Football Association, yesterday named local coach Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba as new manager of the Bafana Bafana, thus ending all speculations concerning coach Stephen Keshi.
In the middle of the 2014 World Cup campaign, Keshi had sounded a warning that he could be heading for South Africa if the Nigeria Football Federation failed to offer him an improved contract.
Mashaba who is making a second coming to the job is presently in charge of the under-20 team. He said that he was honoured and humbled to have been appointed head coach of Bafana Bafana for a second time in his career.
“My first work would be to thank Mr Jordaan as well as the entire national executive. Words fail me. I’m sure I won’t disappoint,” Mashaba said.
“I will pull out all the stops to make sure that our people become part and parcel of our national team. The only way to do that is by bringing results.”
Mashaba did not attend the announcement because he was with the South African men’s under-20 team on a tour of West Africa, but he was contacted by Safa chief executive Dennis Mumble seconds after the announcement.
Mashaba spoke to the media from Mali by way of Mumble’s loud-speaker on his mobile phone.
Mashaba, 63, replaces outgoing boss Gordon Igesund, whose contract, which runs until the end of August, has not been renewed.
Jordaan explained that the national executive committee (NEC), who was tasked with making the final decision regarding the national coach, made a unanimous decision to appoint the highly-rated local coach.
“Everyone spoke in support of the national executive,” Jordaan said.
“We eventually had a list of 16 people who indicated their interest in taking this job. Ultimately that list was submitted to our technical team.
“We asked them to reduce the list to a short-list of names to be placed before the NEC, for the NEC to take a final decision. They placed before the NEC two names… that of Carlos Queiroz and Shakes Mashaba.
POLICE NAB FIRST CLASS GRADUATE, FIVE OTHERS OVER INTERNET FRAUD
By Evelyn Usman
LAGOS— The Police Special Fraud Unit, PSFU, has smashed a syndicate which speclialises in designing multinational organisations’ websites to defraud unsuspecting members of the public, particularly applicants, and arrested six members.
Among the suspects are a first class honours graduate and two final year students of the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA.
The suspects’ modus oparadi, according to the unit, include using logos of multinational companies to place online advertisements for jobs and scholarships and demanding application fee from interested individuals.
Luck ran out for the suspects after the unit received a petition from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, last August, that a website designed as ‘OFID Scholarship Website’ (OPEC Fund for International Development for World Student Aid Scholarship) with OFID name and logo is being used to defraud unsuspecting Nigerian applicants.
How they were arrested
Explaining how they were arrested, spokesperson for the unit, Ngozi Isintume-Agu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said: “The petition dated August 22, 2013, said in the website, applicants were required to pay a fee of N2,500 and over 2,000 applicants responded through FirstBank account number 2020874607 and Access Bank account number 0056941009 with the name, OFID WSAS NG.
“The petitioner stated further that it was one of the victims that contacted OFID via facebook, accusing it of being an accomplice in the fraud.
“ The Cybercrime Section of the unit swung into action and the mastermind of the fraud, one Falade Oluwapelumi Ayotunde, was arrested.
“His arrest led to the arrest of five other syndicate members. Police investigation so far revealed that over 2,000 applicants paid N2,500 each into the two bank accounts provided by the suspects and the principal suspect is the only signatory to both accounts.
“Twenty-five- year-old Falade Olowapelumi Ayotunde, a 500-level Estate Management student of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, in his confessional statement to operatives of the unit, admitted to have designed the website of OFID WSAS in June, 2012.
“He, however, claimed that the idea was sold to him by Fajobi Olalekan and Bolatiri Opemipo. He also admitted in his statement that he opened an account in both banks with the name OFID WSAS NG for applicants to pay in their application fee which many responded to.
“The suspect who hails from Akure, Ondo state, further stated that he and his cohorts printed a postal for OFIDWAS which was on the website.
I was paid N120,000 for the job
On his part, Asaolu Victor, 25, a graduate of Mining Engineering from FUTA, admitted to have assisted to paste the posters on-line.
According to Asaolu, who is from Ilesha, Osun State, he was tempted to assist because of unemployment. “Yes, I assisted to paste it on-line and at the end, I was given the sum of N80,000 and later they added N40,000, totalling N120,000 for the job.”
Another suspect, Awote Temitope Emmanuel, 27, said: “I am a 500 level Estate Management student of FUTA. I assisted Ayotunde (principal suspect ) to guarantee the accounts he opened for the OFID programme and I was paid N70,000.”
Asked if he was aware that the scholarship programme was fake, he nodded in affirmative.
I lent Ayotunde N12,000
Also on his part, 27-year-old Fajobi Olalekan, a first class Mechanical Engineering graduate of FUTA and the best graduating student in his department for 2012, told operatives that he only lent the alleged mastermind N12,000 to host the website.
According to him, “while in school, I lived in the same lodge with Ayotunde. He and his friends were always coming to me for educational assistance because of my intelligence. I once fell a victim of a scam scholarship known as EDIADS.
“Ayo approached me then and got some information regarding it which I believe gave him an idea on how to design his OFID Scholarship Website.
“I lent Ayotunde N12,000 which he used to host the website but he paid me N20,000 and informed me that the plan was successful.”
Professional advice
Adebomi Oluwatosin, who is also a graduate of FUTA, said he only offered the alleged mastermind professional advice and also lent him N100,000 at the initial stage which was paid back with an additional N100,000.
Investigation, according to the Commissioner of Police in-charge of the unit, Umar Idris, was on-going, informing that the suspects would be charged to court soon.
He however, advised members of the public to verify the authenticity of any on-line advert before parting with their money, even as he called on the victims to visit the PSFU at Milverton Road, Ikoyi , Lagos in furtherance of the investigation.
LAGOS— The Police Special Fraud Unit, PSFU, has smashed a syndicate which speclialises in designing multinational organisations’ websites to defraud unsuspecting members of the public, particularly applicants, and arrested six members.
Among the suspects are a first class honours graduate and two final year students of the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA.
The suspects’ modus oparadi, according to the unit, include using logos of multinational companies to place online advertisements for jobs and scholarships and demanding application fee from interested individuals.
Luck ran out for the suspects after the unit received a petition from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, last August, that a website designed as ‘OFID Scholarship Website’ (OPEC Fund for International Development for World Student Aid Scholarship) with OFID name and logo is being used to defraud unsuspecting Nigerian applicants.
How they were arrested
Explaining how they were arrested, spokesperson for the unit, Ngozi Isintume-Agu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said: “The petition dated August 22, 2013, said in the website, applicants were required to pay a fee of N2,500 and over 2,000 applicants responded through FirstBank account number 2020874607 and Access Bank account number 0056941009 with the name, OFID WSAS NG.
“The petitioner stated further that it was one of the victims that contacted OFID via facebook, accusing it of being an accomplice in the fraud.
“ The Cybercrime Section of the unit swung into action and the mastermind of the fraud, one Falade Oluwapelumi Ayotunde, was arrested.
“His arrest led to the arrest of five other syndicate members. Police investigation so far revealed that over 2,000 applicants paid N2,500 each into the two bank accounts provided by the suspects and the principal suspect is the only signatory to both accounts.
“Twenty-five- year-old Falade Olowapelumi Ayotunde, a 500-level Estate Management student of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, in his confessional statement to operatives of the unit, admitted to have designed the website of OFID WSAS in June, 2012.
“He, however, claimed that the idea was sold to him by Fajobi Olalekan and Bolatiri Opemipo. He also admitted in his statement that he opened an account in both banks with the name OFID WSAS NG for applicants to pay in their application fee which many responded to.
“The suspect who hails from Akure, Ondo state, further stated that he and his cohorts printed a postal for OFIDWAS which was on the website.
I was paid N120,000 for the job
On his part, Asaolu Victor, 25, a graduate of Mining Engineering from FUTA, admitted to have assisted to paste the posters on-line.
According to Asaolu, who is from Ilesha, Osun State, he was tempted to assist because of unemployment. “Yes, I assisted to paste it on-line and at the end, I was given the sum of N80,000 and later they added N40,000, totalling N120,000 for the job.”
Another suspect, Awote Temitope Emmanuel, 27, said: “I am a 500 level Estate Management student of FUTA. I assisted Ayotunde (principal suspect ) to guarantee the accounts he opened for the OFID programme and I was paid N70,000.”
Asked if he was aware that the scholarship programme was fake, he nodded in affirmative.
I lent Ayotunde N12,000
Also on his part, 27-year-old Fajobi Olalekan, a first class Mechanical Engineering graduate of FUTA and the best graduating student in his department for 2012, told operatives that he only lent the alleged mastermind N12,000 to host the website.
According to him, “while in school, I lived in the same lodge with Ayotunde. He and his friends were always coming to me for educational assistance because of my intelligence. I once fell a victim of a scam scholarship known as EDIADS.
“Ayo approached me then and got some information regarding it which I believe gave him an idea on how to design his OFID Scholarship Website.
“I lent Ayotunde N12,000 which he used to host the website but he paid me N20,000 and informed me that the plan was successful.”
Professional advice
Adebomi Oluwatosin, who is also a graduate of FUTA, said he only offered the alleged mastermind professional advice and also lent him N100,000 at the initial stage which was paid back with an additional N100,000.
Investigation, according to the Commissioner of Police in-charge of the unit, Umar Idris, was on-going, informing that the suspects would be charged to court soon.
He however, advised members of the public to verify the authenticity of any on-line advert before parting with their money, even as he called on the victims to visit the PSFU at Milverton Road, Ikoyi , Lagos in furtherance of the investigation.
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