A Bright Light at the End of the Tunnel

Calabar was agog with news of the impending ground breaking ceremony of General Electric`s $1bn service and manufacturing facility right here in the city.

Yes, it did happen. Vice-President Namadi Sambo ably represented President Goodluck Jonathan, with support from Governor Liyel Imoke, his cabinet and members of the Federal Government contingent. An equally able team of GE management led by the Global Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of GE, Mr. Jeff Emmelt was on hand to receive the vice president and his entourage.

The service and manufacturing facility will provide opportunities for over 2, 000 jobs over the next five years. Hmm!!! Look at us Calabar oh! Fifteen years ago we were referred to as a “civil servant” state, now we play host to companies like UNICEM (cement production), WILMAR (palm oil) and now GE on the way. We are now the go-to Tourism State, we throw the biggest party in Africa and we aren’t satisfied yet. We have Senator Liyel Imoke and his predecessor Mr. Donald Duke to thank for the lofty heights we have attained so far.

Like joke like play, the State government is doing everything right to bring in more investors and it is working. There is hope; finally we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

* 5 Pats

Telling the Painful Truth and Running like Hell

The world of western espionage was torn open with the leaking of US & UK details on top-secret mass surveillance programmes by Mr. Edward Joseph Snowden, a former technical contractor for the NSA and CIA. 

The whistle blower leaked information on top-secret programmes like PRISM (a clandestine national security electronic surveillance programme of the US government) and Tempora (British equivalent)). Snowden who told the world of the US and UK governments use of these programmes to tap telephone lines and access email accounts of its citizenry without permission of any kind is now seriously on the run- and why shouldn’t he? With the might of the combined powers of the US and UK bearing down on him running and hiding have become second nature.

We first encountered Snowden hiding out in Honk Kong, giving interviews and singing like a canary until the pressure mounted on the Chinese Government was too much to bear coupled with his passport being revoked by the US government, he fled. Fast forward to the Moscow airport transit space where Snowden is stuck in limbo waiting for the right opportunity to try to beat the security network closing in on him. The Governments of Ecuador, Russia or Venezuela have invited Snowden to apply for asylum, and there is little doubt that it would be granted.

The wow factor here is that, Mr. Snowden crept out of Hong Kong on a revoked passport to boot and flew half way across the world to the warm embrace of the Russians. How? Who does that? Anyway as we wish Mr. Snowden bon voyage to the country of his choosing, here is advice for all you would be whistleblowers: a) Make sure you have friends in VERY powerful places who can make you disappear, b) Ensure that the piece of information you want to give out will make one or two powerful countries snigger in private and be willing to grant you asylum even if it’s just to prove a point against the country you are selling out on, c) if people like Julian Assange are not friends of yours- forget it.

Well now, we know it; there are systems and programmes in the world capable of breaking the private sanctity of our email accounts and private lines. So the next time you hear me or any other conspiracy theorist telling you about the “eye in the sky”, think am oh!

* Our jury is still out

A Palace Coup and An Abdication – The Qatari Story

The tale of 2 Emirs

Two weeks ago the world woke up to story of the abdication of the throne of Qatar by the Emir: Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, 61 for his son Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani after an eighteen (18) year rule. It is important to note that His Highness The Father (as he is referred to now by his son the new emir) took over power from his own father in a bloodless coup in 1995.

Following this palace coup Sheikh Hamad (let’s leave it at that, shall we?) went on to build the economy of the State of Qatar into what it is now; the richest country on earth (Forbes listing). In a Country of just 250, 000 citizens and a man of just 61 years, one wouldn’t find it difficult to see reasons why he shouldn’t perpetuate himself in power, especially considering the kind of work, energy and time he must have put in to making the emirate what it is now. Alas! The man isn’t on the same frequency as we mere mortals, because without any known illness or constraint he did abdicate his thrown handing over to his 33-year-old son, saying that this marks the "beginning of a new era in which a young leadership will hold the banner".

In his first online reaction to his father’s abdication as Emir of Qatar, the new Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani thanked his father and said he kept his word when he promised to make Qataris the happiest people in the world. Sheikh Tamim commented on his twitter page to recent statements by the outgoing Emir Sheikh Hamad who had said “I will make sure everyone in the world will wish to be a Qatari”. “You turned your words into deeds…you kept your word…thank you our father, our leader and our nation,” Sheikh Tamim said.

Qatar has the world`s highest GDP per capita and apparently their leaders keep their word.

Excerpts from www.emirates247.com

* 5 pats 

Starting off

Greetings world, welcome to Madd Customer. I have always believed that the service industry needs some kind of watch dog, who not only watches, but barks and if need be bites. That being said, its not enough to call out only bad behavior, we also have to celebrate the good that we encounter, in so doing encourage these services, personalities or products and give reason for emulation. Cross River State, Calabar (to be precise) - the city in which I reside is touted and referred to as the tourism hub of Nigeria. I say nay! Not just tourism, but service as well. So I would say Calabar is a service hub, but of course I’m a few steps ahead- it’s called vision.

I’m one to put my hand to the plough, grab a paddle and row, whichever way you see it and so voila…Madd Customer. The blog that gives us the opportunity to vent our disappointments, anger and frustrations. The blog that allows us celebrate services, businesses, policies and people. If you are not here to vent or celebrate you can relax and glean as much information as possible. We will talk about any and everything as long as it will further the cause of our world, our vision and mission, giving old school ratings such as knocks (on the head) and pats (on the back). We will be fresh in our reporting routine; we will be satirical and witty, fun and infectious, while always being informative. Welcome again one and all.