I’ve never considered myself a gambling kind of woman.

Well, there was that ONE time in Windsor this past summer, when I went to a casino in Windsor for the first time and made $70 on a slot machine … but that was an exception to the rule.

However, on recent subway rides around town, there’s this one lottery ad that’s been catching my eye.

Called “It’s A Wonderful Life” (yes, just like the movie), it boasts – along with a stylized depiction of Jimmy Stewart and Donna Bailey in a loving embrace – a winning pot of … wait for it … $75,000.

Which isn’t a lot.

But lately, it sure seems like a fortune.

And who hasn’t thought about the idea of scratching one’s way to a potential Christmas miracle?

I mean, it happened a couple of weeks ago to that couple in Manitoba, who were down to their last $10 before hitting the big one …

But still. I’m constantly talking myself out of it.

The fact is, I never regularly play lottery tickets, because I never win a red cent. Last Christmas, my brother bought me a whole gift pack of lottery scratch tickets; I didn’t even win a free card.

And yet, the other day, I found myself thinking about what I would do if I won – how I would divide up the sum - after taxes, of course.

Silly? Yes.

But it’s gotten me thinking about other things lately.

While I do believe that everyone and every thing has a purpose, that everything happens for a reason …

Sometimes I wonder …

Aren’t there some things in life that just one big cosmic roll of the dice?

Or maybe because we take that risk and make certain decisions that put things into play?

Ah, perhaps I should just shut up … and re-consider buying that lottery ticket.

The Economist writes:

In A recent draw for EuroMillions, an association of nine European lotteries, two sets of entrants from Britain shared winnings of over €102m ($152m). The odds of scooping that jackpot were one in 76m, but for those who run lotteries lucrative returns are almost guaranteed. Lotteries in Europe, which are mainly state-run, generate more revenues than other sorts of gambling. Americans and Asians are fonder of casinos. Gambling as an industry is growing: global revenues increased by 24% in the four years from 2004, totalling some $358 billion in 2008. Revenues from online betting are a small share of the total, at $20.2 billion, but are increasing fast. However the recession has hit the industry in the past year or so. Casino revenues in Nevada, for example, fell by 8.9% in September compared with a year ago.

Stories on the newest apps for the iphone and ipod touch.

Canada’s largest-ever lottery jackpot will be won this evening. The brand-new LottoMax’s $50,000,000 lottery prize. With me correctly predicting the country’s lottery corporations would “fix” things so the LottoMax would reach its’ max jackpot on the first run, I’m going to step out on a limb again. I foretell three winning tickets tonight, one in Ontario, one in Quebec and one in Western Canada. That way, they can shut the “conspiracy theorists” up. Except me.

A judge has ordered that lottery prize of $17-million be turned over to a  Calgary man after a challenger dropped his claim for a portion of the prize. Seguro Ndabene says he’s bitter lottery officials made him wait for eight months despite what he insists was a frivolous claim. He plans to sue the lottery corporation for interest on the money.

A $17-million lottery prize is now in the hands of the Court of Queen’s Bench in Calgary as it tries to sort out the righful winner of the money. The ticket is held by a man who has previously collected four major lottery prizes, including a $1-million win last year. The man was part of a group-buying agreement arranged out of the same kiost where the winning ticket was bought and it is possible that others may stake a claim to a share of the prize.

So far everyone losses on Lotto Max.

So far 5 draws – how many tickets sold ???- 150,000,000 – and no winner – this lotto sucks the Max

Lotto Max Winning Numbers
23-Oct-2009 – 04 07 10 12 23 25 36 Bonus 18 — 3 repeats
16-Oct-2009 – 04 10 18 20 31 35 44 Bonus 29 –
09-Oct-2009 – 05 15 25 38 42 46 47 Bonus 26 –
02-Oct-2009 – 08 27 28 29 31 32 35 Bonus 11 –1 repeat
25-Sep-2009 – 05 17 19 25 31 38 46 Bonus 04

So far the hot numbers are 4, 25 and 31 – they have 3 shows
The numbers: 5, 10, 29, 35, 38, 46, all have 2 shows

I may put a group together and each invest 1 dollar – 5 bucks is too much – pick one hot number – pick one from the 2’s – pick 1 repeat and 2 with one show and 2 with no shows.

The grand prize is 40 million – I just wonder if anyone can win.

Lotto Max does not have my support.

23-Oct-2009 WINNINGS FOR LOTTO MAX
Match Number of Winners Prize
7/7 0 $30,166,299.20
6/7 + Bonus 1 $323,062.00
6/7 85 $3,800.70
5/7 3769 $107.10
4/7 79609 $20.00
3/7 + Bonus 72927 $20.00
3/7 682108 FREE PLAY

Baadster

Here’s today’s purchases:

$14.43@Staples on photocopying, printer paper and water paints for the Mimoo. Staples photocopying machines inevitably jam. It seems like a diabolical plot to extort $.07 per copy more than you intended to spend. I always wonder about the ventilation around those things. Photocopiers let off some pretty toxic fumes. Does Staples do anything special to vent that section of the store?

$1.25@City Hall on 1/2 of parking. Surprisingly inexpensive for downtown parking.

$34.69@Home Depot on mdf and chains. Get your minds out of the gutters. The mdf I’m going to paint and turn into a chalk board for the Mimoo. The chains are going to be part of an indoor swing set–for the Mimoo.

$40.01@Metro on groceries beef, tortillas, lettuce, pumpkin pie ($7.99), brioche, grape jam (yes, JAM), strawberry jam, salsa.

On the way out of the Metro there is the lottery ticket stand, and blow me away, the Super 7 Lotto appears to be no more–instead it’s been rebranded as something like Lotto Max, but here’s the catch. Super 7 was $2. To play Lotto Max, you’re shelling out a fin. That’s right. $5. The odds are better, blah, blah, blah. Somehow I think $5 is beyond what I’d be willing to pay for a weekly lottery.

What happened to Super 7 that it was retired? Was it “unprofitable”? Is there such a thing? Perhaps in light of the problems that the OLG has, there is.

August 14, 2009 and the raging debate

On Friday, August 14, 2009, a bow-tied and bespectacled Fulani prince convened an extraordinary meeting and sacked the executive directors of five Nigerian banks. The television footage made for gripping prime time drama. One could hear a pin drop as the funereal Governor of the Central Bank solemnly ended the careers of his former colleagues. He calmly looked into the flashing cameras as he listed the executive directors whom had been affected.

With those softly-spoken words, Mallam Sanusi Aminu Lamido Sanusi became the most polarizing figure in Africa’s most populous country. By midday, it became Sanusimania as the privileged digerati and news hungry Diaspora crowd joined in the debate. That evening, the largely unemployed roadside analysts nearly came to blows as they argued and passed around copies of PM News.

The cold war between the bourgeois and the masses ensured that the news was received with glee among the lower classes. The wave of schadenfreude was plain for all to see. For the ordinary man on the street, this was a fitting end for the “criminals” who had colluded with kleptocratic politicians. As I wound down my car window to pick up the popular evening tabloid, a swarthy man dressed in a dirty suit bashed his tattered briefcase against a wall and said to no one in particular, “Let him sack all of them.” It was a truly visceral sight.

The verbal sparring started the next day as Mr Sanusi single-handedly drove the news cycle and brought smiles to the faces of long suffering vendors. The country was already abuzz with conspiracy theories and very few people were still on the fence. “These Hausa cows will ruin our economy,” suggested one debater. “Forget the ethnic stereotypes,” another replied. “The man is the real deal.” “Nonsense,” proclaimed another doubter. “I knew that man had an agenda when I heard that he quit a lucrative job to go and spend six years in the Sudan. He is a Boko Haram jihadist.” “Have you actually read his essays?” a supporter countered. “Sanusi is a moderate Muslim who is even loathed by the Northern establishment.”

The battle lines had been drawn and six weeks after, the country is still divided into two camps. On one side are Sanusi’s supporters who argue that the financial sector needed a life saving surgery; on the other side are those that argue that it was an ill-advised action motivated by revenge, and part of a wider conspiracy. This group has been egged on by a lunatic fringe which suggests that Sanusi sacked the bank chief executives because they had supported Christian pilgrims and tried to encourage the growth of businesses in the southern part of the country. These loonies defend their echolalia with a Photostat copy of a “prophetic” edition of Vanguard.

“Name” and “Shame” and Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim

The CBN’s decision to release the name of debtors led to several strongly-worded advertisements in the newspapers. Most of the accused debtors argued that their accounts were performing and noted that they even had credit balances in other accounts. This is an untenable argument. After all, African Petroleum had credit balances with Access Bank and that didn’t stop it from being in the hock. Chief O.B. Lulu Briggs, whose wife Seinye Briggs was mysteriously missing from the list of detained Intercontinental Bank directors, claimed that he was not indebted to Union Bank because the loans were taken before he joined the company. I wonder if he would have said the same thing if the company had been sitting on huge cash reserves and the directors tried to prevent him from earning a dividend after he joined the board.

But Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim, the “Harvard-trained” lawyer provided most of the entertainment. Like his rivals Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola, Jimoh Ibrahim was named in the CBN’s ignominious list of debtors. Although the three of them quickly disputed the CBN’s figures, it was the clownish Ibrahim who tried to turn a serious matter into a Broadway play. While Otedola and Dangote made moves to repay their debts, Ibrahim went to the press and announced that he would pay three billion and settle the remainder after the account had been audited. For years, he had cultivated the image of a black Donald Trump and was desperately trying to salvage his reputation. According to him, Oceanic Bank had initially waived some of the money and the CBN’s figures were dubious. He also could not resist taking a pot shot at his rivals. “Some people had their debts reduced by computer errors,” he cackled.

He later commissioned an advertisement where he listed Nigeria’s 24 banks and claimed that he was only indebted to Wema Bank and Oceanic Bank. It was almost hilarious. “Jimoh Ibrahim is not indebted to GTBank.” “Jimoh Ibrahim is not indebted to Zenith Bank.” And so on. But it turns out that Jimoh Ibrahim actually owes far more than the 8 billion naira he bandied in the press. It is only in Nigeria that a businessman who takes a loan of 14 billion and makes a public show of repaying 3 billion is treated like an all-conquering hero.

The strange case of Brunel Engineering

The management of Brunel Engineering and Consulting Limited placed an advertisement in some of Nigeria’s leading newspapers to counter the CBN’s assertion that it owed a tidy sum of N6, 935,006,115.89 to Afribank. The company stated: “The true state of affairs is that Brunel is currently executing the 105 Health Centre Project worth 19 billion naira for the Rivers State Government. Afribank Nigeria Plc, in partnership with Brunel for the execution of the project, has extended a revolving line of 6.25 billion towards the construction of the health centres guaranteed by an irrevocable payment order issued by the Rivers State Government in favour of Afribank. To date, the Rivers State Government has paid the equivalent of three billion four hundred million naira into Brunel’s account with Afribank as part payment for units completed. The 105 Health Centre project is still ongoing. Attached are some of the instruments of deposit. Against this background, Brunel cannot be said to have a non-performing loan with Afribank Nigeria Plc as claimed by the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

Brunel then went on to display two Afribank cheques, a deposit slip and the Rivers State Ministry of Health logo. However, a closer look at the documents raises serious questions since the cheques are made payable to Brunnel not Brunel. Is this a case of Evan(s) Enwerem style forgery?

The bonfire of the vanities

Greed drives the global financial services sector. The world’s moneymen, from the boiler room hucksters to the patrician Swiss private bankers, are motivated by fat bonuses and the sybaritic lifestyle that comes with being a successful shylock. So they are quick to devise ways of using mathematics and esoteric legal tools to extract gold from mundane instruments. The root of the current meltdown lies in the rapid growth of this so-called “financial innovation” industry. As more bankers got rich from repackaging everyday instruments as financial products, they created a quadrillion dollar bubble that would ultimately burst when the market became overheated.

The case of Nigeria was slightly different. After President Olusegun Obasanjo sold his soul to the devious Bretton Woods puppet masters and installed their disciples in key ministerial posts, smart foreign-based Nigerian investment bankers saw a great opportunity to become the lords of Nigeria’s new financial landscape. It was true that they were gainfully employed by big corporations and had imposing titles. But in reality, “Vice-Presidents” were a dime a dozen and many of them were trapped in cubicles fighting for limited openings with blue-eyed graduates of Ivy League schools. It would take time to crack the glass ceiling. So Osaze Osifo and company left their jobs and returned to the country of their birth.

They were pleased with what they saw. The mortgage sector was almost non-existent and insurance salesmen couldn’t even manage to convince salaried employees to take out policies. There were no credit derivatives and no structured investment vehicles. The Nigerian financial system was still light years behind that of the developed world and as a result of the rural-urban drift, some rustic folk had never been inside the four walls of a bank. But there was a stock market and even though it was still rudimentary, it presented that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So they raised funds and started their investment boutiques. It wasn’t so difficult. They had already acquired foreign accents and all they needed were posh offices and other accoutrements of successful professionals. The rest of them were snapped up by Vetiva, BGL, ARM and Afrinvest.

These Gordon Gecko wannabes found willing allies in their less sophisticated Nigerian counterparts who had had clawed their way to the pinnacle of the banking sector through sheer determination and abundance of street smarts. Men like Tony Elumelu, Jim Ovia and Aigboje Imoukhuede were already top executives but they wanted more. When Professor Soludo announced his banking consolidation reforms in 2004, they knew that it was time to make their move and the investment bankers helped them draw up plans while they regaled them with amazing tales from Wall Street and The City.

These forays into the capital market were highly successful and the banks were shocked by the success of their plan. It was unbelievable. Traders left their businesses and started buying stocks and copies of Stockswatch. It was crazy. Complete strangers would accost you at stock brokerages and start gushing about the wonders of the capital market. The bankers took full advantage. As stocks reached stratospheric highs, they held on to the share certificates and embarked on countless public offerings.

That was the beginning of the problem. With more money came recklessness. Since these were mostly small banks that had made a quantum leap into the big league, they really did not know what to do with all this cash. Even after taking huge bonuses and “settling” their investment analysts, there was still too much money left and they did not want to tie it up in long term projects.

And since they had hired people based on pulchritude, personal connections and their clout with government officials, it was difficult to generate useful ideas internally. So they called their expensive analysts and sought advice. “We think that this is the time to take big risks,” suggested the former Wall Streeters and City bankers. “Do you know that George Soros made a billion pounds in one day betting against the pound? You have to take big risks to make big money”. And the benighted bankers gleefully nodded their heads in agreement.

They thought them how to manipulate the market and triple their market capitalization. But somewhere along the line, some of the bank executives began to show incipient signs of madness. Corrupted by money, they began to have delusions of grandeur. Their influential spiritual advisers told them that God wanted them to take over Africa. They believed the spin and drew up plans for an invasion of the Dark Continent. The rational directors who mustered the courage to object were publicly reprimanded or forced to resign. “The Lord wants us to be the biggest bank in Africa by 2020,” declared a certain chief executive at an extraordinary board meeting.

So in their quest for regional domination, they shelled out millions on banking licences and set up shop in Ghana, The Gambia and Cameroun. Despite its serious problems, FinBank inexplicably purchased an Islamic Bank in The Gambia. These bankers blithely forgot that the money could be used to set up refineries in Nigeria and solve the perennial curse of petroleum importation. They never bothered to consider the benefits of coming together to finance energy projects. No, it was better to open branches in banana republics. But then, this was a time of great foolishness.

The wonderful life of the Nigerian bank chairman

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi should have sacked the chairmen of the five troubled banks as there is no good reason for retaining their services. The term, chairman is the most misused title in the lexicon of Corporate Nigeria. A couple of entrepreneurs draw up plans for a company and then select a respected public figure to act as the “chairman”.

But the archetypal Nigerian bank chairman is no better than an expensive bronze statue adorning an ornate boardroom. He is usually an old retiree, almost senile and completely oblivious of the goings-on at the bank which he chairs. He is paid a huge sum for simply donning a starched dashiki and showing up at meetings. He flashes a megawatt smile for the cameras and drops one-liners about the bank’s performance even though he can no longer make sense of the figures in the beautifully-bound booklet.

In order to reform the Nigerian banking sector, there must be a new set of rules for selecting bank chairmen. A cursory look at the five banks shows that fossilized bank chairmen contributed to their descent into hubris. It is unfortunate that Dr Raymond Obieri who had the experience necessary for the job chose to get involved in insider loan abuses. He should be in Kirikiri.

Atedo Peterside, Gbenga Oyebode and Umaru Mutallab are examples of proactive bank chairmen who can still contribute to the growth of their respective institutions and it is much easier to prosecute them when their banks are found guilty of fraud. A chairmanship should not be a sinecure reserved for influential traditional rulers and retired businessmen who sign off on financial statements without reading them. What is the point of paying them for doing nothing?

Apostle Hayford Alile is a case in point. As a former Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, he should have known that something was amiss at Oceanic Bank. But he was also a sect leader who was probably too old to be bothered with accounting matters. It is no surprise that his name showed up on the debtor’s list recently released by the Federal Mortgage Bank. You cannot have your cake and eat it. If you get paid handsomely for “chairing” a company, you must be prepared to share in the blame.

Mrs Ibru and Sons Plc

The ascendancy of Mrs Cecilia Ibru’s two sons showed her nepotism. Oboden was the crown prince, while Obaro was a dissolute hophead. In addition to being the bank’s biggest beneficiary of insider loans, Oboden spent 1.5 billion naira of Oceanic Bank’s money on a second-hand Sikorsky helicopter at a time when the bank was already having liquidity problems. He was probably tired of the infuriating traffic and needed a chopper to take him to working lunches at ritzy restaurants.

However, Oboden’s excesses pale in comparison to those of his brother, Obaro, a junkie who spent a considerable portion of his time at rehab clinics and expensive hangouts. After a stint as the Chief Marketing Officer of Oceanic Bank, the drug-addled Obaro was given the official designation of General Manager, MD’s office. This unbelievable job description allowed the feckless scion to earn a hefty salary for doing absolutely nothing. Despite his long absences, Mrs Ibru promptly moved her son to the Human Resources department in 2008. Under his management, Oceanic Bank’s human resources department was accepting huge bribes from prospective job seekers to join its overpaid workforce. The absence of a meritocratic structure definitely contributed to the bank’s problems.

And in spite of its claims of building a stronger Nigeria by supporting small and medium scale businesses, Oceanic Bank was notorious for exploiting local entrepreneurs. Prospective loan seekers were forced to take out exploitative policies from Oceanic Insurance and burdened with other ridiculous management charges.

Stealing in the name of Corporate Social Responsibility

Four months ago, Oceanic Bank announced the launch of its Oceanic Football Talent Hunt, a revamped version of the controversial Football Challenge with Fash. The first show offered prizes of over N15 million in cash, 20 brand-new cars and a Honda CRV Jeep. Six of the cars were set aside for winners of the raffle draws in the six zonal trial centres, while 14 were reserved for the players that would constitute the winning team known as Fash FC. The first series of the program, which was hosted by the flamboyant ex-footballer, John Fashanu ended in acrimony after he was accused of pocketing a 25 million donation from Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

Sources close to Oceanic Bank said that the bank’s former chief executive, Mrs Cecilia Ibru was so miffed about this revelation that she decided to terminate the deal between the bank and Black Sea, Fashanu’s production company. Oceanic Bank eventually appointed Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha as the face of the second edition of the program at a well attended ceremony in Lagos. The bank also incorporated a separate company, Oceanic Football Promotions Limited headed by Charles Mekwunye, an ex-employee of Obasanjo Farms and one of the executive directors sacked by the new CBN governor.

At the event, I saw two shaggy-haired, unkempt young men take the stage and thank “Mummy” Ibru for giving them an opportunity to “make it in life”. As the diffident young men spoke in halting English, they listed the great prizes they received from the first edition and how their lives had been transformed.

However, there was no mention of a football contract or trials with a professional football club in spite of the three thousand naira that they paid to enter the show. After showing them on television going through some drills, the finalists were rewarded with gift prizes and supposedly given jobs with Oceanic Bank. On May 3, 2009, Eric Dufegha, one of the winners of a Kia Car, granted an interview to The Daily Trust’s David Ngobua. According to him, “We were given N1M naira each and jobs in Oceanic bank. So as I am talking to you, I am a staff of Oceanic Bank. We don’t go to work every day but they understand that we are footballers. We are paid our salaries as and when due.”

This incident demonstrated Mrs Ibru’s utter disregard for corporate governance. What kind of chief executive allows a publicly-owned company to employ unqualified people as a means of promoting a dubious football academy? What if all the winners are totally incompetent, uneducated urchins? Would Oceanic Bank still make space for them in their banking offices or continue paying them even when they don’t come to work? What has playing football got to do with getting a job in a bank?

Football academies are not about gift prizes and jobs. They are facilities that identify talented youngsters and train them for a period of time with the aim of developing their skills and transforming them into competitive sportsmen. Most academies collect fees and are supported by other organizations such as state governments and nonprofit organizations. The age for admission is usually between 6 and 18 and applicants are only admitted when they have undergone successful trials and met several other criteria. It is not an all-comers affair and most clubs have their own academies. They are designed to help talented kids become professional footballers. In reality Fashanu and Oceanic Bank initiated a lottery where they raised money from donors, skimmed desperate youths of their cash and still managed to convince gullible Nigerians that they were doing something for the society.

Oceanic Bank is simply exploiting the fact that many Nigerians are poor and mad about football. That is why the bank had instituted what could be termed a “football beauty pageant” where people buy a “scratch card” in the hope of winning great prizes. How many footballers were produced by the first season of the program? I remember watching an edition of “Fash FC” where I saw a grotesque 28-year old man as one of the finalists. Is it realistic to expect a football club to consider hiring a 28-year old that has never played professional football? After using the program as a means of diverting 400 million, Cecilia Ibru still had the nerve to steal money from inner city youths. Okocha or no Okocha, John Aboh must do the right thing and give the kids back their money.

A time bomb in the microcredit sector

There are already signs of trouble in the microcredit sector. Conceived by Obasanjo as a way of replicating Mohammed Yunus’s successful Grameen Bank model, the principals of these microfinance banks got sucked into the vortex of the stock market madness and diverted depositors funds to the stock exchange. Some of them didn’t have the faintest idea of the idea behind microcredit. Rather, they were offering loans to customers to buy electronics and furniture.

The crisis has already claimed the scalp of Simon Akinteye, the flamboyant former chief executive of Integrated Microfinance Bank who was accused of colluding with Dr Doyin Abiola to disenfranchise one of the company’s largest shareholders. It is worth noting that the same IMFB won the CBN’s award for the best microfinance bank in 2008.

At First Call Microfinance Bank, promoted by Ochuko Akposibruke and Standard Alliance’s Bode Akinboye 800 million of depositors’ funds have vanished into thin air. Sanusi should make this sector a priority before it implodes.

Tunde Lemo should be properly investigated

During Professor Soludo’s tenure, grave allegations were levelled against Tunde Lemo, a CBN deputy governor by Mr Adebisi Omoyeni, his successor at Wema Bank. Although he was eventually cleared by the CBN, it is important for the new CBN Governor to properly investigate the circumstances surrounding the controversial takeover of Wema Bank by the new core investors, SW8.

SW8, which was registered on August 28, 2008 with a share capital of 10 million, hastily acquired majority shares in Wema Bank in the twilight of Soludo’s tenure. According to Mr Omoyeni, who was also an unethical bank chief executive, Lemo, his predecessor at the bank plunged the institution into a crisis when he approved questionable loan facilities totaling 8 billion and then used his influence at the CBN to get Omoyeni removed.

Jeremiah Omoyeni is not a saint. He briefly served as Ayo Fayose’s deputy before being tapped to run Wema Bank. In spite of the bank’s problems, he granted huge bonuses to himself and sidelined the other members of the board. But there is something about his persistence that suggests that Lemo was also guilty of mismanagement at Wema Bank.

Given Professor Soludo’s flexibility and passion for politics, the new CBN leadership should reexamine this case and lay the matter to rest once and for all. After all, Soludo decided not to prosecute the CBN employees that stole 400 million a few months ago. A tainted deputy governor sends the wrong message to the financial community.

The problem with ACAMB

ACAMB, the Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks, is on a roll. After Sanusi L. Sanusi publicly pledged his support for the organisation, its executives have embarked on questionable visits to the CBN’s top brass. They popped up in Abuja where they presented Tunde Lemo with some gifts. They have also organized a successful seminar on the role of corporate affairs in the banking sector.

The only problem is: these individuals are a bunch of liars. ACAMB was founded to deceive the Nigerian public and should be scrapped immediately to restore some dignity to the corporate affairs departments of banks. It is no coincidence that most of ACAMB’s leading lights are employees of the five troubled banks who were guilty of deftly manipulating the media.

Take the case of Emeka Anaeto, the corporate affairs manager of Intercontinental Bank. After Sanusi removed the executive directors of Intercontinental Bank, The Punch asked him for information concerning the affected directors but he refused. The Punch eventually had to rely on old data that caused great embarrassment to two former executive directors who had been forced out by the imperious Erastus Akingbola.

But the same Emeka Anaeto was quick to mastermind a scathing attack on the CBN Governor and Atedo Peterside after their town hall meeting in London. While some corporate affairs executives do not associate with this devious organisation, ACAMB’s usual practice of hosting media executives to sumptuous dinners presents a conflict of interest that must be checked. Why must they try to influence journalists?

Those “Save and Win” lotteries

For years, Nigeria’s leading retail banks have wooed customers with sweepstakes and lotteries. First Bank, Union Bank, UBA, Bank PHB, Skye Bank, Intercontinental bank, Oceanic Bank, Afribank and company have all engaged in this unethical exploitation of customers. Intercontinental was notorious for rigged lotteries that produced hundreds of winners. Diamond Bank claims that it is giving away 50 million naira to “lucky” customers. But banks are not casinos and this practice definitely raises ethical questions.

GTBank and Zenith Bank must be commended for refusing to indulge in this unethical practice. GTBank has been exemplary in this regard and this could explain why it has managed to build a dedicated retail banking base through innovative customer service. Peter Igho, the Director-General of the Nigerian Lottery Regulatory Commission must do his job and force banks to apply for lottery licenses if they want to continue this nonsense. The Consumer Protection Council and other advocacy groups must also get involved and monitor these so-called “promos”.

Analysis

Professor Chukwuma Soludo remains a genius, a great economist who was adept at crunching numbers and evaluating empirical data. He will always be remembered for his consolidation programme which probably saved the banking industry from total collapse. But Soludo is also an opportunist and a social climber who repeatedly exhibited serious lapses in judgement. As a professor at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, he skipped whole semesters to consult on lucrative foreign jobs only to return just before the examinations and set nearly insoluble questions for hapless students. During his time as the CBN governor, he also employed many of his “brothers” from the Buccaneer confraternity.

Like many great academics before him, he became a different person once he joined the government. He was easily dazzled by the trappings of power and the intrigues of cloak and dagger politics. Like another controversial central banker, the Delphic Alan Greenspan, he loved the company of power brokers and political grandees. Perhaps it had to do with his hardscrabble youth when he had to succeed in the face of massive odds. Perhaps it had to do with his political ambitions. Perhaps he was just a bullish alpha male who thought like an investment banker. Whatever the reason, he allowed a lot of madness under his watch and there will always be a big question mark hanging over his notable achievements. Hopefully, the “Soludo Solution” will work in the murky world of partisan politics.

It is now obvious that the new Governor is bent on instilling a new regulatory ethos and excise the cancer in Nigeria’s banking sector and he has remained unfazed in the face of implacable opposition. And in spite of the relentless pressure from a motley crew of lobbyists and operatives who have trailed him from London to Calabar, he has remained guarded with them and circumspect when dealing with the media. However, the antics of gonzo journalists and rabid attack dogs should not force him to embrace obscurantism, which is bad for the general public.

His choice of highly experienced executive directors for the five banks shows that he is serious about ending the era of one-man banking. Luckily, the replacement chief executives have been largely successful in calming frayed nerves and it appears that retail customers have refrained from hitting the panic button. But vested interests will do their best to stymie his efforts and if Dora Akunyili could miss a bullet by inches for daring to take on the peddlers of fake drugs, Sanusi must understand that he has embarked on a very dangerous mission.

It is been a busy month for the top M&A lawyers as Rand Merchant Bank circles the landscape like a peregrine falcon. The Nigerian banking crisis has played right into its hands and its boss Sizwe Nxasana can’t believe his luck as he already had plans for Nigeria before Sanusi shook up the sector. It is now a matter of time before the First Rand Group makes a bold entrance into the Nigerian financial services sector. Given the bank’s history of supporting capital projects, it might be a good thing for an industry that has ignored the vast potential of this great country of ours. Perhaps, The First Rand Group will be bold enough to invest in a functional local refinery and independent power projects. Separately, Aso Savings and Loans, appears to have Finbank in its cross hairs. The financial services firm has been eyeing a banking license for some time and this crisis is a heaven-sent opportunity for it to move into retail banking.

“Full Disclosure”

There are too many secrets in Nigeria’s banking sector and Sanusi must lead by example in the campaign for transparency. First, he should publicly declare his assets in order to quell any doubts concerning his motives. Second, he should put all his shares in a blind trust to ensure that he is not guilty of a conflict of interest. This information must be publicly accessible for record purposes. The same goes for all the new chief executives and executive directors. Nigerians also have the right to know the salaries of all individual bank chiefs especially the new ones that have been chosen to replace the fallen five. Executive compensation is a serious global issue and Nigeria’s case should not be different. This information should be part of regulatory filings and available to all and sundry. It would be great if Sanusi would use this opportunity to inculcate a culture of transparency in our banking sector. As the great Italian poet Dante once said, if you give people light, they will find their own way.

London, The jackpot is won – a Tipp24.com player matched the six winning numbers 3, 4, 23, 30, 43 and 44, including the bonus number 6 of the German state lottery. The lucky winner can look forward to 31.7 million Euros prize payout. The staggering amount was up for grabs in the German state lottery. Tipp24.com is a licensed broker of online lottery bets, enabling customers to bet on the outcome of various European lotteries – and win massive Jackpot prizes. The 33-year-old winner was informed of his prize yesterday evening via SMS and E-Mail. Ulf Teuber, Managing Director of Tipp24 Services Ltd., says: “We are very happy for our customer. To our knowledge, this is the highest jackpot prize ever won online in the United Kingdom”. About Tipp24.com: As of January 2009, Tipp24.com is operated by UK based Tipp24 Services Ltd. The company holds a UK gambling license and arranges online lottery bets on the outcome of various European lotteries. Online bets are transferred to betting broker MyLotto24 Ltd. Winning chances and odds are in accordance with European state lotteries.

Last Super Seven Draw September 18 – Jackpot is 21 Million

We are looking at the last three sets of six draws in our last un-scientific attempt to win something/anything in the last ever super seven lottery draw here in Ontario.

Normal occurences will be 3 times over 18 draws – cold is under and the warm/hot are over.

The really frigid number: 6, with no shows in 18 draws
Other cold numbers : 2, 9, 20, 21, 36, 37, 39,

The hottest numbers: 12

*************
Last six winning super seven lottery numbers with bonus
11-Sep-2009 14 19 23 28 32 40 46 Bonus 17
04-Sep-2009 04 05 09 10 20 33 36 Bonus 03
28-Aug-2009 02 10 12 33 42 44 45 Bonus 25
21-Aug-2009 05 18 22 28 32 34 40 Bonus 42
14-Aug-2009 01 03 04 10 11 32 46 Bonus 15
07-Aug-2009 01 10 22 26 28 40 42 Bonus 14

0 times-6,8,13,16,21,24,27,29,30,31,35,37,38,39,41,43,47
1 time–2,9,11,12,15,17,18,19,20,23,25,26,34,36,44,45,
2 times-1,3,4,5,14,22,33,46,
3 times-28,32,40,42
4 times-10,

31-Jul-2009 08 12 14 15 19 23 33 Bonus 41
24-Jul-2009 01 05 18 27 29 30 34 Bonus 39
17-Jul-2009 12 13 31 33 37 44 46 Bonus 34
10-Jul-2009 17 25 30 31 33 44 46 Bonus 47
03-Jul-2009 08 10 14 35 42 43 47 Bonus 21
26-Jun-2009 01 11 12 24 26 27 28 Bonus 22

0 times-2,3,4,6,7,9,16,20,32,36,38,40,45,
1 time–5,10,11,13,15,17,18,19,21,22,23,24,25,26,28,29,35, 37,39,41,42,43,
2 times-1,8,14,27,30,31,34,44,46,47
3 times-12,33,
4 times-

19-Jun-2009 05 12 19 26 27 29 40 Bonus 13
12-Jun-2009 12 13 15 18 27 30 40 Bonus 43
05-Jun-2009 08 25 27 33 34 43 47 Bonus 01
29-May-2009 12 23 24 28 29 30 44 Bonus 22
22-May-2009 01 12 17 19 25 31 38 Bonus 41
15-May-2009 03 04 07 16 19 26 45 Bonus 35

0 times-2,6,9,10,11,14,20,21,32,36,37,39,42,46,
1 time–3,4,5,7,8,15,16,17,18,22,23,24,28,31,33,34,35,38,41,44,45,47
2 times-1,13,25,26,29,30,40,43,
3 times-19,27,
4 times-12,

We will look at some other stats to improve our guess potential.
Come back later – it is the last draw.

Baadster

Ontario Ombudsman André Marin says Ontario’s lottery security system will be the most rigorous in Canada once retailers are banned from buying lottery tickets at their own stores. Beginning in November, retailers will have to observe the limited ban, which follows an audit of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Association in February of 2008 that exposed $198-million in insider wins since 1996.

If you’re a serious lotto player then you definitely want to play scratch tickets.

They offer the best odds of any lotto game and are a fun way to win hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Here are 5 tips to help you win money at these games:

1) Play more expensive games.

If you’re going to buy scratch tickets, you want to avoid $1 and $2 tickets. These games don’t have as many prizes and the payouts are much smaller.

Playing $10 games or higher may get too expensive for you, but you should at least be playing games in the $3-$5 range.

You’re more likely to win a larger prize playing the higher priced games.

2) Play the games with the best odds.

Just playing the scratch lotto rather than the standard lotto games already puts the odds heavily in your favor.

But if you want to go one step further, find the scratch games that offer the best odds and just play those.

Some tickets offer 4:1 odds of winning a prize, some offer 3:1, and there are some that offer slightly better than 3:1 odds.

You can find the odds on the backs of the tickets or on an official lottery website.

3) Re-invest small winnings.

If you win a small prize of $3, $5, or $10 (which you will often), you may as well re-invest the money into buying more tickets.

Why not? $5 or $10 isn’t exactly life-changing money, so you may as well use it as a “free spin” to try and hit a bigger payout.

Word of caution: Don’t buy more tickets from the same store that you just won at. There is only a certain amount of winning tickets in each roll, so if you found one, you’re more likely to get a losing ticket if you keep buying from there.

Cash in the ticket, and buy some tickets at a different location.

4) Play as often as possible.

Remember that this is a numbers game.

The more you play and the more tickets you buy, the more likely you are to eventually pick out a big winner.

Don’t rely on luck. Put the odds in your favor by playing as much as possible.

5) Be persistent.

There are a lot more losing tickets and small prizes out there than there are jackpots, so don’t be surprised if you play a lot of tickets without much to show for it.

Be patient and don’t give up.

If you play the right games and give yourself enough chances, you’ll eventually hit something big.

So follow these 5 tips and hang in there until you’re a winner.

Copyright (c) 2009 Sean Christopher. All rights reserved.

“The Brazilian senate is soon to consider a bill modeled after the UIGEA — banning payments to and from online gambling sites. The original legislation was introduced 15 months ago, but more recently has grown some teeth. At President Lula de Silva’s behest, in an effort to move the bill forward and pass it before the end of 2010, the Senate has attached companion legislation that requires Brazilian ISPs to block access to prohibited sites, and calls for prison time for violations. Also attached to the bill now is a parallel ban on child pornography.

An amendment added in July expressly prohibits unauthorized lotteries, too. This comes as little surprise considering “the fight against gambling” that Brazil’s national lottery operator, the public bank Caixa Ecônomica Federal, began preparing to launch its own online lottery at about the same time.”

My Take

So now, the bill will undoubtedly pass due to the child pornography attachment, because as we all know, they are totally on the same level (read: sarcasm). No, wait, let me guess! Online gambling funds child porn? The part that of course makes absolutely no sense is the fact that Brazil’s Jogo do Bicho is extremely popular there and walking down to the corner store to place your bet is almost as easy as flicking the switch and booting up the computer. There’s a phrase that goes something like this, “I commited no crime, I merely did not follow the rules of the law.” Gambling falls under this idea, in my opinion. Child pornography, on the other hand, is without a doubt, a crime.

On another note, I love how we are given the Internet to have a free-for-all and once we’re addicted, the reigns are pulled in, the poorest have ‘one laptop per child’ and the President is said to be given shortly an off switch for the entire nation due to the fake threat of “cyber terrorism”.

How To Crush The Lottery…

This is the claim of Chris Malcolm, a professional gambler who has has created his own lottery system.

I purchased this product to see if it was legit or if it was just another “system” that sounds good on paper, but would produce no results in the real world.

The system included 5 products:

• Learn How To Win The Pick 3 Lottery Consistently
• How To Crush The Pick 4 Lottery
• Learn How To Win The Pick 5 Lottery Consistently
• Proven System To Dominate The Pick 6 Lottery
• Hidden Secrets Revealed On How To Win Thousands Playing Scratch-Off Lottery

Now I’ll protect copyright laws and not reveal any specifics about any of the systems, but I’ll give a general idea of what each is about.

Pick 3 System

This is probably the weakest system in the package.

Because of the large amount of tickets you have to purchase (and the cost of playing them all) every day, this system is neither convenient nor profitable in my opinion.

Your numbers will probably hit multiple times per month, but because the payout is so small on the Pick 3, the cost of playing multiple tickets every day will outweigh the wins.

Pick 4 System

This system is more economical because you’re not playing as many tickets as the Pick 3.  However, picking winning numbers is much more difficult because you have an extra digit to predict.

Also, in the Pick 4 it’s more likely that a number shows up twice in the drawing (example: 2-0-8-2). That creates an entire new element as you have to decide what digit, if any, may show up twice.

I tried the Pick 4 system for a week with no wins, and then tracked the Pick 4 numbers on paper along with the numbers that I would have used, and my “hypothetical” numbers didn’t hit either for a whole month.

Because the Pick 4 has smaller payouts as well, you have to win at least twice a month to make a small profit.

I don’t see this system as money-maker either.

Pick 5 System

I don’t have a Pick 5 lottery where I live, so I can’t say what kind of results you’ll get with this system.

I will say that this system does give some good general tips on picking lottery numbers. You should definitely use these guidelines when picking numbers for any lotto game you play.

Pick 6 System

The Pick 6 is the granddaddy of lotteries because the jackpots are so large. Normally millions of dollars.

Malcolm’s Pick 6 strategy is good and bad.

His method of picking numbers with this system is ineffective in my opinion because it is based on a faulty gambling theory.

However, he does provide a chart for picking numbers that I think is worth the cost of the system (which was $47 when I bought it).

The chart provides a way to pick multiple numbers and use a wide variety of combinations with these numbers so you can increase your chances of winning.

You should use the chart, but use a different method of picking numbers. 

In fact, use the chart, but use numbers based on the tips he gives in his Pick 5 system.  That’s the strategy I used, and I did enjoy some small wins in the lottery. (I hit 3-out-of-6 numbers on multiple tickets a couple times).

Scratch-Off Lottery System

This is an entertaining read about playing scratch tickets, and actually does give some good tips on winning money at these games.

By using just one of the tips he offered in this system, I have been consistently winning small prize payouts.  I haven’t won anything big, but I have enjoyed several $6, $10 and $25 payouts.

You would have to commit some time and money to hit the big prizes, but I believe it can be done.

Summary

Overall, the products are interesting and do provide some good tips of increasing your odds in lottery games. In reality, that’s all you can do – increase your chances.

There’s no system that can guarantee you a lotto win or help you “crush” lottery games, so keep that in mind with this or any other lottery product being sold.

Copyright (c) 2009 Sean Christopher. All rights reserved.

Balint Hatvani , the young Hungarian driver, who will bring a new international fame to Hungary.
Balint started racing when he was 12. In 2002 he became the rookie of the year. One year later he won the Central European Gokart championship and started racing abroad.
After a few podium finishes in the Hungarian, Slovakian, German championships, he changed the gokart to car racing. In 2006 he started in the Suzuki Swift cup, and next year in the Hungarian, and in 2009 in the European Seat Leon Supercup. He is the youngest driver of the Eurocup, and with so much racing experience, with the convenient technological and financial support he has got the opportunity to International success.
You support him to achieve his dreams if you buy his lottery, and you can take part of a race weekend with the prize!

GEM Bálint Hatvani Lottery: 1st. Prize: € 6000 + 2 Vip Tickets for one of the races + you can seat in the car of Balint Hatvani.

2nd. Prize: € 3000 + 2 Tickets for one of the races.

3rd. Prize: € 1000 + 1 T-Shirt singed by Bálint Hatvani

GEM Funny Car Lottery

The category “Funny car” is one of the king categories of speeding races. The engine of the only Funny car in Hungary has 1500 hp and it can speed up to 300km/h on 400 metres. With this fantastic car – driven by the pilot of SS Motors’ Team, István Szentesi 6 times Hungarian champion who always race in the highest category – we can have significant results in both national and international races.

If you buy Funny car lottery, you help achieving great success.

You can experience the dragster feeling.

GEM Funny Car Lottery: 1st. Prize: € 6000 + 1 speeding race experience with the car Camaro 68

2nd. Prize: € 2000.

If you want to buy tickets for those lotteries, first register FREE in GEM Island, then you can buy as many tickets you want.

If you want to learn more about GEM Lotteries, you can click here.

Good luck!!

Barry Shell, of Brampton, Ont., had a cheque for $4.4-million in hand and was being photographed Monday before being recognized and taken to jail on outstanding criminal charges. All Ontario lottery winners of prizes $1,000 or more are subject to certain checks, and scrutiny has increased in recent years since lottery officials aim to mend broken public trust following a protracted scandal involving lottery insiders, including retailers and their families, cashing tickets not their own.

Enter and discover the broadest range of online lotteries with prizes that cater for every interest. There is something for everyone; cash, travel, luxury goods plus the opportunity to benefit good causes.

You can find GEM regular lotteries and lotteries with defined number of tickets to be sold before the draw can takes place, lotteries for charities or, if you are a GEM Lifestyle Associate, you can create your own lottery.

Setting up your own lottery is a very powerful tool for earning money. Invite all your Gemmers, their friends and your friends to take part by interacting with your personalised Widget available on your social network pages and personal GEM Island site. Through the development of direct marketing campaigns your own lottery can also reach a much greater audience. Don’t hesitate, come on in.

Create your own lottery…..GEM Open Lottery

GEM Open Lottery lets you set the rules!

The Widget is an interactive tool which can be used to raise funds for good causes. GEM’s vision is that charities and other non-profit organisations will use this method as a unique and effective way to raise funds. All that is needed is a broad distribution or publication of the Widget in blogs, web-pages and websites. Look out for these lotteries. If you are trying to raise money for a good cause, it could be for a charity or a school or social club or sports club or perhaps you just want to run a lottery for fun or a specific prize, such as a car.

Whatever the reason GEM will make it possible for every Associate to construct theri own lottery with designs incorporating their own picture and video clips. Associates can search for and play in lotteries created by others, or even share and post their own lotteries on blogs and websites. It’s fun and easy, and you could win money… what are you waiting for?

Unlike other lotteries, GEM lottery gives generously to charities and the GEM Foundation. The objective is to use these good causes to make a difference to those less fortunate, particularly those in the third world. Your participation will make a difference.

One of the most striking features of GEM ISLAND Lotteries is that, compared with other lotteries on the market, your chances of winning the jackpot of the GEM Lottery are higher than in others on the market, as there is a direct relationship between winning and the total number of players.

Whereas in a roll-over lottery the probability of winning is proportional to the total number of tickets issued, in regular lotteries the prize is divided between all the winning numbers.
The probability of winning is very high and this is very different from public lotteries with a chance of 1 in 14 million of winning the jackpot.

Remember that the lottery is a game of chance and the winner will be selected at random.

Follow these 4 easy steps to drastically improve your lottery-winning results:

1) Set a goal.

The first step in succeeding at anything is setting a goal on what you want to accomplish.

Why are you playing the lottery?

Just for fun? Just to see if you can win? Or to win?

Make a final decision that you are going to win the lottery. Write it down and put it somewhere where you can see it every day. Let it serve as a constant reminder that you are playing to win.

If you have an exact amount you’d like to win, write that down too. Some people want the $100 million Powerball prize, others would be content with $50,000.

Whatever you want, write it down as your goal.

2) Have a game plan.

If you plan on beating the odds and winning this game, you need a strategy.

If it was as simple as buying one ticket a week and playing your lucky numbers, everybody would be rich.

You need to be different.

The best strategy is to pick a wide variety of numbers (high, low, odd, even) and play as many combinations as you can afford on your tickets. This will dramatically increase your chances of matching the winning numbers each week.

Another option is to buy a lottery system. These systems are good long-term strategies for winning money in lotto games.

Just be sure to avoid systems that guarantee instant wins or claim that they can predict the winning numbers. These systems are useless, and usually a scam.

3) Be patient.

Lottery riches don’t come over night.

You may get lucky and win quickly, but you will most likely lose a lot more than you win.

The odds are stacked against you. These games are designed to make players lose most of the time.

You just need to hang in there.

Come up with a good strategy that will slant the odds in your favor a little more than the majority of players. Then grind out that edge week in and week out until it pays off for you.

Millions of dollars don’t come quickly and easily, so you need to be patient if you want it.

4) Be persistent.

Success in any area of life usually doesn’t come without a lot of struggle and disappointment.

That’s just the way the world works.

Read the biography of any famous or successful person and you’ll likely find a story filled with failures and setbacks. And when things looked to be completely hopeless, that’s when they had their breakthrough.

Life always seems to test you when you want to achieve something big. That’s why most people never amount to much – they don’t have the strength or guts to hang in there and deal with the struggles.

Don’t be one of those people.

If you want to win millions in the lottery and completely change your life and future, you will likely have to struggle for it.

It won’t be handed to you.

You may spend every spare dollar you can on tickets, and try every lotto system and strategy out there, and still lose. Week after week, month after month.

You’re being tested. And if you want the big prize, you’d better not fail it by quitting.

Copyright (c) 2009 Sean Christopher. All rights reserved.

The July 24, 2009 Super 7 lotto grand prize is estimated at 20 Million.

The six most recent Super Seven Winning Lottery Numbers
17-Jul-2009 12 13 31 33 37 44 46 Bonus 34 – 4 repeats
10-Jul-2009 17 25 30 31 33 44 46 Bonus 47 – 1 repeat
03-Jul-2009 08 10 14 35 42 43 47 bonus 21
26-Jun-2009 01 11 12 24 26 27 28 Bonus 22 – 3 repeats
19-Jun-2009 05 12 19 26 27 29 40 Bonus 13 – 4 repeats
12-Jun-2009 12 13 15 18 27 30 40 Bonus 43 – 2 repeats

Number of Recent Lottery Number Occurences
0 times – 2,3,4,6,7,8,9,16,19,20,23,25,32,36,38,39,41,45, (cool)
1 time – 1,5,10,11,14,15,17,18,21,22,24,28,29,34,35,37,42,43,46,47(average)
2 times – 26, 30, 31, 33, 40, 44, (warm)
3 times – 13, 27, (hot)
4 times – 12, (smoking)
5 times – (On Fire !!)

Order of Ranges in last Super 7 Lotto Draws
17-Jul-2009 12 13 31 33 37 44 46 Bonus 34
17-Jul-2009 hot-warm-average-warm-cool-average-cool-bonus-average

10-Jul-2009 17 25 30 31 33 44 46 Bonus 47
10-Jul-2009 cool-cool-warm-cool-average-average-cool-bonus-average

03-Jul-2009 08 10 14 35 42 43 47 bonus 21
03-Jul-2009 cool-cool-cool-cool-cool-average-cool-bonus-cool

Number of Lottery Number Occurences July 17
0 times – (cool) 18 numbers
1 time – (average) 20 numbers
2 times – (warm) 6 numbers
3 times – (hot) 2 numbers
4 times – (smoking) 1 number

Number of Lottery Number Occurences July 10
0 times – (cool) 18 numbers
1 time – (average) 19 numbers
2 times – (warm) 8 numbers
3 times – (hot) 1 number
4 times – (smoking) 1 number

More Later
Good Luck everyone
Baadster