โผ๏ธ RANT -STORY TIME - My tryst with VFS GLOBAL - Mumbai for Schengen Visa appointment where a 20 mins delay ( not delay in reaching on time but delay due to some circumstancial issue) we were forced to buy the premium lounge service.
So here it goes :
Date of appointment: 27/04/26
Time: 10 am
No of applications: 5
It so happened we family of 5 reached vfs Mumbai - Mahalaxmi office at 9:55 am precisely . The moment we reached my 5 yr old son complained of stomach upset / pain and wanted to go to the washroom for the obvious.
So we decided that me and dad proceed with the counter queue as we were right on time to head to and mom - wife decided to join us 15-20 mins late after attending to my sons issue.
On reaching the counter at about 10:05 am , we informed the officer that there are 3 more applicants who will join us in the next 15-20 mins as they are stuck in the washroom with the kid but he denied blatantly saying he cant allow as the slots are full .
We said we are ready to wait and give us the last slot but they still turned deaf ears. After a while with lot of deliberation , finally bearing the vile -smile , they gave us the VFS special offering saying the only way out now for us is to rebook the appointment for another day - pay the fees again or use the premium lounge service with a walk in appointment now.
To my amusement , these bigots even gave a discount even without me asking - instead of 4 adults sir you pay for 3 and get in ๐. Had to give in because of the "illusion of choices " i was left with.
VFS Globalโs Premium Lounge service is nothing but A Pay to Play Extortion Scheme where services are upselled through sheer force of "illusion of choices "you are left with.
Well done @VFSGlobal ๐๐, if extortion is an art than VFS is the RENAISSANCE . They bring a whole new era of creativity to the extortion shakedown.
It took nearly 2 years and thousands of volunteers to clean up Versova Beach, Mumbai.
The reward? Olive Ridley sea turtles returned to nest for the first time in decades.
Lesson: Stop the damage. Nature does the rest.
Ikwerre women in river state formed Ohanaeze women wing, Seems Ikwerre people are now carrying this Igbo matter on their head. Soon it will be only Wike and family that will be disgracing their ancestors in Ikwerre land. Ohanaeze ndแป inyom.
Engr. Michael Oluwagbemi @busanga, Program Director/CEO of #PCNGi, will be live on Arise TV @ARISEtv today at 5 p.m. on the "State of the Nation" show!
Don't miss this opportunity to hear his insights and updates on the CNG initiative!
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Nigerians jubilate as FG reveals the era of buying petrol N750 per litre is over
The Federal government has said the era of buying fuel between N750 to N1000 per liter, is over as it will commission 30,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered vehicles in the next 90 days.
Michael Oluwagbemi, Project Director and CEO of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, revealed this at an event in Ojota, Lagos on Saturday, July 20.
According to him, the initiative will cost N36 billion and includes 30,000 CNG conversion kits, which will be distributed free of charge nationwide within the specified period. Each kit and conversion is valued at N1.2 million per vehicle, totaling N36 billion over the next three months.
โToday, we are here with conversion kits. We have bought over 30,000 of these kits, mainly for distribution in the next 90 days.
The President has told us that this is not just to end with 30,000 kits, the target is one million kits. We want to make sure all of you can benefit from this government initiative.
The era of buying N750, N800, or N1000/liter fuel is over. We are not doing that again. We will start using the gas under our feet so that we can buy it at N230/kg,โ he added.
The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) officially kicked off the conversion process with the help of five key partners: Nipco, ABG, NASENI Portland, FIX it 45, and NITT. The official start of vehicle conversions in key locations across Abuja has begun
In a meticulous and highly scrutinous process stretching over four years, Singapore has set a new precedent in political leadership selection, finally deciding Lawrence Wong as its 4th Prime Minister. With a double degree and a PhD in Economics from Harvard, Wongโs academic prowess is matched by his professional integrity and performance. Throughout the rigorous evaluation, he outshone other candidates by scoring highest in critical areas such as character, performance, integrity, quality, and key performance indicators. Remarkably, he scored zero in public complaints, traffic summons, racial hatred statements, corruption, bribery, legal court cases, tax fraud, abuse of power, and checks by the FBI, CIA, and Interpol.
Singaporeโs approach raises a compelling question for all countries: Could adopting such stringent criteria for political leadership elevate governance standards?
Blockchain grants drying up as platforms tighten accountability. Can Web3 startups thrive without 'free money'? @kpswathi finds out.
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