₦airaland Forum

We are there again

Hmmm

A 32- year -old man , Ndubuisi Izuchukwu, has pleaded not guilty before a Federal High Court in Lagos to unlawful importation of 110 kg of Cocaine.
The accused was arraigned by the National Law Enforcement Agency on two counts of unlawful importation of Cocaine and conspiracy .
According to the NDLEA , the accused committed the offences on November 9, 2017.
The NDLEA Prosecutor Juliana Imaobong told the court that the accused assisted a man , Kenny Okwonu ( who lives in Brazil and is now at large ) to import into the country the substance.
He said the accused was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport , Ikeja, during inward clearance of a South African Airways flight from Brazil to Lagos .
The offence , the prosecution said , contravened the provisions of Sections 11( a) and 14( b) of the NDLEA Act , Laws of the Federation , 2004.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Section 11( a) prescribes life imprisonment for offenders .
Chief Benson Ndokara, Counsel to the defendant, urged the court to grant him bail.
In his ruling , Justice Saliu Saliu granted the accused N 10 million bail with two sureties .
He said one of the sureties must be a blood relation of the accused, who should possess a landed property while the other surety must be a civil servant not below Grade Level 15.
He adjourned the case until March 13 for trial.
NAN

http://punchng.com/32-year-old-man-arrested-while-importing-110kg-of-cocaine/

I doubt the authenticity of this claim but in other news things are hard

The foundation of marriage is polygyny
(Having more than one wife)
Taken From
The Fatawaa of our
Shaykh, Allaama Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Abdul Azeez bin Abdullaah Bin Baaz
Translated by
Abbas Abu Yahya
Question is the foundation of marriage polygyny or is it having one wife?
The answer: The foundation in the Sharia is polygyny for he who has the capability to do so, and will not oppress them.
This is due to the many benefits of polygyny, protecting ones private parts, protection for the one who marries women and is good to them. The increase of offspring by which the Ummah is increased thereby an increase of those who worship Allaah alone.
The evidence which shows this is the saying of Allaah Ta ala:
<<Then marry (other) women of your choice, two or three, or four but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one or (the captives and the slaves) that your right hands possess. That is nearer to prevent you from doing injustice. >> [Soorah an-Nisa:3]
Also, because the Messenger – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – married more than one wife and Allaah Subhanahu said:
<<Verily in the Messenger of Allaah you have a beautiful example>>
[Soorah Ahzab:21]
The Messenger – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – mentioned when some of the companions said: As For me then I will not eat meat, another one said: As for me then I will pray and I will not sleep. Another one said as for me then I will fast and not open my fast. Another one said: as for me then I will not marry women.
So when this news reached the Prophet – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – he addressed the people and praised and glorified Allaah then he said: “Indeed such and such news has reached me. However I fast and open my fast, pray and sleep. I eat meat and marry women. So whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not from me.’
This is a great statement from the Prophet – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – which includes having one wife and polygyny.
Allaah is The One who gives the capability.
[al-Balaag magazine no.1015, 19 Rabi al-Awal 1410 A.H.]

https://followingthesunnah.com/2007/12/06/the-foundation-of-marriage-is-polygyny/

LRNZH:
Just read it. Very lofty idea.... Let me inform you of what's likely to happen.
The governments will not fund the colonies.... Fulani will move in and claim the land.... They will start rnaging in all sorts of illegality against the surrounding Ebira communities. Yahaya Bello was to quick to commit without studying and understanding the proposal.

His hastiness could prove fatal on the long run because to establish such it requires huge sums of money and serious planning.

LRNZH take a look at this thread https://www.nairaland.com/4319699/cattle-colony-solutions-open-letter

Shuku0kukobambi:
The impact of climate change is being swallowed up in the ethnic and religious coloration the matter is being allowed to be wrapped in not only in Nigeria but indeed all over West Africa.

Economic considerations started the Arab spring that has resulted into civil wars in Syria, Yemen, Libya. a small wound can become gangrenous and lead to amputation if adequate care isn't taken is the warning by the author of the report. Inaction by the FG is a bad thing

I wrote something about it sometimes last week on how cattle colony or ranch can solve the issue if the political will and sincerity of purpose is there.

LRNZH:

So do you see any signs that the policy makers are taking the issue any seriously.

They are not serious and those affected by the crisis don't trust them too. I think we need to look at how US solved its Cowboys vs Farmers clashes in the 19th century and modify it to suit our needs.

I read the article and it's quite unfortunate that some Nigerians think the farmers and herdsmen crisis is an attempt to overrun them by invading forces. This is nothing but an attempt to cover our eyes with wool and deflection from the underlying issues.

The impact of climate change can't be ruled out and policy makers must come up with policies that will put an end to this impending catastrophe

Miraath Benefit
*The Dua for cure from Sadness*
Translated by

Abbas Abu Yahya
Miraathpubs.net

From al-Qasim bin AbdurRahman from his father from Abdullaah who said that the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam said:

“Allaah does not afflict a slave with grief nor sadness, except that if the slave says: –
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ وَابْنُ عَبْدِكَ وَابْنُ أَمَتِكَ نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي وَنُورَ صَدْرِي وَجِلَاءَ حُزْنِي وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي
O Allaah indeed I am Your slave, and the son of Your slave, and the son of Your female slave, my forelock is in Your Hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask of You with all Your names, which belong to You, which You have named Yourself with, or which You have taught someone from Your creation or revealed it in Your Book or that which You have taken unto Your self with the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Quraan the life of my heart and light of my breast and keep away from me my sadness, and that my grief goes away –

Allaahumma ‘innee ‘abduka, wabnu ‘abdika, wabnu amatika, nasiyatee biyadika, madhin fiyya hukmuka, adlun fiyya qadha’uka, asaluka bikulli ismin huwa laka, sammayta bihi nafsaka, aw anzaltahu fee kitabika, ‘aw allamthu ahadan min khaliqika, aw ista’tharta bihi fee ilmil ghaybi ‘indaka, án taj’alal-qurana rabee’a qalbee, wa noora sadree, wa jala’a huznee, wa thahaba hammee

then Allaah takes away his grief and sadness and replaces it with happiness.”

The narrator said: It was said: O Messenger of Allaah should we not learn it?
He answered: Of course, it is necessary for the one who hears it, that he learns it.

[Collected by Ahmad, Al-Harith bin Abee Usama in his Musnad, Abu Ya'ala, Tabraani in al-Kabeer, Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim. Authenticated by Ibn Taymeeyah, Ibn al-Qayyim and Al-Albaani in Saheehah no.199]

AbdelKabir:
Na'am, I didn't even mention what one of the brothers informed me about an incidence, a female hostel is behind our masjid, he said when he went out to wash at the back of the mosque, he saw a female broad day light bathing outside where everyone can see her.... He had to run back into the masjid...

The fitnah is something else.

Brother AbdulKabir I can relate to your experience your eemaan can be shattered beyond repair if care is not taken during the orientation. During my time I told one Muslimah that I don't shake females who are not mahram and she was shocked.

1 – Seeking Knowledge is Worship
‘Seeking knowledge is worship, so it is not allowed to leave it due to having a bad intention, because with time, seeking knowledge will guide you to goodness.’ [3]
2 – Studying Knowledge
‘Being active and having high aspirations in our time is very deficient when compared to that which the Salaf were upon. Knowledge is present but it needs men to study the Book and the Sunnah deep into the night, morning and evening.’ [4]
3 – Knowledge is an honour
AbdulAwal bin Hamad al-Ansaari said:
‘My father used to advise the students of knowledge a lot by saying: I advise you with having Taqwa of Allaah Ta’ala in secret and in the open, and with having a concern with knowledge, since indeed knowledge is an honour for its companion, Allaah the Master –Azza wa Jal- said:
<< It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allaah.>> [5] .’ [6]
4 – The Concern for Gathering Manuscripts
‘I paid great importance during my travels in gathering manuscripts of three sciences of knowledge:
a – knowledge of hadeeth
b – Knowledge of the narrators of hadeeth
c – The ‘Aqeedah of as-Salafeeyah especially those which have Asanad.’ [7]
5 – Salafi Manuscripts
‘I had made it conditional upon Shaykh AbdulMuhsin al-Abbad during his administration of the Islaamic University of Madina an-Nabaweeyah that during my travels to acquire manuscripts that I only copy books of Hadeeth which have Asaneed (chains of narrations) and the ‘Aqeedah Salafeeyah.’ [8]
6 – Stealing Manuscripts
‘Every time Europe would overcome a country from the Muslim countries, they would steal their heritage of manuscripts and other things, and they knew the importance of this heritage.’ [9]
7 – Authoring Books
‘It is not befitting for a person to busy himself with authoring books at a young age, rather we should take the Salaf as-Salih as an example. One of them would write but not spread what he wrote, but rather he would keep it until he matured and became qualified for it.
The Salaf would say: ‘Whoever authors then he has indeed opened himself up for criticism.’ and they would say: ‘Whoever authors then he has placed his intellect on a platter and presented it to the people.’
Some of them used to write something and then erase what they wrote. Shaafi’ee said: ‘I had wished that I had not written ‘ar-Risalah’.
See how it is, I swear by Allaah that Shaafi’ee is qualified to write and author, however this is what al-Wara (being cautious) is, and following the truth.
al-Hafidh al-Khateeb wrote about this subject, which is in his book ‘al-Jamia’ which is better and more complete.’ [10]
8 – Translating Books
‘I have two conditions for a translator of books of knowledge from Arabic to other languages:
That he is upon the ‘Aqeedah of the Salaf
That he is precise and certain of the Arabic language and the language in which he is translating into.’ [11]
9 – Giving a Verdict on a Hadeeth
‘Giving a verdict upon a hadeeth that it is Da’eef (Weak) is not pronounced except by an Imam who has lived his life researching into the knowledge of hadeeth. People today do not understand this issue, so they declare hadeeth to be weak by just researching one Isnaad, and this is a mistake, and Allaah knows best.’ [12]
10 – Hastiness
‘It is necessary for a student of knowledge that he is not hasty.’ [13]
11 – My handwriting
‘My handwriting in the beginning used to be exclusively of Kufi script, then I tried to change it to Farsi, and Farsi script is what is common now. The original script of Arabic was Kufi, and I have seen the handwriting of Ali bin Abi Talib –Radi Allaahu anhu– that I have in my possession, and his handwriting is Kufi script. The sentence which is written with his handwriting comprises of speech which the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- dictated to Ali –Radi Allaahu anhu.’ [14]
12 – Non-Arab Scholars
‘Knowledge of Hadeeth from the second century al-Hijra to the fifth was not given any service except by the non-Arab scholars from the Muslims. This phenomenon was spoken about by al-Hafidh Ibn Hajr in one of his books.’ [15]
[1] For a Brief Biography of the Shaykh refer to : https://followingthesunnah./2012/09/13/a-brief-biography-of-shaykh-allaama-al-muhaddith-hamad-al-ansaari/
[2] The statements here were taken from the biography of the Shaykh, which was compiled by the Shaykh’s son AbdulAwal bin Hamad al-Ansaari who is a teacher in the faculty of Hadeeth in the prestigious Islaamic University of Madina. The Collection is called: ‘al-Majmoo’ Fee Tarjama al-Allama al-Muhaddith ash-Shaykh Hamad bin Muhammad al-Ansaari -Rahimullaah- wa Seeratahi wa Aqwaalihi wa Rihlatihi’. It is a large two-volume collection of the sayings, wisdom and various biographies of the Shaykh. The statements in this translation are all from his son AbdulAwal unless stated otherwise.
[3] [Vol.2 p.515 No.230]
[4] [Vol.2 p.582 No. 225]
[5] Soorah Fatir: 28
[6] [Vol.2 p. 588 No. 277]
[7] [Vol.1 p.402 No.100]
[8] [Vol.2 p.771 No.2]
[9] [Vol.2 p. 702 No. 139]
[10] [Vol.2 p.564 No. 79]
[11] [Vol.2 p.528 No.308]
[12] [Vol.2 p. 477 No. 3]
[13] [Vol.2 p.513 No.223]
[14] [Vol.1 p. 427 No. 281]
[15] [Vol.2 p. 492 No. 119]
https://followingthesunnah.com/2018/01/11/what-shaykh-hamad-al-ansaari-said-about-knowledge-2/

SalamRushdie:
Oh God what have we done ..I smell a bitter bitter civil war

Coward are you going to be at warfront fighting the war or you are looking for an escape route as a refugee?

War is not a child's play if you think I'm lying ask Ukrainians and Syrians

It is no longer news that Giroud has swapped the Gunners for the Blues in the just concluded January transfer window after series of twists and turns in the negotiation table. What is worrying is the negative views espoused by some sections of the blues supporters which I found quite harsh on Giroud.

Here are some of the reasons why Giroud is a good signing for Chelsea sit down and enjoy.

1) He is a goalscorer
The point most fans use in judging him is that he is not a prolific goalscorer which is grossly exaggerated. His return of 105 in 253 official games for Arsenal is a good return for a striker except you're talking about Messi or Ronaldo who are football greats.

2) He fits Chelsea's style of Play
Every fan would love his club to go after top talents but the question most fans fail to answer is do such buys fit into the club's playing style? Real football is quite different from simulation games like FIFA and Football Manager or Pro Evolution Soccer.
Players are acquired by clubs according to their playing style. Chelsea did a mistake by acquiring Torres during the 2011 winter transfer who doesn't fit Chelsea style of play as at that time. they don't want to repeat similar mistake.
Back to Giroud and Chelsea style of play. Conte's idea of football is to have a striker as a reference point in both attack and defense.
Here are some of Giroud's strengths; he likes to do layoffs, plays the ball of ground too often, likes to play short passes, indirect set piece threat, likes to tackle and physically strong.

3) He is a short-term acquisition
The length of his contract is 18months wan with an option of a year which means he won't block the pathway of younger players coming through or out on loan.

4) He will mentor the younger players
With his experience at international and club level will serve as a guide for the youngsters at the club. He has played at World Cup, Euros, UCL, Ligue 1 and EPL.

On Cattle Colony and Solutions: Open Letter to Gov Yahaya Bello | By Abdulsalam Ibrahim Amoto
The Executive Governor
Government House
Lokoja,
Kogi State.
Dear Sir,
ON CATTLE COLONY AND SOLUTIONS
Recently, there has been a raging debate ever since you made the pronouncement that Kogi State is interested in being among the host states for the proposed cattle colonies as announced by the Federal Government.
There are some out of genuine concerns who are against the proposal because of the ambiguity of the term colony, and there are some who are out to oppose any idea for no just cause.
Firstly, let me define what an animal colony is as used in the context in view:-
It means, a group of the same kind of animals living and breeding together.
So, cattle colony means a group of cattle living and breeding together. This is where I suggest that the government needs to step in and state clearly the modalities involved in establishing a colony.
I wish to appeal to the governor to call for a stakeholders meeting involving cattle breeders, farmers, environmentalists, Ministry of Agriculture etc, to deliberate on an action plan.
A department of parks and wildlife should run the colony and integrated with natural resource conservation and research facilities.
It shall be equipped with veterinary clinic which monitors and treats outbreak of diseases among the cattle and to ensure improvement in the quality of meat we consume. People die daily from poorly processed meat consumption.
The colony shall also have a centralized abattoir and cold storage facilities for meat processing and packaging with capacity to track the origin and grading of meat sold in the market. This will help reduce theft of cattle and introduce minimum standards in marketing and processing of meat. In addendum, a tanning facility should be included to process hides and skin.
Integrated with natural resource conservation, comes the task for improvement in bio-diversity, promotion of eco and photo tourism in the colony.
The colony will require appropriate skills in park ranging, veterinary medicine, environmental science, meat processing, marketing and sales etc. The colony when completed, can provide thousands of direct and indirect jobs for the youth in the state, and also boost the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR).
Estimated initial investment can run into hundreds of billions of Naira. The amount spent will be recouped by offering the space to those in cattle rearing business, farmers, financial institutions like banks, insurance companies etc.
I will be glad if all that have been stated above can be looked into and necessary adjustments/ improvements are made.
http://ebirareporters..co.ke/2018/01/on-cattle-colony-and-solutions-open.html?m=1

If this project sees the light of the day, what's the repayment plan for the loan?

Taliban and IS create perfect storm of bloodshed in Kabul
Emal HAIDARY
AFP January 30, 2018
1 / 4
On January 29, gunmen and suicide bombers launched a pre-dawn attack claimed by IS on a military compound in Kabul, killing at least 11 soldiers and wounding 16
On January 29, gunmen and suicide bombers launched a pre-dawn attack claimed by IS on a military compound in Kabul, killing at least 11 soldiers and wounding 16 (AFP Photo/WAKIL KOHSAR)
Kabul (AFP) - The Taliban and the Islamic State group are creating a perfect storm of carnage in Kabul, adapting to ramped up security in the war-weary capital to strike again and again -- and it is civilians who are paying the price.
Three times in the past 10 days Taliban and IS extremists have penetrated heavily fortified areas in Afghanistan's capital to carry out attacks that have killed and wounded hundreds of people, including foreigners.
The extremists' chilling ability to hit at the heart of the country despite increased police checks has put security and intelligence failures in the spotlight.
After the latest assault Monday, an IS-claimed attack on an army battalion that killed at least 11 soldiers, President Ashraf Ghani pledged in a tweet that "reforms in our intelligence services and Ministry of Interior are our top priority now".
But as public anger swells, security officials are on the defensive.
"The terrorists are changing their tactics," Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, the head of Afghanistan's spy agency, told reporters on Sunday.
"It does not mean a lapse (in security). We have foiled many attacks but some are difficult to control."
On January 20 the Taliban launched the first of two massive attacks in Kabul: an hours-long assault on a luxury hotel in which at least 25 people were killed, including many foreigners.
One week later an ambulance laden with explosives detonated in a crowded street, killing more than 100 people and wounding hundreds more in one of the deadliest bomb blasts in Kabul in recent years.
The Taliban claimed responsibility, insisting the explosion had killed mainly police.
On Monday many residents awoke to the sounds of gunfire and explosions once more as IS militants attacked the battalion.
Relentless Taliban violence is not new to the city. But, analysts say, the insurgents' recent escalation is exacerbated by the lightning increase in IS attacks in the capital since 2016.
There is no reason to believe the Taliban and IS are partnering operationally, or conversely, competing to outdo each other, says Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center in Washington, DC.
But "the cumulative effect of their attacks is simply devastating," he told AFP.
- 'Gloves off' -
As the Taliban ramps up its insurgency to drive out foreign forces and IS tries to expand its relatively small foothold in the country, Kabul is becoming more attractive for both groups, said Borhan Osman, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group.
"Increasing pressure on the battlefield may be leading them to hit back in an area where they can publicly disprove the rhetoric of the US military or Afghan government that they have weakened the Taliban or IS," Osman told AFP.
That "can also shake public confidence in the government's ability to protect the population."
Western officials have told AFP the militants are adapting to new security measures, such as those implemented since a massive truck bomb in May 2017 killed around 150 and wounded about 400, in Kabul's deadliest attack since the US invasion.
Dozens of truck barriers, checkpoints and security cameras have been installed in the city's downtown and diplomatic areas.
Lorries entering Kabul via major roads are checked by security guards, sniffer dogs and scanners to ensure they are not carrying explosives, rockets or suicide vests.
Cars and their occupants are also physically examined by Afghan police.
The time-consuming checks result in hundreds of trucks waiting hours before they proceed -- or being turned back if they do not have the correct paperwork.
But attackers continue to get through.
- 'Nowhere near sufficient' -
Groups such as IS have recruited students, professors and shopkeepers, who hide in the open as they help carry out assaults.
The US training mission is meant to help plug the gaps, but has not managed to do so despite years in the country, said Kugelman, with the recent attacks underscoring that progress is "nowhere near sufficient".
Militants operating in the city cannot be targeted with the amplified bombing campaigns used by the US in other parts of the country.
Some Afghan officials have acknowledged that the security measures in place are not foolproof, but appear to be at loss as to how to fix the problem.
"It is beyond the capacity of the police to control" all the entrances, a security official told AFP in October.
"Kabul has more than a hundred ways into the city."
As Kabul struggles to prepare for further strikes, Afghanistan's international allies are weighing the implications of the latest bloodshed.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said it was "essential to redouble efforts to achieve peace and reconciliation".
But US President Donald Trump on Monday threw into question Washington's long-standing policy of pushing the Taliban towards the negotiating table.
"We don't want to talk with the Taliban," Trump said. "They are killing people left and right."
That carnage is unlikely to abate in the months ahead as militants -- particularly the Taliban -- come under pressure, according to Osman.
"I'm afraid they are turning Kabul into the battlefield as a message to say 'if you are taking the gloves off we can also do this'."

As if his speech writers had read one of Anadolu Agency's headlines "America First or America Alone," and were responding to it, when U.S. President Donald Trump recently told world leaders at Davos: "America first does not mean America alone," he added: "As president of the United States, I will always put America first, just like leaders of other countries should put their country first."
Trump's advice to world leaders would have been genuine, had America not been involved in and around most countries around the globe. In northern Syria, just across the border from Turkey, America has empowered PYD/PKK forces that Ankara believes has been responsible for a wave of terrorist bombings that hit Turkish cities, including tourist destinations such as Istiklal Street in Istanbul.
How does Trump expect world leaders to put their countries first, while at the same time enabling forces that undermine the security and interests of these countries, especially NATO members and U.S. allies like Turkey?
Such contradiction characterized Trump's speech before the world's wealthy and powerful at Davos, the same way it characterizes most of Trump's policies and statements. Trump either utters falsities, such as when he claims that American unemployment rate is at a record low, which is not the case, or he is unaware of U.S. policies, such as when he tells Turkey that Washington stopped arming PYD/PKK terrorist group, but then U.S. troops maintain their deployment alongside these armed terrorist groups.
At Davos, Trump offered half truths in foreign policy. America has defeated Daesh, but it did so thanks to the cooperation of a host of regional players. Had governments, like Turkey, not opened its Incirlik airbase for U.S. fighter jets to provide air support for the fighters who ejected Daesh from Syria and Iraq, defeating it would have been a much harder task.
America asked for help in beating Daesh, but refused to give its allies a hand in defeating other radical groups. The reciprocity that Trump demanded in trade, only to make trade fair, does not seem to be applicable to other aspects of international politics, such as the war on terror, where Washington expects help, but rarely lends a hand if a given radical group does not bother America much.
"To make the world safer from rogue regimes, terrorism, and revisionist powers, we are asking our friends and allies to invest in their own defenses," Trump said in Davos.
Many countries, including America's allies, have been investing heavily in their defenses, fearing that an unpredictable Trump might not come to their rescue should the need arise. The problem is that Trump has yet to decide how big he wants American footprint around the world to be.
If America is looking after her own interests only, then it should let other countries look after theirs. If America deploys its forces around the world, then it should expect to listen to its allies who might have interests that America might not necessarily see or appreciate.
But to do both, to announce an America First policy while at the same time maintaining the usual big American footprint around the world, is a contradiction that needs to be resolved. Trump's speech in Davos did not help resolve the American contradiction, but only helped make it look clearer.
On economic policy, Trump's pitch to the world at Davos offered mixed messages. He boasted that America's economy was "by far" the largest in the world, and invited the world to invest in America. Then he dressed down some world governments for cheating international trade rules.
Now what happens if countries who are cheating the world trade system are also investing in America? Will America penalize their unfair trade practices, at the risk of losing their investments in the U.S.? Or will America look the other way, thus using fair trade as a punishment tool against countries that do not invest in America?
Trump was "spinning" most of the tidbits that he offered in his speech. It is true that America is the largest economy, but it also holds the largest national debt in absolute terms, and ranks in the top five countries in debt to GDP ratio.
So while Trump said that the American economy had come roaring back — which might not be very accurate given that U.S. economic growth slowed down half a percentage point in the last quarter — he dropped many other facts that would have proven that the economic picture of America, and the world, might not be as rosy.
The stock market and big corporations might be doing great, but the average household income for most Americans has barely kept up with the inflation rate.
Trump can insist all he wants that America first does not mean America alone, but a quick survey would show that since his arrival at the White House, Washington has alienated a host of its allies, from Europe to Turkey and South Asia.
Trump withdrew from the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement believing that America could negotiate more favorable bilateral trade agreements with member countries, given America's humongous economy that gives it unlimited leverage in trade negotiations.
But something unexpected happened. Instead of TPP falling apart and member nations entering into bilateral talks with America, they kept the agreement alive, thus establishing a free trade zone with a sizable economic size.
Now Japan and Australia can negotiate with America on behalf of the TPP zone, which takes away the American advantage.
From foreign policy to economics, Trump's speech at Davos was loaded with contradictions, and this cannot be good for anyone, America or the rest of the world.
http://aa.com.tr/en/analysis-news/analysis-trumps-davos-speech-loaded-with-contradictions/1045593

I believe there's a lot more to live for despite the traumatic experience, you just have to be strong and try to achieve what your mum wanted you to achieve while she was alive.
Death is a cup we all must drink from it's just a question of when. Bearing this in mind you should read books and talk with those who can be of help to you like family and friends, psychologist etc.

As for the retards claiming that he's not Igbo they should quit living in denial members of BH cuts across different tribes. In 2015 an Igbo guy who was a member of BH was killed by security forces in Okene, Kogi State.

Kwankwasiyya Amana for Presido. Nice gesture

Ahmed Musa Husaini
The Obasanjo Supremacy
There's no disputing the fact that the Obasanjo letter successfully highlighted the successes and weaknesses of the Buhari regime, praising the regime where it needs to be praised (fight against corruption and Boko Haram) and condemning it where it falls short of our expectations.
The nepotism and clannishness is there for all to see, culminating with the controversial NIA appointment, and the failure of the regime to put its house (both domestic and political) in order leads to infighting and factionalization among major pillars of the regime like the NSA, DSS, EFCC and the chief of staff.
President Buhari's contempt for and utter neglect of the political and proletarian class that brought him to power is most appalling, endorsing harsh practices (like secret recruitment) and policies (fuel price hike and shortages) that endanger his support base and strengthen his opposition.
Nothing that Obasanjo said that was not said by many of us on this platform, Obasanjo's letter only succeeded in bringing it to the national front-burner.
But I disagree with Obasanjo on two aspects.
My first disagreement is that by posing as a statesman with a solution, Obasanjo now arrogates himself the position of determining who contests an election or rule Nigeria. But if we are to believe Obasanjo that both the three successive presidents he has endorsed have all failed so far, then given his 0/3 score, we can no longer rely on Obasanjo for solution. Therefore any attempt by Obasanjo to pose as a messiah is merely opportunistic and decidedly self-serving.
My second disagreement is even more fundamental, bordering on the moral right of Obasanjo to criticise the government in areas where he had performed no better, and over problems whose origins or institutionalization can be traced to his own regime. This Obasanjo supremacy is founded on deceit, misrepresentations and opportunism.
Where Buhari is guilty of nepotism, Obasanjo was guilty of an impunity the type of which was never witnessed under a democratic regime. It was under Obasanjo that a sitting governor was abducted, his government house was razed and looted, and governors in Anambra and Oyo states were deposed by criminal, uneducated thugs. It was under Obasanjo that erring governors were extra-judicially removed (impeached?) and supreme court judgments calling for their reinstatement were resisted.
Talking about national unity, Obasanjo left Nigeria more divided than he met it, with a burgeoning militancy in the Niger Delta and a triumphant Boko Haram's Muhammad Yusuf whom Obasanjo's government accorded the privilege of the presidential jet after being granted bail in one of his court appearances. Not to talk of his state-sanctioned religious blackmail against the Buhari candidacy in 2003, and not forgetting the state-sponsored massacres in Zaki-Biam and Odi villages, the Sharia riots, and the resurgent of ethnic clashes in Plateau state culminating in the declaration of state of emergency.
That is also not to talk of political assassinations in which prominent individuals like Harry Marshal, Bola Ige, Funsho Williams and many others were killed and the suspicious plane crashes involving many VIPs. The fact that those killings and crashes were few or non-existent after Obasanjo left power points to state involvement and cover-up in those tragedies.
Let us not also forget how elections were conducted during the Obasanjo regime under Maurice Iwu.
Talking about economic performance, no doubt the economy grew under Obasanjo, but given record oil prices and a favorable global business climate, Nigeria's growth rates of 6-7% was below the expected capacity at a time China and India and other emerging economies were recording double digit figures in growth. But whatever credit he may take for economic growth, it did not translate to more jobs and prosperity for Nigerians, leading his critics to termed the growth rate under as jobless growth. Poverty rates keep rising in the 7 out of 8 years OBJ was in power, only coming down briefly in 2004.
It is tragic that successive leadership failures have allowed Obasanjo the opportunity to re-invent himself as a visionary with the solution to Nigeria's present and future problems, only the short-lived regime of Yaradua was determined in demystifying the fraud that is Obasanjo, exposing the many fraud that was perpetrated under his regime, with Nuhu Ribadu's EFCC as a tool. Not that the fight against corruption is any better today.
No doubt President Buhari has failed given our expectations, but considering the performance of those before him, if he had done no better, then he had done no worse. Personally, I have also echoed Obasanjo's advice that he should not contest given his health challenges and struggles with expectations. But I will never give Obasanjo the opportunity to lead another search for leadership under the guise of any coalition or platform.
That power rests with millions of Nigerians who are grappling with the effects (positive and negative) of Buhari presidency and conscious of the political, social and economic realities around them. They and them alone, can determine that with their PVCs.

Hucienda you know that the past administration was a failure so stop trying to rewrite history.

He was such a nice guy. Some gave some but you gave all.

Dr. Mutiah Allāh will humiliate those who sought to humiliate you in obeying His command. As for those Muslims saying veil covering is not compulsory I think they need to reread Qur'an chapter 25 and 33 all over again and the Prophetic traditions as narrated by the Mother of believers Aa'ishaah

We condemn all criminals, whoever they are and wherever they come from. A criminal should be treated as a criminal regardless of his/her ethnicity and/or religious affiliation”. I wonder if some of the commenters read this part of the press release.

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Attacking The Fetus by Abortion | Shaykh Muhammad 'Ali Ferkous

The Question:
I am an old woman. When I was young, I attacked my fetus by aborting him after a period [of gestation]. I do not remember if it was three or four months. This is still tormenting me night and day. So, could you give me a solution to my problem or guide me and free me from the anxiety that I am suffering from? May Allah reward you.

The Answer:
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

As a rule, abortion is forbidden and prohibited, because it constitutes an attack on an existing and produced being. Such an act is considered as a crime in the first stages of the fetus existence. This crime becomes more odious if the fetus has a soul and a perfect creation. Therefore, if the crime is committed – after that the fetus reaches the fourth month, that is to say, one hundred and twenty days and that we make sure that he moves in the womb of his mother - be it intentionally or by mistake, this will be an attack against him, and implies an expiation as Allah’s right and blood money as human’s right.

The expiation consists in freeing a believing slave. And whoever does not find a slave to free him, then he has to fast two months consecutively. But, if he cannot fast either, he remains in charge of doing it according to one of the opinions of the scholars, or he has to feed sixty poor persons according to the other opinion. If he cannot, he remains in charge of doing it until he will be able to do it. Besides, menses do not interrupt the consecution of the woman’s expiation fasting.

As for the blood money, it is the mother who is in charge of paying it from her money. [In this case] it is estimated at five percent of the [real] blood money(1). This blood money will be inherited by the fetus’ heirs, as if he would be killed after his birth, except his mother for she committed the offence against him. Nevertheless, if the heirs give up the blood money, the mother should not pay anything,

Allah Azzawajal says:
[[ And whoever kills a believer by mistake, then the freeing of a believing slave and a compensation payment presented to the deceased’s family [is required] unless they give [up their right as] charity ]]
[An-Nissâ' (The Women): 92].

In case the fetus, against whom the crime is committed, does not reach four months, there is no expiation to make for him because the soul is not breathed into him yet. Actually, it is obligatory to make expiation only when the person who is killed by mistake has a soul. However, if the fetus is an embryo so that he got a human shape or some of his limbs are formed, in such case, he will take the same ruling regarding the fetus [who has a soul] in relation to the obligation of giving the blood money.

Furthermore, the woman who committed the crime has to repent before Allah Azzawajal [of what she has done] and to increase good deeds and acts of obedience, for it is authentically reported that, “Regret is repentance”(2) and that, “whoever repents of a sin is like the one who has not done it”(3).

Moreover, Allah Azzawajal says:
[[ Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is he who is the Forgiving, the Merciful”]]
[Az-Zumar (The Groups): 53].

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah Azzawajal. Our last prayer is all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon our Prophet, his Family, his Companions and Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

Algiers, Jumâda Al-Ûlâ 17th, 1427H.
Corresponding to June 13th, 2006.
Fatwa: 531

in #Ferkous - http://ferkous.com/home/?q=en/fatwa-en-531

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LONDON -- Antonio Conte insisted on Friday, albeit with a hint of resignation, that he is "very calm" about Chelsea's efforts to bolster his squad in the January transfer window.
"I'm happy to work with these players," he insisted. "Then, if the club wants to help us, we're happy. Otherwise we'll continue in this way."
It is a philosophical attitude that jars with the prevailing mood around Stamford Bridge. Reports this week suggesting that the Premier League champions had enquired about the availability of West Ham striker Andy Carroll and Stoke City's veteran target man Peter Crouch had many Chelsea supporters asking, justifiably, what on earth is going on with their club's recruitment strategy.
Carroll is an inconveniently fragile battering ram of a centre-forward who has completed 90 minutes just three times in the Premier League this season. Crouch has at least done it on seven occasions, but he turns 37 at the end of the month and is less mobile than ever. Combined, the two men have five goals in 30 Premier League appearances in 2017-18.
There are reasons why two such underwhelming targets have come into view in the winter window, but they are unlikely to go down well with indignant fans.
Conte's stance is simple: He has wanted a big, physical striker -- or as he calls it, a "point of reference" -- in his squad for the best part of 18 months. His first choice was Fernando Llorente, halfheartedly pursued by Chelsea in each of the past two windows before joining Tottenham for bigger wages and a longer contract on transfer deadline day.
Now they are working their way down the list and, as he has pointed out many times, Conte is not the one who devises it.
"The club sometimes asks me my opinion about the transfer market, about our situation, the way we can improve," he reiterated on Friday. "But, at the same time, the final decision is for the club."
Chelsea are operating with a variety of considerations. The fact that Carroll and Crouch were both proposed loan deals highlights the first: Given that Conte is far from certain to still be in charge next season, is it wise to sink long-term money and resources into a player -- or even a type of player -- that the next head coach may feel completely different about?
Conte has little trust in Michy Batshuayi, who has proven ill-suited to a lone-striker role and struggled mentally with life on the bench since arriving from Marseille in 2016. He in turn would like to leave this month, in search of regular football and a pathway to Belgium's World Cup squad. A loan move to Sevilla offers both, but Chelsea need a fresh body before they can let him go.
Tammy Abraham has impressed in difficult circumstances on loan at Swansea City, scoring four Premier League goals in the worst attacking team in the division. Due to the terms of the loan agreement, however, a January recall to Chelsea would only have been a realistic option if he had not been getting the expected amount of playing time in south Wales.
With so many of their best academy prospects gaining experience elsewhere in the Premier League, Chelsea also need to be mindful of homegrown restrictions.
No more than 17 names on the 25-man squad list can be players who do not meet the criteria, and Chelsea currently have 16. The other eight spots must either be filled by homegrown players or left as blank squad spaces; the Blues have five of the former (Gary Cahill, Danny Drinkwater, Cesc Fabregas, Victor Moses and Ross Barkley) and three of the latter.
Chelsea can only really sign a non-homegrown player in the January window if another leaves, which is why Kenedy will be allowed to depart if a reported deal for Roma left-back Emerson Palmieri goes through. Batshuayi's exit would also create space, but a homegrown target like Carroll or Crouch could (at least in theory) provide cover without complicating future squad decisions.
Any benefit that a homegrown player could provide, however, depends on them being good enough to play for Chelsea. Barkley is a low-cost gamble who showed flashes of immense talent at Everton and is still only 24; it is a lot harder to build a credible case for signing Carroll or Crouch, even as temporary backups.
Ultimately, the biggest striker problem that Conte and Chelsea have to solve is the form of Alvaro Morata. The Spain international has scored three goals in the past two months and unless he rediscovers the version of himself that terrorised the Premier League in August and September, the chances of his team claiming domestic silverware or upsetting Barcelona in the Champions League round of 16 look slim.
Conte must decide whether rest or repetition is the way to get his star striker scoring again. But it is Chelsea who have a responsibility to adequately equip their head coach for both options, and in order to do so they may have to look beyond the uninspired names that provoked this week's backlash.

http://kwese.espn.com/football/club/chelsea/363/blog/post/3353260/chelseas-misguided-striker-targets-are-a-bad-sign-for-antonio-conte?device=featurephone

ewa20buredi100:
As regards to my place of work; i am currently not working for now. The previous work i had was a teaching job and i didn't really have a good relationship with the propietor of the school due to salary wahala.

What should i do?
Thanks

I don't know