₦airaland Forum

kulyie: i thought you claimed you are a prospective phd student,dont you have the intellectual capability to comprehend and read in between the lines to know what he is implying.i can see how intellectually sound you are 8-)

Relax dear!
We are not fighting.

Honestly, you make me remember a lady i once dated during my Msc days... You are just too hot.

Madam iron lady.
I understand you and God knows your feelings.

I will join you in prayer to get that right man before 2019 presidential election.

Just don't nail your anger at me. God time is the best...

Lolz! Just catching my fun!!!

kulyie: your mind is so warped and obsessed with sex that you think if females are together then its all about lesbianism.this is still part of what i am saying please grow up.there is much more life has to offer one than so much ranting about marriage.afterall we see victims of the so called marriages every where this days,let me not even go to women that are married to men and the man is just a husband by paper instead of fulfilling his responsibilities as a married man all in a bid to be mr and mrs lagbaja

Conscience is judging somebody...

I don't see where the dude mention anything like SEX.

BarryX: ''You & your Girls" again... Hope no foul-play sha? There's an anti-........ bill currently before the Senate,so *coughs**.. My dear do your thing as it take best suit you, it's a free world they say but Marriage is still one thing that completes life.. Let me sleep tomorrow service is blessing-filled. *smiles*

So you also see that I'm seeing?

Please help me ask her that question(hope no foul-play sha) again...

#Just.Thinking#

Ucheosefoh: 39 years and still single lol

Chai, bros! Do you say 39yrs?

Haba! She is just 36yrs ooo.

But she is still single and frustrated as you have seen in her typing...

@Vikin, my surest person! How market?

Lolz... Just fun. Me and you no fit fight jor.

Muhammed Buhari at the CPC convention today
By SaharaReporters, New York
General Muhammadu Buhari has vowed that
members of the opposition will no longer be
intimidated by the Federal Government.
The retired general, who spoke at the national
convention of the Congress for Progressive Change
(CPC) in Abuja today, said gone were the days
when the government would instigate crisis
during an election to scare away members of the
opposition.
From now on, he underlined, not only would votes
be counted, the opposition will not allow the
government to deceive Nigerians that it is not
behind election crises it has created.
"We will no longer be intimidated", he stressed.
He pointed out that Nigeria is already drifting
hopelessly and that anarchy is visible in some
parts of the country, with the government unable
to find any meaningful solution.
He drew attention to some areas of the nation he
described as “virtual war zones” in a country
supposedly at peace, with entire local
governments in the North-East now no-go areas
even to representatives of constituted authority.
"Marauders of every description armed to the
teeth with all manner of sophisticated armaments
roam the national landscape with total and
murderous impunity,” he said. “The patience of
this nation and the various communities within it
has been severely tried and stretched to its limits.
And there is no end in sight.”
He regretted that anarchy is knocking on the door
of many sections of this country while the Federal
Government has not demonstrated it has the good
sense to understand what is going let alone the
competence to check it.
“The nation is hopelessly adrift,” General Buhari
said. "There is unprecedented fall in the nation's
standard and an astronomical rise in the standard
of dying."
Taunting President Goodluck Jonathan's
Transformation Agenda, he observed that it has,
within the space of three years, transformed the
country into a veritable wilderness “Where
verything that should work, doesn't; where
everything that can get broken, has".

Source: mobile.saharareporters.com/news-page/2015-opposition-will-no-longer-be-intimidated-buhari

Ishilove: In that case I weep for the Nigerian educational system. Smh

Anyway as the saying goes, if a beard was a sign of wisdom, the he-goat would be a genius

This is just the simple reason why you are still single @32yrs.

Ask 190 for the address of T.B Joshua deliverance center.

kulyie: no matter the level of education and esposure,when some men talk,you go think say na people way dey carry wheel barrow dey talk.smh.its a pity that whoever wasted his or her money sending the op to school just threw money inside the thrash bin

My sister, i beg no vex...

The tin pain you abi?

I believe the truth hit your anus!

And for your info, less dan 3months to start my PHD degree. Do you understand the meaning?

Get your sleeping drugs and take it accordingly so that your high BP can come... Lolz

Vikin: Off for dinner! Enjoy ya thread at OP and gangs!

@Vikin my friend!

Hum! Why are you so concern about this thread?

Please how old are you?

Don't worry, God time is the best!!!

Its high time we start asking for those ladies birth certificate because you will see a girl of 32yrs claiming 26yrs...

Vikin: Sharap dia! U dis olllldddd cargooooo! You should be expecting ya grand kid now ...
At topic,

Why u dey ask? If u wan know, some are busy making money for their future kids, some are still in school studying, some have also decided to be a reverend sister!

Some want to get the best in life, some even no wan marry at all...

As for you, papa Ejima the OP...you don arrive?

Ah! Do you say some are busy making money?

Stop defending yourself jor! Go and marry!!!!!!!!

190: Wait they'll soon be here to tell you God's time is the best

I keep telling them, if they invest all the time they spend on nairaland on the streets looking for husband

they would have gotten married over 4YRS ago but NO they wont listen, later they'll say 190 is bad

Hahahahahaaa!!! @190, you bad ooo... No mind them jor.

But did i hear you saying God's time?

Tell them because every market get closing time ooo...

Dear 25+ ladies: you said it when you are 20years that you will marry before 25yrs.
So how far? Today is another saturday ooo without getting marry...

So please how market?

Especially the Nairaland ladies who are 25+, please what happen?

Because i have not seen a Nairalander uploading her wedding pictures...

What are you still doing?

I would have love to mention some nairalander ladies name here but let those that will comment do the job... Lolz

Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, in an online interview with Temitayo Famutimi, speaks on the challenges he faces in far away United States

What was your background like?

I am a Yoruba-speaking Ijaw person from Kiribo town in Ese-Odo Local Government area of Ondo State. We are known and referred to as "Ijaw-Apoi" in the Niger Delta region. I studied Geography and Regional Planning at the University of Lagos and later obtained a Master's degree in Public Administration from Columbia University in New York.

What spurred you into becoming a citizen journalist?

The independent media movement in the US was my early inspiration. I saw ordinary citizens reporting on the protests in Seattle, Washington, where a meeting of the World Trade Organisation was taking place. I knew from that moment that I wanted to become a citizen journalist too.

I started writing articles for some Nigerian websites and later began independent research into offshore corruption by Nigerian officials. I was surprised at how much information was publicly available about these officials, including lists of assets, ownership of properties, their divorce records and even multiple citizenships. However, I had no idea how to publish them.

What challenges did you face while starting Sahara Reporters and how did you overcome them?

There were lots of challenges. I think the most serious one at first was public skepticism and disbelief. We were derided and ridiculed for starting something many claimed we were not qualified to do. And then, I was starting something in a country - the USA - that is merciless with people who experiment with novel ideas or idealistic projects when they should be doing time-tested, practical things to earn enough money to pay their bills. However, I could not have lasted more than a few months if I started this website in Nigeria because it is totally dependent on technology, electricity and a constant Internet supply.

Where do you operate from?

I operate from anywhere there is Internet. Until recently, it was difficult to get connected to the Internet during flights and while riding in underground trains in New York City. I believe all that is changing very fast. Most airliners now have in-flight inter-connectivity within the US. But I do have a physical office in New York City. I started Sahara Reporters with an HP laptop bought on e-Bay. In 1995, it took $20,000 and a huge office space to store 20 gigabyte of data, but now one terabyte can fit into your breast pocket. People are now shooting movies with cell phones. No fancy offices are required! The world of computing has migrated to the clouds.

How long did it take you to start attracting visitors to Sahara Reporters website?

Sahara Reporters started attracting traffic from day one. I believe people were hungry for our type of news and many Nigerians waited patiently for me to start something new. Most of these early supporters have since continued to follow me everywhere. Now, we have an Internet TV station and recently started an Internet Radio station.

Which story brought Sahara Reporters to the limelight?

Every story we did brought us greater and better visibility and a good share of the mass media space and traffic. What people were judging, though, were those stories that were picked up by BBC and CNN. But we've been doing major stories since 2006. We did the consistent and significant reports on former Governor James Ibori's corruption, the health woes of the late President Musa Yar'Adua, the rigging of a series of presidential and other elections, the deep rot in the Nigerian judiciary, the Niger Delta insurgency - among others. We also led in covering the first attack on Boko Haram leaders. We obtained the first video showing that the Nigerian troops had lied when they claimed Boko Haram leader, Muhammed Yusuf, died in a shootout.

How profitable has citizen journalism become for you?

Some people live a profitable life out of it, but it was never my desire or intention. A decent living in my view is any form of living that enables me to be an agent of positive change in any society, but primarily in my original society, Nigeria. I understand that our current cultural conditions have reduced our existence to instantaneous wealth, but I don't subscribe to such mental and physical devaluation of human existence. I have always been content with what makes it possible for me to wake up in the morning and do that which my conscience tells me is right.

Have you ever been threatened as a result of your stories?

We have been threatened several times - including by Boko Haram. We have faced numerous legal threats by entities whose objective was to eviscerate our website. And, yes, we have faced direct governmental threats. There have been numerous attacks on our website, including some directed at the larger edifice of our hosts. These attacks amount to attempts to technologically "murder" our website.

What profession were you into before becoming a citizen journalist? Are you still in that profession?

I never took to any conventional profession in life. I have mostly been an activist, which is a calling (apologies to priests). I had toyed with the idea of becoming a hydrologist, a regional planner and public administrator by taking courses in those conventional areas of life. Never practiced one. However, I have also been a visiting university teacher in New York. Each Fall semester, I teach a class on "Post-colonial African" history at a university in New York City. I have been teaching since the Fall of 2009.

Source: http://m.naij.com/news/33530.html

Elder statesmen and former governor of Borno State, Group Capt. Mustapha Amin (rtd.) is dead.

He died on Wednesday morning in Kaduna State. LEADERSHIP gathered that funeral prayers for the late Amin will hold this afternoon at Sultan Bello Mosque, Kaduna.

The late Amin was the first governor of Borno State; he served from March 1976 to July 1978 during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo.

This was after North-Eastern State was divided into Bauchi, Borno, and Gongola states. Before his appointment as governor by the supreme military council, Amin was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Airforce when appointed.

He is remembered for his attempt to stop desert encroachment, by imposing restriction on tree cutting permits.

He also made it an offense to set fires to clear the land and called for the establishment of an inland port to serve Lake Chad.

Source: http://m.naij.com/news/33526.html

Reps, Niger Gov want Dokubo-Asari, Kuku Arrested

The House of Representatives on Tuesday asked the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, to quiz ex-militant, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, over his latest comment that there would be no peace in Nigeria if President Goodluck Jonathan was not re-elected in 2015.

In a separate statement, Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu also asked security agencies to arrest Dokubo-Asari for alleged treasonable offence.

In a resolution in Abuja, the federal lawmakers said Dokubo-Asari’s statement was “capable of causing disaffection in Nigeria.”

Dokubo-Asari is the Leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force.

Dokubo-Asari threat came on the heels of a similar statement credited to the Presidential Adviser on Amnesty, Mr. Kingsley Kuku.

Both Dokubo-Asari and Kuku are Jonathan’s kinsmen from the South-South zone of the country.

The Reps said the police authorities should interrogate both men to clarify their statements.

The House resolution also mandated its Joint Committee on Police Affairs/Internal Security to investigate the matter and produce a report.

A member from Kano State, Mr. Ali Madaki, had drawn the attention of the House to Dokubo-Asari’s comment under matters of urgent public importance.

Madaki called on the Federal Government to “check the utterances of some Nigerians capable of causing disaffection in Nigeria,” citing Dokubo-Asari and Kuku’s statements as examples.

He noted that the threat and the reference to the 2015 presidential poll could heat up the polity, “thereby causing unnecessary tension and anxiety in this country.”

The motion was not debated at the Tuesday’s session presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, but lawmakers endorsed the motion in a unanimous voice vote.

Dokubo-Asari, while addressing journalists in Abuja, had threatened that the country would not know peace if Jonathan was not re-elected.

He was also quoted as saying that militancy and struggle for control of oil and gas resources in the Niger-Delta region would be re-ignited after the Jonathan presidency.

According to him, the relative peace in the region is due to the fact that Jonathan is the President and not the amnesty declared by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Dokubo-Asari had said, “I called this briefing because of events that are unfolding in the polity.

“Recently, the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, made a statement in the United States of America, that the peace being enjoyed in the Niger Delta will not be guaranteed if President Goodluck Jonathan is not returned as President of Nigeria in 2015.

“This statement has been supported by several groups from the region.

“Also, the statement has been attracting reactions from several quarters, expectedly from the Action Congress of Nigeria and others.

“I want to go on to say that, there will be no peace, not only in the Niger Delta, but everywhere if Goodluck Jonathan is not president by 2015, except God takes his life, which we don’t pray for.

“Jonathan has uninterruptible eight years of two terms to be president, according to the Nigeria constitution.

“We must have our uninterrupted eight years of two tenure, I am not in support of any amendment of the constitution that will reduce the eight years of two tenure that Goodluck Jonathan is expected to be president of Nigeria.”

While receiving members of the House of Representatives Committee on Education, led by Honourable Aminu Sule, who visited him in Minna, Aliyu described the statement credited to Asari Dokubo as “unfortunate and inciting,” saying “by now the security agencies should have arrested him for treason”.

He said, “You don’t win election by frightening people and even if you win, the victory will be pyrrhic”.

While asking politicians to advise their supporters to watch their tongues, the Niger State governor said some statements were capable of causing disunity in the country.

“We should bring discipline to our politics; we should be a nation of rules, so that our country would move forward,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kuku on Tuesday denied reports quoting him as having said that there would be violence in the country if Jonathan was not re-elected in 2015.

Kuku said that the statement he made at the American Department of State was wrongly reported by a section of the media.

The President’s aide said that he made a call on Nigerians to give yet another opportunity to the President to continue in office to ensure implementation of agreements reached between the leaders of the Niger Delta ex- militants and the late President Umaru Yar’Adua that offered them amnesty.

He said that the Yar’Adua administration repeatedly assured the leaders of the various militant groups in the region that the government would take a conscious step to develop the Niger Delta.

That promise, according to him, has not been fulfilled.

http://www.punchng.com/news/reps-niger-gov-want-dokubo-asari-kuku-arrested/

Suspected members of Islamist sect, Boko Haram, on
Tuesday, attacked Bama, Borno State, leaving 55
people dead, the Joint Military Task Force said on
Tuesday.
The gunmen, according to Reuters, killed 22 police
officers, 14 prison officials, two soldiers and four
civilians, while 13 of the sect's members died in the
clash with the task force members.
Spokesman for the JTF, Sagir Musa, confirmed this to
Reuters.
The suspected terrorists were said to have freed 105
prison inmates during the attack which reportedly
began at around 5am.
The JTF, which took journalists to Bama to assess the
damage caused by the terrorists, added that three
children and one woman, were among those killed
during the multiple attacks in the town.
Sources in the town claimed that about 300
suspected members of Boko Haram stormed the
town, first attacking the 200 Tank Battallion, a
military Barracks.
The suspected terrorists were, however, repelled by
soldiers, who killed several insurgents who were
forced to retreat with the corpses of their members.
They were unable to take away 10 of their members'
bodies.
One other member, who was injured, was tied to the
stake when the JTF and journalists visited.
Bama's police station, military barracks and
government buildings were razed, an eyewitness in
Bama said.
Bama is a small, remote town in northeastern Borno
State, where Boko Haram first began its uprising in
2009.
Meanwhile, Senate Joint Committee investigating the
Baga massacre on Tuesday visited Maiduguri,
Borno State capital, en-route the site of the tragedy.
Our correspondent learnt that members of three
standing committees of the Senate namely: Police
Affairs, Defence, National Security and Intelligence,
were in the state on a fact-finding mission.
The state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Inuwa
Bwala, confirmed this in a telephone interview.
"Members of the committee are here. They just
arrived Maiduguri. We are going into a meeting that
is all I can tell you for now," Bwala said.

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/55-killed-in-boko-haram-attack-on-bama/

CPC warns against appropriating Nigeria’s interest to tribe

By Soni Daniel

The Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Monday, dismissed as an empty outburst, the threat by former Niger Delta warlord, Asari Dokubo, that there would be no peace in Nigeria if President Goodluck Jonathan was not returned for a second term in 2015.

The party asked Nigerians to ignore the selfish campaign by the controversial ex-militant to remain relevant in the political arena, when he is not in any way working for the collective interest and well being of the generality of Nigerians, who are looking for genuine change and leadership come 2015.

The National Publicity Secretary of the CPC, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, told Vanguard on Monday that Dokubo was merely seeking undeserved attention from the Presidency for pecuniary reasons, adding that he would change his position when the time comes.


*Dokubo
Although he did not say who will be the President in 2015, Fashakin was categorical that Dokubo will eat his words and line up behind the new administration.

Fashakin said: “Dokubo will adjust the statement when that time comes. It is very easy for anyone to say anything when his stomach is full.

“He made the statement to protect the immense benefits flowing his way by reason of the proximate positioning with the ‘powers that be’ (at the expense of the people). When a truly people-oriented regime comes into power, he will adjust to the reality!”

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/05/cpc-replies-asari-dokubo-youll-recant-after-2015/

Hum! I don't just know what to say...

Okay:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z...

Useless news... Your past is hunting you and you come dey cry.

Mtsheww!!!

And please ooo, who is that TIN that hide my first post? I need your full name in Okija shrine...

Life and Style

Your friend calls you in the middle of the night, crying. She sniffles and barely manages to say, "He did it again. He cheated!" You hold your breath because you aren't sure what to say. You want to say the right thing. However, what comes out may be the the worst thing you can say.

Right now, your friend or loved one is in a crisis. They just found out that their partner cheated. Sure, there are things they want to hear. And you want to say them, because you want to comfort your friend. And you want to let your friend know that you are there for him or her in their misery. But trust me, if you say the wrong thing now, it could come back to bite you later on. And some things you say could be even worse -- you could lose your friendship forever.

Do you want to really help them? Here are the things you should never say to a friend who's been cheated on:

Leave. This is the worst thing that you can say. When someone shares with you that they've been cheated on, they are basically opening up and sharing one of the most vulnerable and defeated moments of their life. It makes sense that you might tell them to leave. But when you first find out that your spouse or partner has cheated, whether it's disclosed or discovered, the last thing you should be doing is making a decision about what you want to do in the long term. In fact, if you want to give better advice to your friend right now, say to them them, "Don't make any decisions right now. Wait until the major feelings blow over."

Tell them this: It's important in this time of crisis to feel safe and to take care of one's health and safety. Find a place to sleep if you can't be in the same bed as your partner and take care of your health by remembering to eat and drink plenty of water. And remember that what you are feeling now is not what you are going to feel a few days or even a few months from now. Now is not the time to make any major decisions about your future. Moving out, breaking up or filing for divorce now may make it even harder later on.

Once a cheater always a cheater. That's just not true. Many affairs happen because of opportunity. And in fact, many relationships can be sound, happy and healthy and affairs still happen. And cheating partners may be very remorseful and willing to do anything they can to repair afterward. What may be more helpful to hear right now is that many relationships are stronger than ever after an affair.

It may not be clear right away if this relationship will make it or not, but if you are really a friend trying to give advice, what gives you the right to tell someone that if their partner cheats, they will always do it again? How do you know?

Men are such pigs. Or the equivalent: Women are such sluts. It's not helpful to classify someone's most important partner as just one of a whole group of unwholesome and awful people. Inferring that one's partner has no integrity, cannot be trusted and, in fact, is a lowly, awful person with no redeeming qualities may feel good in the moment, but if your friend ends up staying with that person, they will never want to look you in the eye again and you may end up not only losing your friend, but creating an enemy.

They should have just left you first. That's easy for you to say. The person being cheated on didn't want to be cheated on. What makes you think it's easier to hear that they should have been dumped instead? How would being broken up with have made their life any better? In fact, they probably don't want their partner to end their marriage or relationship, so you saying that it would have been better to divorce is going to sound like the ultimate insult. It is incredibly patronizing for a friend or loved one to assume that ending a marriage or committed partnership is better than being cheated on. Yes, being cheated on feels awful, but how is being dumped going to feel any better?

You'll meet someone better. Don't try and move your friend onto someone else or something else too soon. They aren't ready and they don't want to be. And no, they shouldn't have a "revenge" affair. Don't take your friend out to meet someone else. Don't encourage them to cheat to "get even." If they do that, then they will just have to get over two affairs: their partner's and their own.

So what do you say when to a friend that's been cheated on? You are allowed to have your own feelings, but let your friend know that they are yours: "I am so mad and upset that this happened to you. It's hard for me to forgive what they did to you right now. I am so upset for you."

Do yourself and them a favor: Be supportive by listening, being empathetic and validating their feelings. This might sound like, "I am so sorry you are going through this. It must feel awful right now. I understand that you are feeling so sad and angry. It sounds like you are feeling terrible. What can I do right now to help? What do you need from me? "

Perhaps the most important way to support a friend after infidelity is to simply let them know, "I love you and I am here for you. (Even if you can't resist throwing in a one-time "...Whether you stay with that cheating s-o-b or not."

Source: http://news.naij.com/33277.html

OX59: The only problem Buhari has is that majority of nigerians do not know what is good for them!

Bro, some nairalanders are not yet born during is days and they will come here and start saying rubbish with there mouth...

Don't mind them... They have been brainwash without prove for there propaganda...

Together we can make Nigeria great. One love!!!

OX59: The only problem Buhari has is that majority of nigerians do not know what is good for them!

Bro, some nairalanders are not yet born during is days and they will come here and start saying rubbish with there mouth...

Don't mind them... They have been brainwash without prove for there propaganda...

Together we can make Nigeria great. One love!!!

Militants, operating in the creeks of Southern Ijaw
Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, have killed
eight persons in Lobia community in a deadly attack
that occurred on Sunday afternoon.
Our correspondent gathered that Judah, the younger
brother to a former militant leader, Mr. Reuben
Wilson, popularly known as Pastor, was among the
victims of the onslaught that happened in the same
community, where 12 policemen were killed on April 5.
It was further gathered that five ex-militants, who
had embraced the Amnesty programme of the
Federal Government under Pastor, were among
persons confirmed dead after the violence.
While sources told our correspondent that the
incident occurred on Saturday night, the Joint Task
Force, code-named Operation Pulo Shield, said it
happened at about 2pm on Sunday.
But it was gathered that the victims were tricked to
their creeks by their attackers, who later shot them
dead and abandoned their corpses along the Lobia 1
waterside.
The killers were said to be the gunmen who killed
the 12 policemen.
While some persons said the victims were killed in
cold blood after they were led to the spot by
messengers of the gunmen, others said they died
after an exchange of gunfire.
Sympathisers were seen clustering the home of
Pastor, who confirmed the development to our
correspondent.
The Media Coordinator, JTF, Lt. Col. Onyema
Nwachukwu, said the incident occurred when two
armed gangs clashed in Lobia 1.
He, however, said unspecified number of people
died in the incident.
He said, "There was an armed collision between two
armed groups at Lobia 1 in Southern Ijaw Local
Government Area, which led to the death of
unspecified number of persons."

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/gunmen-kill-eight-in-bayelsa-community/

The crisis over an aircraft owned by the Rivers State
Government deepened on Thursday, as the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
commenced a discreet probe to determine Governor
Rotimi Amaechi's link to the alleged inflation of the
cost of the plane by $10m. The aircraft has been the
subject of a row between the Rivers State
Government and the Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority.
It was learnt that the anti-graft agency is looking into
the 'high possibility' of alleged money laundering in
relation to the purchase of the aircraft.
A source said on Thursday that while the state
government claimed to have purchased the
Bombardier aircraft with $57m, records available to
the EFCC showed that it may have been bought for
$47m, thereby creating room for suspicion on how
$10m was spent.
It was learnt that the state House of Assembly
approved the purchase of the controversial aircraft
within 24 hours.
It was further gathered that operatives of the EFCC
might also be looking into how two aircraft
purchased by the Rivers State Government under
former Governor Peter Odili were managed.
One of the aircraft was sold to the Cross River State
Government while the other aircraft manufactured
by a Brazilian firm, an air ambulance, was said to
have been phased out.
Investigations further revealed that the company
wrote the Rivers State Government to say it was
longer manufacturing the spare parts of the aircraft
and so it was returned.
A source said the anti-graft agency was probing the
management of the aircraft because rather than just
phasing it out, it should have been traded in for
another aircraft.
It was learnt that a focus of the investigation was to
find out if there was any link whatsoever between
the new aircraft and the aircraft in the area of cost.
Contacted, EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said
he had not been briefed on the matter.
"I'm not aware of this," he said on the telephone.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has
said that the aircraft it grounded does not belong to
the state government.
The General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA, Mr. Fan
Ndubuoke, told our correspondent on Thursday that
the aircraft belonged to a private firm, contrary to
claims by the Rivers State Government that it owned
the controversial plane.
He said, "The document we have does not show
Rivers State Government as the owner of the aircraft.
The registration is saying that the plane is owned by
a company and not Rivers. So it is you people that
will ask Amaechi how he came in contact with the
aircraft. What is his relationship with the owner of
the aircraft? That is his own business and I cannot
answer that question for him.
"From the records we have, we have told you the
owner of the aircraft. So whether it is from his friend
or whoever, is it for me to know? It is not for me to
know. Because from our records there is nowhere
Rivers State Government is stated as the owner of the
aircraft."
He admitted that the aircraft was registered in the
name of Bank of Utah in the United States, stressing
that the governor should tell the public what he
knows about the controversial plane.
Ndubuoke explained that the plane, before it was
grounded, only had approval to move from Accra to
Port Harcourt. He wondered why the crew decided
to fly to other destinations outside the aircraft's
approved routes.
He said, "The clearance for the aircraft was sought
by Caverton Helicopters on March 27. Amaechi did
not seek clearance and the Rivers state government
did not seek clearance.
The route they were given the clearance to fly was
Accra-Port Harcourt-Accra.
"That does not mean it is the only place that they can
fly. But that was the route with which they applied
for the clearance. So if they now want to fly to
Owerri or Akure, they need to reapply for another
clearance. That is just the true matter, nothing more,
nothing less. Their movement to Akure was illegal
because it was not captured in the clearance."
The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency had last
Friday refused to grant approval to the governor's
aircraft to leave Akure airport.
According to NAMA, the development was due to the
failure of the pilot of the plane to submit the
required manifest of passengers on board. The
airspace agency also said it was untrue that the
aircraft was grounded by the airspace manager at
the Akure airport.
The Managing Director, NAMA, Mr. Nnamdi Udoh,
argued that contrary to the politicisation of the
incident, the agency carried out its functions in line
with the global aviation standard.
He was reported as saying, "By regulation, the
manager has no power to clear any aircraft at that
time of the day because Akure Airport operates day
light operations. Approval must be given through the
manager to the tower."
On Saturday, NCAA had declared that the
controversial aircraft operated illegally in the
country.
As a result, the civil aviation authority grounded the
Bombardier-BD 700 Global Express aircraft with
registration number N565RS. It said the plane had an
expired clearance approval effective April 2, 2013.
The Director, Airworthiness Standards, NCAA, Mr.
Benedict Adeyileka, explained that while the aircraft
was still operating illegally, it had been sighted in
several places, including Owerri and Akure.
The NCAA also stated that the grounding of the
aircraft had nothing to do with the President.
Ndubuoke said, "The media always say that
government grounded the aircraft because of issues
with Amaechi. Reports have it that it was because
the President and Amaechi are having problems,
and that that was what may have led to the
grounding of the aircraft.
"But I don't know how the President will come from
Aso Rock and say ground this airplane. In fact, I
don't how that will happen and I wonder why he will
do that in the first place. So what we are trying to say
that it is not true."
Contacted, the governor's Chief Press Secretary, Mr.
David Iyofor, said he would not react to speculations
about the state government's aircraft.
"I have no comment on the issue because I cannot
react to speculations," he stated.
However, the Rivers State Commissioner for
Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim
Semenitari, in a statement on Friday faulted claims
by the Ministry of Aviation that the aircraft was
flown into Nigeria with forged documents.
The statement reads in part, "No aircraft can fly into
Nigerian airspace illegally and land at various
airports within the country unchallenged. The Rivers
State Government-owned aircraft has been in
operation since October 2012;
"The allegation that a state government would use
the name of Caverton Helicopters to obtain various
clearances is preposterous and embarrassing;
"The claim that the aircraft insured is owned by
Acass Canada Limited of 6700 Cote de Liesse, Suite
206,Montreal, QC H4T 2B5, Canada is a deliberate
distortion of facts. An insurance issued to Acass was
used for entry into service while flying between
Canada and the USA for pre-delivery tests. Rivers
State Government took delivery on 5th October, 2012
and duly insured the aircraft and the certificate of
insurance duly states this. Please note below:
"The Rivers State Government has been flying this
aircraft since October 2012 with this same certificate
and with the knowledge of the Ministry of Aviation.
The ownership of the aircraft is not in question as
we have clearly explained the relationship between
the Rivers State Government and the Bank of Utah.
"This is a verifiable relationship and is common
place in the aviation sector as practitioners and
stakeholders know. The Deed of Trust is proof that
the aircraft is held in trust by the Bank of Utah on
behalf of the Rivers State Government.
"We believe that all administrative procedures
should and must be complied with. However, the
state government is worried at what is beginning to
seem like a witch-hunt of it and related parties that
have conducted business with it. We will continue to
engage with aviation officials and follow through
with all administrative requirements and processes
as is most appropriate."
Also, the Majority Leader in the Rivers State House
Assembly, Mr. Chidi Lloyd, explained on Thursday
that the current administration traded off two
aircraft it met on the ground because they were not
durable.
Lloyd added that the state house of assembly
approved the purchase of the aircraft based on the
durability of the new one.
"When this state government came on board, it met
two aircraft on ground. It also discovered that the
two planes were not durable. Even the
manufacturing company said that particular type
had been phased out.
"The current administration decided to trade off the
two planes and bought a more durable aircraft
currently being used. The aircraft had been on the
ground for almost a year, why is it being talked
about now?" Lloyd wondered.

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/private-jet-efcc-probes-amaechi-over-missing-10m/

The three-member Ondo Governorship Election
Petition Tribunal on Friday upheld the declaration of
Governor Olusegun Mimiko as the winner of the
October 2012 governorship election in the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had
on October 21, 2012, announced Mimiko as the
winner of the poll, which was widely adjudged as
free, fair and very credible by local and foreign
election observers and monitors.
Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Andovar Kaka'an
dismissed the petitions of Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu of
the Action Congress of Nigeria and Chief Olusola Oke
of the Peoples Democratic Party for lacking in merit.
Kaka'an added that the petitioners and their
witnesses failed to prove beyond reasonable doubts,
allegations of irregularities, violence and non-
compliance with the Electoral Act pleaded in the
suits.
Kaka'an also ruled that the issue of illegal injection
of voter register allegedly carried out by the
Independent National Electoral Commission was a
pre-election matter that should have been challenged
at a high court before the October 20, 2012 election.
He said since INEC had supplied soft copies of the
voter register 30 days before the poll to all parties in
the election, anyone who discovered any form of
irregularity should have approached a high court to
complain.
The panel also dismissed the reports of the expert
witnesses of the petitioners, because apart from the
fact that their submissions were discovered not to be
factual, they confessed during cross-examination
that their services were not at the instance of the
court.
Kaka'an further held that there was no evidence
supplied either by the petitioners or their witnesses
to justify the fact that the 164,072 names allegedly
injected into the 2012 register by INEC was done in
collaboration with the Labour Party, whose
candidate won the poll.
He added that there was no proof to show that either
Mimiko, who won the poll, or his party benefited
from the alleged injection of the register with illegal
voters.
He said the expert witnesses confessed during cross-
examination by counsel to the defendants that they
carried out their assignments for financial
considerations and that their clients needed their
report to substantiate claims in their petitions.
He declared that all the submissions of Akeredolu
and Oke in their petitions and the evidences of their
witnesses were "bundles of primary and secondary
hearsay, which failed woefully to substantiate their
claims.
The panel chairman said the petitioners were
inconsistent and failed to substantiate their
allegations with adequate proofs.
He said, "The petitioners failed woefully to prove
their allegations of crimes allegedly perpetrated
during the poll by the defendants beyond any
reasonable doubts.
"No single witness testified that he or she did not
vote or that the votes were taken away to
unauthorised places after the election while no
police report, which indicated violence during the
election, was tendered by any of the parties.
"The issues relating to the voter register are pre-
election matters which the tribunal has no
jurisdiction to entertain."
The tribunal also carpeted the petitioners for their
failure to extend pleadings to all the polling units in
the state while none of them brought a single voter
card or ballot box to the court to prove their
allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act
2010.
He stated that none of the witnesses called by the
petitioners actually witnessed the commission of
crimes during the election by the defendants but
relied substantially on information from their
friends and party members.
He, therefore, dismissed both suits for lacking in
merit and their inability to prove all allegations
raised beyond reasonable doubts.
However, both Akeredolu and Oke had said their
legal teams had been directed to start a fresh process
to appeal the judgment.
Oke said, "The ruling fell short of the expectation of
the Ondo State people and we shall challenge it at the
Court of Appeal.
"The party is not surprised as we had earlier
reported the compromising attitude of this panel,
when it erroneously struck out the name of our party
and vital paragraphs of our petition, which we
challenged at the Appeal Court and our prayers were
upheld.
"We are consulting as a party with our candidate,
Chief Olusola Oke and the national leadership of the
party and our legion of counsel on the next step we
are going to take."
Akeredolu, through a statement by the Publicity
Secretary of the ACN in the state, Mr. Rotimi Agbede,
also expressed his resolve to head for the appellate
court.
He said, "It is rather unfortunate that the trial judges
chose to close their eyes on the overwhelming oral
and documentary evidences presented by the
petitioners even when INEC principally refused to
defend itself at the tribunal.
"The ruling of the tribunal, no doubt, had put the
judiciary on trial in the open court of the people who
relied heavily on the courts to dispense justice
without fair or favour."
But Mimiko said the verdict had confirmed that the
Nigerian judiciary was living up to its role as the
final impartial arbiter in all contentious matters.
He said, "We, as government, are mindful of the
onerous task of meeting the development challenges
of our people; we know that the fostering of
understanding between the government and the
people will engender a more conducive environment
for the deepening of the dividends of good
governance."

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/acn-pdp-kick-as-tribunal-upholds-mimikos-victory/

Messi girlfriend was trying to wake Messi up this morning.

In the process, she said, "Messi, Messi, its 8!

Messi Jump up and replied: THEY SCORED AGAIN?

"Girlfriend: NO, its 8am... I mean your training time.



Well, the report reaching me now is that the girl is still in hospital...

A student asks a teacher, "What is LOVE?"

The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the wheat field and choose the biggest wheat and come back. But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick."

The student went to the field, go thru first row, he saw one big wheat, but he wonders....may be there is a bigger one later. Then he saw another bigger one. But may be there is an even bigger one waiting for him. Later, when he finished more than half of the wheat field, he start to realize that the wheat is not as big as the previous one he saw, he know he has missed the biggest one, and he regretted. So, he ended up went back to the teacher with empty hand.

The teacher told him, "...this is Love... You keep looking for a better one, but when later you realize, you have already miss the person...."

"What is marriage then?" the student asked.

The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the corn field and choose the biggest corn and come back. But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick."

The student went to the corn field, this time he is careful not to repeat the previous mistake, when he reach the middle of the field, he has picked one medium corn that he feel satisfy, and come back to the teacher.

The teacher told him, "This time you bring back a corn.... You look for one that is just nice, and you have faith and believe this is the best one you get.... This is marriage."

What Do You Think?

This tread has been hidden!

Mtsheww!!!

President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday took a look
at the various security challenges facing the country
and returned a verdict: Nigeria is passing through a
trying moment.
"This is quite a trying moment for this country in
terms of security. A number of our police officers
have lost their lives while serving their fatherland.
We have challenges from the South to the North and
from the East to the West. We sleep but some people
will keep awake and these are the security
personnel," he said.
Jonathan spoke at the grand finale of the 2013 Police
Week Celebrations at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
The event, which featured a ceremonial parade by
policemen and the inauguration of police
equipment, including seven helicopters, 10
Armoured Personnel Carriers and 275 patrol vans,
was attended by top government officials and
security experts.
The President, who called for a minute silence in
honour of security agents who have lost their lives in
the process of securing the people, regretted that no
part of the country was spared in the security
challenges.
While condoling with the families of security
personnel who died in the various attacks Jonathan
assured them that the Federal Government would
never abandon them.
He said in his quest to tackle the security challenges
headlong, his vision was to ensure that all the 36
state police commands and that of the Federal
Capital Territory had helicopters for effective
aerial surveillance.
Jonathan said, "The police must be well equipped
and kitted to protect us while on land, water and air.
You can see the helicopters that will be inaugurated
and my commitment is that every state command
must have a helicopter.
"That was why we set up a special fund because the
idea that armed robbers will take over a state and be
operating for hours without any challenge must be
a thing of the past. That is why we must invest in air
power for the Nigeria police."
He promised that his administration would create a
more friendly police force that would be united with
the community through a shared sense of
responsibility and partnership.
This, the President said, was possible if all
stakeholders such as the government, the citizens,
the police leadership, officers and men worked
together for a common purpose.
Jonathan asked all policemen to rise to the current
reality and challenges facing the nation.
While admitting that policing was a challenging
task, he said every policeman and woman must
change with the time, adding that that was the
minimum standard expected of them by Nigerians.
The President also warned policemen to always be
mindful of the rights of innocent Nigerians while
carrying out their assignments.
He said, "I also charge the police, while doing their
work to be mindful of the rights of the ordinary
citizens because rights are very sensitive. While
policing us, you must know that the rights of the
citizens of this country must be protected. In that
regard, we expect maximum discipline from officers
and men of the Nigeria Police."
Jonathan said his presence at the ceremony was in
furtherance of his administration's determination to
reposition the nation's security structure for a more
effective policing.
He said, "The police have a daunting task of
enforcing the laws, keeping the peace and protecting
lives and property which are exceedingly vital for
societal well-being and development.
"It is therefore why every nation expects so much
from its police. For the police to be effective,
government must also provide the police what they
require to work, tools must be provided.
"That is one of the reasons we are here to
inaugurate some of the items and we will continue to
do more. We are today going to inaugurate some
helicopters and vehicles for the use of the police.
"I expect that these facilities will enhance police
capability in prevention of crimes. They shall be
instruments of justice and protection of all men and
women. As they use the equipment, one thing I will
urge the police to do is to maintain them. As a
nation, we are not good at maintaining what we
have."
The President also made a case for training and re-
training in the police force.
"We must emphasise the need to train. For you to
remain gallant and functional in whatever you do
and especially in security tactics, training is
paramount. " he added.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed
Abubakar, said with the resuscitation of the Police
Week which was last celebrated in 1976, he was
passing a clear message to criminals that the wind
of change was now blowing through the police.
Abubakar said the new police force would display
"team spirit, loyalty, zeal, courage, civility and
renewed commitment" towards confronting
criminals.
He said, "My sense of pride stems from the fact that
with the blessing of the Almighty God and support of
my lieutenants, it is under my stewardship as the
Inspector-General of Police that the concept of
Nigeria Police Week which was last celebrated in
1976, was reintroduced.
"For over 37 years, a veritable instrument and
opportunity to strengthen the bond between the
police and the public was kept on hold, while the gap
between the police and the community kept
widening.
"Mistrust grew and the public and the police started
reacting based on mutual suspicion. All because, the
opportunity for social interaction, the Police Week
Celebrations provided was allowed to fizzle away."
He recalled with nostalgia the times when police
stations were opened for members of the public to
walk in and interact with their policemen and
officers; when police commanders and smartly
dressed policewomen would proudly interact with
the youth community and security stakeholders in
the society; and when the expertise of the Force
would be showcased in form of demonstrations by
versatile police motorcycle riders among others.
He said with the Monday event, the Force leadership
was giving practical meaning to its firm
determination to restore the lost glory of the Force
and re-enact those practices which bind the citizens
to their police and elicit fond memories of the force.
Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade, who
described the ceremony as another first in the
present administration's transformation agenda,
said the event provided another opportunity for the
police to reconnect with the people in tackling
security challenges.
Olubolade urged the police to reciprocate the good
gesture of government in providing the equipment
by working hard to tackle the insecurity in the land.
About 17 policemen were honoured at the ceremony
with two of them receiving post-humus awards.
The recipients were rewarded for various activities,
including counter-insurgency efforts, investigation of
high profile murder cases and commanding
ceremonial parades.

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/nigeria-passing-through-a-trying-moment-jonathan/

NOBEL laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has urged
politicians to desist from manipulating the judiciary
to prevent a state of anarchy in the country.
Soyinka explained that though the judiciary was
making headway in reforms, there was still the need
to tackle some dark areas in the sector.
The literary giant, who spoke with reporters on
Monday in Port Harcourt, pointed out that such dark
areas had created the political crisis rocking the
state.
Soyinka was in the state to mark the emergence of
Port Harcourt as the 2014 World Book Capital.
Decrying pettiness in governance, the Nobel laureate
urged politicians and those in authority to pay
attention always to issues that affect the people
instead of focusing on inconsequential things.
He said, "The judiciary right now, while it is trying to
reform itself, we recognise that there are still some
dark areas, such areas appear to have created the
political crisis in the state.
"I think pettiness at any level is unbecoming of any
democratic situation. That is all I want to say about
that. I see that I cannot escape all what is going on. I
have also put some questions myself, I mean,
obviously, I am a citizen of this nation. So, I am
affected personally by what is happening at the
opposite end of the nation.
"I am very much concerned about the imbroglio in
which the state (Rivers State) appears to be involved
at the moment and my main comment is for
heaven's sake, whatever happens internally between
parties and so on, please do not debase and do not
manipulate the judiciary.
"That is my appeal to governance at all levels. Please
do not manipulate the judiciary because when you
do, you have chaos, you have total anarchy, you
reduce the nation to a space of complete breakdown
of law and order, which is what this nation had
better avoid."
Soyinka, however, congratulated the government
and people of the state on the emergence of Port
Harcourt as the World Book Capital.
He expressed the need to use knowledge to fight the
forces of retrogression, violent negativist as
represented by members of the Boko Haram sect.

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/manipulating-judiciary-will-lead-to-chaos-soyinka/