Below is a compilation of the most valuable currencies in the World as of the time of this survey, their Naira equivalent is also stated. Please note that the figures given here were taken as at the time this article was written and they are subject to fluctuations. 10. US Dollar ( $) $1 = ₦189.05 The US Dollar is the official currency of the United States of America and its Overseas Territories. It is the currency that is most used in international transactions and the World’s most dominant reserve currency. 9. Swiss Franc ( Fr) Fr 1 = ₦204.02 The swiss Franc is legal currency of Switzerland and Leichtenstein. It is also legal tender in some parts of italy. 8. European Euro ( € ) € 1 = ₦214.20 The European Euro is the legal currency of 19 of the member states of the European union such as Germany, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Belgium, etc. 7. Cayman Island Dollar ( CI$) CI$ 1 = ₦ 231.10 The Cayman Island Dollar is the legal currency of Cayman Islands and it is the highest valued dollar unit. 6. Azerbaijaini Manat ( ) 1 = ₦ 241.69 The Azerbaijaini Manat is the legal currency of Azerbaijaini 5. Jordanian Dinar (JD) JD 1 = ₦ 267.28 The Jordanian Dinar is the legal currency of Jordan. 4. UK Pound Sterling ( £) £ 1 = ₦ 283.84 The UK Pound is the legal currency of the United Kingdom, Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands, the British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. 3. Omani Rial ( ﺭ .ﻉ ) 1 OMR = ₦ 491.04 The Omani Rial is the legal currency of Oman 2. Bahraini Dinar (BD) 1 BD = ₦ 502.60 The Bahraini Dinar is the legal currency of Bahrain 1. Kuwaiti Dinar (K.D) 1 K.D = ₦ 640.74 The Kuwaiti Dinar is the legal currency of Kuwait and the most expensive/valuable currency in the World currently

nice.......

Few days ago, the internet picked up some steam about
a young man who is partly Nigerian and partly Chinese,
Chen Wang Emmanuel.
Chen Wang Emmanuel prides himself as being an Igbo
man and he thinks because his dad is a Chinese and his
mum is an Igbo woman, he has got the greatest
combination of genes in the whole world.
READ ALSO: 4 Reasons You Should Marry An Igbo Lady
“ My name is Chen Emmanuel, I’m half Chinese and half
Nigerian. Dad is the Chinese, mom is Igbo. I think there
are very few of us in the world maybe less than 20. I
think Nigerian blood made I and my siblings way finer
and different from the normal Chinese. We are way taller
than the average short Chinese race. We look quite more
appealing (I think) Better Hair…I think moms blood is
strong We don’t have the “sleepy eye’ thing and some
other private things…lol, ” he told Linda Ikeji.
Chen’s family
Emmanuel Chen is a 20 year old undergraduate of Civil
Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Emmanuel’s parents met in Abia state about 20 years
ago, where his mum used to be a secretary, they got
married and still live happily today. Emmanuel’s Igbo
name is Chinerorom but when he is in China, he uses
Wang Chen. He is known as Emmanuel Chinero in his
school.
Chen dad and sibling
Ynaija spoke with him and here are some of the things
the handsome Chines-Nigerian had to say:
Why he loves being Igbo :
First, my mom is Igbo. Two, Igbo people to me are the
smartest in the world. They can maneuver and blend
anywhere in the world. I grew up here, so that makes me
more fluent in Igbo.
Growing up:
So many memories I can’t recount. God has been
faithful. I blend in both worlds. With the Igbo community
and the Chinese too. Either ways I’m more familiar with
the Igbos. I hear Igbo really well. Chinese a little.
Growing up wasn’t that easy because I did not look like
the normal Igbo kid.
I had people who loved it and others who ‘yabbed’ it.
Back then, I could not head to the market because there
will always be people shouting everywhere, calling me
‘oyibo oyibo’. It was fun sometimes though. Sometimes, I
have to speak Igbo to blend or change their minds, other
times I just bow down my head and keep walking.
For instance, the times when some traders try to cheat
me in the market thinking I am a foreigner not knowing I
have been there for a long time. Even in School, I faced
the same thing but now I am used to it, it is very much
fun.
Chen and friend
Hobbies :
He loves music and is currently working on a Gospel
Album that will feature Gospel singer, Nathaniel Bassey.
“I started singing in secondary school after I was forced
to lead praise one day because the worship leader was
absent. I led truly and people were moved in a way I had
never seen, even all my teachers were commending me
and since then music was it for me. I love gospel music a
lot and most inspiration comes from Donnie Mcclurkin.
Nathaniel Bassey and Micah Stampley. I love swimming
and intellectual games, I love meeting people. I hate
being proud though some people feel I am. I love
meeting new people a lot..especially singers and artists
too”
His upcoming album :
I am not releasing the album to make profit. I will
produce the songs for free. Some of my songs are
danceable, especially the Igbo ones. I have also some
worship song and solo works in the album.
Favorite meal:
My favorite meal would be Egusi soup and Eba
Similarity between Igbos and Chinese :
Well, both of them are very wise sets of people. Very
committed to whatever they do. They know how to
cooperate very well, they are money focused. I once
heard of a Chinese man who had hotels but still drove a
taxi to make more money. They uphold their traditions
and festivals too.

source naij.com

Hopes were on Tuesday restored for traders who
lost their valuables in the fire disaster that razed
four buildings at the Balogun market in Lagos Island ,
Monday , following the state government’s promise
to rebuild the structure.
The state Governor, Mr . Babatunde Fashola (SAN )
who was at the scene on Tuesday to assess the
situation , promised to build the affected building
and help traders get back again to business .
Fashola and his entourage arrived the market at
about 12 .30 pm as thousands of traders approached
and solicited his help to enable them recovered their
losses .
The governor described the incident as sad , but
assured that government would stand by the traders
and help them to get back on their businesses .
He urged market leaders to help government identify
those who owned wares in the market to enable
government assist them.
“ We want to know what the estimate of losses is .
You have to liaise with the market leaders . We will
help you . This will also apply to all the plazas
affected . It is impossible for us to count the number
of people while we are here.
“ The Commissioner for Special Duties is here , he will
liaise with all the people and the plazas affected to
have a clear view of the type of businesses they do
and the estimate and we assure you that we help
you , ” Fashola said.
The governor said with what he had gathered so far ,
the fire might have resulted from an electrical surge,
appealing to the people to beware of illegal
connections , especially at this period of dry season
and harmattan .
“ I know there is problem with electricity , but we
must be careful how we use the alternatives
available to us like generators and illegal
connections in order to avoid risk. I appeal to
Lagosians because of the dry season we are in as
there is the risk of fire. You have to stop storing
inflammable materials in your homes and plazas and
switch of any appliances not in use .
“ Harmattan is here , just yesterday ( Monday ), we
responded to 18 fire situations in Lagos. In
November , we bought 32 fire engines , part of which
were used here , we don’t want to be putting out fire ,
we want to prevent fire from happening . You have to
be safety conscious,” he said.

Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Lagos High Court
sentenced yesterday Segun Bright to 63 years
imprisonment for defrauding 40 of people of
N 4 .9 million .
She passed the sentence after Bright pleaded guilty.
Bright was sentenced to three years imprisonment
on each of the 21 - count charge preferred against
him by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission ( EFCC ) . The sentence will run
concurrently for three years .
EFCC counsel Mr Emmanuel Jackson told the court
that Bright swindled more than 40 people through a
fraudulent investment scheme .
Jackson said the convict , through his company,
Wexford Global Resources Ltd , committed the
offence between 2008 and 2010 in Lagos.
He said Bright collected between N 10 , 000 and N 615,
000 from people with the promise to re - invest the
funds for high returns .
Jackson said following complaints received by EFCC ,
the convict was arrested and charged to court .
He said the offence contravened Sections 383 ( 1) and
( 9) of the Criminal Code , Laws of Lagos State 2003 .

•Police: we’re after her killers

A notable lawyer and insurance practitioner, Mrs Ola Adeola, has been killed by yet unknown persons in Lagos.

She is said to be a daughter of a former Chief Justice of Ogun State, Justice Ebenezer Craig.

She was allegedly killed Sunday night by her driver and house maid at her 108, Omisore Lane, Oniru Estate home.

Her throat was slashed, a source told The Nation.

Both the driver and housemaid were said to have disappeared while the victim’s corpse has been deposited at a morgue.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO),Lagos State Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kenneth Nwosu, who confirmed the incident, said two persons had been arrested in connection with the matter.

“The report is true and I can confirm to you that we are fully on it. We have arrested two persons and they are in police custody as investigations kicks off full-swing on the orders of the commissioner of police.

“In fact, following his order, the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba on Lagos Minland,” Nwosu said.

He added: “The police are on their toes to arrest two fleeing suspects in connection to the case and the commissioner has mandated us to get everyone involved arrested for prosecution.”


http://thenationonlineng.net/new/maid-driver-kill-lawyer/

Ebola virus disease (EVD) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is the human disease caused by ebola viruses. Symptoms start two days to
three weeks after
contracting the virus with a fever, throat and muscle pains, and headaches. There is then nausea, vomiting and diarrhea along with decreased functioning of the liver and kidneys. At this point some people begin to
have problems with bleeding.[1] The disease is first acquired
by a population when a
person comes into contact
with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected animal such as a monkey or fruit bat. Fruit bats are believed to
carry and spread the disease
without being affected by it.
Once infection occurs, the
disease may be spread from
one person to another. Men who survive may be able to
transmit the disease sexually
for nearly two months. To
make the diagnosis, typically
other diseases with similar
symptoms such as malaria, cholera and other viral hemorrhagic fever are excluded. The blood may then
be tested for either antibodies to the virus, the viral RNA, or the virus itself to confirm the diagnosis.[1] Prevention involves
decreasing the spread of the
disease from infected
monkeys and pigs to humans.
This may be done by
checking these animals for infection and killing and
properly disposing of the
bodies if the disease is
discovered. Properly cooking
meat and wearing protective
clothing when handling meat may be helpful, as may
wearing protective clothing
and washing hands when around someone sick with
the disease. Samples from
people with the disease
should be handled with an extra degree of caution.[1] There is no specific treatment
for the virus with efforts to
help people including giving
the person either oral rehydration therapy or intravenous fluids.[1] The disease has a high death
rate: often between 50% and 90%.[1][2] It typically occurs in outbreaks in tropical
regions of Sub-Saharan Africa.[1] Between 1976, when it was first identified,
and 2014, fewer than 1,000
people a year have been infected.[1][3] The largest outbreak to date is the
ongoing 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak, which is affecting Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. A Liberian national who
recently travelled to Nigeria
died in Lagos as a result of
the disease, none of those
who had contact with him
(Mr Sawyer) got infected. The disease was first identified
in the Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo. Efforts are ongoing to develop a vaccine; however, none exists as of 2014.[1] Signs and symptoms Manifestation of Ebola begins
abruptly with a sudden onset
of an influenza-like stage characterized by general malaise, fever with chills, sore throat, severe headache,
weakness, joint pain, muscle pain, and chest pain.[4] Respiratory tract involvement is characterized
by pharyngitis with sore throat, cough, dyspnea, and hiccups. The central nervous system is affected as judged by the development of
severe headaches, agitation, confusion, fatigue, depression, seizures, and sometimes coma. Cutaneous presentation may
include: maculopapular rash, petechiae, purpura, ecchymoses, and hematomas (especially around needle
injection sites). In general,
development of hemorrhagic
symptoms is indicative of a
negative prognosis.
However, contrary to popular belief, hemorrhage does not
lead to hypovolemia and is not the cause of death (total blood loss is low except
during labor). Instead, death occurs due to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) due to fluid redistribution, hypotension, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and focal tissue necroses. The average time between
contracting the infection and
the onset of symptoms is 13
days, but can be as long as 25 days.[5] Hemorrhage All people infected show
some extent of coagulopathy and impaired circulatory system symptomology. [6] Bleeding from mucous
membranes and puncture
sites is reported in 40–50% of cases,[7] while maculopapular rashes are
evident in approximately 50% of cases.[6] Sources of bleeds include hematemesis, hemoptysis, melena, and aforementioned bleeding
from mucous membranes (gastrointestinal tract, nose, vagina and gingiva). However diffuse bleeding
(i.e. heavy) is rare;
occurrence is usually
exclusive to the gastrointestinal tract.[6][8] Causes Main article: Ebolavirus EVD is caused by four of five
viruses classified in the
genus Ebolavirus, family Filoviridae, order Mononegavirales: Bundibugyo virus (BDBV), Ebola virus (EBOV), Sudan virus (SUDV), Taï Forest virus (TAFV). The fifth virus, Reston virus (RESTV), is thought to be not disease
causing for humans and
therefore not discussed here. Transmission EVD is believed to occur after
an ebola virus is transmitted
to a human index case via
contact with an infected animal host.[citation needed] Human-to-human
transmission occurs via direct
contact with blood or bodily
fluids from an infected
person (including embalming of an infected dead person)
or by contact with
contaminated medical
equipment such as needles.[citation needed] In the past, explosive nosocomial transmission has occurred in under-equipped
African hospitals due to the
reuse of needles and lack of
implementation of universal precautions.[citation needed] Aerosol transmission has not
been observed during natural
EVD outbreaks.[citation needed] The potential for widespread
EVD epidemics is considered low due to the high case-
fatality rate, the rapidity of
demise of patients, and the
often remote areas where
infections occur.

APC Leaders 22 Notable Quotes.
***************
***************************
1] Go and die! - Oshiomole to
the widow
2] I only reduced tuition fees to N50,000, I did not reduce school
fees. That's why the students
are paying N120,000- Fayemi
3] I only congratulated my
brother, Ayo Fayose, I did not
concede defeat- Fayemi 4] APC will end bokoharam
within 100 days in office-
Buhari
5] IBB is nigeria's biggest
problem - Tinubu (2004)
6] We need IBB's wisdom to move our nation forward -
Tinubu (2013)
7] If you pay N25,000 as school
fees, you will get N25,000
worth of knowledge. But if you
pay N350,000 as school fees, you will get
8] N350,000 worth of
knowledge- Raji Fashola
9] You can't expect me to run
for 2nd term because it is only a
failed student that repeats a class- Raji Fashola
9] Abuja is not for poor people -
Nasir El-Rufai 2006. 10] Take
charms, guns and cutlasses to
polling units- Aregbesola
11] If I lose the election, Nigeria will be soak in blood- Buhari
12] I only got N5bn contract
from CBN governor- El rufai
13] If I don't allocate FCT lands
to my friends will I allocate it to
my enemies." - Nasir el Rufia to the Senate Committee 2009
14] If your monthly salary is
below N100 000, leave Abuja
because u don't deserve to be
there".- Mallam Nasir El-rufai,
FCT Minister - Addressing low Income Nigerians living in
Abuja in 2004
15] I open this university for
the poor and the school fees is
N800,000.00- Atiku abubakar
16] Tinubu is a regional leader - El rufai
17] Buhari is unelectable and
not corruption free - El rufai,
(2011)
18] Rig election and be roasted -
Tinubu (2014). 19] He who make peaceful
resolution impossible makes
violent resolution inevitable. -
Atiku Abubakar 20] Fashola
should sack all striking workers
- Tinubu 22] I'll make d country ungovernable if I lose the
election- Buhari 22] If wat
happenz in 2011 hapenz in
2015, d "dog and d baboons will
be soaked in blood" - Buhari.

Boko Haram militants have
attacked Kolofata, a town in
Cameroon’s Far North Region
near Nigeria and seized
several people including the
wife of Cameroon’s Vice Prime Minister Amadou Ali, a military
commander in the region said. According to Reuters, the
attack took place today, the
celebration of the end of
Ramadan. “The situation is very critical
here now, and as I am talking
to you the Boko Haram
elements are still in Kolofata
town in a clash with our
soldiers,” said Colonel Felix Nji Formekong, the second
commander of Cameroon’s
third inter-army military
region (RMIA3) based in the
regional headquarters Maroua. “Some of them have already
taken away the wife of Vice
Prime Minister Ahmadou Ali
and her house help while the
bodyguards of the Vice Prime
Minister have succeeded in taking him out of the town to
Mora,” Formekong said, adding
that there could be more
casualties. Cameroon since it began
crackdown on the insurgents in
recent weeks has faced a
series of counter attacks by
the militants. On Friday, a
military court in the country jailed about 20 members of the
sect arrested in March for arms
trafficking.
Source p.m news

it's true.a friend just called me. So so pathetic though

It was another party in Copacabana, the bars
packed, the samba turned up — and, in the middle
of it all, hundreds of World Cup fans lining up to be
bitten by Luis Suarez. Or at least that was what it looked like in the photos
snapped in front of an Adidas billboard of the
disgraced Uruguayan star giving an open-mouthed
war cry above the suddenly ironic slogan “All or
nothing.” Here are some of the photos.

lolz to d topic..never lost phone b4 bt my couizn dt jxt visited lasgidi 4 d ist tym kept boostn dt no one could steal his phn cos he's frm Aba (Abia state)cleming nwa Aba (Aba boi) it was jxt lyk a dream wen both of us was headn home frm lagos island then we got to orile bustp,waitin 4 mile2 bus wic was very scarce nd we needed to rush any1 dt jxt cm out.The funny side is that d guy was hearing music with d phn nd of a sudden he didn't knw wen they collectd d phn nd he was still on with d ear piece....it was wen we had gotn 2 mile 2 he strtd lukn 4 d phn.....

After the murder of a family of
eight Jehovah's Witnesses who
were killed with a knife ,
leaving only one survivor
where presumably baby was
kidnapped by the perpetrators , Father Edward
Hayen said it was unfortunate
this type of violence , calling it
" wild " . " It hurts a lot to Catholics,
although the family has not
been of our religion , we hurt
people especially because they
are members of the
community , who love the Lord and it hurts especially those
who practice a religious
faith ," he said . Valeria Romero and Lara April
Castaneda, both age 4, were
killed this morning along with
Daniel Romero Castañeda 6 ,
Rosa María Morelos 60 and
Maria del Carmen Castaneda , 28. Also killed Ruben Romero 28
years and a man who has not
been identified . The murder occurred in the
intersection of Luciano Becerra
and Fernando Montes de Oca of
the Morelos Zaragoza. The family would come in the
morning at an event hosted by
his congregation , however by
not attending , his companions
went to his home to look for
them and to meet the brutal scene gave warning to the
authorities. The cathedral pastor said
violence is difficult to
eradicate not only in Ciudad
Juarez , but throughout Mexico. He explained that as religious
it remains to ask you to come a
new world and continue
working for him, making
reform all institutions, defining
it as a clean of anything that smacks of corruption , hatred
and violence . " When we remove God from
the minds of men , but our
human beings are turning into
people who do terrible
damage to the community , the
man is turning into a little monster and does not measure
the consequences of their
actions," said Hayen . Extended an invitation to all
Christians to make a prayer for
those people who died ,
however you should also said
to ask for those who
committed the crime to find remorse for his actions. ...source.http:// theworldnewsmedia.org/ Iglesia+Católica+lamenta +homicidio+de+familia +Testigo+de+Jehová+en +México

Once there were four
managers. Their names
were: Somebody,
Everybody, Anybody, and
Nobody. They were very
busy people, but whenever there was an important job
to be done, Everybody was
sure that Somebody would
do it. Anybody could have
done it, but Nobody did.
When Nobody did it, Everybody got angry
because it was
Everybody's job. Everybody
thought that Somebody
would do it, but Nobody
realized that Nobody would do it. So
consequently Everybody
blamed Somebody when
Nobody did what Anybody
could have done in the first
place..

Can anyone summarize?

Those who are serious about
religion should think that the
one they’ve chosen is
acceptable to God and Jesus.
Otherwise, why would they be
involved in it? Jesus Christ didn’t agree with
the view that there are many
religions, many roads, all
leading to salvation. Rather, he
said: “Narrow is the gate and
cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones
finding it.” (Matthew 7:14)

UNislamic??

Drinking alcohol in moderate
amounts can have positive
influences on physical and
mental health. While alcohol is
one of the most widely abused
substances on the market, it is also one that features certain
benefits for drinkers who
consume it in safe amounts.
For individuals who consume
low levels of alcohol, benefits
like reduced stress, increased cardiovascular health and
decreased risk of developing
type 2 diabetes offer a wealth
of reasons for consumers to
drink in moderation. Reduce Stress, Anxiety
and Tension Research shows that the consumption of alcohol in
moderate amounts can lead to
certain psychological benefits.
Low levels of alcohol can
trigger stress reduction, easy
feelings of anxiety and help consumers to reduce tension.
In addition, low levels of
alcohol consumption can also
cause the consumer to feel
more pleasant and relaxed.
Studies on sleep show that people who drink in
moderation get more sleep on
average than do those who
indulge in excess. These
psychological effects of
moderate drinking are positive ones that can be beneficial to
the consumer. A Longer Life The positive psychological
effects of drinking in
moderation can be associated
with the studies that show
moderate drinkers tend to love longer than people who don't
drink at all or those who drink
in excess. Studies from a
number of different countries
including China, the United States and England indicate that longevity is highest among groups of people who
drink alcohol in moderation. Increased
Cardiovascular Health Several studies have shown
that drinking alcohol in
moderation has a positive
correlation with certain
aspects of cardiovascular
health. In particular, the risk of developing coronary artery
disease is significantly
lowered in conjunction with
moderate consumption of
alcohol. Another link between
alcohol and cardiovascular health shows that moderate
consumption of alcohol has a
positive correlation with
survivability in the event of a
heart attack. Those who drink
low levels of alcohol are more likely to live and less likely to
experience another heart
attack. Alcohol produces several
positive effects on the body
when consumed in low levels.
For example, it increases levels
of good cholesterol (HDL) and
lowers levels of bad cholesterol (LDL). Alcohol also
acts as a blood thinner once it
enters the human body, much
like common aspirin does.
Thus, when consumed in
moderation, it can reduce the likelihood of developing blood
clots in arteries. Decreased Risk for
Type 2 Diabetes While consuming alcohol in
large quantities has been
proven to put drinkers at a
higher risk for developing type
2 diabetes, some studies show
that drinking in moderation might have the opposite
effect. The relationship
between alcohol and type 2
diabetes is the focus of a great
number of ongoing studies.
Findings show, however, that moderate drinkers are less
likely to develop type 2
diabetes than heavy drinkers. All of these health benefits
associated with moderate
drinking serve as an incentive
for consumers to limit their
levels of alcohol intake. Too
much alcohol eliminates the health benefits described
above. The best way to
maximize on the health
benefits of alcohol is to
consume it in low levels.

6>Find a study area;It should be free of distractions.Use a desk if posible.Don't have the TV on.
5>Set priorities;Since your schooling is important,resolve that you won't turn on the TV untill your homework is done.
4>Don't procrastinate;Have a definite schedule for your homework and stick to it.
3>Have a plan;Decide which project you should tackle first,which one second and also forth.List these on paper,and give each one a time limit.cross off each assignment as you complete it.
2>Take breaks.;If you find yourself losing focus,stop for a brief rest.But get back to your homework as soon as posible.

1>Have confidence in yourself;Remember,the difference between a good student and a poor one usually has more to do with diligence than intelligence.You can make a success of school.Put forth the effort,and you will reap the rewards....

Stop worrying about your
weight, just eat right. Here are
five tips you need to keep in
mind. Have a healthy breakfast The cardinal rule to any weight loss programme is never to miss breakfast. And oatmeal, a
complex carbohydrate is ideal.
It is a satisfying breakfast
cereal, and compared to any
other grain it provides more
protein per serving. The fact that it takes longer to digest
and hence releases energy
slowly makes it perfect
because you feel full for longer.
Oats also keep blood sugar and
insulin levels stable, which helps prevent fat storage. Have
it with skimmed milk or
yogurt. Opt for skimmed milk Milk and its products are rich in
calcium and can help keep your
bones strong. Skimmed milk,
low fat cheese and yogurt
helps to break down fat cells. Bean it Foods that are high in fibre and
are good sources of protein,
can help you feel full for a very
long time. And that, will help
you control unnecessary
bingeing. Protein has a very high satiety index and that is
why make proteins an
essential part of your meals. Go for the grain Grains have complex
carbohydrates which during
digestion release glucose
slowly. Jowar, bajra and ragi
etc can help in maintaining
your blood sugars levels. The fibre and vitamins in them
play an important role too. Snack on nuts through the
day Stay away from fried and
salted nuts but you can munch
on raw, unsalted ones —
almonds, and walnuts. These
have essential roughage,
protein, fat, minerals and micronutrient.
A handful can keep hunger at
bay and provide energy.

You could be turning deaf because of your headphones. Our expert lists a guide of what you should avoid while listening to your favourite tracks on the go

Is music your safe haven from the hellish traffic jams you travel through everyday? You might need to re-think this strategy. Drowning out incessant honking on our potholeridden roads with Comfortably Numb, might just be numbing your eardrums for life. Like Rajeev Khandelwal who loses his hearing in Soundtrack, thanks to his constant use of headphones as a DJ; the actor's on-screen nightmare can actually become your reality.


In today's world of iPods and phones that can play music, most people are plugged in constantly. Our expert Dr Nishit Shah, ENT consultant at Bombay Hospital tells you what you can do to avoid losing your sense of sound.

Play it loud
Listening to music at half the volume your player is obviously not damaging. It all depends on the volume and how long you are listening to it. Shah says, "There are guidelines laid down by World Health Organization as to what decibels are permissible. Most workplaces and music player manufacturers adhere to these guidelines. But constant exposure is still a problem." Cranking up the volume for longer periods of time is very dangerous, and can lead to partial deafness. The higher the volume gets the lesser amount of time the ear can take it.

Uncomfortably numb
Unlike people who go deaf during a bomb blast or hearing the sonic boom of a plane, deafness caused by headphones creeps on you and if not checked, the effects can be adverse. "I have seen people who show no obvious signs of deafness when they are young, can hardly hear anything when they reach their 60s." Studies show that this is common among people who go for a lot of concerts and clubs. Shah says, "Deafness caused due to listening to music does not happen overnight. The ear warns you before things can get really bad with tinnitus.

You get a ringing sound in your ear, which means hearing loss is imminent. When you exit a club, your ears feel relieved and you can't hear too well immediately. That's because your ears are adapting to the new environment."

In fact, Shah says that moving from an extremely loud place (like a club) to an extremely quiet place can be more damaging than exposing yourself to higher decibels for longer.

Right hear, right now
Studies have shown that other than musicians and people in studios who want to listen to intricate sounds of a particular track, most people listen to music on headphones loudly to drown out background noise. The standard ear piece or even normal headphones are no good. Shah recommends using in-ear headsets or noise reduction/cancellation headphones that naturally drown out background noise. He says, "People who use these headsets have a tendency to listen to music at a lower volume anyway. So, if you want to listen to something throughout the day this would be the best way to avoid loss of hearing."

The cure
The scariest part about losing your hearing ability is that there is nothing you can do to regain it. The strongest preventive drug doctors prescribe is "common sense". Shah says, "Most people don't buy headphones because of quality, they buy it because it is loud enough. How do you tell people otherwise? You have to be aware of what is happening to your ears. As soon as you feel any discomfort, take a break. You cannot listen to music loudly for eight hours in a row. This will obviously affect your hearing."

If you feel like you are losing your sense of hearing, head to an ENT immediately. In the first few days of being affected, your hearing can be repaired with the help of steroids, but very few people actually spot the impediment so soon. Then, of course, there are hearing aids. These are used when the damage is already done though, and you want to avoid that altogether.

Just how much is too much?

Research suggests that risk of permanent hearing loss goes up with just five minutes of exposure a day to music at full volume. Traffic noise is at about 70 to 80 decibels. If you're trying to drown this out, you will hit dangerous decibel levels. Listening to earbuds, or in-ear headphones, for 90 minutes a day at 80 percent volume is probably safe. However, different brands have different volumes and that needs to be factored into the decision to buy headsets.

Kevin.Lobo @timesgroup.com
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-30/health/30274620_1_headphones-deafness-ear

You could be turning deaf
because of your headphones.
Our expert lists a guide of
what you should avoid while
listening to your favourite
tracks on the go Is music your safe haven from
the hellish traffic jams you
travel through everyday? You
might need to re-think this
strategy. Drowning out
incessant honking on our potholeridden roads with
Comfortably Numb, might just
be numbing your eardrums for
life. Like Rajeev Khandelwal who loses his hearing in
Soundtrack, thanks to his
constant use of headphones as
a DJ; the actor's on-screen
nightmare can actually become
your reality. In today's world of iPods and
phones that can play music,
most people are plugged in
constantly. Our expert Dr Nishit
Shah, ENT consultant at
Bombay Hospital tells you what you can do to avoid
losing your sense of sound. Play it loud Listening to music at half the
volume your player is
obviously not damaging. It all
depends on the volume and
how long you are listening to
it. Shah says, "There are guidelines laid down by World Health Organization as to what decibels are permissible. Most
workplaces and music player
manufacturers adhere to these
guidelines. But constant
exposure is still a problem."
Cranking up the volume for longer periods of time is very
dangerous, and can lead to
partial deafness. The higher
the volume gets the lesser
amount of time the ear can
take it. Uncomfortably numb Unlike people who go deaf
during a bomb blast or hearing
the sonic boom of a plane,
deafness caused by
headphones creeps on you and
if not checked, the effects can be adverse. "I have seen
people who show no obvious
signs of deafness when they
are young, can hardly hear
anything when they reach
their 60s." Studies show that this is common among people
who go for a lot of concerts
and clubs. Shah says, "Deafness
caused due to listening to
music does not happen
overnight. The ear warns you before things can get really
bad with tinnitus. You get a ringing sound in your
ear, which means hearing loss is imminent. When you exit a
club, your ears feel relieved
and you can't hear too well
immediately. That's because
your ears are adapting to the
new environment." In fact, Shah says that moving
from an extremely loud place
(like a club) to an extremely
quiet place can be more
damaging than exposing
yourself to higher decibels for longer. Right hear, right now Studies have shown that other
than musicians and people in
studios who want to listen to
intricate sounds of a particular
track, most people listen to
music on headphones loudly to drown out background noise.
The standard ear piece or even
normal headphones are no
good. Shah recommends using
in-ear headsets or noise
reduction/cancellation headphones that naturally
drown out background noise.
He says, "People who use
these headsets have a
tendency to listen to music at a
lower volume anyway. So, if you want to listen to
something throughout the day
this would be the best way to
avoid loss of hearing." The cure The scariest part about losing
your hearing ability is that
there is nothing you can do to
regain it. The strongest
preventive drug doctors
prescribe is "common sense". Shah says, "Most people don't
buy headphones because of
quality, they buy it because it
is loud enough. How do you tell
people otherwise? You have to
be aware of what is happening to your ears. As
soon as you feel any
discomfort, take a break. You
cannot listen to music loudly
for eight hours in a row. This
will obviously affect your hearing." If you feel like you are losing
your sense of hearing, head to
an ENT immediately. In the
first few days of being
affected, your hearing can be
repaired with the help of steroids, but very few people
actually spot the impediment
so soon. Then, of course, there
are hearing aids. These are
used when the damage is
already done though, and you want to avoid that altogether. Just how much is too much? Research suggests that risk of
permanent hearing loss goes
up with just five minutes of
exposure a day to music at full
volume. Traffic noise is at
about 70 to 80 decibels. If you're trying to drown this out,
you will hit dangerous decibel
levels. Listening to earbuds, or
in-ear headphones, for 90
minutes a day at 80 percent
volume is probably safe. However, different brands
have different volumes and
that needs to be factored into
the decision to buy headsets

An award-winning Nigerian
music director, Aswad Ayinde,
found guilty of fathering
children with his daughters,
will spend the rest of his life in
jail. Ayinde, 55, of Paterson, New
Jersey, United States, was
sentenced to 50 years in prison
on Friday after being found
guilty in the second of five
expected trials, in which he is accused of repeatedly raping
his six daughters, resulting in
six children which he fathered. Ayinde was found guilty in his
latest trial of having
intercourse with a daughter,
when she was as young as
eight years old. According to
the Mail Online report, the second sentence adds to the 40
years sentence Ayinde
received in a 2011 trial for
sexually assaulting a separate
daughter. Ayinde is known for directing
the music video for the Fugees
1996 smash hit, Killing Me
Softly. Fugees had international
recording artistes like Wyclef
Sean and Lauryn Hill. In a disturbing disclosure
during his first trial, Ayinde's
former wife said he was trying
to create a 'pure family
bloodline' by impregnating his
daughters. He even claimed during a pre-
trial hearing before the first
trial that 'the world was going
to end, and it was just going to
be him and his offspring and
that he was chosen.' In this latest trial, it was
revealed that Ayinde began
having intercourse with his
second daughter from the time
she was eight years old,
impregnating her four times. The sexual assaults happened
for almost 30 years until
Ayinde and his wife separated,
officials said. They occurred in numerous
homes across northern New
Jersey, even while the family
was under watch of state child
welfare officials. Some of the
rape episodes even took place in an abandoned funeral home. The family, moving as far
away as Florida to avoid
investigation after case
workers removed multiple
children from Ayinde
household in 2000, resulting in Ayinde being arrested for
kidnapping for trying to take
them from state custody in a
medical center. He pleaded guilty to lesser
charges and received a year's
probation - as he continued
raping one daughter for at
least another two years,
according to officials. The depraved father also beat
and starved the girls, using
wooden boards and steel-toed
boots for even 'minor
transgressions,' Ayinde's wife
was said to have testified at the first trial. Some of the children Ayinde
fathered with his daughters
were born in the home, with
at least two babies, who died
in the home having been
buried without notifying authorities or obtaining birth
certificates. Ayinde's tortured daughters
were home-schooled and
isolated from other children, so
as to keep the family secrets
hidden, the station added. With his wife too afraid to
confront him, Ayinde carried
out his evil plan without
hindrance, even while
directing the music video for
the Fugees 1996 breakout hit, 'Killing Me Softly, for which he
won 'Best R&B Video' at the
1996 MTV Music Video Awards.
The Fugees are also originally
from Northern New Jersey.An award-winning Nigerian
music director, Aswad Ayinde,
found guilty of fathering
children with his daughters,
will spend the rest of his life in
jail. Ayinde, 55, of Paterson, New
Jersey, United States, was
sentenced to 50 years in prison
on Friday after being found
guilty in the second of five
expected trials, in which he is accused of repeatedly raping
his six daughters, resulting in
six children which he fathered. Ayinde was found guilty in his
latest trial of having
intercourse with a daughter,
when she was as young as
eight years old. According to
the Mail Online report, the second sentence adds to the 40
years sentence Ayinde
received in a 2011 trial for
sexually assaulting a separate
daughter. Ayinde is known for directing
the music video for the Fugees
1996 smash hit, Killing Me
Softly. Fugees had international
recording artistes like Wyclef
Sean and Lauryn Hill. In a disturbing disclosure
during his first trial, Ayinde's
former wife said he was trying
to create a 'pure family
bloodline' by impregnating his
daughters. He even claimed during a pre-
trial hearing before the first
trial that 'the world was going
to end, and it was just going to
be him and his offspring and
that he was chosen.' In this latest trial, it was
revealed that Ayinde began
having intercourse with his
second daughter from the time
she was eight years old,
impregnating her four times. The sexual assaults happened
for almost 30 years until
Ayinde and his wife separated,
officials said. They occurred in numerous
homes across northern New
Jersey, even while the family
was under watch of state child
welfare officials. Some of the
rape episodes even took place in an abandoned funeral home. The family, moving as far
away as Florida to avoid
investigation after case
workers removed multiple
children from Ayinde
household in 2000, resulting in Ayinde being arrested for
kidnapping for trying to take
them from state custody in a
medical center. He pleaded guilty to lesser
charges and received a year's
probation - as he continued
raping one daughter for at
least another two years,
according to officials. The depraved father also beat
and starved the girls, using
wooden boards and steel-toed
boots for even 'minor
transgressions,' Ayinde's wife
was said to have testified at the first trial. Some of the children Ayinde
fathered with his daughters
were born in the home, with
at least two babies, who died
in the home having been
buried without notifying authorities or obtaining birth
certificates. Ayinde's tortured daughters
were home-schooled and
isolated from other children, so
as to keep the family secrets
hidden, the station added. With his wife too afraid to
confront him, Ayinde carried
out his evil plan without
hindrance, even while
directing the music video for
the Fugees 1996 breakout hit, 'Killing Me Softly, for which he
won 'Best R&B Video' at the
1996 MTV Music Video Awards.
The Fugees are also originally
from Northern New Jersey.An award-winning Nigerian
music director, Aswad Ayinde,
found guilty of fathering
children with his daughters,
will spend the rest of his life in
jail. Ayinde, 55, of Paterson, New
Jersey, United States, was
sentenced to 50 years in prison
on Friday after being found
guilty in the second of five
expected trials, in which he is accused of repeatedly raping
his six daughters, resulting in
six children which he fathered. Ayinde was found guilty in his
latest trial of having
intercourse with a daughter,
when she was as young as
eight years old. According to
the Mail Online report, the second sentence adds to the 40
years sentence Ayinde
received in a 2011 trial for
sexually assaulting a separate
daughter. Ayinde is known for directing
the music video for the Fugees
1996 smash hit, Killing Me
Softly. Fugees had international
recording artistes like Wyclef
Sean and Lauryn Hill. In a disturbing disclosure
during his first trial, Ayinde's
former wife said he was trying
to create a 'pure family
bloodline' by impregnating his
daughters. He even claimed during a pre-
trial hearing before the first
trial that 'the world was going
to end, and it was just going to
be him and his offspring and
that he was chosen.' In this latest trial, it was
revealed that Ayinde began
having intercourse with his
second daughter from the time
she was eight years old,
impregnating her four times. The sexual assaults happened
for almost 30 years until
Ayinde and his wife separated,
officials said. They occurred in numerous
homes across northern New
Jersey, even while the family
was under watch of state child
welfare officials. Some of the
rape episodes even took place in an abandoned funeral home. The family, moving as far
away as Florida to avoid
investigation after case
workers removed multiple
children from Ayinde
household in 2000, resulting in Ayinde being arrested for
kidnapping for trying to take
them from state custody in a
medical center. He pleaded guilty to lesser
charges and received a year's
probation - as he continued
raping one daughter for at
least another two years,
according to officials. The depraved father also beat
and starved the girls, using
wooden boards and steel-toed
boots for even 'minor
transgressions,' Ayinde's wife
was said to have testified at the first trial. Some of the children Ayinde
fathered with his daughters
were born in the home, with
at least two babies, who died
in the home having been
buried without notifying authorities or obtaining birth
certificates. Ayinde's tortured daughters
were home-schooled and
isolated from other children, so
as to keep the family secrets
hidden, the station added. With his wife too afraid to
confront him, Ayinde carried
out his evil plan without
hindrance, even while
directing the music video for
the Fugees 1996 breakout hit, 'Killing Me Softly, for which he
won 'Best R&B Video' at the
1996 MTV Music Video Awards.
The Fugees are also originally
from Northern New Jersey.[color=][/color]

MAJOR Wisdom Osagiede
Ogbewekon-Osemwende is a
Nigerian serving in the United
States Army; he served in Iraq
during the American/Iraqi
war. A member of the Benin royal family, he is currently
attached to the African
Command in Germany. In this
interview conducted by
telephone, he spoke on the
security challenges facing the country and how the Boko
Haram insurgency can be
tamed. Excerpts: On security challenges in
Nigeria
Terrorism is an enduring
situation worldwide. In
Nigeria, this is causing a lot
pains to the people and the armed forces. The extreme
ideology of the Boko-Haram
sect and what is happening in
the North is very disturbing.
Northern leaders such as the
late Sarduana of Sokoto, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, Alhaji Abubakar
Tafawa Balewa; Mallam Aminu
Kano; the late Major Gen
Joseph Garba; and many others
who labored to make the
North what it is today will never forgive the sect for what
they have turned the region
into and I know that average
northerners are good people
and are not in support of what
they are doing. I am however pleased with what President
Jonathan is doing to curtail the
insurgency and the Niger Delta
militants and needs the
support of all Nigerians. On security challenges, the
country needs to create special
branches in the armed forces,
that is, the army, navy and air
force that would be given
specialized training on how to handle terrorism; they should
be able to fight on land, sea
and in the desert. This special
force should be deployed to the
Gulf of Guinea to maintain
peace in the area. There should be combined
operations involving the army,
navy and the air force to
curtail the activities of Boko
Haram; it should not be left in
the hands of the police or army alone. Stability of operations
This follows after combined
operations of the military.
They must not leave the scene
of operations immediately,
they should stay to stabilize operations and return
normalcy to the area. Border patrol
A division that is made up of
men and officers from all
branches of the armed forces
should be created to join the
Customs, Immigration and police to patrol our porous
borders with Cameroun, Chad,
Niger, etc . They should
effectively man the border
points because this is where
the Boko Haram people leave for Mali and Mauritanian for
training. The Nigerian
government should be
prepared to spend money on
technology, censors and radars
should be mounted at sensitive border points to monitor what
is going on. The Federal Government can
establish three central control
divisions to man Nigerian/
Cameroun, Nigerian/Niger, and
Nigerian/Chad borders with
radar installed to monitor the movements of people. The
radar will send information to
the central divisions and place
those on patrol at alert. This is
what the Boko-Haram people
do and they move with ease in and out of the country to train
in Mali and other countries.
There is also the need to install
underground sensors along the
borders with our neighbours
that will send signals to the central control system which,
in turn, calls for air support in
cases of emergency. The
security agencies should train
dogs to sniff persons and cars
coming into the country because terrorism takes time
to plan. It is not done
overnight. They select targets to be
attacked, they have good
intelligence network and so, to
counter them, you must have
an intelligence gathering
system that is superior to their own. How to defeat terrorism
Government should allocate
more funds for the education
of youths in the North; by so
doing terrorists would not be
able to brainwash or indoctrinate them on their
cause. Northern youths should
be able to compete with their
southern counterparts in every
field of human endeavours
once they get the right education. Nigeria should subscribe to the
African Military High Command
to make her strong in the
continent; for training, special
assistance, among others. *Ogbewekon The police should be properly
equipped, they should have a
rescue combat training and,
above all, Nigerians should
have faith in the police and
know that they are serving their interest. I recall hosting
some Nigerian police officers
sent to the United States on
community policing with
another Nigerian U.S. army
officer, Lt. Col. Oronsaye, and we tasked them to ensure that
the training they received in
the U.S should be well
implemented while back in
Nigeria. While I commend the
Inspector- General of Police, Mr. Muhammed Abubakar, for the
innovation that he brought
into the police, the men should
be adequately funded,
supported with adequate
logistics provided, computerized vehicles for
crime detection and arrests. All Nigerians get national
identity cards entered into a
national data base. You must
have records of people living in
the country including
foreigners. The Federal Government should
erect walls along our borders
with our neighbours as the
United States government did
along its Mexican borders
when it became clear that there were illegal aliens
entering the country through
its borders with Mexico. The Federal Government should
dialogue with religious leaders
in the North especially Imams
on the dangers of allowing
Boko-Haram to keep weapons
in the mosques. We discovered this in Iraq and we talked with
them about the dangers of
allowing them to do so. The Boko-Haram sect and the
Niger Delta militants should
dialogue and embrace because
there is no nation on earth that
can survive two wars.
Nigerians should give peace a chance. Crisis in the Niger Delta and oil
theft
It is regrettable that Nigeria
reportedly lost about 191
Billion U.S. dollars to oil theft
and vandalization. I commended the Joint Military
Task Force set up by the
government to tackle the
issue. They should concentrate
more efforts in tackling the
issue and they should be properly equipped to provide
security to Nigerians living in
the region. The militants
should embrace peace.

The newly crowned Most
Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Miss
Anna Banner has been named
Bayelsa State Governor
Dickson's Special Adviser on
Culture & Tourism. Last night, after her crowning
which held in Bayelsa State,
Governor Dickson had
mounted the stage and
announced her as his new
Special Adviser. Anna is just 18 years old. Big night for her!
She will also be representing
Nigeria in this year's Miss
World beauty pageant coming
up in September.

The newly crowned Most
Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Miss
Anna Banner has been named
Bayelsa State Governor
Dickson's Special Adviser on
Culture & Tourism. Last night, after her crowning
which held in Bayelsa State,
Governor Dickson had
mounted the stage and
announced her as his new
Special Adviser. Anna is just 18 years old. Big night for her!
She will also be representing
Nigeria in this year's Miss
World beauty pageant coming
up in September.

Delta State Governor
Emmanuel Uduaghan broke the
news yesterday to State House
correspondents at the end of
the National Economic TCouncil
(NEC) meeting chaired by Vice President Namadi Sambo. The NEC, which comprises the
36 governors, ministers of
National Planning, Finance, FCT
and the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN) governor, also took steps
yesterday to curtail the rising incidence of oil theft. Such
steps include immediate
prosecution of oil vandals and
thieves. The daily loss of 400,000
barrels at an international
price of $117 per barrel,
converted to naira at the
exchange rate of N157 to a
dollar, is N7.35 billion daily. Uduaghan, who was appointed
to head the Oil Theft
Committee at last month’s NEC
meeting, said the committee
was working on long and short
term strategies against the menace. On the interim measures being
taken, he said: “A technical
level meeting involving key
stakeholders has been held,
where concerned agencies
including security outfits have made useful submissions, with
more submissions expected
from other stakeholders,
especially from the oil
producing states. The governor added: “The
Committee has moved to
address the issue of the 400,
000 barrels per day production
shortfall. The Governors of
Bayelsa and Delta have been mandated to meet with the
concerned oil majors and the
JTF to work out modalities for
the effective repair of the
Nembe and Trans Niger
pipelines which are currently shut. “The Committee also mandated
Akwa Ibom Governor Godswill
Akpabio, Secretary to National
Planning Commission, the
NEITI chief executive and a
representative of the Inspector-General of Police to
meet with the Attorney-
General of the Federation
towards strengthening the
extant deterrence policy by
ensuring more arrests and convictions of the oil thieves.” “In this regard, a meeting of
the Governor Akpabio-led
Committee with the AGF this
morning agreed on the
following resolutions: A legal
task force, headed by Attorney General of the Federation and
Minister of Justice Mohammed
Adoke to be set up
immediately to commence
prosecution of proven cases,
using relevant laws; particularly the Miscellaneous
Offences Act which carries a
sentence of 21 years without
option of fine.” According to him, the legal
task force, which is to be in
force for one year with effect
from July, 2013, is to be made
up of representatives from the
NNPC, the Armed Forces, Civil Defence, Police, SSS and other
related agencies. Prosecution of established
cases will continue, he said,
adding that members of the
task force would be announced
by the AGF July 22. It is believed that there are
about 300 people in custody. “The Council commended the
efforts of the Committee and
further urged it to ensure that
the bid to repair the shut
pipelines is achieved within
the targeted period of six to eight weeks.” Also at the
briefing, the Gombe State
Governor, Ibrahim Dankwabo,
who chairs the NEC Ad-hoc
Committee on the 2012/2013. Federal/State Governments
Borrowing Plans, gave an
update on its efforts towards
facilitating and co-ordinating
easy access to the
international development funds already cleared by the
National Assembly by
interested states. According to him, only 10
states have so far indicated
interest in the various loans
targeted at funding high
impact projects in such critical
areas of infrastructure, including housing, water
supply, erosion control and
employment generation. He said that the council called
on interested states to liaise
with the Federal Ministry of
Finance to be properly guided
on the loans’ conditionalities
and modalities for assessing them. On grazing reserves, Adamawa
State Governor Murtala Nyako
disclosed that the Council was
presented with a
memorandum on how to
address grazing reserves towards boosting food
security. He said cows should be on
“zero” grazing just as horses
that are fed in their stables.
Roaming the countryside for
fodder is unproductive and no
longer acceptable, as it promotes friction and clashes
between cattle rearers and
farmers, the governor said. According to him, the Council
set up a Committee comprising
the Federal ministries of Agric,
Water Resources, Interior,
Environment, Boundary
Commission and the National Planning Commission to work
out the modalities for
producing a comprehensive
recommendation on
establishing grazing reserves,
in collaboration with the States. The Council, he said, mandated
him to chair the national co-
ordination efforts. The
Governors of Akwa Ibom,
Enugu, Ondo, Adamawa,
Kaduna and Benue will coordinate the efforts in
various geopolitical zones
within eight weeks. The Minister of State for
Education, Nyesom Wike, said
that 80 schools had been built
nationwide as part of the
effort towards addressing the
high number of out-of-school children under trhe Almajiri
Education Programme. The programme will take off
by the next academic calendar
in September. The Council
recommended that the Federal
Government should provide
textbooks, furniture and laboratory items. The state
government are to feed the
children and provide them
uniforms – in collaboration
with the Federal Government. Among the governors at the
meeting yesterday were Delta,
Niger, Adamawa, Benue, Cross
River, Akwa Ibom and Ondo. Sokoto and Rivers deputy
governors were there.

By Godwin Oghre Sapele—If information
reaching Vanguard is to be
relied upon, the Egbema
Radical Group, ERG, the Ijaw
militants, which claimed
responsibility for the killing of no fewer than 12 Itsekiri
natives and burning down of
seven villages belonging to
Itsekiris in Warri North Local
Government Area of Delta
State, will hand-over their arms and ammunition to the
Joint military Task Force, JTF,
Operation Pulo Shield. The JTF is under the command
of Lt Col Frank Etim, the
Commanding Officer of the 3
Battalion of the Army Koko
Barracks, Warri North. It was gathered, yesterday,
that the militant had promised
to hand over their arms on July
17, 2013 and that they
preferred to do so in
Ogbudugbudu community, an Ijaw suburb in Warri North,
but failed to do so on
Wednesday, as they claimed
there were no concrete
arrangements that would
guarantee their safety during the exercise. A prominent member of
Egbema Gbaramatu Kingdom,
Reverend Sam Eke, told
Vanguard on phone that the
handover of arms and
ammunition was botched on the part of the Ijaw militants
and that a new arrangement
was in progress as a new date
would be communicated to JTF
and the council authority after
a council meeting in Abuja of prominent Ijaw and Itsekiri
leaders. The militants were said to be
ready to hand-over their arms
on the condition that their
safety would be guaranteed. When Vanguard visited Koko,
the headquarters of the
council, senior military officers
and ratings as well as other JTF
men were seen prepared to
receive the militants and their arms and ammunition. They were also joined in the
waiting by some prominent
Ijaw and Itsekiri leaders as
well as the Chairman of Warri
North council, Mr David Edun
and other senior official of the council, all of who waited in
vain as the militants did not
turn up for reason which was
later attributed to poor
security guarantees. The council Chairman, Edun told
Vanguard, during the waiting
period that no date had been
given for the handover and
that negotiation was still in
progress with a view to concluding arrangement
between security officials and
the militants.