₦airaland Forum

A Chatham House report launched yesterday in Abuja has estimated that at least $480 billion was stolen by corrupt officials between 1960 and 2004.Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is an independent policy institute based in London.
The report, titled “Collective Action on Corruption in Nigeria, a Social Norms Approach to Connecting Societies and Institutions,” said that close to $400 billion was stolen from Nigeria’s public accounts from 1960 to 1999. It added that between 2005 and 2014, $182 billion was lost through illicit financial flows from the country.

This stolen commonwealth, the report observed, represents the investment gaps in building and equipping modern hospitals to reduce Nigeria’s exceptionally high maternal mortality rates estimated at two out of every 10 global maternal deaths.

British Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Awkright, noted that corruption is bad for people and business. “Corruption fuels inequality, holds back development and it is a threat to national development of countries,” he said.
Awkright, who disclosed that Nigeria and Britain are making progress in tackling corruption, expressed delight that the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has made fight against corruption a key action of the government.

He noted that the study provides insight into why people engage in or refrain from corruption and cautioned that tough talk and fear-based messaging alone cannot address corruption.

The study, coauthored by Dr. Leena Koni Hoffman, an associate fellow of the Africa programme at Chatham House and Raj Navanit Patel, a consultant at the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. candidate in the department of Philosophy, suggested policy approaches to dealing with corruption and offered methods of integrating behavioural insights into anti-corruption strategies.

http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/05/shocking-see-total-money-stolen-from.html

(Reuters/NAN) Rwanda’s telecom industry regulator has fined MTN Rwanda, a division of South Africa’s MTN Group, 7 billion francs (8.5 million dollars) for running its IT services outside the country in breach of its licence.

The regulator said in a ruling posted on its website in Kigali that MTN Rwanda was hosting its IT services hub in Uganda, which it had prohibited.

“They are punished for relocating their IT services outside Rwanda, and this was deliberate,’’ Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority Spokesman Anthony Kulamba said.

MTN Group said it had also received a notification about the fine.

“MTN has been engaging with the regulator on this matter over the past four months.

“MTN Rwanda is currently studying the official notification and will continue to engage with the regulator on this matter,” it said in a statement.

In 2016, the company, which operates in 20 countries, set aside 600 million dollars to pay a fine imposed by the Nigerian government through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for not disconnecting unregistered SIM cards.

It paid N30 billion (95.24 million dollars) of the amount in March.

Other telecoms companies operating in Rwanda are Tigo, a unit of Millicom and Airtel Rwanda, a unit of India’s Bharti Airtel.

http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/05/mtn-in-fresh-trouble-fined-85million.html

Quack doctors in nigeria news too much now by prescribing overdose drugs to him.

May his soul rest in peace. Always hearing bad nigerian news

Money is talking at this Obasanjo Son's wedding. more pictures at Nigeria Newspaper

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode. PHOTO: LASG

As part of activities to mark 50 years of the existence of Lagos State, the Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has launched a free public Wi-Fi Internet service initiative.

Starting with the Ndubuisi Kanu Park, Alausa, Ikeja, Ambode informed that virtually all the parks in Lagos would have the free Wi-Fi Internet access facility.

Wi-Fi is a facility that allows computers, smart phones and other devices to connect to the Internet or communicate with one another without cable connection within a particular area.

Ambode unveiled the facility, a partnership with MainOne Cables yesterday.Represented by the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Olufemi Odubiyi, the governor said the provision of free public Wi-Fi at the park was part of efforts by his administration to make Lagos a smart city.

He revealed that parks and gardens are being established in different parts of the state to provide conducive environment for recreation, citing the opening of Badagry Recreation Park last week as one of such.

“The increased patronage of these facilities, which is no longer restricted to festive season, has made it necessary to equip these centres with free public Wi-Fi to serve the needs of visitors to these parks. As you relax and enjoy the services in these parks, we are also making it possible to access your mail, browse and search the Internet on your tablets, smart phones and laptops via a reliable public Wi-Fi,” Ambode stated.

He stressed that with the launch of the free Wi-Fi, the state has empowered the people to express their views on the new citizen’s gate portal, a platform designed to bridge the communication gap between the citizen and the state government “as non-availability of data will no longer be a constraint.”

http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/05/lagos-unveils-free-wi-fi-internet.html

Mr. Wale Tinubu, the Managing Director, Oando Plc on Thursday said that the company would seek approval from the Federal Government for the refurbishment of one or two refineries.

The Company’s facts behind the figures at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in Lagos, show that refurbishment of the refineries would enable the country to end fuel importation.

Tinubu stated that the company would take advantage of its indigenous status by participating in the Federal Government bid.

He added that militancy was affecting its production in the Niger Delta and that 2016 was also a challenging year for companies due to foreign exchange challenges.

He added that the company contended with problems of liquidity constraints, Naira devaluation and a slump in oil earnings due to low oil prices as well as insurgency in the Niger Delta.

According to him, the company has mapped out strategies to mitigate the foreign exchange challenges, as 90 per cent of its earnings focus will be on dollar, while 10 per cent will be in naira.

On the midstream, Tinubu said that the company would invest in acquisition of NIPP grid connected power utilities in the current financial year.

He stated that the company would commence phased development of gas distribution system in Tema industrial area Ghana in 2018.

The company in 2016 financial year posted a profit after tax of N3.5 billion, against a loss after tax of N47.6 billion posted in the preceding period of 2015, he said.

The company posted a turnover of N569 billion against N380 billion recorded in the comparative period of 2015, representing an increase of 49 per cent.

Its net debt reduced by 35 per cent to N230.6 billion in contrast with N355.4 billion posted in 2015.

Tinubu attributed the performance to its proactive and timely execution of its restructuring programme of growth in upstream division.

He said that some divestment embarked upon by the company during the period under review resulted in a net debt reduction of 125 billion dollars.

Tinubu stated that 2016 saw the country plunge into a recession for the first time in over two decades.

Mr Haruna Jalo-Waziri , NSE Executive Director, Capital Market commended the company for coming for the facts behind the figures.

Jalo-Waziri said that timely and accurate information helped investors in making the right investment decision.

He also urged the company to always comply with good corporate governance, noting that the exchange would continue to provide the needed platform for quoted companies to excel. (NAN)

http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/05/oando-wants-approval-to-refurbish.html

nice one babe. more beautiful collection of shoes from Toke Makinwa http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/05/check-out-toke-makinwas-shoes-closet.html

Get well soon my star. more information about his sickness here http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/05/nollywood-actor-dr-adesina-adesanya-aka.html

The plan by President Muhummadu Buhari to return to his London doctors for further treatment is an act of corruption and a mockery of the ‘Change begins with me’ campaign of his government.
The Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, at the 10th anniversary celebration of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Ngbo Diocese, Ezzamgbo, at the weekend, said he was not in support of the planned medical trip, especially as the country was in a period of economic recession.
According to him, “If we are saying that we are in economic recession, then going abroad for medical treatment by the president is corruption. The ‘Change begins with me’ campaign should begin with the president because I see no reason why we should allow our hospitals to be in very dilapidated conditions and then we travel abroad.”


Bishop Chukwuma who suggested that the equipments used in medical treatments abroad should rather be brought to Nigeria, said the president should not only have confidence in the medical facilities in Nigeria but should also use the provisions of the 2017 budget for revamping the health sector, maintaining that it will be enough to fund it. He said anything to the contrary was a serious negativity against the ‘Change begins with me’ campaign.
On the order by the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), that people should stay at home on May 30th to mark Biafra day, the bishop said he was not in support as he cautioned that people should not deploy violence.
“Biafra is not for violence or confrontation. Rather, it’s for agitation. We are agitating for equal rights and justice. People should not misuse IPOB for secession. We are not seceding. Nigeria belongs to all of us. Everybody should know that what we are looking for is equal right.
“The Southeast is being neglected in many areas. Even the recent appointment of boards members, how many Southeast people are there?” He reiterated that Igbos are being marginalized in many areas.
The church had used the occasion to honour some outstanding personalities among who were former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, a serving senator representing Ebonyi North, Obinna Ogba, the traditional ruler of Ngbo, Eze Simon Ali Ega among others who urged the church to continue to maintain peace and unity with host communities.
http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/04/buharis-medical-trip-mockery-of-change.html

Powerlifter Oksana Kosheleva, 34, is the strongest woman in Siberia and more than a match for the average man. One fellow was foolhardy enough to pick a quarrel with her and he was treated to the unbridled fury of raw power and muscle. A video of the comical incident shows a male driver locked in a traffic standoff with Kosheleva, she proceeds to get out of her car, drag him off the wheels before dumping him in her trunk with a kick for good measure. She then drove him out of the car park and threw him out on the side of the road.

The driver identified as Ayrtom was being filmed by his friends as he performed a stunt in a car park when he cut in front of Kosheleva.

They didn't try to help their poor friend, instead they filmed the whole thing.
Kosheleva said:

'It all happened suddenly. I was in this situation for the first time.
'When he turned in front of me, I yelled at him: "What are you doing? We're in a car park!"
'He mumbled something and I came out to understand what he was talking about.
'And he started arguing with me.'

She told him:

'You should learn how to park, there are kids around.'

Kosheleva said she wanted to avoid a 'fight' with Artyom, adding:

'I simply decided to teach him a lesson, I wasn't planning to beat him up.
'I'm a woman and fights are not for me.'


An embarrassed Ayrtom said he didn't fight back because he had previously seen her training at the gym and knew her strength.
Watch the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1vQt1uK32U
http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/03/this-is-what-happens-when-you-get-into.html

A medical practitioner, Dr Arikawe Adeolu, on Friday warned the public against consumption of fishes with high mercury content, saying it can cause neurological damage to the body.


Adeolu, who works with the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
According to him, consuming fish with high mercury content puts the individual at risk of having mercury toxicity, which causes some form of neurological damage.


The doctor said that Shark, Angler Fish, Tuna and the Whale were fishes with very high mercury content. “Fishes low in mercury content are Tilapia, Sardine, Catfish, Croaker Fish, Salmon and Shrimps, saying that they were relatively safe for consumption,’’ he said.
The expert described mercury as a heavy metal known to be toxic to the human body when consumed, even in small amounts.
He said that excessive exposure to mercury would affect cells of the central nervous system with a risk of neurological deficit in an individual.

Adeolu said that some humans were exposed to the substance through consumption of sea foods, while others were exposed to it due to the kind of job they do.
“Some groups of people whose jobs involve handling of mercury are sometimes exposed to the substance.
“Studies have shown that fishes have mercury in them and the kind of mercury found in fish is called `Methylmercury’.
“Methylmercury is a very poisonous form of mercury. It is a metal that is liquid at room temperature. It forms when bacteria reacts with mercury in water.
“Mercury is usually found in water due to human activities like coal burning, iron mining and so on.
“Fishes, depending on their species and position on the food chain, contain different amounts of mercury.
“Usually, the higher the fish is on the food chain, the more likely it is to have a high mercury content, because when they feed on smaller fishes, they also retain whatever mercury the small fishes have,’’ the expert said.
Adeolu, however, said the nature has a good way of balancing itself.
“The fishes mentioned, all contain Selenium, which is an element that counteracts the effects of mercury in the body.
“The whale, however, has more mercury than selenium, so when you consume this fish, you put yourself at risk of mercury toxicity,’’ the expert said.
Source: http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/03/doctor-warns-against-consumption-of.html

With the Presidency failing to give Nigerians a clear statement on when President Muhammadu Buhari would return to the country, from his now indefinite vacation, the issue has become the source of much controversy and anger, with many Nigerians urging the Senate to begin the process of invoking Section 144 of the constitution to declare his seat vacant, so that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will officially step into the office of President of the Federal Republic.

This is because Nigerians cannot afford another Yar’Adua scenario, whereby officials not elected into office by the Nigerian people are ruling the country by proxy. Legally, the President is entitled to 60 days annual leave, which is calculated from the day he took office in 2015. If he exhausts his leave, he is then entitled to his annual vacation. But as things stand, Buhari has converted his annual leave to medical leave, which has now become indefinite. Should the president fail to return home in the next 14 days; the country will be embroiled in a constitutional quagmire.

The Presidency has said there is no cause to worry. The refrain has been that there is no vacuum in governance as the President constitutionally transferred his powers to the vice president before going on his vacation. Yet, Nigerians have been divided in their calls for full disclosure of the health challenges facing Mr. President. Amid the confusion caused by the awkward position of the President, which verges on the mix between his annual vacation and medical leave, callisthenic presidential communications have only fueled the mass hysteria and frenzy about the president’s condition after he failed to return home as expected on February 6. His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, had in a statement confirmed ‎that the President would be extending his initial 10-day stay to “complete the test circle before returning.”

Even as the President awaits full clinical clearance from his doctors before returning to his desk at Aso Rock, the intrigues about his health and ability to continue with the demands of his office have become a tragic-comedy of errors, with eminent Nigerians, including elected officials now going on “pilgrimage” to see the president in London. Nigerians have been quick to recall the events in 2010, when then President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua proceeded on a similar trip, only for what began as medical tourism to dovetail into a national and constitutional tragedy leading to the now infamous “doctrine of necessity.”

At the height of the confusion, Buhari was said to have spoken with US President Donald Trump. The absurdity was taken to a higher level by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, who posted the transcript of his purported telephone conversation with Buhari on his Facebook page. Adesina claimed the president called to thank him for “holding out against mischief-makers.” Buhari’s senior special assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, also claimed he missed the president’s phone call, but stated on his Facebook page that he received a text message from the president.

While the grapevine swells with fanciful conjectures, Nigerians have been treated to a staccato of pictorial communications, with still pictures showing the number one citizen looking frail and skeletal. It began with the Presidency twitter handle posting a picture of two APC top-notchers; Bola Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande, who visited the president in London. Next was the turn of Senate President, Bukola Saraki and House Speaker, Yakubu Dogara to visit the President. Interestingly, while other visitors merely called for prayers, Dr. Saraki who studied medicine in Britain and practiced there for a while, forced himself back to medical practice, examined the President and pronounced him “hale and hearty.”

Being the first medical expert to be categorical on the state of health of Mr. President, Dr. Saraki must now precisely tell Nigerians when a sick man who has been certified “hale and hearty” is allowed to resume normal duties. If the president is hale and hearty as Saraki wants Nigerians to believe, then Buhari’s failure to resume his office amounts to a dereliction of duty, that should attract a declaration that the office is vacant. It is indeed unfortunate that Buhari is ill. Nigerians cannot begrudge his right to treatment. But if the illness is of such a nature as to make it impossible for him to perform the functions of his office, then Nigerians have no choice than replace him with the vice president.

Meanwhile, opinions on Buhari’s health keep coming from different quarters. Pastors are praying; witch doctors too are talking, even as prophets across faiths and denominations churn out prophesies. Amid this staccato, the President’s men have been playing hide-and-seek with the word “soon” using it so elastically as to cover every dimension of time. Despite the shifting communications from the presidency regaling Nigerians of how their president was homesick and tired of staying abroad, if you ask Lai Mohammed, when Buhari will return; he will say “soon.” Put the same question to Adesina and he will add an intensifier “very soon.” Ask Shehu Garba and he will bamboozle you with details of the phone conversation between Buhari and Trump, and then say: “when the President is coming will be made known.” With all these theatricals, it is not surprising that many confused Nigerians have begun to situate the narrative alongside the 2010 experience. What remains to be heard is for the President’s men to say as happened in 2010, that the President could govern from any part of the world.

Generally, the President cannot afford an indefinite leave, given the sensitive nature of his office. Once it is impossible to determine definitively, the period of days to be spent, whether on annual vacation or medical vacation, what that translates is that the President has given indication of his inability to perform the functions of his office. The president cannot be allowed to abscond his post and create a vacuum in governance under the guise of an indefinite medical vacation. It is a national disgrace and international embarrassment for the President to turn himself into a tourist attraction, whereby, he has turned the Abuja House in London into an alternative government house, where the country’s political elite now take turns to pay homage. It is inconceivable that Nigeria would get to this stage. It is unacceptable that the country be forced to put up with this situation.

This begs the question: at what point will section 144 be invoked? Since the president already took part of his annual leave in 2016 when he travelled to London for the same ear infection; to which could be added the number of days he has already spent this year, it stands to reason that if in the next 14 days, the President is unable, for reason of ill health, to resume his normal duties, then the Senate must proceed to invoke the provisions of section 144 of the Constitution to declare his seat vacant, so that the vice president will officially be sworn-in as President because there is a limit to the powers of the acting president. Buhari cannot take the nation hostage and Nigeria certainly does not need this kind of distraction, at a time the country is facing serious economic challenges and sundry national issues begging for urgent presidential attention and leadership. The nation must not be held hostage, while the president attends to his health with no definite return date. There cannot be a vacuum in that office.

This editorial was published by HuhuOnline.com.
http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/03/how-long-can-buhari-remain-absentee.html

The Senate yesterday mandated its Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) to investigate the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) over claims that it mismanaged N5.1 trillion subsidy funds between 2006 and 2015.

Adopting a motion sponsored by Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West) and titled “Discrepancies in subsidy payment and non-remittance of funds by the NNPC to the Federation account”, the upper chamber of the National Assembly directed the panel to exhaustively audit the accounts of the national oil agency as it relates to fuel subsidy and abuse of product marketing and distribution during the period under review.

The Senate noted that the allegations of discrepancies in subsidy payment and non-remittance of funds to the Federation Account levelled against the corporation were unacceptable.

In his lead debate, Melaye pointed out that “since this administration clamped down on subsidy payment, NNPC has solely been responsible for retail with companies like BOVAS and RANO paying N20– N25 per litre for the sale of this product which amounts to over N2billion monthly.”

He expressed displeasure that these funds were not accounted for, adding that “this might be the reason why we now see petro-dollars buried in caskets and uncompleted buildings in remote villages in some parts of the country.”

Melaye further said: “Majority of Nigerians overwhelmingly agreed to fight corruption and this informed the present administration’s resolve to tackle the widespread corruption in its entire ramification, inclusive of the petroleum industry.”

He regretted that despite the crackdown on corruption by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, “there has been continuous violation by the NNPC as regards non-remittance of proceeds from the sale of refined products into the Federation Account.”

In his contribution, Bassey Albert Akpan alleged that over N120 billion was spent on importation of fuel by the corporation in the last three months, adding that NNPC cannot continue as the sole importer of fuel into the country.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, charged the committee on diligence and enduring solution.

“We cannot continue in this kind of situation whereby some individuals will be adding pains to the masses, who are already overwhelmed by the economic condition, worsened by the current recession,” he stated.
http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/03/senate-mandates-committee-to-probe-nnpc.html

Nokia will re-launch the 3310, perhaps the best-loved and most resilient phone in history.
The phone, originally released in 2000 and in many ways beginning the modern age of mobiles, will be sold as a way of getting lots of battery life in a nearly indestructible body.

The new incarnation of the old 3310 will be sold for just €59, and so likely be pitched as a reliable second phone to people who fondly remember it the first time around. It will be revealed at Mobile World Congress later this month, according to leaker Evan Blass who first revealed the details.

It's still possible to buy the 3310 on Amazon, though only through its marketplace and not directly from the company itself. The Amazon listing describes a range of features, including a clock, calculator, the ability to store up to ten reminders and four games: Snake II, Pairs II, Space Impact, and Bantumi.
Snake was so well-loved that it's currently available for iPhone, Android and Windows phone users to download.

That collection of features has led to it being branded as perhaps the most resilient and long-lasting phone ever made. The reputation has let it become the star of hundreds of memes, and even led people to crush it in a hydraulic press.
Nokia struggled to bring its brand into the smartphone era and ended up being sold to Microsoft. But since then it has targeted success by making new versions of old phones, including the Nokia 215, which costs $29 and lasts for 29 days.
Phones made under the Nokia brand are now sold by HMD Global, a Finnish company that bought the rights to the name. HMD will reveal other new mobiles – the Nokia 3, 5 and 6 – at the same MWC event.
Those other new phones will be more like smartphones, but will retain much of the same low price.
http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/02/nokia-3310-most-reliable-phone-ever.html

NONE SHALL BE BARREN – Tuesday February 7th 2017

Memorise: He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD. Psalm 113:9
Read: Exodus 23:24-26 (KJV)
24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
25 And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.

Bible in one year: Luke 23-24, Isaiah 32:9-33:9, Hymn: Sing hymn 4
MESSAGE:
Contrary to what the world would have you believe, you are a creation of the Almighty God. You were put here on earth to fulfil a divine purpose, and part of that purpose is multiplication. When God created you, He gave you a mandate, and He equally endowed you to fulfil this mandate (Genesis 1:28). You need to therefore understand that no demon, power, principality or even medical practitioner can say that there is no solution to the challenges you are facing. The only person permitted to have the final say over your situation is the Almighty God, and this is what He says about you in Exodus 23:26:
“There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.”
Have you been tagged barren by this world? I want to assure you that your situation is not hopeless. Open heavens devotional Tuesday Febuary 7 2017:- None shall be barren. The same God who remembered Rachael will surely remember you and remove every reproach in your life in Jesus’ Name (Genesis 30:22). While Rachael trusted God for the fruit of the womb, the world despised her, her sister disdained her and her husband gave up on her; but by the time the Lord decided to repay her for the many years she had been under ridicule, her testimony exceeded that of those who had written her off.
I pity those who consult diviners in their search for children. God’s stance on this is very clear:
“There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.”
Deuteronomy 18:10-11
Every child that is gotten through the help of diviners will not give you joy. Submit to what God only can give. Do not run faster than your shadow. At God’s appointed time and season, your song will change. As the Lord remembered Rachael He will surely remember you. Rccg open heavens 2017. Every reproach, sorrow, humiliation and secret cry of yours shall be brought to an end this month in Jesus’ Name. All you need to do is to worship the One who can do what doctors’ say is impossible. Every husband who has been praying silently for his wife shall rejoice this season in Jesus’ Name. Every family needs to unite together in prayer to wage war against those things that are not part of God’s promise for your destiny. Have you lost so many years while waiting in expectation? Know that there is a God of redemption, and that the lost years of your life can be redeemed. The promises of God’s restoration will come to pass in your life in Jesus’ Name.
Action Point
Father, I command that every seed of barrenness in me withers away now in Jesus’ Name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye,
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/02/open-heavens-devotional-2017-tuesday-7.html

more http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/02/beyonces-pregnancy-news-breaks-internet.html

24 hours after Beyonce sent the internet into a complete frenzy with her pregnancy announcement on Wednesday, February 1, 2017, the instagram post has received over 9 million likes.

The photo has set a new record as the most liked photo on Instagram. Beyonce is expecting twins!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BP-rXUGBPJa/?taken-by=beyonce

SECRETS OF FRUITFULNESS – Thursday February 2nd 2017

Memorise: If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25
Read: Galatians 5:22-26 (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Bible in one year: Luke 14-15, Isaiah 29:1-14, Hymn: Sing hymn 10
MESSAGE:
One of the utmost desires of every human being is to be fruitful. We derive our drive for fruitfulness from the command that God gave to our spirit after creation in Genesis 1:28:
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
To be fruitful means to have outstanding results in one’s assignment or chosen career. Fruitfulness is having excellent results where others are failing. Open Heavens 2017 Thursday 2 February 2017:- Secrets of fruitfulness. It is to be highly favoured where others are struggling, and making progress where others are either retrogressing or remaining stagnant. Fruitfulness means being a vessel of honour while some are vessels unto dishonour. My prayer is that the Lord will reveal to you the secrets of good fruitfulness in Jesus’ Name.
The first secret of good fruitfulness is absolute dependence on the One who infused our spirit with the drive to be fruitful: God. God plays a prominent role in the fruitfulness of His children. This is why you need to settle it in your mind that there is nothing you can achieve without the help of the Almighty God. Those who understand this secret never attempt to run ahead of God. Jesus in John 15:5 said,
“I am the vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
No amount of human labour would suffice if God is not involved. Open heaven devotional 2017. This is why you need to run your endeavours in partnership with Jesus. If you partner with Jesus, you can never suffer loss because He is committed to giving you what money cannot buy. Money cannot buy you a good name; neither can money buy you peace of mind or guaranteed protection.
Another secret of good fruitfulness is avoiding strife and division. These manifest carnality and they will hinder you from bearing good fruit in life. Any family where envy and provocation of one another persist cannot be fruitful. Any organisation where people are committed to breaking ranks cannot be fruitful. Any church where people are always pulling down one another through their actions and words cannot be fruitful. This is why the Bible admonishes us to always walk in the Spirit so that we will not fulfil the lust of the flesh. Let us always create an atmosphere of peace, love, joy and goodness, without undermining the importance of discipline. You will be amazed at how good our fruits would be under the leading of God.
Prayer Point
Father, destroy every agent of strife and division in our families.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye,
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/02/open-heavens-2017-thursday-2-february.html

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari urging him to use his good offices and leadership position “to urgently refer the allegations of corruption against the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for further investigation, and if there is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence, for him to face prosecution.”

The organization also urged President Buhari to “urgently publish the outcome of the investigation conducted on the matter by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, and to ask Mr Malami to hand over the file to both the EFCC and ICPC.”

In the letter dated 27 January 2017 and signed by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organization said, “We are concerned that the failure to suspend Mr Lawal from his position as Secretary to the Government of the Federation pending the investigation by Mr Malami and the perceived lack of transparency in the outcome of that investigation may have created the impression that your government is treating Mr Lawal as a sacred cow.”

The letter copied to the Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbayo reads in part: “SERAP believes that Mr Lawal’s case presents your Administration with a real opportunity to reassure a lot of Nigerians who may be worried about the direction of travel of your anti-corruption agenda. Rather than assuming a defensive posture to the matter, we advise you to use this case to show to Nigerians that there will be no two standards of justice in your Administration’s fight against corruption.”

“SERAP also believes the recommended approach would help to address the growing public suspicion and pessimism about your government’s ability to fight high-level official corruption to a standstill and to avoid any collateral consequences. It is absolutely important that the public should have complete confidence and trust in your Administration’s oft-repeated commitment to fight corruption and the impunity of perpetrators.”

“It is true that Mr Lawal enjoys a constitutionally and internationally guaranteed right to a fair trial, which includes the right to be presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. But we believe that the right to a presumption of innocence is one that should have personally be raised by Mr Lawal and not your government, especially given his position as Secretary to the Government of the Federation. SERAP believes that the guilt or innocence of Mr Lawal is for the court to decide, following a due process of law.

“To assist the government to achieve public confidence and trust, effectively spread the gospel of anticorruption, and be on the right side of history, SERAP made the following recommendations:

Urgently refer the allegations against Mr Lawal to both the EFCC and ICPC for further investigations, and if there is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence, for him to face prosecution;

Pending the referral to the EFCC and ICPC, to suspend Mr Lawal from his position as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, pending the outcome of any investigation by the EFCC and ICPC;
Promptly and widely publish the outcome of investigation carried out by Mr Malami and instruct that any files relating to that investigation be handed over to the EFCC and ICPC to assist in their follow-up investigation

“SERAP notes that following a report by the Senate ad hoc committee which indicted Mr Lawal over an alleged breach of Nigeria’s law in handling contracts awarded by the Presidential Initiative for the North East, PINE, you reportedly instructed Mr Malami to carry out further investigation into the allegation. Among other allegations contained in the Senate’s report is that Mr. Lawal’s company, Global Vision Ltd benefited from inflated contracts of over N200 million to clear ‘invasive plant species’ in Yobe State. According to the report, Mr. Lawal was still the director of Global Vision as of the time the contract was awarded in March 2016, and remains the signatory to the company’s account.”

“SERAP further notes your instruction to Mr Malami to carry out further investigation into the allegations, as well as your recent letter to the Senate effectively raising some technical and procedural concerns about the report which indicted Mr. Lawal.”

Source: http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/01/aisha-reportedly-visits-buhari-in.html

DIRECTION FOR TRUE SEEKERS – Sunday January 29th 2017

Memorise: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable with him. Acts 10:35
Read: Acts 10:1-8 (KJV)
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:
6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
7 And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;
8 And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

Bible in one year: Luke 8, Isaiah 26:1-19, Hymn: Sing hymn 11
MESSAGE:
“And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.”
Romans 1:27-28
From the scripture above, it is true that nature abhors a vacuum. Your mind was designed to retain the knowledge of God. However, if it is not used for that purpose, do not be surprised that it will become filled with junk and warped reasoning. How true the word of God is throughout the ages! What this scripture foretold centuries ago is exactly what we find being manifested right before our very eyes today. One reason why some people attach themselves to sodomy, lesbianism, bestiality and all kinds of abominable acts today is because they have shut their hearts to the truth of God’s word. This includes those gays who profess to be religious. Such people do not have a true, inward relationship with God. Are you battling with evil thoughts? Then fill your mind with the knowledge of God, His word, His ways and His testimonies, and there will be no space for junk and the lies of the devil in it.
Do you know that God is seriously searching for those who are seeking for Him? The Bible in Psalms 14:2 says:
“The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.”
Wherever He finds them, irrespective of the religious sect they belong to, one way or another, He charts a path for them to come out, get to know and serve Him in the right way. Open Heavens 2017 Sunday 29 January 2017:- direction for true seekers. This was the experience of Cornelius. This officer in the Roman army was still practising Judaism after Jesus had come to introduce salvation by faith in Him. Despite the fact that Jesus had come and had finished the work of salvation, and the gospel was being preached, Cornelius continued worshipping God the same way he had always done before. Nevertheless, God saw the sincerity of his desire for Him, and He arranged for Him to meet Apostle Peter, who taught him the new and living way to God. There are people in different faiths who are truly seeking God but are doing so wrongly. Pray that like Cornelius, God will lead them the right way, out of where they are into His kingdom. Open heavens 2017.
Key Point
Having a PhD in an academic discipline does not necessarily make you wise before God. Wisdom comes from seeking God.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye,
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/01/open-heavens-2017-sunday-29-january.html

BE THANKFUL – Saturday January 28th 2017

Memorise: Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 100:4
Read: Luke 17:11-19 (KJV)
11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Bible in one year: Luke 7, Isaiah 24:21-25:12, Hymn: Sing hymn 17
MESSAGE:
One great expectation of the Almighty God is that man, whom He created in His image and likeness, will appreciate His benevolent deeds to them. It is unfortunate, however, that from generation to generation man has been ungrateful. This is even more pronounced in these last days (Romans 1:21, 2nd Timothy 3:2). From today’s reading, we can see how expectant our Heavenly Father is for us to express appreciation whenever He does us good. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to show us the character of the Father, revealed this expectation to us through His reaction when only one leper returned to say “Glory to God in the highest”, even though ten were healed.
“And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.”
Luke 17:17-18
When we fail to appreciate God for who He is and for what He continuously does for us, we rob Him of His rightful glory and honour. Indeed, ingratitude is an act of robbery against God. It is also dangerous, because your joy cannot be full if you are unthankful. Open Heavens 2017 Saturday28 January 2017:- be thankful. Of the ten lepers that were healed, the only one we can consider to have received the fullness of joy is the one who returned to give glory to God, because Jesus crowned his healing with wholeness.
There is another dimension to being grateful to God, which has to do with our appreciation of what He did for us when He gave His only begotten Son as atonement for our sins. The only way to show our gratitude for this gift is to accept His offer of salvation, which is free for us but which cost the life of the immaculate Son of God. We must embrace this offer with every sense of gratitude because there are consequences for rejecting it. Hebrews 2:3 says,
“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed into us by them that heard him;”
Beloved, the most profound gratitude we can show God, for all the things He has done for us, is to accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ and to live by the ideals He brought from His Father. God bless you as you do so today. Open heavens 2017
Prayer Point
Father, I thank you for the salvation of my soul through Christ, my Lord. Help me to live by His teachings to the glory of your Holy Name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye,
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/01/open-heavens-2017-saturday-28-january.html

The Sultan of Sokoto is the father of the Fulani people, the foremost traditional ruler in northern Nigeria and the spiritual leader of all northern Muslims.

He is not just a traditional ruler but an all-powerful potentate who represents a strange and mystical power and who heads an ancient and dark empire.

Not only is he revered by his subjects but he is also regarded and treated by some as something akin to a deity and by others as nothing less than the reincarnation of Sheik Usman Dan Fodio, the Sufi Muslim who founded the Caliphate empire by conquering and utterly crushing the Hausa kingdoms in a brutal and bloody jihad in northern Nigeria in 1804.

Whichever way his subjects choose to view him, whether as a deity or an all-conquering and all powerful jihadi war-lord, to the Muslims of the core north his word is law and absolutely everything revolves around him.

He is the living symbol of Fulani power, strength and glory and the physical manifestation of the quest for Islamist domination.

Yet despite these lofty heights and undoubtedly rich and impressive heritage his people have slaughtered, subjugated and terrorised more Nigerians in the last 212 years since Usman Dan Fodio’s 1804 Jihad than ANY other ethnic group in our nation.

They have butchered more of their fellow Nigerians in that space of time than the white Boer settlers and farmers of apartheid South Africa butchered the black African population in Southern Africa in 363 years of white rule and domination since the time that the Dutch coloniser and administrator, Jan Van Riebeek, first put his foot on the South African Cape in 1653.

No African ethnic group has killed as many of their fellow Africans as the Fulani of northern Nigeria. Not even the Hutus of Rwanda, who did a whole lot of killing in the genocide of the early 1990’s, could match them.

From the first Mahdi, Usman Dan Fodio, to the second, Sir Ahmadu Bello and to the third, General Muhammadu Buhari, the trail of blood, carnage, terror and religious compulsion and the inexplicable quest and insatiable desire to dominate, conquer, subjugate and control others trails them.

This is as unacceptable as it is provocative. The truth is that there is no place in any civilised society for any form of compulsion or ethnic and religious domination and bigotry

I say this because I believe that the mark of civilisation is the ability to tolerate dissenting views and to accomodate those that do not share your faith or come from your tribe, ethnic stock or nationality.

If you are incapable of being tolerant of others simply because they are different or they come from a different place and if you cannot indulge in any form of accomodation of those that do not share your views, your faith or your bloodlines then you are nothing more than an uncivilised field hand and an intellectual barbarian.

If you are capable of both tolerance and accommodation of others, no matter how strange or absurd their views, their faith or their circumstances may be, then you are the epitome of civilisation, decency, good breeding and good old fashioned class.

The morale of the tale is as follows: to be tolerant and kind to ALL those that see things differently from you, to stand up against the intolerant and to resist the ignorant, the bigoted, the racist, the ethnic supremacist and the religious extremist. .

It is in an attempt to keep faith with this sacred resolution and honor this fundamental principle that I wish to bare my mind and share my views about the way forward for the Fulani Republic of Nigeria in this contribution. Those views are as follows.

I am a nationalist. I believe in the rise and power of the nation state. I believe in the sovereignty of the will of the people. I believe in the right of independence and self-determination for all and sundry. This is especially so for the numerous ethnic nationalities that make up the space called Nigeria.

I believe in the right of the Igbo to have Biafra and the right of the Yoruba to have Oduduwa if that is their wish.

I believe that that right ought to be extended to the Ijaws and indeed to every other ethnic nationality in the country if that is what they want.

I believe that to compel a man or a people, by the force of arms and with the raw power of the state, to stay in a house or a space that they do not wish to stay is evil.

Such a state of affairs and situation is an eloquent testimony, graphic example and accurate illustration of subjugation and bondage.

It is a testimony of the most barbaric form of wickedness and a total denial of the most basic civil liberties, fundamental human rights and expression of free will of the victims.

I believe that there are many countries in the belly of Nigeria but sadly they have all been choked, suffocated, swallowed up and killed at birth.

I believe that Chief Obafemi Awolowo was right when he said that Nigeria was “not a nation but a mere geographical expression”.

I believe that Sir Ahmadu Bello was right when he described the amalgamation of the northern and southern protectorates as a “great mistake”.

I believe that he was also right when he told the ever-accommodating and over-compensating Owelle Nnamdi Azikiwe that we needed to “understand our differences” rather than to just “forget them”.

Again I believe that Awolowo was right when he said “there are no ‘Nigerians’ in the sense as there are English, Welsh or French. The word ‘Nigerian’ is merely a distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria and those who do not”.

I believe that Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa accurately reflected the mind of his core northern people when he said,

“the Southern people who are swamping into this region daily in such large numbers are really intruders. We don’t want them and they are not welcome here in the North. Since 1914, the British Government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country but the people are different in every way, including religion, custom, language and aspirations. We in the north take it that Nigerian unity is only a British intention for the country they created. IT IS NOT FOR US.”

I believe that Lord Frederick Lugard, the architect of the 1914 amalgamation, was right when he said “the North and the South are like oil and water. They will never mix”.

Again I believe that Awolowo was right when he said “Nigeria is only a geographical expression to which life was given by the diabolical amalgamation of 1914. That amalgamation will EVER remain the most painful injury a British government inflicted on Southern Nigeria”.

I believe that the hero of Biafra, Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu (the one and only Eze Igbo Gburugburu), was right when he said “it is better we move slightly apart and survive than move together and perish in our collision”.

I believe that Sir Ahmadu Bello spoke the minds of his northern people when he said,

“the new nation called Nigeria should be an estate from our great grandfather, Othman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We must use the minorities in the North as willing tools and the south as conquered territories and never allow them to have control of their future.”

I believe that General Yakubu Gowon was right when he said,

“suffice it to say that putting all considerations to the test, political, economic as well as social, the basis of unity is not there.”

I believe that Dr. Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe was right when he said,

“if this embryo republic of ours must disintegrate, then in the name of God, let the operation be a short and painless one.”

Finally I believe that Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu was right when he said,

“Nigeria is a stooge of Europe. Her independence was and is a lie. Nigeria committed many crimes against her nationals which in the end made complete nonsense of her claim to unity. Nigeria persecuted and slaughtered her minorities; Nigerian justice was a farce; her elections, her census, her politics – her everything – was corrupt. Qualification, merit and experience were discounted in public service. In one area of Nigeria, for instance, they preferred to turn a nurse who had worked for five years into a doctor rather than employ a qualified doctor from another part of Nigeria; barely literate clerks were made Permanent Secretaries; a university Vice-Chancellor was sacked because he belonged to the wrong tribe.”

These words are as truthful, accurate and appropriate today as they were when Ojukwu spoke them many years ago.

If there is still anyone left that believes that all is well in our forced union I urge them to consider the words of Chief John Nwodo who is a former Minister of Information and the newly-elected President-General of Ohaneze, the leading Igbo political and socio-cultural group which comprises of all the elders and traditional rulers of Ndi Igbo. He said,

“Our young men and women can no longer tolerate a second class status in their own country. They can no longer forgive the President for arguing before he came into office that Niger Delta militants were meekly treated and tolerated by President Yar’Adua while Boko Haram was harshly treated by President Jonathan when his law enforcement agents literally opened fire and maimed and killed unarmed MASSOB and IPOB members. They see how returnee Boko Haram members are absolved and rehabilitated while leaders of MASSOB and IPOB are incarcerated or mercilessly murdered. In their rage, they are becoming uncontrollable as they pass a vote of no confidence on us, their parents, describing us as cowards and compromised”.

Could anyone have put it any better than this? Has Nwodo not hit the nail on the head? Has he not spoken the bitter truth? Is this not an aberrant and unacceptable state of affairs?

Has our so-called country not been turned into the theater of the absurd where anything can happen in the last two years? Did some of us not warn that this would happen if a Fulani supremacist and Muslim fundamentalist with delusions of grandeur like Buhari was elected President? Are the Nigerian people not reaping what they sowed in 2015?

Have the southerners and Middle Belters in Nigeria not all been turned into slaves today? Have their leaders and elders not all been turned into quislings and cowards who shiver under their beds at night and who dare not speak truth to power?

Christians are slaughtered, nobody talks. Southern youths are butchered, nobody talks. Shiite Muslims are massacred, nobody talks. Christian refugees are bombed at IDP camps, nobody cares. Fulani militants murder hundreds in cold blood on a weekly basis all over the country and nobody is arrested or apprehended.

Was this not Awolowo and Ojukwu’s greatest fear? Are we not living that nightmare today?

Whether they wish to admit it openly or not EVERY southerner and Middle Belter in this country feels like a second class citizen today. (TO BE CONTINUED).

Femi Fani-Kayode is a lawyer, a Nigerian politician, an evangelical christian, an essayist, a poet and he was the Special Assistant (Public Affairs) to President Olusegun Obasanjo from July 2003 until June 2006. He was the minister of culture and tourism of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from June 22nd to Nov 7th 2006 and as the minister of Aviation from Nov 7th 2006 to May 29th 2007. He tweets from@realFFK.

http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/01/femi-fani-kayode-fulani-republic-of.html

Barely 24 hours after the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbanjo, visited Delta State, gunmen suspected to be militants have set ablaze a crude oil pipeline at Ughelli.

The pipeline belonging to the Niger Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, located behind the SETRACO construction yard, along the East/West express road, was seen raging with inferno at about 4:30p.m.

The real cause of the inferno is still sketchy at the moment but residents say the latest attack might not be unconnected with the activities of the Niger Delta militants.

According to Vanguard, a security source, operating in the area, refuted insinuation that the inferno was as a result of an attack by suspected militants.

He said: “The cause of the incident is as a result of bush burning. Someone set fire on the area and the pipeline, which had some crude oil spill on it and the surrounding environment went up in flames, sending huge balls of flame into the air.”.

Speaking further, the source said: “We are ensuring the maximum protection of oil and gas facilities in the area and I can assure you that there would be no form of attacks on oil facilities in the area like time past.”

Recall that Osinbajo, during his visit to the oil-rich region, admitted that the Niger Delta area had long been abandoned.‎
http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/01/oil-pipeline-burnt-down-in-delta-24.html

Professor Aliyu Mani who is the head of Veterinary medicine, University of Maiduguri, was killed in the bomb blast that rocked the school's mosque this morning.

Photo credit: Sumner Shagari Sambo
http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/01/photo-of-professor-killed-in-university.html

The Vice Chancellor of Osun State University, Prof. Labode Popoola, said on Saturday that the institution would collect the over N2bn debt students owe it whether they are able to recoup their money invested in the Mavrodi Mondial Moneybox or not.

Popoola said, “Some of them (students) used their school fees to invest in MMM. But whether MMM comes back or not, it is their headache. I have told them that we are not going to open the portal. If I see that a critical mass of the students pay, then we will decide to open the portal just for about 48 hours. But they must pay first.

“This is how we accumulated a debt profile of over N2bn, we cannot continue this way. They just have to pay the money.”

But MMM ‘investors’ have not been able to get their money back as of the time of filing this report.

In a chat with an MMM representative, one Juliana ‘Consultant’, told one of our correspondents that payment had not begun on Saturday but that the scheme would “pay soon.”

“Some accounts are frozen and ‘GH’ have commenced,” she said.

http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/01/uniosun-vc-says-students-must-pay-n2bn.html

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has urged the Federal Government to sell the country’s four refineries and the Ajaokuta Steel complex to enhance their operations.

The NSE’s Chief Executive Officer, Oscar Onyema, made the request in Lagos yesterday at an event to mark the 2016 Market Recap and 2017 Outlook.Despite the conflicting positions taken by stakeholders in the past, Onyema said the sale became necessary to stop the plants from draining the country’s resources.

According to him, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), operators of the refineries, had failed to revamp the comatose refineries over the years.

He explained that unbundling them would mitigate the excessive government’s spending on them and allow the funds realised to be deployed to other projects.
He said: “The Federal Government’s 10-point roadmap was a step in the right direction, but has not gone far enough to revive their sustainability. We believe that other institutions like the Ajaokuta Steel complex were constituting drain pipes on the nation’s scarce resources.”

He urged government to find creative ways of borrowing funds, since it had agreed to access the recently introduced green bond, which would be implemented by the first quarter of 2017.

Onyema stressed that the NSE would work towards becoming a more demutualised entity. He said it would fast-track the development of innovative products, such as exchange-traded derivatives to provide investors with better tools to meet the economic realities in 2017.

“We will enhance our cross-border integration efforts through African Securities Exchange Association’s (ASEA), African Exchange Linkage Project (AELP) model and the West African Capital Market Integration (WACMI) programme.

“The exchange would also continue to engage government to promote the listing of privatised state-owned entities (SOEs), as well as engage the private sector issuers for listings across all of our product categories,” he said.

http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/01/nse-backs-sale-of-refineries-ajaokuta.html

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food (Hippocrates 460BC – 370BC).

This is a powerful quote by Hippocrates who lived thousands of years ago. This quote is still relevant today. The Patriarchs who lived even earlier than Hippocrates lived such purposeful lives that their health was dependent on their food. Since that time a lot of water has passed under the bridge as it were and things are no longer what they used to be.

New discoveries in medicine, pharmaceuticals, technologies etc. have come with their own financial considerations that attention is no longer given to that kind of nutrition that both energizes the body and prevents diseases. The purpose of eating is no longer viewed as a means of wellness. Indeed, even the diet of today is known to cause diseases and sicknesses so that pharmaceutical products can be sold to generate a lot of revenue for the manufacturers.

Making food your medicine and your medicine food is too cheap for the commercially minded pharmacists that everything must be done to sell their products. A lot of money has been spent on advertisements so that their products can be sold. They are all so determined to make money that deception has even come to the fore. It is common to find medical and pharmaceutical regulatory bodies owning up to their mistakes so many years after. The issue of cholesterol is still fresh in our minds.

With the downturn in the economy all over the world today, it is imperative for human beings to begin to look for easy ways for doing a lot of things. It is a time that we should look closely at the wisdom of GOD in giving us the Genesis 1,29 Diet. A diet that has all the nutrients to keep man healthy for life, a diet that can provide all the necessary energy that the body needs; it is a diet that helps to boost and sustain the immune system so that it can fight pathogens and prevent diseases. In all my research works, I have discovered sources of diseases such as the colon that is constipated, lack of probiotics or a chronic state of dehydration.
These can generate enough toxins and acids to cause diseases anywhere in the body and in any organ.

The Almighty GOD in all His creative wisdom has put in place different types of food that will ensure the health and wellbeing of the different organs in the body. Not only that some of these foods actually prevents diseases in these organs and help in generating new and healthy cells.

In choosing what type of diet to eat, these must form part of our considerations. At the of the day, we are not just filling our tummies up to satisfy hunger and the taste buds, we are also eating to stay healthy and to prevent diseases. By so doing and in eliminating diseases we are reducing to the barest minimum, the money we spend in treating the full-blown diseases in the body.

We all should be knowledgeable in foods that are required by the different organs to stay healthy, kinds of food that boost the immunity and those that actually prevent diseases.

This is going to be our focus in this column for the first half of this year. Hopefully, we shall all begin to eat purposefully and to live healthy always. To begin with, there are five vital organs in the body and these include the brain, the heart, the lungs, liver and kidneys. These all need to be assisted in their functions and the right foods eaten to keep each one healthy and functioning well.
http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/01/nutrition-and-prevention-of-diseases.html

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have discovered over N632million in an account belonging to former Enugu State Chief Judge, Innocent Azubuike Umezulike.

Some of the payments were made by lawyers, businessmen, politicians and litigants.

Justice Umezulike also operated the account without a Bank Verification Number (BVN), The Nation reports.

Meanwhile, the former Chief Judge has been invited for interrogation on January 17.
The probe of the judge followed petitions against him, including some sent to the National Judicial Council (NJC).

The NJC on September 29, 2016 recommended Justice Umezulike for compulsory retirement, alongside Justice Mohammed Tsamiya, who was the Presiding Justice of the Ilorin Division of the Court of Appeal

Justice Kabiru Auta of Kano State High Court was recommended for dismissal.

The NJC, among others, said it found Justice Umezulike guilty of allegedly “receiving a donation of N10m from a businessman, Prince Arthur Eze, during his book launch, while two cases in which Eze was said to have had “vested interest”, were in the judge’s court.”

Source: http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/01/efcc-traces-suspicious-n632m-to-former.html

See the earlier thread here https://www.nairaland.com/3561517/favour-afolabi-systematic-stripping-church

I Support Calls for a restructured Nigeria - Tunde Bakare

Highlights from the State of the Nation Address - Looking Into the Future with the Eye of Faith by Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly Ikeja, delivered on the 8th of January, 2016.

From variations of ‘chanji’, to the conflation of ‘change’ and ‘recession’, few, have been immune to exclamations of discontent 2016. The way forward is not so complex for those interested in genuine change. The confusing and discriminatory multiple dollar to naira exchange rates must be discarded. A more reliable exchange rate, mutually beneficial to our people & economy & attractive to foreign investors, should be put in place.

Prohibitive and punitive interest rates must be lowered in order to liberate the creative ingenuity of our people. Propelled by love for our nation, and driven by a desire to see this government succeed, we come with additional propositions in 2017. Upon this premise, our quest for solutions must begin with an honest appraisal of where we are in readiness for where we desire to be.

"On corruption, we have seen some progress in the anti-corruption war" From being dubbed “Sin-galore” after Independence in 1959, to being ranked the seventh least corrupt state in 2014. Singapore’s upward trajectory provides a compelling contemporary case study. As Nigerians know too well, winning an election is one thing; governance is another kettle of fish.

How did Lee Kuan Yew’s visionary leadership transform Singapore from a by-word to a gold standard?

1. He used the existing (CPIB) to “(launch) a vehement campaign against bribery and graft".
2. He took responsibility for creating his own raw materials to override constraints, as all visionary leaders do.
3. He demonstrated grit, single-mindedness, boldness & consistency in overcoming significant challenges.

Lee Kuan Yew was “completely incorruptible, and chose people who were incorruptible," Nigeria does not have a peculiar problem that has not been solved before, we cannot continue to treat cancer with Panadol. "If we are fighting corruption, let us remove the kid gloves; if we are diversifying the economy, let us make tough choices" "If we are confronting insecurity, let us also address the systemic issues that make it possible in the first place."

A national vision must possess the following qualities:

1.It is given by God to those who are burdened with the destiny of their nation whether or not they are in government.
2. To access the vision, such nation builders must heed the call to ascend above the perversity of their environment
3. A national vision is crafted against the backdrop of an accurate definition & assessment of the problems & challenges plaguing the nation
4. It is bold and audacious to the extent that only the faith-inspired can conceive it
5. A true national vision is not only accurate, it is broad and panoramic, encompassing the varied dimensions of the landscape
6. A national vision is documented, hence the admonition, “write the vision”
7. The essence of a national vision is kept plain and simple for all citizens to understand and imbibe
8. A national vision has a clear communication strategy that ensures that everyone “reads” it.
9. A national vision must galvanize and inspire corresponding action among the citizenry.
10. A national vision is time delineated; it must be long term, such that it is aspired to or waited for

Against this backdrop, the following verdict may be passed on us as a nation: This government has a direction in terms of goals & objectives that are mid to short term; As a nation we still lack a true national vision. The signs of the absence of a true national vision are so glaring that one would conclude that the Habakkuk was talking about Nigeria. The biggest indicator of the absence of a national vision or rallying point is the preponderance of sectional agitations.

Currently, we have a government that is led by a man who desires the best for Nigeria and is doing what he deems best. For a relatively long time, the government failed to effectively communicate its direction as encapsulated in the “Change” agenda. Due to the communication gaps and poor mobilization, there has been insufficient corresponding action by non-state stakeholders. After a slow start the current government has created laudable medium term plans for socioeconomic growth and recovery.

However, it is yet to demonstrate the audacity and courage required to address the foundations of the Nigerian problem. A critical factor that will determine the success or failure of the government and its plans. That factor is the restructuring of our nation. The inquisitive may ask: “Why must we restructure?” We must restructure to correct the flaws in our federal system.

Our founding fathers agreed that Nigeria would be “a truly federal state with limited & specific powers allocated to the federal government. This agreement was the social contract upon which the Nigerian state was formed. This social contract was broken on May 24, 1966 through the Unification Decree by Gen. J.T.U. Aguiyi-Ironsi’s administration.

Today, we have 36 Ministries and 36 Commissioners for Education which, consume a huge chunk of the limited education budget. Imagine how much we could save with six efficient and effective ministries in education and other relevant socioeconomic sectors. These 36 states should, become districts headed by Mayors within the framework of 6 geopolitical zones.

I am inclined to a zonally structured governance system... Let the Nigerian people decide. For us at the Latter Rain Assembly, we have accepted responsibility for our nation and that is why we do what we do. As watchmen over our nation, we are propelled by our God-given vision of the New Nigeria, a nation on a journey to oneness and greatness. We seek Nigeria’s transition from 36 states to 6 geopolitical zones that will become harbingers of a united nation.

It is time to build a well-ordered nation with strong institutions dispensing justice. It is time to arise with patriotic zeal to build a great nation such that. May 2017 be the year we look into the future with the eyes of faith and take steps to accomplish all that we know is possible.

"Thank you for listening; God bless you, and God bless Nigeria."

http://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/01/i-support-calls-for-restructured.html