BREAKING NEWS: Panic at German
Hospital as Surgeon collapses
during surgery after Dame
Patience woke up and asked
"Have The Surgeing Not Over?"

BREAKING NEWS: Panic at German
Hospital as Surgeon collapses
during surgery after Dame
Patience woke up and asked
"Have The Surgeing Not Over?"

IN an article last week, President
Goodluck Jonathan’s Special Adviser
on Media & Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati,
went after his boss’ critics. By his definition, they included “all the
cynics, the pestle-wielding critics, the
unrelenting, self-appointed activists,
the idle and idling, twittering, collective
children of anger, the distracted crowd
of Facebook addicts, the BBM-pinging soap opera gossips of Nigeria,”
formerly known as Dr. Jonathan’s
friends on the Internet. He called them a diverse “army of
sponsored and self-appointed
anarchists,” who are “in competition
among themselves to pull down” the
President. As a man who evidently considers
himself an authority on public affairs,
he said: “The clear danger to public
affairs commentary is that we have a
lot of unintelligent people repeating
stupid clichés and too many intelligent persons wasting their talents lending
relevance to thoughtless conclusions.” The simple truth is that Mr. Abati has
reduced to shame many people that
used to respect him. Every Nigerian
staring at the bumbling, stumbling and
fumbling at Aso Rock knows that,
having been pushed to the thing edge of irrelevance by Mrs. Patience
Jonathan, the former columnist is only
fighting to remain presidential
spokesman. Otherwise, it might have occurred to
him that labeling critics “liars” and
trying to plunge a knife deep into the
very heart of Mr. Jonathan’s political
support in the past two years is an
amateurish gamble. But desperation makes a mockery of
clear vision, and in the end, Abati’s
“The Jonathan They Don’t Know”
emerged as “The Abati They Did Not
Know.” Is Mr. Jonathan a nice, simple man, as
his spokesman laboured to establish
of a man who has spent five years in
the presidency? Surprisingly, Mr. Abati does now know
how irrelevant this point is. The issue
is not about being a nice man; it is
about being the leader to uplift
Nigeria; about being the
“transformational” figure he claimed he would be. As a “pestle-wielding” dissenter
myself, let me now restate some of the
grounds on which I have criticized Mr.
Jonathan as President, beginning from
March 2010 when he became Acting
President, and invite Mr. Abati to say how these constitute “lies” against a
simple man. One: corruption. I have criticised Mr. Jonathan as being
the latest in a line of rulers who deploy
only words against the monster. If he
takes himself and his country
seriously, he must not only declare his
assets publicly, he must fire such top officials as Ministers as the Secretary to
the Government of the Federation, Mr.
Anyim Pius Anyim, and Ministers
Diezani Alison-Madueke and Mohamed
Bello Adoke, all of whom have been
stained by allegations of corruption. Regrettably, along with refusing to
sack them, Mr. Jonathan has ignored a
mountain of top-level corruption
reports that sit on his desk, including
Halliburton, Okiro, Siemens, Wilbros,
the Petroleum Ministry, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But there have been words. Among
them in July last year, at an event at
which he identified corruption as “the
monster that we need to confront and
defeat,” and pledged that the “war”
will start at the centre, he asked two “anti-corruption agencies to probe all
federal ministries, departments and
agencies, starting from 2007.” As
usual, it was the last time anyone
heard about that initiative. Second: Mr. Jonathan’s 2011 political
promises, upon which he has
completely turned his back, as though
they never were made. Third, the insecurity in Nigeria. Since
Mr. Jonathan took office, billions of
dollars have been thrown at the
problem, alongside denial and
amateurish mismanagement. Four: Jobs. I have documented Mr.
Jonathan’s vows on jobs. What I have
not been able to document, is a
serious, structured approach to
redeeming those vows, or a full-
frontal assault upon those issues that are keeping jobs away from us. Five: the “pretend governance” culture
in which the President sets up
committee after committee to look into
serious problems, only to throw their
reports aside. His haul includes the
Justice Belgore Panel on electoral reform; the Okigbo Committee on
Halliburton; the Theophilus Danjuma
Presidential Advisory Committee, and
the Presidential Projects Assessment
Committee. Six: Jonathan’s Transformation
Agenda: During his election campaign,
the President successfully sold a
transformation concept, but with
almost one and a half years gone, he
has not published the transformation plan, if any. On July 2, 2011, one
month after Mr. Jonathan was sworn
in, Mr. Anyim told the American
ambassador that when Jonathan
unveils the “transformation agenda,”
there would be major institutional changes aimed at plugging loopholes
and opportunities for corruption. The point was confirmed in October
2011 when the Minister of National
Planning, Mr. Shamsudeen Usman, said
the transformation agenda, when
published, would emphasise the rule
of law, judicial system and the policing system. Seven: electoral reform. The
intervention Mr. Jonathan promised
was reform on the basis of the Justice
Belgore report rather than the
cosmetic changes that we have seen.
Without the wholesome philosophical and functional changes promised by
the Belgore plan, true electoral reform
cannot be institutionalised. Eight: arbitrary promises: In Minna in
July 2010, Mr. Jonathan warned that
unless Nigeria retraced its steps from
corruption, illegal acquisition of
wealth, absence of productivity,
dependence on oil, and evasion of taxes, “very soon the system will
collapse.” Similarly, in his New Year
message in January 2012, he
lamented that Nigeria needed to move
much faster, but “that is where the
devil comes in and puts road blocks.” But it is not the devil that has failed to
provide proper example by declaring
his assets. It is not the devil that does
not “give a damn.” It is not the devil
that flip-flops over dialogue with Boko
Haram, or who promised earlier in the year he would defeat the militants by
June. These are some of the substantive
issues, and they relate to Mr.
Jonathan’s sincerity as a man, and his
abilities as a leader. What Nigerians are
criticising is the relationship between
what Mr. Jonathan says and what he does; and between what he promises
and what he delivers, as the quality of
life plummets for the ordinary man
and woman. They are about whether Mr. Jonathan
means well or not, which is what Abati
misunderstands when he writes, “I
have even heard that the President
spends billions on feeding.” Actually, yes, the presidency did
budget nearly N1 billion for food. And
no, it does not matter whether it was
for pepper-soup or roast turkey; or
whether the president actually eats the
food or uses it in food fights. What Nigerians are saying is that the
same President who had no shoes
ordered three new executive jets as
soon as was officially possible; offers
bribes in hard currency to State House
visitors, and made his first advocacy in office the subject of a six-year
presidential term. In other words, what Abati ought to
be defending is why the Jonathan
presidency is deeply resented as a
government that has failed its people.
Instead, he says, with embarrassing
shortsightedness, that the President’s critics “just cannot accept that
someone with his simplicity can be
their President.” And then, elevating sycophancy into
philosophy, he tried to smuggle Mr.
Jonathan into the same farmyard as
Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi,
Martin Luther King, and Kwame
Nkrumah, “men who have shaped the world that we live in by simplifying
what others have complicated.” At a time that Jonathan is pronouncing
himself the most criticised President on
earth, and asserting his government
will now clap for itself if the press will
not do it, Mr. Abati ought to have
realised that, sometimes, you are at your most eloquent when you are
silent. If Mr. Jonathan wants to enter the
same city with those four men, to him
falls the challenge of not trying to
complicate what they simplified
through service and sacrifice.www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=97484%3Aolumhense-the-reuben-abati-they-did-not-know&catid=38%3Acolumnists&Itemid=615

Lordmike: The Only Reason why I like OBJ is his ability to break the political block in the north and expose to Nigerians that the North is not politically strong as other Nigerians think.

good talk my brother, without obj i dont think it would av been easier for gej to become president of Nigeria and David Mark as senate president. With the 6 geo political zones he created, he gives voices to minorities.

Arsenal fc. . . Un-beaten, Un-winning and Un-serious.

To be frank, Uefa must have been
delighted with this semi-final line-
up. You're guaranteed gold
whatever the outcome. The
prospect of an El Clasico final has
now gone, of course, but we still
have two cracking finals on the
cards.

imperiouxx:

The email is telling you that the time frame that you have to pick the emergency date valid till 3rd of Jan. That means, you have to go to your homepage, cancel any date you might have scheduled before, then the emergency date opens for you to pick. If not after 3/1/2012, you got to reapply for another emergency date. Good luck.

thanx for ur urgent reply.

phy:

I will advise you go to the 'visa appointment' website maybe you could get the required information after updating your info.

. . Thanx man, but av done dat already. I gat no info there. Pls anyone dat has passed 2ru d emergeny appointment stage or knows wat d mail frm d embassy means, should pls shed more lights, pls help. Thanx

guys pls help. . . the emergency appointments has been approved. But this is the mail we gat from them below.

''Thank you for contacting the U.S.
Embassy/Consulate. Your Emergency
appointment request is approved and
is valid until 1/3/2012.''

Is the interview date 3rd of jan or wat, the info shows no time. . .pls help.

phy:

You don't need to attach anything to your mail and I think there is an instruction to that effect. Just a mail and quote stuffs like your full name, passport no, sevis no, sevis receipt no, and other important details. Also state the reason why you require an expedited interview.

thanks for d info

dot_man:

GUYS PLS ANSWER THIS QUESTION. . .are we supposed to submit/upload a file like a copy of i-20?, did we do something wrong? hw many times can we try the emergency thing? pls somebody should just guide us on hw to do it, thanx.

can someone pls answer my questn. . .na beg i dey beg o.

dot_man:

hi guys, pls does anyone knw  d reason why an emergency appmt could be denied. A frnd's request just got denied. Thanx

GUYS PLS ANSWER THIS QUESTION. . .are we supposed to submit/upload a file like a copy of i-20?, did we do something wrong? hw many times can we try the emergency thing? pls somebody should just guide us on hw to do it, thanx.

hi guys, pls does anyone knw  d reason why an emergency appmt could be denied. A frnd's request just got denied. Thanx

nice albums.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it will appeal against the judgement by Justice Idowu asking it to apologise and pay the sum of N25 million to popular actor and comedian, Mr Babatunde Omidina popularly called Baba Suwe.

The agency�s director of prosecution and legal services, Mr Femi Oloruntoba in his reaction said the judgement did not reflect the facts before the court.

According to him, �the judgement is not a reflection of the facts before the court. It is a misapprehension of the law as it relates to power of law enforcement agencies and the liberty of citizens. We shall appeal as the judgement cannot stand the test of time�.

The agency claims Mr Omidina was treated in accordance with the law, particularly with respect to the observance of his right to human dignity, presumption of innocence, search and other investigative processes in line with best international practices.

PREVIOUS STORY:
Comedian Baba Suwe Gets the Last Laugh. NDLEA to Pay Him N25mln in Damages

A Lagos High Court has ordered that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) pay the whopping sum of N25 million in damages to Nigerian actor and comedian, Babatunde Omidina popularly known as Baba Suwe.

The ruling was given by Justice Yetunde Idowu, after a fundemental rights suit was filed by Mr. Omidina's lawyers, Mr. Bamidele Aturu.

Baba Suwe has been in a running battle with the anti-drug trafficking agency after he was detained on suspicion of drug trafficking on 12 October.

Agency operatives claimed that a body scanner at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport revealed that the comedian had more than a belly full of laughs and was allegedly trafficking narcotics in his system.

Baba Suwe, who had been on his way to France for a friend's child dedication service, was taken into NDLEA custody and held, without evidence, for over three weeks.

However, numerous bowel movements later, the NDLEA finally admitted that Baba Suwe had failed to excrete any drugs.

Enraged at the unfair treatment, his lawyer and activist Aturu sued the NDLEA, and today's victorios ruling will ensure that the comedian Baba Suwe will be laughing all the way to the bank, N25 million richer.

Abrantie:

In Ghana, not only would we have shut up, but also allow them to open a white-only restaurant at our single international airport, then sing praises of "obroni akwaaba" (white person welcome). Kudos to Naija!

this is SHOCKING!

My commitment to Nigeria is not
partial, neither is it substantial, but it
is total.- GEJ

If Bill Gates could come to Nigeria and
move freely that tells you Nigeria is
safe - GEJ

modenine, vector, saucekid

2pac
Fela anikulapo kuti
9ice
Ayinde Barrister
Ebenezer Obey
sunny Ade

cophild:

There is no section to drop your fones bro, If u driving u can keep it in d car b4 going in, Bu if u NT driving jst keep it @ ome, fones mkup combs etc, If u carry all these they ll tell u to throw Dem into a trash and u ll Neva come back for it, I m sure they ll b very very strict nw esp wit all Dem boko haram warnings here and there, cheers

thanx, but do they allow ppl to enter wit thier bags. . Abi na for hand pesin go carry document ni, lol

@house. Hey guys, i learnt b4 someone can enter the embassy, u must drop ur fones, wat if u go to d embassy alone and dnt av anybody to hold it 4 u outside. do they have sections for it to be dropped?

.

A series of bomb and gun attacks in
the north-eastern Nigerian town of
Damaturu has killed at least 63
people, the Red Cross says.
Witnesses said the bombs hit several
targets, including churches and the
headquarters of the Yobe state police.
Many people are reported to have fled
the town after a night of violence.
The Islamist militant group Boko
Haram told a newspaper it was behind
the attack and that it planned to hit
further government targets.
A series of attacks on security forces in
the nearby city of Maiduguri recently
have also been blamed on Boko
Haram.
Nigerian Red Cross official Ibrahim
Bulama, in Damaturu, told the BBC at
least 63 people had been killed there.
He said two other people had been
killed in attacks elsewhere. News
agencies said the nearby town of
Potiskum had also been attacked.
The BBC's Jonah Fisher, in Nigeria's
commercial capital, Lagos, says this
attack appears to be Boko Haram's
bloodiest strike to date.
People visiting morgues have reported
seeing 92 bodies, says our
correspondent.
An unnamed local government official
in Damaturu was quoted by AFP news
agency as saying that hundreds of
wounded people were being treated
in hospital.
Witnesses said the attacks began on
Friday at about 18:30 (17:30 GMT) and
lasted for about 90 minutes.
Gunmen then engaged in running
battles with security forces.
'Church torched'
A Roman Catholic parish priest told
our correspondent his church had
been burnt down and eight other
churches also attacked.
He described gangs of young men
roaming the streets throwing
improvised bombs into the churches.
The attacks followed a triple suicide
bomb attack on a military
headquarters in Maiduguri, in
neighbouring Borno state.
Military officials said the three attackers
had died.
Boko Haram, which means "Western
education is forbidden", has launched
frequent attacks on the police and
government officials.
A known spokesman for the group
contacted called Nigeria's Daily Trust
newspaper to claim responsibility for
the attacks on Maiduguri and
Damaturu.
"We will continue attacking federal
government formations until security
forces stop their excesses on our
members and vulnerable civilians," he
said.
Nigeria Boko Haram
attack 'kills 63' in
Damaturu
Related Stories
Who are Nigeria's
Boko Haram Islamists?
Is Boko Haram getting
foreign backing?
Nigeria country profile
Analysis
The attack on Damaturu directly
contradicts the government's oft
repeated line that they are about to
"solve" Nigeria's Boko Haram
problem. Perhaps that is why it has
been so hard to get an official
comment.
Far from disappearing, Nigeria's
Islamic militants appear to be evolving
and gaining strength.
The attack on the United Nations
building in Abuja in August shocked
many because it showed Boko Haram
no longer regarded their enemy as
being just the Nigerian security forces.
These attacks on Damaturu are Boko
Haram's bloodiest strike to date. The
main target was once again the police
but the scope and power of the
assault certainly does not suggest a
problem that's about to go away.
Jonah Fisher
BBC News, Lagos
Boko Haram: Timeline of terror
2002: Founded
2009: Hundreds killed when
Maiduguri police stations stormed
2009: Boko Haram leader Mohammed
Yusuf captured by army, handed to
police, later found dead
Sep 2010: Freed hundreds of
prisoners from Maiduguri jail
Dec 2010: Bombed Jos, killing 80
people and blamed for New Year's Eve
attack on Abuja barracks
2010-2011: Dozens killed in
Maiduguri shootings
May 2011: Bombed several states after
president's inauguration
Jun 2011: Police HQ bombed in Abuja
Aug 2011: UN HQ bombed in Abuja

yep . . Av tried it many times, but my real i.d isnt showin i always use my nicknames for all these social networkin thingy.

senator2b:

@ seedord247 (m) tats a wrong statement you made i think the ladies in the house deserves an apology from you,  how wuld u feel if d same was said abt your sis,  let watch our tongues and to be guided in our speech.

welldone pal, dis guy's goin to get laid b4 d end of d year
he's already passed d name and feminism stage. . .congrat

ibu owo baba suwe

chei . . . Baba suwe don hammer. . . See as d guy just dey laff.
He's thinking on how he'll spend those 'billions'.
JIGI JIGI MAMI OWO DE!

cleverdude:

dey have all the person's relative's info in thier system,so they know if he/she is a GCH/citizen or not. Therefore,even if he/she is in NIG,you just have to answer YES,then during interview,if u r being asked,u honestly answer em d way d situation is. For instance,you ticked YES(either GCH/citizen status),and during interview,d VO asks "do u av any relative in d US?",simply answer "yes sir/ma'am,but he/she is currently in NIG". Shekina!

. . .cool. . thanx man