₦airaland Forum

pazienza:
APC must produce a SW VP, if not, the Yorubas won't vote on the presidential election day,they would just vote for their APC Yoruba governors and stay at home on the day of presidential election, the APC think tank already know this, but Amaechi is like a bull in a Chinese Shop, he would not be shortchanged, he knows that he has lost Rivers state already, this VP slot is his only claim to political relevancy, he won't let go without raising dust.

Of what electoral value is Amaechi? Can he guarantee the votes in the South East? What political loyalty does he command in the South East?

Buhari, Oyegun to Now Decide on Running Mate


Following his inability to decide on a running mate for Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, who emerged last week as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Lagos State Governor and a national leader of the party Bola Tinubu was in the wee hours of this morning sidelined by the leadership of the APC from continuing with the task.

In his place, the National Chairman of APC Chief John Oyegun and Buhari were mandated to select a suitable running mate that would bolster APC’s chances of wresting the presidency from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Shortly after the APC national convention, Tinubu had been mandated by Buhari to select his running mate, but upon taking up the mantle, Tinubu had eliminated other vice-presidential hopefuls such as Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola and his Rivers State counterpart Chibuike Amaechi.

Backed by the South-west governors, Tinubu got the party to zone the slot for running mate to the South-west on the grounds that the zone is the second largest voting bloc in the country after the North-west, arguing that this could secure the presidency for APC.

On this basis, he tabled his name as the number one prospective running mate, former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos Professor Yemi Osinbajo as a fallback option and Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole to round up the list.

But his interest in the vice presidential post caused disconcertion among the leadership of the APC, especially among some of its non-South-west governors who felt that Tinubu was working only in his own interest.

There were also concerns that Tinubu was attempting to go against the grain of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC, which had several months ago, decided against a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the party.

Some of the governors opposed to the former Lagos State governor’s emergence, also zeroed in on two factors that could undermine a Buhari-Tinubu pairing, citing credibility and religious issues, that could be used effectively by the PDP to erode the massive bounce APC got after its national convention.

Owing to the impasse that ensued due to Tinubu’s ambition, the South-west caucus of the party, which met in Lagos till the early hours of yesterday was unable to decide on Buhari’s running mate.

Subsequently, an enlarged meeting of the APC was scheduled for Abuja last night where a decision was to be taken on who should be fielded alongside Buhari.

However, APC sources revealed that when Tinubu was invited to present his recommendation on a running mate, he could not present a coherent choice as Buhari's deputy.

As a result, the meeting set up a seven-man committee that was chaired by Tony Momoh to go and decide on a vice-presidential candidate and revert to the enlarged meeting last night with its recommendation.

Other members of the committee included former interim National Chairman of APC Chief Bisi Akande, representing the South-west; Zamfara State Governor Abudulaziz Yari, representing the North-west; former Gombe State Governor Senator Danjuma Goje, representing the North-east; former PDP National Chairman Audu Ogbe, representing North-central; Sam Sam Jaja, representing the South-south; and Senator Chris Ngige to represent the South-east.

As its terms of reference, the committee, sources informed THISDAY, was mandated to select a candidate who must be a Christian from any part of the South; must be a governor or ex-governor; and must wield political clout capable of attracting votes for the party.

However, when the committee proceeded to meet, Akande, in an apparent attempt to push Tinubu’s candidacy as the running mate, reportedly informed the other members that as far as the South-west was concerned, the vice-presidential candidate must be a Muslim.

His position elicited strong opposition from other members of the committee who then decided to stop the meeting in order to brief other stakeholders of the party who were awaiting their recommendation.

“It was after the seven-man committee briefed the larger meeting on the position of the South-west zone that the leadership decided there and then to hand over the assignment of selecting a vice-presidential candidate to Chief Oyegun and General Buhari.

“This is what should have been done from the outset, then all this rancour over who should run with Buhari could have been avoided,” explained a party source.

Based on the decision taken by the leadership of the APC, he added that Tinubu, Fashola and Osinbajo would probably no longer be in contention, while the chances of Amaechi, Oshiomhole and even Okorocha, have been bolstered considerably.

“Tinubu and Fashola are Muslims, which cancels them out, while Osinbajo is not and was never a governor,” the source added.

Prior to last night’s meeting, Tinubu and Osinbajo, sources intimated THISDAY, flew to Abuja on Monday for a meeting with Buhari.

However, the ex-head of state was said to have stoutly rejected Osinbajo as his running mate.
Buhari was said to have argued that his experience with fielding a Christian pastor as his running mate had not improved his chances in the past.

He told his audience that Pastor Tunde Bakare, who he ran with in the 2011 election, had better name recognition than Osinbajo but could not pull in the much needed votes in the south, so fielding Osinbajo with even less electoral value would be suicidal.

With no resolution following the meeting with Buhari, the hope among the party’s leadership was that the meeting scheduled for Abuja last night would reach a decision on what has become a very thorny issue, in order for the party to meet the INEC deadline for the submission of names of its candidates on December 18.

The meeting notwithstanding, the interest shown by Tinubu for the vice-presidential slot had led to a division in the APC.

THISDAY learnt that some of the governors had started to re-evaluate Tinubu’s possible emergence as the vice-presidential candidate.

According to a source privy to some of the meetings by the governors, one of which held till about midnight yesterday in Lagos, “Tinubu has credibility and eligibility questions hanging over his head and the point is: can we run with that kind of risk?

“The answer is of course no, we cannot. He still has a messy past that he has not cleared and we (APC) can be knocked out with him on the ticket.”

The source hinted that apart from religion and credibility issues, “the decision by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party not to field a Muslim-Muslim ticket still stands and it is a decision he was privy to and agreed to.

“To therefore turn around and suggest himself as a likely running mate is worrisome. It does not tell well of good leadership”.

Fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket at this material time, the source added, “Is insensitive and this much we also know and have had to analyse time and time again.

“We agreed that for Nigeria to move forward, we must play down religion as a factor but again, the issue of religion is neck-deep in the political fabric of our nation and given the prevailing security situation, we cannot afford to go down that road, except we just want to go and have fun at the presidential poll.”

The source, however, volunteered that in all of the meetings that have been held on the choice of a running mate, Tinubu has not been able to table his candidacy.

“Instead, he has been going round and round it in circles, because he knows it would not fly with the governors and other members of the party who share the same sentiment as far as the matter is concerned,” the source said.

THISDAY further learnt that the opposition of some of the governors also stemmed from the fact that they would rather see one of them emerging as Buhari’s running mate, given their commitment to the cause of the party.

The source contended that it was on this basis that the governors and other stakeholders kicked against the choice of Tinubu and Osinbajo when their names were suggested, arguing that such a choice would kill the promising chances of the APC presidential ticket. Their preference is for a governor to be picked as the running mate.

“Even in the PDP, since 1999, governors have always been on the presidential ticket. At the time, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar had been elected governor before he was picked by (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo, who obviously knew what he wanted. In 2007, the late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and the incumbent president were also governors.

“And when Yar’Adua died and Jonathan stepped in, a governor in the person of Namadi Sambo was picked as his deputy. So why is our own leader thinking differently, let alone putting himself forward?

“It is a major problem but we are hoping reason will prevail at the end of the day,” he said.
Also, whilst the governors would not want to subscribe to conspiracy theories of an attempt to sell out or weaken Buhari’s chances by some persons, they have more than sufficient reason to view the prevailing situation as a problem that could undo APC’s chances at the presidential election.

“Of course, several theories have been flying around even before the presidential primary took place. For example, the idea of (Hon. Aminu) Tambuwal, many of our people thought, was part of the design to weaken the APC ticket in the first place because he was the weakest amongst the aspirants at the time.

“And finally, when Buhari emerged and it was clear that the chances of the APC were promising, we all knew that the choice of the running mate would be the clincher in the contest for the Villa.

“But with these needless and avoidable intrigues playing out, there is the need to begin to reflect and ponder all that has been playing out for some time.

“One thing is however certain, we will not sacrifice the future and chances of the APC on the ego or ambition of an individual. APC is a merger of many parties and the collective interest must and will prevail.

“Our worry again, is that developments like this could elicit a negative backlash against the party. But we will try our best to fight it through and with utmost discipline and unity,” he said.
Although a majority of the APC members were optimistic that the Abuja meeting last night would resolve the impasse, in the event that it failed, the THISDAY source reiterated that a dummy candidate might be submitted first to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to meet the December 18 deadline, while the party uses the 30 days grace period for the substitution of candidates to arrive at a running mate that will be acceptable to all.

But in reaction to the backlash against Buhari for handing over the choice of his running mate to Tinubu, the former Lagos State governor, in a statement from his media office on Monday, said Buhari was in charge of his destiny and could not be described as anyone’s puppet.

The statement read: “General Buhari was selected by the APC national convention because of his qualities. He is a man of principle and commitment to the nation. His overriding concern is the wellbeing of Nigeria.

“A man of such principle and leadership presence cannot ever be a puppet. Those who claim he is a puppet do grave insult to an outstanding patriot and millions of Nigerians who support him.”

Tinubu said PDP would do better if they spent their time trying to fix their rickety ship after such dismal primaries than to cast stones at the APC's more democratic and genuine process.
“They speak in this manner because they are afraid the APC will confront them with a ticket they cannot beat by fair means. We will do our own internal consultations and arrive at a ticket we believe is best suited to govern Nigeria.

“If they are so interested in who we pick, they are free to quit their bankrupt party and join the party that offers the best hope for this nation and its future,” he said.

Despite Tinubu’s statement, the presidency yesterday joined the PDP in its criticism of Buhari, describing his emergence as the standard bearer of the APC as a “fatal error”.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe in an interview on Channels television, said the opposition party made a grave mistake at a time Nigerians were clamouring for development and a dissociation from anything or anyone that has anything to do with the country’s past.

“When Buhari emerged as the APC standard bearer, I knew that was a fatal error; it’s a fatal error because number one, Nigerians are looking for future development, you know, a disengagement from everything that has got to do with our past.

“You are looking at Major-General Buhari, Babangida, Abdulsalam, Obasanjo. These are very respectable elders and leaders who have done their best but they are a phase of our leadership that is passing off,” Okupe said.

Okupe, a member of the ruling PDP, said the opposition could not be talking about change with someone who would remind Nigerians of their gloomy history.

He said it was important to note that Nigerians needed to make a clear decision between having a transformation agenda that has worked and produced results and one which, he said, does not have vision.

“For APC to have now brought, you know, part of our past history that we are not so proud of and then they are talking about change. How can you make a change with somebody who was part of our problem?” he asked.

“We know that Nigerians are not stupid, you know, a clear decision will have to be taken between having an agenda – transformation agenda – that has worked, that has produced.
“And having listened to Buhari, who has spoken on about three occasions – at his declaration, at his inauguration, I mean, at his primary. And I have asked people and nobody can remember anything that Buhari has said.

“There is no vision. The only thing that has been told to us – not even by him but by other people – is that Buhari has integrity and he is honest and he is incorruptible, which are also not true,” he said.

“At the appropriate time, these issues will be taken up,” Okupe added.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/buhari-oyegun-to-now-decide-on-running-mate/196879/

Threat Of Perjury Trial: How Jonathan Blackmailed Bola Tinubu Before 2011 Presidential Election


A charge sheet prepared in 2011 by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Bello Adoke, aimed at charging with perjury former Lagos State governor and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has emerged.

The undated two-page charge sheet obtained by SaharaReporters was personally prepared by the Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke.

The charges, to which were attached four documents which includes Mr. Tinubu’s INEC form, A declaration affidavits also known as INEC Form CR 001, a letter stating that Tinubu did not attend Chicago State University which was obtained from FBI agent, Jennifer Dent, who was the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s assistant legal attaché at the US Consulate in Lagos in 2011.

In a response to the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Farida Waziri, through Bala Sanga, a Principal Staff Officer at the commission, Ms. Dent affirmed that the FBI’s check with the Chicago State University in the United States showed that contrary to his claims, Mr. Tinubu was never enrolled as a student, or graduated as one. The letter came a few months later, the EFCC had sought the agent’s help as of January 2011. The FBI agent did not respond until July some four months after the Presidential elections were concluded.

The charges also claimed that Mr. Tinubu perjured himself by claiming that he attended Government College in Ibadan between 1965 and 1968, as he had not done so. Mr. Adoke attached a copy of the list of students that graduated from Government College Ibadan to the charge sheet, Mr. Tinubu’s name was conspicuously missing on the list.

The documents, which are reproduced here, clearly show how Mr. Tinubu made the claims in reference.

SaharaReporters learnt that the charges which were prepared before the 2011 elections in April were never filed simply because Mr. Tinubu played ball in cutting a deal with President Jonathan to work against his own party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the presidential election. The ACN fielded former EFCC Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, as its presidential candidate, but he was defeated in all the Southwest states except Osun.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo made mention of the deal in his recently published autobiography, accusing President Jonathan of bribing Tinubu with a large sum of money to buy him off the ACN. The national leader of the APC has not denied the allegations included in Obasanjo’s book.

Although Tinubu was not officially charged for perjury, the Jonathan regime charged him before the Code of Conduct Tribunal in September 2011 for illegally operating foreign accounts.

Those charges were dropped after Tinubu reportedly cut a fresh deal with Mr. Jonathan in 2012.

Earlier on Monday, it was disclosed that Mr. Tinubu has renewed his prior interest in being the APC’s candidate for the vice-presidency. However, early this morning leaders his party rejected his candidacy and that of his nominee, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

http://saharareporters.com/2014/12/15/threat-perjury-trial-how-jonathan-blackmailed-bola-tinubu-2011-presidential-election

ajayiopy:
Am reading the soft copy already, tell fisherman to stop this myopic way of thinking ,Guys don wise up ,no monkey for idanre again

Please how can I get the soft copy?

Bribe airport workers, risk five-year jail term


The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on Sunday warned airport workers and travellers to desist from illicit transactions, saying the commission had commenced a secret surveillance at the nation’s airports to check corrupt practices.

The ICPC, in a statement on Sunday, said any person that gave or solicited for a bribe at the airports would be arrested and prosecuted and could face a five-year jail term.

According to the statement, the ICPC chairman, Mr. Nta Ekpo, disclosed the new measure during Focus, an African Independent Television programme in Abuja.

Ekpo said the era of impunity and other illegal practices at the nation’s international airports was over.

“Ethics and Integrity training would be arranged for all airport members of workers by the ICPC in addition to subscription to an airport code of professional conduct. Giving airport staff tips, other than for payment for receipted services, would be treated as solicitation and attract sanctions,” Ekpo said.

He said the commission had undertaken a similar Corruption Risk Assessment exercise at selected sea ports a few months ago, adding that some ICPC operatives were undergoing training with the Nigerian Customs Service to better understand the processes at the sea ports in order to effectively check abuses.

http://www.punchng.com/news/bribe-airport-workers-risk-five-year-jail-term/

How Nigeria And South Africa Traded Dead Bodies Of South Africans Killed At Synagogue Church In Exchange For Money Seized In Illegal Arms Deal


While Nigerians wait for closure on the $15 million arms money seized by South African prosecutors, authorities in the two countries appear to have agreed on an unholy barter to exchange bodies of South Africans who died in the Synagogue Church collapse in Nigeria, for South African-made arms needed by Nigeria to fight Boko Haram, The Mail and Guardian, one of South Africa’s most respected newspapers, has reported.


South Africa confiscated the money from arms brokers who travelled there to procure arms for the Nigerian military.

Mail and Guardian said it saw two letters written by Jeff Radebe, the South African special envoy in charge of facilitating the repatriation of the bodies, to JP “Torie” Pretorius, of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations, also known as the Hawks, and Dumisani Dladla, head of South African National Conventional Arms Control Committee, NCACC, secretariat, seeking to assist the Nigerian government to get the weapons, despite two court orders freezing the money and continued probe into the dubious deals by investigators.

On November 16, with the supervision of Mr. Radebe, 74 bodies were repatriated to South Africa following the September collapse of the Synagogue Church in Lagos, Nigeria.

Majority of the dead were South Africans who visited the church hoping to receive miracles from the founder, T. B. Joshua.

Many in South Africa hailed Mr. Radebe as a hero for being able to secure the release of the bodies.

But the news that he might have entered into a sinister swap agreement with Nigerian officials to accelerate the return of the bodies has cast a pall over that heroic persona.

The South African government has dismissed the Mail and Guardian’s account as an attempt to “discredit the collaborative efforts of the South African and Nigerian governments to repatriate the bodies of South Africans that died in Nigeria”.

But the paper, in a follow-up report, said it stood by its findings, as they were backed by documents and confirmations from government officials.

“It includes correspondence from Minister Radebe to the Hawks and internal emails from senior government officials,” Mail and Guardian editor, Angela Quintal, said. “The email trail clearly shows that these officials were discussing the minister’s request that the investigation be halted and that they were concerned about this.”

In the letters Mail and Guardian quoted, Mr. Radebe, who is also the Chairman of NCACC and a minister in the South African presidency, tried hard to whitewash the deals as legitimate.

“(It) was, in fact, a legitimate requirement from the government of Nigeria,” he was quoted to have written. “Although the required administrative processes were not adhered to at the time, the government of South Africa deems it a bona fide error.”

He told Mr. Dladla to “laise” with Mr. Pretorius to “obtain all relevant information in order to assist the parties involved to apply for the necessary authorisations in compliance with the National Conventional Arms Control Amendment Act (no 73 of 2008);” adding that “Upon receipt of the required permit applications, the national conventional arms control committee will favourably consider ex-post facto approval thereof.”

Though Mr. Radebe claimed that the attempt to help Nigeria clean up the arms deal was collectively agreed at an NCACC meeting, other members of the committee are distancing themselves from the agreement.

Also, while he claimed, through his spokesperson, that the committee agreed to help Nigeria legitimise the deals at its October 30 meeting, the letter seen by Mail and Guardian was dated October 6, three weeks before the meeting was held, the newspaper said.

Mr. Radebe also said that the repatriation of the bodies lay under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Lagos State government and “had no relation to the arms matter.”

He said he drafted the letters to Hawks and the directorate for conventional arms control “after consultation with the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

Mail and Guardian quoted a cabinet minister, who is also a member of the arms committee, as saying that Mr. Radebe singlehandedly wrote the letter without consulting other committee members. He said Mr. Radebe merely sought their approval after the letter had been delivered.

“Jeff cut this deal all by himself. He wanted to claim credit for cracking this matter [securing the return of bodies,” said the government official. “His colleagues who serve on the arms committee are distancing themselves from the whole thing. They are refusing to back him on this one. If we allow Nigeria to get away with this, it means any country can come and do the same.”

Mr. Radebe appeared to be completely isolated on the matter as prosecutors said they are not relenting in their effort at getting to the bottom of the matter. Paul Ramaloko, a captain with the Hawks said his organisation is forging ahead with its investigation and that he knew nothing about the attempt of Mr. Radebe to withdraw the charges.
Mail and Guardian said Mr. Radebe’s letters are being discussed within the country’s diplomatic circles with officials wondering what to do with it.

An email the newspaper claimed it saw read: “What concerns the NCAI [National Arms Control Inspectorate] about this case is that there are no documents … end-user certificate, or otherwise … from the Nigerian government that they had ordered the arms and ammunition. Thus far, there is no proof that has been provided that the Nigerian government ordered these goods or is in any way involved in this deal.”

The officials who wrote the email added that, having bought arms from South Africa before, “the responsible officials in that country understand the administrative and legal process that South Africa requires”.

Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, could not be reached for comments. His spokesperson, Adebisi Adekunle, could not also be contacted as calls to his telephone were unsuccessful.

A spokesperson to President Goodluck Jonathan, Reuben Abati, did not also respond to calls to his phones.

http://saharareporters.com/2014/12/05/how-nigeria-and-south-africa-traded-dead-bodies-south-africans-killed-synagogue-church

Keshi moves to E/Guinea!


AT a time the Presidency, top security officials are breathing down on Nigerians and officials of the Nigeria Football Federation to retain Stephen Okechukwu Keshi as the chief coach of the Super Eagles, the man the Presidency is making a case for is in far away Equatorial Guinea negotiating to handle their national team.
Sports Vanguard can reveal authoritatively that Keshi who did not qualify the Super Eagles to the African Cup of Nations holding in Equatorial Guinea is lodged at the prestigious Hilton Hotel in Malabo as he negotiates with their Football chiefs on the possibility of his becoming the country’s national coach.
Keshi
Keshi
‘’Keshi is in Malabo and in Hilton Hotel. We’re holding talks to see if he will handle our national team’’, one of the FA officials in Equatorial Guinea said on our hotline yesterday.
But when contacted yesterday, NFF officials were ignorant of the whereabouts of the coach who was paid N14 million by the Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo for not qualifying Nigeria to the African Cup of Nations which they are reigning champions.
‘’I don’t know where Keshi is. He is an adult and should be anywhere he wants to be’’, an official of the Nigeria Football Federation reacted angrily when called on phone to find out if they knew that the coach was looking for greener pastures.
Another NFF source did not believe that Keshi was negotiating with another country when there was an order from the Presidency as advised by Keshi’s friend that he should remain as coach of the Super Eagles.
The Super Eagles finished third in its group behind South Africa and Congo who who advanced to the finals of the Nations Cup. They also were two points behind Democratic Republic of Congo who also qualified as the best third-place team.
The top two countries in seven groups, plus the best third-place finisher qualified for the finals along with host country, Equatorial Guinea.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/keshi-moves-eguinea/

HOW TO FIX COMMON BRAKE PROBLEMS

Sometimes ago we talked about Ten top signs of brake wear, if you missed that you can still read it here
Today we will talk about how to fix common brake problems.
Brake problems usually indicate the need for certain repairs or replacement parts, so here is a quick review of some common solutions which can be employed when you find yourself in the listed brake problems:

LOW BRAKE FLUID:This may be the result of worn disc brake pads, or it may indicate a leak in the brake system. If the BRAKE WARNING LIGHT is also on, most likely the problem is a leak (though the Brake Warning light may also come on if the master cylinder reservoir has a fluid level sensor). Leaks are dangerous because they can cause brake failure. The brake calipers, wheel cylinders, brake hoses and lines, and master cylinder all need to be inspected. If a leak is found, the defective component must be replaced. Your vehicle should NOT be driven until the leak can be repaired.

LOW BRAKE PEDAL: The brake pedal may be low if the shoe adjusters on rear drum brakes are rusted or sticking and not compensating for normal lining wear. Adjusting the rear drum brakes may restore a full pedal. But unless the adjusters are cleaned or replaced the problem will return as the linings continue to wear. Other causes include worn brake linings or a fluid leak.

SPONGY OR SOFT BRAKE PEDAL: This is usually caused by air in the brake system, either as a result of improper bleeding, fluid loss or a very low fluid level. The cure is to bleed all of the brake lines using the sequence recommended for your vehicle. Another possible cause is a rubber brake hose that is “ballooning” when the brakes are applied.This is like you apply the brake and it seems as if you are inflating a balloon.

EXCESSIVE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL: Possible causes include worn brake linings front or rear (or both), misadjusted drum brakes, or air in the brake lines. This can be dangerous because the brake pedal may run out of travel before the brakes are fully applied. Pumping the pedal when you apply the brakes usually helps, but you need to diagnose and fix the problem.

PEDAL SINKS TO FLOOR: This may occur while holding your foot on the brake pedal at a stop light. If the pedal goes slowly down, it means the master cylinder is not holding pressure. This is also a potentially dangerous condition because a worn master cylinder or a leak in the hydraulic system may cause the brakes to fail.

BRAKE PEDAL PULSATION: Indicates a warped brake rotor (one that is worn unevenly). The rotor needs to be resurfaced or replaced. The faces of a rotor must be parallel (within .0005 inch on most cars) and flat (no more than .003 inches of run out as a general rule on most cars and trucks, but some cars cannot tolerate any more than .0015 inches of run out). Excessive run out can be corrected by resurfacing the rotors in place with an on-car brake lathe, or by installed special tapered shims between the rotors and hub to correct the run out.
. . . check brake rotor thickness with a micrometer

SCRAPING NOISE FROM BRAKES :Usually indicates metal-to-metal contact due to worn out disc brake pads (or shoes on rear drum brakes). Your vehicle needs a brake job now! In fact, it is overdue for a brake job. Your vehicle is also dangerous to drive in this condition because it may take longer to stop. The rotors and/or drums will likely have to be resurface or replaced because you waited too long to replace the pads and shoes.

http://automedicsafrica.com/fix-common-brake-problems/

Soyinka to U.S: We don’t need excuses
•Nobel Laureate knocks IGP over N’Assembly’s invasion

OUR REPORTER: NDUBUISI ORJI

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, asked the United States yesterday to stop giving excuses on why it would not supply arms to Nigeria. Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, Soyinka, who stated that the country is in a war situation, said what Nigeria needs was not emergency relief materials, but support to win the war.

He said: “Please, United States of America, could you please, overlook the arithmetical deficiency of governance and stop giving an excuse to this government for failing to protect us. We are trying to create, I hope a situation, where we do have conflict affected households. We do not need emergency relief supplies. We want to stop the displacement of humanity etc.

“So, please, just say that will not supply arms to Nigeria and leave it at that. But don’t say that instead you will send other things. That is not the issue at this critical moment for Nigeria. We are fighting a legitimate, a just war,” he noted.

The Nobel Laureate also descended heavily on the Inspector-General of Police, (IGP), Mr. Suleiman Abba, for the recent invasion of the National Assembly by the police. He said the action was an unambiguous declaration of war against the people. According to him, the nation has seen Abba’s type in the past and know what became of public officers, who thought that they were more than the state.

Soyinka said members of the House of Representatives, who scaled the gates to enter into legislative chambers to perform their duties must be applauded and not derided. According to him, if anybody is to be ashamed, it should be the Inspector-General of Police for “his slavish adherence to conspiratorial, illegal, and unconstitutional instructions – to undermine a democratic structure, and one – to make matters worse – convoked in response to an emergency of dire public concern.”

According to him, President Goodluck Jonathan “continues to surprise us in ways that very few could have conjectured. Peaking at his own personalized example where he set the law of simple arithmetic on its head – I refer to the split in the Governors’ Forum, and his ‘formal’ recognition of the minority will in a straightforward, peer election – democracy has been rendered meaningless where it should be most fervently exemplified. Nothing is more unworthy of leadership than to degrade a system by which one attains fulfillment, and this is what the nation has witnessed time and time again in various parts of the nation, the recent affront against the legislative chamber being only the most blatant and unconscionable. We know of course that this is not the first of its kind in the nation’s history, but precedents are not binding. Each leader selects his or her own model for emulation or avoidance, and that choice is certain indication of the true nature of such a leader, and a clue to the kind of conduct that a people can expect of him. It is a warning. His choices for the occupancy of crucial public positions – such as the protective arm of the nation – constitutes an even more immediate and constant public alert. The signals are ominous – for and beyond 2015.

The Nobel Laureate said that to state the obvious, “these, to state the obvious, are not ordinary times. The menace of Boko Haram hangs over the corporate entity called a nation and over every individual, citizen or mere bird of passage. The cliché ‘heating up the polity’ may grate the ear-drums with its banality but I think that we have a right to demand of a leader not to stoke up the furnace in which events have cast its citizens. Every day records a new violation of our humanity.

“The atrocious targeting of the great mosque of Kano has rendered any lingering doubt of impending national imposition an invitation for collective suicide, preferably through piecemeal dismemberment. The theories of cause and effect can wait, or continue – it does not matter – the omniscient in such matters continue to pontificate, some of them blithely forgetting that they indeed contributed to policies that landed us in this brutal cleft. What does matter is an awareness that the nation is only part of a global eruption of fundamentalist delusions whose staple diet consists of destabilization and dehumanization – all summed up as an ideology of hate for the different,” he noted.

Soyinka said, “the line has been drawn. The people must decide – whether to submit or resist. We may be no-count plebians in the sight of the new-born patricians of Aso Rock and their apologists but – must we revert to the Abacharian status of glorified slaves? Of course, it is up to any people to decide.”

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=93786

Court Rejects PDP’s Application to Remove Tambuwal as Speaker

02 Dec 2014


Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

Attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to surreptitiously remove the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, through an ex-parte application failed as the trial judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, ordered the party to put the Speaker on notice.

The court turned down the party’s request for an ex parte order to compel Tambuwal to vacate his seat as Speaker of the House of Representatives following his defection from the majority party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

PDP’s counsel, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), who argued the application, said Tambuwal had lost his seat by reason of his defection, according to the provisions of section 68 of the 1999 Constitution.

The party joined Tambuwal and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives as respondents in the motion.
It urged the court to order Tambuwal to give effect to the provisions of section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to declare his seat at the House vacant.

PDP also prayed the court for an alternative order directing the deputy speaker of the House of to declare the Kebbe/Tambuwal seat vacant by an order of mandamus.

Also in the ex parte motion, PDP asked the court to stop Tambuwal from performing or continuing to perform the function of the Speaker in the House or sitting or continuing to sit in the House as a member.

A 16-paragraph affidavit in support of the ex parte motion, averred that Tambuwal, who was sponsored in the 2011 general election by the PDP, has left the party to join the APC, as he announced on October 28, thereby informing the House on his present status as required by law.

The affidavit as deposed to by one James Ugbogu, a lawyer, said it was constitutional for the House to declare Tambuwal’s seat vacant in the circumstance of his defection to APC.

Under Section 53(3) of the 1999 Constitution, the party said: “The deputy speaker should perform the functions of a speaker of the House in the absence of a speaker in valid occupancy of the position, or legal incapacitation of the incumbent speaker.”

The trial judge, Justice Mohammed, ordered that Tambuwal and other respondents in the motion be put on notice through substituted means and adjourned till December 12 for further hearing of the matter.

In the ex parte request, PDP is challenging the propriety of Tambuwal holding up to the speakership after defecting to the APC.
The plaintiff is praying the court to compel Tambuwal to vacate his membership of the House, having regard to his defection on October 28.

Upon the refusal of the ex parte application, Justice Mohammed consequently adjourned till December 12 for hearing.
In a different ruling, Justice Mohammed had also stopped the Chairmen of Kebbe and Tambuwal Local Government Areas in Sokoto State, Bala Konkani and Sambo Bello Modo respectively, from joining as co-defendants in the suit filed by Tambuwal, challenging the removal of his aides and seeking to stop the PDP members in the House to declare his seat vacant.

The court also stopped three members of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Abdulsamad Ibrahim Dasuki (Tambuwal East constituency), Suleiman Hanse (Tambuwal West constituency) and Shuaib Umar (Kebbe constituency) seeking to be joined as co-defendants.

The court stopped them on grounds that their interest in the matter did not align with that of the defendants and as such could not join as co-defendants.

The court noted that the interest of the applicants bordered on the seat of the speaker, adding that Tambuwal, who is the plaintiff in the instant case, had presented all his requests before the court.

The applicants had last Friday applied to the court to be joined as co-defendants.
In the suit filed by PDP, the plaintiff is further seeking an order compelling Tambuwal to, in his capacity as speaker, prior to his action, declare vacant the Kebbe/Tambuwal constituency seat, which he represents.

The plaintiff also wants the court to give express effect to Section 68 (i) (g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The section provides that: “A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is member if being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party and he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected.”

Meanwhile, Tambuwal has written a petition to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, praying that his suit allegedly assigned to Justice Evoh Chukwu be re-assigned to another judge for likelihood of bias on Chukwu’s part.

In a petition against Justice Chukwu, Tambuwal who is billed to preside over plenary session when the House reconvenes tomorrow (Wednesday) barring any last minute changes, yesterday prayed the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Ibrahim Auta to reassign the case to a “neutral judge who has not made any judicial pronouncement on the issue, or made public his own opinion on the issue at hand.”

In the petition seeking the reassignment of the suit with registration number: FHC/ABJ/CS/871/2014 to another judge, the speaker observed that the presiding Judge, Justice Chukwu, had in the past “made a pronouncement on similar issues, in similar cases, decided by him,” and submitted that the learned Justice is likely to habour “an iron cast judicial position or opinion in respect to the suit.”

The document made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday read in parts: “My attention has been drawn to the above suit, which has been assigned to Court 8, presided over by Justice Chukwu, and we wish to make the following observations:

“Sometime in 2013, the said Justice Chukwu presided over the case of PDP and 12 Ors vs. INEC and 4 Ors, wherein he made a judicial pronouncement, which has been interpreted by some to the effect that there was no division in PDP. The above decision of Justice Chukwu was heavily relied upon and cited severally in the case of PDP vs. (1) House of Representatives; (2) the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 52 Ors, Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/4/2014.

“Consequently, Justice A.F.A Ademola, relying on the said judgment of Justice Chukwu, even though, the said suit before him, had nothing to do with defection, ruled that there was no division within the PDP. And as such, the defendants in that case, who are members of the House of Representatives, who have similar cases as mine, currently pending in the Federal High Court Abuja, were not protected by proviso to Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution. He rested his decision on that earlier judgement of Justice Chukwu aforementioned.

“The said judgment of Justice Ademola, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/4/2014 is subject of four pending appeals at the Court of Appeal Abuja judicial division via appeal no. CA/A/343/2014 and appeal no. CA/A/343A/2014 and CA/A/343B/2014 and appeal no. CA/A/343D/2014.

“My Lord, similar suits were variously instituted by various parties and are pending before the Federal High Court No. 7, presided over by Justice A.R Mohammed, in Suits No. FHC/ABJ/CS/621/2013; Between Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo & 78 Ors vs Bamanga Tukur & 4 ors and are at various stages of proceeding pending before Court 7, presided over by Justice A.R Mohammed.

“My apprehension is further fortified by the fact that both decisions of Justice Chukwu and Justice Ademola as captured in the said suits are subject of appeal in the Court of Appeal.

Buttressing his position, Tambuwal made reference to the case involving Metropolitan properties Co. Ltd v. Lannan and Others, wherein Lord Denning said:

“In considering whether there was a real likelihood of bias, the court does not look at the mind of the justice himself or at the mind of the chairman of the tribunal, or whoever it may be, who sits in a judicial capacity. It does not look to see if there was a real likelihood that he would, or did, in fact favour one side at the expense of the other. The court looks at the impression which would be given to other people. Even if he was as impartial as could be, nevertheless, if right-minded persons would think that, in the circumstances, there was a real likelihood of bias on his part, and then he should not sit. And if he sits, his decision cannot stand ... The court will not inquire whether he did, in fact, favour one side unfairly. Suffice it that reasonable people might think he did. The reason is plain enough. Justice must be rooted in confidence; and confidence is destroyed when right-minded people go away thinking: ‘The Judge was biased.”

“In view of the above stated facts, I humbly urge my Lord to re-assign the said Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/871/2014 to a neutral judge, who has not made any judicial pronouncement on the issue, or made public,. his own opinion on the issue at hand,” he prayed.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/court-rejects-pdp-s-application-to-remove-tambuwal-as-speaker/195582/

Aftermath of Jonathan’s visit: OAU students in bloody clash, six injured


Still smarting from the open protest against the presence of President Goodluck Jonathan on their campus on Saturday, students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Sunday evening engaged in a bloody fight that left no fewer than 6 persons seriously injured.

The real cause of the violence is yet to be ascertained but sources at the university campus gave two conflicting reasons for the clash. For some who witnessed the fracas, it was simply a power tussle between the Sudent Union president, Ibikunle Isaac and his deputy, Olufunmi Oladejo while others said it was a cult attack.

According to sources, the Education Rights Campaign, ERC members had just finished their meeting at the television room of the SU building when the fight broke out.
Sources say those involved in the fight included some union executive members, suspended students of the university, members of the Security Committee of the SU and ERC members.

One Tedy was reported to have suffered a deed injury after he was pierced with an object suspected to be a screw driver while another student identified as David had a machete cut on his head. They were rushed to a nearby hospital.

Speaking on the likely causes of the fight, a source said it may not be unconnected with the ideological differences while another said that it was related to the protest held during President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit.

However, the institution’s Chief Security Officer, Mr. Paul Ogidi, said there was no cult attack in the institution. “It is true that our students fought. There was no cults attack on our campus. We did not witness any attack but a fight among our students,” he said.
This was debunked by the ‎Vice-President of the Students Union, Funmi Oladejo, who insisted that what happened on the campus could be likened to 1999 cult attacks that claimed the lives of many students.

Though she insisted it was factional, she agreed that the controversy that surrounding the presence of President Goodluck Jonathan on the university campus contributed to the cause of the fight.

She said, “I was to have a meeting at SUB yesterday (Sunday) around 6pm. On getting there, I met a student, Sanyaolu Oluwajuwon, inside the gutter, where he had been seriously beaten and I wondered what happened. After a while, the injured students went to show the injury to others and that enraged many students.

“Meanwhile, what started the fight, I heard, was that ERC were having its meeting when the President and PRO passed through the place and saw them. He then called his boys to start coming that some people are having an opposition meeting at SUB and they all came to beat those on ground.
“After beating them up, they ran away except Teddy that waited. We later realised that those that ran to town went to hire cult members who came with machetes. ‎One of them (David) was even unconscious. We eventually caught four of them. Two were students and two were non-students. “

On the relation of the fracas to the visit of President Jonathan, she said: “As far as I am concerned, that is to mess up the whole issue. They want to make it a partisan stuff and that is out of sense. Our unionism is known to be independent and non-partisan. So, the case of Jonathan’s visit was sardonic. They (Ibikunle’s faction) wanted to pay back the opposition that greeted Jonathan’s visit and we should be a check to bad government.”

The Student Union President, Isaac Ibikunle however said none of his loyalists was a cult member.

- See more at: http://247nigerianewsupdate.co/aftermath-of-jonathans-visit-oau-students-in-bloody-clash/#sthash.s0yipL7b.dpuf

The Mentality of the apc Supporters.

I saw this on Facebook and thought it will be good to share it on Nairaland

If you are a Southern Christian and you support the President, you are TRIBALIST. But a Northern Muslim/Hausa Fulani who supports Buhari/Atiku is not!

If you are seen pushing the President's case, you are PAID to do that, when you do that for opposition, you are a patriot.

When an editor writes an editorial that is sympathetic to the president, he has been BOUGHT, but the one that abuses the president is FREEDOM FIGHTER.

A blogger that posts stories positive about Nigeria is a shame and paid, but Sahara Reporters is a credible source of news.

When you support Jonathan, you are a JONATHANIAN. Meanwhile, I am still looking for someone tagged BUHARIST for supporting their TIRED OLD General.

When you support a Jonathan and PDP, you 'hate' Nigeria. But when you support a Kwankwaso who spent FOURTEEN YEARS in PDP and has only been APC member for ELEVEN MONTHS, you are pushing for change!

When a local government elections are held in opposition state and the ruling party clears all the seats, DEMOCRACY IS AT WORK, but INEC cannot be trusted to conduct election at the federal level. In fact, when such happens in PDP state, it is rigged.

When opposition wins a bye-election, the PEOPLE have SPOKEN, but when reverse is the case, then INEC has worked for PDP.

A PDP member since 1999 who decamps to APC today at the age 70 has become a progressive, but an APC member who moves the other direction, has left 'light' for 'darkness'.

All the billions being spent by PDP to prosecute election preparations are 'stolen', but the ones being spent by opposition were profits made from selling Garri at Mushin, Lagos.

When a minister buys house in Lekki, he has stolen. But a Lagos commissioner who shares fence with him/her (and even and bigger house) took 'mortgage' to built his own!

The crowd at the President's declaration was 'rented' but all those who came to Buhari's were not. In fact, some of them trekked from Sokoto to Abuja and did not eat for three days because they love the general.

And if you read this and it pricks your conscience, instead of reflecting on it, you will put on a boldface and tag me a Jonathanian and a PDP apologist.

Abegi, wetin you go tag yourself? Obamaian? Buharist? Atikuist? Kwankwasonian? Amaechist? APC irredentist?

This is gospel truth.

Until then GEJ Till 2019.

I wonder what the conspiracy is on Nairaland. I posted this topic from the same source but the post was removed and what may be a ban was imposed on my profile. I got no explanation. Now the topic has resurfaced under another profile. What is the meaning of this?

Ghana: Avram Grant appointed new Black Stars coach

Former Chelsea boss Avram Grant has been appointed the new coach of Ghana.

The 59-year-old has signed a 27-month deal to take over from Maxwell Konadu, who had been in temporary charge since Kwesi Appiah left in September.

He will start work on Monday and his contract will finish at the end of February 2017 - after that year's Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Israeli Grant has only six weeks to prepare the Black Stars for the 2015 Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea.

The Ghana Football Association have given Grant a target of "doing well" at the upcoming tournament and to win the event two years later.

GFA president Kwesi Nyantekyie told BBC Sport: "It would be unfair to ask a coach appointed only one month before a tournament to win the trophy.

"But he must do well and then the FA will assess his performance after the Nations Cup and determine whether he has done well or not.

Ghana's revolving door policy
Grant becomes the 32nd head coach of the Black Stars. In that time they have also had three caretaker coaches

"Avram Grant is a motivator and an organiser. We needed someone with a certain stature or pedigree who can manage the egos of our players as well as their expectations and those of Ghanaians in general.

"He has managed a lot of top-class players, and [coping with high profile players] has been the bane of many African coaches. We believe his quality will turn things around for us."

Ghana, who topped their qualification group for next year's showpiece, will find out their opponents in Equatorial Guinea when the draw is made on 3 December.

The tournament will be held between 17 January and 8 February.

Grant, who as Chelsea boss suffered defeat by Manchester United in the 2008 European Champions League final, was most recently the technical director at Thai side BEC Tero Sasana.

His previous coaching role was at Partizan Belgrade from 2012 to 2014, during which time he steered the club to their fifth consecutive Serbian championship.

As well as spells in charge of English clubs Portsmouth and West Ham, Grant has international experience having spent four years at the helm of Israel's national side.

There had been been concerns that Grant's nationality could prevent him gaining access to some North African countries.

Earlier in the week, Nyantekyie told BBC Sport "that is an issue" but says the two parties will deal with it.

"The holder of an Israeli passport will not only be denied entry into North African countries, he will be denied into some Arab countries," he said.

"He has brought an alternative way of dealing with it. There is a satisfactory arrangement to arrest his threat. Very soon, in a matter of months, we should clear that."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30230997

SSS is Working for Ali Modu Sheriff - Stephen Davis [Read Statement]


Stephen Davis, the Australian negotiator who named two prominent Nigerians as Boko Haram sponsors, has stated that the State Security Service (SSS, sometimes also called DSS) is working for Ali Modu Sheriff, one of the alleged Boko Haram sponsors.

Marilyn Ogar, speaking for the SSS, has responded to Davis: “Is Sheriff a member of the SSS? Is he working with us? They say we are trying to shield him, how? How can somebody say we are trying to shield Sheriff? He does not work with us. He is a Nigerian, and every Nigerian comes under the protection of the SSS. We do not have exceptions. This is a democracy and it is election period so people can come up with all sort of propaganda. The SSS is a government institution owned by the people and managed the people,” she said.

The full text of Davis’ statement, procured from TheCable newspaper, reads below:

The untouchable sponsors of Boko Haram: Who is SSS the protecting?

A little over one month ago I wrote about a small group of young men and women who go out into the community each week to provide food to the widows whose husbands have been killed by Boko Haram. These young people are true humanitarians. They have no government funding. They are not wealthy people. They struggle to support their own families but still they reach out to the poor, the widows, those who have lost their homes in Boko Haram slaughter of countless villages.

The Shehuri North Community Development and Youth Empowerment Association in Maiduguri has been locating girls who have escaped from Boko Haram camps, providing food, ensuring the escaped girls can get medical support and verifying their stories in order that the President’s Victim Support Fund chaired by General (ret.) Danjuma might provide ongoing support and trauma counselling.

The Shehuri group has made formal application for funding to continue the victim support work and the additional work they do in locating and verifying the identity of escaped girls for relocation and protection from the Federal Government.

Five weeks ago the State Security Services arrested some of these fine young community workers on the pretext that they are Boko Haram sympathisers.

Several weeks ago I was optimistic that General (ret.) Danjuma, as Chairman of the President’s Victim Support Fund, would find the case for acknowledging the valuable work of these community workers deserving of his support. The Shehuri North Community Development and Youth Empowerment Association had recently met with Ambassador Gana, Deputy Chairman of the Fund and written to him seeking funding for the ongoing work with escaped girls and boys. The SSS seems to also have General Danjuma and Ambassador Gana intimidated to the degree that they have remained mute on this matter.

On hearing of the arrest of members of the Shehuri North Community Development and Youth Empowerment Association I immediately sent a message to the DG-SSS. He has chosen to ignore my communications.

These young men and others whom I have known have been held by the SSS without charge for weeks. They have been denied access to legal representation. Their families are distraught. How does a wife and mother support her family when her husband is locked up by the SSS without explanation for an indeterminate period?

It is not just the Shehuri members who are being targeted by the SSS. I have known Junaidu Idris, a resident of Maiduguri, for many years. When we needed a respected and trustworthy Kanuri speaker to assist in the June 2011 peace discussions with Baa Fugu’s family we asked Junaidu and he graciously accepted at some risk to himself. Governor Shettima had then recently been elected and joined the dialogue. Junaidu was not paid for his services and saw it as his duty as a citizen of Nigeria. In May this year when we again needed a Kanuri speaker to travel with us to assist in the handover of a large group of girls in Borno State Junaidu agreed to travel with the government’s medical team. Again he did not seek any funds. The SSS has arrested Junaidu for providing such support to efforts to return kidnapped girls to their families. He too has been held without charge and without access to legal counsel. Governor Shettima who knows Junaidu well has chosen to stand in the shadows and ignore the arrest of these innocent people in Maiduguri. Maybe he too feels intimidated by the SSS.

The Director General of the SSS has chosen to ignore the total innocence of these young men. Rather, we now hear former Borno Governor Sheriff announcing on air that those who allegedly “framed” him have been arrested and are undergoing interrogation. So now we see that the SSS is doing Sheriff’s bidding. The SSS has arrested people who have been supporting girls who have been kidnapped, raped and abused but managed to escape from Boko Haram camps and is interrogating these young men in order to intimidate the general population and ensure Sheriff is free to continue his sponsorship of Boko Haram.

The SSS has not touched Sheriff. The EFCC has not touched Sheriff. The Cameroon Government arrested Sheriff in 2012 on matters related to Boko Haram but political muscle saw him released. The Nigerian public cannot be blamed for concluding Sheriff is above the law and more powerful than any agency of political office in Nigeria.

The arrest of ordinary. Law abiding citizens who have been trying to help the victims of Boko Haram should make every law abiding citizen disgusted.

Is there still a Constitution in Nigeria to protect these people?

Has the SSS become a law unto itself? To whom is it accountable?

When will these innocent people be freed?

Dr Stephen Davis

http://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/sss-is-working-for-ali-modu-sheriff-stephen-davis-read-statement.101461/

Senators initiate move to impeach Jonathan


Some Peoples Democratic Party’s senators on Monday started impeachment moves against President Goodluck Jonathan over what they described as the high level of impunity and corruption allegedly being condoned by his administration.

Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the PDP senators had started compiling impeachable offences against the President.

An All Progressives Congress member of the Senate, who confided the development in our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, explained that his aggrieved PDP colleagues in the upper chamber had started reaching out to the opposition senators.

He said, “I was personally consulted this evening over the issue and I also cross-checked from my colleagues who also told me that they had been contacted.

“The grouse of the lawmakers, according to the person that contacted me, was that Jonathan’s handling of the last week Thursday’s invasion of the National Assembly by the police was carelessly handled by the Jonathan administration.

“From the look of things, the proceedings will start on Tuesday because some signatures had been collected already.”

Another senator from the PDP, who also craved anonymity, also confirmed the development to our correspondent stating that it was certain that the President was not capable of superintending over a free and fair election in 2015.

He said, “Our President is not in charge. We have seen that he had allowed the governors to hijack powers from him. He is just like a puppet and the earlier we act fast, the better for us.”

Meanwhile, opposition members in the Senate have threatened to raise the issue of the last Thursday’s invasion of the National Assembly by the security operatives, when the Senate resumes plenary today (Tuesday).

The spokesperson for the group, who is also the member representing Ekiti Central on the platform of the APC, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, gave the hint in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Abuja.

Ojudu said his colleagues were very annoyed with the ways they were maltreated and molested by the policemen, who were deployed in the National Assembly on the orders of the Inspector – General of Police.

He said majority of his members were of the opinion that the IGP should not be allowed to enter into the chambers, but should be asked to resign for allegedly ridiculing the federal lawmakers who had done nothing wrong other than going to carry out their lawful legislative activities.

He said, “We (APC Senators) are holding a crucial meeting this (Monday) night to take a final decision on the matter because majority of us are really angry. Some are even of the opinion that we should demand the resignation or sacking of the IGP.

“I can assure you that the issue of the National Assembly invasion by the police would be raised when we resume sitting tomorrow (Tuesday ), but we are going to take a single position on the matter at our meeting tonight,” he added.

However, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, had in an interview with our correspondent, on Saturday, maintained that the Senate would not be thrown into any chaotic situation over the Thursday’s invasion of the National Assembly complex by security operatives.

He had admitted that the IGP would appear before the Senate but assured the public that the matter would be handled with maturity.

He had said, “The Senate will discuss the invasion of the National Assembly by security operatives when it reconvenes on Tuesday. Already we have invited the Inspector – General of Police to find out who gave the order for the harassment of federal lawmakers last Thursday.

“So, I do not anticipate any form of stormy session during our sitting next Tuesday. I can assure you that the Senate is made up of gentlemen and women who are very senior citizens of the Nigerian society.

“Therefore, you cannot expect the Senate to act, except in a decorous manner.”

Abaribe also said that the Senate would still go ahead with deliberations on the emergency rule in the three north-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe contrary to insinuations that the matter had ended since the period of emergency had lapsed.

He said, “We had invited the service chiefs and we will find out from them, the update on the insurgency situation in the north-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe so that we can address the issue of the state of emergency requested by President Goodluck Jonathan.”


http://www.punchng.com/news/senators-initiate-move-to-impeach-jonathan/

Political Associate Of Chadian President Idriss Déby Arrested With Missiles Meant For Boko Haram


A Cameroonian investigative journalist, Bisong Etahoben, is reporting via twitter the arrest of Mahamat Bichara Gnoti, a close associate of Chadian President IIdriss Déby Itno.

Mr. Gnoti was reportedly arrested on the Chadian-Sudan border with 19 SAM2 missiles he purchased from the Sudanese army meant for Boko Haram terrorist in northeastern Nigeria.

Mr. Gnoti who claimed that President Idriss Déby gave him the funds to purchase the weapons, had waved a presidential pass issued to him by Mr. Deby’s office in order to get past border guards but was stopped and searched by the guards who found the deadly weapons on him.

There has not been an official confirmation or denial either by the Chadian or the Nigerian authorities. A text message sent to the office of Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the National Security Adviser in Nigeria regarding Gnoti’s arrest did not receive a response, an aide said Mr. Dasuki is traveling in Mexico.

However, the arrest of Mr. Gnoti, if confirmed, will provide solid evidence that the Chadian President is largely behind Boko Haram lightning insurgency in Nigeria’s northwest.

Mr. Derby recently swindled the Nigerian government of millions of dollars in a failed attempt to negotiate the release of some 200 high school girls abducted by Boko Haram from Chibok town in April.

On September 8th President Goodluck Jonathan made a dramatic visit to N’djamena to meet with Idris Derby, Mr. Jonathan was accompanied on the trip by former Governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sherrif.

The visit was condemned by opposition figures and civil society groups in Nigeria as they see it as an open embrace of individuals funding Boko Haram militants.

An Australian negotiator, Stephen Davis had accused Mr. Sheriff and former Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika of actively funding Boko Haram.

http://saharareporters.com/2014/11/22/political-associate-chadian-president-idriss-déby-arrested-missiles-meant-boko-haram

Political Associate Of Chadian President Idriss Déby Arrested With Missiles Meant For Boko Haram
A Cameroonian investigative journalist, Bisong Etahoben, is reporting via twitter the arrest of Mahamat Bichara Gnoti, a close associate of Chadian President IIdriss Déby Itno.
BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORKNOV 22, 2014


A Cameroonian investigative journalist, Bisong Etahoben, is reporting via twitter the arrest of Mahamat Bichara Gnoti, a close associate of Chadian President IIdriss Déby Itno.

Mr. Gnoti was reportedly arrested on the Chadian-Sudan border with 19 SAM2 missiles he purchased from the Sudanese army meant for Boko Haram terrorist in northeastern Nigeria.

President Idriss Deby greeting President Goodluck Jonathan in N'Djaména
State House Photo
Mr. Gnoti who claimed that President Idriss Déby gave him the funds to purchase the weapons, had waved a presidential pass issued to him by Mr. Deby’s office in order to get past border guards but was stopped and searched by the guards who found the deadly weapons on him.

There has not been an official confirmation or denial either by the Chadian or the Nigerian authorities. A text message sent to the office of Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the National Security Adviser in Nigeria regarding Gnoti’s arrest did not receive a response, an aide said Mr. Dasuki is traveling in Mexico.

However, the arrest of Mr. Gnoti, if confirmed, will provide solid evidence that the Chadian President is largely behind Boko Haram lightning insurgency in Nigeria’s northwest.

Mr. Derby recently swindled the Nigerian government of millions of dollars in a failed attempt to negotiate the release of some 200 high school girls abducted by Boko Haram from Chibok town in April.

On September 8th President Goodluck Jonathan made a dramatic visit to N’djamena to meet with Idris Derby, Mr. Jonathan was accompanied on the trip by former Governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sherrif.

The visit was condemned by opposition figures and civil society groups in Nigeria as they see it as an open embrace of individuals funding Boko Haram militants.

An Australian negotiator, Stephen Davis had accused Mr. Sheriff and former Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika of actively funding Boko Haram.

http://saharareporters.com/2014/11/22/political-associate-chadian-president-idriss-déby-arrested-missiles-meant-boko-haram

Aliyu Apologises to Mark over Unruly Conduct of Niger Lawmaker, Vows to Discipline Him

21 Nov 2014

Aisha Wakaso in Minna

Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, on Thursday tendered an unreserved apology to the Senate President, Senator David Mark, over the unruly conduct of Hon. Abdullahi Degechi Usman Cheche, adding that the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), government and people of the state were embarrassed by the brazen show of disrespect exhibited by the member.

Aliyu, who made this known in Minna on account of the physical attack on Senator David Mark by Niger Zone A member of the House of Assembly, Hon. Cheche, said his action was despicable, notorious and dishonorable for a lawmaker.

“I am indeed embarrassed when I watched on television and on social media the disgraceful conduct of Cheche against the senate president. While such conduct is not expected of a lawmaker, it is even shocking the member had the effrontery to attack the senate president who was one time the governor of Niger State.

“I expected him to respect Senator Mark either as senate president or as a former governor of his state who performed excellently well and has earned the respect of people of the state.

“We must understand that leadership comes with maturity and scrupulous disposition to persons or issues. We in Niger State are indeed shocked by his woeful conduct. Let me therefore apologise to the senate president for the embarrassing conduct of Chache.

Aliyu intimated that already the state PDP had commenced disciplinary action against the assembly member, adding that his despicable action must be addressed to serve as deterrent and also to sanitize the party of nitwits like Cheche.

He said it was time politicians understood that occupying elective positions comes with basic acceptable attributes.

He said no matter how bad issues are, they should be subjected to dialogue and not fisticuffs.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/aliyu-apologises-to-mark-over-unruly-conduct-of-niger-lawmaker-vows-to-discipline-him/194668/

I have heard of two cases of those who couldn't secure appointment even in the Federal university they graduated from. The more recent one is into brick making. I don't know why it is so. But it is.

Bomb hoax in Minna

BY OUR REPORTER ON NOVEMBER 14, 2014 NATIONAL
•Explosion averted in another Niger school



Our Reporter: AKIN ALOFETEKUN, Minna

Barely 24 hours after a female bomber struck at the Federal College of Education, Kontagora, Niger State, there was another attempt yesterday by two male suicide bombers to hit the Maryam Babangida Science Girls College, Minna.

However, the mission was foiled through a female teacher of the school who raised the alarm over the suspicious movement of the suspects near the gate of the school.

The suspects were seen close to the school gate around 7.30am when the students were preparing for the assembly.
A female teacher heading for the assembly who was not comfortable with their movement accosted one of them and they in return threatened the teacher who later raised the alarm.

When Daily Sun visited the school, security had already been beefed up with the main gate locked and movement restricted with those coming in thoroughly searched.

At the premises of the school, a pickup van with about seven military men fully armed and men of the State Security Service (SSS), some officials of the Parents Teachers Association of the college, officials from the state Ministry of Education, the school principal and few members of staff were seen under the tree in front of the Principal’s office discussing the issue.

The female teacher (name withheld) shared her experience: “On my way to the school, I saw one of these suspects who pretended as if he was defecating. After a close watch, I saw him wearing a pair of trouser which is the colour of our school and later saw him bring out an Hijab which he eventually put on to disguise as a female student.

“As I was approaching him, my phone rang and this alerted him and he confronted me of where I was going. When I told him that I was going to school, he ordered me in Hausa to go back home. That there wont be classes and that I should not even risk my life going to the school today (yesterday).”

At that moment, out of fear, said she quickly off her shoes, took to her heels and headed for the school and raised the alarm. The school authorities immediately swung into action.

Principal of the school, Hajiya Fatima Madugu, told Daily Sun: “Just help us thank God for the alertness of our staff and intervention from God. The mission of the suspects was to disguise as one of our students and sneak to the Assembly ground to carry out their dastardly act.

“But God just intervened and before we could mobilise to the scene, the two men had fled without traces. We immediately alerted the police and other security agents who mobilised to our compound immediately.”

The state police spokesman, DSP Ibrahim Gambari, confirmed the incident. He said the attempt should not be seen as an invasion by Boko Haram:

“The person being suspected could be a lunatic but not withstanding, our men have been drafted to the school for further investigations I can tell you that the bush around the school has been combed and nothing incriminating found and no arrest made.”

He said security has been beefed up in all schools in Minna, with the officers of the command giving security tips to proprietors, principals, headmasters and provosts and vice chancellors of tertiary institutions in the state.

Gambari called on the people to go about their lawful businesses without any fear as “police is on top of the situation.”

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=90801

Nigerian virologist delivers scathing analysis of Africa's response to Ebola



Kai is a contributing correspondent for Science magazine based in Berlin, Germany.

Email Kai

By Kai Kupferschmidt 3 November 2014 11:30 am 33 Comments
VIENNA—After Oyewale Tomori finished his talk on Ebola here at the International Meeting on Emerging Diseases and Surveillance, there was stunned silence. Tomori, the president of the Nigerian Academy of Science, used his plenary to deliver a scathing critique of how African countries have handled the threat of Ebola and how corruption is hampering efforts to improve health. Aid money often simply disappears, Tomori charged, "and we are left underdeveloped, totally and completely unprepared to tackle emerging pathogens."

Trained as a veterinarian, Tomori was the World Health Organization’s (WHO's) regional virologist for the African region in 1995 during the Ebola outbreak in Kikwit in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). ScienceInsider sat down with him at the meeting in Vienna; questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.

Q: You said in your talk that Ebola was "swimming in an ocean of national apathy, denial, and unpreparedness.” What did you mean?

A: We were totally unprepared. After the first cases occurred in West Africa, it took almost 3 months for WHO to know. When the first patient came to Sierra Leone and died, his son brought him back to Guinea and as far as Sierra Leone was concerned, it was Guinea’s problem. People abandoned their duty, they denied the problem, and when it became a big problem they became incapable of handling it.

This is not the first time Ebola has appeared in Africa. There have been more than 20 outbreaks since 1976. Not one of them has been declared a global problem. Of course, circumstances are different this time. But if we had been prepared, if we had learned from the past, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

Q: You seem angry.

A: Yes, I am, because I know Africa has the capacity and the capability to solve most of her problems, but Africa will not enable her human resources to perform effectively and efficiently. African leaders have little or no respect for their experts and would rather act on advice from external sources. In the end, they become the experts on Africa’s problems, not the Africans. This is why I am angry with Africa.

We have seen so many Ebola cases before, in the DRC, in Sudan, in Gabon. … Ebola is Africa’s problem. We should have put something in place. I remember in 1995, when we had the Kikwit epidemic, at the end we sat down at a table and discussed what we should do. There was a laboratory in Kinshasa built by the French; it was almost completed, but then abandoned. We had raised almost $2 million at the time. And we said: "Why not take a bit of that money and complete this lab and maintain it? Then at least when we have issues like this we can do quick testing." But nothing happened. The carcass is still there. Each time I pass the place, I think: "What a waste."

Q: But your own country seems to have been prepared. Nigeria managed to contain the virus after it was carried to Lagos by a traveler in July. There were only 19 infections, and WHO called the containment of the virus "a spectacular success story."

A: We were not prepared, we were lucky. Patrick Sawyer was already sick when he arrived, so he went straight to the hospital. And because our doctors were on strike, the public hospitals were not open, so he went to a private hospital. If Sawyer had gone into a public hospital, we would have had a bigger problem.

But within 2 to 3 days of Sawyer coming in, we knew it was Ebola from laboratory tests done in two of our university laboratories, and then action was taken. I praise Nigeria for that. We had this emergency center from the polio network and we brought people in and traced almost 1000 contacts. This was not passive tracing; people went to contacts' homes on a daily basis.

Q: So why are African countries so badly prepared? Is it a question of money?

A: People say African countries are poor. But it’s not poverty. It’s misuse of what we have. As we are talking, with all the crises that are going on, the presidents of our countries are still traveling in the best of conditions. Some will come to New York in their private jets, although their national airlines collapsed years ago; in addition, they will bring along a long retinue of private, personal, and public assistants, all lodged in the best hotels. I am not saying the president should not be treated well, but these are issues we need to look at.

Take my country: We do not have a national airline, but the number of private jets we have is more than all the airlines in Africa have together.

It’s a matter of priorities. I do not believe there is an African country that cannot buy gloves for its staff. Personal protective equipment may be very costly, they may need assistance on that. But let us participate. As long as we are wringing hands waiting for the next glove to come, we will never be ready. There are certain things we can do now, with the resources we have.

Q: So African leaders should be held more accountable for what they spend money on?

A: GAVI [a public-private partnership that funds vaccines for low-income countries] just sanctioned Nigeria after a critical audit report. GAVI gave us money to do certain things, and we could not account for $2 million or $3 million of it. GAVI insisted that Nigeria must pay back that money, and the government agreed. But our government should not just agree to pay back the money, the government should find out who misused the money, get the money back from those persons and not from public coffers. And those people should be brought before the courts to answer for the deaths of the children who did not receive the vaccines that the GAVI money would have provided.

Q: So how should African countries contribute to fighting the Ebola outbreak?

A: To give you one example, there are 600 Nigerian health care workers who want to go to Liberia. But the process of getting them there has been going on for months. If the African team, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, and the West African Health Organisation all get their acts together, there are more than enough people in Africa—health care workers from Gabon, DRC, Uganda, Sudan—who have experience with this.

But we must find the funds to provide insurance for all national and international health workers who are currently working or have volunteered to work in the Ebola-affected areas of Africa. Bear in mind, in Africa we do not have a welfare system. I am the welfare system for my family, my brothers, my uncle. So when I go to an Ebola region, I am thinking of the 23 other people that depend on me. If there is no insurance, I will stay home.

Q: There has been a lot of criticism of the WHO regional office in Africa.

A: I am angry at them, too. They should take the lead of Ebola control efforts—not Geneva, not Washington, not New York. The [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] can help, [Doctors Without Borders] can assist, but it is WHO's African region that should coordinate and take the lead. It’s all meetings and reports. Nothing on the ground.

Q: As it happens, they are meeting in Benin this week; on the agenda is the election of a new regional director.

A: These elections are just horse-trading. If the person who wants to get elected requires the vote from Nigeria for example, because it is the ministers of health who do the voting, I might say: "OK, I will vote for you, but I need one directorship from my country.” If he accepts that, he has to accept whoever I bring, regardless of how competent the person is. That is what has messed up Africa. WHO's regional office has never been able to solve Africa’s problems because of this system of electing its leaders.

You want to find the most competent person. Vote on that basis. Not because I visited you and I promised you this or that.

Q: Do you think this unprecedented outbreak will change things?

A: I wish I could say with confidence that in 10 years’ time we will not be where we are now with Ebola. But the countries have totally lost control of what is going on. If you go to Sierra Leone or Liberia today, there must be at least 10 international groups there. At the end of this epidemic, everybody will pack their bags and leave. The African countries will be left not really knowing what has happened to them. Like someone hit them smack in the face, totally disoriented. There will be millions of scandals about how money was misspent and so on. We will focus on those and move on. Ten years from now, people will have forgotten that there was Ebola and we will be back to where we started.

*The Ebola Files: Given the current Ebola outbreak, unprecedented in terms of number of people killed and rapid geographic spread, Science and Science Translational Medicine have made a collection of research and news articles on the viral disease freely available to researchers and the general public.

http://news.sciencemag.org/africa/2014/11/nigerian-virologist-delivers-scathing-analysis-africas-response-ebola

Boko Haram: The Mystery Solved
Aniebo Nwamu


Karl Marx’s thesis that economic conditions determine the basis of existence is yet to be proved wrong. It is one tool I always apply in the course of discovering the real motives behind what people say or do. But I must confess that unravelling “Boko Haram”, which many now call insurgency in the north, has put this scientific method in doubt for the past five years.

Somebody solved the riddle on Wednesday: former Senate president and former minister Dr Iyorchia Ayu. In brief, this is what Ayu said at the 5th Convocation Lecture of the Adekunle Ajasin University:

The oil wealth beneath the Chad Basin is fanning the embers of insurgency in the country because prominent businessmen and politicians in both Nigeria and Chad, in association with French companies, have invested heavily in oil exploration and exploitation. They are the principal financiers of, and arms suppliers to, Boko Haram. The group’s destabilisation of the north-eastern part of Nigeria benefits these investors because it delays exploration and production on the Nigerian side of Lake Chad.

The Lake Chad Basin is estimated to have a reserve of 2.32billion barrels of oil, and 14.65trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The oil and gas flows underground across the countries sharing the Lake Chad Basin: Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroun. Using 3D drilling, Chad is not only tapping oil within its territory but also from Nigeria, to push up its production levels.

Boko Haram is made up of Nigerians and a large number of Chadians from the Chadian provinces of Lac and Hadjer Lamis – provinces that share a long border with north-eastern Nigeria around the Lake Chad region and provide Boko Haram with trained Chadian fighters.

The drying up of Lake Chad, once the largest water body in Africa, is affecting the economic and social life of over 30 million people in the four countries around the lake. This has resulted in the migration of many farmers and herdsmen as well as engineered local conflicts between Camerounian and Nigerian nationals; fishermen are fighting farmers and herdsmen to stop diverting water from the lake to their farms and livestock.

The disappearance of Lake Chad and subsidiary rivers has also created a large population of unemployed and discontented youth who have become a reserve army easily available for recruitment by the insurgents.

So far, Boko Haram has not attacked any territory in Chad but has a cluster of bases in Chad from where it launches its terrorist activities in Nigeria. President Idris Deby of Chad is said to have cordial relations with the insurgents.

The accuracy of Ayu’s postulation could be doubted only by fools. Many of us have often pointed fingers at politicians as those behind terrorism in the country. But Ayu has mentioned the type of politicians – those with economic interests to protect. Therefore, Boko Haram is not sponsored by anyone aspiring to be the president of Nigeria. It is not backed by the PDP or the APC. Also, Boko Haram has nothing to do with Islam or Christianity, north or south. Neither is it a crusade against western education.

The people behind the masks have used all these and other tricks to cause a war that would enable them to corner the oil wealth flowing under the north-east’s soil. Have they really succeeded?

Oil is a curse indeed. From the early days of insurgency in the north-east, the suspicion that some foreign powers were behind it has persisted. The Nigerian government itself seems to know the truth but has done little to tackle the enemy despite the myriad of agencies pretending to be protecting the safety and security of Nigerians and the Nigerian borders. The security agencies seem to be fighting one another because a lot of cash has been made available for the “Boko Haram” war.

A strong Nigerian leader would have since sent troops to overrun Chad or any other neighbouring country that provides a haven for terrorists. If France or any foreign oil company came to the aid of such a country, we would be able to consume both the beans and the weevils inside them. The Nigerian armed forces should work; soldiers exist to fight wars, not to eat pepper-soup or accumulate money with which to contest elections after retirement.

The Black man deserves pity. While the White man looks a century ahead and strives to achieve his goal, the Black man offers himself to be used to destroy his own people. The plot to balkanise Nigeria and steal the oil in the north-east must have preceded the forecast that Nigeria would break up in 2015. For anything that threatens the economic interests of certain powers does not stand. During the Cold War, we learned how progressive leaders in Africa were removed or killed through sponsored coups and counter-coups. In recent times, we have witnessed the overthrow of Muammar Ghaddafi of Libya. Each plot was carried out with the citizens of each country.

It is in this light that all Nigerians should now see the patriotism exhibited by Gen. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu 46 years ago. Many know that the Nigeria-Biafra war was instigated by foreigners, but only a few know that it was also about oil. In the middle of the war, the Soviets approached Ojukwu and asked for a part of Biafra’s oil in return for fighting on Biafra’s side. Ojukwu vehemently rejected the request because he did not want his country to be a theatre of war among the western powers. The federal side gratefully received the British in order to “crush” the “rebels”. Yet, had Ojukwu accepted the Russians’ proposal, Biafra would have survived and perhaps millions of Nigerians more would have been killed.

Compare Ojukwu with the Nigerian businessmen that have been fuelling terrorism in the north-east. While Ojukwu fought in defence of his people, the terrorists of the north-east are killing their own people. It is laughable that a Lagos court had to jail one of those found guilty of financing terrorism for only 10 years. These are people working with foreigners to destroy their country; they have killed almost 20, 000 and displaced millions of people. Their wickedness is made more manifest by the fact that they have been killing and kidnapping students and defenceless villagers.

My gratitude goes to Dr Ayu for solving the mystery surrounding Boko Haram. I have little doubt that the 2015 elections – if they eventually take place – will be the last straw. The invading forces are likely to lavish money on saboteurs and impoverished Nigerians to kill themselves so that this mineral-rich land would be left for them to exploit. Indeed, the heart of man is wicked.

If Nigeria would not work as one nation, let us revisit the idea of confederation. Rather than prepare for polls in 2015, we should implement the National Conference’s report, especially as it concerns the six-state structure. A semi-independent north-east might even decide to merge with its kith and kin in Chad, Cameroun and Niger. Under an effective government, no region would be helpless in defending its people from external aggressors.

http://leadership.ng/columns/389787/boko-haram-mystery-solved

How Important is an Anti-lock Brake System?

Nov 08, 2014 by admin0 CommentAnti-lock Brake System
What is Anti-lock Brake System or ABS?
An anti-lock brake system which is abbreviated as ABS is a secure and efficient braking system. ABS lets the driver to keep directional stability, control the steering, and to decrease stopping distances on emergency braking circumstances, mainly on wet and greasy roads. To gain this security benefits, drivers must know how to apply their ABS correctly.

How does Anti-Lock Brake System Work?
An anti-lock braking system works with the usual brakes on automobile. ABS keeps base brakes from locking up. In vehicles not equipped with ABS, the driver can manually pump the brakes to prevent wheel lockup. In vehicles equipped with ABS, the driver’s foot stay on the brake pedal to let the system automatically pump the brakes.

Why is Anti-lock Brake System important?
When brakes lockup on wet and greasy roads or during a panic stop, steering control is lost and the automobile rotates. Rear wheel ABS prevents wheel lockup so that the car resides straightly. If the automobile has ABS control on all the wheels, and the steering also controlled. If a car have steering control, it is probable to avoid a collapse by steering around dangers if a car is not stopped in time.

How do I know my car has Anti-lock Brake System?
Generally the new cars have Anti-lock Brake System as normal or alternative equipment. There are many methods to identify if a car has Anti-lock Brake System.

Read your car owners guide.
Check the instrument panel for an amber ABS indicator light after you turn on the ignition.
On purchase, hire or rents inquire the automobile dealer or hiring company.

Will drivers detect when the Anti-lock Brake System is functioning?
In cars drivers detect a fast pulsation of the brake pedal as the brakes are pushing back this means the ABS is working. Infrequently the pedal could suddenly drop. The valves in the ABS controller make a sound like pressing or humming. It is important not to take foot from the brake pedal when sound is heard or detect pulsations, but instead continue to apply firm pressure.

How the Anti-lock Brake System functions differ from the brakes?
The driver should not apply the brake if the car have ABS. The driver simply grasps the foot on the brake pedal.

Will a car with Anti-lock Brake System stop rapidly than without ABS?
ABS is planned to assist the driver to maintain control of the car on emergency braking circumstances, not to stop the car rapidly. ABS stops the car rapidly on wet or greasy roads when compared to other brakes. On very soft roads such as free gravel or snow an ABS system extend stopping distances. In wet or greasy roads driver should make sure to drive carefully, always maintain a secure distance after the car in front of you, and maintain a reliable speed to the road circumstances.

Is all Anti-lock Brake System identical?
All ABS is extremely identical in the method to manage brake pressure, but a few systems are intended to stop the rear wheels only from locking up. These rear wheel systems are found on pickups and sport utility vehicles. Rear-wheel ABS prevents the car from rotating out of control, but driver not have steering control if the front wheels lock up. All additional ABS systems comprising those for cars and minivans are designed to maintain all four wheels from locking up. If you own a pickup or race car verify the owner’s guide to know the type of ABS.

How can driver get familiarized with Anti-lock Brake System?
Study the owner’s guide for more information on the full operation and advantages of Anti-lock Brake System. The ABS is speed sensitive which is not activated at low speeds of a car. One way to get familiar with the function of ABS is to test drive the car at a speed over 10 mph which the ABS activates in free parking lot and apply the brakes. It is simple to activate the ABS on wet and greasy roads. The ABS should stop the wheels from slipping. Pulsation may be detected in the brake pedal and a sound is heard by driver. Don’t push the brake, even if the pedal is pulsating.

Should I pump the brake pedal when stopping in slippery conditions?
You absolutely should not pump the brake pedal in a car with ABS. Pumping the brakes ­is a technique that is sometimes used in slippery conditions to allow the wheels to unlock so that the vehicle stays somewhat straight during a stop. In a car with ABS the wheels should never lock in the first place, so pumping the brakes will just make you take longer to stop.
In an emergency stop in a car with ABS, you should apply the brake pedal firmly and hold it while the ABS does all the work. You will feel a pulsing in the pedal that may be quite violent, but this is normal so don’t let off the brake.
Do anti-lock brake system really work?
Anti-lock brakes really do help you stop better. They prevent wheels from locking up and provide the shortest stopping distance on slippery surfaces. But do they really prevent accidents? This is the true measure of the effectiveness of ABS systems.
http://automedicsafrica.com/important-anti-lock-brake-system/

The Helicopters That Evacuated CDS Badeh’s Family From Mubi: A Lesson For All Nigerians
OPINIONNov 6, 2014 1 6062




By Elvis Iyorngurum

It has been reported that few hours before the attack, helicopters flew in and evacuated his family members from the town

Mubi, the biggest commercial town in Adamawa state, was thrown into chaos the day Boko Haram descended on it and the people found themselves running for their lives. The terrorists shot sporadically, killing a lot of people while those who could escape jumped into any available car to run to safety. Christians, Muslims, Igbos, Yorubas, Tivs, Hausas and any tribe or religion, jumped onto any vehicle that was headed outside the town. Soldiers scampered onto trucks with civilians, begging to be saved, hundreds of people who could not get a vehicle ran into the hills. In their frantic effort to stay alive, no one paid attention to anybody’s religion or ethnicity before asking them for help or helping them to stay alive. It was a community of people, united by their desire to escape the common enemy that hunted them all without discrimination. Ethnicity and religion vanished, all they were left with was their humanity. Those climbing the hills stayed together, helping one another stay on their feet as they all tried to survive.

The most interesting part of the narrative is that the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Badeh is from the same town of Mubi. It has been reported that few hours before the attack, helicopters flew in and evacuated his family members from the town. The chief of Defence staff by the way, is the most senior military officer in Nigeria and he controls the army, navy and air force. Before that sad day, someone from Mubi would have boasted that the Chief of Defence Staff is from their home town. But on the day that it mattered the most, he evacuated only his family members and abandoned everyone else to their fate. It means he had information of the impending attack and as the most senior military commander, he did not fly into the town to lead his men in battle to defend the community. He quietly saved only his family and left even the soldiers without an inspiring commander to motivate them to engage the terrorists and defend the town.

One lesson all Nigerians must learn from this story is that as a people, all we have is our neighbours. When you need some help at home, you knock on the door of your neighbour. The president, governor, senator or minister is not there to help you. Why then should you continue to fight your neighbour because of a man or woman who cares only about his own family? Our elites may deceive us about sharing the same religion or ethnicity with us, but time and again, they have proven that they do not care. We have been fools, killing one another on the basis of religion and ethnicity while they stay united across all the divides and plunder our wealth. The time has come for us to rise, educate one another and unite to fight our common enemy. The politicians are our enemies and not the poor struggling men and women in our neighbourhoods.

What now will the people of Mubi boast about as the gain of having their son as the chief of Defence Staff? If you go to Otueke where Jonathan comes from, there are many people who live in excruciating poverty! There is still a lot of poverty and suffering in the home towns of all our governors, ministers, parliamentarians and former presidents, while they and their families live in scandalous affluence. The minister of petroleum spent over 10 billion Naira on a private jet. That money can end the poverty of several communities in her state. Stella Oduah bought two cars with 225million Naira while there are people in her home town who can’t afford 500 Naira to feed their family in a day.

The time to throw away the sentiments is now! Support only a man or woman who has a just heart and will serve everyone and every community regardless of if they come from there or not. The moment anyone begins to talk to you about religion or ethnicity, reject him summarily! We need leaders who will unite us because our shared humanity is greater than any differences between us. And if someone does something wrong or fails in governance, do not support them simply because they’re your own. Share the message, teach those around you and brace up for a citizens action to root out bad governance, defeat terrorism and build a better society for everyone of us. We have hope and we must not lose that hope. We can turn around our country, all we need to do is unite our voices and raise them against the evil system that has enslaved us for so long. Our adversity, especially the insurgency, has taught us who our real enemies are. Get ready to answer when you hear the call.

GOD BLESS YOU AND GOD BLESS NIGERIA.

http://abusidiqu.com/helicopters-evacuated-cds-badehs-family-mubi-lesson-nigerians/?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter

Richest persons list: Dangote slides to 37th in 24 hours

NOVEMBER 7, 2014 BY REMI LATINWO WITH AGENCY REPORT



Billionaire business mogul, Aliko Dangote, slid down 14 places to 37th position in the World Richest Persons list within 24 hours.

Dangote, the President, Dangote Group, who remains Africa’s richest person, was ranked 23rd on Thursday by Forbes.

A check on Forbes website on Friday, however, revealed that the business mogul, who is said to be worth about $21bn, is now ranked 37th richest person.

Before Thursday’s ranking as the world’s 23rd richest person, Dangote, the first black person to be so ranked, occupied the 43rd position in the world.

The owner of indigenous telecoms company, Globacom, Chief Mike Adenuga, was the next Nigerian on the list, with a wealth of $4.6bn, maintaining the 325th position in the world, while Folorunsho Alakija, with $2.5bn, was 687th in the world, and Abdulsamad Rabiu in the 1,372th position in the world, with $1.2bn.

American billionaire, Bill Gates, reclaimed the title of world’s richest person from telecoms mogul, Carlos Slim Helu, of Mexico after four years.

Gates, according to Forbes, raked in extra $9bnin the last one year and has been at the top of the list for 15 of the past 20 years.

Spanish clothing retailer, Amancio Ortega (best known for the Zara fashion chain) retains the number three spot for the second year in a row, extending his lead over Warren Buffett, who is again number four.

Dangote has also been named the world’s 68th most powerful person.

You can check the list of 50 richest persons in the world.

Rank Name Worth Country of Citizenship
1 Bill Gates $82.1 bn US
2 Carlos Slim Helu & family $80.2 bn Mexico
3 Warren Buffett $70.2 bn US
4 Amancio Ortega $58.1 bn Spain
5 Larry Ellison $50.2 bn US
6 Charles Koch $42.6 bn US
6 David Koch $42.6 bn US
8 Christy Walton & family $38.5 bn US
9 Jim Walton $37.2 bn US
10 Michael Bloomberg $35.8 bn US
11 Alice Walton $35.7 bn US
12 Robson Walton $35.7 bn US
13 Liliane Bettencourt & family $35.4 bn France
14 Mark Zuckerberg $33.2 bn US
15 Bernard Arnault & family $31.2 bn France
16 Stefan Persson $31 bn Sweden
17 Li Ka-shing $30.9 bn Hong Kong
18 Sheldon Adelson $30.3 bn US
19 Larry Page $30.1 bn US
20 Sergey Brin $29.6 bn US
21 Jeff Bezos $27.7 bn US
22 Carl Icahn $25.7 bn US
23 Michele Ferrero & family $24.9 bn Italy
24 David Thomson & family $24.2 bn Canada
25 George Soros $24 bn US
26 Forrest Mars Jr $23.8 bn US
26 Jacqueline Mars $23.8 bn US
26 John Mars $23.8 bn US
29 Jack Ma $23.5 bn China
30 Steve Ballmer $23.1 bn US
31 Mukesh Ambani $22.6 bn India
32 Jorge Paulo Lemann $22.2 bn Brazil
33 Lee Shau Kee $22.1 bn Hong Kong
34 Phil Knight $22 bn US
35 Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud $21.5 bn Saudi Arabi
36 Michael Dell $21.4 bn US
37 Aliko Dangote $21.3 bn Nigeria
38 Dilip Shanghvi $19.6 bn India
39 Len Blavatnik $19.2 bn US
40 Tadashi Yanai & family $18.4 bn Japan
41 Leonardo Del Vecchio $18.1 bn Italy
42 Alisher Usmanov $17.8 bn Russia
43 Laurene Powell Jobs & family $17.2 bn US
44 Robin Li $17.1 bn China
45 Paul Allen $17.1 bn US
46 Theo Albrecht Jr & family $16.9 bn Germany
47 Michael Otto & family $16.6 bn Germany
48 Charles Ergen $16.6 bn US
49 Masayoshi Son $16.5 bn Japan
50 Anne Cox Chambers $16.1 bn US

http://www.punchng.com/news/richest-persons-list-dangote-slides-to-37th-in-24-hours/

Musa, Enyeama named for Glo-CAF Awards

NOVEMBER 7, 2014 BY AGENCY REPORT

Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and CSKA Moscow winger Ahmed Musa made the 25 players list for the 2014 Glo-CAF African Player of The Year award announced by the Confederation of African Football on Thursday in Cairo.

The Glo-CAF Awards is scheduled for Lagos on January 8, 2015.

Twenty-five players were nominated for the African Player of the Year category while 20 players made the list for the Player of the Year (Based in Africa) category.

Mamelodi Sundowns winger Ejike Uzoenyi is the only Nigerian player shortlisted in the 20-man list of Africa-based Player of the Year award.

Musa and Enyeama were part of the Super Eagles’ squad that won the 2013 African Nations Cup in South Africa and also participated actively as the Eagles reached the Round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Indeed, Musa scored twice as the African champions lost 3-2 to Argentina in the group stage of the competition.

Uzoenyi on the other hand made his international debut for Nigeria in 2012. He was called up to Nigeria’s 23-man squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and was named to Nigeria’s squad for the 2014 African Nations Championship, where he emerged the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

He was also named in Nigeria’s provisional squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and made the final squad to Brazil after left-back Elderson Echiejile copped an injury on the eve of the tournament.

Later Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Senso Meyiwa is also among the players nominated for the African Player of the Year (Based in Africa) category.

In picking the nominees, CAF took into consideration the performances of the nominees for their national teams and clubs from January to November 2014.

Other Players shortlisted for the African Player of the Year award include the Ghanaian duo of Asamoah Gyan and Kwadwo Asamoah; Dame N’doye and Sadio Mané (Senegal); Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo); and the Cameroonian trio of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Stephane Mbia and Vincent Aboubakar.

Others are Ivoirians Gervinho, Wilfred Bony and Yaya Toure. Tunisians Fakhreddine Ben Youssef and Ferdjani Sassi also made the list.

The winners of the two categories will be decided by votes from the Head Coaches and Technical Directors of the National Associations affiliated to CAF.

Ivorian Yaya Toure was crowned African Player of the Year for the past three years whilst Mohamed Aboutreika of Egypt was named African Player of the Year (Based in Africa) last year.

http://www.punchng.com/sports/musa-enyeama-named-for-glo-caf-awards/#respond

Top Five Strongest Militaries in Africa: See Nigeria's Position

Global Firepower Ranking (GFP): This is an index that measures the military strength of a country and gives an objective rating with which it can be compared to other countries.

The countries with the most power militaries in Africa are below:

1. Egypt:
Egypt comes out on top of all African armies on the basis of the sheer size of its armed force. While they are well-trained and equipped, they are still inferior to Israeli soldiers in the same parameters. More than 1.5 million Egyptians attain army age yearly, and according to the GFP, the army has more than 800 military craft and 200 helicopters.

2. Algeria:
The Algerian military comprises of a modern army, navy and airforce. Frontline manpower is 120,000 active personnel, well equipeped and with about 2,000 ready-to-go armoured fighting vehicles. Since Algeria has its own oil reserves, it gives it the extra advantage of being able to power all its military vehicles.

3. Ethiopia:
Their position here is attributed to their large population and their long independence from colonization. Being landlocked, the country has spent most of its resources building an impressive army and airforce. Of the 38 million people in the country, 24 million citizens are said to be fit and service-ready. According to a ThisDay report, "Ethiopia reportedly had around 182,500 personnel in their ground forces and a further 3,000 air force personnel.

4. South Africa:
Apart from its thriving economy, this country can also boast of being the fourth strongest military base in Africa, which it uses majorly for international cooperation.

Though the country has less than 88,000 active front-line personnel and 17,000 active reserve personnel, the naval vessels and aircraft are up-to date technologically and the country has the capacity and manpower for much more.

5. Nigeria
This country has the second largest military population in Africa. Political instability and insufficient equipment has however made it to rank fifth in the GFP.

"The country has more than 1,400 armoured vehicles, 360 tanks, and 6,000 logistical vehicles at its disposal, as well as nearly 300 aircraft and 25 high-powered naval vessels," says ThisDay. "The army has been criticised for their heavy-handed manner in dealing with civilians during anti-Boko Haram operations in the North-east. The previous year, Nigeria occupied the 4th place."

http://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/top-five-strongest-militaries-in-africa-see-nigerias-position.98964/

Falconets Star, Courtney Dike, Declines $7,000 NFF Bonus Payment


Super Falconets player, Courtney Dike has said that the opportunity given to her to play for Nigeria was all the reward she needed rather than money.

The Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) revealed that the Falconets' star turned down the $7,000 offered to her as part of her bonus for representing the country at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, held in Canada.

Courtney who is the younger sister of Super Eagles player, Bright Dike said she valued playing for Nigeria, more than the monetary reward.

Head of competition, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Dr. Sanusi Mohammed revealed that they were shocked at the stance of Dike's family not to take the bonus.

"Courtney Dike is based in America, when she was paid the outstanding 10 days worth of allowances in the tune of seven thousand dollars she turned it down,” Sanusi told Footballlive.ng

"When we called her Mother to confirm the delivery of the allowances, she declined it and insisted the opportunity to serve Nigeria was all the reward the family needed. Besides she said she was to young to earn that much,” the Federation member recounted.

Google Chairman Eric Schmidt Shares 8 Pieces of Career Advice to Young Professionals
Nov 03, 2014 05:30 am | Paul Sohn


Over 2 million people apply each year at Google. Here’s another way to look at it. It’s almost ten times harder to get a job at Google than it is to get into Harvard. Nearly everyone wants to work for “Greatest Company in United States.” Great Place to Work Institute and CareerBliss has consistently ranked Google as the top career destination for students, recent grads, and young professionals.

how-google-works-2014-10-08In the last few weeks, I read “How Google Works” authored by Google Chairman Eric Schmidt and former VP of Product Management Jonathan Rosenberg. They provide an insightful window into the inner workings of Google’s organizational and leadership practices. They share various lessons on culture, strategy, decision making, innovation, and talent which propelled Google as a global icon. Anyone curious about modern business and leadership should read this book.

Here are 8 pieces of brilliant advice from Google Chairman Eric Schmidt to young professionals on how to navigate their career.



1. Treat your career like you’re surfing.
When people are right out of school, they tend to prioritize company first, then job, then industry. But at this point in their career that is exactly wrong order. The right industry is paramount, because while you will likely switch companies several times in your career, it is much harder to switch industries. Think of the industry as the place you surf… and the company as the wave you catch. You always want to be in the place with the biggest and best waves.”

Since stock options and other forms of equity are limited for newer employees anyway, the best investment you can make in your career is developing expertise in an industry that is transforming and growing.

“It’s not just the internet companies that have a big upside, but also energy, pharmaceuticals, high-tech manufacturing, advertising, media, entertainment, and consumer electronics,” they write. “But even businesses like energy and pharmaceuticals, where product cycle times are long, are ripe for massive transformation and opportunity.”

2. Always listen for those who get technology.
Even if you’re not going to work in Silicon Valley, you’ll want to work at a company that knows where technology is going and what impact it is having and will have in its industry, since these will be the companies that thrive while others die or stagnate.

Schmidt says that a simple way to tell if a particular company “gets it” is to look at how it’s adapted to industry changes in the past, as well as taking a look at the company’s leadership. If a company’s CEO has a history of entrepreneurship and tech, there’s a better chance the company will be able to grow or remain strong.

For example, Bill Gates and Paul Allen saw that chips and computers were getting cheap and that software would be the key to the future of computing, so they started Microsoft. Reid Hoffman knew that the connecting power of the web would be vital to professionals, so he started LinkedIn.



3. Develop a five-year plan.
Rosenberg writes that he’s a big fan of the following advice from the musician, satirist, and mathematician Tom Lehrer: “Life is like a sewer: What you get out of it depends on what you put into it.”

He and Schmidt recommend that young professionals write a five-year plan that answers the following:

“Where do you want to be? What do you want to do? How much do you want to make? If you saw this job on a website, what would the posting look like? What does your résumé look like?” Even try to get an idea of where you’d like to be 10 years from now.

In the context of this ideal, figure out how you’ll take advantage of your strengths and improve upon your weaknesses. And if you conclude that you’re ready to start your dream job today, you’re not dreaming big enough.


4. Statistics is the new plastics.
“We are in the era of big data, and big data needs statisticians to make sense of it. The democratization of data means that those who can analyze it well will win. Data is the sword of the twenty-first century, those who wield it well, the samurai,” Schmidt and Rosenberg write.

That doesn’t mean you should rush out to grab a stats textbook if you never studied it in school, but you should at least be familiar with the way your company crunches data and how you can use that information to perform at a higher level.

Asking the questions and interpreting the answers is as important a skill as coming up with the answers themselves. No matter your business, learn how the right data, crunched the right way, will help you make better decisions.

5. Learn as much as possible about your company and industry.
“At Google, we always tell people who come to us seeking advice to ingest the founders’ letter from our 2004 IPO and all the internal strategy memos that Eric and Larry [Page] subsequently wrote,” Schmidt and Rosenberg write. They explain that most people at the company think they’re too busy to read them, but that they’re missing out by not prioritizing their company’s values and strategy.

Do the same at your own company, and don’t stop there. Be on top of industry news and develop a network of other people in your field and keep each other informed, the authors explain.

One of the best and easiest ways to get ahead in the field is to know more about it. The best way to do that is to read.

So think like a CEO and read. - Eric Schmidt

6. Know Your Elevator Pitch
Imagine that you run into your CEO in the hallway and they ask you what you’re working on. You’ve only got 30 seconds.

This shouldn’t be just a rhetorical exercise. You should always be able to concisely explain what you’re working on, what’s driving it, how your success is being measured, and how it fits into the big picture.

“Job seeks should also have an elevator pitch. This shouldn’t be a condensed version of your resume, but should rather highlight its most interesting parts along with what you want to do and the impact you know you will have – the benefit to the customer and the company. What can you say that no one else can?

7. Go somewhere new.
Schmidt and Rosenberg say if you have a chance to start your career in a place outside of your comfort zone, you should go for it.

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - St. Augustine

Business, “regardless of size or scope, is permanently global, while humans are naturally provincial.” Don’t get trapped in a bubble where you subconsciously assume that all of your clients and the rest of the industry inhabits the same part of the world as you do.

They recommend taking any opportunities to work abroad at your company while you’re young, and if those opportunities don’t arise, then get an idea of your industry’s presence in other parts of the world whenever you travel. For example, if you’re in media, pick up a newspaper at whatever place you’re visiting and see how they may have been interpreting news differently from where you’re coming from.


8. Find a way to combine passion and contribution.
In her Barnard commencement speech, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said, “It is the ultimate luxury to combine passion and contribution.”

Schmidt and Rosenberg agree that one of your everlasting career goals should be finding a way to not only love what you do, but do something that provides you with a comfortable life and makes an impact on the world.

Of course, the authors understand the difficulty of striking this balance and recommend a measured approach. “Make your five-years-out ideal job closer to your if-only-I-could dream job, yet attainable from your current path,” they write.

Question: If you’re looking for a new job, what piece of advice will you implement?