₦airaland Forum

Borno-born Nigerian journalist, Ahmad Salkida, who has been a go-between in previous Federal Government-Boko Haram negotiations, has argued that the outlawed Islamist sect is not factionalised.

The reporter on self-exile in the United Arab Emirates described the reports of factionalisation of the insurgent group as a “media hype,” adding that the Federal Government negotiated with an “unknown faction.”

Arguing that it was true that Boko Haram was full of “cells and cadres,” he dismissed the insinuation that there is a group of Boko Haram members who do not take orders from their leader, Abubakar Shekau.

Writing on his Twitter page on Tuesday, Salkida described Shekau as the “imam” of the insurgents, noting that if Boko Haram had been factionalised, other imams would have emerged for each of the splinter groups.

He stated that Muhammadu Marwana, who claimed to be an influential member of the Abubakar Shekau-led Boko Haram sect last year, and Danladi Ahmadu, who reportedly led the insurgents’ team for the latest botched negotiation, were fraudulent.

“The media hype now is that Boko Haram is fractured and factionalised and that this new challenge affected the release of hostages and a wider peace settlement.

“Boko Haram has cells and cadres that all operate under one imam, but there are no factions. If there were, another ‘imam’ would have emerged anywhere in West Africa.

“It is unpardonable for such a Jihadi group not to openly have an imam. Therefore, we would have seen a new or another one if a faction exists.

“When you look at history of botched ceasefires, starting from Marwana and now Danladi, none of them denounced Shekau but he (Shekau) dismissed them,” Salkida said.

According to him, assuming there are indeed factions seeking peace, the important thing expected of the Federal Government is to talk “only to” those that have hostages and seized territories rather that those without “deliverables.”

The President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government, he added, must desist from negotiating with the “unknown faction” but set necessary machinery in motion to reclaim territories under Boko Haram control.

Stating that he was not against the ceasefire request of the government, he noted that the military forces must take the anti-terror war to the door-steps of the terrorists considering the realities on the ground.

“Why speak to an unknown faction if they don’t have deliverables? Government must first reclaim territories and take responsibility.

“To fight is better, giving the new realities. It’s pointless for the FG to negotiate from the position of weakness; hence, the inability by Nigerian Army to reclaim lost territories since September.

“When you have lost territories, you can no longer negotiate unless you are ready to let go part of it. Reclaim these areas, then seek a peace settlement. May the Lord help Nigeria,” he added.

He also explained that the majority of the foot soldiers and commanders of Boko Haram were mostly of the Kanuri ethnic stock.

Explaining the rationale behind this, he stated, “This is because it (insurgency) all started there and the sect is deeply rooted in Kanuri land. Kanuri is not the motivation here, it is their interpretation of Islam that is.”

When contacted by our correspondent via an electronic mail to speak on the fate of the abducted Chibok girls in view of the botched ceasefire, he referred him to his Twitter timeline, adding that he had nothing more to say.

“I have said what need to be said regarding this issue. Let us allow posterity to vindicate the claims either by government or some of us,” the terse statement sent by Salkida to our correspondent read.

Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters has kept mum online since the ceasefire agreement collapsed. The DHQ had taken to the social media on October 17 to celebrate the ceasefire which did not last more than 24 hours.

A check on the Twitter page of the DHQ and that of the Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, on Tuesday evening showed that their social accounts had simply gone inactive since then.

However, the development had not deterred online commentators from expressing their views on the controversial ceasefire agreement.

A social commentator, Abdullahi Buhari, stated on Twitter that the “speed” with which the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, and the service chiefs welcomed what he described as the “bogus ceasefire” depicted “war weariness and cowardice.”

“Boko Haram should be the ones celebrating the ceasefire not the military chiefs. What is happening to our military generals?” Buhari asked.


http://www.punchng.com/i-punch/fg-negotiated-with-unknown-boko-haram-faction-mediator/

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has accused his predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, of spending N50m on beds in his and his wife’s bedrooms in the newly built Ekiti State Government House.

He claimed in a statement made available to journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday that what was spent on the two bedrooms, their toilets and bathrooms was in the region of N100m.

The statement titled “N3.3bn new Government House Is Fayemi’s Show of Wickedness To Ekiti People,” was signed by his Special Assistant on Information and Social Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka.

But Fayemi, through his media aide, Olayinka Oyebode, said the allegation was more about The Comedy of Errors. He advised Fayose to stop the theatre of absurd.

The statement by Olayinka described the new government house as an act of insensitivity to the plight of Ekiti people, many of whom, could not afford to feed once in a day.

According to the statement, no progressive-minded Ekiti person would see the “out-of-this-world luxury” provided with over N3.3bn borrowed funds for Fayemi, his wife and children and will not weep for the state and its people.

It claimed that the bed on which Fayemi slept before he left government was N30m while that of his wife was over N20m.
The second bedroom


The statement read in part, “Between Fayemi and his wife, what was spent on their bedrooms, toilets and bathrooms will be in the region of N100m.

“How can a responsible government use borrowed funds to provide this kind of luxury for the governor and his family alone in a state where a lot of people cannot afford to feed more than once in a day?

“People should ask the former governor what was really wrong with the abandoned governor’s lodge used by his (Fayemi) predecessors?

“Shouldn’t such funds expended on the hilltop edifice have been used to resuscitate the moribund textile factory in Ado-Ekiti that was turned to lock-up shops to provide employment for our teeming youths?

“Also, was Fayemi living in that manner of opulence before he became governor? Was he sleeping on a body-massaging bed and bathing in an electric-controlled Jacuzzi?

“Here is Fayemi, who could not pay workers salaries, owing them two-month salaries before he left. A Fayemi, who out of sheer wickedness refused to pay pensioners N2.4bn pension and gratuities; N400m workers leave bonus, N700m subventions to parastatals and tertiary institutions and remit N2.4bn four months’ cooperative society’s deductions from workers salaries preferring to use N3.3bn borrowed funds to provide luxury for himself, his wife and children alone.

“This is wickedness!’’

The statement quoted Fayose as being alarmed at the waste of Ekiti resources to provide comfort for a single family out of the thousands of households in the state.

It added, “The governor would have preferred to sell out the property and use the fund to provide basic amenities and employment opportunities for the people.”

The statement also alleged that Fayemi was planning to buy a helicopter if he had returned to office for a second term because the plan was for him “to run government from the comfort of Oke-Ayoba Government House and move from there to anywhere he wanted without the people seeing him.”

It added, “That’s also the reason he (Fayemi) refused to renovate the Governor’s Office, leaving it in a state of disrepair because he knew that he was not going to use the office during his second term.

“Also, contract for the maintenance of the property was already awarded for N150m per annum.

“When we visited the Government House for the first time yesterday, Mr Governor was like; how I wish I can sell off this place or turn it to commercial use? It is simply wicked for a governor to be more interested in this manner of ostentatious comfort at the expense of the people.”

Fayose, according to the statement, wondered “if the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, whom Fayemi and his so-called progressives claimed as their role-model, lived in any government house, much less of building an Emperor-like house for himself.”

“Did the late Adekunle Ajasin build a monarchical government house for himself? Did Baba Lateef Jakande live in any government house? These are great Yoruba sons, who recorded landmark achievements as premier of the old Western Region and governors of Lagos State and the old Ondo State respectively.

“The duo of Ajasin and Jakande were able to impact tremendously on their states because they did not like to waste public funds on the provision of luxury for themselves.”

The statement said that “left for Governor Fayose, he won’t use that aristocratic government house because it is a symbol of oppression in itself.”

The statement added, “He(Fayose) will prefer to live where Ekiti people can easily see him, touch him, eat with him and discuss the progress of the state together.

“But abandoning it would amount to colossal waste of public funds; but Governor Fayose will not hide himself from the masses.”

Fayemi’s media aide, however dismissed the allegation by Fayose, saying “I have taken a guided tour of that place and I don’t think I have seen such an outcry.

“I don’t know where they got their figure from; it sounds absurd. I ‘ll advise them to stop this theatre of absurd. Governance is a serious business and I am appealing to them not to reduce it to a joke.

“They are turning Ekiti into a circus show and they should stop it. It is childish and puerile for them to have come up with that figure. There is nothing ostentatious about Dr. Fayemi’s lifestyle: the lodge is there as a property of the state.

“Whether Fayose stays there or not is his cup of tea. The new government house is a legacy building. Dr. Fayemi did not go with it to Isan-Ekiti; it is for the state. It is not about personal aggrandisement; it is a befitting edifice for the state. Go to other states of the federation and see their government houses. Ekiti state deserves the best.”



http://www.punchng.com/news/fayemi-spent-n50m-on-two-beds-says-fayose/

A chief of the All Progressives Congress, Rotimi Fashakin, said a former Head of State and presidential aspirant, Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) has pledged to serve only one term of four years if he emerged as President in 2015.

Fashakin, who was the national publicity secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, told our correspondent on Sunday that Buhari would do for Nigeria what the late Nelson Mandela did for South Africa.

He said the motive behind Buhari’s fourth shot at the presidency was his desire to rescue Nigeria from corruption, stabilise it and then hand over to a younger person, who has the capacity to lead the country.

He said, “Gen. Muhammadu Buhari would do a term of four years then hand the power over to somebody younger. You can take that to the bank. He is going to be the stabilising factor in Nigeria. Nigeria needs a strong leader like Buhari, who is in the mould of Mandela, who stabilised South Africa.

“That is what Buhari is going to do and four years are enough for him to do that. After stabilising the nation, he will hand over to somebody younger, whom he would have groomed. This is why we are asking Nigerians to give Buhari a chance. He has the capacity, temperament and courage to rescue and stabilise this country. Just four years of Buhari, Nigeria will not remain the same.”

Fashakin added it would be a disservice to the entire nation if Buhari is denied the chance of governing the country in 2015.

He also said there was no doubt that Buhari would defeat President Goodluck Jonathan during the February 14, 2015 presidential election, adding that most of those who voted for Jonathan in 2011 would vote for Buhari in 2015.

Fashakin noted that there was still the possibility of Buhari’s emergence as APC’s consensus presidential candidate.

He said, “In article 20 of the APC constitution, consensus is the most preferred way of choosing our leaders because in consensus all interests are considered. That is democracy. It’s a welcome development that we are working towards a consensus.

“We pray that the best will happen in that scenario so that Nigerians can be given the benefit of enjoying a new lease of life come 2015.”


http://www.punchng.com/politics/buharill-serve-one-term-like-mandela-fashakin/

Ekiti Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Saturday sacked all the Caretaker Chairmen of the 16 Local Government Areas and the 19 newly created Local Council Development Areas in the state.

Also dissolved are all boards of government corporations, agencies and parastatals constituted by the immediate past Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

Fayose, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, directed all the caretaker chairmen to immediately hand over to the Director of Administration of their respective council.

“The dissolution takes immediate effect.

“All the local government and local council development areas’ caretaker chairmen are to hand over to the Directors of Administration of the existing local government areas.

“The Directors of Administration are to take inventory of the property handed over to them,” the statement read.

Caretaker chairmen were in control of the 16 constitutionally recognised LGAs during the administration of Fayemi.

Caretaker committees were also appointed for the 19 LCDAs inaugurated shortly after the June 21 governorship election.

An attempt by the Fayemi to hold council election in the 16 councils on February 4, 2011, was stopped by the state High Court, following a suit filed by the PDP in the state that some of the members of the State Independent Electoral Commission were members of the then ruling party, APC.

Fayemi, who had promised to hold council election before the end of the year was defeated by Fayose in the June 21 election.

Fayose had his inaugural speech on Thursday vowed not to fund the LCDAs with the Federal Allocations for the 16 councils listed in the 1999 Constitution.

He said “Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) clearly spells the authorities and procedures for the creation of local government.

“The sudden and shoddy balkanisation of the existing 16 local government areas by the immediate past administration under the guise of creating local council development areas is being challenged in the court of law.

“Our party considers the hurried creation of the 19 LCDAs, after incumbent (Fayemi) lost the June election, as gratuitous afterthought of a bad loser. It smacks of political subterfuge masterminded in utmost bad faith.

“But at the moment, the matter is sub judice, and as law abiding citizens, our government will not do anything that will render the decision of the court nugatory.

“However, pending the pronouncement of the court, our administration shall be guided by the provisions of Section 3, Part 1, First Schedule of 1999 Constitution on the list of local governments in Nigeria in the allocation of resources to that tier of government.”

Meanwhile, Fayose, has yet to move into the new Government House, Oke Ayoba, Ado-Ekiti, just completed by the immediate past Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

Investigations by SUNDAY PUNCH revealed that Fayose is still governing the state from his campaign office in the Government Reservation Area, Ado-Ekiti.

Fayose had on Tuesday, in a live interview monitored in Ado-Ekiti, invited the prophets in Ekiti, both Islamic and Christian, for the cleansing of the Government House.

Also on Thursday in his inaugural speech, the governor threw open the gates of the government lodge, asking people to go and enjoy themselves there as it was built with their collective wealth.

At a thanksgiving service held the Central Mosque, Ado-Ekiti, on Friday,

Fayose told the congregation that he was not in a hurry to occupy the Government House.

He said, “I am for the masses. I’m not in a hurry to go to the Government House. Those who want to go there can go there and enjoy themselves.

“How will a governor put electricity in his house and the whole town is in darkness,” he queried.

In a related development, Governor Fayose, and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Adewale Omirin, have engaged themselves in war of words over a one-month recess declared by the lawmaker.

Fayose had faulted the recess, saying it was declared in bad faith.

Omirin had in a statement by his media aide, Wole Olujobi, said the recess was to allow possible change of guide by the personnel of the Assembly.

However, in a statement made issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday, the governor said the reason given by the Speaker for his action was a “lame excuse.”

Fayose accused Omirin of making a move to make the present government unpopular among lawmakers, urging him to purge himself of destructive tendencies and chart a new course.

Omirin, however, denied plotting to frustrate Fayose, describing the governor as a “rabble-rouser.”

Speaking through his Special Adviser (Media), Mr. Wole Olujobi, he said the allegations made by the governor against him were baseless.

He said, “They had been busy monitoring constituency projects to ensure their completion for inauguration by the former Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

“Even if Fayemi were still the governor, they would have still gone on the recess.”


http://www.punchng.com/news/fayose-sacks-ekiti-lg-chairmen-boards-shuns-government-house/

AHEAD of the formal declaration of President Goodluck Jonathan for his second term bid, a group under the aegis, the Niger Delta Youth for Jonathan, yesterday submitted a letter to the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, intimating him of their readiness to storm the party’s national Secretariat on Wednesday next week and pick the President’s Expression of interest and nomination forms.

According to the group, President Goodluck was not aware that they were coming to PDP National Secretatiat on Wednesday to pick the expression of interest form for N2 million and Nomination form for N20 million, totally N22 million.

Led by Prince Ebile Dudu, in the letter, the group said, “We the Niger Delta Youth for Jonathan and our sister groups in the five geo-political zones, wish to appreciate your singular and collective support of the National Executive Committee of our great party, Peoples Democratic Party, towards the continuation of the Transformation Agenda of Mr. President, 2015.

“We want to purchase the Expression of Interest form and Nomination form for Mr. President, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, at the National Headquarters of our great party, PDP on Wednesday 22nd October, 2014.”

Explaining the decision to pick the forms on behalf of the president, Mr. Benjamin Egbunike, who is the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the group, told Journalists at the party secretariat that Jonathan was however unaware of the group’s intention to purchase the forms, adding, “We are purchasing the forms for him and we are doing that in the spirit of demonstration that we are solidly behind the president and to also encourage him that he should not be deterred, neither should he be doubtful of the general popularity he has in this country. “

It would be recalled that the National Executive Committee, NEC of PDP at the end of its 66 th meeting held on 18 th September at the NEC hall of the party’s national secretariat endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as the sole Candidate of the party for the February, 2015 Presidential election ahead of the National Convention fixed for December 6 where it would be ratified at Eagle Square, Abuja.

Also yesterday at the Party’s National Secretariat, the Majority Leader of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon. Okpolupm Etteh, picked his expression of Interest and nomination forms to contest the Akwa Ibom State Governorship election, promising to turn the state into what he termed, an industrial haven if elected as governor.

Speaking with Journalists after picking his forms, Etteh who also vowed to bring more progress, growth and prosperity to the people, said that under his administration, industrialisation would be deepened in Akwa Ibom State while it would turn the grassroot into a strong vehicle of economic growth and build human capacity through agriculture and rural development.

The aspirant was represented by the Director-General of his campaign organisation, Hon. Ekere Affia.

Also speaking after collecting his forms, Sir Friday Nwosu, who wants to be the governor of Abia State, said he would run an inclusive government if given the opportunity to serve, just as he stressed that had made a covenant with God to punish him if his heart was found to be with deceit, but on the other hand, make him the next governor of the state if he was found to be with genuine intentions.

Nwosu who noted that he would engender a “serious ethical re-orientation” in Abia State people in order to make those who he said we’re lazy to turn away from indolence, said that while his administration would flush out miscreants, it would pursue functional and qualitative education where scholarship would be awarded to deserving students, adding that he would create one single local government, Ohaneze Local Government, in the state to accommodate Igbo people from other states to give them a sense of belonging.

Also at PDP National Secretariat yesterday to collect their forms were Col. Isa Kontagora (rtd), vying for the governorship seat of Niger State and Hon. Valentine Anyika, who wants to re-contest his present seat of Njikoka/Dunukofia!Anocha Federal Constituency of Anambra State.



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/2015-niger-delta-youths-pick-n22m-forms-jonathan/

Ex-militant and leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, NDPVF, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, hinted at what appeared a spectre of violence Wednesday, with a threat of lawsuit or “self-help” against Lai Mohammed, the spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for claiming he helped transport $9.3 million cash for arms purchase in South Africa.

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES exclusively Wednesday, Mr. Asari said he will adopt a civilised response to Mr. Mohammed by first suing the APC spokesperson for his remarks.

He however warned that should the courts fail to deliver justice, he will resort to self-help by using his hands and any other means to deal with Mr. Mohammed.

“After all the South Africa People have given the names of people on the plane and if by next week we go to court and the court is being manipulated not to give me justice, I will resort to self-help,” he said.

“I have the capacity to resort to self-help. I will not give anybody any apology because if a man has mouth to malign me then I can use what I have to fight for myself.”

Asked to clarify on the nature of self-help, the NDPVF leader said, “When the time comes you will know. The man doesn’t have the right to malign me. If a man has the right to use his mouth and hand to malign me and libel people, and any other man has the right to use his hand and any other means to get justice.”

Mr. Asari’s threat followed unsubstantiated claim by the APC listing him as one of two Nigerians who travelled alongside an Israeli, with $9.3m cash, for arms purchase in South Africa.

The South African government confiscated the huge sum as “proceeds of illegal transaction”, saying it was not declared at the airport.

Authorities there, like the Nigerian government, have refused to release the names of the two Nigerians who took part in the failed deal.

In an earlier press release, the APC spokesperson, Mr. Mohammed, quoting reports by some blogs, alleged that Mr. Asari was one of the unidentified Nigerians on the private jet that ferried the cash to South Africa.

Mr. Asari denies being part of the trip.

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES, the former militant leader said he had not been to South Africa since 2002, and challenged journalists to confirm with that country’s embassy in Nigerian if he was granted visa to travel.
He said he was being targeted because of his support for President Goodluck Jonathan to secure a second term in office.

“So the onus of proof is on him. I will fight him with any means available to me. He manufactured a lie against me, and he orchestrated it,” he said. “If they want to win an election they should go and face Goodluck and win election not to pull down GEJ supporters.”

The NDPVF leader said his traducers failed last year to silence him after they alleged that he was a sponsor of the Boko Haram sect.

He claimed his critics went to Cotonou, the Benin Republic capital, and sent reports to INTERPOL alleging that he was a leader and sponsor of the sect.

“They failed last year in November. I went to the SSS on my own. The next one (they said) I’m in South Africa for arms and for money laundering which are international crimes. After that they brought Rex (his younger brother) picture and immediately they transformed Rex to Mohammed Yusuf with Ayo Oritsejafor and that we are there together,” he said.

“How long will they continue to malign me? Whatever means I have to reclaim my name and stop them from disturbing me. Anything that will redeem my name, I will do it.”

He also lambasted a former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari for showing interest in the 2015 presidential race.

Mr. Dokubo-Asari, who spoke to this newspaper few hours after Mr. Buhari formally signified his intention to contest the presidential election on the ticket of APC, said the former head of state who had contested for the position on three previous occasions, would fail in his fresh bid and would be disgraced.

“Buhari declared for presidency, he will fail as he always fails, this time he will fail more. He has always been disgraced,” he said.

Mr. Dokubo-Asari, a die-hard supporter of President Goodluck Jonathan, alleged that the former head of state stage-managed the assassination attempt on him (Buhari) last August, asking, “Someone who has staged-managed an assassination on his life what else can he not do?”

He regretted that because of the incident, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, demanded his (Dokubo-Asari) arrest even though he was not in any way involved in the incident.

According to him, it was even more painful that the Speaker never called for the arrest of prominent northerners who had at different times made inflammatory remarks about the nation.

He added, “Buhari staged-managed an assassination attempt that killed over 100 people in Kaduna after that they produced somebody. Anyone who has been involved in the military activities will know when something is stage managed.

“His own story indicted him and roped him in. In any civilised country, he will be arrested. He said the bombers chased him until they rammed into his car instead of his car to be badly damaged it was people farthest away from the bomb that died or had more damages. Buhari came down.

“Anyone who knows the story of bomb blast, anybody at the vicinity of a blast will be evacuated because there might be a secondary explosion and the second explosions can be more deadly. And Buhari came down in his immaculate white. He was not afraid. Suddenly, somebody just appeared and said they caught the person that planted the bomb and he said it was Asari that sent me (and that) he gave us N5million. Where are the rest four people?”


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/169652-exclusive-dokubo-asari-threatens-to-go-violent-on-lai-mohammed-over-9-3m-arms-scandal.html

The Senate toughened Nigeria’s response to violence Thursday, approving new sanctions for a range of offences including rape which will now be punished with life imprisonment.

The bill, sponsored by the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, will address some of the evil customs of the society, and would sufficiently protect people from the excesses of “devilish people”, Senate President, David Mark, said.

Lawmakers said the bill seeks to eliminate violence in private and public life.

It specifically prohibits all forms of violence, including physical, sexual, psychological, domestic, harmful traditional practices and discrimination, against persons.

Proponents of the bill argued that the right of persons to freedom and security must be guaranteed.

Sections one and two of the bill increased punishment for rape and other sexual offences.

A person convicted under the section, according to the bill, is liable to imprisonment for life.

However, where the victim is less than 14 years of age, the offender shall be liable to a minimum of 14 years in jail.

“Where the act described under this section is committed by a group of persons, the offence shall be known as gang rape.

“And on conviction the persons shall be liable jointly and severally to a minimum of 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine.

“The court shall also award appropriate compensation to the victim as it may deem fit in the circumstance,” according to the bill.

The bill will require a similar passage by the House of Representatives and the president’s signature to become effective.


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/169628-nigerian-senate-approves-life-imprisonment-for-rapists.html

Buhari meanwhile, yesterday procured the party’s N27.5 million expression of interest and nomination forms at the national secretariat.

Lamenting what the costs of the forms were high, he said that it took the understanding of his bankers in Kaduna and Abuja to raise the money.

“It’s a pity I couldn’t influence this amount to be put down as in the case of ladies and the disabled that intend to participate. I always looked left and right in our meetings but I could not read sympathy, so I kept my trap.

“But I felt heavily sorry for myself because I don’t want to go and ask somebody to pay for my nomination forms, because I always try to pay myself, at least for the nomination.

“N27 million is a big sum, thankfully I have personal relationship with the manager of my bank in Kaduna and early this morning, I put an early call (and) I told him that very soon the forms are coming, so, whether I am on red, or green or even black please honour it, otherwise I may lose the nomination.

“I was about to go to Kaduna this morning and I told the Chairman (John Odigie-Oyegun) but he said in that case, you better pick your form and keep a straight face. That means there is no excuse,” Buhari said.

Responding after handing over the forms to Buhari, the national chairman of the party, Chief Odigie-Oyegun explained that the N27.5m was carefully chosen to “separate men from the boys”.

“Let me say that the N27.5m is to separate the men from the boys. It is quite clear. We know you. I don’t expect you have N27m under your bed. But I expected that there are Nigerians who will vouch for you any day and who are ready to stand for you any day and that is the result that we have obtained today”, he said.

The chairman who expressed satisfaction over the turnout that greeted Buhari’s presidential declaration at Eagles Square in Abuja on Wednesday further stated that APC’s train was already on its way to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa.

Odigie-Oyegun also yesterday said the party would not be averse to the emergence of a consensus candidate should all the presidential aspirants in the party agree to it. He nevertheless stated the readiness of the party to conduct free and fair primaries that would be acceptable to all.

He said: “I want to congratulate you again on the great event that I watched very avidly on television yesterday. It was good for you but it was good for me and the party. I watched it and I knew the entire nation was watching. And I knew inside me what they would be saying. Yes, truly, APC has arrived. These people mean business. Yes, we are going to have quite a few aspirants and we are very glad at the level of display that one by one, they are putting up. It’s a clear indication of the quality in APC.

”It is a clear indication of the quality of leadership that we are offering the nation. “All the people being presented by the APC, there is not one to my mind, so far, who is not eminently qualified to govern this nation and who given even half a chance will not beat anybody PDP can bring to the fore.”


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/jonathan-blasts-buhari-says-buhari-promising/

If you think seasoned actress, Clarion Chukwurah, is going to get tired of stirring up controversies, you may just be joking. Nowadays, the woman is not afraid of making hard comments on various issues.

This time, she is taking on Nigerian entertainers crossing into politics, whose number seems to be growing everyday – from Kate Henshaw to Tony Tetuila and others.

In an interview with our correspondent, the actress describes the rush, especially by Nollywood practitioners, to join partisan politics as sheer hypocrisy. According to her, some artistes want to go into politics because they are not getting much money from their vocations.

She says, “The motive of those who are embracing partisan politics is purely monetary. Let us call a spade a spade. If you tell me that you want to go into politics to serve the people, I would want to look at your record first.

“I want to see what you have done to better the lives of the people in your immediate community. How many boreholes have you sunk in the community? How many hours of community service have you given for free over the last four or five years? How well are you known as somebody who yearns for improvement in social development?”

Interestingly, however, the award-winning diva has indicated that she wants to change the face of the Actors Guild of Nigeria and by implication, Nollywood, if given the opportunity.

The actress, who seems to be waiting for the right time to unleash her agenda, says Nigerian actors and actresses deserve a better deal than they are getting, in terms of welfare.

She notes that the only way this can be achieved is by establishing a structure that will ultimately benefit all stakeholders in the film industry.

However, some reports published online and posted in some popular blogs have recently portrayed Chukwurah as a thorn in the flesh of the current leadership of the guild. She was reported to have severely criticised the latter for not living up to the expectations of the members.

The reports also hinted that the actress might be aiming at the highest position in the guild. Confirming this, she says, “I said earlier that I wanted to take charge of the AGN because I saw that those who were running the body lacked the experience necessary to turn it around and to change the face of the film industry. It was clear that those in charge had not real agenda for the guild and they didn’t know what to do to turn it around.

“Also, I observed that some people already felt that being in charge was the same thing as being in a position to hobnob with top politicians in the corridors of power and to get money from various interest groups in the country. And there was so much desperation on the part of the leadership of the guild to hold on to power because they see their position as a platform to make money.”

Chukwurah maintains that those in charge of the body have not been managing its affairs properly because they have been too busy creating divisions among the members for selfish purposes.

She says, “We are not getting good results and this is why I think we do not have the kind of leaders that can serve and protect the interests of members of the Guild. There is a need for the AGN to enhance the careers of its members, through its operations, in such a way that everybody and the guild itself will benefit. Yet, none of those running the body seems to be thinking of this.

“The AGN can only get stronger if it protects the interests of practitioners, This can only happen through commerce driven alliances with user groups, not by engaging in politics of division.”

She also complains that many Nollywood actors have not been getting paid by advertising companies, fashion magazines, online portals and other organisations, that publish their photographs or use any part of their works for commercial purposes.

Frowning at this practice, she says, “In Hollywood, you don’t just post the picture of a star actor or actress on your blog. Some popular bloggers are doing that in this country and walking away with a lot of money. You don’t organise award events, such as the Nollywood Movie Awards, without paying for using the name ‘Nollywood’. Since the word ‘Nollywood’ is a trade mark for the Nigerian film industry, you have to obtain a licence before you can use it.”


http://www.punchng.com/entertainment/e-punch/artistes-going-into-politics-for-money-chukwurah/

If you think seasoned actress, Clarion Chukwurah, is going to get tired of stirring up controversies, you may just be joking. Nowadays, the woman is not afraid of making hard comments on various issues.

This time, she is taking on Nigerian entertainers crossing into politics, whose number seems to be growing everyday – from Kate Henshaw to Tony Tetuila and others.

In an interview with our correspondent, the actress describes the rush, especially by Nollywood practitioners, to join partisan politics as sheer hypocrisy. According to her, some artistes want to go into politics because they are not getting much money from their vocations.

She says, “The motive of those who are embracing partisan politics is purely monetary. Let us call a spade a spade. If you tell me that you want to go into politics to serve the people, I would want to look at your record first.

“I want to see what you have done to better the lives of the people in your immediate community. How many boreholes have you sunk in the community? How many hours of community service have you given for free over the last four or five years? How well are you known as somebody who yearns for improvement in social development?”

Interestingly, however, the award-winning diva has indicated that she wants to change the face of the Actors Guild of Nigeria and by implication, Nollywood, if given the opportunity.

The actress, who seems to be waiting for the right time to unleash her agenda, says Nigerian actors and actresses deserve a better deal than they are getting, in terms of welfare.

She notes that the only way this can be achieved is by establishing a structure that will ultimately benefit all stakeholders in the film industry.

However, some reports published online and posted in some popular blogs have recently portrayed Chukwurah as a thorn in the flesh of the current leadership of the guild. She was reported to have severely criticised the latter for not living up to the expectations of the members.

The reports also hinted that the actress might be aiming at the highest position in the guild. Confirming this, she says, “I said earlier that I wanted to take charge of the AGN because I saw that those who were running the body lacked the experience necessary to turn it around and to change the face of the film industry. It was clear that those in charge had not real agenda for the guild and they didn’t know what to do to turn it around.

“Also, I observed that some people already felt that being in charge was the same thing as being in a position to hobnob with top politicians in the corridors of power and to get money from various interest groups in the country. And there was so much desperation on the part of the leadership of the guild to hold on to power because they see their position as a platform to make money.”

Chukwurah maintains that those in charge of the body have not been managing its affairs properly because they have been too busy creating divisions among the members for selfish purposes.

She says, “We are not getting good results and this is why I think we do not have the kind of leaders that can serve and protect the interests of members of the Guild. There is a need for the AGN to enhance the careers of its members, through its operations, in such a way that everybody and the guild itself will benefit. Yet, none of those running the body seems to be thinking of this.

“The AGN can only get stronger if it protects the interests of practitioners, This can only happen through commerce driven alliances with user groups, not by engaging in politics of division.”

She also complains that many Nollywood actors have not been getting paid by advertising companies, fashion magazines, online portals and other organisations, that publish their photographs or use any part of their works for commercial purposes.

Frowning at this practice, she says, “In Hollywood, you don’t just post the picture of a star actor or actress on your blog. Some popular bloggers are doing that in this country and walking away with a lot of money. You don’t organise award events, such as the Nollywood Movie Awards, without paying for using the name ‘Nollywood’. Since the word ‘Nollywood’ is a trade mark for the Nigerian film industry, you have to obtain a licence before you can use it.”


http://www.punchng.com/entertainment/e-punch/artistes-going-into-politics-for-money-chukwurah/

Despite growing domestic gas demand in the country, oil companies in the first half of the year flared a quantum of natural gas capable of generating 100,000 megawatts of electricity.

According to data from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, about 198 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas was flared from January to June.

The companies, which include international oil companies and indigenous players, burnt 43.7 billion scf in January (19.17 per cent of production), 50.1 billion scf in February (23.20 per cent of production) and 38.3 billion scf in March (17.77 per cent of output).

In April, 22.3 billion scf of gas was flared, 19.7 billion scf in May and 23bn scf was wasted in June.

“This amount of gas flared in just six months can generate about 100,000 megawatts of electricity, more than double our current generation capacity,” an industry expert told our correspondent.

Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer and largest holder of natural gas reserves on the continent, is home to the world’s ninth biggest gas reserves, with about 187 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves and 600 Tcf of unproven gas reserves.

But low investment in gas infrastructure over the years has continued to hamper the harnessing of the huge natural gas reserves in the country for domestic consumption, particularly for power generation.

The International Energy Agency in its special report ‘Africa Energy Outlook’, released this week, noted that Nigeria’s Gas Master Plan detailed the aim to increase domestic supply and to bring in new pricing and policy regulations, and provide a blueprint for gas infrastructure.

It said the strategy was to anchor gas supply around “gas to power” in the immediate term while also developing a broader agenda for gas to support industrialisation and provide gas for export.

“Not all of the elements required to underpin the objectives of the master plan are yet in place, such as the necessary gas and electricity pricing mechanisms and appropriate upstream incentives,” the IEA said.

It further said that a critical uncertainty for Nigeria’s gas supply outlook was its ability to stimulate significant production of non-associated gas.

“Huge resources exist, sufficient to cover both domestic demand and exports. Production of non-associated gas increases in our projection period, but it is gradual. Exploiting this resource requires a change in focus by the upstream sector and, importantly, the government to establish a framework to incentivise the necessary large-scale capital investment.”

This will require a stable, attractive investment environment generally and the development of a bankable commercial structure in Nigeria’s gas sector which includes price reforms, improvements in regulatory arrangements, a redefinition of the role of public companies in the gas sector and an alternative to the current Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation joint venture financing model, the IEA said.

Shell Petroleum Development Company had recently said that joint venture funding challenges had resulted in delays to some gas-gathering projects, adding that two of these projects, which were expected to gather an additional 35 percent of associated gas by 2014-15, are likely to be delayed.

The oil major, in a briefing note, said it reduced flaring volume from its facilities by about 75 per cent between 2003 and 2012 and flaring intensity (the amount of gas flared per barrel of oil produced) by around 60 per cent over the same period.

The delay in building the seventh train has cost Nigeria $2.5bn per year due to revenue from LNG export, as well as the opportunity to further reduce gas flared from oil fields in the Niger Delta, according to Platts.

The Nigeria LNG said it was already losing global market share due to the delay in expanding the plant’s output from 22 million metric tonne per annum to 30mpta.

The managing director, NLNG, Mr. Babs Omotowa, was quoted by Platts to have said the company was concerned that the non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill could hinder expansion at the six-train LNG plant despite having already signed agreements with potential buyers in Japan, China, India and Malaysia.

“The long deliberations onthe passage of the PIB have put much of the investments in oil and gas on hold because of a lack of clarity around the policy direction of the government,” Omotowa said. “This development may impact on gas supplies to feed additional trains,” he added.

Industry analysts and stakeholders have stressed that the vast gas reserves in the country can underpin economic growth and diversification to Nigeria through more power generation, more gas-based industrial activities such as fertiliser plants to boost agriculture, petrochemical industries and also high-value exports.

“Passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill is strongly supported as it will ensure the proper regulation and administration of the petroleum industry towards effective and efficient production and supply of petroleum resources including natural gas,” the chairman and chief executive officer of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr. Sam Amadi, said at a recent event.


http://www.punchng.com/business/energy/flared-gas-can-generate-100000mw-of-electricity-expert/

Again, coach Stephen Keshi has said that he has several countries waiting to hire him should he be asked to quit by Nigeria.

Keshi has come under heavy criticisms as his team have recorded a mere point from an available nine in the AFCON 2015 qualifiers.

The former Eagles captain, who is on the job without a contract, told AfricanFootball.com, “It’s not about the game, it’s about other personal stuff. So, if tomorrow they say Keshi leave, there is no shaking because other two, three countries are waiting (for me).

“My job is about hire and fire.

“Right now I have been to other places I have coached before I have not been fired. If it comes down to Nigeria, I have been here before, qualified Nigeria for 2002 World Cup with Amodu Shaibu, we were asked to leave.”

Keshi has also handled Togo and Mali.

And recently his agent claimed oil-rich Gabon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea have tabled offers for him. The Nigerian coach has said many times that he had offers and Nigerians are bewildered why he has not taken any of the several offers rather than hanging on with the Nigerian team without a contract.


http://www.punchng.com/sports/keshi-says-countries-waiting-to-hire-him/

The designer of the Nigerian flag, Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi, who was recently honoured by the government with the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) has expressed bitterness at the long years of neglect by previous regimes in Nigeria.

Many thought that the old man should be basking in the euphoria of his recent recognition, he, however said, that the award meant nothing to him because, to him, the award came at a time he had already spent his useful days in penury.

When the octogenarian was visited at his residence in Ibadan, it was discovered that due to old age, his speech has become so incomprehensible.

According to him, he cannot understand why the award was given to him now because he had already spent his active years in poverty in the same country he designed the flag for.

It can be recalled that apart from the national honours award, he was also appointed as special assistant to presidents of the Federal Republic for life even though he would not be operating from an office, but entitled to a monthly salary until his death.

When this father of four, now in his old age, was asked what he wished for Nigeria at 54, he simply said, “As far as independence is concerned, I wish all and sundry well in our interactions among ourselves and among various groups in the country”.

Akinremi, the first child of the octogenarian, who was with him when at his three-bed room bungalow along Samadex area, off Iwo Road, Monatan, Ibadan said his siblings were always around to take care of their father.

He said that the old man had lost his memory which informed why the award and appointment meant nothing to him. According to him, the old man had been cheated for a long time, especially when one considers the fact that he is just remembered for what he did for the country after almost 55 years. “We only thank God for the grace He has given to our father to be alive to witness the occasion, even though, as far as he’s concerned, the whole thing has no meaning to him which was reflected in the way and manner he was responding to your questions the other time”, he said.

Akinremi, who holds a National Diploma in Building Technology, was bitter at the neglect his father had suffered over the years. He expressed pessimism on the gesture of the federal government saying the promises made by the government may end up as mere empty promises.

He based his fear on the fact that since the funfare that accompanied the award and appointment in Abuja, no concrete step had been taken on the part of the government to show sincerity and commitment towards actualising the promise.

Akinremi said, “Such steps should include provision of security for the old man, means of mobility and other things that commensurate with his new appointment if truly the government is committed and sincere”, he said.

He used the opportunity to debunk the claim that the bungalow was built for the man by a previous administration in the state, saying, “Nobody bult the house for us. There was a time I and my siblings went with our father to Who Wants To Be A Millionaire on NTA in Lagos.

“It was at that programme that our father won N2m with which this house was bought and renovated. So, if anybody is saying a particular government built it for us, I say emphatically no”, he stated.

Akinremi charged the reporter to help drum it in the hearing of the government not to make an empty promise to the old man, but, to ensure that, “The decision to give appointment to the old man is implemented to the letter so that his efforts would not be in vain”, he said.




http://aitonline.tv/post-national_award_means_nothing_to_me_at_this_age_____pa_akinkunmi

At least 11 people lost their lives while several others sustained varying degrees of burns after a tanker laden with petrol burst in flames around Molete Market, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

An employee of the Nigerian Tribune, Mr. Samson Oyewole, and an eight year-old girl were among the victims of the fire which burnt 45 shops at the market on Saturday night.

Although Oyewole was fortunate not to have died, eyewitnesses told PUNCH Metro learnt that the death toll could be as high as 15. It was the second major fire incident in the city in two months, with Alesinloye Market fire, being the first on August 16.

When our correspondent visited the scene on Sunday morning, the police and other security agents in large numbers were seen restoring order while men of the Oyo State Fire Service Department were trying to evacuate the fallen tanker and other vehicles affected.

Eyewitnesses said the Saturday fire started when a truck carrying fuel fell at the busy Molete roundabout, burst in flames, consuming 13 vehicles, three houses, seven commercial motorcycles, three commercial tricycles and goods worth millions of naira. Most of the deaths recorded were roadside traders.

Public Relations Officer, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Ayodeji Bobade, told our correspondent that apart from the eight-year-old girl that was rushed to the hospital, having suffered a high degree of burns, six other males and four females were also brought to the teaching hospital late on Saturday in severe condition, with one of them confirmed dead.

He said, “Eleven people were brought here with a girl, all suffering from severe burns. One of them died over night while others are receiving treatment at the burns unit of the hospital.”

The Iyaloja of Molete Market, Alhaja Iswat Oyinlola, told our correspondent that but for the river behind the market, which absolved more than half of the fuel that spilled from the tanker, more deaths would have been recorded.

She said, “I was already at home around 10pm when I got the message that a petrol tanker fell at Molete roundabout and spilled its content, causing a huge fire. By the time I got to the market, the fire had spread. If not for the river behind the market, the fuel would have flooded the whole neighbourhood and caused more death because it happened when many people were retiring to their beds.

“I discovered that 13 vehicles, seven commercial motorcycles and three commercial tricycles were burnt, 10 people were killed and 45 shops were affected. We don’t know the actual number of those who died in the inferno but from the list I have with me, 10 people were confirmed dead. Others were taken to the hospital.”

Oyinlola added that Governor Abiola Ajimobi was at the scene early in the morning where he expressed sympathy at the huge loss.

While blaming commercial bus drivers at the scene of the tragedy for the accident, Oyinlola called on the police to enforce traffic law in the area.

“Commercial bus drivers who have turned the roundabout to their park, thereby causing huge traffic around the area, caused the accident. From what I learnt, the truck was unable to negotiate the bend smoothly, and because it had a full load of fuel in its tanker, it lost control and fell.

“We appeal to the police to do their work without sentiment. They should ensure that the drivers don’t pick up their passengers by the roundabout. This will ease the traffic around the area and avert disaster.”

Among the dead was a man who was caught in the fire after leaving a drug store overlooking the overhead bridge. The owner of the pharmacy store, Chigozie Eze, narrated how he lost everything to the fire.

He said, “The driver was trying to steer the vehicle away from a pothole at the roundabout and at the same time making attempts not to collide with the commercial busses at the area when it fell. The content spilled and exploded. My brother and another person escaped through the back door but we lost everything.

“I had more than N400,000 in the shop but it was burnt to ashes. A customer who just bought drugs was caught in the fire, he died immediately. I don’t know where to start again.”

Mr. Ahmed Adeoye, who said he had a store full of building materials and house accessories in the market, said he suffered a huge loss. He said many of the people who died were roadside traders who refused to obey the government order.

“The fire gutted everything I had in my shop including money. I cannot quantify the amount I lost accurately but it is over N2m. Thank God no one sustained injury in my shop but many roadside traders lost their lives and goods in the fire. I counted about 15 bodies very late in the night when the fire subsided.”


http://www.punchng.com/news/11-killed-others-injured-in-ibadan-market-fire/

AN Irish high court has granted a Nigerian migrant the right to apply for political asylum in the country after he successfully appealed an earlier decision arguing that he faced persecution if he returned back home due to his sexual orientation.



Earlier this year, Ireland's Refugee Appeals Tribunal had denied the unnamed 37-year old gay Nigerian the right to asylum. He subsequently took the matter to court, arguing he had been treated unfairly and Mr Justice Anthony Barr agreed with him, ruling that the Refugee Appeals Tribunal failed in its duty to give a reasoned and rational decision.



In his original submission, the Nigerian had claimed that he was beaten and left for dead after a security guard discovered him and another man having sex in a van in Nigeria in 2004. He added that he was attacked again in 2007, when his boyfriend's family found out about their relationship.



After being beaten up, he spent 12 days in hospital and was subsequently given money by a gay friend to escape to Ireland. Once in Ireland, his claim for refugee status was turned down, with the Refugee Appeals Tribunal ruling that despite being a gay man he could have safely relocated within Nigeria.



However, that ruling has now been quashed by the high court, which has found the tribunal ignored evidence in reports about how homosexuals are treated in Nigeria. Mr Justice Barr has sent the case back to the Refugee Appeals Tribunal for further consideration.



On January 7 this year, President Jonathan signed Nigeria's Draconian Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Bill which penalises homosexuals with 14 years imprisonment, into law. Once the law came into effect, the police swung into action arresting lesbians and gays across Nigeria, while homophobic vigilante groups also stepped up attacks on suspected victims.



International human rights groups condemned the homophobic law, saying it breached tolerance for alternative lifestyles. Navi Pillay, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights added that it not only breaches Nigeria's constitution but also ran contrary to international law.



Ms Pillay said: "I’m concerned with the implication of the recently-passed Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act. In addition to the violation of fundamental human rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, it is also a violation of the African Charter and the Nigerian constitution itself.



"It may have negative consequences for public health in Nigeria. It may deter lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and trans-gender (LGBT) persons from taking up HIV education, prevention treatment and care services and also hinder the ability of government as well as civil society and religious groups from implementing such services."



Even the pope has tried to intervene to get the government to relent its tough stance, with Pope Benedict I raising the matter in a meeting he had with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Vatican. However, the Nigerian government has argued that the anti-gay act is aimed at discouraging same-sex marriages, which is a reflection of the overwhelming beliefs and cultural values of Nigerians, as a 2013 opinion poll showed that 92% of the population rejected same-sex marriages.



http://www.nigerianwatch.com/news/5448-irish-high-court-grants-gay-nigerian-refugee-the-right-to-apply-for-political-asylum

Teenage Swazi girls will be paid R200 a month by King Mswati’s government if they abstain from sex.

World Bank money will finance the programme that is intended to reduce HIV transmission in an impoverished country with the world’s highest HIV prevalence rate.

“The government will pay girls the allowances so they will have money to purchase necessities and can turn down money offered to them for sex,” said Thabsile Dlamini, a health care worker in Manzini.

The deputy prime minister’s office will administer the payouts.

A pilot programme will be conducted to test the effectiveness of weaning teen girls from older “sugar daddies” who offer money in exchange for sexual favours.

Details have to be worked out such as how the girls will be monitored to ensure they are not having sex.

A source with the royal family denied that the financial payouts to girls to avoid sex were designed to ensure an HIV-free population of Swazi virgins who could be King Mswati’s future wives.

The polygamous king has 15 wives and selects teenage girls as his new brides, often at the annual Reed Dance at which up to 70 000 girls dance semi-naked before the royal viewing box.

Studies have found that among the general Swazi population girls and young women aged 18 to 24 are most at risk of becoming infected with HIV. Poverty and lack of female empowerment in the traditional society are cited as reasons for girls’ vulnerability to the sexually-transmitted diseases.

The National Emergency Response Council on HIV and Aids, a government department tasked with co-ordinating Swaziland’s Aids response, has issued statements in the local media citing the need for initiatives to discourage girls from having sex because of economic need.

Seventy percent of Swazis live in absolute poverty. Pubescent Swazi girls often turn to benefactors to purchase basic items like sanitary pads.

The National Emergency Response Council on HIV and Aids said World Bank money had been used to adjust the behaviour of teenage girls in other African countries, although those programmes focused on the girls’ school attendance.

One teenager in Manzini, Zodwa Fakudze, 16, said R200 was not sufficient to discourage girls from accepting gifts from older men to have sex.

“Today’s girls need things, like airtime for our cellphones. R200 is not enough. That is how much government gives my gogo (grandmother) each month and she will never get Aids because no one over (the age of) 40 has to have sex,” she said.

Another girl, Thandi Tfwala, 17, a Manzini high school pupil, noted, “A girl could get R200 for just one sex act. Government must pay more.”

When told the allowance was not intended to put a price on sexual activity but to help make girls independent of the need to take gifts and thus be better able to safeguard their health, she said: “You don’t know Swazi girls. If they don’t get more money they will keep on doing what they do now, even the Christian girls. Our king will have to go to Cape Town for his brides.”


http://aitonline.tv/post-south_african_government_to_pay_all_virgins_r200_every_month_in_bid_to_fight_hiv

I saw this on my Facebook timeline and decided to bring it to the house. So many diverse but interesting responses, so, what is your take on this?

A white lesbian mother is suing a Chicago sperm bank after she claims she was mistakenly sent a black man's sperm and gave birth to a mixed-race daughter.

Jennifer Cramblett, 36, claims the mistake has caused her stress and anguish because her family is racist and she lives in a small, all-white Union town in northeast Ohio.

In a lawsuit filed this week in Cook County, Illinois, Ms Cramblett says Midwest Sperm Bank sent her several vials of a black man's sperm by mistake because the clinic keeps paper records and accidentally transposed numbers on her order.

The couple had specifically chosen a white donor to be the father of their child.

Midwest Sperm Bank charged $400 per vial of semen and Ms Cramblett and her partner received six vials of the wrong semen.

The lawsuit says the clinic later sent Ms Cramblett an apology note and a refund for the six vials - though charged her for the vials of the correct semen she received.

Ms Cramblett she has 'limited cultural competency relative to African-Americans' and worries that her daughter Payton will not be accepted in her hometown of Uniontown.

'Jennifer lives each day with fears, anxieties and uncertainty about her future and Payton's future,' according to the lawsuit.

Ms Cramblett, the assistant manager of an AT&T store, said she and her partner Amanda Zinkon love their daughter, who is now two years old, but say they must now consider moving to a more diverse community.

Ms Cramblett says in her lawsuit that much of her family is racist and that one uncle openly makes racist comments.

Even simple tasks have become more complicated because Payton is mixed-race, the lawsuit says.

'Payton has hair typical of an African American girl. To get a decent cut, Jennifer must travel to a black neighborhood, far from where she lives, where she is obviously different in appearance, and not overtly welcome,' according to the lawsuit.

Ms Cramblett says she grew up in Scio, Ohio - population 762 - and didn't meet a black person until she attended college. She currently lives in Uniontown, population 2,802, and fears Payton will be the only non-white child in class when the time comes for her to attend school.

Ms Cramblett says her family has difficulty accepting the fact that she is gay and encourage her to hide her sexual orientation when she is around them.

She says no matter what she does, Payton cannot hide her race - nor should she have to.

Ms Cramblett is alleging breach of warranty and wrongful birth. Midwest Sperm Bank would not comment on the case.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2776489/White-lesbian-mother-sues-sperm-bank-gave-birth-mixed-race-baby-sent-black-man-s-sperm.html

Two Senior Advocates of Nigeria- Norrisom Quakers and M.J. Onigbanjo- have dragged the Peoples Democratic Party and Ekiti State-governor-elect, Ayodele Fayose, to the National Human Rights Commission over alleged violation of their rights to practise as lawyers.

In a petition dated September 29 and jointly signed by them, they claimed that the September 22 and 25 attacks on the Ekiti High Court by some suspected political thugs constituted threats to their lives.

Quakers and Onigbanjo, who are the lawyers to the litigants challenging Fayose’s eligibility to contest in the June 21 governorship election, addressed their petition to the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Prof. Bem Angwe.

The National Judicial Council had at its emergency meeting on September 16 asked the Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abbah,to investigate the attacks on the court and prosecute those behind it.

The Nigerian Bar Association had also said it would send an investigative team to the state to unravel those behind the incident and bring them to justice.

In their petition, Quakers and Onigbanjo urged the rights commission to use its wherewithal to investigate the attacks on the court.

They said the NHRC should unearth “those behind this shameful display of banditry and gross violation of human rights with a view to prosecuting and bringing them to justice.”

The petitioners accused the PDP of organising the political thugs that invaded the high court premises on September 22 and attacked Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi.

The attackers reportedly regrouped on September 25 to disrupt the hearing of a petition challenging the election of Fayose.

Quakers and Onigbanjo described the September 22 incident as “barbaric and barefaced violation of the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the claimants (litigants), claimants’ counsel, the judge and other officers of the court by thugs who were organised by the PDP.”

Part of the petition reads, “We are therefore apprehensive for our safety and that of our legal team’s lives, the dignity of our human persons, our right to practise our profession and our clients’ rights as citizens of Nigeria to seek redress in the court of law.

“All the foregoing rights mentioned above clearly violated by the instigated mob, whose objectives included ensuring that the court did not deliver its scheduled ruling at 12 noon and or conduct any other business thereafter and to bully, intimidate and instill fear in the court in an attempt to obstruct justice to the point where the court would be too apprehensive to subsequently hear the case prior to the swearing in of Fayose on October 16,2014.

“Should this unfortunate display of desecration of the hallowed temple of justice which is supposed to the last hope of the common man be allowed to persist unprosecuted, we all would be recorded for posterity as the people who sat with arms folded while miscreants and hooligans took over and controlled the administration of justice and overall balance of the society.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/ekiti-sans-drag-fayose-pdp-to-nhrc/

The nation has witnessed an upsurge in retail malls in recent times but industry watchers say the development has its limitations, MAUREEN IHUA-MADUENYI writes

With a growing middle class, rising economic prosperity and changing demographics, retail malls are daily springing up in major cities across the country.

The retail and wholesale trade sector, according to economists, is a leading sector of the nation’s economy and the second largest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product at 17 per cent per annum.

But there are also concerns that with the estimated 200,000 square metres of retail mall space expected in the next two years, the economy may be exposed to low value addition as well as loss of jobs, especially among start-ups.

According to the Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Muda Yusuf, the agriculture sector, with 22 per cent contribution to GDP, is the only one above the retail and wholesale trade sector; but while shopping malls are indicative of the enormity of the opportunities that exist in the consumer product sector, they could have little multiplier effect on the economy.

Yusuf said, “The major limitation of the sector is the low local value addition and weak multiplier impact on the economy. In virtually every street in the country, including the rural areas, trading activities are preponderant.

“But such malls also pose a major threat to jobs in the retail sector of the economy. The traditional retail outlets or stores cannot stand the competitive strength of the big shopping malls, especially in the cities.

“Traditional retail outlets within three kilometres radius of these shopping malls stand the risk of closing shop because of competitiveness issues.”

Retail centres were prior to the boom considered the exclusive preserve of the rich but in the last few years, with the construction of The Palms and Ikeja City Mall, both in Lagos State, others are springing up in various parts of the country, with international retail stores, including South Africa’s Shoprite, as major tenants and only a handful of local retailers.

“The rapid growth in the number of shopping malls is a reflection of some key features of the Nigerian economy,” Yusuf said.

Wemabod Estates Limited, in partnership with Top Services Limited, a property development and investment company, recently opened the 13,000 square-metre Apapa Mall in Lagos, while other retail malls due for delivery between 2014 and 2016 include the Novare Private Partners of South Africa and RMB Westport 22,000sqm Lekki Mall; the 14,000sqm Osapa Convenience Centre; and the UACN Property Development Company’s 10,000sqm Festival Mall in Festac Town, Lagos.

Others are the Anambra State Government and African Capital Alliance’s 15,000sqm Onitsha Mall; and the Actis and Duval Properties’ 27,000sqm Jabi Lake Mall and Akure Mall, both of which are expected to be completed by 2015.

Abuja is also expected to play host to the 40,000sqm Capital City Mall, a project conceived by the Churchgate Group.

Other big shopping outlets in different parts of the country are the Adeniran Ogunsanya Shopping Mall, which was opened in Lagos a few years ago; the Ado Bayero Mall; the Cocoa Mall, reputed as Oyo State’s largest; Polo Park Mall; Grand Towers Mall and Kwara Mall.

The Chairman, Top Services Limited, developers of the Apapa Mall, Mr. Tokunbo Omisore, said mall development would grow the retail industry positively as it would create opportunities.

He added that it would also create and grow the Small & Medium Enterprises, as dedicated entrepreneurs can develop products branding nationwide and at continental level if well packaged.

“Mall development is one of the essential or should I say necessary tools to develop our retail industry to the height that the Nigerian government targets,” Omisore, an architect, explained.

He, however, said the malls should be affordable so that there would be more local retailers operating from them and the fear of them being counterproductive would be dispelled.

The Deputy President, Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, South, Prince Orimadegun Agboade, however, said there was no cause for alarm yet.

He stated, “As far as I am concerned, it won’t be an issue for us as entrepreneurs; the development will rather enhance SME products if we can improve on the quality and raise them to the standard that the malls will stock, it will be better for us as small businesses than when we sell on the streets.

“We can turn the development into a fortune instead of misfortune by improving on our products to meet standards. If we do, we will be selling at higher prices.”

Yusuf stated that while the malls were sources of Foreign Direct Investment, there should be consideration for development issues in the economy.

He said, “The lesson in development economics is that as we shop for foreign investments, we should worry about the value of jobs, quality jobs, linkages within the economy and inputs from the domestic economy, among others.

“These are the major ways in which foreign direct investments can impact the welfare of the citizens. FDIs should not be ends in themselves; they should be means to an end. These are very important development issues we should worry about in the drive for FDIs.”


http://www.punchng.com/news/growing-number-of-malls-threatens-small-retailers/

Pope Francis on Sunday issued a strong signal of support for reform of the Catholic Church’s approach to marriage, cohabitation and divorce as bishops began a landmark review of teaching on the family.

Opening an extraordinary synod of nearly 200 senior clerics, Francis suggested the Church must address the present gulf between what it currently says on these issues and what tens of millions of believers actually do.

Thorny theological questions such as whether divorced and remarried believers should be able to receive communion will dominate two weeks of closed-door discussions set to pit conservative clerics against reformists led by German cardinal Walter Kasper.

Vatican insiders say Kasper has the backing of Francis but that the pontiff wants consensus for any change.

That stance was reflected in the sermon the pontiff delivered at the synod’s opening mass.

In it, he urged bishops to be generous in understanding the problems faced by ordinary believers trying to live within the rules of the church.

Pointedly, he invoked a passage from the gospel of Matthew which admonishes “evil pastors (who) lay intolerable burdens on the shoulders of others which they themselves do not lift a finger to move”.

He added: “Synod Assemblies are not meant to discuss beautiful and clever ideas, or to see who is more intelligent.

“They are meant to better nurture and tend the Lord’s vineyard…. In this case the Lord is asking us to care for the family.”

Since becoming pontiff just over 18 months ago, Francis has repeatedly urged the church to tend to the “wounds” caused by family breakdown rather than seeking to exclude or judge the many divorced people, cohabiting couples and single mothers within its ranks.

He has underlined that stance by personally marrying couples who had lived together “in sin” prior to their weddings and by baptising a child born to parents married outside of the church.
- Deep divisions –

Francis’s reforming instincts have already been demonstrated in the steps he has taken to overhaul the way the Vatican bank and administration are run and the strong signals he has issued about the determination of the Church to deal with the issue of clerical sex abuse.

But updating the Church’s approach to social issues is seen as a tougher challenge.

Conservatives in the Vatican hierarchy have vowed to fight any dilution of traditional doctrine.

The Church’s view of marriage has come to be seen as outdated by many in a world where, in some developed countries, nearly one in two marriages ends in divorce and where the notion of the institution itself has been challenged by the global trend towards the legalisation of same-sex weddings.

The bishops gathered in Rome are certainly not about to embrace gay marriage, and few Vatican observers expect much, if any, change on questions such as contraception, another area where Catholic teaching contrasts with the daily practice of millions.

- Easier divorce? -

But with Francis on the side of reform, the feeling is that the synod process could lead to change when it finally reaches conclusions expected in 2016.

The most notable of these could be a change in the rules to make it possible for Catholics who divorce and then remarry to receive communion.

That has been banned for centuries. But critics say the Church’s stance is hard to defend given that individuals who have declared their repentance from more serious breaches of the Christian code, such as murder, can take communion.

While the Church may not yet be ready to take a step that would amount to a de facto acceptance of divorce in certain circumstances, the discussions could result in steps to make it easier for failed marriages to be annulled.

Another area in which the Church could send out a signal of compassion is by making it clear that priests should be ready to baptise the children of same sex couples, regardless of the doctrinal disapproval of their parents’ union.

Other issues due to be addressed include the role of easily-available pornography in family breakdown and the Church’s attitude to individuals in polygamous unions.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/pope-backs-reform-church-begins-review-family-marriage/

In a chat with Saturday Beats, veteran actor, Baba Suwe, described the late Bamidele Aturu, as his saviour and helper whom God sent to rescue him in his time of need.

Aturu was the lawyer that defended the comic actor when he was accused of smuggling cocaine.

He said, “I could not sign Aturu’s condolence register; it was my child that signed it. Aturu was my saviour, helper and Godsent. Aturu’s death is one of the most painful things to have happened to me.

“He was a very nice person; he was very passionate about me. When the incident happened, he came to meet me and asked me to tell him the truth if I was guilty or innocent and I told him the truth. He then assured me that he would defend me so that I would not go to jail and that’s what he did.”

Although the court vindicated the comic actor and asked that the sum of N25m be paid to him as a form of compensation by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the humour merchant has yet to claim the money because of an appeal filed by the drug agency.

He however told Saturday Beats that he was no longer interested in the money but in a public apology.

“The NDLEA has wronged me and it is meant to find a way to make me happy. It is a slap on my face. I am not agitating for the money; I don’t need it to survive in life. All I want is an apology. If the government can tender an apology to me and publish it in newspapers, I will have peace of mind and be happy,” he said.

There were media reports that Baba Suwe was getting married soon, having lost his wife, Omoladun, a few years back. But when asked, he debunked the rumour.

“It is not true that I am about to get married. Don’t mind those saying it, they are saying rubbish. There is no atom of truth in it. If I would get married, it would not be a secret; everybody would hear about it. I also have it in mind to marry a woman that would love me as well as my children and give me peace of mind,” Baba Suwe said.

He admitted that the cocaine incident affected his work adversely, he said he was making moves to get back strong. Baba Suwe hinted that he was at the final stage of a new comic Yoruba movie he had been working on for a while.


http://www.punchng.com/entertainment/saturday-beats/im-no-longer-interested-in-n25m-compensation-baba-suwe/

A website design should change every two years. This is not because things change so fast online that in order to keep up, you might need to redesign your website.

Unfortunately 72 per cent of corporate websites will receive a failing point if they are analysed. How do you get to be in the 28 per cent that get a business website that passes the grader’s test?

Here are 10 tips to help you

Focus on individual page:

Every page on your website must have a focus and reason. You simply do not add pages because you want to. Your website is designed to serve a particular function and each individual page is to support that flow. When you create pages that do not help you achieve your overall aim, you create point of resistance to your selling process.

Unintelligent use of graphics

Visuals are a compelling part of any website. They help tell your story better and can beautify a webpage. Where it becomes an offence is when you use graphics excessively. This is because most people might access your website using different devices. You want users to have a unified experience so they do not get confused when using your website.

Navigations:

Navigations are meant to help a user to move from one point of the other on the website. Navigation is supposed to be descriptive and not ambiguous. How do you design a navigation that can help your website? You can go about it in two ways. One is to go the advance way by doing some keyword research using the Google analytics tool. The other method is much simplified. Visit your competitor and see how they arrange their navigation.

Readability:

The ability of a user to quickly see the lettering on your website is important to the success of your website. You want to make sure that letterings are eligible and of the right font size. A pension website should give use bigger text on their website while a dating site with emphasis on youth should use smaller texts. Your readability should align with your visitors.

Contact information

Contact information gives credibility and trust to a website. By having your contact information on all your pages, you make it easy for your visitors to trust you. With this information easily available, they know they can call a real person when they need help. Should you put it on all your pages – you might ask? I really think so.

Don’t open internal links in new tab

Internal links are meant to help users move from one point on your website to another. But how should you open an internal link? When you open an internal link in a new tab, the user might feel they have left your site. They will need to double-check to be sure they are still on your website. The only exception to this rule is when you want to open external links. External links should be open in a new tab so that your users still have the opportunity to stay within your site without losing focus.

Speed

Speed is a crucial point of friction in web design. As much as you want all those flashy and animated graphics, you need to realise that not this slows down and increase your page load time. Higher page load time leads to a bad user experience.

Length of page:

Is there an ideal length for a page? No. Your page should contain as much information as is necessary to enable your visitors perform the one main task for that page. It is important to note that your most important information should be above the fold.

Spell check:

Do you ever come across a website and it seems the webmaster forgot about it? That is what happens when you forget to spell-check again and again. Bad grammar and wrong spellings may not be forgiven by some visitors, so it is essential that you visit your website frequently to catch any error that might have escaped your first review. Have a large website? Hire an editor or intern for the job.

Colour of psychology:

Every colour used on your website should have a purpose and should align with the visitors you are targeting. For example using the colour red on your cart might actually increase conversion. This is because red is often associated with urgency so when you used it, you stimulate the desire to make the purchase in your visitors. So also are all other colours you used.

When it comes to designing the next perfect website you need to remember it is all about the user and less about your preference.


http://www.punchng.com/i-punch/things-to-avoid-when-designing-a-website/

Gumsu, daughter of the late maximum ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha, has claimed that Nigerians have been missing her father’s dictatorial leadership.

The late dictator’s daughter stated that she came to this conclusion after having closely monitored people’s comments on the trends of political events via social media.

Writing on her Twitter page, Gumsu claimed that “all of a sudden” she now also misses her late father.

“All of a sudden I miss my late father. And I realise that Nigerians miss his leadership everyday when I read people’s comments on social media.

“Whatever you think remains your opinion. He was a loving and caring father. He had a good heart. He was the best ever.

“Happy 54th Independence Day to all my Nigerian brothers and sisters. We shall keep rising! May our nation’s tomorrow be brighter, stronger, prosperous, and safer,” a series of messages on Gumsu’s Twitter page read


http://www.punchng.com/i-punch/nigerians-are-missing-my-late-father-abachas-daughter/

https://twitter.com/G_sparking/status/512739573802078208

A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has discharged and acquitted a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Vincent Ogbulafor, of the entire 17 counts of fraud relating to contract verification exercise in 2001.

On the other hand, the second accused person, Emeka Ebila, who was then the Secretary of National Economic Intelligence Committee, the body which was tasked with the verification exercise, was convicted and jailed five years for the alleged offences.

The jail terms of five years on each of the counts are to run concurrently.

Ogbulafor was then the Minister of Special Duties supervising the activities of NEIC, which was set up in 2001 for the verification and payment of debts owed to local contractors by the Federal Government.

Justice Ishaq Bello, in his judgment on Thursday, held that from the evidence before the court, there was no nexus between Ogbulafor, who was the Minister of Special Duties when the offences were allegedly committed, and the alleged crimes.

But the judge said Ebila’s confessional statement tendered before the court without any objection from his lawyer, was a corroboration of the allegations leveled against him by the prosecution.

Ebila, whose absence from court on two previous occasions had stalled the delivery of the judgment, was wheeled into the courtroom wearing a neck brace.

The court rejected the plea by Ebila’s counsel, A. A Nwogu, for the sentencing on the account of her client’s ill health. The court said though, the accused could be seen on the wheelchair, there was no medical report disclosing his true state of health before the court.

The accused are being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission for offences they allegedly committed in March 2001.

The PDP chief, who was then the supervising minister of NEIC and Ebila, were alleged to have defrauded the Federal Government to the tune of over N170m through payments to contractors for jobs that were not carried out.
According to the ICPC, the offences committed contravened Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000, among other provisions of the same law.

http://www.punchng.com/news/court-delivering-judgment-in-ogbulafors-contract-fraud-case/

Former Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria and presidential media aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mrs Oluremi Oyo, has died in the United Kingdom, where she was undergoing treatment for cancer.

Her husband, Vincent Oyo, confirmed her death.

Below is a statement issued by her husband on Thursday.

Vincent writes: With gratitude to God for a life well spent, I regret to announce the death of my dear wife, Dame Felicia Oluwaremilekun OYO.

She died peacefully on Wednesday (October 1, 2014) in the United Kingdom, where she was receiving treatment for a cancer related ailment.

Dame Oyo was a seasoned journalist who began her journalism career in 1973 in the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation now known as the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria .

She later joined the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as a Desk Editor in 1981, and left in 1985 as a Principal Editor, the first woman to attain such a high position in the Agency.

After leaving NAN, she joined the Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS) as the Nigerian Bureau Chief. She later became the international news agency’s West African Bureau Chief.

Having first served as Secretary of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Dame Oyo was elected President of the Guild for two consecutive tenures from 1999 to 2003. She was the first woman to be so honoured.

As President of the Guild, she set up a functional secretariat which still exists today at the NAN complex in Iganmu, Lagos. She also ensured capacity building for Editors through regular training which she pioneered for the Guild.

She was appointed Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 and served in that capacity until the end of the President’s tenure in May 2007.

This appointment was also a first as she was the first woman to hold that position in the history of the country.

Dame Oyo was thereafter appointed the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria in July 2007. During her tenure, she improved the fortunes of the Agency and increased its clientele.

A committed and patriotic Nigerian, whose friends cut across the length and breadth of the country, Mrs. Oyo put Nigeria first in her private and official activities.

Born into a Catholic family, Dame Oyo had her primary education at the St. James’ Catholic Primary School in Ilorin, where she grew up. She attended the prestigious St. Louis Girls Secondary School, Bompai, Kano and had her higher education in Lagos and Britain.

A devout Catholic, Dame Oyo was a former Vice Chairperson of the Parish Pastoral Council of SS Joachim and Anne of the Catholic Church, Ijegun, Lagos.

Dame Oyo, who had a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of Canterbury at Kent, also earned a post-graduate Diploma in International Relations from the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos.

In recognition of her patriotism, the former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, appointed her as a member of the Constitution Drafting Committee to craft the constitution that ushered in the present democratic dispensation in 1999.

A recipient of Nigeria’s National honour, the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), Dame Oyo also earned many other awards among which was the National Council of Catholic Women Organisation of Nigeria merit award.

She was Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), and the Nigerian Institute of Public Administrators.

On January 7, 2011, His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI made her a Papal Dame of the Order of St. Gregory the Great.

Dame Oyo and I were blessed with two children, Otome and Okiemuote who are married and have given us beautiful grandchildren.

She was born on October 12, 1952. Members of her family and her large circle of friends and well-wishers were looking forward to her 62nd birthday come October 12.

She is survived by her husband, Vincent, her children, grand-children and siblings – Sunday Oke and Yomi Oke


http://www.punchng.com/news/ex-obasanjo-spokesperson-remi-oyo-dies/

Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have recovered 13.33 kilogrammes of substances that tested for cocaine from two suspected smugglers.

The suspects – Marvin Daniel and Victor Akubuo – were said to have concealed the drugs inside capacitors and perfume bottles before the officials at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport nabbed them.

While Daniel hid 7.58 kilogrammes of the drugs in the capacitors, Akubuo concealed his, weighing 5.75kg, inside perfume bottles.

Our correspondent learnt that the smugglers were arrested with the narcotics, whose street value stood at N119m, during the screening of passengers en route from Dubai.

Twenty nine-year-old Daniel, who hails from Abia State, said it was the get-rich-quick syndrome that pushed him into the act. He said he was surprised that the officials were able to detect the well-packaged drugs.

“I am searching for a business breakthrough when my friend told me that I could earn N500,000 by just going to Brazil. He told me they would buy my return ticket and all I needed to do was to bring in the cocaine. He assured me that the drugs would not be detected because of the way it was packed. Unfortunately, the drug was detected by NDLEA officers during a search at the Abuja Airport,” Daniel said.

In his confession, Akubuo, 26 and a trader in Anambra State, said he wanted to boost his business with the expected proceed from the smuggling.

He said, “I needed some money to invest in my ailing business. That was how my friend convinced me to smuggle drugs for the sum of N500,000. The drug was hidden inside new perfume containers and I never knew it will be uncovered by the officers.”

The NDLEA Commander at the Abuja Airport, Mr. Hamisu Lawan, confirmed the arrests to PUNCH Metro.

Lawan said, “Daniel Marvin was arrested during the inward screening of passengers on an Emirate Airline flight from Dubai. He was found in possession of 7.58kg of cocaine hidden inside capacitors. The second suspect, Akubuo, was found in possession of 5.75kg of cocaine hidden inside perfume bottles. Both suspects were coming from Brazil when they were arrested.”

The agency’s boss, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, promised that the agency would continue to frustrate the criminal activities of drug barons.

“These arrest and seizure are products of superior counter-narcotic strategies. The agency is committed to the eradication of drug trafficking cartels,” he said


http://www.punchng.com/metro-plus/smugglers-hide-n119m-drugs-in-perfume-bottles/

The founder of the Synagogue Church of all Nations, Prophet Temitope Joshua, has claimed that he saw a vision of the incident that killed at least 115 persons in the church guesthouse.

The victims, mainly South Africans, died when a six-storey guesthouse belonging to the church caved in on September 12.

The embattled clergyman, who said he knew something tragic was to befall his ministry, noted that he prepared his parishioners on how to handle the tragedy.

In a statement posted on the SCOAN’s official Facebook page, TB Joshua warned his critics against accusing him of failing to foresee the disaster that befell his ministry.

“For those who are outside the Lord, they would not know. When you are outside God, you will not know what I am talking. When you are outside the light, you cannot understand what I am talking.

“For the three weeks before the incident, if you heard my message and sat down, you would know I was giving you a vision and prophetic word on how to handle the situation at hand. Trials and tests are for our belief. I go by the directives of God,” TB Joshua claimed.

Accusing his critics of being “used by Satan,” the televangelist said they were just out to “disturb” the faith of his local and international members with “negative words.”

According to him, all the “Satanic agents” criticising him over the circumstances surrounding the incident, would soon “suffer for it.”

Since none of his critics is unable to help him raise the victims from death, TB Joshua argued that they should stop rubbishing his ministry or risk paying dearly for it.

Those who could not stop what happened (building collapse), he said, should be “careful of their tongues” as “anybody can go for it.

“I have been on this journey for 27 years. Do you think God can close His eyes and rubbish everything here? They are asking God to bring more evidence of whether He is the one who called me. Warn everyone to be very careful. This issue at hand is a delicate issue.

“People are using this to gain money and friends. This is a warning. Whatever people want to write let them write; they will be the ones to read it. I said our God would get back to them. He has started somewhere. He is coming. If your brother is involved, unless he can resurrect the people who died, he will join them. If you can resurrect the people who died, you can go free.

“The servants, the people who sent them; the people who heard the stories all around and those who want to use it for themselves and to disturb my spirit, you may likely join them. Be careful. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Let us be very careful with our tongues,” he warned.

Urging those questioning his calling not to sway his followers, he added that they should extend love and affection to the victims and relations of those involved in the tragedy.

The prophet insisted that the 115 victims were martyrs, adding that their relations would see the continuation of the work of God “they died and suffered for.

“Your responsibility is to the victims and the relations of the victims and martyrs of faith. If you say you are born again, wherever the victims and their relations are, wherever the relations of the martyrs of faith are, look for them. Let them know you are praying for them. What you eat; let them eat it.

“What you wear; let them wear. What you have on your table, let them have it on their tables, too. Share what you have with them – your love, prayer, affection and strength. Share it with them at this time. This is what we call ‘born again’ – my pain is your pain. Your joy is my joy.

“The multitude of people who claim to be with T.B. Joshua in prayer – if the same people turn to the families of the victims and martyrs of faith, don’t you think life would be better for them than before? Join them; look for them, as many other things they are doing now,” TB Joshua added.



http://www.punchng.com/news/i-saw-the-synagogue-tragedy-coming-tb-joshua/

For every strides achieved by all well meaning nations, there are heroes who are well known for the significant roles played in relative field towards the attainment of set national goals. Who is your HERO?

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE!!!!!!

The Nigerian government has led a largely successful effort against Ebola since the deadly virus was imported into the country in July, with only 19 cases and seven fatalities, significantly better than the more than 2,000 Ebola deaths in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Nigeria’s emphasis has been on contact tracing and monitoring– for established cases; and an improved sanitary policy of hand-washing and use of sanitizers as recommended by the World Health Organization, WHO.

The health body recommends either an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and running water, which be made available at every point of care, public places, offices, and homes.

While the Nigerian government says there are no more confirmed cases of Ebola in the country, it has insisted that improved hygiene should continue to check any chance of an Ebola resurgence.

But as the government continues to advocate hand washing and use of sanitizers, its offices are flouting the directive as many including hospitals do not have running water, soaps, or sanitizers for staff and visitors to wash their hands even after using the toilets, a PREMIUM TIMES investigation has found.

The Federal Ministry of Health, which is at the forefront of the campaign of hand washing and use of sanitizers, is the biggest culprit in this anomaly.

At its headquarters in Abuja, the ministry has no sanitizers or functioning tap water. The ministry’s toilet on the first floor of the new federal secretariat in Abuja, had none as of September 4 when the checks were conducted at the height of Ebola scare in the country.

The ministry had bottles of liquid soap, but literally compelled visitors to use scooped water from a big black drum stationed there, after using the toilets, a practice medical experts say is risky.

The immediate past president of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, who is also a family health consultant, said secretions are part of the modes of transmission of the deadly Ebola virus; hence, it is important that infected persons do not have contacts with others through media such as static water in a container.

He said in a case where there is no flowing tap, the drum of water should be chlorinated and not left open. The exact opposite is what obtains at the health ministry and other government-owned agencies.

“It is a matter of ensuring that you have chlorinated water or at the least, disinfected water, at any point in time. Secretions are part of the means of modes of transmission of the virus from infected persons,” he said. “But again, if you have such secretions in water that has been treated with chloride, it is part of the agents that can deactivate the virus. But the most important aspect is to ensure that infected persons do not have contact with others by washing hands in the same place.”

Water containers is a common feature in the ministry and adjoining departments. The restroom at the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation was no different. In addition to the container for visitors, when a PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter visited the office September 8, the floor was also waterlogged, posing a health risk to users.

At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, our reporter, who visited the restroom at the arrival hall on September 3 found that there was also no soap for washing hands, much less hand sanitizers in the toilets. The airport serves as one of the key entry points to the country.

Amongst all hospitals visited in Abuja in the course of this investigation, Wuse General Hospital had the worst facilities for visitors and outpatients. There were no soaps or sanitizers, and the taps did not flow, neither was there even a reservoir of water. However, the toilet meant for only staff was sparkling clean – still without soaps and hand sanitizers.

The restroom of the Asokoro District Hospital which was a bit better than that of Wuse General Hospital was still very dirty! The toilets for staff, outpatients and visitors were without soaps and hand sanitizers.

However, the restrooms of the General Out-Patient Department, National Hospital, Abuja, were cleaner than that of Wuse general hospital and Asokoro District Hospital respectively. But there were equally no soaps or hand sanitizers.

The National Orientation Agency, which has also helped in educating Nigerians on Ebola, is itself the exact opposite of the call it makes for hygienic living. There were equally no soaps or sanitizers at the restrooms.
Although the federal ministry of water resources, old secretariat, Area 1, Abuja, had flowing taps, it also lacked sanitizers or soaps for hand washing.

On the third floor of the federal secretariat which houses the federal ministry of culture and tourism, there was neither soap nor hand sanitizers in their restrooms. The floor also houses the offices of dentistry, PPP/diaspora, deputy director procurement, deputy director staff welfare & training, assistant director staff welfare and presidential committee on trade malpractice.

It was the same situation on the fifth floor which houses the JCCE/NCE, planning research and statistics. Toilets on the sixth floor, which habours the department of primary and secondary education, director basic and secondary education, secondary division and adult and non-formal education and language projects, also had no sanitary kits.

On the ninth floor, which houses the National assembly tower G, there was no soap or sanitizer in the toilets.

Mr. Enabulele said the ideal recommended practice is for people to have running taps, preferably with elbow locks. That design is to allow people avoid taps with the hands and either use their elbows to unlock the taps.

“In some climes, they have what is called knee taps; whereby you can use your knees to unlock the tap. But the elbow ones are commonly available in Nigeria, which can be purchased for as low as N300 per lock; which is quite cheap. Institutions can afford that” he added,” he said.

The Federal Ministry of Health declined to comment for this story. Dan Nwomeh, the Special Assistant, Media, to the minister of health, promised to return our reporters’ calls. He did not. He also failed to answer or return subsequent calls.

But Dr. Jimoh Balogun, Haematologist, Zaatt Central Diagnostic Centre, said it was unfortunate that the Nigerian government was in the habit of not practising what it preaches.

“It’s the same government propaganda, Dr. Balogun said. “It’s the same story about knowing the right thing and refusing to do the right thing. It’s the way things are done in this country. They go over the television, make advert, place it on newspapers, government officials come over television screens and tell you to do this and never put it to work.

“They don’t mean it because it’s not about saying things, it’s about doing them. You don’t need to go to TV screens to make water run, to provide soaps for people to wash their hands after handshakes, after using the toilets and touching surfaces that are dirty. Or probably after eating. But nobody seems to care; it’s always government propaganda.”

For more pictures, visit: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/168833-investigation-ebola-nigerian-govt-advocates-hand-washing-but-wont-provide-soaps-sanitizers-in-public-buildings.html

Reports have it that this accident happened early hours of today at ring road in Benin city, Edo State, it is still surprising how the vehicle involved got to that high location point. See more photos after the cut...



http://afikpochic..com/2014/09/photo-news-mysterious-accident-along.html