₦airaland Forum

A panic-stricken former President Goodluck Jonathan has sent former Commonwealth Secretary General, Emeka Anyaoku, to plead with President Muhammadu Buhari not to launch an official probe of his administration.

Several sources in Abuja, including aides of President Buhari, briefed SaharaReporters exclusively about former President Jonathan’s dispatch of Mr. Anyaoku as an emissary to his successor.

One of our sources said Mr. Jonathan moved quickly to send powerful intercessors to the Presidency after the Buhari administration began to question massive last-minute withdrawals and disappearance of more than $20 billion in government funds orchestrated by former President Jonathan as well as his closest ministers and aides.

One source familiar with Mr. Anyaoku’s desperate mission to President Buhari revealed that the former Commonwealth chief executive urged the new president to remember that Mr. Jonathan voluntarily decided not to contest the results of the March 28, 2015 presidential election, won by Mr. Buhari, on the understanding that he and his administration would not be subjected to a probe.

Our sources disclosed that Mr. Anyaoku spent a little more than two hours in a close-door meeting yesterday where he sought to prevail on President Buhari to halt the ongoing probe of what happened to billions of public funds during the last few months of the Jonathan government.

Before imploring Mr. Anyaoku to plead with President Buhari, Mr. Jonathan had also asked former military head of state, Abdulsalam Abubakar, to speak to the current president and suggest a suspension of all ongoing probes. Mr. Buhari has put in place several investigative committees to probe the illicit withdrawal and disbursement of public funds by the Jonathan administration. The presidential committees are charged with advising the administration on strategies for retrieving any public assets stolen by officials and cohorts of the Jonathan Presidency.

One of the committees has already discovered that Mr. Jonathan and some members of his cabinet apparently colluded in the dying days of the previous government to loot billions of dollars. The funds were looted via the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Ministry of Finance, the Nigerian Maritime Authority, the Federal Capital Territory, and several other departments. A source within the investigative committee revealed that Mr. Jonathan and his closest aides and political appointees made illegal withdrawals of funds to finance his failed bid for re-election.

Former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has stated that former President Jonathan asked her to withdraw more than $1.2 billion from the excess crude account. Even though Mrs. Okonji-Iweala continues to maintain publicly that she did nothing wrong during her tenure, a source told SaharaReporters that the former minister, who coordinated economic affairs during the former president’s tenure, has been quietly cooperative with the Buhari administration. According to the source, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala has offered what amounts to a dossier of corrupt deals authorized by the former president.

In an attempt to curry favor with the new government, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala recently directed officials of her polling agency, NOI Polls, to give President Buhari a 70% approval rating among Nigerians. “The polling results were simply cooked up,” a professional pollster told SaharaReporters. Prior to the 2015 general elections, the former minister’s fake polling organization kept repeating that Mr. Jonathan approval rating was up even as his political fortune plummeted.

SaharaReporters also learned that former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, is also actively cooperating with the Buhari administration. As earlier revealed by us, Mrs. Alison-Madueke had struck a deal with the new government to submit a document to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) exposing her collaborators at the NNPC. The former Petroleum minister, who was one of the closest cabinet members to Mr. Jonathan—and the mastermind of numerous money laundering deals on behalf of the former president—currently shuttles between the UK and Switzerland. A source close to Mrs. Alison-Madueke said the former minister was receiving treatment in the UK related to breast cancer.

After emerging from his marathon meeting with Mr. Buhari yesterday, Mr. Anyaoku claimed that he had visited to offer “advice” to the president regarding his forthcoming official trip to the US. Mr. Buhari is scheduled to start his US trip on Sunday.

A source at the Presidency told SaharaReporters that Mr. Anyaoku had misrepresented the purpose of his visit. “The elder statesman [Anyaoku] did not come to advise Mr. President about the trip to the US. The plans for the trip were already concluded a while ago, with all logistics and programming support,” the source added.

Former President Jonathan is currently in Abuja where he remains in constant touch with Abdulsalam Abubakar and other political players to prevail on President Buhari to halt the probe of his administration.

One source at the Presidency revealed that Mr. Buhari was not receptive to Mr. Anyaoku’s pleas. According to the source, the president told the former Commonwealth chief executive that the massive theft of funds by officials of the previous administration had robbed him of funds to start meeting his promises to the Nigerian people. “The president’s concern is for everybody who stole funds, including the former president, to disclose their willingness to return their loot to the Nigerian people,” the source added.

http://saharareporters.com/2015/07/16/former-commonwealth-secretary-anyaoku-jonathan%E2%80%99s-behest-begs-president-buhari-not-probe

Ten years later, IBB became the HoS in Nigeria, the fire was already in him.

Pope Francis chose to change clothes in a fast-food restaurant in the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz before leading an open-air Mass before an audience of hundreds of thousands.

The famously unpretentious Pope used his address to encourage Bolivian Catholics to reject consumerism.

He told them the economic system excluded people and created barriers.

The Pope will now travel to Paraguay, the third and final country on his tour of South America.

On Thursday Pope Francis rode through the streets of Santa Cruz for about an hour.




The Burger King restaurant had been booked by the Pope's organisers and curtained off in advance so he could change into his religious vestments before the Mass.

It reopened later in the day for business but with the altar and throne used in the Mass still inside.

During his sermon he denounced what he said was a "mentality in which everything has a price, everything can be bought (...) making room only for a select few".

Later in a long speech to civic leaders, Pope Francis apologised for the actions of the Catholic Church against indigenous peoples during the conquest and colonisation of the Americas.

He said he humbly begged for forgiveness for the crimes that were committed.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-33472841

http://data.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/choosing-childfree?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000067

Far too often, women who choose to be childfree are asked to defend their “immature,” “selfish” lifestyles. They’re told that motherhood is the “most important job in the world” and face accusations of living “meaningless” lives.

The number of childfree women is at a record high: 48 percent of women between the ages of 18 and 44 don’t have kids, according to 2014 Census numbers.

The Huffington Post and YouGov asked 124 women why they choose to be childfree. Their motivations ranged from preferring their current lifestyles (64 percent) to prioritizing their careers (9 percent) — a.k.a. fairly universal things that have motivated men not to have children for centuries. To give insight into the complex, layered decisions women make, HuffPost asked childfree readers to discuss the reasons they have chosen not to have kids and gathered 270 responses here.

1. I don’t envision having time to properly care for a child while also focusing on my career. There’s always a trade-off.
2. I have too many plans that children just don’t fit into.
3. I am an avid equestrian and travel a lot for my career in this field. I have several nieces and nephews from siblings that are a decade or more older than me. I have chosen to pursue my career, travel and enjoy my nieces and nephews along the way. It’s the best of both worlds.
4. Being financially stable is important, and with the world the way it is with no sign of positive change, taking care of myself is enough of a financial struggle.
5. I plan on commissioning into the military and wouldn’t want to put children through my deployments and constantly moving.
6. I found “my calling” working in Child Protective Services. I chose to give everything in an effort to make my little corner of the world a better place. How could I give completely of myself to these families if my heart were more devoted to my own children? How could I give completely to my own children if my heart ached for the families with whom I came into contact?
7. I have been taking care of my mother since I was in my 20s. She came to live with me after she had some hard times and hasn’t left. Now she’s in her 60s, and my husband and I are in our 40s. She’s been like having a teenager the 11 years we’ve been married. And then, also, my husband and I don’t have a strong desire to procreate. We think there are enough people in the planet. I know people think it’s “selfish” not to have kids, but I think it’s just the opposite. I don’t feel a need to “live on” through my children and their children.
8. I think having a child is one of the hardest jobs a person can undertake. Additionally, I don’t think our government or society supports parents enough. I prescribe to the idea that it takes a village. I personally don’t think I need to have children to become a complete person. Finally, I have never heard a parent say, “I love my children.” I usually hear, “I love my children, but…”

The rest can be found in the link above.
Of course, these women don’t owe anyone an explanation, but perhaps allowing the public to read their unique perspectives will open people’s minds to the wide range of mature, unselfish motivations that go into deciding not to have kids.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group has threatened the Palestinian armed group Hamas, vowing to end the faction's rule in the territory.

In a 16-minute long video shared by social media accounts sympathetic to ISIL on Wednesday, fighters based in Syria's Aleppo province condemned Hamas for its crackdown on Salafist groups in the Gaza Strip, and its failure to implement a rigid enough interpretation of Islamic law.

"The point of jihad is not to liberate land ... but jihad as defined by God, is fighting for and implementing the law of God," said one masked fighter who appeared in the video, who further condemned Hamas for its dealings with Iran and Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah, as well as "nationalist", "secularist", and "communist" factions.

"They raise their children to respect this (Palestinian) flag," the fighter said, telling Palestinians that Hamas could not secure their freedom.

"The road to liberate Palestine goes through Iraq and we (ISIL) are getting closer, day by day ... while they (Hamas) are moving away from that goal."

Another fighter condemned the Palestinian faction for referring to ISIL and its supporters as "khawarij", a term used to refer to a group of Muslims in early Islamic history, meaning "those who have transgressed".

The fighter later refers to ISIL's seizure of parts of the Yarmouk refugee camp in the Syrian capital of Damascus after clashes with Palestinian groups, including a faction associated with Hamas.

"What is happening today in Syria, especially in the Yarmouk camp, we swear by God, will happen in Gaza," the fighter said.

Hamas has clamped down on alleged supporters of ISIL in recent months, in a campaign to snuff out purported attempts by the group, which controls large parts of Syria and Iraq, to establish a foothold in Gaza.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/07/isil-warns-hamas-video-message-150701042302630.html


Islamic State insurgents threatened on Tuesday to turn the Gaza Strip into another of their Middle East fiefdoms, accusing Hamas, the organisation that rules the Palestinian territory, of being insufficiently stringent about religious enforcement.

The video statement, issued from an Islamic State stronghold in Syria, was a rare public challenge to Hamas, which has been cracking down on jihadis in Gaza who oppose its truces with Israel and reconciliation with the U.S.-backed rival Palestinian faction Fatah.

"We will uproot the state of the Jews (Israel) and you and Fatah, and all of the secularists are nothing and you will be over-run by our creeping multitudes," said a masked Islamic State member in the message addressed to the "tyrants of Hamas".

"The rule of sharia (Islamic law) will be implemented in Gaza, inspite of you. We swear that what is happening in the Levant today, and in particular the Yarmouk camp, will happen in Gaza," he said, referring to Islamic State advances in Syria, including in a Damascus district founded by Palestinian refugees.

Islamic State has also taken over swathes of Iraq and has claimed attacks in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Yemen.

Hamas is an Islamist movement that shares the jihadis' hostility to Israel but not their quest for a global religious war, defining itself more within the framework of Palestinian nationalism.

Deemed a terrorist group by Israel, the United States and the European Union, and viewed by neighbouring Arab power Egypt as a regional security threat, Hamas's struggle against Islamic State-linked jihadis has not won sympathy abroad.

Israel's intelligence minister, Israel Katz, accused Hamas on Tuesday of partnering with Islamic State affiliates in the Egyptian Sinai - a charge long denied by the Palestinian group.

"There is cooperation between them in the realm of weapons smuggling and terrorist attacks. The Egyptians know this, and the Saudis," Katz told a Tel Aviv conference organised by the Israel Defense journal.

"At the same time, within Gaza, ISIS (Islamic State) has been flouting Hamas. But they have common cause against the Jews, in Israel or abroad."

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/07/01/uk-palestinians-islamicstate-hamas-idUKKCN0PA2TT20150701

Demmzy15:
Sunnis and Shias are at peace in Kuwait. Sectarianism is zero in Kuwait, but ISIS an intruder from the outside came in and bombed the mosques just the way they've being perpetrating heinous bombings in Saudi Arabia. They want to cause enmity between the two sects, but God pass them!

But similar incident happened in a Shia Mosque in Saudi Arabia few weeks ago, will you call that a coincidence or will it be another propaganda by the Western governments?


http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/deadly-car-explosion-shia-mosque-saudi-arabia-dammam-150529102343732.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/29/middleeast/saudi-arabia-mosque-blast/

His presidency in the last 6years has been a total failure - nothing of significance.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3140454/Tourists-run-lives-Tunisian-beach-gunman-carries-attack-outside-hotel-packed-Britons.html

One of the killers caught as shown in the above link.

So what has Governor Fayose been doing since last October when he was sworn in?

He started off with picking fights with ex-governor Fayemi about beds and interior items, then the Ekiti HoA, and lastly pick on Buhari during the just concluded elections, whilst he neglected his daily job description - which is providing quality leadership and effective governance for the Ekiti people.

Lesson learnt, if we do venture out of the shores of nigeria into another man's land - we have to obey, abide and respect their laws with all diligence. If not we are to be blamed for any consequence as a result of our neglience which can lead to death.

It's a known fact that Asia countries have draconic laws against drug traffikers - the death penalty. Even Western countries and the Amnesty International group have tried unsuccessfuly to make them change their laws to no avail.

Until such a time when their laws are changed, let us know that it is written in capital letters at their ports of entry that 'if caught with drugs, it is death penalty'.

Little wonder we are been treated like 'bad eggs' all over the world, if we can't have an effective maintenance culture.

I thought Muslims are brothers and abide by the 'religion of peace' slogan - why the fighting between the Sunnis and Shias?
Why can't they live peaceably amongst themselves?

An explosion has ripped through a Shia mosque in Kuwait City after Friday prayers, killing at least eight people and wounding several others, Al Jazeera has learned.

Video footage from the scene showed several bodies on the floor of the Imam Sadiq mosque amid debris and clouds of heavy smoke.
The exact number of casualties was expected to rise, according to local media outlets, as several casualties were in critical condition.
At least eight victims with various injuries arrived at a local hospital in the mosque's neighbourhood, medical sources said.
Emergency services were attending the scene, which was surrounded by clouds of black smoke and crowds of people milling around.
Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah visited the Imam Sadiq mosque, located just a few buidling away from the country's interior ministry.

Saad al-Ajmi, Kuwait's former information minister, told Al Jazeera that the attack was a reminder that no country was "immune from terrorism".
Ajmi said Kuwait had "a good record" in its relationship between Sunni and Shia groups, and was a small country with good security.
He said there was no widespread dissent and he would not be surprised if it was caused by a "lone wolf".
However if a group was to claim responsibility "I think that those who want to tip the whole region ablaze in a sectarian war would be behind this attack because that is their agenda".


http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/06/deadly-blast-hits-kuwait-mosque-friday-prayers-150626103633735.html


http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/kuwait-city-shia-mosque-bombed-after-prayers-reportedly-killing-2-1.3128713

Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Abuja Federal High Court has ordered a member of the House of Representatives from Anambra State, Godwin Idu, to vacate his seat.

Mr. Idu was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party to represent Onitsha North/South Federal Constituency.

But while delivering judgment in a suit filed by Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu, challenging Mr. Idu’s election as a PDP candidate for the election, Justice Ademola ordered that the certificate of return issued to the lawmaker be withdrawn.

In his place, the court ordered that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, issue a fresh certificate of return to Mrs. Chuba-Ikpeazu.

Similarly, the court ordered the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, to swear in Mrs. Chuba-Ikpeazu.

Mrs. Chuba-Ikpeazu had filed a pre-election case challenging PDP’s substitution of her name with that of Mr. Idu after the party’s primary election.

The PDP had after submitting the name of the female politician to INEC, made a u-turn and withdrew her from the race in favour of Mr. Idu.

Justice Ademola held that the substitution of Mrs. Ikpeazu’s name violated the provisions of Sections 31(2) (j) and 50 of the PDP constitution.

Again, the judge held that the action violated Sections 31(1) (2) and 33 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as Amended) as well as Section222(c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Article 25 (xii) of the Electoral Guidelines for Primary Elections, 2014 of the PDP.


http://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-east/185670-court-sacks-anambra-pdp-rep.html

How can PDP be an alternative, if they cannot conduct a viable primary to elect their candidate, no wonder the HOR is experiencing much difficulty now?

Sad that some of the Nollywood actors are 'pally' to this nonsence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn7ZJcVgRLM&feature=player_embedded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn7ZJcVgRLM&feature=player_embedded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn7ZJcVgRLM&feature=player_embedded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn7ZJcVgRLM&feature=player_embedded

From the description box of the video:

Recent video shows a Nigerian trader being beaten up by Chinese nationals in a commercial area believed to be in Guangzhou. The African is heard speaking in one of Nigeria three major languages called Igbo language. He as heard screaming to his boss for help but such help never came. The victim is reported to have been hospitalized pending when the details of what brought about the incident has been ascertained.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfwOnkn8Hs8

Still suprised that Tinubu haven't said anything yet in the past 2 weeks - he must be boiling with rage anywhere he is?

I guess everyone will be seated before PMB arrives, not like the old times where 'anything' goes.

The wife of the president, will now be addressed as Mrs Aisha Muhammadu Buhari following the release of her official portrait. She will also be addressed as the wife of the president and not First Lady.

President Muhammadu Buhari married Aisha (née Halilu) in December 1989 and their marriage is blessed with five children, a boy and four girls. They are Aisha, Halima, Yusuf, Zarah and Amina.

http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2015/06/22/picture-official-portrait-and-title-of-aisha-buhari/

Nigeria is said to be Africa’s first or second largest economy. Yet, about 35% of Nigerians are unemployed; about 40% are uneducated and a higher number can only read or write at the 10th grade level. In addition, 50% or more do not have access to modern medicine and dental care. And for many, many basic human needs are a mirage. That’s Nigeria, the giant of Africa!

About 60% of the rich and wealthy in Nigeria are thieves and conmen. These are men and women who came about their wealth by way of stealing and contract manipulation and by exploiting the weak and the poor. These are not industrialists, inventors or investors, scientists, bankers, realtors or provable merchants. The vast majority do not even add value to the society or to the market. They are what they are: thieves and tricksters!

In the case of Bayelsa State, the statistics are even grimmer. So, grim the conditions exceed biblical sins. The irony is that many of the indigenes do not know or understand how terrible their conditions are. They are not aware of the shortage of basic human needs; and how appalling their living conditions are. For many, poverty and insufficiency has become an acceptable way of life.

Sadder is the fact that many of the educated – the educated class that should be championing noble causes and pricking the governor’s conscience – either support whoever is the governor or makes excuses for him and his government. This has been the case since 1999. The intellectual class is thinner now than at any time in the young history of the state. Even so, many have been beaten to pulp or broken. Many more have been compromised. And others have simply lost their cojones.

Somewhere along the way, they forgot that there is a price to be paid for silence. And so I beseech them to “speak your mind even if your voice shakes.” The educated and enlightened class cannot and must NOT be silent in the face of lawlessness, tyranny, theft and financial mismanagement. They cannot be indifferent to political and personal hooliganism and the personalization of the rule of law. They must not look the other way when their brethren, family members and neighbors are being subjected to bad leadership and poor governance. In the twenty-first century a sizeable number of Ijaw people continue to drink from the same river they defecate and wash in. This is the same river and waterways their great-great-grand parents bathed, defecated and drank from two to three centuries ago. Anyone who is interested in witnessing or understanding what “man’s inhumanity to man” looks like should pay a visit to Ijaw land – especially to the riverine areas.

Since the beginning of the Fourth Nigerian Republic in 1999, the state has received more than $15B from the federal government; yet, there is almost nothing to indicate that that much money has been spent. There is not a single quality hospital in the state. There is not a single primary or secondary school that meet basic universal standard. Where have all the money gone? Billions and billions of naira is said to have been wasted and stolen since 1999.

Mr. Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was the governor from May 1999 to December 2005. He was succeeded by Mr. Goodluck Jonathan and Mr. Timipre Sylva. And Mr. Henry Seriake Dickson has been at the helms of affairs since February 2012. The Ijaw, at home and abroad, cannot continue to lay all the blames on the shoulders of the Nigerian government. They cannot continue to shout “political exclusion and lack of federal presence…lack of development…environmental degradation…etc.” The people and successive governments must take personal responsibility for their failures and shortcomings.

Alamieyeseigha and Sylva were governors. Dickson has been in charge now for three long years. And Goodluck Jonathan was the deputy governor, governor, vice president, acting president and president. What are their achievements; what would be their legacy? Although this is mid-2015; but really, the 2016 election in Bayelsa State is just around the corner. The people must decide which way they want to go.


The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other political parties in the state must conduct a sound primary election. In addition, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must conduct a credible election that reflects the wishes and aspiration of the people. Both processes must allow for the best and brightest and most visionary candidate to emerge as the governor of the state.

Bayelsa State is the Mecca for all Ijaw people. It is time to do away with short-sightedness in terms of governance and in terms of how the people’s resources are managed. The people and the times demand a man or woman who is well trained and has global perspective. The people and the times need a man or woman who has no need to steal from the public purse; someone who has no penchant for breaking the rules and the law.

After fifteen long years of roaming aimlessly in the economic, political and social wilderness, the time has come for the Ijaw of Bayelsa State to make a clean and swift break from the past – a past that was mostly dominated by a former president and his wife.

The state needs a man or woman with disdain for mediocrity, political rascality, wastefulness and mismanagement. Who then is the man or woman with the quality and character and vision to move the Ijaw people forward? Who is that man or woman?

Sabella Abidde can be reached at: Sabidde@yahoo.com



http://saharareporters.com/2015/06/21/ijaw-bayelsa-state-2016-and-beyond-sabella-ogbobode-abidde

Another question should be, are christians and other religions allowed to practise their faith in Saudi Arabia?

The scheduled completion time of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway may be affected following the decision of the contractors to slow down work due to the non-payment of over N3bn owed them by The Infrastructure Bank for work done and duly certified.

Road users have in the past two weeks observed the slow pace of work by the contractors, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, which is working on the Lagos/Sagamu interchange end of the road, and Reynolds Construction Company, which is handling the Sagamu interchange to Ibadan end of the road.


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The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mr. Godwin Eke, told one of our correspondents that the contractors had said they would go back to work after the debt had been offset.

According to him, officials of the Federal Ministry of Works have met with the management of the bank, which has promised to pay before the end of the month.

“The Infrastructure Bank owes the contractors some money under the new arrangement; about N3bn. As soon as they pay them, the work will continue. Work has not been abandoned; rather, it is slowed down,” he said.

Eke added that the contractors had said that they were also not certain about the direction the new government would take as regards the project.

“The ministry does not have any problem; it is the contractors that are not certain about the direction of the new government. But the new government is not going to affect the work hopefully, because government is a continuum,” he added.

He said that contractors usually prepare and submit interim statements every month and get paid.

Eke added that payment had not been made for the last set of statements submitted by the contractors, leaving unpaid certificates of over N3bn for both Julius Berger and RCC. He also said that through the financing arrangement for the project, the financial burden had been passed to The Infrastructure Bank.

However, the Managing Director, TIB, Mr. Adekunle Oyinloye, said it was not correct to state that the bank owed the contractors as it was the finance arranger to the Federal Ministry of Works on the project, with the mandate to raise about N167bn needed to implement the project in line with the construction contract executed between the ministry and the contractors.

“Hence, the finance arranger cannot owe the contractors as the TIB is rendering a service on behalf of the FMW and is not directly obligated to pay the contractors from the funds raised,” he explained.

In line with the TIB’s mandate, Oyinloye said the contractors were paid N25bn in advance in 2014 and an additional N25bn in 2015 for work certified and as payment on account for work done but yet to be certified by the supervising engineers, bringing the total paid so far to the contactors to about N50bn.

He added, “In line with the project dynamics, payments are not made until outstanding works are certified by the supervising engineers. This is consistent with the terms of the construction contracts and global best practices for executing large-scale engineering projects.

“With respect to the scaling down of work on the road, it is important to note that the rainy season has just fully commenced and it may be counterproductive to do some work while the rains are on. Furthermore, and in line with the project transaction dynamics, the detailed engineering designs for the road is being redone with a view to providing enhancements and other road improvement programmes to turn the expressway into a world-class carriageway with essential services for health and safety considerations, services and rest areas, lay-byes, trailer parks, and other economic development facilities in line with best practices.

“This design improvement is being undertaken right now and should be completed sooner. However, this will not stop the work being done on the road.

According to the controller, the rainy season has also contributed to the slow pace of work on the road.

Eke said, “No meaningful work can be done when it is raining; if you do it, it will be washed away. When you are doing a road and it is raining, you slow down, especially when you have excavated, you cover the excavated part and wait for a clement weather before you continue.

“If you don’t, the water will penetrate deep and destroy what you have done. That is a major reason for the slow pace of work and not just the non-payment of the outstanding sum,” he said.

The reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was awarded in 2013 at a total cost of N160.7bn, with three lanes on either side up to the Sagamu interchange from Lagos, and two lanes up to Ibadan as well as flyovers and inter-change.

The immediate past Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, had said that the project would last for 48 months and would be delivered in August 2017.

According to Eke, the work is currently at 25 per cent completion stage and may be completed before the scheduled delivery date if there is adequate funding.

The Chief Engineer, RCC, Mr. Nader Yusuf, confirmed to one of our correspondents on the telephone that the company was not working at optimal capacity on the road because it was being owed though he refused to disclose the amount outstanding to the firm.

“We are working, but they are owing us. We are not working with all our ability because of the money they are owing us,” he said.

Yusuf also gave an indication that the scheduled completion time might be affected if the contractors were starved of funds, adding, “If they pay us well, we can finish our work in 18 to 20 months.”

When contacted, the Media Officer of Julius Berger said he had no information to give on the project.


http://www.punchng.com/business/business-economy/n3bn-debt-slows-down-work-on-lagos-ibadan-road/

A former Islamist said he believes young British Muslim men are joining ISIS because they want sex.
Alyas Karmani said teenagers are at risk of being radicalised by terrorist groups because they feel isolated in 'sexualised' British society, and resent not having the same freedoms of Western youths to have girlfriends and intimate relationships.

The Bradford preacher now tours the country reaching out to young British Muslims to stop them turning to ISIS, after he was radicalised as a young man.
In 'Exposure - Jihad - A British Story', which aired on ITV on Monday night, he said young people struggle to turn to their families to talk about their sexual urges in typically conservative Muslim communities.
He said: 'This is all about sex... These guys just want girls. That's it.
'[My wife] said you can't say that because you'll get really lambasted for it, but guys do things for girls - and that's it.

'I'm there with my gun - which is more or less a penis extension... it is out there, 'look at me, I got my gear on' [sic]
'Because if you grow up and you are brought up with this value that you cannot have sex before marriage, that you cannot have a girlfriend, that you cannot be in anyway... this is something that is very big haram (sinful), a very big prohibition for an individual and you are growing up in a sexualised society, there’s a real sense of hate that you have that ‘I can’t do this’
‘And that’s why I find greater sexual dysfunction sometimes in Muslim communities as a result of that.'
Mr Karmani added that as he tours Britain to meet young Muslims and their families, he urges parents to tell their children they love and are proud of their kids, to make sure they don't feel isolated.

The documentary interviewed a number of former extremists to explore the root causes and attractions among young people for waging jihad.
It comes after Talha Asmal, 17, became Britain's youngest ever suicide bomber after he set off an explosive in device in Iraq.
His family said he was groomed online and he was the victim of peer pressure.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3126987/Huge-numbers-Muslims-turning-ISIS-want-SEX-reveals-former-Islamist-says-resent-freedoms-Western-youths-have.html

The Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum has elected Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State as its chairman.

This decision was announced by the Abia State Governor, Mr Okezie Ikpeazu, after a meeting of the governors in Abuja that lasted about four hours.

Governor Mimiko takes over the leadership of the forum from former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Godswill Akpabio who is now a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

As part of the resolutions reached at the meeting, the governors also condemned the relocation of the Electoral Tribunals of Rivers, Taraba and Akwa Ibom States to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.

The All Progressives Congress had requested that the Akwa Ibom State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal should be relocated to Abuja.

Their request was granted by the President of the Court of Appeal.

The party had rejected the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which proclaimed the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Udom Emmanuel, winner.

It alleged that the election was marred by widespread electoral malpractices, disenfranchisement of its supporters and a declaration of votes for the PDP in violation of the provisions of the Independent National Electoral Commission that required that all votes cast be duly accredited.

http://www.channelstv.com/2015/06/17/mimiko-emerges-chairman-of-pdp-governors-forum/

oloriooko:
[size=18pt]But I thought our APC leaders said the national treasury was empty, so where and how has the Presidency been financing all the trips the President and his so many aides embarked on since the inauguration, if am right, the president has gone on about 5 - 6 official trips since inauguration![/size]

Very good observation and good question!!!

The increasing trend of having babies in western countries is growing at an alarming rate with four out of 10 couples following this style. Little wonder, the meaning of ‘Birth Tourism’ now exists in Wikipedia. Very often, the risk of travelling at such late stage of pregnancy and other attendant side effects are often overlooked in the attempt to succeed. Omolola Itayemi probes this growing drift
Chances that you will run into heavily pregnant woman/women on long-haul (international) flights, especially those to the United States are very high. Even when the bump is concealed, one can still tell she’s in the early or late stages of her third trimester, a usually dangerous stage to fly.
Unperturbed, she dares the journey which could run from 6 to 11 hours putting her health at risk, a very uncomfortable journey for her, especially on long haul flights over hours and in the economy class cabin where room space is smaller and tighter.
For the average passenger, economy class cabin becomes more of an option due to financial capacity and not comfort. Leg room is small, seats are even smaller and the whole cabin is stuffier and more choked than its premium, business or first class cabin. Service is also not as dedicated and superior as these other cabins which further add to the plight of expectant mothers flying this class. But this has in no way served as a deterrent with the rising number still embarking on this high risk mission.
Birth tourism is travel to another country for the purpose of giving birth in that country. Reasons for the practice include access to the destination country’s healthcare system, and in countries that recognise birthright citizenship (under the principle of jus soli), to gain citizenship of that country at least for the child. Canada and the United States are the only developed countries that recognise birthright citizenship, and are the primary targets of birth tourism. Another target of birth tourism is Hong Kong, where the right of abode is awarded at birth instead of citizenship.
To stop birth tourism, Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom have a modified jus soli, granting citizenship by birth only when at least one parent is a citizen of the country or a legal permanent resident. Many Latin American countries also grant unconditional citizenship by birth.
The Driving Force
The driving force behind such high-risk mission is being adduced by many as social factors ranging from social status to the grime future of Nigeria as a country perceived by some. But no reason holds sway as much as the privileges such passport confers on the holders, even much more than the seeming prestige of birthing babies over there.
And it’s no walk-in-the-park financially as it costs $25,000 to $60,000 especially when there are complications which sometimes happen with childbirth. Ante-natal service in Maryland, USA could go as high as $3,500 depending on the county one is domiciled. Compared to what one pays for the same service in an average hospital in Nigeria, its almost 300 per cent higher. Natural delivery in the same county could go as high as $2,500 and caesarean section even much higher than that.
Ijeoma Osakwe (not real name) who had her daughter in Maryland, USA last July believes this is the best legacy she can bestow on her daughter. “It’s very expensive but you cannot fault the high standard of their medical care and then, there’s the ability to secure dual citizenship for her to avoid unnecessary embarrassment from various consulates and immigration officers whenever there is a need to travel. Let’s be realistic, you command more respect with the blue and red passport than our green passport,’’ she says proudly.
Doubra Oluwatomiyin, Principal Partner, Lecer, a travel and tourism logistics-providing company does not share Osakwe’s opinion. On the contrary, Oluwatominyin, who holds a dual citizenship, is of the belief that things should be done properly in order not to cheat citizens of these countries who are paying tax and should be the sole beneficiaries of this excellent medical system, except where it is an emergency. “It is wrong to practice birth tourism on a visiting or tourist visa. This seemingly seamless medical system is for their citizens. Moreover, birth tourism enriches and grows the gross domestic product (GDP) of the host country, especially when it’s paid for. I know we have challenges with our medical system, especially when it comes to childbirth but putting to bed in any of these westernised countries will not bring the desired change we all yearn for. I had my two children in one of the European countries but that’s because I’m a citizen and my husband works and lives there, and also pays his taxes,’’ she explained.
Fit to fly or not
Whether it’s in the 2nd or 3rd trimester, it’s better to avoid long haul flights. According to wikipedia, flying during pregnancy can slightly increase your risk of thrombosis (blood clots) and varicose veins. Exposure to natural atmospheric radiation while flying can increase the risk of miscarriage or abnormalities in unborn babies.
Ticket agents won’t ask if you’re pregnant when you book a seat, but you could be questioned about your due date at the gate. In fact, airlines have come up with strict restrictions when it comes to this and have been known to bar some from travel if they are worried about how far along in your pregnancy you are. To avoid delays of this nature – pregnant passengers more importantly, need to confirm it’s safe for them to fly – get written permission to fly from your doctor. The letter should confirm your due date, and state that you have been examined and are not likely to go into labour in the next 72 hours.
Unfortunately, a lot of passengers in connivance with their doctors (Gynaecologists) are economical with the truth in this regard, backdating and falsifying expected dates of delivery, sometimes with dire consequences such as delivery when the flight is mid-air or medical emergencies.
Travel policies vary with each airline, but one thing they all agree with is that no airline wants to fly a high-risk passenger.
Finding a common ground
Some countries are kicking against birth tourism whether subtly or aggressively. For instance, USA last year May outlined conditions favourable for delivering a baby. The Embassy outlined some conditions which have to be met before such a visa which falls under medical tourism category is issued.
This it said, was necessary to encourage applicants to be truthful during visa interviews.
One: The applicant has to show proof of available funds of at least $140,000 (about N22 million) to pay medical fees, and secondly, the applicant has to show proof of the need for medical attention in the US such as high risk pregnancy and the likes.
US Embassy Chief of Consular Section, Ms. Carol Cox, in an interview with journalists in Abuja, disclosed that it would cost at least $60,000 to have a baby in the US.
In instances where complications arise from the delivery, the medical bills may go as high as $140,000.
Availability of the funds, Cox says is very important as it is necessary to ensure that American taxpayers do not have to pay such bills.
“We owe the American public who pay taxes to make sure that those who seek medical services in the US pay for such services.
This is essential because there are those who have the money and are not willing to pay. It is very frustrating when you see a woman who is obviously pregnant, sometimes seven months gone, tell you during a visa interview that she is just going to the US for a vacation,” she said.
The United Kingdom authorities will not offer automatic citizenship at birth. Such children will have to show proof of having resided in the UK for the past 10 years before they can become citizens.

Dire Consequences
In some instances, pregnant passengers have been denied entry into these countries upon arrival by immigration officials. Others have incurred bans in the process of future visa applications.

Host Country Gains
A growing school of thought however believes it’s not all bad news with birth tourism as the host country also benefits financially. When hospital bills are paid, which can be much higher and a staggering difference than the local currency the family is used to, the host country benefits immensely.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/the-growing-fad-called-birth-tourism/211861/

An NAACP leader's parents have made a startling revelation: their daughter, for years a highly visible civil rights activist in Eastern Washington, is white.
Rachel Dolezal, Spokane's NAACP Chapter President and part-time Africana Studies professor at Eastern Washington University, has been misleading people about her ethnicity for years, her parents say.
Her mother even offered photographic proof. While today the 37-year-old divorcee currently sports tight, dark curls, her mom Ruthanne Dolezal showed KREM photos of the fair and freckled blonde daughter she once knew.
Dolezal is now facing a city ethics probe after she identified herself as black in an application to serve on a local police ombudsman commission - a position she secured.
'It's very sad that Rachel has not just been herself,' Ruthanne Dolezal told the Spokesman-Review. 'Her effectiveness in the causes of the African-American community would have been so much more viable, and she would have been more effective if she had just been honest with everybody.'
The Dolezals remain in Northwest Montana, where Dolezal grew up. It is not clear why they have now shared the revelations but Dolezal has previously said that she no longer has any contact with her parents. In articles in the Easterner, she claimed they were violent towards her.
But her father denies this and said that Dolezal cut off all communication with them and doesn't want them to be seen in Spokane 'because we're Caucasian', Buzzfeed News reported.

According to her mother, Ruthanne began to 'disguise herself' in 2006 or 2007.
Other than some 'faint traces' of Native American blood, Ruthanne said the family background is Czech, Swedish and German.
However, that's not how her daughter identified herself when she became chairwoman of Spokane's Office of Police Ombudsman Commission.
In her application for the volunteer appointment, Dolezal marked herself down as white, black and American Indian, reports the Spokesman-Review.
She has also previously claimed that her white father is her step-father. In January, a photo showing Dolezal and a black man on the Spokane NAACP's Facebook erroneously identified the man as her father.
On Wednesday, a reporter from KXLY confronted Dolezal a photo of her with the African-American man while on camera.
'Ma'am, I was wondering if your dad really is an African-American man,' the KXLY reporter asked.
'I don't understand the question,' Dolezal replied. 'I did tell you [that man in the picture] is my dad.'
'Are your parents white?' the reporter asked. Dolezal then removed her mic and walked away.
Reached by the Spokesman-Review, Dolezal answered questions about her ethnicity by saying: 'That question is not as easy as it seems... There's a lot of complexities … and I don't know that everyone would understand that... We're all from the African continent.'
According to her staff biography at Eastern Washington University, Dolezal received her master's degree from Howard University, a historically black college in Washington, D.C.
'Her passion for civil rights is influenced by her years in Mississippi, where she advocated for equal rights and participated in community development,' reads the bio.
She has taught multiple classes at the university, including one named 'The Black Woman's Struggle'.
'NOT TRUE': DOLEZAL'S MOTHER SHOOTS DOWN HER CLAIMS
In an interview with the Coeur d' Alene Press, Dolezal's mother shot down many other claims her daughter has made in interviews over the years. Specifically:
Dolezal's claim she was born in a tepee.
'Totally false,' said her mother. She and Dolezal's father once lived in a tepee but it was before Dolezal was born.
Dolezal's claim she once had to use bows and arrows to hunt for her own food as a kid.
Not true, says her mother.
Dolezal's claim she once lived in South Africa.
'Rachel did not even ever visit us there,' said Ruthanne, who lived there as a missionary.
Dolezal's claim her parents punished her 'by skin complexion' with a 'baboon whip' reminiscent of those once used on slaves.
'She is fabricating a very false and malicious lie,' Ruthanne said.
Dolezal's claim that Larry Dolezal, who is white, is actually her stepfather.
'Anybody who lives in the town of Troy or Libby knows that Larry is her father,' Ruthanne said.
Her parents back up the claim Dolezal attended Howard (she was awarded a Master's of Fine Arts at the school). She later moved to Washington D.C. and married her now ex-husband in 2000.
After moving to Idaho with her husband, he became violent towards her and their young son, she claimed in an article in The Easterner earlier this year. They divorced in 2004.
She told the publication that filing for divorce was a hard decision because she 'wanted to have sort of like a perfect record'.
The article adds that in 2006 she developed cervical cancer but was considered cured in 2008.
Around that time, she also took on the role as director of the Human Rights Institute and says she was also forced to deal with threats from white supremacy groups afraid of female power. They hung nooses in her home and stole from her, she claimed in the article.
She moved to Spokane in 2012 and has since used social media as an outlet for her frustrations about being a person of color in a very white corner of America.
A November 2013 post about the release of the film 12 Years a Slave, reads in part:
Probably not the best film to take a white partner on a first date to, just-sayin...In fact, over the years I have learned the only way to screen a Black-themed film in Whitopia (aka Idaho/Eastern Washington) is to: 1) arrive a little early so you have a choice in seating 2) sit in the top, back row so that if white people are inclined to stare, they have to turn all the way around to do it 3) sit in the top, back row so that during the movie people aren't constantly looking at you to monitor the 'Black response' to the film.
And in another post, along with selfies of her with a curly mane, the naturally light-haired Dolezal writes: 'Going with the natural look as I start my 36th year.'

As Buzzfeed notes, Dolezal's blog posts and interviews often reference her 'black sons'.
However, her mother told CDAPress.com that one of those boys is Izaiah Dolezal - who was, in fact, one of four African American infants Rachel's parents adopted in the 1990s, meaning the boy is Dolezal's brother, rather than her son.
Izaiah, now 21, has since gone to live with Dolezal and no longer speaks with his adopted parents.
Publicly available birth records, list her biological parents as Ruthanne and Lawrence Dolezal of Montana.
Her Eastern Washington University bio also says that Dolezal has been the victim of at least eight 'documented hate crimes'.
While in the position, Dolezal filed multiple police reports ranging from theft to harassment to the racially motivated hanging of a nooses in her home.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3121061/Local-NAACP-leader-professor-African-studies-outed-WHITE-parents-convincing-community-black-years.html