₦airaland Forum

3. Shayetet 13 – Israel
Another Israeli special-forces group, Shayetet 13 is associated with the Israeli navy. Created in 1948, this force has taken part in every major Israeli operation and war conducting everything from hostage rescue and counter-terrorism to intelligence gathering and boarding. Training is 20 months long and pushes candidates under the most stressful psychological and physical testing before specialized training even begins. You name the specialized type of training and odds are the members of Shayetet 13 have done it – whether it be parachute training, demolitions, underwater warfare or cold/dark training. Operationally, Shayetet 13 members have recently been involved in a number of high profile operations involving boarding ships and seizing weaponry bound for Gaza. Their most notable operation was after the 1972 Munich Olympics when they were used to hunt down and eliminate those responsible for the attack on the Israeli athletes.

2. Navy SEALs – USA
You knew these guys were going to have to show up sometime. The SEALs are an American special-forces group created in 1962 which have achieved near mythical status. This in part is thanks to Operation Neptune Spear – the mission in which SEALs flew into Abbottabad, Pakistan in May, 2011 and killed Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda. The SEALs are elite and the physical and mental strength required to make it in this force is ridiculously high. Training takes over a year and most applicants can’t even get past the physical qualification test which involves a lot of swimming, push-ups, sit-ups and running, all accomplished in a very strict time limit. Get past that and you enter general training. Pass that and you move on to SEAL qualification training which then opens the door to specialized training. All of this ensures that SEAL members are physically and mentally as tough as nails and capable of undertaking the most difficult operations in the world, wherever that may be.

1. SAS – Britain
What’s this, a group rated higher than the SEALs? Indeed. The British Special Air Service was created in 1941 as a force which could operate behind German and Italian lines and support resistance movements against the occupation forces. Understandably, the force is made up of British military personnel with the most coming from the airborne forces. Physical requirements are harsh and require a lot of marching with full packa. This culminates in a 40 mile march with a full pack that must be finished in 20 hours. Candidates must also be able to swim two miles in an hour and a half and run four miles in 30 minutes. After this, you get dropped in the jungle to learn survival and navigational skills, after which you endure survival practice. The final test is a 36-hour interrogation session meant to break the candidate’s will. The handful who make it through this get transferred to an operation force for further training. Not convinced this is ‘better’ than the SEALs? It may help you to know that the SAS is also trained by MI5 and MI6 security and intelligence services to undertake counter-espionage operations. It’s like having a SEAL and James Bond all rolled into one.


www.therichest.com/rich-list/the-biggest/top-10-most-dangerous-special-forces-around-the-world/?view=all

Two men, Nnenna Akanu and Uzoma Nwankwo, charged with defrauding a man of N25 million, under the pretext of helping to secure diamond, on Monday appeared in an Ebute Metta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos. Nwankwo resides at No. 42, Abati St., Ikotun Egbe, while Akanu resides at No. 11, Oke Filling Station Rd., Ejigbo, a Lagos suburb.
They are both facing charges of obtaining under false pretext, stealing and conspiracy. The two accused persons, however, denied the charges.
Earlier, the prosecutor, ASP Olagoke Akinlade, had told the court that the accused committed the offences on Sept. 21, at Cele Ijesa, along Mile 2 Express Road, Lagos.
Akinlade alleged that the duo approached and hypnotised one Chibuike Igbobureke and told him they could supply him with N25 million worth of diamond. He said the victim was equally told to swear an oath not to disclose the business to any one or what had transpired. “Igbobureke boarded a vehicle on the Mile 2 axis and was hyptonised into paying the sum of N25 million into various accounts.
“He had paid up to N25 million into various accounts before he realised he had been conned,” Akinlade said. He said the offences contravened Sections 285, 312 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. Section 285 prescribes seven years jail term, while 409 stipulates two years for offenders. The Chief Magistrate, Mrs O.I. Adelaja, granted the accused bail in the sum of N2 million each with one surety in like sum and adjourned the case till Sept. 2 for mention.



saharareporters.com/2015/08/10/police-arraign-two-men-over-alleged-n25m-diamond-fraud

cc lalasticlala Ishilove

This question was inspired by a discussion with my cousin today so I decided that We bring it here. WHY do most people, especially youths, believe that every guy or lady must be dating someone or be in a serious relationship?
Without even knowing the person, We sometimes assume that he/she must have a spouse. Is this a wrong perception and if yes, what is the reason for such.

When you even tell some folks that you don't have, They start sounding skeptical and judging you that you are lying in order to get a new catch...

So let's hear opinions from matured minds. Where are all these misconceptions coming from?

cc Ishilove

Freemanan:
Broa make Uvwie boys hand no touch these things o...

Na Baro you go tell o... Happy Sunday...

JideJamez:
Embrace peace

We will...

cc Ujsizzle lalasticlala

LSAT LMG

HK416, 417, 417/7 AND Ammos

ACR contender and It's ammo

SVHC CALIS

Below: Federov Avtomat
8mm Ribeyrolles

Winchester Machine Rifle, showing the unique magazine layout

6.5x52 Italian, 6.5x50SR Japanese Type 30, 7.65x32 Mannlicher, .351 Winchester SL, .345 Machine Rifle, 8mm Ribeyrolles (replica)

some early semi-automatic rifles, from top to bottom: 1918 .303 Farquhar Hill; 1909 Mondragon (7.92mm); 1917 MAT Mk 1917; 1929 Czech Brno Z.H.29 (photo taken at MoD Defence Academy, Shrivenham)

Terni Model 1921 selective-fire carbine

the StG 44

Kalashnikov AK

First, I need to define what I mean by an "assault rifle", as there are various definitions around. The one I use is:
"A standard military rifle, capable of controlled, fully-automatic fire from the shoulder, with an effective range of at least 300 metres".
This has some clear implications for the ammunition such weapons are chambered for. First, it excludes all weapons designed around pistol cartridges (i.e. machine pistols and sub-machine guns - SMGs) as they only generate around 500 joules muzzle energy and cannot meet the range requirement. Second, it excludes the traditional "full power" military rifle/MG cartridges such as the .303", the .30-06, the 7.92x57, the 7.62x54R and the 7.62x51 NATO (typically firing 10-12g bullets at 750-850 m/s and developing around 3,000-4,000 joules), as these are so powerful that their recoil is virtually uncontrollable in fully-automatic rifle fire from the shoulder.



Follow the train as I show you various rifles and their ammunitions....

www.quarryhs.co.uk/Assault.htm

Below are 30 Pedersen (7.65x20), .30 Mauser (7.63x25), 9x19 Parabellum, 9x25 Mauser, .45 Auto, .45 Remington-Thompson, 5.7x28 FN, 4.6x30 HK, 5.8x21 DAP-92 .

Armed men suspected to be sea pirates Friday night attacked a military checkpoint in Nembe, Bayelsa East senatorial district killing four soldiers and a policeman.
The incident occurred at about 11.30pm at the Nembe waterfront.
The hoodlums, believed to be in search of arms and ammunition, according to a security source launched the attack on the military checkpoint from land and water.
They reportedly stole rifles of the slain operatives as well as HP Guns and ammunition from the base before disappearing into the mangrove creek.
The authorities of the Joint Task Force and the state police command confirmed the incident.



www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/breaking-news-gunmen-kill-four-soldiers-policeman-in-bayelsa-creek/



cc lalasticlala Ishilove

It is the strong belief among black Africans that not every death is natural, especially if the person dies at a young age or at the height of his prosperity. Naturally, the Itsekiris are also of this belief. But they go beyond suspicion to
bife in order to determine if the person has actually died through acts of witchcraft, black magic or sorcery.
If the person has died through witchcraft or similar means, says Pa Peduru, his spirit or the spirits of the ancestors could avenge his death with or without any form of invocation. “That is why you see some people going mad or dying mysteriously.”
He adds that Ife bibi could also determine if somebody has died as a repercussion for his own evil deed.
Evil forest
The definition of witchcraft in ife bibi practice encompasses every evil deed through supernatural means, says Rev. Dr. Jackson Ireyefoju, an Itsekiri retired senior lecturer at the Delta State University, Abraka and founder and pastor of the Evangelical Spiritual Church of Christ, Okere, Warri.
“As far as the Itsekiris are concerned, any evil act through spiritual form that leads to the death of a fellow human is regarded as witchcraft”, he says.
Most Itsekiris agreed with Rev. Ireyefoju, including Rev. Dr. Stephen Gbejoro, founder and pastor of Christ the Lord Church of God, Warri, and also a radical televangelist who preaches on ABN International and Delta Rainbow Television (DRTV), the local state-owned television station. Rev. Gbejoro adds that even physical killing of a fellow human is regarded as witchcraft as far as ife bibi is concerned. “It is now you see people killing their fellow humans and getting away with it.” He adds that in Itsekiri land in those days, except during inter-tribal wars, which he says are understandable, if one killed his fellow human, his hands were dirty and such a person did not deserve to be buried in town among clean people. The person would be thrown into “igbele to be eaten by vultures and monkeys.”
Ife bibi is performed on every corpse before burial, and not even the corpses of children that have not grown teeth are exempted. “Of course, it is not only about finding out if somebody was a witch or not when alive”, explains Engr. Esimijemiyotan Jakpa, a Warri-based businessman and president of Otu-Oma Iwere, an Itsekiri socio-cultural group. “Yes, a baby could be innocent, but she could have been killed through spiritual means, which could be determined by ife bibi, and the obi ife would know if the baby has died a natural death.” He says a baby’s life is equal to any other life.
Conflict between Traditionalists, Christians
Ife bibi has withstood the spread of Christianity in Itsekiri land. This is clearly because the Itsekiris have very strong traditional base, where even professed Christians continue to consult oracles and engage in other traditional religious practices.
Christianity was well established in Itsekiri land nearly 500 years ago. “For nearly 150 years from Olu Atonrongboye to Olu Akengbuwa (1597–1735), eight Christian Olus in a row reigned in Itsekiri land,” says Chief J.O.S. Ayomike, an Itsekiri leader in his book, A History of Warri. He however adds that these kings “are believed to have partially practiced fetish rites as well.”
Chief Ayomike continues: “It is known that Olu Atogbuwa who reigned between 1735 and 1760 abolished Christianity in Itsekiri land. He closed down churches and sent the missionaries packing. Thereafter, he filled his palace with pagan idols and juju men.”
Thus, traditional religion blossomed again, and the church and monastery known as St. Anthony, that was built at Ode-Itsekiri by Olu Adejeoye before 1700 became derelict due to lack of use.
It was not until the last decade of the 19th century that effective revival of Christianity began.
Chief Ayomike says today, “Christianity in its various denominations is growing amidst the still-revered indigenous fetish practices of the Itsekiri people.”
Many Christian Itsekiris are believed to hold the view that if the pace with which the Christian religion was promoted by Olu Atonrongboye had been maintained till date, Christianity would have been well established in Itsekiri land today, drastically reducing traditional religious practices. And perhaps ife bibi would have been a thing of the past by now.
“We believed and practiced the worship of our various traditional gods, a belief which many of us still hold dear till date”, says Pa Peduru.
“I don’t find anything wrong with traditional religion, especially the Itsekiri traditional religion”, says Rev. Ireyefoju. “Traditional religion is not bad. I am only against the mode and not the intention.” He says no traditional religion or custom tolerates evil acts which Christian rules go against. “Name them: Thou shall not kill; Thou shall not commit adultery; Thou shall not steal.”
When reminded that the First and Second Commandments are against having any other god but Jehovah and bowing before any other god, the Reverend rationalizes: “Those rules are strictly for Christians.” He explains that as a Christian, he obeys all the Ten Commandments, but that he is only explaining the morality aspects of the Christian laws, which are also being observed by traditionalists. “You cannot expect a traditionalist not to bow down to his own god.”
“Itsekiris do not completely give up their traditional beliefs for Christianity”, says Engr. Jakpa. But not every Itsekiri Christian shares this view. “I‘m a Christian and I respect the age-long ife
bibi practice”, says Mr. Terry Awala, president of the National Association of Itsekiri Students (NAIS), Delta State University chapter. “I don’t believe it because it is fetish and spiritual.” He says he obeys the bible which teaches against consulting spirits and obi ifes
consult spirits to get their results.
The Itsekiri Christian community has been vehemently fighting a strong battle against the Traditionalists over ife bibi practice and other burial practices like burying without coffin. In its August 1998 edition, Itsekiri Christian Challenge , a monthly publication of the Evangelize Itsekiri Now Association wrote an editorial calling for the end of ife bibi on Christian corpses, and against burying without coffin.
“Itsekiri burial tradition demands that all burials must be preceded with the casting of the oracle to determine the cause of death and whether such a person has been a witch or wizard during his lifetime”, the editorial began, and went on to state that while “the custodians of our beautiful traditions maintain that all corpses must be subjected to oracle test”, the publication was calling for the end of the practice for Itsekiri Christians as they have “accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as saviour, and are no longer bound by ancestral laws, traditions or customs.” The editorial quoted copiously from the bible to support its position.
It ended with a call for the establishment of a general Christian cemetery at Ode-Itsekiri.
Traditional and Christian conflict over ife
bibi came to the fore in 2000 when Mr. Samuel Mode, a Christian and deacon of Assemblies of God Church died in a motor cycle ( okada ) accident. Ubeji, an Itsekiri town in Warri South LGA where he resided and hailed from became the theatre of conflict when his family stood against ife bibi for his corpse.
The community leaders, reported Itsekiri
Chronicle of August 2000, insisted on the oracle before the 56-year-old father of 9 children could be buried in the town.
The family eventually held a Christian wake-keeping and nothing was heard thereafter, whether they secretly bife for the traditional burial or buried him outside Itsekiri land.
In its battle against ife bibi, the Itsekiri Christian community has unfortunately found opponents even among its fold. One of such is Rev. Gbejoro who says
bife is “perfectly in order and must be maintained.” He questions the decision of his fellow Itsekiri Christians to oppose it. “Are they telling us that ife bibi is evil? If they think so, let them go and bury their dead in Itsekiri land without
bife. If that person was evil and his hands were not clean, I assure them, the corpse will not last more than 24 hours under Itsekiri soil. That grave will either cave in or erupt, and calamity will befall his family.”
Quoting Matthew 25 verse 3, the pulpit radical declares that Jesus Christ has decreed that the sheep will be separated from the goats. “The Itsekiri culture abhors killing. It is a perfect culture, a golden culture. But those who have committed murder, the killers and witches and wizards in our midst want to hide under Christianity to cover their evil deeds. What is evil is evil, and what is righteous is righteous.”
He submits that the Itsekiri nation is a “clean nation, a righteous nation”, so the wicked should not be buried among the righteous.
The Warri Monarch, Ogiame Atuwatse II has not been spared in the religious brouhaha between Traditionalists and Christians in his kingdom, which was engulfed in controversy in 2013, when he, a Christian attempted to renounce his title, Ogiame , which he claimed was associated with the “Sea goddess” and he had nothing to do with the deity.
But he bowed to the wishes of his subjects after 4 days of intense protests, even from among his chiefs.
A visit to the Olu Palace in Warri ( Aghofen) reveals the 2,000-seat memorial church the Monarch built and named after his father and predecessor, Erejuwa II. The church is run by Four Square Gospel Church, and the Monarch worships there.
This reporter was reliably informed that there is no shrine inside the palace premises. This is in contrast to the palace at Ode-Itsekiri, which was used by past Olus until Olu Erejuwa built the new one in Warri and moved down. The old palace at Ode-Itsekiri houses a shrine as well as a church. The church, said to have been built nearly 500 years ago by Olu Adejeoye is derelict, overgrown with weeds and unkempt, while the shrine, originally built with red mud and thatched roof, has a modern concrete structure over it, apparently as a shield from the sun. A guide attributes the sharp contrast in the two houses of worship to the traditional leaning of the elders who still visit the palace, as residents hardly visit, except during royal ceremonies.
Origin of ife bibi
It is not well known where ife bibi originated from and where it all began. “It is associated with oracle, which is only one form of traditional rites in Itsekiri land”, says Pa Peduru. He identifies the other forms as sea-god ( Umale – okun), ancestral worship ( Ebura ), protection ( Osan ) and belief in witchcraft ( Olotso).
He believes consultation of oracle could have been brought from Yoruba land through Benin Kingdom by Ginuwa, the Benin prince who established the Warri Kingdom and became the first Olu. Tracing the history of Warri as a kingdom, he says in his expedition, Prince Ginuwa had an oracle priest in his entourage, who consulted the oracle to determine the direction they were to take.


www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/igbele-conflict-between-traditionalists-christians/


cc lalasticlala HumbledByGrace Ishilove Seun

OREMUSSANCTUS:
Summary or I don't believe it

You be girl now?

I see nothing wrong with this. Those women might even be siblings and colleagues...

OPEN YOUR EARS AND EYES OH CHILDREN OF HATE THAT YOU MAY READ AND HEAR THIS...

ilobasama:
At the end who suffers, just the ordinary citizens. I believe at this stage, we should all put in a collective effort to ensure this nation is great again. We all cant support or oppose this administration but for those who criticize, you can do it constructively and recommend necessary solutions or ideas that can move us to greater heights rather than always hating for no sane reason.

ABUJA — THE lingering crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, following a sharp disagreement between  the national leadership and staff over  plans to reduce the staff strength, their salaries and allowances by 50 per cent, yesterday took a new turn as men of the Nigeria Police blocked the gate of the National Secretariat.


In the early hours of yesterday, following directives from the leadership of the party, a truck load of Policemen blocked the gate and deprived the staff from entering the secretariat.

Police action, however, met a stiff resistance from the angry PDP staff.

The policemen, who were deployed at strategic ends of the PDP secretariat, refused to utter a word to the aggrieved staff that came to work as early as 7.30 am only to be shut-out.

It will be recalled that as part of moves to end the crisis, management of PDP who are the directors, deputy directors and assistant directors,  had on Monday held a closed door marathon meeting with the warring staff where the National Director of Administration, Alhaji Gurama Bawa, presided.
At the  meeting, Bawa was said to have pleaded with the aggrieved staff to have a temporary ceasefire against the backdrop that the management would then hold a  meeting with members of the NWC on how to arrive at a possible compromise to avoid heating the polity which at the moment was not the best for a party that last a Presidential election.

With the agreement to a ceasefire, the staff came to work, but they were stopped, just as Vanguard gathered that it took the intervention of PDP Acting Chairman, Board of Trustees, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, who made a call to the leadership of the party that the staff be allowed into the premises.

BoT chair  
intervenes
Vanguard gathered that following the intervention of Mohammed, a call was then made to the Police and they immediately left the gate.

It was until around 10am that the security operatives, after a purported phone call from ‘somebody’ agreed to allow them entry after screening the workers.

With this development, strong indications have emerged that  there seems to be no end in sight in the crisis as both the leadership of the party and the staff have resorted to what could be described as  a hide and seek game.

It was also gathered, yesterday, that  the NWC, which had earlier refused to brief the staff from its Monday meeting, also shifted the venue of its yesterday meeting to an undisclosed venue and directed Police operatives to seal off the PDP secretariat from all, including its staff.

The angry PDP staff revealed that they have reached an agreement within themselves to sheathe their swords until the end of the week and if there was nothing good coming from the NWC, they should be ready for a brutal showdown.
A source told Vanguard that the problem would end  as there were assurances  that all their entitlements have been considered for payment, just as the source disclosed that two cheques of N5 million each meant for upsetting their allowances, including their July salary and the last Sallah bonus which have not been paid, have been raised.

www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/pdp-crisis-deepens-as-police-block-staff-from-entering-secretariat/

ilobasama:
Are you celebrating the hard times of the nation ? Anyway its "no wonder they(zombies) HATE not hates him with passion".

My brother you can see the hate has eaten to deep we don't even care about the nation again... We are now concerned about the people who don't even know you exist. Issashame

Waiting for some Nigerians to start celebrating because the administration has encountered another problem...



All in the name of hates...

By Shaka Momodu

I cannot claim to know Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila,
the man who was the House minority leader of
the 7th House of Representatives. He contested
for the speakership of the 8th House of
Representatives and failed in a transparent
contest. He finally emerged as the House majority
leader, after a gang of party members, doing the
bidding of some powerful forces, held the nation
to ransom for seven weeks. But I have heard a
couple of good things about him from political
discourse with friends and colleagues. He is said
to be a fierce believer in the principles of party
discipline and party supremacy. This is a good
quality, no doubt. He is also said to be loyal to a
fault to his godfather, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Well,
time will tell whether this is a vice or a virtue.
I have also heard about Gbajabiamila’s not-so-
sterling past in the United States of America. His
alleged debarment by the Georgia Supreme
Court, after allegedly pleading guilty to charges of
professional misconduct, was said to have earned
him a 36-month practice suspension. Whether
these are true or false, I hold not his US exploits
against him. However, I dislike the hypocrisy
about him, and I hold in contempt everything
about him and people like him who see things
from the perspective of one nation, two
moralities. I am amused whenever I read in the
media statements that sound like exhortation to
the conscience of the nation attributed to him.
That some people even take him seriously is
baffling to me. But then again, that is the nature
of our country.
He appears a nice guy on the surface, and can
easily pass for a hero of democracy tomorrow,
given how easily we make heroes out of ordinary
mortals and hypocrites in this clime. I was raised
to believe that a man must have the conviction
and character to either stand for something or
stand for nothing, and that you are nothing when
you cannot be identified or associated with a set
of values or a principle.
According to reports in the media, which have not
been denied by Gbajabiamila or his aides, he was
the one who took the former Speaker, Aminu
Tambuwal, to his godfather, Tinubu, who quickly
mobilised his then Action Congress of Nigeria
(ACN) members in the House of Representatives
to align with some renegade Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) members to sabotage the PDP
preferred candidate, Mulikat Akande-Adeola, for
the speakership of the 7th House. Tambuwal
eventually emerged as the speaker by a very wide
margin, thanks to the role said to have been
played by Gbajabiamila.
But he suddenly started championing party
supremacy when the odds turned against him in
the struggle for positions in the House of
Representatives. A man, who actively helped and
aided Tambuwal to undermine party supremacy,
became the champion and advocate of party
discipline and party supremacy? Gosh! And
strangely, we had some naive people – who
helped him to advance his cause and win
sympathy for his selfish argument. Now that his
personal ambition has been achieved, alas, the
business of the people can begin. I am always
filled with a sense of bewilderment when I hear
people talk or when I read articles advocating
“strict adherence” to this so-called party discipline.
I am resentful of how valueless and
unaccountable our politics is; I am depressed by
the fact that our people are so easy to
manipulate. What is even more confounding is
the willingness of the public to acquiesce in the
new narrative that is quickly gaining ground –
“party supremacy”.
If Gbajabiamila actually believes so much in party
supremacy, then it is important to ask him why he
did everything in his power to undermine the
same principle in the PDP. Why did he actively
work against Akande-Adeola – the preferred
candidate of the PDP in 2011? Or is he telling us
that party supremacy applies only to the All
Progressives Congress (APC), and when his
personal interest aligns with his party’s position?
What happens when his personal ambition
conflicts with the party’s position? Will he still be
pushing the button of party supremacy? He
worked assiduously to undermine the very
principle he anchored his argument on, and
wanted Nigerians to take him seriously?
Something must be wrong here. His gang had to
hold the nation hostage to satisfy his greed for
power. Needless to state that the “sickness of
greed and lust for power” is strong, but holding
on adamantly to his position that nothing must
move forward until he got what he wanted was
greed taken too far. Was he born a member of
the House of Representatives? Must he actualise
his unbridled personal interest on the pretext of
party supremacy? Now that he has been
appointed the House majority leader, can he join
hands with others to move the nation forward?
So his ambitions for position superseded the
national interest? What better demonstrates this
than what he and his gang just did? Is this the
change that they talked about?
The man Tambuwal, who he was alleged to have
taken to Tinubu for his backing eventually did
emerge as the speaker, and did exactly what he
was meant to do: destabilise the PDP. What did
Tinubu and co. do for him as a sign of
appreciation? He was rewarded with the
governorship ticket, and eventually the seat itself,
of his native Sokoto State – as the man went on to
win the election. Today, he sits atop as the symbol
of authority and the moral compass of the people
of Sokoto State. Tell me, how this cunning,
immoral and treacherous behaviour qualifies him
to sit in the Government House? What values can
such a man teach our children? And they claim to
be agents of change? In the land of my fathers,
we were taught to shun such values because they
won’t ennoble us on this journey of life. But these
are the values that are now being rewarded
before our very eyes. Our faith in what we were
taught by our parents to be the lightening rod of
any serious society has been seriously shaken by
the entrenched reward system – causing some of
us to doubt whether they were right after all. The
party that promised change is proving to be as
guilty as the party it defeated. The very people
who told Nigerians that they were bringing
change for the better.
My problem with these people is that they equate
their strange values and standards to love of
country, and anyone who disagrees with them is
unpatriotic. I will continue to hold their feet to
fire, and expose the hypocrisy of these politicians,
lest we are all turned into a nation of zombies.
Advertisement
Ironically, the same people who are now
criticising the Senate President Bukola Saraki and
the House Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, were
the very same people who were hailing Tambuwal
for doing everything he did to embarrass and
damage his former party. Recall that at the height
of the mass defections from the PDP to the APC in
2014, Gbajabiamila obviously excited by the mad
rush of the PDP renegades to join the APC,
couldn’t wait anymore for elections to test his
party’s strength. He hurriedly announced that the
APC had emerged the majority party since many
PDP members in the House had defected to the
APC – that his status as the minority leader then
had changed, and that he should be recognised as
the majority leader.
Before some people begin to think I am a fan of
Saraki, one of the people who brought down his
former party – the PDP, let me state here without
equivocation, I am not. If I have my way, I will
personally hold him to account for the crimes he
was alleged to have committed and make sure he
pays a big price to society if found guilty. But a
chill runs down my spine, if because he has also
now defied his new party, and beat its preferred
candidate, his case file is suddenly dug up for
retribution. Some have argued that there is no
relationship between the developments, and that
it was a coincidence. But how many coincidences
do we have to get before they stop being
coincidences? And that is what rankles me. It even
rankles me the more knowing how this same APC
fought tooth and nail to have Saraki and his co-
travellers’ defection letter read on the floor of the
Senate. And they took the former Senate
President David Mark to the cleaners for refusing
to read the letter. Of course that did not stop
Saraki from fraternising with APC, and ultimately,
he defected to the party – which was just too
happy to swell its numbers and expand its spread.
Then, the party cardinals didn’t remember that
Saraki had pending corruption cases that should
have disqualified him from the Senate. And
apparently recognising his clout, the party
cardinals bypassed Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed,
and Mohammed Belgore – who was the original
arrowhead of the party in the state, and made
Saraki the party leader in Kwara State. Now, we
are being daily reminded that the man has
pending corruption cases. The questions
everybody should ask the APC are: when did it
realise that Saraki has pending corruption cases?
Was it after his defection? If yes, why was he
allowed to realise his senatorial quest on its
platform? Did they plan to use him to achieve
success and then, dump him? Needless to remind
Nigerians, this same Saraki, now branded as a
“betrayer”, “corrupt” and disloyal pro-PDP
member by the APC cardinals and their media
goons was not long ago celebrated as a
progressive who was committed to “change” when
he defected from the PDP to the APC with his
Kwara horde. That was what we were sold before
the elections. For the life of me, how can Saraki
truly be a progressive? It appears when it suited
them, he was a hero; when it does not, he is a
villain.
I have always cautioned Nigerians at the risk of
shouting myself hoarse, that these people are
opportunistic politicians, and are not the
messiahs they portray themselves to be. So far,
every action of these “agents of change” has
proved me correct. The so-called party supremacy
is nothing but the supremacy of the whims and
caprices of one man, period!
Gbajabiamila ceased to hold the moral high
ground and the entire claim to genuine party
supremacy – the moment he aided Tambuwal to
undermine party supremacy in the PDP. He
cannot be pointing an accusing finger at others,
when he and his party are beneficiaries of the
very act they now condemn.
In a rather strange irony, the same Tambuwal
whom the APC apparatchiks used to fulfill their
agenda was reported to be one of the
arrowheads of the group that supported Dogara
against Gbajabiamila. It was an interesting
revelation which even Gbajabiamila will find
difficult to believe and live with for a long time to
come. But it provides useful lessons for politicians
whose desperate quest for power blinds them to
danger, when entering strange alliances that are
principally driven by inordinate ambitions rather
than enduring values. More often than not, they
are left holding the short end of the stick – which
is what has happened in this case. Now, the
cookies are crumbling – emergency friends are
becoming frenemies and unholy alliances forged
in the coven like “witches” are unravelling at
dizzying speeds in full public glare. But who are
the losers in all of these? Of course, the Nigerian
people who had been held to ransom, because
the inflated egos of some party cardinals in
conclave were badly bruised by the spectacular
result of the quest for control of the National
Assembly on June 9.
Not surprisingly, these APC cardinals don’t take
defeat lightly. It must be their way, or the roof of
the National Assembly will be brought down on
everyone. It is this same lack of sportsmanship in
them that has defined all their participation in
elections – such that they have come to equate
our national aspiration for fairness and equity to
their rabid partisan inclination for power. They
even have the audacity to reduce the definition of
free and fair elections to their narrow-minded
and selfish view – such that it is only when they
win that elections are free and fair. And with a
clever mix of “true lies”, half-truths, propaganda
and a conniving media, they have successfully
sold apples as oranges, and mangoes as pears to
a very gullible section of the public.
As the war within the ruling party rages, the
prospect of “change” is flickering. The party now
reminds many Nigerians of the Biblical Tower of
Babel whose promoters can no longer speak with
one voice. The APC story today was so succinctly
captured in that story so long ago – the similarity
is compelling: “Come, let us build ourselves a city,
and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us
make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered
abroad over the face of the whole earth.” As they
built their tower, the Lord said: “Come, let us go
down, and there confuse their language, that they
may not understand one another’s speech and so
the Lord scattered them abroad from thence
upon the face of all the earth.” Oh yes! The party
made a name for itself by defeating the PDP in
the election alright. But managing success, and
laying the first building block of national rebirth
which it promised, has proved a herculean task as
the scramble for positions for personal benefits
and influence reaches a crescendo.



www.today.ng/blog/08044052-gbajabiamila-and-the-true-lies-about-party-supremacy/


Cc lalasticlala

Well…This time, controversial ex gospel singer, Maheeda, did the unusual…She took to the internet to post some her old photographs of
herself, showing how she struggled from nothing to what she is today.
The singer who lives in the Netherlands with her husband thanked him(her husband) for the transformation she has experienced in her life.
In her words, “I must not forget the guy that came to save me. He loved me when I was looking like sh!t, and cleaned me up, that’s why he is my
husband today.
“And the sweetest thing is that he knows where I
was coming from and he supported my every move, and always say ‘go get them baby I gat you.’ May God keep blessing him and keep him
alive and healthy for me. I owe him the world.
Amen! Just a little of my story! Thanks to God!”

newshubnigeria.com/throwback-pictures-of-maheeda-as-a-gospel-singer-house-wive/

Cc lalasticlala Ishilove

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has insisted that the DG of DSS, Mr. Lawal Daura, is not a card-carrying member of the party, saying nothing short of producing Mr. Daura’s membership card or evidence of his membership registration will convince discerning Nigerians that he is indeed a member of the APC as alleged by the PDP.

”While it amounts to rabble-rousing and crass politicking for the PDP to have wrongly accused Mr. Daura of being a member of the APC without a scintilla of credible evidence, the PDP has weakened its argument by using the pictures in which Mr. Daura appeared with the President and the fact that he served in an election committee as evidence of his membership of the APC,” the party said in a statement, Friday, in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

”Possession of an APC membership card by Mr. Daura or evidence of registration as a party member at his ward, local government or state will be the only conclusive evidence of his membership of the party,” it said. ”Until such an evidence is produced, we are sorry we have to tell the PDP to shut up!”

APC said the PDP is jittery because it is keenly aware of the kind of impunity perpetrated under the federal government it sired from 1999 to 2015.

”PDP has forgotten the saying that he who must come to equity must come with clean hands. When Mr. Mike Okiro chaired the security committee of the PDP campaign in 2011, did that prevent him from being appointed the Chair of the Police Service Commission, which is responsible for issues concerning the welfare, promotion and discipline of all police personnel, in 2013?

”When the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, was appointed into the Jonathan election committee in 2015, did he resign his appointment as head of the agency or did he automatically become a card-carrying member of the PDP?
”Did retired Col. Kayode Are not become the DG of the DSS despite being a close confidante of Gen. Obasanjo during his electioneering campaign to become President? Was this not under a PDP Federal Government?

”In any case, even in the world’s most advance democracy, United States, was a card-carrying Democrat, Mr. Leon Panetta, not named as head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) by President Barack Obama in 2009? Here in Nigeria, the APC-led FG has not even gone that far, and the PDP is blabbing.

”It is an irony that the APC-led Federal Government, which has continued to conduct the affairs of state with a strict adherence to the law, is the one being accused by the immoral, irresponsible and
grossly hypocritical PDP. A party that should cover its face in shame for wasting all of 16 years in the life of our country, a party whose members should show penance by hunkering down has continued to assault the sensibilities of a decent nation. What a shame,” APC said.

source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/07/produce-apc-membership-card-of-dg-of-dss-or-shut-up-apc-tells-pdp/#sthash.HEfR7hAP.Pu7nwFfB.dpuf

Kaduna – The Nigerian Army has re-engaged a number of its retired officers to serve as consultants and instructors at the Nigerian Army School of Artillery (NASA), Kachia, Kaduna state.

“This will no doubt greatly ensure the sharing of knowledge and expertise between serving and retired officers of the Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery (NACA), “Major-Gen. Lawrence Jokotola (rtd) said Friday in Kaduna.

He spoke at a pulling out parade organised for him and 32 other retired generals of NACA at the Kalapanzi Barracks.
Jokotola said that the Nigerian Army should sustain the initiative arguing further that, “as retired gunner offices, we are available at all times to contribute in whatever way the corps send us fit to perform in the achievement of its organizational goals and indeed those of the Nigerian Army.

“There is no gainsaying that that the challenges the military is currently facing are not unsurmountable if the old ideals of training, good administration and discipline address are extolled.

“I therefore enjoin all gunners to rise to the occasion and do the nation proud by providing timely, accurate and effective for support for the Nigerian Army in its drive to meet up with its constitutional responsibilities at all times.

“We all started the journey in the service of our fatherland as young men and grew up to become the retired generals that we are today.
“We were privileged to get the best education and training while in active service and these opportunities moulded all of us into responsible citizens that we are today.”

- Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/07/nigerian-army-re-engages-retired-soldiers/#sthash.lrIt1QeZ.dpuf

[b]By Clement Ejiofor

Former president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that Nigeria’s refineries might have been sold to Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote many years ago.

Former president speaking on a Channels program narrated how his successor, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua was forced to reverse the sale of Nigeria’s oil refineries which he had completed before leaving office in 2007.

Obasanjo said: “The refineries are old and Dangote and some investors paid $750m for two of the refineries. My successor came to office and reversed the sale; he even refunded the money they paid.

“So, I went to him and said ‘why did you do this’? He said it was because of pressure. So, I said ‘so the pressure of some people was more important than the interest of the whole nation’!

“Right now, you will hardly be able to sell the refineries for more than $250m because they are very old”.

Obasanjo clarified that most people, particularly leaders, failed to analyse the decisions of those before them before upturning those decisions, pointing out that most leaders yielded to sentiment than informed opinions.

It should be noted that Dangote has repeated his desire to buy English club Arsenal. The Nigerian billionaire failed in a bid to acquire a stake in the club in 2010 but is now worth nearly eight times as much, at £11.5bn.[/b]

http://www.naij.com/502338-yaradua-stopped-dangote-buying-nigerias-refineries-obasanjo.html


Cc lalasticlala

[b]President Muhammadu Buhari on July 29, Wednesday, has vowed to stay on by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling ceding the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon.

Adesina also cited the president as promising to get all Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria and those who are refugees in Cameroon back to their homes.

“Since Nigeria allowed the case to go to court and we lost, we have to abide by it,” Buhari said, assuring the 4 million Nigerians living in Cameroon of Nigeria’s commitment to continue to boost their welfare and safety in the country.
The president also claimed that Nigeria’s future is very bright despite the economic crisis.

Nigeria’s leader said: “Fellow Compatriots permit me to say, as I have done during my inauguration on 29th May 2015, I am committed towards bringing positive change to Nigeria and I will do everything possible to achieve that. Despite the numerous challenges confronting us, the future of our country is very bright.

“You all know very well that your fellow Nigerians are resilient, hardworking and patriotic. These qualities have always seen us through our most difficult national challenges and they will do so now.

“However, this government’s job is to see that we unite and work together for the common good of our country.

“The recent economic downturn occasioned by the fall in oil prices at the global market, which drastically affects our national revenue, is a serious cause of concern to us.”

The president also assured that the ongoing security challenges opposing Nigeria will soon be a thing of the past. “We are determined to end this callousness against our innocent citizens. The defense of the territorial integrity of Nigeria and the protection of lives and properties of Nigerians and all those who live in the country are our top priorities. We shall explore all reasonable options to enable us to bring this rebellion to an end,” he said.

Recall the ICJ had ceded the peninsula to Cameroon during the ruling of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo.
The peninsula was a subject of dispute between the two countries, making them to approach the ICJ.[/b]

http://www.naij.com/502356-president-buhari-speaks-fate-ceding-bakassi-peninsula.html



Cc lalasticlala

gabazin080:
This op can lie ehn.
Your opinion abi someone else opinion on Facebook

DID YOU READ IT TILL THE END?

This write-up will consider three important things including the 'anti-corruption' fight by Mr. President and the fight against terrorism as well as Federal appointments so far. Notice that the word 'anti-corruption' is in quote. That is because there is some question that needs to be answered with regard to that issue. So I start. I have to say, I had considered Mr. President a clueless man. His mistaking the name of his own political party and the name of his deputy, for me, was nothing short of a show of the absence of the requisite intellectual and/or psychological capacity to run the country. This position was compounded by the fact that fairly recently, he referred to 'West Germany' and 'President Michelle.' I was certain at that point that we had a 'cow' for a president. When originally, he failed to nominate members of his cabinet, if there was any doubt left as to the cluelessness of the man we had at the helm of affairs of the Nigerian state, it was completely obliterated. I additionally thought that perhaps, he has forgotten that Nigeria is no more under Military rule.
I laughed in my mind, at the laughingstock Nigeria would be all through his tenure. But I think I might have judged too soon. Now that I look closely, I see a man with a plan. A definite plan. A man that intends first, to purge Nigeria of the corruption that has plagued our country for many years.
Instead of seeing his refusal to appoint Ministers as a show of indecision and absence of direction, I now consider it a deliberate attempt to ensure that the people he works with are unstained by the oil of corruption. I see that as a show of intelligence and integrity. Our past leaders, Obasanjo, Yara'dua and Goodluck, all failed to rid the Nigerian system of this filth. They built on already existing structures, structures that were fundamentally defective right from the foundation upwards.
I think there is a need for the structures to be destroyed,
and for a new one to be built. Other than to gather all the
past leaders in a large hall and cause their death, the
position taken by Mr. President, PMB, is a step in the right direction. Certainly, a lot of people that benefited in the past government will be affected. These people, and others too, will cry that there is a witch hunt, but seriously, if members of the past administrations are not investigated and prosecuted, who will, or rather who should? Has it not been the same persons who participated in the corruption, or allowed it to go on? All the billions that have been reported stolen during the past administration, was it not these persons who allowed them? Should we now say that because Mr. President doesn't want to seem like he is witch
hunting, he should then refuse to investigate and prosecute people who are known or suspected to have committed acts of corruption? That is arrant nonsense.
Now, I may be speaking a little too early, because so far, he is yet to arrest and prosecute any of the persons who
openly supported his campaign to become Commander-In-Chief, but consider that those for those persons to have supported PMB, they very likely have not benefitted, or perhaps benefitted minimally from the previous government.
My position on this, of course, will change if none of these people is prosecuted soon, because in my opinion, every single one of them is rotten with corruption and ooze the disgusting stench of ill-gotten wealth. I hope that at the end of the Mr. President's four (4) years, even the policeman who collects N50 from motorists on the street will be affected by the hammer of anti-corruption.
We all should know, however, that for the anti-corruption
campaign to be successful, everyone of us will be affected. I myself will be. The reason is not difficult to find, even the most decent of us is guilty of one form of corruption or the other at some point or the other. I don't expect that every single Nigerian will be prosecuted and imprisoned, but that we all should be purged of our sins and repent in the new Nigerian spirit.
Now on the issue of Boko Haram and the terrorism, what I'm going to say now may offend a few, but what I consider to be the truth, must be told. I remember that towards the end of President Goodluck's tenure, I complained about the consistent loss of life that continued unabated in the past few years. I remember saying that if a president is unable to ensure the safety of the citizens of the country, then such government is a failure. I still hold that opinion.
Today, about two months after inauguration of the new
government. The insurgency seems to have gotten stronger. The bombing seems to have become more frequent, insecurity is still the order of the day. This has forced the question, so why then did we kick out the old
administration, if we are going to continue with the same problems? But before crying too hard on the matter, I realize, had the Boko Haram insurgency suddenly stopped the moment Mr. President got into power, I would have cried fowl play. In my eyes at least, there will be no further need for proof that Buhari or his supporters are the cause or fuel of the insurgency.
The question then begs to be answered, so should the
insurgency go on forever? My answer is a solid 'NO!'
Another question then is that of whether or not Mr.
President has the capacity to improve the situation
considering the increased spate of bombings. I have an
interesting answer to that line of questioning. To properly answer that questions I'll have to refer to a story I was told about the tiger. Please enjoy the read.

When the tiger is about to die, it doesn't do so quietly. No. It doesn't just sit. It goes to the highest point it can find, and then makes the loudest roar. That is its final legacy. Similarly, when in a fight a strong person is pushed to the wall and there is no where else to turn but forward, he fights back with all his might and uses any tactic he can to get the upper hand. Perhaps you, the reader, have been in a fight or at least watched one, you'll notice that the person who seems about to lose usually tries his best to throw as many punches as he can or be as lethal as he can, the reason, it's either that or accept defeat. Perhaps, the situation is the same with the insurgents. Maybe they have nowhere to go but to shout their loudest or dish out their strongest punch(es). Perhaps I'm wrong but is that line of though not worth considering? Of course my position on this will change if we don't see the end of the bombings soon. But for now, this explanation is worthy of
consideration.
The above being said, I have a problem with the
appointments made so far. Apparently, persons from the south-south and south-east region do not have the requisite ability to hold offices in the Federation. This is the notion that is being given by Mr. President's administration.
Mr. President is not a regional president, and as such is
expected to govern all sections of the country. Nigeria is a volatile state all interests need to be protected for the nation to be at peace. I note that people from areas in the defunct Biafra are gearing up, because, the federal government is appearing to neglect them.
I am a young man from the Niger Delta, and I want to grow in a country where the same rights and privileges are given to deserving persons not withstanding their place of birth and religious creed. My advice to Mr. President and the APC is that serious consideration should be given to federal character. If not, I smell pending war.
Let's all join hands to make Nigeria great. Let us consider our collective rather than personal interests. A word, my fathers will say, is enough for the wise.

BY OBIENE FERNANDEZ MARCUS



https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10204381345755560&id=1287854725&_rdr



cc lalasticlala