₦airaland Forum

The OPCW, the body overseeing destruction of Syria's chemical weapons, has won the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Committee said it was in honour of the OPCW's "extensive work to eliminate chemical weapons".

The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was established to enforce the 1997 Chemical Weapons convention.

It recently sent inspectors to carry out the dismantling of Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons.

The watchdog picks up a gold medal and 8m Swedish kronor ($1.25m; £780,000) as winner of the most coveted of the Nobel honours.

Pakistani schoolgirl campaigner Malala Yousafzai and gynaecologist Denis Mukwege of the Democratic Republic of Congo had been tipped as favourites to take the award.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24490925

The OPCW, the body overseeing destruction of Syria's chemical weapons, wins Nobel Peace Prize
details shortly

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24490925

The Empire

Missed the "The Event"

Remarks by

His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR
On the Occasion of the Inauguration of the National Advisory Committee On our Country’s Conversation towards a Greater Nigeria.

State House, Presidential Villa, Abuja
Monday October 7th 2013

PROTOCOLS

1. Today, we are taking historic and concrete steps that will further strengthen our understanding, expand the frontiers of our inclusiveness and deepen our bond as one people under God.

2. In my address to the Nation on the occasion of our 53rd Independence and Golden Anniversary as a Republic, I announced that in response to the yearnings of our people, we had decided to take on the responsibility of decisively and genuinely exploring the option of a National Conversation.

3. In furtherance of this objective, Government announced the names of some Nigerians, with wide experience from various disciplines, to form membership of an Advisory Committee to facilitate a most acceptable process that will bring our aspirations to fruition. Our gathering here today is to formally inaugurate this child of necessity, the Advisory Committee to midwife this Conversation.

4. Permit me to very quickly review the foundational principles that drive our action, and also address a few matters arising. Firstly, let me emphasize that this is a National Project, a sincere and fundamental undertaking, aimed at realistically examining and genuinely resolving, longstanding impediments to our cohesion and harmonious development as a truly united Nation.


5. There is a view by some of our people that we do not need to sit together to dialogue over the socio-political challenges facing our country. Some believe that because we have held several Conferences in the past, we do not need to hold another one. I was one of those who exhibited scepticism on the need for another Conference or Dialogue. My scepticism was borne out of the nomenclature of such a Conference, taking into cognizance existing democratic structures that were products of the will of the people.

6. However, we are in a democracy, and in a democracy; elected leaders govern at the behest of the citizenry. As challenges emerge, season after season, leaders must respond with best available strategies to ensure that the ship of state remains undeterred in its voyage.

7. Nations rise to the challenges that each epoch presents. It is imperative therefore, that in our march to nationhood, we have to be dynamic in our approach and response to the problems, even as we seek solutions to them. We cannot proffer yesterday's solutions to today's problems.

8. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, let us remind ourselves of the gains from previous Conferences and Dialogues. The Conferences that were held before 1960 were designed to produce a political system and a roadmap to Nigeria's independence.

9. The Constitutional Conference of 1957 in London, for example, effectively prepared Nigeria for Independence. The Eastern and Western regions were granted self-government in 1957, while the Northern region got its own in 1959. The Office of the Prime Minister was created and it was also decided that the Federal Legislature would be Bi-cameral.

10. Furthermore, the Constituent Assembly of 1978 gave us the 1979 Constitution and also created the current Presidential System with its attendant checks and balances and Fundamental Human Rights provisions. The 1999 Constitution we operate today, is a successor to the 1979 Constitution and records show that the 1999 Constitution also benefited from reports and recommendations arising from the 1994/1995 Constitutional Conference.

11. Although not enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, the idea of the current Six Geo-Political Zones that have become one of the avenues for equitable distribution of projects and public offices in Nigeria was also a product of Dialogue that emerged from the 1994/1995 Constitutional Conference.

12. The 2005 National Political Reform Conference produced a number of key recommendations that were sent to the 5th Assembly, which were however not perfected. In 2010, I reasoned that the outstanding recommendations from the 2005 Conference be revisited.

13. It was my view that Government is a continuum and that we must find ways to strengthen the foundation of our Union. I proceeded to set up the Justice Alpha Belgore Committee with a mandate to review the report for possible implementation, especially the areas were there was a common agreement. The committee worked hard and came out with its report that included a number of Bills, which were forwarded to the National Assembly.

14. We believe that these Bills will form key components of the on-going Constitutional Review by the National Assembly.

15. Clearly, every dialogue adds something valuable to our evolving Nation. The urgency of a National Conversation in the present therefore, need not be over emphasized.

16. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, as we continue to strive to build a strong and virile Nation, especially in the midst of agitations and tensions, we cannot deny the fact that sitting down to talk is one right step in calming down tensions and channelling our grievances, misgivings and suggestions into more positive use for the good of our Country.

17. Let me use this opportunity to thank the Senate President, and the leadership and members of the National Assembly for the support they have given to this important National Project.
18. The concept of participatory democracy is such that even after the people have given their representatives the mandate to make laws and act on their behalf, there is also a space for the governed to make further input into the political processes, without undermining the authority of the statutory bodies. Sovereignty continues to be with the people even as the people evolve strategies and tactics to strengthen its foundation for the benefit of successor generations.

19. It is this sort of collaboration between the people and established institutions of government, that will allow for a robust outcome that leads to greater understanding and a more cohesive and inclusive Union. For me, there is no alternative to inclusivity, equity and justice in a modern democratic state.

20. I will therefore like to allay the fears of those who think the Conference will call the integrity of Nigeria into question. This National Discourse will strengthen our union and address issues that are often on the front burner, and are too frequently ignored.

21. Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Committee Members, this is a serious task, and history beckons on you not to disappoint our people. I want to charge you to consult widely before sitting down to develop the framework that will guide and guard the proceedings of the discussions.

22. In the task before you, no voice is too small and no opinion is irrelevant. Thus, the views of the sceptics and those of the enthusiasts must be accommodated as you formulate this all important framework. This Conversation is a People’s Conversation and I urge you to formulate an all-inclusive process that protects the people’s interest.

23. Let me also urge the Advisory Committee not only to be alive to the expectations of our people, but to bear in mind, that what we desire is what can work for the good of our people and country. The goal is to bequeath a better and a greater Nigeria to the present and the generation that is to come.





24. Ladies and Gentlemen, We have wasted too much time and resources, bickering over sectional versions of what define reality. This is an open-ended luxury we can no longer afford. Let us move forward, with honest conviction and patriotic courage, to strengthen this Republic, and get it to work better and brighter, for all of us, to the glory of God.

25. On this note, I hereby inaugurate the National Advisory Committee on this significant National Assignment and give the Committee six weeks to submit its report. I thank you for accepting to serve and I wish you the very best of wisdom in this very important call to duty.

26. Congratulations! I thank you.

https://www.facebook.com/jonathangoodluck/posts/632051883511856

Operational blunders, obsolete weapons and under-stocked armouries are some of the major reasons behind the military’s apparent inability to end the Boko Haram insurgency, Defence sources told Daily Trust.
The military had recorded huge losses of personnel last month in its battle against insurgents in Borno and Yobe states.
Authorities denied some of the reported losses, but sources said the armed forces routinely downplay their own casualties and overstate their gains in the insurgency war.
A Defence source told Daily Trust: “Almost all the units in the eye of the storm (Borno, Yobe, among others) have under-stocked armouries.”
Other sources said the lasttime the military authorities embarked on large-scale weapons acquisition was many years ago, in spite of the more than 1 trillion budgeted for security operations since 2012.
The killing of an officer and dozens of soldiers under his command around Gubio, Borno State, on September 13 by Boko Haram insurgents was attributed to these factors.
Military sources attributed the mass casualty to an “operational blunder.”
Daily Trust gathered that soldiers involved in that operation were issued inadequate ammunition.
“When they were ambushed and came under heavy fire from the insurgents, the soldiers ran out of ammo and so many of them were either killed or seriously injured,” one of our sources said.
Another cause of the massive losses, according to sources, was the sudden cancelation of an aerial campaign without prompt communication to the troops that had already advanced.
“This single act led to the massacre of our troops,” a source said, attributing the outcome to faulty communication between the Air Force and Army.
The Nigerian Army, however, denied allegations that Boko Haram insurgents operating mostly in the Northeast have superior weaponry.
Spokesman Brigadier-General Ibrahim Attahiru told Daily Trust that the insurgents are not in any way better armed than the Nigerian Army.
“The Nigerian Army is continually re-strategising to overcome the challenges and there has been massive government support in this regard,” he added.
Brigadier-General Attahiru also nixed the alleged lack of coordination between the Army and Air Force: “The training of the armed forces has been on joint-service basis, aimed at achieving inter-operability when duty calls.”
Speaking to Daily Trust by telephone, former Kano State Military Administrator, retired Colonel Aminu Isa Kontagora, said fighting insurgency is demanding and “difficult because no clear-cut battle is drawn.”
He added that it is extremely demanding on logistics and personnel.
“If the nation and the people don’t give full support to the operation, there are bound to be problems,” Kontagora said, adding that assessing military operations from the outside is also not easy.
When asked to comment on information that military armouries are under-stocked, Kontagora said: “I don’t think it is an issue that needs to be publicised,” adding that aside military action, political will is needed to end the insurgency.
“Youth employment, the dialogue committee, et cetera, are all in place to achieve that. There is need to dismantle the reservoir of youth where the insurgents use for their recruitment,” he said.
‘Porous borders’
Meanwhile, military authorities have said influx of illegal aliens, arms, ammunition and improvised explosive device (IED) materials into Nigeria through porous borders is a challenge to the fight against terrorism.
In the current edition of the Nigerian Defence Magazine, the military also identified the use of animals like camels, donkeys and cows to traffic small, light and collapsible arms into the country as another challenge.
The magazine, a publication of the Defence Headquarters, said that the arms were being brought into the nation through some of its porous borders.
It said that most of such arms came to the Boko Haram insurgents through Libyan and Malian rebels, desperate to exchange arms for money.
“This has added to the overwhelming challenge of the influx of illegal aliens, arms, ammunition and sophisticated IED materials into the country, and efficient and effective fight against terrorism,” the publication said, quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
It also said that the waterways and sea ports in the South provided another means through which those arms were trafficked to the country via the ships, speed boats and canoes through the creeks.
It described as “disheartening and unfortunate” the means by which “merchants of death” trafficked small weapons, to beat security agencies at the borders.
“The fact that the weapons are small, light and collapsible makes them easy to be concealed and moved on camels and donkeys’ back in specially crafted skin or thatched bags,” it said.
It said that some merchants of cows and grains in the region hid the arms and ammunition in empty fuel tankers, under vehicle engines and bags of grains and smuggled them in.
“The grains are transported in large number via trucks, trailers, lorries and old model pick up vans and jeeps with little attention given to them by security agents.
“The use of tricycles, camels, donkeys and cows moving in flocks to deceive, hide and conveniently traffic arms in some parts of the North are ways hitherto unknown,” it said.
It, however, said that the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the region had since uncovered those means and had taken measures to contain them. The magazine called for adequate deployment of personnel and technology in the borders to man, monitor and check the movement of illegal persons, goods and arms into the country.
“Security agencies at the borders and seaports have complained of the porosity of the nation’s border and water ways.
“The problem of porous borders is compounded by inadequate personnel, patrol vehicles, surveillance helicopter and equipment.
“Consequently, most of the borders are leaky and this makes effective control of intruders, smugglers and merchants of deaths, a mirage,” it said.

http://dailytrust.info/index.php/top-stories/7052-war-on-insurgency-operational-blunders-poor-supplies-causing-military-losses

chima12: Why is kano state govt using 12 billion naira to build a housing estate in abuja ?
Why isn't the housing estate being built in kano state?

The state government is constructing about 1,400 housing units in three different sites within the state, namely Amana City, Kwankwasiyya City and Bandarawo City all of which have reached 80 per cent completion.

Kano, Urban Shelter Partner Over N12bn Abuja Estate

The Kano State Government says it is partnering with private estate developing firm, Urban Shelter Limited, over the construction of a N12 billion estate in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The estate comprising 108 housing units on a land expanse of 6.411 hectares, is located in Durumi District of the territory. The 108 housing units comprise 3 bedroom apartments, 4 bedroom terrace, and 4, 5 and 6 bedroom maisonettes.

Kano state governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, who laid the foundation for the construction of the estate, said the project is part of his administration’s drive to promote partnership with the private sector for efficient service delivery and improve the economic base of the state.

Giving a background, he explained that the state government almost lost the plot to unscrupulous persons over the failure of past administrations in the state to develop it, pointing out that the intervention of the incumbent FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, facilitated the restoration of the land to the state and charged the contractors handling the estate project to ensure completion within the agreed time frame.

Kwankwaso said the housing units to be built at the Lokogoma site will complement the already existing ones being constructed by the same Urban Shelter consisting of 100 units at the cost of N9 billion, stressing that the state government is constructing about 1,400 housing units in three different sites within the state, namely Amana City, Kwankwasiyya City and Bandarawo City all of which have reached 80 per cent completion.

KWANKWASO LAUNCHES 1000 AMANA LUXURY TAXIS

Kano state government has purchased and distributed 250 Toyota Corolla saloon cars, worth N1.106 billion, under the first phase of 1000 Amana Luxury Taxi Service Scheme.
Under the scheme which is an owner-driver arrangement, each car bought at N4, 424, 000, was given to the drivers at a subsidized rate of 35 percent, payable within two years.
Speaking during the launching of the scheme at the government house in Kano, the state governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso disclosed that a new company, named Amana Leasing Company Limited, mostly owned by the beneficiaries, has been incorporated to guarantee sustainability of the scheme.
“The Luxury Taxi Scheme compliments our earlier Amana Taxi and Bus schemes, under which 1,500 fairly used taxis and buses were acquired and distributed to the unemployed people in our midst, which has gone a long way in alleviating the commuting challenges of the people of the state at an affordable rate”, the governor stressed.
Gov. Kwankwaso added that luxury taxiing will not only modernize the transport system in the state and beyond but help drivers under the scheme, who are post secondary school graduates, to be self employed.
Besides, he pointed out that the scheme will snowball into wide economic activities by generating a pool of other artisans such as mechanics, spare parts dealers as well as petrol and allied products dealers.
The governor, while congratulating the trainee drivers, appealed to them to justify the gesture by ensuing responsible road usage, good maintenance as well as due remittance of weekly rentals.
In his remarks earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Transport, Alhaji Nasir Mansur Muhammad told the gathering that the beneficiaries of the were intensively trained and certified by the Nigerien Institute of Transport Technology, Zaria and the Vehicle Inspection Unit of the state Driving Institute on driving, vehicle maintenance, road use procedures and emerging technologies in vehicle design, among others, to ensure the safety of lives.
On his part, the Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, Zaira, Dr. Aminu Musa Yusuf, whose agency conducted a significant part of training the luxury drivers, praised the government of Kano state for striving to improve its transport system to meet the changing needs of the citizenry.

KNSG AWARDS N14.2 BILLION IPP CONTRACT

Kano state Executive Council presided over by Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has approved execution of Tiga dam and Challawa Gorge Hydroelectricity Projects at the total cost of N14, 228, 852, 600.
The two projects will be jointly financed by the state government and the 44 local government councils. Under the funding agreement, the 44 local governments will contribute N250 million each, totalling N11 billion while the state government will contribute the balance of N3, 228, 852, 600.
Governor Kwankwaso, who revealed this in a meeting with the expanded causcus of the new PDP at the Government House, Kano, explained that Tiga dam will generate 10Megawatts while Challawa Gorge dam will generate 25megawtts of electricity. He disclosed electricity generated from the two projects will be used mainly to power water treatment plants, street/traffic lights and possibly industrial areas in the state.
The governor stated that the design and construction of the two projects was awarded to Messrs. Skipper Nigeria Ltd., a subsidiary of Skipper Electricals, a leading Indian Multinational Company having their own manufacturing plants in Lagos (Nigeria) and Sharjah (UAE), apart from three (3) manufacturing plants in India.


The company is a well reputed and renowned name in Transformers, Sub-Stations, Sub-Stations Equipments, CT, PT, OHL Hardware and Accessories among others Worldwide.
Accordingly, the state executive council has directed the state Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport to initiate process of signing of agreement for the commencement of the two projects which are significant milestones in the socio-economic transformation of the state.
In the same vein, the state Ministry of Finance was instructed to release mobilization fees to the contractor upon the presentation of Bank Guarantee from a reputable bank and subsequent payments upon valuation of certificates.

https://www.facebook.com/KwankwasiyyaOnline?hc_location=stream

History Of Plane Crashes In Nigeria

Nigeria has recorded several air mishaps involving passenger planes since it came into existence as a nation, most especially in the last one decade. The Kano crash of BOAC Argonaut in 1956 may have been the beginning of this tale of woes.



The Kano Crash Of BOAC ARGONAUT

Although it was not a Nigerian plane, the accident occurred on June 4, 1956 when a British Overseas Airways Corperation (BOAC) four-engined Canadair C-4 Argonaut airliner register G-ALHE crashed into a a tree on departure from Kano Airport, three of the seven crew members and 29 of the 38 passengers were killed, and two crew and two passengers sustained serious injuries.

At 17:21 the Argonaut departed runway 25 at Kano Airport on its way to Tripoli in Libya. The flight which was from Lagos enroute London, but it had to make a scheduled stopover in Kano. It was raining as the aircraft reached 250 feet. All that the pilot did to stabilize it never yielded result, and it happened.



The Crash Of Nigeria Air Ways Flight 825

On November 20, 1969, Nigeria Airways Flight 825, a Vickers VC-10 aircraft, crashed while approaching Lagos, Nigeria killing all 87 people, 76 passengers and 11 crew, on board. It was from London enroute Lagos with intermediate stops in Rome and Kano. With its under carriage down and its flaps partially extended, the VC-10 struck trees 13 km short of runway 19.the aircraft crashed into the ground, an area of thick forestand exploded.

The cause of the mishap could not be determined with certainty as the flight recorder was not working at the time of the crash.



The Crash Of Bellview Airlines Flight 210

Bellview Airlines Flight 210, a Boeing 737-200 crashes in cental Nigeria, killing all 117 people on board. It crashed after taking off from Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos enroute Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in the Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. The approach controller tried to contact the flight at 20:46 hours but could not get any response from the other end. Following an alert raised with National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to start search and rescue operations, the next day, 23 October, 2005, the wreckage of the plane was found on a flat terrain in a woody area 14 nautical miles from airport near Lisa village in Ifo, Ogun State.

After the crash, searchers could not find either the voice or flight recorder to determine the actual cause of the accident.



Adc Flight Crash

In 2006, a passenger plane operated by the Aviation Development Company (ADC) Airlines, Flight53, crashed on 0ctober 29 shortly after taking off from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport IN Abuja, Nigeria at around noon local time (11:00 GMT). It was reported to have 104 people on board. It fell to the ground, broke up and caught fire in a corn field killing several eminent Nigerians among whom were Muhammadu Maccido, the Sultan of Sokoto and spiritual Leader of Nigeria’s Muslims amd his son. The crash of the plane which was Sokoto bound sparked intense national protest as Nigeria called for total overhaul of the entire aviation system.



The Crash Of Dana Air Flight 992

Dana Air Flight 992, a McDonnell Dougles MD-83 aircraft making a shedule commercial passenger flight from Abuja to Lagos crashed on Sunday June 3, 2012 into a furniture work and printing press building in the Iju-Ishaga neighbourhood of Lagos. The crash and subsequent forced landing resulted in the death of all 153 passenger on board and ten more on ground. The aircraft was a twin-engine MD-83 registered in Nigeria as 5N-RAM.

The accident occurred after the crew reported engine trouble and declared and emergency 11 nautical miles (20km) from the airport. It crashed into a crowded neighbourhood near the airport, apparently landing on is tail and causing a large fire.



The Latest Crash

An aircraft operated by Nigeria’s Associated Airlines that has 20 persons on board is reported to have crashed Thursday morning at about 09:00 hours in Lagos claiming the lives of 13 leaving others injured.

It is high time something serious was done about the monster of crash that has continued to cause this huge loss to our nation Nigeria.



Accident History of Embraer EMB 120

Associated Aviation is an airline based in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. It was established in 1996 and operates passenger and cargo services within Nigeria and in West Africa. Its main base is Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. The airline operates mostly domestically with flight destinations to Abuja, Benin, Calabar, Ibadan, Jeddah, Lagos andMakurdi.

Associated Aviation, which as at 2008 has nine aircrafts in its fleet, four of which are the Embraer EMB 120, had no record of plane crash till yesterday, Thursday 3rd October 2013, although there is a history of a suspended flight operations in November, 2012. Manufactured in Brazil, the EMB 120 Brasilia was produced between 1983 and 2001. From 1988 to 2013, there has been a record of 15 Embraer EMB 120 crashes worldwide.With a capacity of 30 passengers (two pilots and one flight attendant), EMB 120 has an empty weight of 7, 070kg, height of 6.35m and a length of 20.00m. The model of the ill-fated plane is the EMB 120RT with registration number 5N- BJY. The owners of the airline still remain un-disclosed but the Chief Executive of the airline is a Mr Tunde Oremule.

Possible causes of the Embraer EMB 120 crash could be engine-related. This is

because the plane has a history of crashes stemming from issues with the engine; four of the 15 crashes were engine-related.

The aviation in Nigeria has experienced seven major air crashes since 1992 and the security in the sector was revamped in 2007.All airlines had to re-capitalise or be grounded, in an effort to ensure better safety.

Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed Airport is a major transport hub for West Africa, with 2.3 million passengers passing through it in 2009. In August 2010, the US gave Nigeria its top safety rating, allowing its domestic carriers to fly directly to America

Nigeria’s government says it now has full radar coverage of the entire country. Six
survivors were rushed to the hospital, two in critical condition. The aircraft was carrying 20 people 13 passengers and seven crew members. Pilot tried to return to the airport for a crash-landing but did not make it. Police Commissioner Waheed Sanau said the plane was chartered from Associated Airline to fly from Lagos to Akure in Ondo state and crashed into open land near a tollgate shortly after taking off.

The front of the aircraft was destroyed, indicating it was the first part to hit the ground. The wrecked remains of the plane have been surrounded by security officers and rescue workers, lay about 30 yards from massive tanks storing aviation fuel. Six survivors were rushed to the hospital, two in critical condition. Federal Aviation Agency spokesman Yakubu Dati said the Brazilian-made turboprop Embraer-120 crashed at 9:20 a.m. local time shortly after taking off from Murtala Muhammed International Airport.



State Of The Aviation Industry In Nigeria

Meanwhile, the much-touted reforms in the aviation industry and its achievements were once again shattered with the crash of the Associated Airlines plane yesterday. The sad development has also for the umpteen times, called to question, the state of the Nigeria’s aviation industry.

The concerns or fears ranges from security breaches to dearth of infrastructure critical to the industry.

During the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, many plane mishaps occurred in his eight years rule, which almost plunged the country into unpalatable pandemonium.

Experts and other stakeholders have, at various times, opined that airlines operators are not ready to invest on trained pilots and engineers that would oversee all the faults of their planes.Some of these airlines operators operate with genuine licenses but use old aircraft to convey their passengers to different destinations either within or outside the shores of the country.

According to a writer, Godday Odidi, no Nigerian airline is using 2012 model aircraft rather than antiquated and abandoned ones being imported into Nigeria as a dumping ground for all sorts and nothing else. He said most of these airlines, which both Nigerians and foreigners are operating in Nigeria’s local and international airports are old compared to aircrafts belonging to foreign airlines. In developed and developing countries, plane mishaps have some limitation unlike in Nigeria where it is become the order of the day.

The level of preparedness of relevant agencies for emergencies in the industry is below expectation. A medical doctor, Attah DarthVader Essien’s submission below underscores the foregoing assertion while commenting on yesterday’s crash on his Facebook page.

Essien wrote: “Watching the pathetic rescue efforts at the Agagu crash site. Disorder all round. No one keeping the mammoth crowd at bay. Rescuers using equipment that don’t work thus resorting to using their bare hands. For a nation who is used to plane crashes, it is bewildering to see that the disaster preparedness and coordination of the nation is still nothing to write home about.”

With the quantum of deaths being recorded in the aviation industry, it high time the Federal Government called the operators of these airlines to order in order for sanity to return to the industry. It is also important for the concerned authorities in the aviation sector to rein in all operators on issues of standards, compliance and safety. This will go a long way in ensuring a safe sky and planes in order to avoid avoidable crashes and deaths.

Source: http://leadership.ng/news/041013/timelines-plane-crashes-nigeria#sthash.8rcknIcH.dpuf

Just heard it on the radio few minutes ago that another plane, Kabo Airline made an emergency landing in Sokoto. The flight left Kano with Hajj Pilgrims on board. Apparently, it made an emergency landing due to bursted tyres...

A Saudi bound Kabo Air plane carrying 400 passengers from Kano made an emergency landing at the Sir Abubakar III international Airport in Sokoto early today.

Boeing 747 jumbo jet left Kano on Friday en route to Saudi Arabia had to divert to Sokoto after several of its tyres exploded immediately after it took off the Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano.

All the passengers aboard the airline have been evacuated from the plane and lodged in a hotel in the ancient city.

The incident is happening on the heels of the crash of an Embraer aircraft belonging to Associated Airlines with registration number 5N-BIT which plunged to the ground in Lagos shortly after take-off from the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. The 30-seater aircraft, which had 20 passengers including seven crew members on board, crashed about 9:30am killing 13

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/saudi-bound-jet-makes-emergency-landing-sokoto-tyres-explode-mid-air



source. BBC hausa..

Mimiko needs prayers.

Has anyone observed this facts before now?

Ondo State incumbent Governors always bury their predecessors.

1. Adefarati buried Ajasin

2. Agagu buried Adefarati

3. Mimiko will now bury Agagu.

Ain't that a mystery

I got this facebook chat from a friend... Apparently, Gbenga chatted with Gumsu Sani Abacha that he is alive...

At least 82 people have died after a boat carrying African migrants sank off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, the island's mayor says.

More than 140 have been rescued but hundreds are missing, officials say.

Passengers reportedly threw themselves into the sea as the vessel got into trouble and Italian officials were quoted as saying that dozens of people were still in the water.

Earlier this week, 13 migrants drowned while trying to reach Sicily.

There are reports that a fire broke out on board, before the boat sank. There are believed to have been around 500 people on board.

Local media reports say that at least one child and a pregnant woman are among the dead.

"The immense tragedy at Lampedusa... is unbearable for any human being," Transport Minister Maurizio Lupi said, according to Reuters.

The mayor of Lampedusa, Giusi Nicolini, described the scene as a "continuous horror".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24380247

At this time of year, when the Mediterranean tends to be calmer, vessels carrying migrants from Africa and the Middle East land on Italy's southern shores almost every day, the BBC's Alan Johnston reports from Rome.

But often the vessels are overcrowded and are not seaworthy. Over the years many have died when their boats have sunk, our correspondent adds.

The UN said almost 500 people were reported dead or missing at sea during 2012 in attempts to reach Europe.

Married To Royalty
October 2, 2013

Our Daily Bread is hosted by Les Lamborn..
Read: Revelation 19:6-9............

The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. —Revelation 19:7

The book To Marry an English Lord chronicles the 19th-century phenomenon of rich American heiresses who sought marriages to British aristocracy. Although they were already wealthy, they wanted the social status of royalty. The book begins with Prince Albert, son of Queen Victoria, going to the United States to pay a social call. A mass of wealthy heiresses flood into a ball arranged for Prince Albert, each hoping to become his royal bride.

Believers in Christ don’t have to just hope—they are assured of a royal marriage in heaven. John talks about it in the book of Revelation: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (19:7-. Jesus is the Lamb, who is the Bridegroom talked about in that Scripture, and believers are His bride.

As the bride of Christ, we are to make ourselves “ready” for that day by striving to live close to Him now in anticipation of our future with Him in heaven. There we will “be glad and rejoice and give . . . glory” (v.7) to the King of kings and Lord of lords!

Former Victoria’s Secret model once again explained recently in an interview why she suddenly quit her career and how her faith led her to walk away.

"I don't regret anything that I have done because it's just the testament to how much I have changed since then," she said during a recent interview with ABC News.

Kylie Bisutti, 23-year-old, has previously tweeted to her stunned fans, “I quit being a VS model to be a Proverbs 31 wife.” Proverbs 31 states, "Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised."

When recalling her career as a Victoria's Secret model, Bisutti told ABC’s “Nightline”, "I was being paid to strip down and pose provocatively to titillate men. It wasn't about modeling clothes anymore; I felt like a piece of meat."


Bisutti also confessed that she only wants to be sexy for her husband. "You know, when we are alone. And so I don't want to go out in public and be that way for other men to see me," she added.

Instead, Bisutti now travels to churches sharing her story with young girls. She is working towards becoming a positive role model for young women.

Bisutti has even created her own Christians clothes line, which allows women to showcase their faith while dressing in a stylish manner. She said. "I want girls to see people who look like them, so they feel good about themselves."

Bisutti also wrote a new tell-all memoir, "I'm No Angel," dishing on the modeling industry's dark side -- from eating disorders to nearly-nude photo shoots, ABC NEWS reported.

“I just want to tell you, you inspired me so much,” one girl told her at a book signing.

And more notably, she's pregnant for six months.

“6 months pregnant TODAY! Woohoo! Getting closer...,” she tweeted on Saturday.


http://ipost.christianpost.com/news/former-victorias-secret-model-explains-why-she-suddenly-quit-industry-11306/

Hubble, Zoos, And Singing Children
October 1, 2013

Our Daily Bread is hosted by Les Lamborn..
Read: Psalm 148.........................

Praise Him, all you stars of light! —Psalm 148:3

What do the Hubble Space Telescope, a zoo, and singing children have in common? According to the teaching of Psalm 148, we could conclude that they all point to God’s magnificent creation.

The idea that God created our world is often questioned, so perhaps it’s a good time for a reminder of the praise we and all creation should heap on our heavenly Father for His magnificent handiwork.

Hubble can help us with that through its eye-popping pictures of our universe. Every one of those brilliant photos points to stars that focus attention on God’s creative majesty. “Praise Him, all you stars of light!” says verse 3.

A visit to a zoo points us to the great diversity of wildlife God created. We look at verses 7 and 10 and say thank you to God for sea creatures, wild animals, insects, and birds.

And a few minutes of watching little children singing uninhibited praises to God symbolizes the truth that all people of earth should lift their voices in honor of our Creator (vv.11-13).

Stars, animals, and children: “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted” (v.13). Let’s join in saying thanks for His creation. “Praise the Lord!”

The Kogi State Deputy Governor, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, on Sunday escaped unhurt in an accident which involved his convoy on the Abuja-Lokoja highway.
A statement issued by his Press Secretary, Mr. Michael Abu, said an escort van in the convoy ran into two stationary vehicles which were involved in an earlier accident.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the affected vehicles, a Mercedes Benz jeep with Lagos registration number, YAB 966 AQ and a Honda Accord with Lagos registration number LND 742 BE had earlier collided before the van ran into them near Kwali.
The statement which said the driver of the Honda Accord lost control while trying to overtake the Mercedes Benz, added that Awoniyi, who was on his way to Lokoja after an official engagement in Abuja, escaped unhurt.
Abu disclosed that those in the escort van sustained minor injuries along with four policemen and were receiving treatment at the Kwali General Hospital.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/kogi-deputy-governor-in-auto-crash/

The 7.7-magnitude quake struck on Tuesday afternoon at a depth of 20km (13 miles) north-east of Awaran, the US Geological Survey said.

Many houses were flattened and thousands of people have spent the night in the open.

After the quake, a small island appeared off the coast near the port of Gwadar, witnesses reported.

Map locator
People gathered on the beach to see the new island, which is about 9m (30ft) high and 100m long, Gwadar Police Chief Pervez Umrani said.

Balochistan is Pakistan's largest but least populated province.

The region is prone to earthquakes, with at least 35 people killed in a 7.8-magnitude tremor that was centred in south-eastern Iran in April.

Mud houses
The latest quake was so powerful it was felt as far away as Karachi, Hyderabad, and India's capital, Delhi.

Entire villages are reported to have been flattened in the impoverished and sparsely-populated district of Awaran.

Balochistan government spokesman Jan Buledi put the death toll at 238, more than 200 of the fatalities in Awaran town and the surrounding villages. He has warned that it could rise. At least 340 people have been injured.

"We are seriously lacking medical facilities and there is no space to treat injured people in the local hospitals," Mr Buledi said.

He said helicopters were airlifting the most seriously injured to Karachi while others were being cared for in neighbouring districts.

The army has sent more than 200 soldiers, medical teams and tents from the regional capital Quetta, but the mountainous terrain is said to be hampering the rescue operation

The quake was so powerful it was felt across Pakistan and India. These office workers in Karachi were forced to evacuate their building.
Awaran local government official Abdul Rasheed Baluch said around 90% of houses in the district had been destroyed.

"Almost all the mud houses have collapsed. We have been busy in rescue efforts for the whole night and fear we will recover more dead bodies from under the rubble during daylight," he said.

Many of the casualties are said to be from Labach, on the northern outskirts of Awaran town.

Houses are also reported to have caved in in the district of Khuzdar.

People in the region mostly live in mud houses as opposed to multi-storey concrete structures, says the BBC's Shahzeb Jillani.

The few concrete buildings in the area mostly house government offices, he adds.

An emergency has been declared in Awaran and another earthquake-affected district, Chagai.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24222760

These terrorist are bunch of cowards who derive joy in killing defenseless women and children. One thing remain certain, something is wrong with the source(s) of their inspiration.

Security has been strengthened outside a number of Pakistani Christian churches following Sunday's attack

Grieving relatives gathered to identify their relatives

The attackers struck as hundreds of worshippers left the All Saints church in a busy part of the city

There have been angry protests around the country against the bombings in Peshawar

Burials have been taking place in the Pakistani city of Peshawar after a double suicide bombing killed at least 80 people at a church on Sunday.

It is thought to be the deadliest ever attack on Pakistan's Christians.

A faction of the Pakistani Taliban said it ordered the attack to retaliate against US drone strikes.

Political and religious leaders condemned the attack, but angry crowds took to the streets denouncing the state's failure to protect minorities.

On Sunday, demonstrators blocked roads in Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi and rallies are also expected in major cities on Monday.

Condemnation of the attack has been pouring in. The government has announced three days of mourning.

Christian groups have said special prayers will be held for the victims. Pope Francis has condemned the atrocity, saying those who carried out the attack made a wrong choice, of hatred and war.

Sunday Mass attacked
Speaking in London on his way to New York to attend the UN's General Assembly, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the attack does not bode well for any intended talks with militants.

And the Pakistani politician, Imran Khan, whose party governs the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, of which Peshawar is the capital, called it an attack on humanity.

He has been criticised for being soft on Taliban militants and favouring talks instead of military action.

At around midday at the historic All Saints church in Kohati Gate, a bustling area of Peshawar, two bombers blew themselves up as hundreds of worshippers who had attended Sunday Mass were leaving.

Witnesses said they heard two blasts, the second more powerful than the first. Suicide vests were later found outside the church, officials said.

Reports say the walls of the church was dimpled from the force of the ball bearings that had been packed into the explosives, in an effort to cause as much damage as possible.

More than 120 people were wounded in the assault.

The militant group, Jandullah, linked to the Pakistani Taliban, said they carried out the double bombing in retaliation for US drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal north-west.

It is the latest in a series of attacks on Pakistani Christians, who represent about 1.6% of the country's overwhelmingly Muslim population.

One provincial lawmaker, Fredrich Azeem Ghauri, said there were about 200,000 Christians in the province, of whom 70,000 lived in Peshawar, Agence France-Presse news agency reported.


The BBC's Shahzeb Jillani in Pakistan says the attack has outraged many people, but there is also a sense of helplessness about the government's apparent inability to prevent such atrocities.

There were angry scenes outside the church, with friends and relatives denouncing the government, but demonstrations spread rapidly and in Karachi police had to fire tear gas.

Militants in Pakistan have long made religious minorities one of their targets and recent years have seen spiralling sectarian violence between Shias and Sunnis, with Sunni militants often targeting the Shia community.

There have been outbreaks of communal violence in areas where Muslims and Christians co-exist. In march, Muslims in Lahore torched dozens of Christian homes responding to an allegation of blasphemy.

But this latest attack is being described as the first assault of its kind on Christians in recent memory.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24201240

Gunmen dressed in Nigerian army uniforms struck at the Abuja Legislative quarters at about 2.30am today, shooting sporadically, witnesses said.
Witnesses claimed four people were dead while six others were injured.
The Nigerian Police is just arriving at the scene and evacuating people.
Witnesses also claimed that some identity cards of the alleged "soldiers" (gunmen) were found at the scene.

...More details soon.

http://dailytrust.info/index.php/news/5961-breaking-news-shootings-at-abuja-legislative-quarters-4-dead-more-injured

Pope Francis said the church has the right to express its opinions but not to "interfere spiritually" in the lives of gays and lesbians, expanding on explosive comments he made in July about not judging homosexuals.

In a wide-ranging interview published Thursday, the pope also said that women must play a key role in church decisions and brushed off critics who say he should be more vocal about fighting abortion and gay marriage.

Moreover, if the church fails to find a "new balance" between its spiritual and political missions, the pope warned, its moral foundation will "fall like a house of cards."

The interview, released by Jesuit magazines in several different languages and 16 countries on Thursday, offers perhaps the most expansive and in-depth view of Francis' vision for the Roman Catholic Church.

The pope's comments don't break with Catholic doctrine or policy, but instead show a shift in approach, moving from censure to engagement.

Elected in March with the expectation that he would try to reform the Vatican, an institution that many observers say is riven by corruption and turf wars, Francis said his first mission is to change the church's "attitude."

"The church has sometimes locked itself up in small things," the pope said, "in small-minded rules."

"The people of God want pastors," Francis continued, "not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials."

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/09/19/pope-francis-church-cant-interfere-with-gays/?sr=fb091913popefrancis1115a