₦airaland Forum

http://ngrguardiannews.com/news/world-news/191830-airasia-says-search-operation-underway-for-missing-


AN AirAsia plane with 162 people on board went missing en route from Indonesia to Singapore Sunday morning, officials and the Malaysian airline said.

"The AirAsia flight flying from Surabaya to Singapore lost contact with Jakarta at 7:55am (local time)," Indonesian transport ministry spokesman J.A. Barata told AFP.

The Airbus A320-200 left Juanda international airport in Surabaya in east Java at 5:20am and was expected to arrive in Singapore at 8:30am (0030 GMT).

Indonesia's air transportation director general, Djoko Murjatmodjo, told AFP the plane was carrying seven crew and 155 passengers -- 138 adults, 16 children and a baby.

Malaysia-based AirAsia said a search and rescue operation was underway for Flight QZ8501.

"At the present time we unfortunately have no further information regarding the status of the passengers and crew members on board, but we will keep all parties informed as more information becomes available," the airline said.

"At this time, search and rescue operations are in progress and AirAsia is cooperating fully and assisting the rescue service."

Singapore's Civil Aviation Service said the plane lost contact with Jakarta air traffic control while it was in Indonesian air space.

"Search and rescue operations have been activated by the Indonesian authorities from the Pangkal Pinang Search and Rescue office," it said, adding that Singapore's navy and air force had offered their help.

Reputable online news platform Sahara Reporters, has bombed the Nigerian Army, calling them a petty organisation with generals
who specialise in deploying troops to attack the news organisation on twitter.
In an exclusive chat with the publisher of the news organisation Omoyele Sowore, the New York based publisher told The
Paradigm that is not surprised the army has resorted to name calling.
The Nigerian Army had earlier accused Sahara Reporters of working with the deadly Boko Haram terrorist group.
Dismissing the allegation, Sowore said “the US Government was similarly accused of working for Boko Haram for refusing to sell
helicopters to the Nigerian Army.
“The Nigerian Army has been reduced to a petty organization, the other day they deployed their men chasing after newspaper
delivery vans across Nigeria because some were critical of their handling of the anti-terrorism fight.
Mr. Sowore further said that “Since they can’t find or arrest our copies, they’ve resorted to cheap blackmail.
“The content of the petition clearly speaks to how Boko Haram could be defeated, states why they haven’t been defeated.
“The petition indicted senior military officers including stating how a GOC was diverting money and food, and also building
a mansion in Kaduna. But instead of investigating and acting on the content of the petition, the military hierarchy is
engaging in subterfuge and deflecting public attention from the real issues.
“We join the long line of conscientious watchdogs branded by the Nigerian authorities for saying and reporting the truth,”
Sowore explained.
While speaking with this reporter, Sowore said that “The Nigerian Army needs to return to being a serious and respectable
fighting force in Africa not an organization of generals whose only skills are limited to deploying troops to fight dirty on
Twitterhttp://www..com/talk/topic,228391.0.html

Nigeria’s most powerful Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has refused to release the much-publicized probe set up to investigate the theft of $20 billion from the country’s treasury through the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

In February 2014, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is both Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, told Nigerians that the federal government had appointed independent auditors to look into the books of the NNPC and unravel the huge theft which had been exposed by Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, at that time the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Nigeria's minister of Fiance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Sanusi, who subsequently became Emir of Kano, was booted out of the CBN by President Jonathan for exposing the scandalous graft and misappropriation of funds at the NNPC. Sanusi also exposed the laundering of billions of dollars in revenues that ought to have accrued to the NNPC by shady businessmen close to the president, especially Jide Omokore.

Okonjo-Iweala, deflecting criticism, re-affirmed in May that the accounting firm PriceWaterHouse had been hired to probe the allegations and that the report would be ready by the end of November.

On December 7, one week after that deadline, SaharaReporters wrote to the minister requesting a copy of the audit.

Neither the minister nor her assistant on Media, Paul Nwabikwu, responded to the request.

SaharaReporters also contacted PriceWaterHouse global offices in the US to request information about the completion of the audit and to ask for a copy. In a conversation with Steven Silber, who serves as press contact for PWC’s Auditing and Accounting Center for Board Governance, Risk Assurance Services Deals, he requested an email stating our request. We sent that email immediately but Mr. Silber did not respond to it.
http://saharareporters.com/2014/12/26/missing-20b-mystery-over-audit-report-nigeria%E2%80%99s-finance-minister-covering-corruption-nnpc

Former Nigerian president Olesegun Obasanjo slammed a Nigerian politician who has held up publication of his autobiography by suing him for libel in an exclusive interview with RFI. He criticised President Goodluck Jonathan for working with a man charged with drug-smuggling in the US.

A court in Nigeria has banned the sale and distribution of Obasanjo's autobiography, citing libel. The book criticises President Goodluck Jonathan and some of his entourage.

My Watch may not now make it into bookshops before the 14 February presidential elections in Nigeria.
Obasanjo ran Nigeria as a military ruler between 1976 and 1979 and again as a democratically elected president from 1999 to 2007. He has become a revered elder statesman since then, offering advice to leaders and rebels across Africa and beyond.

At 77, Obasanjo is showing no sign of slowing down. This week alone he attended two launches of his autobiography.

But for now My Watch is banned in Nigeria and Obasanjo could be ordered to pay compensation for defamation of character.

Buruji Kashamu has filed two libel cases against Obasanjo over his book.

Kashamu, who is a campaign director in the president's ruling People's Democratic Party, is unhappy about references to him in Obasanjo’s book.

There is a warrant out for Kashamu's arrest in the US, where the Chicago City Police Department say they have evidence of his involvement in a multi-million-dollar heroin-smuggling racket.

Interview by Rosie Collyer:

RC: Why have you chosen to publish your autobiography now, when Nigeria is politically charged ahead of February's general election?

OO: You used the word politically charged. There is no time Nigeria is not politically charged. One thing one can say about Nigeria is, since independence we have had some high ebbs or low ebbs but Nigeria has been very, very politically active. So the question of which is the opportune time or auspicious time for a book to be published, it is entirely up to the publisher and of course the reading public.

I completed writing the book, which took me about 18 months, about four months ago and I gave it to the publisher. And the publisher decided that after reading the book that he would like to publish it before the elections.

RC: Who is Buruji Kashamu and why do you mention him in your autobiography?

OO: He is someone who has been indicted in America […] And for a political party and for the president to be hobnobbing with him I believe leaves much to be desired, and I said that [in my autobiography].

RC: You are apparently critical of President Goodluck Jonathan in your autobiography. Why?

OO: Whatever I have said in my book, I have said it to President Jonathan one-on-one. I have said it in public statements that I have made over the past two or three years. So there is nothing in my book that is new that I have said about President Jonathan.

RC: One area where you have criticised President Jonathan is his handling of the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls. What advice did you give the president?

OO: It is unfortunate. What I have said to Jonathan before and what I have said also in my letter - and I have said it several times - is that, once active and concrete action was not taken within 48 hours, a period of 72 hours was already too late. We will never be able to get those girls again. And the story of those girls will go on for the next 30 years. Some of them will come out when they are adults or they will be sent back when they are pregnant by those who have captured them. If anyone is thinking of being able to get those girls released intact, he must be day dreaming.

RC: Your autobiography is called My Watch in reference to your presidencies. What were you most proud of during your time as president?

OO: Well what was I proud of, is when I came in [as president] many people thought that I would be the last president of Nigeria, because after me Nigeria will be no more. I was proud that I was not the last president of Nigeria because after me there have been two presidents and there will always be presidents of Nigeria and Nigeria will continue to exist.

And then, of course, we fought corruption.

RC: Can you give some examples of corrupt people who faced justice.

OO: Oh yes, we took an inspector general of police to court. We took the
president of the Senate to court. We took my minister for secondary schools and my minister of internal affairs to court. We took a few permanent secretaries to court. And we took a few governors to court.

And then of course we recovered well over 1.25 billion dollars from the Abacha family.

RC: Could you have done more to fight corruption?

OO: No, I did all that could be done. Fighting corruption is not a one-day affair or a one-night affair, it must be continuous.
http://saharareporters.com/2014/12/14/obasanjo-lays-jonathan-autobiography-faces-nigeria-libel-ban-radio-france-international

"Obasanjo, however, expressed concern over the possibility of ease of enrollment and usage of the electronic card by the rural dwellers because of its multiple applications and complexities" This part really stroke me.

Abeokuta – The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on Monday issued the new national e-identity card to former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his hilltop residence in Abeokuta.
President Goodluck Jonathan had on Aug. 28 launched the e-ID card at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Obasanjo received the identity card from the Director-General of NIMC, Mr Chris Onyemenam.
He said it was the third national identity card he got as a Nigerian, collecting the first in 1979 and the second in 1999 when he was elected president.
The former president, who described the project as long overdue, recalled that the previous cards were not as sophisticated as the new one.
He noted that a number of innovations had been introduced in the new card and expressed optimism that it would enhance security and ease intelligence gathering.
Obasanjo, however, expressed concern over the possibility of ease of enrollment and usage of the electronic card by the rural dwellers because of its multiple applications and complexities.
“I know that by virtue of my position and status, I have been given a privileged treatment, but what happens to the man in the village.
“How easy will it be for him to be captured and how much of the facilities will be useful to him?
“How much will he have to pay bearing in mind that poverty still persist particularly in the rural areas?”
Obasanjo also wondered if the process of upgrading as a result of advanced technology would not cost the country a fortune.
He said:“It may interest you to note that the national identity card project in 1979 for Nigerians, who were 18 years and above was only N16 million.
“Now billions of naira must have been expended on the new project now.”
The elder statesman also urged the commission to ensure that the cost and process of replacing the identity card in the event of loss would not be too much for affected Nigerians.
In his response, Onyemenam recalled that the new project was initiated by Obasanjo, who approved the process on May 16, 2007.
He said the concerns raised by the former president were being addressed.
The DG said the commission was already testing the mobile vehicular units that would be used to travel into the creeks and the hinterland.
He also said that for ease of upgrading, the commission used service oriented architecture in the design of the project. (NAN)
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/11/obasanjo-gets-new-national-identity-card/#sthash.u0Z1Emm1.dpuf

To me, this man hasn't done what is right.

How could He have loved his Kids and yet left them for Eight years?

I really don't know......

http://www.punchng.com/news/why-i-abandoned-my-kids-for-eight-years-father/

Mr Segun Adepegba, the father of the three children abandoned in a boarding school for eight years in Abule-Iroko in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, Mr Segun Adepegba, on Wednesday, reached out to PUNCH Metro.

Adepegba said hardship pushed him to the wall and that was why he could not take care of his children. He, however, promised to visit them before the end of the week.

The father of three, in a telephone interview with PUNCH Metro, recounted his ordeal, saying, “life has been very tough for me.” He said he left the children because he was jobless and had no house to accommodate them.

PUNCH Metro had on Tuesday reported that Adepegba’s children-Seun, 14, Titilola 13, and Seyi, 10, had been abandoned since 2007 at Solid Rock Model College in Abule-Iroko. The children, who had been eager to meet their parents, said the absence of their parents was affecting their studies.

For many years, the school authorities had been trying to reach Adepegba to no avail. The proprietor of the school, Mr Samuel Ayegbusi, had told our correspondent that any time he called Adepegba and he realised it was him, he would switch off his phones.

Adepegba, however, bowed to pressure on Tuesday after reading the report by PUNCH Metro. He told our correspondent that abandoning his children was inevitable, promising that he would visit the school.

While narrating his ordeal to our correspondent, he said, “In 2007, my wife and I had a misunderstanding and she told me she was leaving me. I was frustrated and the children were little. Seyi, the youngest was just two years while Titilola was just five.

“There was no way I could give them motherly care. I had no job. As a man, I needed someone to help me take care of them and that was why my sister suggested that we enrol them in a boarding school.”

Adepegba told PUNCH Metro that when the children’s bills kept accumulating and he had no means of paying, he was afraid that if he came to the school, the proprietor would get him arrested.

He said, “I feared that if I suddenly appeared at the school, the proprietor would get the police to arrest me. I really appreciate the proprietor of Solid Rock Model College, for coming to my rescue and accepting the responsibility to help me take care of my children. The truth is this: I was pushed to the wall. I didn’t want my children to be beggars on the street.

“All these years, I have been jobless. I had no house to live in. I was putting up with someone. I just rented a one-room apartment and just got a job. I am not a wicked father. I really miss them but I am gradually overcoming the challenges I have been facing. I did not abandon them in that sense. I can assure you that before the week runs out, I will visit them.”

Asked whether his wife had called him about how the children were doing, Adepegba said since she left him in 2007, he had not heard from her.

“The last time we saw each other was probably in 2007 when she left me. I have been trying to reach her but my search has not been fruitful. I heard that she is somewhere in the northern part of the country,” he said.

However, the school proprietor told PUNCH Metro that the school authorities had no intention of getting Adepegba arrested for his debt .He said he reported the matter to the Ogun State Police Command because he was fed up.

He said, “I have nothing against Mr Adepegba and I understand his plight. My grievance was that he kept on rejecting my calls and abandoned his children. How could he as a father leave his children for this long? It is not a good thing.”

Our correspondent learnt that the news of their father’s return had lifted the heart of the children. The children were all smiles when they were told that their father had promised to return before the end of the week.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro on the telephone on Wednesday, Seun, the eldest of the trio said, “I am very happy that daddy has promised to come back. It means I would not have to spend my holidays in the school again.”

Titilola added, “I hope this is not another promise that will fail. I am really looking forward to seeing him because it will make me very happy.”

Securitymen attached to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, yesterday, prevented a former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel from gaining entry into Obasanjo’s palatial home.
Vanguard gathered last night that, Daniel who was billed to declare his defection into the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, very soon was at Obasanjo’s house to seek his blessing and possible forgiveness.
According to a source who pleaded anonymity, Daniel allegedly sat at the back of a vehicle driven by former minister of Mines and Steel, Sarafa Ishola but, was uncovered and reportedly turned back.
“Ishola who drove the vehicle, who was earlier granted entry, was also turned back when his trick was uncovered.
“The incident occurred at about 10.30 am and it reportedly left the embattled former governor humiliated and traumatised”, the source said.
Daniel was engaged in supremacy battle with the former President which caused him to vow never to return to the PDP, despite his declared interest to work for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Efforts to get Daniel or his aides to respond to the development were futile as their phones could not be reached.
PDP reconciles Daniel, Kashamu
Meantime, the PDP has reconciled former Governor Daniel and Chairman of Mobilisation and Organisation Committee of the party in South West, Buruji Kashamu.
The National Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Adewale Oladipo disclosed this when Daniel made a surprise appearance at a Sallah party organised by Kashamu at the Goodluck Jonathan Political Centre, Ijebu Igbo.
Oladipo said it was important for both Daniel and Kashamu to reconcile and work together to ensure victory for PDP in the presidential election, in particular and take total control of the state in 2015.
According to him, “I am sure that with the coming together of Buruji and Daniel, as they have demonstrated their friendship and had been seen today, they will consummate it by the special grace of God, in a few days’ time and the National Working Committee, NWC, is encouraging them to do that.”
Commenting on the significance of Daniel’s unexpected visit, Kashamu said: “Although it was a private visit, it is perhaps a precursor to my prediction penultimate Sunday that Daniel had no choice but to return to PDP.
“Many people have expressed their readiness to join the PDP, that is why the NWC set up an integration committee for the South West and is headed by the Senate President, David Mark”, Kashamu said.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/securitymen-bar-ex-gov-daniel-entering-obasanjos-home/#sthash.MCEDcvz0.dpuf

I still think, this confab of a thing, is just a white elephant project!

Human rights activist and lawyer, Festus Keyamo, has restated that the ongoing national conference is a waste of time and public resources.

Keyamo restated this on Wednesday, while fielding questions from journalists at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), Warri, Delta State, adding that the confab was set up to achieve an agenda of the current government.

According to him, the current uneasy calm between southern and northern delegates and the attempt by some of the delegates to smuggle in a constitution through the conference was an indication that the conference was designed to achieve the aim of a certain party.

When asked if the resolution of the conference could transform into a new constitution for the country, Keyamo said the conference has no power and no role to play.

“The conference has no power to amend the constitution; it has no role to play. The conference is not really representative of the people of Nigeria to even suggest a new constitution because delegates were handpicked by all kinds of people and it is not fully the representative of the people of Nigeria so it’s clear that the conference is an exercise in futility; it’s a waste of time,”he stated.

http://tribune.com.ng/news/news-headlines/item/13443-confab-is-waste-of-time-keyamo-insists

Wash a dog, come a dog, a dog will still be a dog! Now, crawl back to your cave.

Gombs: [size=16pt]which Nigerian publishes punch newspaper sef?...i dey wonder sha[/size]


[size=32pt] i smell red oil here o [/size] ...

Abariwiseman: All of you will perish together with OBJ in Ota farm

A confused being

[quote author=Phder][b]UK is dry at the moment, I'd rather spend the visa bond money in Nigeria. Seconded

Not a day passes-by without one form of bad news or another. It is sad!

These people from the other side of River Niger, have peculiar problems!


It's a same!!

[quote author=FreeGlobe]Something must be wrong with your mindset!

[color=#990000][/color]How is MARKET for the Eaglet?