Uzoma Okere: Navy lose appeal in assault case

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on June 23, 2010 at 7:30pm

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An Ikeja High Court yesterday struck out the application for stay of execution of judgment pending appeal brought by Rear Admiral Harry Arogundade, and the Nigerian Navy against Court’s judgment ordering them to pay the sum of N100 million to Miss Uzoma Okere and Mr. Abdulahi Abdulazeez.

At the resumed hearing of the case before Justice Opeyemi Oke, counsel to Uzoma Okere, the judgment creditor, Jonathan Ogunsanya from the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) prayed the court to strike out the application for lack of diligent prosecution.

“My lord, I want to point out that we are yet to be served with the motion processes for the stay of execution till now despite court orders. As a result, I apply that the application be struck out for want of diligent prosecution.”

The presiding judge, Oke noted that she had ordered that all processes be served at the last hearing and agreed with the counsel by striking out the application..

“It is apparent that the judgment creditors who filed a notice of stay of execution of judgment are not ready for the case to go on. The fourth and the fifth judgment debtor filed a notice of stay of execution of judgment and this was made known to all counsel present in court that day. Since they have refused to serve the necessary processes to all involved, it is clear they are not serious with their application. The case is hereby struck out.”

Justice Oke had earlier struck out Arogundade’s application to stay the judgment by ordering him and the Navy to pay the N100 million awarded to Miss Uzoma Okere and Mr. Abdulahi Abdulazeez into an interest-yielding account until the judgment-debtors’ appeal at the Court of Appeal is determined.

Though she ordered that the publication of “unreserved apology” to the victims in The Guardian, The Nation, and THISDAY newspapers, and on the NTA, AIT, Raypower and Cool FM stations be suspended until the appeal is determines in order to save the judgment debtors unnecessary expenses in case their appeal succeeds.

While ruling on the Navy and Arogundade’s application seeking a stay of execution of the judgment she delivered on January 27, Justice Oke said a successful litigant should not be deprived of the fruits of his judgment except there are exceptional circumstances, which must be special and strong.

“Granting a stay of execution is at the discretion of the court. Such discretion must be exercised and judiciously and judicially. The judgment creditor/applicants have not adduced any special or exceptional circumstances to warrant the grant of this application,” Justice Oke held.

She had in her judgment of January 27, ordered Rear Arogundade, the Navy and four ratings to pay Miss Okere and Mr. Abdulazeez N100 million for assaulting the two. She also described the conducts of the men to Miss Okere and Abdulazeez as “barbaric” and unlawful violation of their fundamental human rights.

It will be recalled that four naval ratings – C.I. Jeremiah, S.A. Bullem, S.A. Kaniga and Francis Okolaogu – assaulted Miss Okere and Abdulazeez on November 5, 2008, for delaying them in traffic on Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos while on the convoy of the Rear Admiral Harry Arogundade.

Obama declares Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Transexual month (LGBt)

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on June 23, 2010 at 8:49pm

Presidential Proclamation--Lesbian,

Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month

In a recent coming out statement the American President has declared his support for the LGBT community in the united States.

As Americans, it is our birthright that all people are created equal and deserve the same rights, privileges, and opportunities. Since our earliest days of independence, our Nation has striven to fulfill that promise. An important chapter in our great, unfinished story is the movement for fairness and equality on behalf of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. This month, as we recognize the immeasurable contributions of LGBT Americans, we renew our commitment to the struggle for equal rights for LGBT Americans and to ending prejudice and injustice wherever it exists.

LGBT Americans have enriched and strengthened the fabric of our national life. From business leaders and professors to athletes and first responders, LGBT individuals have achieved success and prominence in every discipline. They are our mothers and fathers, our sons and daughters, and our friends and neighbors. Across my Administration, openly LGBT employees are serving at every level. Thanks to those who came before us — the brave men and women who marched, stood up to injustice, and brought change through acts of compassion or defiance — we have made enormous progress and continue to strive for a more perfect union.

My Administration has advanced our journey by signing into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which strengthens Federal protections against crimes based on gender identity or sexual orientation. We renewed the Ryan White CARE Act, which provides life saving medical services and support to Americans living with HIV/AIDS, and finally eliminated the HIV entry ban. I also signed a Presidential Memorandum directing hospitals receiving Medicare and Medicaid funds to give LGBT patients the compassion and security they deserve in their time of need, including the ability to choose someone other than an immediate family member to visit them and make medical decisions.

In other areas, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a series of proposals to ensure core housing programs are open to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. HUD also announced the first ever national study of discrimination against members of the LGBT community in the rental and sale of housing. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services has created a National Resource Center for LGBT Elders.

Much work remains to fulfill our Nation's promise of equal justice under law for LGBT Americans. That is why we must give committed gay couples the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple, and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. We must protect the rights of LGBT families by securing their adoption rights, ending employment discrimination against LGBT Americans, and ensuring Federal employees receive equal benefits. We must create safer schools so all our children may learn in a supportive environment. I am also committed to ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" so patriotic LGBT Americans can serve openly in our military, and I am working with the Congress and our military leadership to accomplish that goal.

As we honor the LGBT Americans who have given so much to our Nation, let us remember that if one of us is unable to realize full equality, we all fall short of our founding principles. Our Nation draws its strength from our diversity, with each of us contributing to the greater whole. By affirming these rights and values, each American benefits from the further advancement of liberty and justice for all.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2010 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month by fighting prejudice and discrimination in their own lives and everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

4 year old girl raped repeatedly by her uncle !

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on June 24, 2010 at 9:11pm

Stigma is the roof under which most parents build shelter in our society when it comes to cases as delicate as child molestation and defilement. The steady increase in the rate of child defilement is alarming as it is fast becoming a kind of tradition for some

citizens who accept it as a norm in parts of the country. In some of these cases, children as young as nine months to four years are victims of these indecent and inhuman acts by adults who sometimes are related to them and should normally be their guardian. With some of the very few cases reported to the Police being handled with kids gloves on the part of the law enforcement agents who on most times, release the perpetrators of this crime back into the society with justice truncated, one begins to wonder if the future of the Nigerian child is not jeopardized and endangered when basic rights as essential as fundamental as protection and care are hard to come by.

This is the story of a four- year- old girl; defiled, deflowered and infected by an alleged 45-year-old man and supposed uncle. At the age of two this child could recite her country’s National Anthem and express herself, she was bright and without a care in the world. Her family was her pride and her parents, aunties and uncles were her heroes.

But she may never understand why one of her heroes will choose to put her through the path of brutality, wickedness and an unholy experience sexually when she is just too young to be sexually exploited..

She is a victim of child defilement; severally raped by her 45 year Uncle who did it over and over and over again. Now she is infected with about four different sexually transmitted diseases and may soon join the millions of cases of Vesico-Vaginal-Fistula (VVF) victims left rejected across the country for a fault that is not theirs. Doctors cannot tell if she has contracted the dreaded HIV/AIDS which requires a window period to really show up in tests conducted. She was somebody’s daughter; a child that looked up to the society for guidance and now, she has become a victim to the many ills and challenges she was supposed to face later in life as an adult.

She lived with her grandparents, an auntie and uncles in Maraba, a suburb between Abuja and Nassarawa State and an area where child defilement is fast becoming a daily occurrence with no justice ever recorded. She came from a broken home as her parents were separated; her father is based in Port-Harcourt while the mother is working and living in Abuja.

Due to the many challenges facing single parents, her mother designed a visitation schedule where she would be with her child every weekend with her four -year-old daughter at the paternal family house. On one of her regular visits, her daughter in her limited, shy and withdrawn attitude typical of an innocent child told her mother how her uncle always ‘touches’ her.

A little inquiry into how ‘Uncle’ touches her revealed more than she could bear. she first of all did what any sane thinking person should do; she reported the matter to her ex-father-in-law and daughter’s grandfather under who’s roof the abominable act was perpetuated.

If the revelation from her daughter dazzled her, the response she got from an elder shocked the living day lights out of her.

“Don’t worry, things are under control and the issue has been taken care of,” the grandfather said. The mother gave in to second thoughts and decided not to press the issue any further.

Alarmed and devastated and with little money in her pocket, she decided to take the girl to the hospital for an examination and almost fainted when the doctor, after examining the little child, gave her a bombshell; “Madam, I’m afraid to tell you that your four-year-old baby is no longer a virgin.”

She was experiencing a situation that was even very hard to imagine; when she was shown the vagina of her little child, she needed no telling to understand what the doctor’s report was showing; “When the doctor showed her to me, she was open...she was open. My precious daughter has been used and who knows how long this has been going on,” she said. t became clear to this mother of a sullied girl that she was alone in her battle to bring her child’s molester to pay for what he did to her daughter.

Her confrontation with her ex-husband’s family took a turn for the worse and she was seen as a troublemaker who wanted to bring shame to the family by involving the police and the law. The family sadly, owns an educational facility with even the alleged perpetuator of the sinful act owning and operating a Nursery and Primary School.

This is sadly one out of many childhood molestation cases that occur within Maraba and other suburbs around. While investigating this story, various cases of child molestation were reported to the police and redirected on domestic grounds. Even the Nigeria Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ojukwu attested to the fact that many of the families that reports this kind of case always want to label it a family affair and always settle out of the corridor’s of justice and the Nigeria Police will be so blinded to release a dangerous pedophiles back to the society where, maybe, they continue with their nefarious abuses on children and minors.

Another problem that helps the increment recorded in some of these defilement cases is the connivance of elements of the Police who get a report of these crimes and succumb to the bribery from, most times, families of either the girl or the perpetrator. In one of such cases, a 65-year-old man was arrested on the grounds of molesting a nine-year-old girl who was brought to the station, bleeding. The nine-year-old girl was asked to write a statement and put her thumbprint on it, which she did. She was then taken to the hospital for treatment. By evening, the child’s father was recalled to the station by the supposed investigating police officer and told to bring his daughter to make another statement. The father explained that his daughter was traumatized and could not make it to the station to write another statement. For this, the 65-year-old was released from custody on the grounds that there was no indicting statement against him. Even at the time of this investigation, there are fears that the case file involving this four-year old girl has been tampered with and indicting documents like the doctor’s report removed so that when the perpetrator is arraigned in the court, there would not be any evidence to keep in custody and go further with the case. The family has boasted that they have the funds and everything is under control.

“We will solve it our own way; not the police way or in court,” the brother to the perpetrator said.

Most times, only very few cases make it to the court and the number of convictions gotten is criminally poor when compared to the daily occurrence of this dastardly act across the country as in the case of a 32-year-old man who molested a nine-year-old girl. He was found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison. Maybe the failure of law and order to such cases gives the needed boost to the upsurge of such pathetic crimes.

Further investigation at the Nyanya General Hospital revealed that the hospital actually was no stranger to cases such as these and certain staff of the hospital who spoke off-camera said there were cases of molestation of children aged as low as nine months. Swept under the rug of “domestic and private issue”, these cases are abandoned along the way and the only victims left to suffer are the children who then grow into troubled and unstable adults. Crime is expected as no society is perfect, but the failure of law and order can be more damaging than crime itself.

The story is far from over and the culture of silence if allowed to continue will result in far reaching and disastrous results whose effects generations to come will be overwhelmed by. A documentary detailing the story of the four-year-old molested by her uncle is underway and will be released after the court proceedings of the case are concluded. This is a call to everyone to stand for what is healthy and right. We are our children and our children are we. The time to act is now.

Click the link below to view the child`s narrative.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1395380896579&ref=mf

By Amaka Awogu

Male Adult Breast-Feeding: Saudi Clerics Advocate

Posted by Jane Okinedo on June 23, 2010 at 10:47pm

(June 5) -- Women in Saudi Arabia should give their breast milk to male colleagues and acquaintances in order to avoid breaking strict Islamic law forbidding mixing between the sexes, two powerful Saudi clerics have said. They are at odds, however, over precisely how the milk should be conveyed.

A fatwa issued recently about adult breast-feeding to establish "maternal relations" and preclude the possibility of sexual contact has resulted in a week's worth of newspaper headlines in Saudi Arabia. Some have found the debate so bizarre that they're calling for stricter regulations about how and when fatwas should be issued.

Sheikh Al Obeikan, an adviser to the royal court and consultant to the Ministry of Justice, set off a firestorm of controversy recently when he said on TV that women who come into regular contact with men who aren't related to them ought to give them their breast milk so they will be considered relatives.

"The man should take the milk, but not directly from the breast of the woman," Al Obeikan said, according to Gulf News. "He should drink it and then becomes a relative of the family, a fact that allows him to come in contact with the women without breaking Islam's rules about mixing."

Obeikan said the fatwa applied to men who live in the same house or come into contact with women on a regular basis, except for drivers.

Al Obeikan, who made the statement after being asked on TV about a 2007 fatwa issued by an Egyptian scholar about adult breast-feeding, said that the breast milk ought to be pumped out and given to men in a glass.

But his remarks were followed by an announcement by another high-profile sheik, Abi Ishaq Al Huwaini, who said that men should suckle the breast milk directly from a woman's breast.

Shortly after the two sheiks weighed in on the matter, a bus driver in the country's Eastern Region reportedly told one of the female teachers whom he drives regularly that he wanted to suckle milk from her breast. The teacher has threaten to file a lawsuit against him.

The fatwa stems from the tenets of the strict Wahhabi version of Islam that governs modern Saudi Arabia and forbids women from mixing with men who are not relatives. They are also not allowed to vote, drive or even leave the country without the consent of a male "guardian."

Under Islamic law, women are encouraged to breast-feed their children until the age of 2. It is not uncommon for sisters, for example, to breast-feed their nephews so they and their daughters will not have to cover their faces in front of them later in life. The custom is called being a "breast milk sibling."

But under Islamic law, breast milk siblings have to be breastfed before the age of 2 in five "fulfilling" sessions. Islam prohibits sexual relations between a man and any woman who breastfed him in infancy. They are then allowed to be alone together when the man is an adult because he is not considered a potential mate.

"The whole issue just shows how clueless men are," blogger Eman Al Nafjan wrote on her website. "All this back and forth between sheiks and not one bothers to ask a woman if it's logical, let alone possible to breastfeed a grown man five fulfilling breast milk meals.

"Moreover, the thought of a huge hairy face at a woman's breast does not evoke motherly or even brotherly feelings. It could go from the grotesque to the erotic but definitely not maternal."

Al Nafjan said many in the country were appalled by the fatwa.

"We have many important issues that need discussing," Al Nafjan told AOL News Friday. "It's ridiculous to spend time talking about adult breast-feeding."

Unlawful mixing between the sexes is taken very seriously in Saudi Arabia. In March 2009, a 75-year-old Syrian widow, Khamisa Mohammed Sawadi, living in the city of Al-Chamil, was given 40 lashes and sentenced to six months in prison after the religious police learned that two men who were not related to her were in her house, delivering bread to her.

One of the two men found in her house, Fahd, told the police that Sawadi breast-fed him as a baby so he was considered a son and had a right to be there. But in a later court ruling, a judge said it could not be proved that Fahd was her "breast milk son." Fahd was sentenced to four months in prison and 40 lashes, and the man who accompanied him got six months and 60 lashes.

The original adult breast-feeding fatwa was issued three years ago by an Egyptian scholar at Egypt's al-Azhar University, considered Sunni Islam's top university. Ezzat Attiya was expelled from the university after advocating breast-feeding of men as a way to circumnavigate segregation of the sexes in Egypt.

A year ago, Attiya was reinstated to his post.

Kanu Quits Eagles.

Posted by Choochoo Sports Book on June 24, 2010 at 8:47pm

Super Eagles’ skipper, Nwankwo Kanu, has finally announced his retirement from the national team after Nigeria failed to advance beyond the first round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

"I started my career in Africa and I'm happy that it ended in an African country. After this tournament, I will now go home and meet my family who were also here today to see me play my last match for team. They were all happy to see me in Nigeria's colours and I'm so happy about it.

“Don't ask me where I'm going from here. I would have to think and plan on where I'm going because there were offers everywhere”.

The Eagles’ skipper said he was disappointed that the team couldn't utilise all its scoring chances against South Korea.
Kanu began his career, aged sixteen, at First Division club, Federation Works, before moving to Iwuanyanwu Nationale in 1992. After a notable performance at the Under-17 World Championships he was signed by Dutch Eredivisie AFC Ajax in 1989 for €207,047. He made his Ajax debut the following year and went on to score 25 goals in 54 appearances. Kanu also came on as a sub in Ajax's 1995 Champions League final win over AC Milan. In 1996, Ajax sold Kanu to Serie

A side Internazionale for around $4.7 million; that summer he captained the Nigerian team that won gold at the Olympics, and scored two late goals in the semi-finals against powerhouse, Brazil to overturn a 2–3 scoreline into a 4–3 win in extra time..

Kanu was also named African Footballer of the Year for that year. However, soon after returning from the Olympics, Kanu underwent a medical examination at Inter, which revealed a serious heart defect; he underwent surgery in November 1996 to replace an aortic valve and did not return to his club until April 1997. In interviews, Kanu frequently cites his faith as a Christian, and has often mentioned the trying time of his career as an occasion when he prayed to God. Kanu's experience also led to his founding Kanu Heart Foundation, an organisation that helps predominantly young African children who suffer heart defects. Kanu is known throughout Africa for his philanthropic work.

Aondoakaa banned from the United States of America Former Attorney General's family restricted also

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on June 24, 2010 at 8:30pm

Nigerians are quick to forget about our former crooks,liars and thieves but can you blame us ?We have so many of them ! but it seems the Americans have a very good memory.

US Impose Visa Ban On Former Nigerian Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa

President Barack Obama has signed an order banning Nigeria's former Attorney general, Michael Aondoakaa from entering the US. The order was signed last week, making Aondoakaa the first Nigerian former public official sanctioned since the return of democracy in 1999. The US government had warned at the United Nations on Monday that several corrupt officials in Africa faces travel bans and visa revocation as a way of combating corruption. Saharareporters had reported that during the dying days of the Yar'adua regime several members of his kitchen cabinet were listed for visa ban by the US government. Also last week , Saharareporters revealed that Aondoakaa was facing investigations by the Serious Organized Crimes Agency of the United Kingdom over money laundering activities..

US state department surces told Saharareporters that the travel ban on Aondoakaa would also be extended two of his children or relative who were granted student visas. We could not confirm if these two are currently in the US. However, we could confirm three of Aondoakaa's daughters are currentliving in London with his second wife Susan.

Two of them are attending college in London while a third one attends a private school.
Elizabeth Aondoakaa attends City University Of London and Anna Aondoakaa is a student at the University of Surrey, the youngest daughter Susan Nwese Aondoakaa is at private primary school in Lonodn.

Our sources further revealed that two boys Akugha Aondoakaa and Samuel Aondoakaa and another daughter from his second wife, now lives in London with Aondoakaa's first wife, Susan. The second wife lives in a secret mansion in the Rayfield GRA area in Jos where Aondoakaa mostly hid exotic cars he received from various extortion schemes while he was AGF are kept.

Naija Man : I sell Snakes and make good money

Posted by Jane Okinedo on June 23, 2010 at 9:02pm

Ngwogwo Osumri is not only fearless, but also good when it comes to animal hunting; perhaps, his training as a soldier had prepared him for this vocation. Mr. Osumri, also known as MC Obi, does not hesitate to educate anyone who is ready to learn about his profitable animal hunting business, and the satisfaction he has derived from it for over five years.

He says his skills as a retired soldier gave him the courage to handle various reptiles such as python snake, crocodiles, and alligators, whose length ranged from 15 to 30 feet, and other wild animals. “I have been doing this over five years now and without fear, no fear,” he says.

Popularly called “old soldier”, Mr. Osumri, along with his group of four boys, got onlookers curious when they carried a “resting” python snake from a swamp in Opebi to Sheraton Hotel yesterday, where they displayed it, awaiting any interested customer with a penchant for wild meat.

Mr. Osumri, who switched to pidgin whenever he wanted to stress a point, boasts of customers from Victoria Island and other parts of the metropolis, who are ready to part with as much as N35,000 for a lifeless python or N250,000 for a live one; N40,000 for dead crocodiles, and between N80,000 and N90,000, for a live one. “The difference is clear. If I say I hold am alive, na N250,000, no reduction of one naira. But as it dey like this now, it is in a weak condition, which can be N30,000 to N35,000.” He admits there are difficulties in finding the reptiles. “I used to get it all the time, three times in a week, once in a month, or even once in 10 months because it’s not easy to get.” He said that he often sells them under the bridge at Oregun, Ikeja, and even though he sells them, he cannot eat them.

Fearless hunter

Explaining how he started, he stated that he loves wild animals and his need to survive engineered the idea. “There is a swamp in Opebi where all these animals sometimes come to and so we set traps for them, and kill them,” Mr. Osumri explains.

“It’s my job. When I resigned from the Nigeria Army, I face hunting because I like wild animals. I am a bush man in Nigeria here, so I am here to fear no one. Both crocodile, python, anything at all, it’s my possession, alligators, tortoise...if anybody need from me, I am the one that produce it.”

Mr. Osumri and his boys said they kill because they need money to survive. “When I no get money, na to fight heaven and earth till I get am, not by force but to see I eat my daily bread. When we were kids, we used to kill rabbit and bush meat, so we don’t fear anything again,” he said.

“We use sense to kill it; if we no use sense, it will kill us,” one of his boys, Dare Shonibare, said, describing the python as “resourceful and medicinal.” He added, “This python is gold and silver. You can use the oil to fix bone problems in your body; all the parts are medicinal.”

He doesn’t have enough money to set up a large house, or maybe a zoo for the reptiles and other animals he catches. “I get cage, reservation area for my house which I keep some animals, but anyone I bring out here is for marketing purpose. I no get money to buy land in Lagos. For now, na for my house I dey keep all of them,” he said.

As the crowd, which had gathered, watched, 47-year-old Mutiu Kareem, a police officer, came to the scene and offered to buy the snake. According to him, he does not eat them, but trains them and uses the parts for personal experiment. “I do train live animals in my house, I just like it. My house is like a zoo. Some of them I use for personal experiment, like the bones. I have bought so many animals from him (Mr. Osumri); sometimes I buy crocodile which I am training at home.”

Ben Ayonha, a trader, who is familiar with the business of Mr. Osumri, said, “I see more than this all the time. It’s good business; my prayer is that God will help him not to see bad one who can wound him. He uses the money to do business and train his children for school.”

Another observer, Seun Makanjuola, a student, expressed his surprise. “I have not even seen such a thing like this before. For me, seeing such a thing like this seem somehow to me,” he said.

Obama Sacks General

Posted by jackie webLondonGirl on June 23, 2010 at 7:08pm

Barack Obama sacked his military chief in Afghanistan yesterday for criticising his civilian masters.

General Stanley McChrystal was dismissed in the White House after being summoned to a 30-minute meeting with the president.

Obama then paid tribute to the "extraordinary dedication" of Gen McChrystal, the Commander of US and Nato Coalition Forces in Afghanistan.

He added: "But war is bigger than any man or woman, whether a private or a general or a president." Obama said the military chief's conduct "does not meet the standards that should be set by a commanding general".

But he said: "I have great admiration for his record."

Gen McChrystal, who will be replaced by Gen David Petraeus, incurred President Obama's wrath in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.

He said he felt the US leader was "uncomfortable and intimidated" in the presence of senior military figures.

After his dismissal, Gen McChrystal said in a statement: "I strongly support the presi-dent's strategy in Afghanistan and am deeply committed to our coalition forces, our partner nations and the Afghan people..

"It was out of respect for this commitment - and a desire to see the mission succeed - that I tendered my resignation."

Washington political commentator Gerald Warner slammed Obama by saying: "A bigger man would have been prepared to swallow the minor affront in the wider interest."

He warned the effect on US troops' morale would be "catastrophic".

British Lt Gen Sir Nick Parker has temporarily taken over as the head of the 140,000 Nato troops in Afghanistan - filling in before Gen Petraeus takes up his post.

A Downing St spokesman said: "The Prime Minister is grateful to General McChrystal for his service in Afghanistan, notably through his role in defining and taking forward the current counterinsurgency strategy.

"The Prime Minister told the President of Gen Parker's determination that the mission 'would not miss a beat' during this period."

Former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell said: "The sacking of Gen McChrystal is a serious blow to the credibility of the alliance and efforts against the Taliban."

MacArthur moment?

In 1951 President Harry S Truman dismissed General Douglas MacArthur as commander in the Korean war after he called for an attack on China if communist forces refused to lay down arms in Korea.

Danjuma "approves" Jonathan to run in 2011

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on June 23, 2010 at 7:50pm

Danjuma gives condition for Jonathan to run in 2011

•North no longer monolithic, says Northern minority group

President Goodluck Jonathan is free to run in 2011, provided he conducts a free and fair poll, former Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC), Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, has said.

Danjuma said there is no law in the land banning Jonathan from contesting for the presidency.

Meanwhile, Northern Minority states of Benue, Taraba, Adamawa and Plateau said yesterday in Abuja that they are no longer ready to be used to attain selfish interests of some people in the North.

The bloc was apparently reacting to the statement of the over 150 Northern leaders, who met last Thursday in Abuja and argued that the North has all it takes to win any election in the country without any zoning arrangement.

Addressing a press conference, the Northern minority states under the aegis of the National Movement for Equality for Change also said there is nothing like a monolithic North.

Danjuma spoke to THISDAY in an exclusive interview over the weekend in Abuja against the backdrop of speculations that he had parted ways with Jonathan over the 2011 election.

The PAC chairman denied that he had any disagreement with the President..

In a rare interview, Danjuma said: “Jonathan, like all other Nigerians is entitled to his franchise. He can aspire to be the nation’s leader. He is not banned by any statue of the nation and as enshrined in our laws. Besides, he is the one who can make that decision to run or not to run. He is free as far as I’m concerned. In fact, he can run for office and for obvious reasons. The laws do not stop him. He can run as president and why not? ”.

The former minister said if he had any issue with the President, he would have since resigned as PAC chairman.

But he stated that all he wants Jonathan to do is organise a poll that will be a reference point in the nation’s history.

He added: “If I have any difference with Jonathan I would have since resigned. I’m not the type to stay with someone I have not endorsed. If I’m not interested in him, I would just resign. I have been approached by people who tell me that Jonathan should not run and I have consistently told them to disappear from my presence.

“My conviction is that there is no constitutional basis for that sort of call. We are a nation with a constitution. We are a nation led by laws and not by whims and caprices. So, no one has told me what the basis is for not allowing him to run.”

On the contentious zoning arrangement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the move by some Northern leaders to enforce the zoning of the presidency to the North in 2011, Danjuma said: “Well, I’m not even a member of that party. So I don’t feel competent to speak on it and their internal issue.”

Jonathan’s alleged 2011 aspiration has continued to generate controversy in the land, though he has not said categorically he would contest.

He reiterated this stand two days ago during his maiden Presidential Media Chat, saying he would not declare his stand yet on 2011 until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) releases the time-table for the poll.

Leader of the Northern minority group and former Senate President, Senator Ameh Ebute, who spoke on behalf of the group expressed reservations about the statement of the Northern leaders, describing it as unacceptable.

The Northern leaders had said in a communiqué issued on Sunday that the North can win election on its own numerical strength without zoning

They added, however, that they are not targeting their campaign for zoning at President Goodluck Jonathan, as the North has what it takes to win any election and never demanded for zoning in the first place.

But Ebute said: “We (have) observed with concern some unpatriotic statements by a group in the Northern part of Nigeria intended at emasculating other Nigerians into submission to their sectional views that the presidency must be zoned to the North; we use our numerical strength to win election and so on, and wish to say that we say no to these unacceptable threats.”

The former Senate president added: “This group should be reminded that the minority ethnic nationalities of the North contributed more to keeping this country a united entity and would continue to do so now and in the future.”

Also, he said the group should be “reminded that the numerical strength of numbers and perpetual retaining of power in the North is not possible without a united North (and) that the larger population of the North say no to primitive sectional domination and all divisive tendencies.”

Regretting that “just as the Northern minority ethnic nationalities were in the past ignorantly manipulated into supporting parochial personal and sectional agenda of the few in the North,” he said, “the South-South also allied and partnered with the North ignorantly to promote the parochial agenda of the few.”

Ebute said while the Northern minority ethnic nationalities have not benefited from the partnership, “the South-South minorities are now testing the bitter pill of their support to the North.”

The former Senate President said the political space is open and those who feel they must run in 2011 and have the numerical support may opt for any of the other political parties or decide to run as independent candidates as the yet-to-be fully amended 1999 Constitution permits.

He reminded the Northern leaders that zoning was adopted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 1999 primarily to address the June 12, 1993 saga and should not be seen as “a perpetual rotational item on the PDP menu.”

He observed that the most destabilizing issue in Nigeria today other than the utterances of the so-called Northern leaders is the Niger Delta issue.

Ebute suggested that the same principle of zoning adopted in 1999 should be appropriately applied to stabilize the country by allowing a South-South sitting President to contest on the platform of PDP in 2011, thereby permanently addressing the Niger Delta issue.

The Northern minorities said all Nigerians are free to contest elections through democratic means without intimidation, harassment or coercion.

Girl led Robbery in the Day robbers blew Ondo banks with dynamites

Posted by 9jabook.com on June 23, 2010 at 8:00pm

PHOTO:Crowd in front of one
the banks

THURSDAY, June17, 2010 would forever remain unforgettable in the memory of residents of Akure, Ondo State capital. Reasons: it was the day a violent movie was enacted right in their very eyes as all the security operatives in the state literally went on holidays. However, it was a field day for a gang of heavily-armed robbers who operated unhindered.

They took their time and left after clearing all the available monies in two new generation banks and those of customers inside the banks. Even the monies in the ATMs were not spared. In the melee, five persons were killed and no fewer than 20 others sustained gun shot wounds.

The day of rage

It was indeed, a sad day as Akure residents were held hostage for over one hour as policemen disappeared following the booming of different kinds of weapons in different locations. The eight-man gang had barred its fangs the previous day in Akure when it snatched an AK47 rifle from a constable in the Coca-Cola area in Ondo road and came out smoking the next day.

As they operated, the sound of gun shots rent the air, booming with a deafening crescendo in the state capital and many thought it was war time.

Indeed, in his first reaction to the incident, the Police Image-Maker in the state, Mr. Adeniran Aremu, said it was some miscreants in the town that were at work and that the police would soon round them up. Later, it dawned on all that it was more that what every one including the police could imagine.

Eye-witness account

Eye-witness account said the hoodlums arrived the two new generation banks in an 18-seater bus with number-plate XY 889 FST through the Owo/Benin road. The vehicle was said to have been snatched at the Maronu junction in the state capital. The driver of the bus, a father of five, was reportedly shot dead when he resisted the robbers attempt to disposses him of the bus.

The dare-devil gang then headed for their target - the two banks which were adjacently located in Ilemo Street off Oba Adesida Road in Akure metropolis.

Crime Alert learnt that the robbers were led by a 23 -year- old girl who had on her three bazooka guns. (comment:have they caught her or did she tell them her age ?)When they arrived the two banks, securitymen there and traders in the vicinity thought they were policemen who came for routine security checks. They later saw action when the hoodlums started shooting indiscriminately at the bank and other buildings in the vicinity to scar people away.

During the shoot out, three persons were shot dead from stray bullets while the robbers, moved to the entrance of the banks with dynamites with which they blew open the security doors, unchallenged.

They were said to have proceeded to the vaults after the bank workers had fled in different directions for dear lives. The female leader of the gang and another girl were strategically positioned outside while the boys were busy packing monies into several Ghana-Must- Go bags.

Police on the run

While the operation was going on, the streets were deserted. Policemen at the “A division” police station about 300 metres away reportedly took to their heels while some ran to the NUJ Press Centre, behind the station. In fact, it was as if the armed robbers paid for time as they operated unhindered for over an hour without any challenge from security operatives. A woman, identified as Mrs. Oluyi, a mother of four, with a baby girl strapped at her back was killed during the robbery.

Reports said the deceased, an hair-dresser, came to the bank to cash some money sent to her account by her husband who works in Abuja for her child’s school fees.

Police gun found at Ondo robbery scene

Twenty four hours after a brutal robbery incident shook Akure, the Ondo State capital to its foundation, Police authorities have recovered one of the guns believed to have been used for the crime. The AK-47 rifle recovered at the scene of crime turned out to be one of the weapons of the force.The gun, believed to have been abandoned by one of the robbers, has been deposited at the office of the State Anti-Robbery Squad, it was learnt yesterday..

Sad end for mother of 4

Sadly, she arrived the bank the same time the “action “started and in a bid to escape the shooting, hid herself in one of the security rooms attached to one of the banks. She decided to raise her head few minutes later when she thought the operation had ended only for one of the robbers, to shoot her at close range.

Perhaps, she was mistaken for one of the security men at the bank. Her brains littered the scene of the robbery and had to be covered with cloths by sympathisers. Her killer, it was learnt, helped her to remove the baby from her back, leaving her in a pool of blood while her vehicle, a Space Wagon with number-plate BG 95RSH was parked at the entrance of the bank.

Protests after action

After the incident, residents, mostly students stormed the streets and protested to the A Division Police Station with the corpse of the nursing mother and blamed the police for their insensitivity. Not a few of the policemen yanked off their uniforms to keep anonymity. However, the protesters threw stones at the station. They were later dispersed after reinforcement came from the state headquarters of the police command.

For two days after, banks in the Akure metropolis closed shops while those that opened frisked customers for fear of the unknown. Unconfirmed reports said the AK47 gun snatched from a police constable the previous day was recovered from the spot where the nursing mother was killed.

According to sources, the police constable attached to Fanibi Police Station was robbed of his gun on Wednesday and the following day after the robbery, the gun was reportedly picked up at the scene of the robbery.

But Aremu argued that the robbery and the murder of the nursing mother should not be linked to the snatching of the gun from the policeman. He told Crime Alert, “It is not true that the gun that was recovered at the scene was the same gun earlier snatched from a policeman.” He said no arrest has been made by the police after the hoodlums’ attacks on the banks.

Gov. Mimiko talks tough

Shocked by the incident, the Ondo State Governor, Mr. Olusegun Mimiko, summoned all security chiefs in the state to an emergency meeting where he reportedly gave a marching order to them to track down the robbers and review the state security strategies.

Mimiko described the robbery attack as ”an unfortunate incident and an undue infraction on the peace that has been enjoyed in the state since the inception of the administration, warning that the state would not be a safe haven for robbers as such infractions would be met with the stiffest preventive measures.

Police trade blames

However, not a few residents of the town argued that the State Police Command failed to foil the robbery operation or track down the thieves because the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Magaji Nasarawa, was out of town, attending the Inspector- General of Police, IGP, conference in Abuja.

Police sources pointed out that “It was a bad day for the entire command. The CP was in Abuja attending IGP’s conference, leaving the deputy commissioner in charge of the command and in acting capacity. Again, the Special Anti-robbery squad, SARS, was on a special assignment at Ore town, to curb the spate of criminal activities in the highly- volatile and crime-rated town.

‘To everybody’s surprise, when this robbery operation was going on, no senior police officer, not even the DCP who was then the acting commissioner, was ready to give order and push other divisions and sections in the command out and trail the fleeing thives,” the source claimed.

Our source also alleged sabotage on the part of some unnamed police officers within the state police command but absolved the police commissioner.

According to him: “despite the absence of the team during the robbery operation, they hurriedly left Ore town for Akure that morning, but were unable to confront the fleeing robbers on Ondo Road, as military personnel barricaded the Akure-Ondo road at the frontage of the 323 Artillery Army Barracks. The team later went after the fleeing gang through Ilesa-Akure highway but the armed robbers made a detour into Ilara town and escaped to neighbouring Ilawe town in Ekiti State.

40,000 Registered prostitutes operate in Abuja —FCT secretary

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on June 23, 2010 at 7:31pm

The new Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Social Services Development Secretariat, Dr. Blessing Onyeche Onuh, has disclosed that about 40,000 registered commercial sex workers are now operating in different parts of the FCT.

The 40,000 figure according to Dr. Onuh, represented commercial sex workers, who are living in various brothels and joints within the city and those who are operating from their houses as well as others who came to Abuja from the neighbouring towns.
During her maiden Town Hall media chat in Abuja with FCT reporters over the weekend, the secretary also disclosed that even the number of unregistered commercial sex workers in Abuja was mind boggling, and a source of worry to the current FCT administration.
Onuh said she was able to know the figures during her interactions with the chairlady, Association of Abuja Commercial Sex Workers, whom, she said, had agreed to cooperate with the secretariat in rehabilitating their members.

She stated that her office had designed programmes to train the commercial sex workers in Abuja in various trades like hairdressing, weaving, sewing, knitting and catering, among others, while appealing to non governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country, to come to the assistance of FCT administration in its efforts to remove commercial sex workers from the streets.

Speaking earlier, the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed stated that his administration would soon come up with a framework to ensure that common man in Abuja has good accommodation in the FCT.
Mohammed chided the actions of some Abuja landlords, who had turned themselves into shylocks by demanding up to two years rent, which he observed, was beyond the reach of the ordinary workers.
The minister promised that the FCT area councils land allocation suspended in 2004 would soon be revisited to allow genuine developers contribute positively to the growth and development of the 8,000 square kilometres of the territory...

Welcoming guests to the event, the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Goke Adegoroye, explained that the Abuja Town Hall meeting was meant to bring government closer to the people as well as to encourage citizen participation in the delivery of policies and services.
The Town Hall meeting was attended by the members of the FCT executive committee, members of the FCT operational departments, FCT security council members, directors, top FCT officials, concessionaires of FCT utilities like solid waste, street lights, transportation, major contractors handling people-oriented projects in Abuja; civil society organizations, traditional/religious leaders, NGOs, traders as well as market women.

Policemen beat female undergraduate to coma

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on June 23, 2010 at 7:27pm

When Abigail Ige, an HND II student of the Department of Microbiology, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, left her hostel on Monday for Fayose Market on Ajilosun Road in the Ekiti State capital to buy fingerlings to be used for her project, she felt there was nothing to fear because her mission was a genuine one..

Photo:Abigail Ige, an HND II student of the Department of Microbiology, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti

PUNCH METRO gathered that at the market, a policeman accosted her and demanded to know the contents of Ige's bag. According to eyewitnesses' accounts, while Ige saw nothing wrong in the policeman's demand, his insistence that the search would be conducted at a nearby police station infuriated the student.

This was the beginning of trouble for Ige, who is now in excruciating pain at the University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti.

She said, "I went to Fayose Market to buy some fingerlings for my project. As I was coming back, a policeman met me and said he wanted to search my hand bag. I told him to empty the contents of the bag right there in the market because I am aware of their tricks.

"He said 'no' and snatched the bag from me and took it to their station. After I finished buying other things I needed, I went to the station, since it is not far from where he met me. As I got there, he said that he would deal with me because I refused to allow him to search my bag in the market. He asked me to enter the cell and I refused, because I knew I had not committed any offence.

"Thereafter, two policemen and two policewomen came out and started beating me. When I became tired, they now dragged me inside the cell. The first policeman, Femi, came inside the cell with a plank and hit me on the head four times. A policewoman came inside the cell and pleaded that they should leave me but they refused. I later passed out. But before then, they said that if I died, nothing would happen."

The woman, who sold fingerlings to Ige, saw what she went through in the hands of the police and quickly alerted the polytechnic.

The Rector of the Polytechnic, Mrs. Taiwo Akande, in an interview with journalists said that the case had been reported to the police authorities, adding that it took time before the school authorities prevailed on the students not to invade the police station.

She, however, said that how the police handled the case would determine the next step the school would take.

The Commissioner of Health, Dr. Femi Thomas, has visited the student at the hospital to know how she was responding to treatment.

A lawmaker representing Ikere II at the state House of Assembly, Mr. Bolu Akomolafe, who also visited the student, said that the House would summon the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, Mr. Katso Kakwe, to the House on the matter.

Akomolafe said the matter was of public importance and it would be given priority when the House reconvenes on Wednesday (today).

The Ekiti State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Jimoh Mohammed, told PUNCH METRO that the command was already investigating the matter.

"Electronic Cigarettes: Are They Really Better For Your Health?

Posted by 9jabook.com on June 22, 2010 at 10:29am

Is This The Death Of Big Tobacco?"

E lectronic cigarettes have recently grabbed the attention of countless tobacco users across the United States. Also known as the “E-Cigarette,” these groundbreaking devices are raising a lot of eyebrows. Are they really a healthier and cheaper alternative to traditional cigarettes? Creators say these devices are very different from the traditional cigarette, and thousands of smokers have already made the switch with hopes the device will be better for their health. But can this clever looking contraption live up to all the hype? Is there any scientific evidence that electronic cigarettes truly are the #1 smoking alternative? ..

When we first inspected the electronic cigarette, it was easy to see that the device in fact does look and feel like a traditional cigarette. Creators and product users are claiming that you can now enjoy a healthier cigarette without the bad smells, second-hand smoke, or cancer causing chemicals. Plus they claim you can still get your nicotine fix. Sounds almost too good to be true right? That's what we thought as well. So we had our own Vanessa Michaels test these incredible claims. And the results, to say the least, were very shocking. Here are just a few of the benefits that Direct E-Cig electronic cigarettes have been claiming on their website:

No tar, tobacco, carbon monoxide, or ash.
Get the same amount of nicotine as a regular cigarette.
Each cartridge costs less than $2 and is equivalent to an entire pack of cigarettes.
You can save over $1,000 each year.
You won't "smell" like a smoker any longer.
Different flavors are available.
No more second-hand smoke.

When Vanessa received her electronic cigarette trial kit, she passed the device around so everyone could take a closer look. Sure enough, the product looked and felt like a cigarette. The device was also very well made and seemed safe to use. When Vanessa took her first few drags on the device, we all stared in amazement. It looked like Vanessa was smoking in the office, but with one huge difference. There was no tobacco smell and no second-hand smoke. Just a harmless vapor.

We were also able to confirm the money savings claims. Each cartridge was equivalent to approximately 1 pack of cigarettes at a cost of only a couple of dollars each, meaning that smokers who smoke 1 pack per day can easily save over $1,000 per year. Since the device satisfied Vanessa's nicotine cravings, we knew that we had found a product that actually works.

We decided to research exactly what expert medical doctors and product users had to say about Direct E-Cig™ electronic cigarettes. The results were surprising. In fact, the United Health Organization concluded that "In the short time that electronic cigarettes have become popular, the number of people who have been able to quit smoking and stay cigarette free have risen by an estimated 300%. No other methodology has proven so successful in such a short period of time."

A New U.S. Health Trend?

Four very well known doctors, from the popular TV show “The Doctors”, have shared great insight with us on the topic of the electronic cigarette. The electronic cigarette was featured as one of their top 10 key health trends for 2009.

“The greatest issue with cigarettes is the 500+ other ingredients added, not just the nicotine. Do we recommend this for non-smokers? Of course not, but for current smokers this is the most revolutionary device to date” - Dr. Travis Stork

The Doctors, Clockwise, from left to right. Dr. Travis Stork, Dr. Jim Sears, Dr. Lisa Masterson and Dr. Drew Ordan.

None of the doctors on the show are smokers, so they used a female smoker, Beverly, as a case study. Beverly had struggled with smoking for 15 years. By day 2, this former "heavy smoker" had eliminated the use of regular cigarettes all together, and was pleased to report that she now only uses her electronic cigarette. She admits that the E-Cigarette is very satisfying and definitely recommends it to other smokers.

How Does The Direct E-Cig™ E-Cigarette Work?

Technology has enabled engineers to create a safer cigarette for everyone. Using the device is simple enough. If you know how to smoke a regular cigarette, then you'll know how to smoke an electronic cigarette.

A Look Inside The Electronic Cigarette Here's a simplified explanation of the 4 step process that occurs when you enjoy an electronic cigarette:

Step #1: A flow sensor will detect that air is traveling through the e-cigarette when the user inhales.
Step #2:Liquid nicotine and flavoring contained in the cartridge goes into the atomization chamber while the Smart Chip controls the amount.
Step #3:The Heating Vapor Coil "atomizes" the liquid creating a rich vapor very similar to smoke. While this vapor is enjoyed, the indicator light is signaled.
Step #4: When the smoker finishes inhaling, the LED in the indicator light fades out. The smoker is free to partake in additional drags on the device.

We are pleased to report that all of this occurs in an extremely safe manner. In fact, it is virtually impossible to unintentionally start a fire with an electronic cigarette, another huge benefit that can potentially save lives.

Smoking In Banned Locations

As part of our in-depth investigation, we wanted to study if e-cigarette users would be able to actually smoke an e-cigarette in locations that have been off-limits to smokers like public offices, restaraunts, librarys, etc. We learned that these new devices are not encompassed by most smoking bans and regulations. This is because an e-cigarette are not lit by flame, and no harmful smoke is produced. The smoke you see is simply a harmless vapor mist. In fact, some airports and hospitals have even welcomed indoor electronic cigarette smoking enthusiastically. But this doesn't necessarily mean that you might catch grief from some security guards or other public building managers.

Many employeers are now even allowing e-cigarette use in the office

Because e-cigarettes do not produce second hand smoke, there is no public health hazard to smoking them in public areas. And there are lowered personal risks to you. We have interviewed many users who report that they are able to smoke in more places and get that same 'nicotine fix' they crave. Many of them have completely given up traditional cigarettes...

Thousands Of Smokers Are Making The Switch

Brenda Dains, from Dallas, Texas used to smoke 5 packs of cigarettes a day until just she tried electronic cigarettes. She told us that "I was unable to quit and my health was suffering as a result”. To her amazement, when she started smoking “e-cigarettes”, she was able to stop smoking her regular cigarettes just 3 days later. Brenda told us, "I can't tell you how much better I actually feel. I've tried gum, patches and everything else to try and quit over the years, but the e-cigarettes have made my goal to try and quit smoking much easier... I feel like I've been given a "get out of smoking jail" free card, and couldn't be happier!"

The testimonials like this one have been coming into our offices here with increasing frequency, and all of them have been positive thus far. We are confident that as more Americans learn about this new smoking technology, that more smokers will make the switch.

Electronic cigarettes can be used with real nicotine cartridges or without nicotine to facilitate the ease of quitting for users desiring to do so. Our interviews and research concluded that the electronic cigarette will quickly become the #1 choice for smokers looking to lead a healthier lifestyle. With the high cost of smoking traditional cigarettes (new smoking taxes are being levied almost yearly), and with the danger cigarettes bring to your health, we also give our recommendation and "thumbs up" to anyone looking to give these devices a try.

We have found Direct E-Cig™ to be one of the most trusted and quality suppliers of electronic cigarettes from all the companies we've researched. ..

Swiss court sentences dictator's son

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on June 19, 2010 at 3:59am

A Geneva police court on Friday sentenced Abba Abacha, son of the former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha, to a suspended two-year jail term for participating in a criminal organization.

The court ruled that Abacha could not properly account for the hundreds of millions of francs he kept in 20 bank accounts under different names.

Last fall, an investigating judge orderd the confiscation of 350 million dollars seized by authorities from banks in the Bahamas and Luxembourg.

Abacha’s father is believed to have absconded with three billion francs from Nigerian government coffers between 1993 and 1999, when he died.

Much of the money ended up in Swiss bank accounts. Most of the 870 million francs frozen by government authorities in Switzerland has already been returned to the Nigerian government.

The case against Abacha’s son began in 1999 at the request of the Nigerian government.

He has already spent 561 days in preventive custody..

Sunday Sermon: Our Only Real Security in Adversity & Prosperity

Posted by frank adeche Mr Netchurch on June 20, 2010 at 1:41am

Zechariah 12:10-11;13-1; Psalms 63:2-6,8-9; Galatians 3:26-29; Luke 9:18-24

"... anyone who loses his life for My sake, that man will save it"(Luke 9:24).

In today's Gospel Lesson, Jesus once again gives His formula for a heart that will be full: "If anyone wants to be a follower of Mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow Me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for My sake, that man will save it" (Lk. 9:23-24).

It has been said that, following Jesus is like climbing a spiral staircase:

Sometimes it seems as though we are just circling around, getting nowhere. But then we notice that the circle is getting bigger and bigger and that our perspective is getting wider and wider. Our perspective is becoming less and less self-centered and more and more other-directed. We are being guided by an unseen hand that enriches and enhances our lives even in the midst of suffering and setbacks.1

We spend a goodly portion of our lives struggling to achieve some measure of security against life's ordinary and extraordinary risks, doing everything possible to "save" our life, in this sense. But try as we may, there is no evading the reality that to be alive is to face risks. Troubles will come to plague us. Sufferings will come to burden us. And death ultimately will overtake us.

Given this as the condition of life from which there is no escape, given the basic insecurity of life, given this image of ourselves as minute specks in a vast unknown, subject to the flicks of fate over which we have no control, by what power and authority do we resist the forces of spiritual destruction?

Again, we read in today's Gospel Lesson that in order to save our life, we must lose it. As Jesus' followers, we learn to "deny our very selves." That is to say, we look beyond ourselves for the meaning and purpose of life. The discovery of our true significance lies outside the pale of our feeble efforts to secure ourselves against the risks of suffering and death. By the power and authority of Jesus Christ, our true significance as human beings is revealed under the burden of the Cross. Which is not to say that we embrace suffering and bear up under life's burdens for their own sake. Suffering devoid of meaning reduces life to an absurdity. No, we Christians bear our burden for "Jesus' sake and the Gospel's," as today's text reminds us.

To bear the burden, to accept the risks, to reject the passing comfort of false security, to live as we are meant by God to live, we follow Jesus who carried His Cross purposefully.

We follow Jesus who teaches us that our lives are meaningful; that we are significant to an awesome degree.

We follow Jesus who teaches us that who we are and what we are to become are crucial elements for the fulfillment of His Father's purposeful design of creation.

This is the sense of significance Jesus exhorts us to hold onto even though we may be stripped bare of everything else.

The search for significance does not culminate in the achievement of fame or notoriety or power or wealth or prestige. You realize your significance when you embrace the Gospel truth that you have been designated by God to play a vital role in all that is going on; that without you there would be a void in creation that could not be otherwise filled; that no one can take your place in God's Plan; that a part of life would not be lived if you didn't live it......

NDLEA boss, bags 16 years imprisonment

Posted by 9jabook.com on June 21, 2010 at 7:41pm

A Lagos High Court, on Monday, sentenced a former boss of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Bello Lafiaji, to 16 years imprisonment for abuse of office and conspiracy. His erstwhile special assistant, Usman Amali, also bagged a seven-year jail term.

The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and other related matters (ICPC) had arraigned both Mr. Lafiaji and Mr. Amali in 2008, on a seven-count charge of abuse of office and conspiracy. The Anti-graft body said the duo had in November 2005 conspired and unlawfully received 164,300 euros from a drug suspect identified as Ikenna Onochie, to secure Mr. Onochie’s release from NDLEA’s custody. The two defendants had severally pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The money, which was also alleged to ensure the release of the suspect’s impounded cars, was part of the exhibits seized from the suspect’s house while he was arrested for being in possession of 3.2kg of cocaine and heroin.

Mr. Onochie is currently facing trial for drug trafficking at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi.

Ruling on the judgment, Olusola Williams, (a Justice of the Federal High Court) held that the prosecution had successfully proved that the release of Mr. Onochie from custody was irregular.

“The court finds the two defendants guilty for receiving money for personal benefits. The prosecution has proved its case and they are as guilty as charged. The court holds that there was an agreement between the defendants to do what they did,” she declared.

Mrs. Williams, while commending the former NDLEA boss for his role in uplifting the standard of the anti-drug agency, said he allowed his reputation to be tarnished because of personal gains.

As for the second defendant, the special assistant to Mr. Lafiaji, the judge said, “he appeared to have followed his master blindly,” she said.

Mrs. Williams said she found the defendants guilty in six of the seven-count-charge and ruled that “Lafiaji is sentenced on counts one to four for four years each, while for counts six and seven, he is sentenced to two years each.”

Also, according to her ruling, “Amali is sentenced to two years each on counts one and two, while on counts three, four and six, he is sentenced to one year each”, Williams concluded. The sentences are to run concurrently.”

59 year old Woman Delivers First Baby

Posted by 9jabook.com on June 21, 2010 at 7:42pm

Something close to a miracle occured last week when a 59- year old woman, Mrs Iyabo Balogun, was delivered of a baby.

The miracle baby came after four fibroids and ovarian cyst that blocked her womb was removed by Dr. Christianah Abosede Oluwashola of the GVM International Ibadan.

Telling the success story, Dr. Abosede explained “that nothing could have been more fictitious to her than the story of the possibility of her getting rid of the four fibroids tube blockage including two ovarian cyst that have given her lot of concern.”

Added to her pain she said, was also the fast aging husband that clocked 60 at the time the story of the possible relief came. When she was told the success story of those who had their lives changed for better after the disappearance of their fibroids, she dismissed it as impossible. Later, she partially agreed that the fibroids could disappear quite all right, asking whether that would bring her age back to allow for a childbirth. The answer she got was the emphasis that Dr. Mrs Christianah Abosede Oluwashola of the GVM International had the magic wand to put smiles on her face through her medicinal herbs. There and then, she was persuaded to give it a thought her husband explained.
After serious considerations, the couple met with Dr. Oluwashola, who had to be told of yet another impediment which had to do with the low spermatozoa count of Mr. Balogun, her husband..

Desperate to get the fibroids removed as a first step towards getting Mrs Iyabo Balogun’s womb ready for her miracle baby, she was made to purchase the ovarian cyst and tube cream which are usually rub on the navels of patients to get the fibroid dissolved. It is usually after the dissolution Dr. Oluwashola told Nigerian Tribune that a patient got delivered of the discomforting substance to give way for proper ovulation to take place.

Today, she said, “they are proud parents of a bouncing baby, the first in their life at the age no one would ever have expected such to happen.”

Dr (Mrs) Christianah Abosede Oluwashola, a Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) trained medical doctor while speaking exclusively to Nigerian Tribune, explained that she diverted to herbal medicine through divine inspiration. So, as a surgeon, what she used to do with scapels are now done with herbs but with God’s strict directive, she said.

Though a Christian and a teacher of the words, her patronage cuts across all religions. So, like any other professionals, she said she cares for everyone irrespectve of their religion as according to her, the new parents are both muslim.

Coach Lagerback Contract To Be Extended

Posted by Choochoo Sports Book on June 21, 2010 at 8:01pm

Promoted for Failure ?

The National Sports Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation have begun moves to extend the contract of Super Eagles coach, Lars Lagerback.

The NSC Director General Partick Ekeji told our correspondent on Saturday that the Swede had done so much for the Eagles within a short time, despite the team losing their two World Cup games in South Africa.

He said Nigeria’s defeat against Greece was largely due to the inability of the players to rise to the situation they found themselves.

Ekeji said, ”The coach has shown so much promise with this team. What we intend to do is to give him more time to raise a formidable team for the country..

”It is clear we need to develop our football and we want to retain this man and give him a chance to do that. The players are okay with him and we cannot be changing coaches every time in the national team.”

The Presidential Task Force is currently paying the salary of Lagerback for his initial five-month contract.

Ekeji stressed that the NSC and the NFF would meet with the Swede on his future with the national team.

He said, ”We want him to stay for the next four or five years with a proper plan for our national teams. In that case, we have to talk on his pay and other things.

“It is good to allow continuity in sports. We are going to give the coach the opportunity of continuing with the Eagles.”

Eagles to earn N4.5million each if they beat Korea tomorrow

Posted by Choochoo Sports Book on June 21, 2010 at 8:15pm

The super yolks & eggs are to be compensated for their failures so far if they beat Soth Korea tomorrow.This also includes kaita the man that almost single handedly spoilt most naija appetites that fateful day.

Also the contract for lars Lagerback the Eagles coach is to be extended.

Read here http://bit.ly/dA2fvm

Nigeria Football Federation has promised the Eagles' players 30, 000 dollars each (about N4.5m) if they beat South Korea on Tuesday.

Nigeria have lost two of their group B games and are in danger of being dumped out of the World Cup. But a win against Korea and a little favour from Argentina against Greece will offer the Eagles a chance of moving to the round of 16.

2010 FIFA OC

A Super Eagles fan displays her support at the match between Argentina and Nigeria in Johannesburg.

NFF president, Sani Lulu, met with the players last weekend and dangled the 30, 000 dollars carrot before the players, in order to ginger them for the decider against the Koreans.

The Eagles have not collected any bonus so far for the World Cup. They were promised 10, 000 dollars each (about N1.5m) for a win.

"The players will pocket 30,000 dollars each if they beat Korea and qualify for the next round. It was something the NFF leadership agreed with the players."

The Eagles will earn a further 12,500 dollars per head for victory in the Round of 16.

Lulu told the team to rise to the occasion, adding that the whole country is behind them.

Richest Naija Pastors

Posted by frank adeche Mr Netchurch on June 21, 2010 at 8:30pm

Church business is big business. we guess so The saying, ‘As poor as a church rat’ is now a misnomer because churches are no longer poor. The four richest Nigerian pastors are Bishop David Oyedepo President and Founder of the Living Faith World Outreach Ministry, aka Winners Chapel; Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo of Kingsway International Christian Centre; Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy; and Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua of Synagogue Church of All Nation. And based on these findings these churches are far from poor…...

David Oyedepo

Bishop David Oyedepo President and Founder of the Living Faith World Outreach Ministry, aka Winners Chapel
Winners Chapel is a megachurch founded by Bishop Oyedepo in 1981 with over 400 branches. The Ota, Ogun State headquartered Ministry, Faith Tabernacle is the largest worship center in the world, with a sitting capacity of 50,000 people and an outside overflow of 250,000 and holds three services every Sunday.

Other assets of the church include two aircraft (Gulfstream 1 & Gulfstream 4) and a fleet of over 400 buses that convey worshipers to and from Faith-Tabernacle, Canaanland. Plans are in the making to purchase a third aircraft for use by the vice president, Bishop David Abioye. The Church also owns Dominion Publishing House, which turns out books and other materials written by Oyedepo. An arm of the Ministry World Mission Agency(WMA) provides welfare and other health and humanitarian services to the needy in the society.

The Sunday tithes collection in the church averages 30 million Naira per week (approximately 300,000 dollars), this amount excludes offerings and other levies, franchises including literatures.

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, Pastor of Believers’ LoveWorld Incorporated aka Christ Embassy Church

Chris Oyakhilome

Christ Embassy headquartered in Lagos has 30,000 members. The church owns a large business empire with invests in banking, publishing, broadcasting, entertainment and the hospitality industries. The major money spinning arms of the ministry includes LoveWorld Cyber Ministry, LoveWorld Television, Love World Christian Network, LoveWorld Multimedia Ministry and LoveWorld Publishing Ministry. Love World the first 24-hour Christian Network from Africa to the rest of the world.

Monthly financial yields of the 2 billion Naira printing press is approximately 10m Naira.

Matthew Ashimolowo

Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo of Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC)
KICC church has 12,000 members and it is one of the richest churches in the UK. The church started in 1992 and it is pastored by Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo. Pastor Ashimolowo, who earns an annual salary of £100,000.00, earns more than the Archbishop of Canterbury, the official head of the British church.

KICC’s profit in 18 months was approximately £4.9m profit. It also has assets of £22.9m, more than three times the amount held by the foundation which maintains St Paul’s Cathedral. In 2008 the church received £9.5m in offerings and tithes, dwarfing the £33,000 that the average Church of England congregation gave over the same period.
In 2005, KICC’s charity, The King’s Ministries Trust, was investigated by Charity Commission for financial irregularities and mismanagement. The report alleged that Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo acted as both a trustee and a paid employee of the charity, contrary to existing UK charity law, and was responsible for approving payments and benefits to himself and his wife, Yemisi, totaling more than £384,000. Benefits received included free accommodation for himself and family, including an £80,000 car and purchase of a Florida timeshare property for £13,000 using a charity credit card, and over half a million pounds paid out to Ashimolowo’s private companies, which were operated from church property and had unclear business relationships with the charity. New trustees were appointed.

Ashimolowo earns his salary from preaching as well as royalties from sermons published in books and on DVDs through his own company. Ashimolowo Media Ministries made a profit of close to £60,000 in 2003.

According to the accounts filed with Companies House, KICC finances were boosted also by the sale of its Waterden Road home in Hackney for £10.1m to the London Development Agency which needed the site for the 2012 Olympics. It is planning to spend between £50m and £80m on a five-year project to build a complex at a site in Rainham, Essex, with capacity for 8,000 worshippers, classrooms, a TV studio, bookstore and offices.

Prophet T. B. Joshua Synagogue Church of All Nation

TB Joshua

SCOAN, Church of All Nations (SCOAN) has over 15,000 members on Sundays. SCOAN headquartered in Ikotun, Lagos State, has been controversial due to reports of miraculous signs and wonders that occur every week from the very first service held in 1987 to the present day. Numerous videos have been produced which purport to document the healing of incurable sicknesses such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, and paralysis; showing people’s conditions before, during, and after prayer from T. B. Joshua. The Synagogue has over 15,000 members at its weekly Sunday services. The church currently has branches in Ghana, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Greece. The Prophet draws his crowd with his miracle services.

Another Ministry is the humanitarian arm of SCOAN, with projects catering to the needs of widows, dwarves, the elderly, physically challenged, orphans and the destitute. The church provides scholarships to orphans and children of the less privileged, with educational support promised from primary to tertiary levels. There is also a rehabilitation program for armed robbers and prostitutes. During his 45th birthday on June 12, 2008, T. B. Joshua made a large donation to the less privileged. Joshua has also provided scholarships for numerous physically challenged students and sponsored many physically challenged athletes. He is known to help people, irrespective of faith or denomination. After the devastating Haiti Earthquake on January 12, 2010, the Emmanuel TV Haiti Earthquake Relief Team, the television station of SCOAN & broadcasts, was sent to the disaster area.

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