The Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria is…Fiona Aforma Amuzie 18 Year Old Student hottie takes crown !

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on May 25, 2010 at 7:00am

MBGN 2010 in Photos ...http://www.9jabook.com/photo/albums/mbgn2010-1

Miss Fiona Amuzie Afora has won the 2010 Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria. She was crowned by 2009’s Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Glory Chukwu. The pageant’s first and second runners-up were Odaloni Ngozi from Niger, and Charity Chinenye from Ekiti, respectively. The pageant took place at Expo Hall in Eko Hotel and Suites in the commercial capital of Nigeria, Lagos. Fiona Amuzie Afora will go on to compete in the 60th Miss World pageant in Vietnam this fall. Over 120 nations will participate in the pageant.

30 contestants competed for the title. Afora, who comes from Plateau, will represent Nigeria in Miss World 2010. The first runner-up is Ngozi Odaloni from Niger and the second runner-up is Chinenye Charity from Ekiti. She is a student of the University Of Jos in the Department of Science Laboratory Technology (SLT)

It was a keenly contested pageant with beauties from all over the country competing for the opportunity to represent Nigeria at the Miss World content along with other exciting prizes.

Though she won the main crown, Fiona was not the only young lady who was crowned that night. Onyeka Martina Udechukwu who represented Abuja FCT was chosen as Miss LaCasera 2010. She will receive a 1 Million Naira cash prize and the chance to be the Face of LaCasera for 12 months. Miss Ebonyi, Shalom Obi won the Face of Select Pro Cosmetics Contest and a 500,000 Naira cash prize.

Silverbird went all out in ensuring a fantastic occasion. The night’s judges included Agbani Darego (MBGN 2001 / Miss World 2001), Bryan Okwara (Mr Nigeria 2007), Omowunmi Akinnifesi (MBGN 2005 and Miss Tourism International 2005), Nadia Letova (Group Divisional Manager, Danel Nig. Ltd). The night started with a soul stopping rendition of the Nigerian National anthem by ChiDynma. After which the shows hosts IK Osakioduwa and the Beautiful Jasmine Murray-Bruce took control of the stage.

With show stopping performances from Timi Dakolo , MI, Basket Mouth and RL from Next, the audience were kept thoroughly entertained and glued to their seats for the entire night. The night also included a performance from Jeffery Daniels, former member of the group Shalamar, and former dance instructor to the late king of hip hop MJ.

It was a great event by Silverbird and a beautiful ‘queen’ was crowned. Wishing her and all the girls the best at the international pageants.

MBGN 2010 – The Winners
Miss Photogenic: Miss Taraba – Rosabel Oyaole
Miss Amity: Miss Kwara – Ruth Chinenye Chukwueke
Best Traditional Costume: Miss Delta – Onoma Osiki

The top 15 contestants of the night were:
Miss Yobe, Miss Rivers, Miss Plateau, Miss Lagos, Miss Akwa Ibom, Miss Abuja, Miss Benue, Miss Ekiti, Miss Ebonyi, Miss Edo, Miss Osun, Miss Niger, Miss Gombe, Miss Ogun and Miss Cross Rivers.

Although Miss Delta was an obvious hit with the crowd she failed to make it to the top 15.

Top 5:
Miss Gombe – Lynda Dunkwu
Miss Ekiti – Chinenye Charity Obiora
Miss Rivers – Nengi Warikoko – MBGN Tourism – 2nd Runner-Up
Miss Niger – Ngozi Odalonu – MBGN Universe – 1st Runner-Up
Miss Plateau – Fiona Aforma Amuzie – MBGN World – Winner

Article collated by Adjani and Tara and culled and readapted from bellanaija , linda ikeji,questionamarkmag and a host of other sites and sources ! Thanks Tara & Adjani !

MBGN 2010 in Photos ...http://www.9jabook.com/photo/albums/mbgn2010-1

Alagba: Legendary Ogbomoso tortoise trudges on at 324

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on May 25, 2010 at 6:30am

Tourism is not complete in Oyo State without a reference to Alagba – a giant male land tortoise believed to have lived in the palace of the king of Ogbomoso for 324 years. EMMANUEL ONYECHE, who visited the palace recently, .

examines the age issue of this ancient animal and the myths woven around it. THE primeval town of Ogbomoso, the second largest city in Oyo State, has an ancient resident – a giant male land tortoise, which is acclaimed to have lived in the palace of the Soun (the king) of Ogbomosoland for 324 years.

In deference to its age, it is called Alagba, which means ”the elderly one” in Yoruba. And, in Ogbomoso, where the legendary tortoise lumbers about in the palatial grounds of the king, it is almost a sacrilege to refer to Alagba as a mere tortoise.

Since Alagba is believed to be older than everyone in Ogbomoso, permutations about its true age relies heavily on oral history. Its present age was arrived at by situating it with the period of the Soun who reigned then. Alagba was allegedly brought to the palace by Soun Ikumoyede Ajao, the third Soun of Ogbomoso, who is believed to have been born sometime in the late 16th century and who reigned in the 17th.

Mr. Ajamu Oluwatoyin, the secretary of the current Soun says dating of the kingship of Ogbomoso was started by the elite in 1797 during the reign of Oba Toyeje Akanni (1797 to 1825), the fourth Soun and one time Are Ona Kakanfo (the Yoruba Nation Generalissimo)..

Since it was customary in those days to transfer the property and all palace belongings to the new monarch, Alagba had allegedly remained in the palace till date.

According to IBKay‘s blog on the Internet, the reigning Oba Oladunni Oyewunmi, Ajangungbade III, the 20th Soun, who has been reigning since 1974, confirmed that he knew the tortoise while he was a child-prince.

Mr. Adeniyi Alabi, Kakaki Oba (the oba‘s praise singer) and Mr. Adeyanju Areo, who used to carry the umbrella that shields the oba from the sun, also carry out the oba‘s instructions to take care of Alagba. They say the animal drinks water once in two weeks and that when it does, it finishes a 25-litre bucket.

Alagba is said to eat everything that human beings eat but likes pawpaw particularly. It is said to detest heat and plays a lot in the rainy season. Alabi and Areo put Alagba‘s weight at approximately 100kg since, according to them, its weight is equivalent to two bags of cement and it requires four men to lift it up.

”No matter how heavy you are, Alagba will carry you on its back and be moving about,” Areo says and adds that the incumbent oba, who cares so much about the well-being of Alagba, was the one that stopped people from climbing the back of the animal as the animal was getting old.

Mr. Muphtau Owolabi, the police orderly to the oba said three years ago, Alagba was sick and required surgery on its neck. Doctors put its survival chances at 50 per cent. The oba was said to have not permitted the surgery and Alagba later recovered.

Like some items in African traditional palaces that exist for mystical purposes, Areo says Alagba‘s existence in the palace has no such inclination. ”Alagba is just an aged animal that is well taken care of by the kabiyesi. There are vet doctors that attend to it and they give us drugs that we put in the water it drinks and the food it eats”, Areo says.

Nevertheless, all sorts of myths have been woven around Alagba. ”It hears what people say though it cannot speak,” Alabi says. ”It recognises kabiyesi‘s voice. If kabiyesi calls it Alagba, it will be shaking its head in agreement. Some people also stay near Alagba to offer prayers for longevity.”

A palace source said for a long time since its existence, Alagba was the only being that the king‘s wives may run to for refuge to avoid the anger of their husband.

”Whatever might have been the sacrilege of such a woman, the kabiyesi overlooks it if she runs to Alagba for protection,” she says.

There are also myths that allege that it is a particular oba that had become so old that turned himself to Alagba during a festival in the palace.

Kayode says looking at the body cells and carapace (shell) of Alagba can help determine its true age. ”The carapace is laid on yearly and its ornamentation can help determine the age of the tortoise,” he said.

He was however doubtful of the possibility of any expert in the country undertaking a venture to determine Alagba‘s true age since it would be of no economic value.

When Alabi took our correspondent to Alagba for introduction, he called the being twice saying, ”Alagba, Alagba, you have a visitor.” He spoke Yoruba. The ancient one slowly opened one of its eyes and brought out its neck full of age, spots and thick rough warts.

Slowly, it retreated into its thick shell and went back to sleep, its thoughts as mysterious as its age.

However, Mr. Akinwande Kayode, a lecturer in the Department of Zoology, University of Lagos, Akoka, doubted the veracity of the claims about Alagba‘s age. ”It is not scientific. It is oral evidence and there is no scientific evidence to support it,” he says.

He however states that tortoises generally live longer than other animals and that this is possible because of their link with the dinosaurs. ”Tortoise and turtle belong to the order Chelonians and they are the only living representatives of the order Chelonians which have a close link to the dinosaurs and dinosaurs as ancient animals lived for very long – up to 400 years – and they had enormous size,” he says.

According to Whyzz.com, an online question and answer site on the Internet, most tortoises do not pass 100, some have been known to live well past that marker and have lived as long as 200 to 250 years.

The site gave the reason why tortoises are able to live so long as having a lot to do with how they‘re built and how they live ”Because they are protected by a strong hard shell, tortoises are good at avoiding predators. Tortoises also live and move slowly, which means they use up less energy than lots of other creatures. – If a tortoise is unable to find enough food, they can survive for longer on less more easily than animals who burn through their energy really quickly.”

In March 2006, it was reported that an Aldabra tortoise at the Calcutta Zoo died and was estimated to be 250 years old. A Madagascar radiated tortoise was said to have lived in captivity to at least 188 years. Similarly, a 176-year-old giant tortoise from an Australian Zoo died in June, 2006. Typically, the Galapagos tortoise lives 150 years. Other varieties regularly live to be 100.

Other Recorded Methuselah Tortoises Wikipedia

Lifespan

Desert Tortoise in Rainbow Basin nearBarstow, California

There are many old wives tales about the age of turtles and tortoises, one of which being that the age of a tortoise can be deduced by counting the number of concentric rings on its carapace, much like the cross-section of a tree. This is not true, since the growth of a tortoise depends highly on the access of food and water. A tortoise that has access to plenty of forage (or is regularly fed by its owner) will grow faster than aDesert Tortoise that goes days without eating.

Tortoises generally have lifespans comparable with those of human beings, and some individuals are known to have lived longer than 150 years. Because of this, they symbolize longevity in some cultures, such as China. The oldest tortoise ever recorded, almost the oldest individual animal ever recorded, was Tu'i Malila, which was presented to the Tongan royal family by the British explorer Captain Cook shortly after its birth in 1777. Tui Malila remained in the care of the Tongan royal family until its death by natural causes on May 19, 1965. This means that upon its death, Tui Malila was 188 years old.^[3] The record for the longest-lived vertebrate is exceeded only by one other, a koi namedHanako whose death on July 17, 1977 ended a 226 year life span.^[4]

The Alipore Zoo in India was the home to Adwaita, which zoo officials claimed was the oldest living animal until its death on March 23, 2006. Adwaita (sometimes spelled with two d's) was an Aldabra Giant Tortoise brought to India by Lord Wellesley who handed it over to the Alipur Zoological Gardens in 1875 when the zoo was set up. Zoo officials state they have documentation showing that Adwaita was at least 130 years old, but claim that he was over 250 years old (although this has not been scientifically verified). Adwaita was said to be the pet of Robert Clive.^[5]

Harriet, a resident at the Australia Zoo in Queensland, was apocryphally thought to have been brought to England by Charles Darwin aboard the Beagle. Harriet died on June 23, 2006, just shy of her 176th birthday.

Timothy, a spur-thighed tortoise, lived to be approximately 165 years old. For 38 years she was carried as a mascot aboard various ships in Britain's Royal Navy. Then in 1892, at age 53 she retired to the grounds of Powderham Castle in Devon. Up to the time of her passing in 2004 she was believed to be the UK's oldest resident.

According to articles published by the Daily Mail and the Times in December 2008, Jonathan, a Seychelles Giant tortoise living on the island of St Helena may be as old as 176^[6] or 178 years.^[7] If this is true, he could be the current oldest living animal on Earth.

Hundreds flock to Nigeria in search of food

Posted by 9jabook.com on May 23, 2010 at 11:29am

KANO, Nigeria (AFP) – Hundreds of Niger nationals, mostly womenand children, have flooded into neighbouring Nigeria in search of food, officials and residents said on Friday. capt.photo_1274472362594-1-0.jpg?x=213&y=142&xc=1&yc=1&wc=410&hc=273&q=85&sig=1d_6vQYZcNebsHqYL_qVuQ--

capt.photo_1274472362594-1-0.jpg?x=213&y=142&xc=1&yc=1&wc=410&hc=273&q=85&sig=1d_6vQYZcNebsHqYL_qVuQ--

"We are aware of the recent influx of people from Niger into some parts of (southern) Katsina State," Sani Makana, the state agriculture commissioner told AFP by phone from the state capital Katsina.

The number of of Niger nationals in northern Katsina state, which shares a land border with Nigeria, has soared in the past two months, residents said.

Makana said some were so desperate they had been forced to beg door-to-door..

"It is a pathetic sight. They just have nothing to live on and have to beg to eat," said Katsina resident, Abubakar Shehu.

"When you ask them why they came here they tell you that they were starving in Niger... and would die if they stayed," Shehu said.

According to the United Nations around 7.8 million Nigeriens are in need of food, out of the around 10 million affected by a crisis in the Sahel region.

Many Niger men in Nigeria have turned their hand to selling water in order to eke out a living.

Vendors pushing two-wheeler carts laden with 25-litre (five-gallon) jerry cans have become a common sight in Katsina city, said resident Ibrahim Salihu.

A Nigerian immigration officer, who asked to remain anonymous, said there was little his officials could do to stop the influx.

"There is very little we can do... due to the porous nature of the over 1,000 kilometre (63 mile) border stretch," he said.

In anticipation of the influx, Katsina authorities have stockpiled grains for distribution, Makana said.

Niger's transitional government at the weekend announced the launch of a food distribution operation for nearly 1.5 million people facing severe shortages.

West African ministers also met on Wednesday in the Togolese capital of Lome to discuss the crisis, an official statement said.

Law to ban overseas education for wards of public office holders underway

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on May 23, 2010 at 10:21pm

ABUJA-A Bill to Prohibit the Overseas Basic and Undergraduate Education of Children and Wards of Public Officers and other Matters, awaits second reading in the House of Representatives.

The Bill sponsored by Rep. Emmanuel Bello (PDP/Hong/Adamawa) and slated for second reading by the House after its three-week recess, seeks punishment for public office holders who send off their children for education abroad without a “waiver” from the Education Minister.

“That is rubbish talk you can send your children anywhere you like. This is democracy, if you have money you can send your children in space. Issues like that are better taken as motions instead of Bills.”

“Subject to a written waiver granted under the hand of the Minister for Education, every child and or wards of public servant shall henceforth undergo basic and undergraduate education in the Country.

“The Minister for education shall in consideration of an application for waiver pursuant to section I be guided by the nature of the proposed course of study for an undergraduate applicant, medical condition and the general national interest”, the Bill states, adding however that without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of this Act, any public officer whose children and or wards are undergoing basic and undergraduate education overseas immediately before the date when this Act comes into force shall be deemed to be doing so pursuant to a waiver granted by the Minister or this for education”, the Bill states..

P Square, MI, Sade Adu battle for BET awards

Posted by NollywoodMohits on May 23, 2010 at 10:30pm

P Square, MI, Sade Adu battle for BET awards

Nigerian acts, P Square and MI have been nominated in the Best International Act category for the 2010 BET Awards. Many have shown special interest in this category of awards as it seems to be a Nigerian affair with Nigerian-born Sade Adu also up for nominations in the category.Photos: Sade,Psquare & MI

Other Nigerian-born acts nominated for awards though in different categories include soul singer Laura Izibor and rapper Wale. BET Awards has been scheduled to hold at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles on Sunday, June 27, 2010. Queen Latifah will be hosting the 2010 BET Awards that features Jay Z leading with 5 nominations.

Beyonce, Alicia Keys,Trey Songz and Melanie Fiona all secured 4 nominations. Other multiple award nominees include Drake Locks with three individual nominations and additional three for Young Money; Nicki Minaj with two individual nominations as well as three for Young Money. Rihanna, Fabolous, B.O.B., Maxwell and Monica also got nods across different categories.

Teen heart throb Justin Bieber was nominated for Best New Artiste while Disney actress Selena Gomez was nominated for the Young Stars Award and “Avatar” star Zoe Saldana was nominated for Best Actress. According to a release by the organisers, BET AWARDS 2010 will recognize the achievements of artistes, entertainers and athletes in 19 categories..

Tinubu backs Fashola for 2nd term Is The WAR is Over ?

Posted by Akin Osunlaja WebLagosian on May 24, 2010 at 9:47pm

…says he is a performing governor

IMMEDIATE past Governor of Lagos State, Sen. Bola Tinubu, has joined other

prominent Lagos indigenes to lent his support for the continuation of his predecessor, Governor Babatunde Fashola, in office, saying he has performed creditably well, contrary to the widespread rumours making the round that the former governor does not want Governor Fashola to run for a second term.

This came just as Governor Fashola stressed the need for the preservation of traditional institution, culture and values in the interest of the future generations.

Tinubu made the remarks yesterday at the official handing over of Oba’s palace, “Iga Idunganran”, Lagos Island as part of events to commemorate the 7th coronation anniversary of Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu I.

Among the dignitaries at the event were former military administrator of Lagos State, Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson; the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona; Oba Olateru Olagbegi, Olowo of Owo; Oba Ojora of Lagos; Alara of Ilara; former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola; Alhaji Femi Okunnu; Senator Ganiyu Solomon and representative of Alake of Egba land, Alhaji Lateef Adegbite.

Tinubu made the declaration which elicited applause from the dignitaries and other guests at the occasion.

Commending Fashola for achieving the dream of building a befitting and modern palace for the Oba of Lagos, Tinubu described the incumbent governor as an achiever and a performing governor that deserved everyone’s support and cooperation in taking Lagos to higher heights.

The immediate past governor noted that the realisation of the new Oba’s palace was an evidence of Fashola’s dedication to duties and beliefe in shared vision of the past governors who had in one way or the other contributed to the upliftment of the palace into a modern building,

He said when the current democracy started in 1999, Lagos was in total bankruptcy but due to endurance of all, “Lagos has become what it is today and it will only get better with the type of Fashola in administartion.”

Okunnu, Oba Adetona, Olagbegi all spoke glowingly of Fashola’s administration and for making the building a reality in their own life time.

Fashola acknowledges Tinubu’s efforts

The governor in his brief comments, acknowledged the efforts and support of his predecessor Tinubu, who he said initiated the move to build the new palace.

“What we are here to commemorate is the dream that has been for long as successive military administrators and governors have contributed in no small means to the palace renewal with Tinubu administration being most impactful.Also, it was not just a government project but a project pursued with passion by Oba Akiolu.”

While stressing that everyone has a role to play in preserving their heritage, Fashola disclosed plans by his administration to bring in experts to work out ways of fully preserving the history of Lagos State.

“We will continue to ensure the renewal of Oba’s and chiefs’ palaces in the state. Already, some palaces are at different stages of completion. I feel humbled and delighted to have contributed in one way or the other to the preservation of our traditional institution,” Fashola said.

Siemens bribe: Another ex-minister confesses

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on May 24, 2010 at 10:00pm

The confession has brought to three the number of former ministers who have owned up to roles in the scandal. Four are on the list of 20 suspects being probed over the scam.

The Nation reported exclusively yesterday that two former ministers admitted that they benefited from the bribe.

The four former ministers are the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Mohammed Haliru Bello (a former Minister of Communication); Chief Cornelius Adebayo and Gen. Tajudeen Olanrewaju (former Ministers of Communication); and a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Prof. Jibril Aminu, who is also a senator.

But the EFCC has refused to name the three, who admitted taking gratification from the German firm.

A highly-placed source in the commission said: "So far, three ex-ministers have admitted to have benefited from the bribery scam. You know two ex-ministers had earlier confessed but another did so today.

"We have also asked the ex-minister to put his confession in writing."

Bello was grilled yesterday for hours over his alleged involvement in the scam.

The commission also confirmed that 19 other top Nigerians might be quizzed over the scandal.

Of the 19 suspects, a former Minister of Communication, Gen. Tajudeen Olanrewaju, is expected to appear before a six-man panel of the EFCC today.

The PDP chief arrived at the sitting of the panel at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Annex in Abuja at about 3.30pm.

Bello was scheduled to be with the probe team at about 12pm, but he was said to have been held back by what a source described as "party matters".

The grilling, which was done behind closed doors, was expected to go far into the night.

A source, who pleaded not to be named, said: "Since the case was an inherited investigation, we asked him to make a fresh statement – in the light of preliminary findings of the ICPC in 2007.

"After writing his statement, the team decided to isolate issues to ascertain how he came into the picture of the ongoing probe.

"All I can tell you now is that Bello is making a statement on what he knew about the Siemens deal."

As at press time, it was difficult to ascertain what Bello told the investigators as all the parties were still in a conference room where the session was holding.

Asked if the EFCC would detain Bello, the source said: "I don’t think so, since all the suspects are readily available to testify and they have always honoured invitation since 2007."

Bello was released at 7.15p.m. He returned home at 7.35p.m.

A source said he was received at EFCC with courtesy.

EFCC’s spokesman Femi Babafemi told reporters: "It is a process that has just begun. I am aware that one of them came today and another is likely to come tomorrow (today)."

Babafemi refused to give details, but a schedule showed that Olanrewaju would appear today before the panel.

Responding to a question, Babafemi said: "Those invited by the committee for interaction are between 15 and 20."

He did not disclose the invitees because "the process is ongoing".

Besides Bello, three other former ministers have been listed for interrogation.

Siemens, a telecommunication firm, was involved in about 1.3billion euros bribery payments in some countries between 2001 and 2004.

Of the suspicious payments, 17.5million euros was given to some Nigerian ministers and government officials during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

After its admission of guilt, Siemens was fined 201million euros ($248m) by a Munich court on October 4, 2007.

April 21, a Munich court found two former Siemens managers guilty of breach of trust and abetting bribery for their roles in Nigeria

Michael Kutschenreuter, a former financial head of its telecoms unit, was placed on probation for two years and fined 160,000 euros ($215,300). A second defendant, the former head of accounting at Siemens’ telecoms unit, was placed on probation for one-and-a-half years and fined 40,000 euros.

Dangote NOT interested in ARSENAL purchase

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on May 24, 2010 at 10:00pm

Why Aliko Dangote Ruled Self Out of Bid To Buy Into London’s Arsenal FC

Photo:Aliko Dangote stepping out of his recently purchased Bombardier exclusive JET

Nigerian billionaire industrialist, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote on Monday ruled himself out of the battle to acquire a 16 per cent stake of Arsenal Football Club of England a few hours after a Sunday Times of London publication named him as one of the nine shortlisted potential buyers by Blackstone, an American finance house.

Dangote, in an email statement he personally , "Following recent media reports of my interest in acquiring 16% of Arsenal Football Club I believe it is necessary to clarify my position. I am a longstanding supporter of Arsenal Football Club and have been involved in conversations around investment in the past.

"However, I can say categorically at this time that I have no intention of investing in the club and will not be acquiring a stake. I wish Arsenal Football Club the best for the future and will continue to follow the team as a fan," he said.

In a conference call later in the day with THEWILL, Aliko maintained that though he had always shown interest in acquiring a stake in Arsenal for over ten years, he said he declined to partake in the current offer because he believed he was being used to jerk up the sale price of the 16 percent stake which belongs to Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith.

The stake is currently worth 96 million British pounds but Bracewell-Smith is seeking up to 160 million pounds for the shares.

Aliko said he would rather stay away from a bidding war between Arsenal’s two biggest investors, Stan Kroenke, the American sports billionaire and the Russian billionaire, Alisher Usmanov.

The Sunday times report said the stake has attracted interests from investors in Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and America.

Whoever acquires the stake between Kroenke and Usmanov may be forced to move for a full takeover offer for the club.

culled and adapted from thewillnigeria

Is Globacom Pulling Out Of Ghana ?

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on May 24, 2010 at 10:20pm

Nigeria’s Major telecommunications operator, Globacom is seriously considering pulling its operations out of Ghana following sabotage and frustrations it is encountering due to its planned nationwide coverage plan.

Ghana's news agency reported that local interests in Ghana have frustrated every plan the operator has made to roll out services nationwide.

The company, which was awarded a license to operate in Ghana in June 2008 after it had successfully launched in Benin Republic, is leaving Ghana because of the vandalisation of its equipment including its base stations and encroachment on the frequency allocated to it by the National Communications Authority (NCA)..

Attempts to get officials of Globacom to comment were unsuccessful as at press time.

Top Nigerians With 'Love Children'

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on May 24, 2010 at 10:47pm

In a culture where our forefathers often had as many as 20 wives, with a flock of concubines thrown in for good measure, it comes as no surprise to many Nigerians that many citizens in elevated stations in the society have spawned a generation of children out of wedlock.

In spite of the age-old argument that, given the Nigerian culture - as it concerns procreation - no child is illegitimate, the reality on the ground is that most children begotten outside wedlock often suffer a fate comparable with that of second class citizens.

TEMPO investigation discovered that owing to the popularity of nuclear families in Nigeria, love children have fared much worse as housewives, and in some cases husbands, are grimly opposed to bringing love children into the nuclear family setting.

The question on the lips of many is:

What manner of a future is bequeathed to these hapless children and what ought to be a responsible position on the issue, on the part of parents?

Consider the case of Rasheed (once christened Rasheed Okoya). Shortly after his mother, Ajoke Okoya's, marriage to Alhaji Rasaq Okoya crashed, an unholy acrimony ensued between the erstwhile famous couple over the paternity of the little boy. That parting encounter was as volatile as the celebrated parting between Chief Tom Ikimi and his divorced wife. In the end, a DNA report from London proved that, indeed, the child belonged to nobody but Rasaq Okoya. It was after this obviously conclusive evidence that the story filtered out that Ajoke may have had the kid for one of Okoya's close friends. Till date, both Okoya and the friend are said to be sworn enemies.

Consider also the story of Lara Okerentugba, who had a stormy and passionate romance with the Edo State governor, Lucky Igbinedion, whilst the latter was Chairman of Oredo Local Government Council of the state. The Itsekiri-born lady had actually had to escape through the window of a club house in Benin when Edo First Lady, Eki, found her (Lara) with the governor. As the story goes, had Lara not hastily scampered out of reach, she might have been harmed by the incensed Eki, on that occasion. Today, Lara lives in New York with the eleven-year-old kid, who is a product of that liaison...

An alumnus of UNIBEN, she once worked at the World Trade Centre, New York, and her kid is reportedly a lookalike of the governor, sans the moustache, of course.

There is also the case of Senator Arthur Nzeribe, who fathered Toyin Fagbayi's 11-year-old daughter, Tosin. It was also a paternity scandal that rocked the society circles while it lasted. For, at the time, Toyin had been close as well to Kano billionaire, Aliko Dangote and Segun Awolowo, grandson of the late political sage, Pa Obafemi Awolowo.

While Aliko had outrightly denied ownership of the bundle of joy, back then, Segun had come close to accepting responsibility. But his mother, Zainab Abah Folawiyo, had put her foot down and that had let Segun out of the embarrassment.

Nzeribe had finally accepted fathering the kid, but not before insisting on a DNA testing process, which had confirmed him as the lucky man.

The list is seemingly endless.

Several years back, Muyiwa Fagbemi, younger brother to Olu Fagbemi, had suddenly found himself saddled with a love child. The little girl, Tolulope, was borne him by GTB big girl, Arese Longe, who had had to fly abroad to have the baby. At the time, the scandal had badly rocked Muyiwa's freshly contracted marriage, but he has since papered over things with his wife.

Another big boy whose marriage nearly collapsed on account of a child outside wedlock was Koye Rhodes, son to the late Chief Yinka Rhodes of the defunct ROSABOL fame.

Although married to Mosun, Koye had fallen head-over-heels in love with CMC Furniture boss, Yinka Oshobu, to the utter dismay of his wife and her family. In rather rapid succession, a son was given him by Yinka, and Koye, who had hitherto had only female children from his wife, couldn't have been happier. The romance was to eventually to grind to a bitter halt in 2000.

Aside from young businessmen, our elder statesmen have also had a fair population of children outside wedlock. It would, indeed, be boring to recount details of the countless kids fathered by the likes of the late M.K.O. Abiola, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, King Sunny Ade, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal and Sir Shina Peters who among his many love kids, has a beautiful daughter by the beautiful actress, Clarion Chukwura.

Even as you read this, Nigeria's former head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, has gone to the Supreme Court to ask the court for ample time to file a counter claim to a N10 million paternity suit filed by his one-time mistress, Edith Ike-Okongwu.

The subject of the tussle, which has passed through the Lagos High Court and the Appeal Court, is Young Musa Gowon, whom Edith is claiming belongs to the Plateau-born ex-ruler from the affair in the late 1960s. It is another instance where a once passionate love has turned determinedly ugly and bitter. For while Edith, now a cancer patient, is certain that Gen. Gowon will eventually cough up the N10 million and accept fatherhood, the Plateau General has vowed that that will only happen over his dead body.

Earlier on, in August 2002, Chris Obioha, brother to NADECO warlord, Ralph, had spoken out, disclosing that his marriage to Joy, nee Chukwure, had been set asunder by Anambra-born billionaire, Emeka Offor. Although himself from a privileged background and rich to boot, Chris had been heartbroken to see the way Emeka Offor allegedly waltzed into his life and deprived him of his joy. Today, Offor has a three-year-old daughter by Joy, whom he has set up in a big way in Maitama, Abuja.

Another eminent citizen who has a couple of these stigmatised children is the handsome, gap-toothed, Minna General, Ibraham Badamosi Babangida. Aside from his two kids by a daughter of the Bozimos, an influential Ijaw lady from Warri, IBB is also father to US-based Pamela, whose mother died of HIV/AIDS over three years ago.

But when one mentions Generals of the Nigerian Army, most people often dismiss the issue, pointing out that top military men and mistresses are inseparable quantities. The corollary being that they are bound to leave countless offspring in their wake.

Or how would one explain the case of President Olusegun Obasanjo. Shortly after he entered Aso Rock, one of his sons had reportedly visited him. The lad (not Oluremi's son and not Stella's) had driven over in a fancy Honda. OBJ had reprimanded him over the expensive car and sent him off with a rebuke ringing in his ears. Said to be a formidable actor in the question of love children, he has one child by Evelyn Amadi and two by Gold Oruh. It is not clear whether his romance with Lynda Soares, who died in 1986 at age 40, produced any offspring.

Where this matter is discussed, OBJ's astute V.P., Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is no slouch. Handsome and generous to a fault, he has always been arduously pursued by the women folk since he was an adolescent. As a result, he has worked his way through a whole population of beautiful women, liberally procreating for posterity. Among the women who have had children for him are Gloria, whom he met whilst still in the Nigeria Customs, Priscilia and Julia, the Edo beauty, who's into properties. The list is a long way from being exhaustive. Hajiya Saratu would have made the list had she not chosen to abort her pregnancy. She actually nearly lost her life in the process.

The list actually goes on and on. A lot of people recall, for instance, that Gen. Oladipo Diya had had to divorce his first wife who bore him Simi, his heir. Till today, he has refused to forgive the lady whom he accuses of having had an extramarital fling decades ago. The result of that careless fling is a grown young man named Tayo.

Also a very prominent pro-democracy activist based in lagos, has a memento from an out-of-wedlock adventure. The kid, also a full grown man, is today a major in the Nigerian Army.

Equally amazing is the case of Funso Alayande, who is reported to have been borne to Rev. Pa Alayande from a source other than his bonafide wife.

Chief Richard Akinjide is also reported to have had a son from another source, before Yomi, his official first son was born. Likewise, not many people know that Otunba Adekunle Ojora had a girl from outside wedlock before Erelu Ojuolape bore him Gbegi.

Kolapo Ishola too is also known to have recorded a daughter from a stray bullet, much earlier on, just like Dr. Kunle Olajide, who fathered two kids by a white woman. As forChief (Dr.) Engr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo, he recorded so many children outside wedlock that he is believed to rank with the greats like Fela, M.K.O. Abiola, etc., etc.

Consider also Jide Adeniyi of POATSON Fame. He has a grown son, Demilade, from a much earlier relationship. Today, Demilade has made something of himself. Trained as a journalist, he now manages musicians. He was born to the creative chief before his brief marriage to Bola Jegede, which produced two kids, Seyi and Junior.

Dr. Majekodunmi of St. Nicholas Hospital, fame and sole administrator of Western Region in the turbulent 60s had called on one of the Okeowo ladies one day, many years back. Sitting her and her mother down, he had revealed to her that he was her biological father and not Okeowo, who is now deceased. To make up for lost affection, he had presented her the gift of a building on the Abeokuta Expressway.

Another elderly gentleman, T.O.S. Benson, had been involved in a controversial cat and mouse game in 1997 with a grown-up lady who kept calling up newspaper editors willing to tell the story of how she was Benson's daughter, but he had repeatedly denied her. She has since been compensated and helped to relocate overseas.

The same T.O.S. Benson revealed to TEMPO several years back that his very first son was from an Ijaw woman when he was a Customs officer in the Port Harcourt area.

If all that seems like so much ancient history, consider the case of Niyi Adebayo, governor of the young Ekiti State. He panicked badly early last year when a couple of soft-sell tabloids picked up the story of how he had had a daughter by a rural Ekiti girl. So messy were the details that Remi, his Press Secretary, had had to be dispatched to Lagos to call media executives to a lunch conference, where the professionals were begged to be "more friendly".

Many big-named Nigerian VIPs who have since commuted to the great beyond have kindly left their contributions to the community of love children. Like the case of the lateVictor Okafor, a.k.a. Ezego, his wife Nkechi had only girls - four in all. At a point, Ezego was so bored about it that he decided to take practical steps to ensure he had a male heir to succeed him. Poor man. He ended up having a fifth daughter - outside wedlock.

The late Chief Bola Ige is another man who left bold footprints on the sands of this "community". The youngest wife of one of Ige's benefactors, Alhaji Omo Owo had shocked everyone when her husband (the benefactor) died. Her disclosure had been that her second and fourth kids had been born for the late Justice Minister.

Again, there had been a moment of uneasiness and embarrassment when, at IGE's death, early this year, a couple of adolescents had shown up in his compound and actually entered their feelings in the condolence register. One of them was Taiwo who claimed to have been born by Mrs. Falilat of Aliwo Ile Eleta, Agodi. They had been quietly pulled aside by members of Ige's household and urged to keep their presence to themselves. As if this hadn't been enough, the page of the condolence register on which they wrote was ripped out of the book.

Now, enter the colony of ravishingly beautiful Nigerian women who have had love children for VIPs for one reason or the other.

Heading this category is hard-drinking and hard-smoking ex-beauty queen, Bibiana Ohio. She absolutely swept ex-Belgian Ambassador, Christian Van Driessche, off his diplomatic feet. So much so that he would have given her the moon and the stars on a platter had they been within his reach. What came within his reach was a daughter, which he gladly gave her three years ago.

The story from Belgium now is that our Bibiana has gone missing with the daughter in tow, and Van Driessche, now Head of African Desk in Belgium, has been looking everywhere for her. At a point, he even involved the Interpol.

Regina Askia is another ex-beauty queen with a love child to her name. She had Stephanie, her first daughter, for a French man. Happily, Stephanie now lives with Regina in her new marriage to an American in New York.

Equally in the class of the bold and the beautiful is ex-Pyramid Nite Club owner Ibinabo Fiberesima. Known for dating money-bags and expatriates, she ended up having Sean, her first son, for Coughlan, an African-American, in 1998. She recently married Philip Trimonel, even though the marriage has reportedly developed troublesome cracks.

Gloria Ibru was swept away with passion for talented musician and playboy, Sammy Okposo, about five years ago. Alula, a pretty little girl, is the result of that whirlwind romance. Many had thought Sammy had gone in for the Ibru millions, but he shocked everyone when he refused to marry the bulky Gloria.

9gerian shot dead, 32 arrested in Poland

Posted by 9jabook.com on May 24, 2010 at 9:43pm

A yet-to-be-identified Nigerian was shot dead in the Polish capital of Warsaw yesterday after a struggle with policemen who chased him through a crowded open-air market.

Traders pelted officers with bricks, in the process, police said after making 32 arrests.According to the Polish police, 32 other Nigerians are under detention following the development. The 36-year-old man took flight when a police patrol entered the market in the central Praga district, Police Spokesman Mariusz Sokolowski told AFP.

Traders threw bricks and other objects at police when they began to pursue him, Sokolowski said..

“According to certain witnesses, the man tried to wrestle a gun away from a policeman,” when it went off, he said.

“A police officer was wounded and hospitalised. Thirty-two people were detained, most likely all Nigerians, but we are still checking their identities,” Sokolowski added.

Investigators have opened an inquiry into the circumstances of the man's death. A similar case in Greece, another European country in 2007, had led to a massive protest by African immigrants.

The Nigerian in his 20s had died after he jumped from a building where he was selling pirated DVDs in a café in the Northern city of Thessaloniki..

He had fled when he believed police in the cafe were trying to arrest him.

The prefect of the region of Greece, Panayiotis Psomiadis, had condemned the action stating: “The tragic death of the young man from Nigeria reminds us all of the difficult days we Greeks experienced a few decades ago when we emigrated to make a living.”

The protest that ensued attracted immigrants from all over Africa while the police had a tough time trying to restore peace and order.

They fired tear gas while the crowd threw stone at them outside the police station holding up photographs of the dead man.

According to the prefect, it is the duty of the Greek state, whose development was influenced by emigration, to show sensitivity and attribute blame where necessary. Poland has diplomatic relations with Nigeria with its embassy in Abuja and that of Nigeria situated in Warsaw.

Many Nigerians had travelled to the European country on scholarship in the last three decades especially in the area of medicine and pharmacy. Intermarriages between them and Nigerians have led to the formation of Nigerwives, an association of foreign women married to Nigerian men.

NDLEA arrests deportee with 88 wraps of cocaine

Posted by 9jabook.com on May 24, 2010 at 9:53pm

The National Drug law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 34-year-old deportee, Mr. Ene Patrick, allegedly with 88 wraps of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

A statement by the NDLEA spokesman, Mr. Ofoyeju Mitchell, on Sunday said Patrick was allegedly found to have ingested the cocaine consigment weighing 1.270kg while being deported from Afghanistan on May 18, 2010. The statement said that Patrick was the first deportee ever to test positive for drug ingestion, adding that it was "a situation narcotic officials described as strange."

Speaking on the case, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Alhaji Ahmadu Giade, said his officers would continue to thwart attempts by drug cartels to use Nigeria as a drug transit point. Giade said, "Ordinarily, who would expect a drug deportee who has served a jail term for drugs to be deported with drugs in his stomach? We shall therefore remain vigilant to stop the next move of drug barons."

Eight other persons were arrested on different dates with narcotics weighing a total of 10.185kg, it said. The NDLEA Commander at the airport, Alhaji Hamza Umar, gave the names of eight other suspects recently arrested as Popoola Adete, 50, who allegedly ingested and inserted in her anus cocaine weighing 840 grammes; Bolanle Mustapha, 63, who ingested 1.420kg cocaine; Onyeze Chukwudi, 47, allegedly with 1.185kg cocaine; Ndigwe Chukwuma, 47, who allegedly ingested 1.405kg cocaine; and Nmah Chukwu, 47, that ingested 1.130kg cocaine..

Others are Smith Romeo, 32, ingested 1.360kg cocaine; Nwafor Stephen, 35, ingested 1.555kg cocaine; and Alekusho Ekundayo, 56, ingested cocine weighing 1.290kg. The statement said that Adete, a mother of six who owns a restaurant in Paris, was apprehended on May 18, 2010. She allegedly claimed that it was one of her customers that lured her into the illicit trade.

Ekundayo, who described herself as a petty trader, claimed to have ingested 80 wraps of illicit drugs. The suspect, who sells children's clothes and jewellery at Mokola, Ibadan, was reportedly intercepted by a scanning machine as she tried to travel to Paris on an Iberia flight. Upon further search, she was also found to have inserted another wrap weighing 200 grammes in her private part.

Latifu, who is 63, is the oldest drug traffickers arrested this year at the airport, the statement said. The textile and jewellery merchant at Balogun market, Lagos allegedly confessed to ingesting 100 wraps of illicit substances and was arrested on May 1, 2010 on the same flight with Alekusho on their way to France. He was allegedly given the sum of â‚¬2,000 and was to receive another â‚¬2,000 on successful delivery, the NDLEA spokesman said.

Onyeze was apprehended on the same day while attempting to board an Air France flight to Paris enroute to Finland. Onyeze, who has lived in Finland for nine years, had been importing office equipment into Nigeria for sale. Onyeze told NDLEA interrogators that he suffered a big loss in 2008 and had not recovered from the problem, adding that he ingested drugs based on influence from a friend in Europe.

He said, "My phone number was given to somebody in Nigeria. Since I arrived from Finland last month, we have been talking until I was finally given the drugs. I swallowed 60 pieces for â‚¬2,500. I am married with a child."

Sunday Home Sermon:Alone but not lonely The search for Self,Creation & Creator

Posted by frank adeche Mr Netchurch on May 22, 2010 at 9:12pm

For most being alone, is a kind of punishment... many find solitary confinement to be the worst....

And why is this? Because, people have learned to use others as a prop for their ego, and without the other there, the ego cannot be crystalized.

You seek out the community because it reinforces your fantasies about yourself, no matter how crazy they are, and because they are fantasies without the other there, they will cease to exist.

This is why being alone is so difficult because without constant reinforcement, the false self cannot maintain its existence. It dissappears. Poof !

Man is born alone, man dies alone, and there is nothing he can do to escape his aloneness. Fleeing to groups, stadiums full of people, sporting events, concerts, all they can do is distract for a few moments. And for many this only heightens the feeling of aloneness that they have.

Unless a person can be alone, they cannot find happiness in any relationship, because those relationships will only represent and escape from the fear of being alone, and a dependency. And relationships based on fear can never succeed.

Only when one experiences the nature of their aloness are they capable of loving another without fear.

For in the depths of your being, in deep meditation, in the center of your aloneness, you will discover, the eternal. And int that momement you will be free.

I lift up my eyes to the hills .Where does my help come from ? My help comes from the Lord,maker of heaven and earth .

Article Corollary:

Sunday Sermon: THE SILENT SERMON http://bit.ly/baqVK8

Indian Plane Crash: At least 158 people are feared dead

Posted by 9jabook.com on May 22, 2010 at 1:00am

At least 158 people are feared dead after a passenger jet overshot a runway, crashed into a valley and burst into flames in southern India on Saturday morning, officials said.

Rescue teams had recovered 127 bodies at the wreckage site outside Mangalore International Airport by mid-afternoon, Air India Director Anup Srivastava told CNN.

Eight of the 166 people onboard Air India Flight IX-812 survived the crash and were taken to hospitals, he said.

Survivors told CNN's sister network that they jumped out of the plane after it crashed, seconds before it burst into flames.

Rescue workers struggled to reach the crash site in a hilly wooded area beyond the runway, the network said. Smoke from the plane also hampered rescue efforts, CNN-IBN reported.

Abhay Pathak, a regional manager for Air India based in Dubai, said there were 160 passengers on board the plane and six crew members.

Of the passengers, 32 were women, 105 were men, 19 were children and four were infants, he said.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced financial aid for the victims Saturday and canceled scheduled events at his residence to mark the end of his first year in office.

The government said families would receive 200,000 rupees, or about $4,260, for each dead passenger and 50,000 rupees, or $1,064, for every injured passenger.

The airline has offered relatives of crash victims in the United Arab Emirates free passage to India, Pathak said, and about 20 people have accepted the offer.

Srivastava said India Air was investigating the crash and trying to confirm casualties.

The pilot did not report any problems before landing the plane, the civil aviation ministry said.

The Mangalore airport reported calm wind, no rain and a visibility of 6 km at the time of the crash, the ministry said.

Boeing released a statement saying the company would send a team to provide technical assistance to Indian authorities during their investigation.

The 8,000-foot runway at Mangalore's airport opened in 2006, and officials say it has an end-safety area of about 90 meters.

Air India has released the following telephone numbers to learn more information about the crash:

General: +91 2560 3101 +91 2565 6196

In Mangalore: 0824 222 0422

Dubai (Air India Express): 00971 4 2165828/29

Jonathan's aides defrauded us of $80,000 -US varsity

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on May 19, 2010 at 8:36pm

Fidelis Soriwei, Abuja

The Programme Director of the Africana Leadership Institute in the University of Kansas, United States, Mr. Aminu Gusau, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged breach of contract by the Special Adviser and Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Dr. Mohammed Abba-Aji and Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, respectively.

Gusau is alleging in an April 22, 2010 petition addressed to the Chairman of the EFCC, Mrs. Farida Waziri, and received by the commission on May 5, 2010, that Abba-Aji and Ojougboh refused to satisfy the agreed terms for the provision of executive leadership training for a select members of group of the National Assembly.

He alleged that the presidential aides and the management of the Africana Leadership Institute agreed that 20 members of the National Assembly would be given executive leadership training by the University of Kansas at $4,000 per lawmaker..

He noted that the training, which was originally meant for December 6-11, 2009, was rescheduled to January 19-24, 2010.

He explained that the $80,000 was meant for the logistic put in place for the training of 10 members of the Senate and 10 of their counterparts from the House of Representatives.

Gusau further said in the petition that in spite of the agreement that 20 participants were expected to take part in the training, Abba-Aji and Ojougboh reduced the number to five, on January 19, 2009; which, according to him, was unacceptable.

He said that only three lawmakers were presented at the executive training sessions.

He gave their names as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Narcotics and Financial Institutions; Senator Nkechi Nwaorgu, the Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Millenium Development Goals, Mr. Aribisala Adewale; and Mary Laniyan, said to be a consultant, attended the programme on January 20, 2010.

He insisted that Abba-Aji and Ojougboh made a total payment of $20,000 for the programme and had refused to pay the balance of $60,000, as allegedly agreed to in the deal.

Gusau said that the institute would involve the US embassy in Nigeria, US Homeland Security Department and the Immigration service; which could lead to the denial of visas to the affected lawmakers whose names were listed for the training programme.

He called on the EFCC to intervene by looking into the details of the agreement, in the interest of the image of the country and the Nigerian professionals in the US.

But Abba-Aji said that while he was aware of the arrangement, he was not aware of the petition written to the EFCC on the issue.

The presidential aide, who spoke on the issue in a telephone interview with our correspondent, said that the sum of $20,000 paid for the conference constituted the fee for the lawmakers who attended the conference.

He accused Gusau and the university of trying to make money without rendering necessary services.

He explained that only three lawmakers attended the event because the period coincided with the failed alleged bomb attack by Nigerian student, Umar AbdulMutallab, on an American airline, in December; which made it difficult for Nigerians to travel through international airports at the time.

IBB for probe over $12.4bn windfall

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on May 21, 2010 at 12:25am

The federal government is to set up a committee to ascertain whether a criminal charge can be sustained against former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, over his alleged mismanagement of the $12.4 billion windfall from the sale of crude oil during the first gulf war.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Bello Adoke, made this known in a letter he sent to a group of civil society organisations who demanded the prosecution of the former military leader based on the findings of the Pius Okigbo Panel.

In his letter, dated 12th May 2010, Mr Adoke acknowledged the receipt of the Okigbo report from the group and commended their effort in making available to him a signed copy of the report.

"As appropriate, I shall set up a Committee that will confirm the authenticity of the said report and also review the allegations and recommendations contained therein, with a view to ascertaining whether these allegations can sustain a criminal charge," he said .

NEXT, last week, exclusively reported that the Attorney General was already studying the content of the document with a view to making a more informed reaction on behalf of the federal government as soon as possible.

Speaking for the coalition, the Executive Director of Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Adetokunbo Mumuni, welcomed the commitment of the new administration to prosecute the former military leader on the basis of the evidence contained in the Okigbo report.

Mr Mumuni, who commended the steps already taken by the Attorney General, however urged the government to "accelerate action to ensure that the case is diligently and effectively prosecuted" adding that

"Pursuing this case to a logical and successful conclusion will show that our government can do things differently when it comes to the fight against corruption in this country," he said.

"This would also provide effective remedy for the countless victims of high level official corruption in the country" he said.

Mr Mumuni urged Mr Adoke to involve civil society and the United Nations in the work of the committee, to ensure that ‘justice is not only done but seen to be done.' "We stand ready to offer full support and assistance to the authorities in the prosecution of suspected perpetrators of the $12.4bn scam," Mr Mumuni said. "We believe that a successful prosecution of the case is a key step in improving the overall governance environment in the country."

The latest letter from the office of the Minister of Justice came weeks after he replied several petitions by the coalition which, in a letter dated April 7, had given Mr Adoke a two-week ultimatum to commence action on the initial petition or face legal actions.

Mr Adoke then requested for the provision of the authentic and signed Okigbo report, assuring the groups that he would deal with the matter once he received the signed original copy of the Okigbo report. The groups subsequently, on the May 5, forwarded the original 352-page report to him.

The groups debunked reports that the report was missing as reported during the administration of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, noting that it had remained in the custody of the government as a white paper. What has been missing is "the political will by successive governments to act decisively on the report," the group said.

The Okigbo report

The Okigbo panel was set up in 1994 by the late former head of state, Sani Abacha, to investigate how the $12.4 billion oil windfall earned from the sale of crude oil by Nigeria during the first Gulf War was spent. The report claims, in part, that "the Dedication and Special Accounts had become a parallel budget for the Presidency.

The decision as to what expenditure items to be financed out of these dedicated accounts was made by the President alone. For example, the accounts had been utilised to defray an assortment of expenses that could not in any way be described as priority such as: $2.92 million to make a documentary film on Nigeria: $18.30 million to purchase TV/Video for the Presidency; $23.98 million for staff welfare in the Presidency; $.99 million for travels of the First Lady abroad; and $59.72 million for security".

The report went on to state that, "The approved budget for the federation did not reflect the receipts into the Dedication and other Special Accounts; that the balances kept in these accounts were not included in the Federation Account, a practice which violated the fundamental precepts of the federal fiscal relations in Nigeria, and that in a number of cases, there were significant variations between the amounts approved for payment and the actual disbursements made, without any further explanation from the documents supplied."

Following the first petition on the missing $12.4b oil windfall, Mr Babangida, through his spokesperson, Kazeem Afegbua responded that the former military President "was not indicted by the Okigbo Report", and that much of the funds were concentrated on infrastructural development of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja..

Mr Babangida had also, in a recent interview, demanded that his accusers produce evidence of any mismanagement against him.

Signatories to the recent petition were the directors of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP); Women Advocates and Documentation Centre, (WARDC); Access to Justice, (AJ); and Committee for Defence of Human Rights, (CDHR). Others are the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, (CISLAC); Partnership for Justice, (PFJ); Human and Environmental Development Agenda, (HEDA) etc.

Being Radiantly Healthy

Posted by AMOBI BELIEVE on May 21, 2010 at 12:33am

Your Eyes Sparkle

May 21 2010

Your eyes sparkle because you are radiantly healthy. That sparkles comesfrom the love you received from your parents, and the way they raisedyou to be well-liked by everyone. When your eyes sparkle, calmnessreigns, thanks to people like you.

It’s amazing how much your eyes sparkle, Like precious jewels your eyes sparkle with radiant health.Your family must love you dearly, it shows in your ready smile.
and I know why.
You have always been wholesome,
someone everyone likes to be with.

Your family loved you dearly,
it shows in your ready smile.
The goodness of your upbringing,
comes forth in your smiling eyes.

When I look into your eyes,
I feel good because calmness reigns.
My sense of calm comes from my awareness,
that the earth has good people left.

Your eyes sparkle because I see,
see how your inner health glows.
I thank my lucky stars for you…
…having met you was a gift from above.

Your eyes sparkle,
that radiant health you show.
You are lucky and blessed,
as you attract the good, and only the good.

PDP Rally:18 wounded in Ibadan what a tragedy

Posted by AMOBI BELIEVE on May 20, 2010 at 10:34pm

18 wounded in Ibadan PDP bloody rally Unrated

Akala

No fewer than 18 persons were wounded yesterday when supporters of Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala and former Governor
Rashidi Ladoja clashed in Ibadan.

Cutlasses, clubs, knives, broken bottles and charms were freely used in the fight.

Passers-by ran helter-skelter. Vehicle owners made u-turn right on the road to avoid attack in the melee.

It all happened at a rally at the Yemetu Police Ground.

Deputy Governor Taofeek Arapaja and former Governor Kolapo Ishola, among others were at the rally organised by a former
House of Representatives member, Tayo Sarumi, who is loyal to Ladoja.

Sarumi is eyeing the Oyo South Senatorial seat in 2011. The seat is presently occupied by the son of the late Ibadan
politician, Senator Kamorudeen Adedibu .

Many vehicles were vandalised in the melee.

Some supporters of Alao-Akala fingered loyalists of the factional Chairman of the state chapter of the National Union of
Road Transport Workers {NURTW}, Alhaji Lateef Akinsola a.k.a. Tokyo as
perpetrators of the violence.

They accused Tokyo’s men who they claimed were hired to attack Sarumi’s supporters.

But, Tokyo who spoke on phone with The Nation denied the allegation. He said his members should be excused from anything that has to do with politics.

No arrest has been made by the police. The injured have been hospitalised.

Female teacher, 10 men detained in one cell

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on May 21, 2010 at 12:32am

C' River: Female teacher, 10 men detained in one cell …Petitions Army Command over illegal detention, torture
From JUDEX OKORO, Calabar
.

A female school teacher, Mrs. Etta- Bassey Ephraim, was made to pass through the valley of death as she was detained in a military cell for eight hours with 10 men. Some of the men, she said, displayed signs of lunacy and violence, sending shivers down her spine.

Narrating her ordeals to Daily Sun, Mrs. Ephraim, a History at Army Day Secondary School, Ikot Ansa, Calabar, Cross River State, stated that she was so terribly frightened and depressed that the male inmates could rape her at any slightest opportunity.

She said, “ I was shocked to the bone marrow when I was put in the same cell with these hefty men; I asked myself what offence did I commit to warrant such torture, human debasement and treatment from the Commanding Officer whose duty it is to ensure my protection in the barracks. But thank God that after eight gory hours, my husband and my principal were able to effect my release from the gallows,” adding, the experience has worsened my health condition because it was the biggest nightmare I have ever had in my life.”

In a petition, entitled, “Petition against the Commanding Officer, 146, Battalion, Eburutu Barracks, Calabar, for an illegal detention in military guardroom,” and addressed to the General Officer Commanding 82, Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu, Cross River State House of Assembly and Commissioner for education, the petitioner stated that since she joined the secondary education board and command school for over 14-years now, she had never had any case of indiscipline or problem whatsoever in the various schools served and, therefore, wondered why she could be subjected to such a treatment.

Mrs. Ephraim, who described her detention as illegal confinement and breach of fundamental human rights by the military authorities, is demanding an unreserved apology and that the Commander of 146, Battalion, Eburutu barracks, Calabar, Lt.Col.K.N. Garuba, be cautioned for an alleged misbehaviour and inhuman treatment meted out to her for no just cause.

According to her, the incident that led to her detention was as a result of her trying to intervene in a matter between one of her colleagues, Mrs. Theresa Egrinya, and the Commanding Officer, Lt.Col. Garuba, on Saturday, March 2, 2010 at about 10:45 am in the school compound. Explaining further, she said, “We were in school with some of my colleagues for a re-scheduled examination for students. After the examination, we were outside the school, discussing the Army Day African Cup of Nations, a football tournament of the school when a motorbike pulled up in front of us.”

Looking agitated, the rider started shouting at one of the teachers, Mrs. Theresa Egrinya, saying, “madam you sent your son to knock me down, pack out of my barracks, I own this barracks.” On hearing this, she claimed, the madam fell on her knees and pleaded for mercy and in the process the school principal joined in pleading for leniency, an action which further infuriated the officer.

“Not yet satisfied, the army officer went ahead to order me out of the barracks for daring to interfere in the matter. And before I could get my things out of my office, he ordered one of the soldiers on guard to escort me to pack my things and lock me up in the guardroom.

In an emotion laden tone, she therefore, called on the relevant military authorities and the Cross River House of Assembly to intervene in the matter and caution Garuba against such action.

Naija Must Go: Ghana’s hostility to 9gerian business

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on May 20, 2010 at 4:58am

ON Monday, May 10, 2010, the Africa Independent Television (AIT) ran a feature on how a hostile policy put in place by the government of the Republic of Ghana has led to the closure of Nigerian businesses in that country.

Photo: John Attah Mills President of Ghana a known member of Synagogoue Church of all nations with Prophet TB Joshua as General Overseer.

Maybe if TB stopped him from coming he might change his mind on naija must go .

Shops were seen placed under lock and key, while their owners were sitting, idly, outside hoping against hope that something would happen to change the minds of their host government. But from all indications, nothing like that is likely to happen.

As soon as he received the mandate of his people, President John Atta-Mills prodded the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Protection Council (GIPC), Mr George Aboagye, to swing into action and strictly implement the GIPC Act of 1994, which demands that any foreign business based in Ghana must pay $300,000 or 48 million Naira into the coffers of the GIPC before it is allowed to open shop or continue to operate.

Way back in 2007, Nigerian businesses in Ghana were closed down as a result of this law. There are indications that the Act is being upgraded to ensure that only foreign businesses that have not less than one million US$ will be allowed to operate in Ghana. Ghana has decided to press ahead with this rather atrocious regulation in spite of the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Trade and efforts by the West African regional body to move its member states towards economic unification....

Ghana decided to impose this protectionist measure in line with popular agitations among indigenous business owners, who feel that the influx of people from highly populous countries of the world, such as Nigeria, China and India are crowding them out of competition. A recent forum Aboagye had with Ghanaian business owners in Kumasi focused on ways of protecting the local entrepreneurs from their foreign counterparts and keeping the foreigners under strict control.

From their online responses, it is clear that Ghanaians are hugely in support of the measure. They have obviously not forgotten how they were shabbily treated when they flocked to Nigeria when the Ghanaian economy collapsed in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. In the name of getting rid of “illegal aliens”, Ghanaians were bundled into lorries and shipped across the borders by the Alhaji Shehu Shagari’s government in 1981.

Bags made from a tough polyethylene fabric were derisively named: Ghana-Must-Go, a term that rankles with Ghanaians who retort: Nigeria-Must-Die.

It is clear that relations between the two former sister countries have changed for the worse. In those days, Ghana was like an offshore territory of Nigeria, and people from both countries freely came, settled and went. Those Nigerian traders who are now marooned in Ghana went there in that old spirit of regarding Ghana as a friendly nation of Nigeria across the West Coast.

From the way Ghanaians are booing Nigerians in their country, it will not surprise anyone if, like in South Africa, we begin to see gangs of organised youths perpetrating violence against foreigners, especially Nigerians.

We must allow incidents like these to teach us a thing or two about the need to repair our own country and encourage our fleeing people to come back and join the effort to rebuild Nigeria. We should also come to terms with the fact that every country is defying globalisation and taking steps to protect their own citizens.

Nigeria is still a country where foreigners, such as Chinese, Indians, Lebanese, people of the Sahara and Sahelian region and even Ghanaians freely come and settle and carry on their economic activities without much regulation. In fact, in some parts of the country, Lebanese and other Arabs are far more welcome and are more at home than Nigerians from other parts of Nigeria.

Nigerians are hunted both in their country and abroad, and the Nigerian government is not concerned in the least. This is no longer acceptable. The presidency and the National Assembly must wake up and act to protect the interests and well being of Nigerians and encourage our people to stay in Nigeria and actualise the Nigerian dream.

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