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Fourteen people were, on Tuesday night, killed in a car crash on the Benin-Ore Road. The accident involved a commercial bus heading to the eastern part of the country and a truck. Five people reportedly sustained serious injuries in the incident which occurred close to Ogbemudia Farms in Edo State.

Witness accounts state that the bus ran into the on-coming truck at about 7:20 pm. The corpses of the dead, six females and eight males, were deposited at the University Teaching Hospital, Benin. Passersby and police officers on routine check close to the area assisted to pull out some of the trapped victims...

The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Olatunji Sunday, confirmed the incident. He attributed the apparent cause of the accident to either over-speeding or overtaking on the party of the driver of the bus, adding that both the dead and survivors were taken to the hospital.

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) presidential candidate, Nuhu Ribadu, said yesterday that he would not spare any corrupt leader in his party if elected president in next month's presidential election. Mr. Ribadu spoke yesterday at a forum organised by the Murtala Muhammed Foundation in Abuja for five presidential candidates who presented their plans to Nigerians. Mr. Ribadu and the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) and the Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP) candidates, Ibrahim Shekarau and Pat Utomi, participated in the programme. President Goodluck Jonathan of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and Muhmmadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) did not show up for the event and gave no reason for their absence.

"I want to assure you that I am Nuhu Ribadu, and I will remain Nuhu Ribadu forever and ever," the Adamawa State native told the audience. "It is too late for me to change. I am 50 years old. I can assure you that I will do what is right. I will do justice. I will stand by the people. There are areas I can never compromise. I can assure you I will not be corrupt, and I will not allow corruption in my government. I will not allow anyone close to me to be corrupt. If you cross the line, you will face justice."

The former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission chairman criticised the PDP, saying its administration had failed Nigerians. He expressed his disgust with the way government officials, including former ministers, enriched themselves before moving on to other parties where they were celebrated. Mr. Ribadu, who described the late Murtala Muhammed as his hero, said that the country needed redirection to make it work.

"If given the chance, I will give the country the best direction," Mr. Ribadu said. "We will not cheat Nigerians. We will tell the world and Nigerians that hard work is what is needed."

Promoting social justice

Mr. Shekarau, on his part, promised to focus on human development and social justice. The Kano State governor said that he would continue with the privatization process involving government-owned agencies, but would ensure that it was properly implemented. He also said that in order to achieve adequate power supply, his administration would bring clusters of states together to initiate a system to improve power generation.

"The earlier we decentralize power generation, the better for us," he said.

Mr. Shekarau said that he would improve security by adequately funding the police and other security agencies. He also said that to enhance the performance of the force, his government would address the payment of retirement benefits, the issue of welfare, and the provision of adequate facilities and training.

Passionate about education

Mr. Utomi described Nigeria as one of the world's poorest nations, adding that he had a blueprint with which he could reposition the country. The presidential hopeful from Delta State said that he would embark on massive infrastructural development, if elected. Mr. Utomi also talked about revamping the country's education sector.

"The system has broke down completely," he said. "If garbage goes into university, what exits is garbage. Let us start with primary education and we will get it right. It is the foundation."

Mr. Utomi said that he would free up funds for existing universities by reversing the government's decision to open new federal universities.

"I am not in politics because of position but because the country is dying," he said. "If the opposition progressive parties had united, I do not mind if I am given the role of cleaner."

The senatorial candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Benue South senatorial district, retired General Lawrence Onoja,  was shot today in a village near Otukpo, Benue state where he was billed to receive People's Democratic Party (PDP ) decamps to his party.

retired army general Onoja told SaharaReporters over the phone that he was shot before he could reach  the decamping ceremony at Otukpo-Icho township near Otukpo where a PDP politician, Oko Iklagher and 3,000 decamped to ACN.
 
He claimed that armed men suspected to be PDP thugs shot him in the left arm while he was traveling in the same vehicle , an Ash-colored Toyota Prado Sports utility Vehicle-with "Young Alhaji", a popular businessman in the area who contested again Mr. Mark in the 2007 elections. Young Alhaji is currently the deputy goober candidate of the ACN in the state. he too sustatined some injuries from broken glasses from the vehicle.

Onoja is running against the current Nigerian  Senate President and PDP candidate, David Mark.

General Onoja expressed concern about the activities of the supporters of the Nigerian senate president in their area. He state that two days ago, PDP thugs attacked "Hausa quarters"  targeting ACN members who boldly display the party's broom emblem with the Senate president campaign vehicles openly used in harassing opponents...
 
 Calls to Mr. Mark's phones were not returned as at the time of filing this report.

Yesterday was the first day of Lent, where Christians choose to commemorate the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness by giving up certain foods or drinks or abandoning bad habits.

Even for non-believers, Lent can be an ideal time to set a target and break a few habits which can be bad for your health.

Candy

You may think that three wine gum packs a week are a reasonable indulgence, but at 170 calories per pack, over 40 days of Lent you could give up 2900 calories.

Likewise, if you usually go through three packs of chewing gum weekly, giving your jaw a break over Lent would also spare you about 2900 calories.

Chocolate

If,  you have resolved to give up chocolate for Lent, good for you. The average sized Mars bar contains 230 calories (as well as 12g of fat) and a Snickers bar contains around 218 calories.

If you are in the habit of snacking on these twice a week, you will be saving about 2500 calories if you give these up for Lent. As for chocolate being good for boosting your mood? So are friends.

Alcohol

Gram for gram, alcohol is nearly equal to fat when it comes to calories; one  unit of alcohol contains eight grams of alcohol and 56 calories.

A medium glass of red wine (175ml) contains around 120 calories. If you give up your evening glass of wine, you would reduce your intake by around 840 calories per week or 4800 for the period of Lent.

Similarly, giving up a bottle of shine shine bobo and odeku (5%) after work, would save around 1750 calories a week and 10,000 calories for the period of Lent. You would also be doing your liver a favour!

Cigarettes

Coincidentally, the first day of Lent is also a National No Smoking Day in some countries. If you smoke, the single best thing you can do is to quit. Smoking increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke and cancer and causes around 120,000 deaths every year. It's also expensive.

It usually takes more than one attempt to kick the habit, but studies have shown that people are four times more likely to quit with support compared with those who go it alone. So contact your GP or practice nurse to get the support you need.

Facebook

Not much of a sacrifice you might think. But calculate how much time you spend on Facebook. Many studies have linked "screen time" to an increased risk of heart disease and obesity. Instead of browsing on the internet, why not go for a walk?

Walking around 10,000 steps a day will burn off 300 to 400 calories, or up to 16,000 calories in total for Lent. It's good for the heart, helps with weight loss and can help lower your risk of cancer. It's also free.

Nollywood movies

we all know that nollywood movies are very addictive but we also know how many nollywood movies will end so giving it up for lent might just be what you need ! no mercy johnson for 40days !

ps.

you can also dump facebook for 9jabook.com which is attempting to rebrain nigerian youth lol !

Happy lent !

readapted for a nigerian audience

"A Whole Nation"
(feat. Donovan Owens)

Ladies and Gentlemen
I wanna introduce to you right now
Young Donovan... He's eleven (mmmmm)
The problem we're facing right now
Is we're losing our children (ooooooo)
Father's we need you (mmmmmm)
Can you feel me?

[Chorus:]
It takes a whole nation
To help me raise this generation
When you look out of your window
Tell me what do you see
If it's a world without a father
Then you're looking at me
It takes a whole nation
To help me raise this generation
My respect to the mother's that be holdin it down
But it sure would be nice to have my daddy around.

[Verse 1:]
All I need is one mic (one mic)
I know you can see
I'm not a rapper
But there's some dudes that are just like me
Everytime you took a picture with you and your family
It was only two people and it's supposed to be 3
It's supposed to be me asking
(Why's the sky blue when I grow up I wanna be like you)
Yo daddy can you teach me how to
(Tie my shoes can I go with you to work so I can see what you do?)
Lemme see what you do
So I can love my kids too
But you didn't stick around was that too much to ask of you?
Too much to get a blueprint(No)
Too much to show your way (No)
That's the reason why this building is not finished still today (We're lost boys)
So you wanna believe that (My daddy's coming back he didn't forget about me)
Only child after school
We just sit there and wait (I know he's gonna come)
Your dad is 78

[Chorus:]
It takes a whole nation (It takes a whole nation)
To help me raise this generation
When you look out of your window (Look out this evening)
Tell me what do you see
If it's a world without a father
Then you're looking at me (Come on)
It takes a whole nation (Nation)
To help me raise this generation (uh uh)
My respect to the mother's that be holdin it down
But it'd sure be nice to have my daddy around. (Daddy around)

[Verse 2:]
Check this out
They say raising kids is the parents responsibility (mmmmm)
But there's a million of Y'all and only one of me (hey)
What happened to the village as far as I can see
It's been burned down by this modern day slavery

[Donovan:]
For 11 years I've been living here
I've seen mamma cry more than 11 tears
Watchin mamma see daddy while he slips away
Does Jesus really hear kids when they pray?

[Kirk:]
She's working to jobs
She can't do it alone
She shouldn't have to she didn't get knocked up on her own
[Both:] And I know that baby's mamma drama
Brothas it's real
But before you close the door
Don't forget how it feels
Remember

[Donovan:]
Daddy missed my game and I made a touchdown
I won the talent show but you weren't around
If a girl breaks my heart what do I do with this pain (and one more thing daddy)
Can you tell me my name?

[Chorus:]
It takes a whole nation
To help me raise this generation (I need my daddy)
When you look out of your window
Tell me what do you see
If it's a world without a father
Then you're looking at me (Yay)
It takes a whole nation (It's a million of us)
To help me raise this generation (Oh... uh... Oh Lord)
My respect to the mother's that be holdin it down
But it'd sure be nice to have my daddy around.
(Everybody that didn't have a father in your life...
I want you to stand up and sing this part right here) (Hey)
Tell em!

[Bridge:]
Ain't nothing gonna break me down (Yes sir)
Can't let nobody take me down
Can't let nobody break me down
Me down (Sing it)
Say it with me now

Ain't nothing gonna break me down
Can't let nobody take me down
Can't let nobody break me down... Me down (Take me down no)
(Sing it!)

[Bridge]

Ain't nothing gonna break me down (Hey)
Can't let nobody take me down (Nobody taught me)
Can't let nobody break me down... Me down (Break me down)
(I had to figure this thing out by myself)

(Heaven can you hear me?)

Ain't nothing gonna break me down
Can't let nobody take me down (can't you here we're lonely?) (Come on)
Can't let nobody break me down... Me down (I'll be their father... I'll be their man! Come on)
(Yay)

[Chorus:]
(If you feel me say yeah!)
It takes a whole nation
(Ain't nothing gonna break me down)
To help me raise this generation (If you feel me say yeah
(Can't let nobody take me down)
(I hear you people)
When you look out of your window
(Can't let nobody break me down... me down) (If you feel me say yeah)
Tell me what do you see
If it's a world without a father (Oh)
Then you're looking at me
It takes a whole nation (I know)
(Please Lord) (You can't take my joy devil)
(Ain't nothing gonna break me down)
To help me raise this generation
(Can't let nobody take me down) (Daddy could be there?) (Sing it boy!)
My respect to the mother's that be holdin it down
(Can't let nobody break me down... me down) (Daddy could be there?... oh yea)
But it'd sure be nice to have my daddy around. (Oh)

Young Donovan (Hey)
To be continued (ooooo)
Let's go (ohhh)
Taking care of your kids is cool (mmmmm)
But if you ain't seen em since Christmas
[song drifts off]

Watch on 9jamovies.com utube4naija

The Nigerian government, through its secret police, fuelled kidnapping in the restive Niger Delta region by paying millions of naira in ransom to kidnappers, a leaked US diplomatic cable, made available to NEXT, has revealed.

The cable, dated February 6, 2007, and which punctured the claims by the government, and the Nigerian security agencies, that ransoms were never paid to kidnappers, detailed how the government funnelled N20 million through an official of the State Security Service (SSS) to militants to free two foreign hostages.

Billy Graham, an American citizen, and Neil Mirrlees, a British national, were seized on January 23, 2007, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when two vehicles crashed into Mr. Graham’s Peugeot Sedan car, one from the front and the other from the rear, as both foreigners were on their way to work. Both men at the time worked for Pivot GIS Ltd (PGIS), an oil and gas servicing company located in Port Harcourt.

As the men were held captive and reportedly tortured, their employers, the federal government, the Delta and Rivers State government, and the American embassy made frantic efforts to secure their release.

Money for freedom

The US cable stated how in the second week of their captivity, Mr. Graham communicated with the then general manager of PGIS (we are withholding his name so as not to endanger him), appealing that the negotiation with the kidnappers “should conclude as soon as possible because British national Neil Mirrlees’s condition is very weak”. There were also efforts to get Oral Rehydration Therapy across to him to improve his condition.

Then on February 5, the document said, a top official of the SSS (we are withholding his name because of the nature of his job) in Rivers State, who coordinated the ransom-paying process, reportedly got in touch with John Walker of Control Risks Group, a British private security company which renders kidnap and evacuation consultation services, to say that Governor James Ibori had decided to conclude the hostage negotiations, despite federal policy prohibiting ransom payments.

Mr. Walker quoted the SSS official as saying that “he would arrange for the hostages’ release once he had the full naira 20 million ransom (approximately USD 156,000) in hand”. The decision, he said, was made in the light of Mirrlees’s condition. Days later, the kidnappers released Mr. Mirrlees whose condition had become critical but kept Mr. Graham hostage pending the ransom payment.

It took almost two weeks before Mr. Graham was finally released. By this time the government had discreetly paid the N20 million to the kidnappers, who had initially demanded 1.8 billion naira ransom (about $14million). The government told the world that no payment was made.

In the cable, the SSS chief said that “Ransom payment was contingent on the condition that it never be publicly mentioned”. He then warned the PGIS general manager that he “would be arrested” if the ransom payment ever became known.

The SSS could not be reached for comments yesterday. Calls and text messages sent to the spokesperson of the service, Marilyn Ogar, went unanswered.

In a telephone call with NEXT, the PGIS boss admitted that at the time of the kidnap, he was in constant touch with the SSS. He also admitted that Mr. Graham while in captivity had called him to intimate him about Mr. Mirlees ill health. He however said he did not know the amount paid as ransom for their release.

When contacted, Control Risks Group declined to comment on its role in the ransom payment saga. “I’m afraid that we’re not in a position to help on this occasion as we do not provide comment on specific instances of kidnapping,” Georgina Parkes, the company’s Director of Communications, said. “In terms of our areas of focus as a business risk consultancy, we advise our clients on the political, security and integrity issues that they may encounter when doing business globally. As a matter of course all our business activities are undertaken in line with international and jurisdiction specific regulations and legislation.”

Creating a hostage-taking industry

By paying ransoms, the government and oil companies created an industry of hostage taking, says an April 3, 2006 cable by Ambassador John Campbell to Washington.

In the dispatch, Mr. Campbell related how Chevron Nigeria security consultant, Hamish MacDonald, lamented to him at a March 29, 2006 meeting that a large amount of money was paid for the release of some hostages seized in Delta State that month.

At the meeting with the ambassador, Mr. MacDonald raised concern that his company was “blind-sided” by the commitments made to effect the March 26 release of three hostages held by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).

He said company sources indicated “a very large amount” of money had changed hands for this release, far more than in the release of hostages in January.

“If true”, Mr. Campbell wrote in his dispatch, “We might be witnessing the birth of an industry”.

Of course, kidnapping became such a huge industry afterwards, and the country is still grappling with the repercussions.

The N40 billion Delta State Resort Leisure Park under construction at Oleri in Udu Local Government Area of the state will not be abandoned by the state government, according to Emmanuel Uduaghan, governor of Delta State yesterday.

Speaking at the project site during a visit to ascertain the level of work, Mr Uduaghan advised the host community to create the enabling environment for the contractors so that it could be completed in time.

He said he undertook the inspection of the project as a result of complaints from the contractors and implored the people of the community to allow the project sail through for the benefit of all.

"I am sure that anybody that was here that day, coming here today now, would have noticed that we are serious. I am sure people thought that day that we were just joking, that it was politics. Now Deltans should know that we are serious. I want to assure all of you that the project kicked off about three months ago and you can see the amount of work already done and that is to tell you how serious we are with this project," he said. "Our first responsibility is to ensure the lives of all people that are working here, expatriates and Nigerians, that there are no threats. I am here today to allay the fears of other expatriates who are yet to come down here."

Provide security

He said the project is a partnership between the state government and a foreign firm. He said the firm is responsible for the funding of the project. "They are the ones bringing the N40 billion," Mr Uduaghan said. "It is not from the state government. What the state government is contributing is the road and the bridge, which is about N1.8 billion.

The road is not just to the site, but also to the communities around. So, it is also a way of opening up the communities. That is our contribution, apart from the land that we are also offering. Then, of course,

we are supposed to provide security." He concluded. Chairman of Udu Council, Henry Sakpra and President of Oleri Community, Patrick Okoro assured Mr Uduaghan that the community will provide a conducive atmosphere for the contractors handling the project.

I was thinking about 2 naija supermodels Oluchi & Agbani who has more class ?

Early life
Onweagba grew up in the suburbs of Lagos, Nigeria with her two brothers and sisters. She is the daughter of a civil servant father and mother who was a nurse.[2] When Onweagba was 16 years old, she won the "Face Of Africa" contest.[2]

She was urged by a family friend to enter into the M-Net "Face of Africa" preliminary screening at the M-Net office in Victoria Island, Lagos.[3] The agency groomed her to be one of Nigeria's entrants for the 1998 competition (now called the Nokia Face of Africa). This despite the fact that, growing up, she had maintained a relative ignorance towards fashion and modeling.[citation needed] With the support of her family and friends, she decided to compete in the inaugural edition of the Face of Africa in 1998. This was the first-ever continent-wide model competition, organized by the South African channel M-Net in collaboration with Elite Model Management.[citation needed] She won the competition.[4] She was just seventeen years old. Elite Model Management awarded Onweagba a three-year modeling contract.

The fast rising Nigerian artist, Wizkid, was attacked by armed bandits at about 8PM Saturday March 5, 2011 in which they made away with his car.Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun a.k.a Wizkid is a talented singer no doubt.

Sources says Wizkid was on Ikorodu road, Lagos, on his way how, when the "Men of the underworld" paid him some attention.

In my opinion, those thieves must have been offended when they heard Wizkid sing, "Na me be Badt Guys". Maybe dey wan show am who the real Lagos Badt Guys be.

An eye witness said, ‘There was an accident around there, and the robbers made away with several cars’.

Reports has it that Wizkid was riding in his Black Honda Accord i-VTEC with his Friends - Wande Coal's younger brother and a Lady. The robbers let his friends and drove with him in his car to Third Mainland bridge, where they dropped him off and left him stranded.

Maybe they even made him perform a couple of his songs in the car before they dropped him. But these robbers are heartless, everybody in Naija loves Wizkid, abi dem no just like music at all?

‘They took everything he had on him, including his mobile phones, so he had to trek all the way from third mainland bridge, back to the mainland’ a friend and associate says.

To rap it all up,  The car stolen from Wizkid, Honda Accord i-VTEC was said to be a gift from Tonto Dike. Make una cool down. Tonto go buy dat kain motor give Wizkid? This love thing eh..

The problem isnt far-fetched, wizkid who is only 20, IT IS ALLEGED he is in the habit of drinking heavily and “rolling” with women who are far older than him. His appetite for women is so up high, if he isnt leaving with some girl from the club, he is hooking up with a lady from some private university. Lately he has been with all shapes, colours and sizes.

Wizzy is a talented artist and my advice is that his label EME records put a strong check on him. He is quite young so may be enjoying what guys of his age do, but not as one who is slowly turning into a public figure, he needs to take things slow and easy.

Ayodeji Balogun a.k.a Wizkid kicked off his singing career as early as 11 when he recorded his first song with one of Nigeria’s celebrated music icons, OJB Jezreel. He went on to record a 7-track album, which he released in his church in Lagos, under the name of Lil’ Prinz; this was just a stint that earned him a remarkable deal of encouragement and recognition from family, his church and other artistes.

Years later in 2006, with a new name, which he picked up from a very funny incident a robbery in his home eventually got him the moniker wizkid from his siblings,

 Wizkid got into the studio to record again; this time with HMan (OJB’s younger brother) and Ugly on a song titled ‘Naija Boy’, produced by OJB Jezreel. From that time, he continued to hone his singing skills with influences from OJB Jezreel, Ruffman, Naeto C, Ikechukwu and many others. By 2008, he had developed a unique reggae style and had worked with some of the finest artistes in Nigeria such as Sound Sultan, Ruffman, Nyore, Durella, Kel, TBase etc.

The 19 year old’s collaboration with M.I on “Fast Money, Fast Cars” on the Talk About It album, drew a lot of attention to his distinct voice and singing style. He also voiced the seasonal Barcelos radio jingle which was released in December 2008.

In 2009, Wizkid got signed to Banky W’s label, Empire Mates Entertainment and has since then go on to perform and record with Banky W, who is one of Nigeria’s most sought artistes. Wizkid has collaborated with other artistes such as Kel, Dipp, Eva and Teeto, to name a few.

Wizkid is  He's in Leadcity uni, 200L international relations. Driven by his passion for music and life’s experiences, Wizkid’s currently putting final touches to his style and performance brand .

The Vice Presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Fola Adeola, and other party chieftains narrowly escaped death yesterday at the Bauchi Airport in Bauchi.

The accident occurred when the chartered airplane conveying Mr. Adeola and chieftains of the ACN including the Deputy National Chairman of the party, Boss Mustapha; and Yusuf Alli, former National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party; crash landed due to non clearance of the airport runway by airport authorities.

The runway which had been taken over by rams and goats, was not cleared which caused the pilot of the aircraft with number 5BN-BNR  to do a forced-landing, damaging the aircraft  in the process. The accident occurred at about 12.00noon

Meanwhile, the aircraft conveying the ACN presidential  candidate, Nuhu Ribadu, and other leader leaders of the party such as Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu had to hover in the air for about an hour for the runway to be cleared.

The party chieftains were attending the ACN presidential rally scheduled for Bauchi State today.

The Director of Media and publicity of the Nuhu Ribadu Campaign Organisation, Ibrahim Modibbo who confirmed the report condemned said his orgainsation suspected “sabotage”

“We suspect sabotage. And as a matter of urgency we call for an investigation into the immediate and remote cause of the runway invasion,” Modibbo stated..

 “If not for the expertise of the pilot, we would probably not be saying what we are saying today.

“Is it possible for President Jonathan who is also the Presidential candidate of the PDP to be involved in such a situation where the runway he is to land on will be filled by rams, which could have been controlled?”  Modibbo said

Mr. Modibbo said the Nuhu Ribadu Campaign Organisation was not asking the PDP government to do it a special favour by guaranteeing safety and security in our airports.

“What we are saying is that no life is more important than the other. Before the present PDP government is booted out by the people, they should at least ensure that our airports, our roads , and our towns and villages are safe enough for everyone including our candidates and particularly during this electioneering period,” he said.

Ribadu’s reaction

ACN presidential candidate Nuhu Ribadu described what happened as an act of God.

“I am not ready to blame anybody for the unfortunate incident but it is not good to allow animals to be passing at the airport so the government should act fast to make the airport a conducive one for planes to land,” he said. Mr. Ribadu blamed Bauchi politicians for bad leadership saying, “Bauchi used to be good before but since the present administration was voted into power, things have changed in the state. They have failed the people, that is why we came to Bauchi to sweep the bad leadership away from Bauchi so that we can take over in 2011 to improve the living condition of the people who are wallowing in abject poverty.”

The state gubernatorial candidate of the ACN, Baba Tela, who also spoke, said that the state governor, Isa Yuguda, had failed to provide quality leadership to the people of Bauchi State.

“Yuguda promised to build an airport in Bauchi, promised to construct independent power project; even the roads he started, he could not finish them. Yuguda has failed to fulfill his electoral promises.”

Airport cleared

Harold Demuren, the director-general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed the incident and noted that the aircraft had been taken away by personnel from the agency. Speaking further on the development, Sam Adurogboye, media head for the civil aviation regulatory agency disclosed that the airport has been opened for flight operations.

“There was an incursion in the tarmac which led to the incident,” he said. “Our inspectors have been sent to the airport to ascertain the cause of the incident. But the airport has since been cleared and has been opened for flight operations.”

According to reports, a similar situation occurred in 2005 when an Air France plane ran into a herd of cows at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers State. When NEXT contacted Akin Olukunle, the managing director of public affairs for the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), he declined to comment on the incident.

Have you ever known someone who really trusts God? When I was an atheist, I had a good friend who prayed often. She would tell me every week about something she was trusting God to take care of. And every week I would see God do something unusual to answer her prayer. Do you know how difficult it is for an atheist to observe this week after week? After a while, "coincidence" begins to sound like a very weak argument.

So why would God answer my friend's prayers? The biggest reason is that she had a relationship with God. She wanted to follow God. And she actually listened to what he said. In her mind, God had the right to direct her in life, and she welcomed him doing just that! When she prayed for things, it was a natural part of her relationship with God. She felt very comfortable coming to God with her needs, her concerns, and whatever issues were current in her life. Furthermore, she was convinced, from what she read in the Bible, that God wanted her to rely on him like that.

She pretty much exhibited what this statement from the Bible says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."¹ "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer..."²

So, Why Doesn't God Answer Everyone's Prayers?

It may be because they don't have a relationship with God. They may know that God exists, and they might even worship God from time to time. But those who never seem to have their prayers answered probably don't have a relationship with him. Further, they have never received from God complete forgiveness for their sin. What does that have to do with it you ask? Here is an explanation. "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God. Your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."³

It's pretty natural to feel that separation from God. When people begin to ask God for something, what usually takes place? They begin with, "God, I really need your help with this problem..." And then there's a pause, followed by a restart... "I realize that I'm not a perfect person, that I actually have no right to ask you for this..." There's an awareness of personal sin and failure. And the person knows that it's not just them; that God is aware of it too. There's a feeling of, "Who am I kidding?" What they may not know is how they can receive God's forgiveness for all their sin. They might not know that they can come into a relationship with God so that God will hear them. This is the foundation for God answering your prayer.

How to Pray: The Foundation

You must first begin a relationship with God. Imagine some guy named Mike decides to ask the president of Princeton University (whom Mike doesn't even know) to co-sign a car loan for him. Mike would have zero chance of that happening. (We're assuming that the president of Princeton is not an idiot.) However, if that same president's daughter asked her dad to co-sign a car loan for her, it would be no problem. Relationship matters.

With God, when the person is actually a child of God, when the person belongs to God, he knows them and hears their prayers. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me...my sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."⁴

When it comes to God then, do you really know him and does he know you? Do you have a relationship with him that warrants God answering your prayers? Or is God pretty distant, pretty much just a concept in your life? If God is distant, or you're not sure that you know God, here is how you can begin a relationship with him right now: Getting Connected.

Will God Definitely Answer Your Prayer?

For those who do know him and rely on him, Jesus seems to be wildly generous in his offer: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."⁵ To "remain" in him and have his words remain in them means they conduct their lives aware of him, relying on him, listening to what he says. Then they're able to ask him whatever they want. Here is another qualifier: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us -- whatever we ask -- we know that we have what we asked of him."⁶ God answers our prayers according to his will (and according to his wisdom, his love for us, his holiness, etc.).

Where we trip up is assuming we know God's will, because a certain thing makes sense to us! We assume that there is only one right "answer" to a specific prayer, assuming certainly THAT would be God's will. And this is where it gets tough. We live within the limits of time and limits of knowledge. We have only limited information about a situation and the implications of future action on that situation. God's understanding is unlimited. How an event plays out in the course of life or history is only something he knows. And he may have purposes far beyond what we could even imagine. So, God is not going to do something simply because we determine that it must be his will.

What Does It Take? What is God Inclined to Do?

Pages and pages could be filled about God's intentions toward us. The entire Bible is a description of the kind of relationship God wants us to experience with him and the kind of life he wants to give us. Here are just a few examples:

"...the Lord longs to be gracious to you. He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for [trust] him!"⁷ Did you catch that? Like someone rising out of his chair to come to your help, "He rises to show you compassion." "As for God, his way is perfect...He is a shield for all who take refuge in him."⁸ "The Lord delights in those who fear [reverence] him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."⁹

However, God's greatest display of his love and commitment to you is this: Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends,"¹⁰which is what Jesus did for us. And so, "If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?"¹¹

What about "Unanswered" Prayer?

Certainly people get sick, even die; financial problems are real, and all sorts of very difficult situations can come up. What then?

God tells us to give our concerns to him. Even as the situation remains dismal, "Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you."¹² The circumstances may look out of control, but they aren't. When the whole world seems to be falling apart, God can keep us together. This is when a person can be very grateful that they know God. "The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."¹³ God may provide solutions, resolutions to the problem WAY beyond what you imagined possible. Probably any Christian could list examples like this in their own lives. But if the circumstances do not improve, God can still give us his peace in the midst of it. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."¹⁴

It is at this point (when circumstances are still tough) that God asks us to continue to trust him -- to "walk by faith, not by sight" the Bible says. But it's not blind faith. It is based on the very character of God. A car traveling on the Golden Gate Bridge is fully supported by the integrity of the bridge. It doesn't matter what the driver may be feeling, or thinking about, or discussing with someone in the passenger seat. What gets the car safely to the other side is the integrity of the bridge, which the driver was willing to trust.

In the same way, God asks us to trust his integrity, his character...his compassion, love, wisdom, righteousness on our behalf. He says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."¹⁵ "Trust in him at all times, O people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us."¹⁶

In Summary...How to Pray

God has offered to answer the prayers of his children (those who have received him into their lives and seek to follow him). He asks us to take any concerns to him in prayer and he will act upon it according to his will. As we deal with difficulties we are to cast our cares on him and receive from him a peace that defies the circumstances. The basis for our hope and faith is the character of God himself. The better we know him, the more apt we are to trust him...

For more on the character of God, please see "Who is God?" or other articles on this site. The reason for our prayers is God's character. The first prayer God answers is your prayer to begin a relationship with God.

Suspected ritualists have killed an 84-year old hunchback, Olu Esho at his 9, Imalefalaafia residence, Oke Ado, Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria.

•The house where Olu Esho was killed on Friday night. Photo:below Right Xray of hunchback ( kyphosis )

P.M.NEWS gathered that the deceased, who occupied the house for many years was living alone without a wife or children around him. He was believed to have inherited the one storey building from his late uncle.

Unknown to the Makun, Sagamu, Ogun State-born hunchback, he was trailed by ritualists who broke into his residence on Friday night. The assailants killed Pa Olu Esho and removed the hunch at his chest and back, his genitals and other organs in his body.

When P.M.NEWS visited the area this morning, all the tenants at the attached spare parts shop on the ground floor had disappeared. The building was also under lock.

It was learnt that all the residents around the house have fled to escape arrest by plain cloth policemen who were around the area to investigate the gruesome murder.

A few residents of the adjacent street who spoke with our correspondent described the late Pa Olu Esho as an easy going, jovial and humble person.

One of them simply called Kehinde, said the deceased was always at Lodge Street to relax adding: “He was a nice old man, very friendly with young and old people. He was a friend to my father who originally owned and run this pools house.”

He confirmed that the murdered septuagenarian was alone in the house.

Kehinde disclosed that the residents learnt Pa Olu Esho was once attacked in Sagamu but he managed to escape and had since relocated to Ibadan for many years before he was murdered on Friday.

An Ibadan-based legal practitioner, Mr. Ranti Ajilete, who said that he had known the deceased for over twenty years described him as a quiet and simple man who does foment trouble.

Ajilete described the murder of such an innocent man as unfortunate, stressing that the killing of the old man was an indication that the nation lacks security.

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO of the Oyo State Police Command, SP Olatunji Ajimuda said the police have set in motion machinery to unmask Pa Esho’s killers.

He confirmed that some arrests had been made and the suspects so far arrested were being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department SCID, Iyaganku, Ibadan.

Meanwhile, the corpse of the victim has been deposited at the Oyo State General Hospital mortuary, Adeoyo, Ibadan, for autopsy.

Kyphosis (Greek - kyphos, a hump), also called hunchback, is a common condition of a curvature of

the upper back. It can be either the result of degenerative diseases (such as arthritis), developmental problems (the most common example being Scheuermann's disease),osteoporosis with compression fractures of the vertebrae, and/or trauma.In the sense of a deformity, it is the pathological curving of the spine, where parts of the spinal column lose some or all of their lordoticprofile. This causes a bowing of the back, seen as a slouching back and breathing difficulties. Severe cases can cause great discomfort and even lead to death.

source:wikipedia

International Women's Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day is marked on March 8 every year.[1] It is a major day of global celebration of women. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general

Photos: Agbani,Akunyili,Asa, Genevieve,Chinamanda

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celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements.
Started as a Socialist political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries, primarily Eastern Europe, Russia, and the former Soviet bloc. In many regions, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day. In other regions, however, the original political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

March 8 marks the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, a celebration of the economic, political and social achievements of women past and present that is observed around the world.

The first International Women's Day was held in 1911 in Germany, Austria, Denmark and Switzerland. Then, over a million men and women attended rallies to campaign for women's rights to work, vote and hold public office.

This year over 200 events are slated to occur in the U.S. alone.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will host the 2011 International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony with First Lady Michelle Obama. The awards annually recognize women across the globe who have shown exceptional fortitude in advocating for women's rights and empowerment -- often at great personal risk. This year's recipients include women whose occupations range from blogger to head of state.

"I believe that the rights of women and girls is the unfinished business of the 21st century," Clinton told Newsweek in a recent interview.

Though the road to gender equality may still be a long one, International Women's Day is an opportunity to meditate on how far women have already come. In honor of the event's centennial, The Guardian asked women of all ages, from 15 different countries across the world, to share the changes they've witnessed.

"I come from an ethnic Chinese family where the women went from bound feet to Rhodes scholar within four generations," said Regina Yau of Malaysia.


Airlines fly '100% female-operated' flights for Women's Day:


Air India and Air France are among the airlines flying "100% female-operated" flights today, efforts mean to commemorate International Women's Day.

Air India says it's flying 11 such flights, including on one of its ultra-long haul routes between New Delhi and Toronto.

The carrier has been flying since the 1980s, including one last year on its Mumbai-New York run. Also in 2010, Air India "operated a record 22 all-women's crew flights across domestic and international networks," according to India's Economic Times.

As for Air France, it says it is flying a female-only crew today on Air France Flight 188 from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Hong Kong.

Air France says in a press release that a "fully female" crew of 18 will operate the flight, "welcoming a crew made up of 3 female pilots and 15 air hostesses."

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International Women's Day: Case for Equal Access for Nigerian Women

As Nigerian women join their counterparts the world over to celebrate International Women's Day (IWD) today, the issue of gender inequality in the nation's polity remains on the front burner, waiting to be comprehensively addressed.

Interestingly, this year's edition marks the 100th anniversary of the Day, which traces its roots back to the second International Conference of Working Women held in Copenhagen in 1910. There, over 100 female delegates from 17 countries voted unanimously that every year, in every country, the same day should be observed to call attention to their needs.

The first IWD was therefore launched the following year in 1911, nearly a decade before women in the United States, the world's democracy symbol, would have the right to vote.

Since then, IWD has taken on a broader meaning for women all over the world. With the growing international women's movement, sustained by four United Nations women's conferences (Mexico City 1975, Copenhagen 1980, Nairobi 1985 and Beijing 1995), the Day now signifies a time to build support for women's rights and equality in a number of areas, including education, the economy and politics.

The theme for this year's celebration is "Equal Access to Education, Training, and Science and Technology: Pathway to Decent Work for Women."

But even as gender equality and empowerment of women are at the heart of many national and international commitments, including the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), not much progress has been made..

 

Women in Nigeria proudly show a hand-painted banner for peace (file photo).

Although some developing regions of the world may have reached, or are approaching gender parity in secondary school enrolment and youth literacy generally, there are still some major challenges for many countries.

In Nigeria, for instance, though the Child Rights Bill, aimed at domesticating the principles enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Union Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, suffered several setbacks before it was eventually passed into law in 2003, early marriage (before the age of 18) still persists in some parts of the country, along with the associated risks of adolescent childbearing.

Clearly, early marriage limits opportunities girls may have for education as their literacy rates, primary school completion, and secondary school enrolment are all lower than those for boys. This automatically limits the opportunities they have to effectively compete with their male counterparts in all facets of life as well as hinders their ability to even make decisions concerning their reproductive health.

If the occasion of the IWD, therefore, is to look back on past struggles and accomplishments, look forward to opportunities that await present and future generations of women, and continue to work for meaningful change, it is instructive to note that some issues that can advance women's rights, especially to participation in the political process are still missing in Nigeria as women are, largely, relegated to the background by the male dominated political class.

To some women groups, gender sensitivity, gender equality and equal rights between males and females, have never existed, particularly in some parts of the country.

Though over the last hundred years in Nigeria, some successes worth celebrating have been recorded, challenges still remain in the area of overcoming barriers to gender equality. A good number of women, for instance, are already making inroads in the corporate world, while some others have been appointed into political offices, yet some socio-cultural, political and religious factors hinder the full development of women.

Nigerian women have, indeed, continued to be underrepresented in governments and the political process as a whole.

This is in spite of government's commitment to implementation of various treaties at international, regional and national levels. In particular, Nigeria endorsed the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPFA), which provides for the Affirmative Action Policy and the MDGs, and the National Gender Policy.

Despite these commitments and the numerical strength of women, they still occupy less than eight per cent of elective positions at all levels of governance.

Out of the about 469 members of the National Assembly, for example, only about 33 are women, constituting about seven per cent of the total number of federal lawmakers.

Nigeria does not boast of any past female president or vice president, and among the 36 state governors, there is no single woman. The best they have attained is the position of deputy governor of very few states.

This represents a systematic exclusion of about half the population of the country from mainstream political activities. Such exclusion fails the basic test of democracy and cannot facilitate Nigeria's achievement of its commitment to the MDGs.

We, therefore, ask the National Assembly to take urgent steps to speed up passage of long standing Bills on violence against women and domesticate the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Equal Opportunities' Bill and any other bills aimed at enforcing the rights of women.

On their part, the State Assemblies must ensure adoption of these bills when passed into law. More advocacy groups should also be formed to carry the message of equal access to the grassroots.

Although the 30 per cent affirmative action policy of the Beijing Declaration, which Nigeria endorsed, is yet to be fully implemented, we urge the Federal Government to take the National Gender Policy, which entrenches the affirmative action policy of 35 per cent representation of women in political, social and economic endeavours more seriously.

Gender inequality could be devastating, not only for women but also for the nation in general, because a society that marginalizes women is cutting its nose to spite its face.

Education of the girl child must be given serious attention for it is said that to educate a man is to educate an individual but to educate a woman is to educate a nation.

Government must ensure that all girls have free access to basic education and stiff penalties should be meted out to parents that fail to offer their children such opportunity. Government can afford free education if it adequately addresses the issue of corruption.

And if securing peace and social progress as well as the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms require active participation, equality and development of women, then sidelining them would amount to shooting oneself on the foot, since nowhere in the world has anyone been found, effectively, clapping with one hand.