Femi Otedola Goes into Exile as "attempt" on his life escalates literally

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on August 21, 2010 at 7:00am

Just after the recent Renewal of The Dangote Otedola crises read here http://bit.ly/beAnsZ

another one has arisen from the ashes so to say ?

The police said in Abuja on Thursday that two persons suspected to be behind an alleged attempt to kill the Chairman of African Petroleum Plc, Mr. Femi Otedola, and six directors of the company had been arrested.

Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, who disclosed this at a press conference, said the suspects were being interrogated by the police.

Onovo said that Otedola and the six directors were trapped in the lift at the AP Plaza in Lagos on July 25, while on their way to an emergency meeting of the board of the company.

The IG explained that Otedola and his team entered an empty lift, but were trapped for more than two hours.

Onovo, who addressed journalists at the Force headquarters through the Deputy Inspector-General, Force Criminal Investigation, John Ahmadu, said that three elevator engineers that examined the lift to ascertain the possible cause of the incident concluded that it was tampered with.

“The chairman was ushered into an empty lift with six other members of his team. Soon after they entered the lift, all the seven occupants were trapped for over two hours,” he said.

He explained that the experts, who inspected the lift, discovered that its safety switch was pressed down, leading to the halting of the facility and trapping of the AP chairman and the others for about two hours.

The suspects, according to the IG, were in charge of the lifts supplied by Otis Lifts Limited, and he gave their names as Celestine Ononobi and Moses Oluremi.

Otedola and the directors were to attend an emergency meeting of the board of AP where crucial decisions affecting the company were to be taken on July 25, 2010 when they were trapped in the lift.

The incident was believed to be in connection with the infighting among the management team, which resulted in the sacking of the managing director and the suspension of an executive director as well as the company secretary.

The case was being handled by the Lagos State Police Command before Onovo directed that it should be taken over by Force CID for diligent investigation.

He stated that the lift was powered by a 625KVA generator at the time of the incident and should not have had any problem, since it was installed barely one year ago and was regularly serviced by technical staff of Otis Lifts Limited.

He IGP said, “The technical experts who examined the lifts after the incident found out that the lift was tampered with because the safety switch was pressed down.

“The moment they depressed the switch, the lift started working again perfectly, indicating that the incident was an act of sabotage and an attempt to murder its occupants.”

Femi Otedola Goes into Exile as "attempt" on his life escalates literally

The crisis rocking the oil marketing firm, Africa Petroleum (AP), has led to the self exile of its chairman, Femi Otedola, NEXT has learnt.

Mr. Otedola, whose company, Zenon Petroleum and Gas limited, is the major investor in AP, is currently in England to avoid another attempt on his life. This is according to a senior official of AP who spoke to NEXT on condition of anonymity.

The businessman, who was named by Forbes magazine as being among the world's richest billionaires last year, first alleged threat to his life when an elevator in his company's headquarters malfunctioned mid-way with him in it.

The management of AP reported the incident to the police alleging sabotage with fingers pointed towards another senior official of the company Clement Aviomoh, who is the executive director, finance and information technology.

Mr. Aviomoh, in a press statement, however denied any involvement in the incident explaining that the incident was caused by the actions of Mr. Otedola.

"On the 5th of July 2010, there was a scheduled board meeting of AP Plc; the chairman stormed the venue with 150 armed mobile police men. He entered the lift with too many security operatives thereby overloading the lift. Thereafter the lift got stuck and we got a report from CFAO and the maintenance engineer that clearly stated that there was no foul play," Mr. Aviomoh stated.

Our source, however, said the police have concluded a forensic examination of the lift and it is clear that it was tampered with. According to the source the police will soon make public their findings and also effect the arrest of those implicated in the plot.

Conflicting police statements

NEXT could, however, not get an independent verification of the claim. In fact, the police yesterday gave conflicting reports on their investigation of the incident.

Emmanuel Ojukwu, the police public relations officer at the force headquarters in Abuja stated that though he was aware of the case, the matter was being investigated in Lagos and so was under the Lagos State Police command.

"It (the case) can be moved from Lagos to force headquarters, Abuja, but I am not sure it has been moved," Mr. Ojukwu said.

The Lagos police spokesman, Frank Mba, however, claimed ignorance of any investigations saying, I don't know anything about it; I don't have any information about it.

NEXT learnt that Mr. Otedola had expressed his distrust of the Lagos State police command, which made the police transfer the investigation to the force headquarters in Abuja.

While the police are being economical with the truth over their investigations, two members of the board of AP: Osa Osunde, the Vice Chairman; and Nebolisa Arah, a director; on Wednesday secured an injunction from the federal high court in Lagos restraining the Inspector General of police, the commissioner of police, Lagos State, and the Special Investigation Unit from "incessant invitation to the police station, threatening to arrest or further arresting, impeding the liberty ... of the applicant pending the determination of the application." The injunction was granted by O. Abang, the presiding judge.

The AP crisis was first brought to the fore in July last year when Access Bank, one of the company's creditors asked a court to wind up AP following its inability to pay its debt.

"The company is insolvent and unable to pay its debts. In the circumstances, it is just and equitable that the company should be wound up," a statement by the bank said.

Following Access Bank's statement, other creditors, as reported by NEXT on Sunday in previous stories, started asking for their money fearing the worst for AP. The company however challenged some of the banks including Access Bank of refusing to pay their own debt to the company.

Things got worse when Mr. Aviomoh, the finance director, alleged among others that "in 2009, African Petroleum plc made a loss of about N15 Billion, this was due to the fact that the Chairman's companies (Zenon Petroleum and Gas Company Limited, Platinum Fleet Limited and Fineshade Energy limited) started selling products to African Petroleum Plc at Higher prices than normal, at times higher than the retail pump price at gas station."

Mr. Aviomoh, who has now been suspended by the AP management, accused Mr. Otedola of mismanaging AP to the benefit of his own companies.

Our source in AP however said there is no truth in the allegation and that it is a campaign orchestrated by those who bought AP shares and have been unable to pay. ''They are angry that our Chairman is insisting on payment and want to damage him by peddling lies," the source said.

Tithing: Lets talk about the Mint & the Cumin

Posted by frank adeche Mr Netchurch on August 21, 2010 at 7:48am

“And my people shall know the truth and the truth shall set them free” “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed me even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the store house and prove me now herewith saith the lord of hosts if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing, that there would not be room enough to receive it.” Malachi 3 : 8 -10

The above quoted scripture is probably one of the most quoted in the bible.

Unfortunately, it is being quoted out of context and used as a weapon of mass intimidation, manipulation, extortion, oppression, cajolery and outright lies and deceit by some church leaders to collect 10 per cent of the gross income of their church members who have been hoodwinked into believing that they are doing God’s will.

Before I go into the details of this discourse, I want to state categorically that I am a God-loving, bible-believing Christian who has the fear of God in his heart. I am also not writing this article to undermine any church or pastor, but to let people realize the truth about tithes and remove the yoke placed by some pastors upon them. I also want to state categorically that I strongly believe in giving to the church for the sole purpose of propagating God’s work and the Christian ministry. I will continue to encourage all Christians to give their all to God as exemplified by the widow’s mite which Jesus Christ himself referred to in the bible.

Now, back to Malachi 3:8-10, the first question one should ask is who was this message directed at? The answer lies in the book of Numbers 18:25-28 which states that “The Lord commanded Moses to say to the Levites, when you receive from the Israelites the tithe that the Lord gives you as your possession, you must present a tenth of it as a special contribution to the Lord. This special contribution will be considered as the equivalent of the offering which the farmer makes of new grain and wine. In this way you would also present the special contribution which belongs to the Lord from all the tithes which you receive from the Israelites. You are to give this special contribution for the Lord to Aaron the priest.”

From the above, it is clear that it was the Levites that were directed to pay a tithe they collected from the Israelites to the priest who represents God and not the people of Israel. It was these Levites that were being referred to in the book of Malachi as those who rob God. A thorough study of the book of Malachi would reveal that in those days the Levites were collecting the tithe from the people of Israel and not remitting a tithe of it to the house of God, hence Malachi’s statement which is now being quoted out of context..

To understand what tithe really means one would have to understand the social reasons and cultural/religious setting within which it was situated. This concept of tithes was properly explained in the bible as stated in the laws of the tithe which can be found in the books of Leviticus 27:30-34, Numbers 18:25-31 and Deuteronomy 14:22-29. Upon reading these passages one would understand what tithes really mean, but unfortunately most pastors prefer to neglect these passages that tell us the true meaning of tithes and emphasize on Malachi 3:8-10 which was directed to the Levites of that time to remit the priest’s share of the tithes they collected to him. It is worthy of note that Malachi does not even define what tithe is and how it should be paid.

The definition of tithes, as practised today, was manufactured by modern day pastors to suit their purpose as it is completely in contrast with what is in the bible and it only seeks to manipulate Christians to believe that God requests 10 per cent of their gross income from them.

So what is tithe and why did God request that it be paid to the Levities? The answer can be found in the following passages: Leviticus 27:30-32 which states that “one tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit belongs to the Lord. If a man wishes to buy back any of it he must pay the standard price plus an additional 20 per cent. One in every ten domestic animal belongs to the Lord. When the animals are counted, every tenth one belongs to the Lord.” And Deuteronomy 26:12 which states that “every third year give the tithe, a tenth of your crops to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans and the widows, so that in every community they will have all they need to eat.”

The above quoted passages clearly tell us what tithe is and the reason why God directed the people of Israel to pay tithes. It is very evident that it was a social arrangement for the less privileged in the Jewish society of that time. It was also meant to take care of the Levites because they had no land or property of their own (today, pastors are amongst the wealthiest property owners in Nigeria). This social arrangement is obviously not relevant to us today. It also states that every third year is the year of tithing, not the weekly/monthly tithes being extorted from church members today.

Another passage illustrates the true meaning of tithes properly and also states clearly that tithe is not money. Deuteronomy 14:22-29 says: “Set aside as tithe a tenth of all that your fields produce each year then go to the one place where the Lord your God has chosen to be worshiped and there in his presence eat the tithes of your grain, wine and olive oil and first born of your cattle and sheep. Do this so that you may learn to have reverence for the Lord your God always. If the place of worship is too far from your home for you to carry there the tithe of the produce that the Lord has blessed you with, then sell your produce and take the money with you to the one place of worship, spend it on whatever you want ,beef, lamb, wine, beer and there in the presence of the lord you and your family are to eat and enjoy yourselves. Do not neglect the Levites who live in your towns for they have no property of their own. At the end of every third year, bring the tithe of all your crops and store it in your towns. This is food for the Levites since they own no property and for the orphans, foreigners and widows who live in your towns. Do this and the lord your God would bless you in everything you do.”

From the above passage, it is very clear that tithe is not money and it is not the exclusive preserve of the Levites (church). It was a religious practice in those days to give reverence to God and to celebrate God in his place of worship. The Levites were only included for the main reason that they had no land of their own and that reason is not relevant in today’s society. Yet some pastors would tell you that you are cursed and would not go to heaven if you don’t give them 10 per cent of your gross income. All this hypocrisy would not have bothered me if all the money being collected was being used to propagate God’s work. But the truth as we all know today is that this money is being used to finance lavish, flamboyant and exotic lifestyle that is unbecoming of a man who truly claims to serve God, as a pastor who is expected to be meek and humble like our Lord Jesus Christ was.

As a concluding part to this article, I would want to refer us to the book of Hebrews, which was written to the early Christians. This provides irrefutable proof that Christians are not meant to pay tithes as the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ does not require it.

Hebrews 7:5, says: “And those descendants of Levites who are priests are commanded by the law to collect one tenth from the people of Israel, that is from their own countrymen even though their countrymen are also descendants of Abraham.”

From this verse, we can jump to verses 11-13 which say: “It was on the basis of the Levitical priesthood that the law was given to the people of Israel. Now, if the work of the Levitical priests had been perfect there would be no need for a different kind of priest to appear, one who is in the priestly order of Melchizedek not of Aaron. For when the priesthood is changed, there also has to be a change in the law. And our Lord of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe of Judah and Moses did not mention his tribe when he spoke of priests.”

The above passage is self-explanatory and it states clearly that the practice of tithing has no place under the priestly order of our Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, the passage suggests that the collection of tithes is belittling of the priestly order of our Lord Jesus Christ. It states that it is wrong for us as Christians to receive or pay tithes and is not relevant to us as Christians because we belong to a superior priestly order.

Once again, I would like to state that this article is not meant for us as Christians to revolt against the church or our pastors. It is just meant to establish the biblical truth about tithes and remove the yoke from people who labour to pay tithes–not required of them by God–while their pastors are living luxuriously. Today, many pastors see the church as their personal business and even fraudulent people are opening up churches so that they can have access to people’s tithes and use it for their personal comfort. I encourage all of us as Christians to remain vigilant and continue to serve God in truth and in faith to the glory of his holy name. Amen.

Another point of note is: how come out of the 613 biblical laws of Moses which were handed out to the people of Israel, it is only an adulterated version of the law of tithe that is still being practiced today, apart from the Ten Commandments? How come we are no longer required to offer burnt sacrifices? How come we no longer stone people to death for sinning? The truth is that only tithing was dug out of the laws of Moses because it presents material benefits to the collectors of tithes. Given that most Christians do not study their bibles and depend on their priests to guide them through, it was easy for pastors to pick a passage in the bible (Malachi 3 : 8-10),

quote it out of context and use it to manipulate the flock into parting with 10 per cent of their income. Furthermore, it is worthy of note that neither Jesus Christ nor any of the apostles ever preached about or collected tithe. In fact, in the bible, Jesus Christ only spoke about tithes in Luke 11:42 which states that: “But woe unto you Pharisees! For ye tithe mint and rue all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” Here we can see that Jesus Christ is rebuking the Pharisees for laying emphasis on tithes instead of the more important things of the spirit, like our pastors are doing today.

In Acts 15, we find outlined what the apostles all agreed was necessary for the newly converted Gentiles to practise, and by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, tithing is conspicuously missing. Yet, what is one of the very first legislated duties taught to Gentile converts by the Church today? It is that they must tithe their annual salaries to the Church. Where did this unscriptural law of Christian tithing come from?

Notice this telling bit of history from the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1963, volume 22, page 253, ‘TITHES’). “Tithes in Christendom—The earliest authentic example of anything like a law of the State enforcing payment appears to occur in the capitularies [Ecclesiastes] of Charlemagne at the end of the 8th or beginning of the 9th century. Tithes were, by that enactment, to be applied to the maintenance of the bishop, clergy, the poor, and the fabric of the church. In the course of time the principle of payment of tithes was extended far beyond its original intention. Thus, they became transferable to laymen and saleable like ordinary property, despite the injunctions of the third Lateran Council; and they became payable out of sources of income [not just farming and herding, but other trades and occupations and salaries paid in the form of money] not originally tithable.”

The Catholic Church knows its own history. Here is how tithing got back into the Church after being absent for nearly five centuries:

“As the Church expanded and various institutions arose, it became necessary to make laws which would insure the proper and permanent support of the clergy. The payment of tithes was adopted from the Old Law… The earliest positive legislation on the subject seems to be contained in the letter of the bishops assembled at Tours in 567 and the [canons] of the Council of Macon in 585.”—The Catholic Encyclopaedia.

They “extended” their base of tithe collecting to eventually include all forms of income. All Christian scholars know that although money was in wide use in ancient Israel, it was never a titheable commodity. But modern pastors don’t want tithes of goats or oil or corn, they want money–cold, hard cash! God has a word to the “shepherds of the sheep”, and it is the very same message that He had for the Levites in the book of Malachi. And it is this:

“My people have been lost sheep, their shepherds have caused them to go astray” (Jer. 50:6).

Were Israelites aware that they were being led astray by their spiritual leaders? Not most, and neither are Christians today aware that they are being led astray by their spiritual leaders.

Oshobi is a businessman based in Lagos.

NOW DID YOUR PATOR TELL YOU THIS ?

Presidential Aspirants Interview (1): My Deal with IBB – Atiku Abubakar

Posted by arimah patrick ifeanyi on August 22, 2010 at 11:27pm

*’How Obasanjo wasted $650m on power’
*Says Obasanjo wanted life presidency not Third Term

Since Friday, January 3, 2003, Atiku Abubakar has not stopped moving against the tide.In some instances, he survived and cameout victorious; at other times, he came off worse – but coming outworse might also be comparative and relative, depending on where youstand. For instance, it was his dogged fight against former PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo’s jackboot approach to party leadership thatfrustrated and led to the expulsion of the former Vice President fromthe Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and also made the IndependentNational Electoral Commission, INEC, to disqualify him, but for whichhe got a Supreme Court landmark pronouncement that INEC lacked thepowers to disqualify a candidate.
But it was the same move against the tide which left Atiku losing thepresidential contest of April 2007 with the Appeal and Supreme Courtsupholding his defeat at the polls.
Today, Atiku is ‘back’ in PDP and wants to contest the presidentialelection on the platform of the party. The tide this time, at leastaccording to the resolution of the National Executive Committee, NEC,of the PDP, is that President Goodluck Jonathan should complete theother four-year tenure of his joint presidential ticket with the lateUmaru Musa Yar’Adua. But the party, not wanting to get entangled byjudicial altercation, says the party’s zoning arrangement remains inplace.
Last Sunday, August 15, Atiku announced that “after due consultationswith my family, friends and political associates, I have come here toformally announce, with humility and a deep sense of responsibility,that I shall be offering myself as a candidate for election to theoffice of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the 2011Presidential Election. I shall do so on the platform of the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP)”.
In this interactive session, Atiku speaks on some of the issues he hadnever really talked about. But the most interesting part of hisrevelation is the deal he said he has perfected with former militaryPresident, Ibrahim Babangida, who is also in the race. Following areexcerpts of his answers to questions posed by reporters at his Abujadeclaration.

By Jide Ajani, Deputy Editor & Dapo Akinrefon

YOU still have an issue with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The governor of your home state, Adamawa (Murtala Nyako),said you’re yet to be a PDP member. How do you intend to sort the issueof your registration as a member of the party?
The constitution of PDP provides how you can become a member and yourward is where your membership registration resides. You do not evenregister neither with your local government nor the state chapter andthe constitution of the PDP provides that you can register where youreside or where you have a home. All of these are provided in theconstitution.

*Atiku Abubakar

Before I returned to the PDP in Adamawa State, there was a crisis and the crisis divided the party into two camps: the governor on oneside and the rest of the stakeholders on the other. This came aboutduring the primaries of the governorship election. There were ninegubernatorial aspirants and at that point in time, Nyako was in ANPP.Former President Olusegun Obasanjo took him from ANPP and included himto join the nine other aspirants. That was how they went into election.

Since they came out of the election, the party has remained like that.

By the time I returned to the party, I registered at my ward but the governor said I had registered in the camp that was not recognized. Iwent back to my ward and went to the same camp which he said herecognized, held a meeting with both the ward and local governmentexecutives, applied to be re-admitted; they re-admitted me, gave me aslip in view of a membership card and when the membership card arrived,they gave me a membership card which I forwarded to the nationalheadquarters of the party’s secretariat.

Governor Nyako called the ward and local government executives and threatened them. They refused to be threatened or blackmailed, andthey said Atiku brought this party to us, he is our son and we cannotreject him. He threatened them that he was going to relieve them and Idared him to remove them because under the constitution of the PDP, hehas no power to remove them. This is where we are today.

Legally and constitutionally, Governor Nyako just has nothing to do with me and my membership is valid, it’s legal and it’s lawful. WhetherNyako likes it or not, that is his own business.

The crisis in Adamawa has been going on for over two years; nobody could bring the two parties together, not until I came in. I asked thenational headquarters to call the two factions to order and thenational headquarters is still in the process of reconciling andresolving the crisis in Adamawa PDP. So, I’m not the cause of thecrisis in Adamawa PDP and as far as my membership is concerned, it’s asettled issue. Constitutionally, legally and lawfully, I am a memberof the PDP.

President Jonathan has not declared his intention to run for the presidency in 2011 but I know that it is going to be aformidable race because General Babangida is also in the race and nowyou have joined. How do you see yourself in the context of this race?

Everybody will tell you he is going to win. Babangida is going to tell you he’s going to win, Jonathan will tell you he’s going to winand I will tell you I’m extremely confident but the electorate willdecide. But what we should insist on is internal democracy. Democraticprocesses should guide elections in this country, whether at the partylevel or in the general elections.

Only recently, the national secretary of the PDP announced new names of those granted waivers but your name was not onthe list. You have vowed to file an application for a waiver. If at theend of the day, your application does not scale through, what is thenext step you are going to take?

It is true that somewhere in the party’s constitution, if you are a returnee or a new entrant, there is a provision which states you cannotrun for either party or public office, until you have a probation ofeither two years or 18 months. I want to start by saying that all thoseprovisions were not there before.

They were inserted by Obasanjo to stop Atiku. I am a founding father of PDP. We crafted the constitution and at the time we did it,Obasanjo was not even in the PDP.

After the late President Yar’Adua came into office, the party saw there was need to reconcile those who were forced out or frustrated outof the party to return to the party. The famous Ekwueme Committee, inone of its recommendations, the report recommended unconditional returnof old members to the party and a white paper was issued by the party,saying that all those who were members of the party that had returned,should have unconditional and unfettered return to the party.

The NEC accepted the recommendations and directed state branches to issue registration cards to all returning members. Now, the questionis: is the provision of this white paper superior to the party’sconstitution or they are the same? Now, it is a matter of legalresolution but most lawyers say that based on the white paper and theacceptance and approval by NEC, I don’t need a waiver. But all thesame, I decided to request for a waiver and my application for a waiverwas filed this morning. You asked what will happen if I don’t get awaiver; I want to tell you, I will get a waiver because I moved out ofthe PDP together with Nwodo.

We were pushed out of the PDP at the same time and then, Nwodo was my returning officer at the AC convention in Lagos. I used the sameprovision from the Ekwueme Report to get my own waiver; I want to seehow they will deny me of a waiver. I’ve also requested for a waiver, Idon’t see how PDP will get of this but if they try to get of this, thecourts are there to interpret.

You were Vice President of this country for eight years and you were there with Obasanjo. You ran an administration that hasbeen dubbed one of the most corrupt in the history of this country.What moral pedigree are you marketing this time around?

I don’t know whether we ran the most corrupt administration in this country because I stand to be disputed. I don’t know about all therest, what I know briefly, I can say is about the power project.

Before 2002, I was chairman of the National Council on Privatization and one of the sectors we were hoping to improve on, was the powersector; and we had, internally, reputable contractors to study thepower situation in Nigeria and advise us on how to go about it. Theysubmitted an excellent report and I still believe in that report. Andso, in 2002, I recommended to the President that there should bediversification of energy. We recommended the establishment of powerstations, it could be small or medium sized.

We further recommended attraction of foreign investments to fund the power projects. According to their report, by the year 2005 if we hadimplemented them, we would have been self sufficient in power. I tookit to the president and made a very strong presentation but opposed tomy own presentation, another presentation from the Minister of Power,who had recommended to the president an option that with $650million,we could revamp the power stations in Nigeria, make them functional andeven add more capacity. But in the consultants’ report, they also drewour attention to that, that an attempt to do that, would not solve theproblem.

The power stations are so old and after revamping them, they may not last for one year and then, they break down again. So, I drew theattention of the President to that aspect of the report. He was thePresident. At the end of the day, he decided to accept the minister’srecommendation of $650 million and released the money, and the moneywent down the drain.

By 2006, he gave the minister the money and who he said he revamped the power stations. Whether they were revamped or not, I cannot tell.But by 2006, he had come up with this idea of IPP (Independent PowerProject), all using gas, all located in the Niger Delta. So, thePresident called me, he said ‘VP, I want you to chair this IPP thingbecause you are in good terms with the governors, if you tell them tobring money, they will bring money.’ I told him ‘Mr President, I don’tbelieve in this, but since you said I should chair it, its okay, Iaccept.’
He (Obasanjo) inaugurated, I attended.

After the inauguration, anytime the IPP had to meet, I gave an excuse and Lyle Imoke presided. I never sat down in that committeeuntil I left government. I know of a contractor who was paid $1.8billion upfront in that scheme or scam and till today, he has notdelivered.

Then on top of it, when the Yar’Adua administration came on board, they gave additional money. We are still where we are and we are goingto be where we are, that is all that I know. If you are talking aboutcorruption, please count me out of it because there is no type ofdefinition that has not been done with me. I know Obasanjo went roundthe whole of this world, telling everybody that I am corrupt; now thatI am out of office; I have been meeting heads of state and presidentswho have been telling me what the former President has been tellingthem about me. So, please, count me out of corruption.

They said I sold everything to myself in this country; whether I sold everything to myself, you have had enough time to know if Iactually did sell anything to myself. My accounts have been turnedupside down, both home and abroad; so I don’t know anything about thissweeping allegations on corruption you are talking about.

Why should anybody trust you this time around about becoming President because you left the PDP, created the ActionCongress, AC, and now you’ve returned to the PDP?

This is not the first time I have been calling for the unity and progress of this country. I did it during the late MKO Abiola’s time in1993. He emerged candidate and I ran campaign for him until he won. In1998, if I had wanted, I would have picked the PDP’s ticket because Iwas virtually in charge of the PDP structure.

Again, in the course of an understanding we had at the Constitutional Conference of 1994 and 1995 and power rotation whichoriginated from the South; and so, we decided that the presidencyshould go to the South. In 2003, there was pressure and not until wewent to the convention ground, the governors were asking me whetherthey should vote for Obasanjo and I said they should go ahead and votefor him. It was worth sacrificing for the unity and progress of thiscountry. For me, it is much more important than my personal ambition.So, if I say I want to be president, there is nothing wrong there.

When we started this struggle, I remembered the late Shehu Yar’Adua saying that some of us might not be able to see it and in truth, he(Shehu Yar’Adua) did not live to see it. I think and I believe that Ihave the credentials.

We were pushed out of PDP and we decided to go to the Action Congress. When I was in AC, I made a case for a viable opposition partyand I was responsible for trying to bring about Buhari, Bafarawa and ACtogether. They made me chairman of the steering committee and we heldseries of meetings; and I recommended that the best way to go about it,was to adopt an existing political party because forming another party,would take time and they might not even register it. And adopting thesame party, we may end up in litigation like the AD case; so,eventually, they chose AC to adopt. I still said we must be pragmaticabout it.

I recommended that we open the constitution to allow the other parties contribute as how they want the constitution to look like. Ialso suggested that we relocate our national headquarters; Irecommended measures that will make the other parties feel part andparcel of AC. I also recommended that we tamper with the name, itshould be either ACP or ACN; we all agreed and I traveled abroad. Thenext thing, Buhari announced the formation of CPC.

I also heard that the NEC of AC met in Benin saying they are not changing names, constitution or logo. I asked what kind of people weare dealing with.

I returned to the country and called my political associates and said I wanted to create a viable opposition party that can stand out;all my efforts have now been dashed. I said after all, we were drivenout of PDP and now, the PDP is looking for us, let us go back. We heldseries of meeting here in Abuja; that was how we returned to the PDP.After I returned, they (AC leaders) went and adopted the same thing Irecommended; I went to Lagos to defend it.

I called my friend, Asiwaju Tinubu to Dubai to convince him, I traveled to Lagos and appeared before the caucus of the party to defendit, I had a long list of names and eventually, we settled for two, ACNand ACP. They cited instances of betrayal from ANPP when they had thejoint ticket of Falae and Shinkafi; they finally said they could nottrust anybody. I said if you cannot trust I don’t see how we can playpolitics; I don’t see how we can relate.

Looking at your relationship with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo over the years, Nigerians were surprised when you made a tripto Otta. One would like to know if you have actually reconciled.Because from all indications, it appears you are yet to reconcile withObasanjo. What exactly is your relationship with Obasanjo?

Before I visited Obasanjo, we happen to have some common friends that we both respect; and one of such friends is Ahmed Joda, who hailsfrom the same state with me. Joda is somebody I respect and I told himthat I don’t have anything against Obasanjo; if he wants to knowwhether I’ve forgiven him or not, I told him I’ve forgiven Obasanjo butI don’t think a meeting was necessary. He said okay and he left.

I came back to Abuja and early one Monday, the governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola was knocking on my door. He saidhimself and other governors met and felt that my boss and I shouldreconcile. I told him about the meeting Joda had with me in Yola justa few days before I came to Abuja . I told him as far as I wasconcerned, I have forgiven Obasanjo. But Oyinlola would not give up onthat and I told him that an immediate meeting was not possible becauseI was traveling out of the country.

He asked ‘when are you coming back?’.
I told him January 13 of that year. While I was abroad, he called meto confirm if I was still coming back on January 13 and I told him Iwould be in Lagos to attend Bisi Akande’s birthday celebration andafter that, I would leave for Ibadan to attend Lam Adeshina’s birthdayand then from Ibadan, fly back to Abuja. He asked what if I met withObasanjo in Ibadan at a neutral place and say we forgive each other. Isaid fine but I think he must have gotten back to Obasanjo who musthave asked him to convince me to come down to Otta.

After I finished attending the birthdays, he (Oyinlola) called me from Osogbo and said what if he came to take me to see Obasanjo. Hepressurized me and I asked him to come. I didn’t go with any of myaides. So we went together in Oyinlola’s convoy.

When we got there, Oyinlola thanked both of us for agreeing to meet. I was the next person to speak and I narrated the efforts of Joda andpersistence of Governor Oyinlola; I said Mr President you know I am thekind of person that easily forgives and I told him it’s all over. AsObasanjo was about to go into details, I told him, if you raise anyissue here, I will give you an answer that you won’t like. It’s eitherwe forgive each other, forget about the past and move on and help buildthis country. He said okay VP I know you. You can expect that Obasanjowill continue to fight you forever and you can expect that Atiku willcontinue to defend himself forever. So, that is the story.

In the event that you are unable to achieve you ambition, do you have any alternative to form an alliance?

Why do you want me to disclose to you my political strategy?

You have talked about efforts to reconcile you and Obasanjo, but what you have not told us is the real cause of theproblem. Was it power or money?
I think it was power because when we came into office, we were in aprivate discussion. He said ‘in 1979, when I left power, I leftGhadafi, Mubarak, Mugabe and Eyadema in power; 30 years after I left, Icame back to meet them in power and now you want me to go’.

I said Mr President, it is because Nigeria is a different country; it is not Libya, it is not Togo, it is not Egypt neither is itZimbabwe, you just have to go. It was just like a child’s play. If yourecall, he convened a political conference in 2005. One morning hecalled me and said ‘VP, I’m sending Kanu Agabi and Jerry Gana to comeand discuss some issues with you’. I said okay. Kanu Agabi and JerryGana came and they laid before me proposals to amend the constitutionwhich was eventually smuggled in. For two hours, we met; I told them,‘if I send you back to Mr President, will you deliver my message’?

They said ‘yes’.

I said ‘go and tell the President that I will not support this, not only that, I will fight it’. The next thing I did was to go into theconference, opened a secretariat and funded it; I also brought membersof the delegates together to say no, this is not good and we succeededin that.

The next was through the National Assembly and of course from that time, I was out of government. I held series of meetings with somepeople and I asked how we could stop the third term bid; but it was notthird term bid. I knew it was life presidency.

At the meeting, I raised my hand and said ‘you IBB and TY Danjuma sent Aliyu Gusau to me when I was presiding over a meeting at BolingoHotels. You said if we were giving the South the president, we shouldnot give anybody other than Obasanjo; I did not know Obasanjo. If youknew this is the kind of man he was, why did you ask us to vote forhim’. Babangida, could not answer, Aliyu Gusau could not answer,neither could Danjuma.
It was Buhari who raised his hand; he said ‘Mr President, I would attempt an answer’.

He said yes ‘we worked with Obasanjo when he was military Head of State, but then, we were the people with the fire power. If we toldObasanjo go right, he would go, if we said left he would go; we thoughtwe could handle him. But now, he is the Commander-In-Chief of the ArmedForces, he has all the fire power, he has executive powers’. I saidokay, ‘it is now we should meet and strategise on how to stop thisthing’.

So, it was the struggle for power but I was not struggling for myself, I was struggling for Nigeria. I knew Obasanjo was not lookingfor third term, he was looking to become life president and I was readyto give my head to be cut off, not for my sake but for this country.

Is it true that Professor Jega was your political adviser? Secondly, you were part of the struggle for internal democracyin the PDP and now you have a new leadership, are you satisfied withthe circumstances through which the new chairman emerged?

Professor Jega was never my political adviser. What happened was that I offered him the post and he declined.

About internal democracy, I’m certainly not satisfied yet. We still need to do more on internal democracy in the party. I won’t say we arethere yet.

In your debate on zoning, it appears your whole political aspiration depended on zoning. But a lot of people have giventheir own interpretation on zoning. What is your own take on theoutcome of the NEC meeting? In the build upto that meeting, what deal did you enter into with Babangida in theevent that you don’t run at the end of the day?

My interpretation of the decision of NEC is that they have retained the constitutional provision of zoning and of course the President hasthe right under the constitution of Nigeria, which is supreme, to offerhimself. That is the interpretation.

And of course, myself, IBB and Gusau were the conveners of the G15 and from G15 to the Northern Political Forum and our main objective isto preserve the unity and stability of this country through powerrotation, power shift or zoning because it will appear up till now, thecountry seems not to be politically developed to vote either regionalor ethnic cleavages up till now.

What we did during the draft 1995 constitution which we gave Abacha, we actually proposed a single term, provided that each zone would begiven a chance to rotate and we said by 30 years, all zones would haveproduced the president; after which we can review the constitutionalprovision. We also recommended two Vice Presidents, one from the zoneof the president, the other from either the North or South.

But when Abdulsalami came, NADECO went and met him; they said they did not want anything about Abacha. They went ahead to remove some ofthese provisions and then, we ended up with what we have today. Now,you can see the foresight we had in 1995 when we gave Abacha the draftconstitution; if we had that draft, we won’t be talking about zoningtoday, we would have moved on. I think this has taught us a lesson. Wemay have to revert to it at a later date. The deal I had with IBB isthat when this has been resolved, we will enter into a room and then,one person would emerge.

Governors Daughter gets Man Arrested While Trying To Dupe Governor

Posted by 9jabook.com on August 22, 2010 at 11:43pm

A man who tried to dupe the Plateau State Governor, Jonah David Jang and his family of huge sums of money has been arrested by operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) in Plateau State.

Director of SSS in Plateau State, Alhaji Tijani Talba told newsmen that the suspect, Mr. Vincent Bulus was arrested as he approached members of the family of the governor claiming he was working for the service and tried to obtain money from them to kill an investigation on them.

He said members of the public should be wary of unscrupulous elements in the society who go about claiming to be with the service to dupe individuals.

The suspect who chatted briefly with THEWILL at the SSS office admitted that he committed the crime..

He said he met the governor's daughter (who was not named) and told her that he wanted her to be involved with him romantically.

Mr. Bulus said he further informed the lady that he could help her father out of the political problem he is having if the father could make some funds available for the project. She gave him N250, 000 naira and promised to make more available much later.

Bulus was arrested when he went to pick up another N800, 000 from the Ms. Jang.

Wyclef DISQUALIFIED: Haiti Council Rules Wyclef Jean Ineligible For President

Posted by 9jabook.com on August 21, 2010 at 9:26am

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — In the span of a few weeks, hip-hop star Wyclef Jean turned the world's attention to a little-known political race in a small, impoverished Caribbean country – with little campaigning, no TV ads and zero debates.

Within a few seconds at a hastily called news conference Friday night, Jean was barred from running for president in Haiti, presumably because he didn't meet the residency requirements.

The 40-year-old singer-songwriter says he will stay involved, though in "a different role than I had anticipated it to be," according to his statement Friday..

But the question is, how? Will he support one of the 19 candidates on the ballot? And will he help with the reconstruction of the earthquake-torn country?

Jean said little Saturday as he attended a church service in Croix des Bouquets, the small town northeast of Port-au-Prince where he was born. He was preparing to fly back to the United States where his wife and daughter live later in the day.

"It's been a hard couple of weeks," he told The Associated Press. "Right now, I just want to go with my family and relax."

Jean said he believed that he had filed the necessary paperwork regarding his residency, adding, "Somehow we got overruled."

Haiti's electoral council did not say why it had disqualified Jean, but the singer had faced a challenge to his candidacy because he has not lived in Haiti for the past five years as required.

Jean's five-paragraph statement Friday said he disagreed with the council's ruling but "respectfully" accepted its decision.

I want to assure my countrymen that I will continue to work for Haiti's renewal; though the board has determined that I am not a resident of Haiti, home is where the heart is – and my heart has and will always be in Haiti," he wrote.

The winner of the November vote will take charge of recovery from the Jan. 12 earthquake, coordinating billions of aid dollars in a country with a history of political turmoil and corruption. The quake killed an estimated 300,000 people and left the capital, Port-au-Prince, in ruins.

There was little evidence in Port-au-Prince on Saturday of protests or unrest due to the electoral council's decision.

Still, both Jean and U.N. peacekeepers called for calm after the release of the candidates list.

People in Croix des Bouquets were crushed.

"It makes me feel sick, and there's a lot of things now which are not going to come true for the people of Haiti," said Caneus Eugonte, 27. "I don't want to vote for no one, no other candidacy."

Marie Michelle Claude, who lives in an earthquake survivor camp there, stayed up late listening to the radio for the election board's decision. Jean has given many of the camp residents tents, radios and even clean water.

"Since January 12, we have lived in this camp, and we have never seen anyone else come to give us support. It's only Wyclef," she said. "The CEP kicked Wyclef out of the race. But it's us they've kicked out. They leave us here in misery."

Jean's candidacy merged politics with entertainment, charity with self-promotion.

In the weeks after the earthquake, Jean released a single, called "Hold On." It was a message to Haiti – and the first single on a yet-to-be-released album called "The Haitian Experience." All proceeds from the song went toward earthquake relief.

"Hold on, be strong/No matter what you're goin' through/You know it's gon' be okay, okay today/Even when the earth quakes," he sang.

Long before the earthquake, Jean had founded Yele Haiti, a group to help poor young Haitians. But Yele came under criticism for alleged improprieties, including that it paid Jean to perform at fundraising events and bought air time from a television station he co-owns. Jean resigned as leader of the group earlier this month as he prepared to run for office.

The electoral council approved 19 candidates and rejected 15, spokesman Richardson Dumel said Friday. While rejecting Jean, the board approved two leading contenders: former Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis and Yvon Neptune, who was the last prime minister under ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and has been active in helping to coordinate reconstruction efforts.

Also allowed to run are: Jude Celestin, head of the government's primary construction firm and the candidate supported by President Rene Preval; and Michel Martelly, a well-known Haitian singer known as "Sweet Mickey." The Constitution bars Preval from running for re-election.

Well-known Haitian writer Edwidge Danticat wrote in Saturday's Miami Herald that Jean can still use his celebrity to Haiti's advantage.

"Now there will, of course, be people who lose interest in the race, who feel that they have no dog in the fight. I hope Wyclef Jean is not one of them," she wrote. "What he has promised to do before – create jobs and educational opportunities and inspire young people who have already lost so much to the earthquake that inspired him to run – he can continue to do through a reformed version of his Yele Haiti foundation and his music."

A Dogs Life

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on August 20, 2010 at 1:30am

This is a sad story but there is a very good lesson to be learned from it.

There is a woman who had a faithful dog. This dog was so faithful that the woman could leave her baby with it and go out to attend other matters. She always returned to find the child soundly asleep with the dog faithfully watching over him. One day something tragic happened.

The woman as usual, left the baby in the "hands" of this faithful dog and went out shopping. When she returned, she discovered rather a nasty scene. There was a total mess. The baby's cot was dismantled and his nappies and clothes torn to shreds with bloodstains all over the bedroom where she had left the child and the dog. Shocked, the woman wailed as she began looking for the baby.

Presently, she saw the faithful dog emerging from the under the bed. It was coveredwith blood and licking its mouth as it had just finished a delicious
meal. The woman went berserk and assumed that the dog had devoured her
baby. Without much thought she clubbed the dog to death. But as she continued searching for the "remains" of her child, she beheld another scene.

Close to the bed was the baby who, although lying on bare floor, was safe. And under the bed the carcass of a jackal torn to pieces in what must have been a fierce battle between it and the dog which was now dead. Then the reality hit the woman who now began to understand what took place in her absence.

The dog fought to protect the baby from the ravenous jackal. It was too late for her now to make amends because in her impatience and anger, she had killed the faithful dog. A dog deserving praise and adoration that fought to save the life of her dear beloved child received death in return. How often have we misjudged people and torn them to shreds with harsh words and even with physical assault before we have had time to evaluate the situation? It is called the sin of presumption. Presuming things are one way without taking the trouble to find out exactly what the situation really is. A little patience can drastically reduce major life long errors.

Bull leaps into bullring stands in Spain, 40 hurt

Posted by jackie webLondonGirl on August 19, 2010 at 9:12pm

MADRID — A bull leapt into the packed grandstands of a Spanish bullring and ran amok, charging and trampling spectators and leaving 40 people injured, regional officials said Thursday.

Video showed the bull jumping several meters (yards) high out of the ring, clearing two barriers before landing in the stands and raising a panic as he lurched through the screaming crowd, charging and tossing everything he could.

The 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) animal was brought under control by experienced bull handlers after several minutes and later killed.

The incident occurred Wednesday at the Tafalla arena in the northern region of Navarra during an event attended by about 3,500 spectators, in which mostly young people try to get a bull to charge at them so they can dodge it. Unlike standard bullfights, the bulls are not killed in these events.

The bull had already attempted to jump into the stands twice. After damaging a horn, he was about to be returned to the corral and replaced with another bull when he tried a third time and succeeded.

The regional government said in a statement Thursday that three people remained in hospitals in the regional capital of Pamplona, best known for its annual San Fermin running of the bulls festival.

The injured included a 10-year-old boy who was in intensive care after the bull reportedly fell on him. Another man was gored in the back and was said to be in stable condition.

In all, 40 people were treated, primarily for minor injuries..

"What could have been a tragedy ended up as a big fright," Tafalla mayor Cristina Sota was cited as saying in the main regional newspaper, Diario de Navarra.

Inaki Zunzarren, who was treated for bruises, told the paper: "The bull caught me and hurled me against the (concrete) seating. What an experience!"

Also lightly injured was 16-year-old Eneko Goyena Sesma.

"I was with my friends when the bull jumped over and everyone began to run. Somebody must have pushed me and I fell to the ground. I got a pretty big fright," he said.

The regional government said the crowd was made up largely of young people, and most were able to get away from the bull quickly, avoiding a greater number of injuries.

"ASP to die by hanging."

Posted by SaintOkocha on August 19, 2010 at 6:00am

ASP to die by hanging
... Over murder of varsity student

Onovo
Photo: Sun News Publishing

A dismissed Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr. Benard Alifi has been sentenced to death by hanging by a High Court sitting in Abakaliki for murder and other criminal count charge levelled against him.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Obande Ogbuinya of court five said the prosecution, having proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, he pronounced the accused guilty of the murder of one Chinwendu Micha.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr. I. P. Chima, had called for five witnesses, three of whom were eyewitnesses and two police officers who were alleged to be on patrol with the accused ASP the day the boy was shot.

Other witness presented by the prosecuting counsel was Mr. Bernard Mbam whom the deceased, an undergraduate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, allegedly visited on the night he was murdered.

Daily Sun gathered that Alifi had been standing trial for the murder charge since 2004 when he was accused of unprovoked murder of the deceased, Chinwendu Micha, a 23-year-old, who was until his death, second year student in the university. The deceased was killed by the police ASP, when he visited his friend, Mr. Bernard Mbam who was a councillorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2004 local government elections in the state.

It was also gathered that on the day of the local government election in 2004, the deceased and his friend Bernard were at the polling booth located opposite the bushy area of Odunukwe Street, Coca Cola depot, along Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway, when suddenly a team of police officers, led by Alifi came and shot Micha.

The defence counsel, C. O. Z. Obiekwe, put a spirited fight to defend his client and absolve him of the murder of Micha whom he had told the court was murdered by a bullet from another police officer whose identity he did not disclose.

According to the submission of the defence counsel, since there were many policemen on patrol that day, it could be possible that the deceased could have been killed by any police officer and not Alifi, the accused.
Under cross examination, the accused police ASP admitted that he had killed both innocent and suspected criminals in the cause of his duty when he was operating as one of the policemen attached to the government house.

Daily Sun also gathered that Alifi, who was attached to Ebonyi State Government House, had on that day of the local government election allegedly taken permission from the ADC to the former governor on the ground that he had information that there were groups of criminals coming to disrupt the election. However, the ADC to the former governor had earlier, through a written statement, denied any such statement and allegation that he permitted the accused to go on patrol on the day the deceased was murdered.

From EMMANUEL UZOR, Abakaliki

Jonathan Delays Electoral Act Inec Funds still not released .Jega hampered ,Maku GJ not rubber Stamp

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

Photo:Maku

Goodluck Jonathan is not a rubber stamp that will just sign the electoral act which the National Assembly forwarded to him for assent recently, the Minister of state for information and communications, Labaran Maku,Photo Above has said.

Fielding questions from the press in Abuja, Mr Maku said President Jonathan understood the anxiety of Nigerians about the need to hasten up the process on free and fair elections in 2011, but that he would not act on such anxieties and cause more problems for the system.

“The normal process of presidential assent to any law passed by the National Assembly is that the president would forward such acts to relevant departments of government, including the ministry of justice, which would study it and offer advice appropriately. If a law is passed to a sitting president, it is not just for rubber stamp.

“The president is not a rubber stamp. His duty is to go through this law and ensure that there is nothing in it that will cause problem during elections or that will be difficult to enforce. His duty is to ensure that the law that is forwarded to him is in accordance with the constitution and that it is something that is easily operable.”

Don’t insinuate

He insisted that Mr Jonathan is doing so much for the attainment of free and fair elections next year and appealed to Nigerians “not to insinuate on matters that have not arisen”.

He recalled that the president has appointed the most credible person to head the Independent National Electoral Commission, just as he fast-tracked the financial requirement of the commission through the National Assembly.

Attahiru Jega, the chairman of INEC, had stated that further delays in the signing of the constitutional amendment was going to hamper our nation’s dream of free and fair elections. He had also said the commission’s activities depended on the finalisation of the amendments, regretting that the president was yet to assent to the new Electoral Act.

The House of Representatives leadership, last Tuesday had also threatened to override the president if he fails to sign the document and approve the N87.7 billion INEC budget passed by the Assembly, after 30 days.

“All these have constrained INEC’s preparations for both the voters’ registration exercise and the elections,” Mr Jega had said.

I am not Ribadu’s running mate, says Oshiomhole

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on August 19, 2010 at 8:15pm

The governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, has denied there are plans to make him a running mate of former anti-corruption czar and presidential aspirant, Nuhu Ribadu, on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the 2011 elections.

Mr. Oshiomhole’s denial is made against the backdrop of continuous media speculation linking him with Mr. Ribadu..

Some media reports have claimed talks were held on the matter by leaders of the opposition party.

‘Just speculation’

Mr. Oshiomhole, who spoke to journalists yesterday in Benin City, said he would publicly announce his ambition if he is convinced about seeking any national public office.

The governor said he does not believe in rumours and sponsored speculations, adding that he is focused on developing his state.

“My intention now is to develop Edo State, and we are happy with what we are doing. When I make up my mind to seek any public office, I will make it public,” he said.

“I am not one of those that will sponsor people to call for declaration to seek public office.”

Mr. Oshiomhole’s media adviser, Tony Iyare, also denied his boss has had any talk with any individual or group on a possible joint presidential ticket.

“To the best of my knowledge, I am not aware that the Governor has been offered a joint presidential ticket with Nuhu Ribadu,” he said. “Nothing of such has happened. All I know is that there is a lot of speculation (on the matter) in the media. This is all in the realm of the media.”

Ribadu will run

Clearing the fog on Mr. Ribadu’s stand, his spokesman, Chido Onuma said his boss will contest the 2011 presidential election even though he has not decided his political platform and running mate.

Mr. Onuma said: “It is not certain what political platform Mr. Ribadu will be running under, but he has been approached by several parties. He is currently consulting widely with other politicians and groups. At the end of the day, he will sit back and decide which political platform fits into his plans and visions.”

Mr. Ribadu has opened a presidential campaign office at Wuse II, Abuja prior to an anticipated formal declaration for the office of the president.

Nigerians spend 95trillion Naira to fuel generators

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on August 19, 2010 at 8:04pm

Minister of Power President Goodluck Jonathan
•FG targets 15,000 megawatts by 2015, inaugurates gas projects

THE precarious power situation in the country has taken its toll on the entire economy, as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday, revealed that companies spend N93.6 trillion yearly to generate their own electricity, while individuals spend N1.56 trillion (about $13.35 billion) to fuel their generating sets, totalling N95.16 trillion.

CBN Deputy Governor, (Financial System Stability), Dr. Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu, who disclosed this at a workshop organised by the National Association of Energy Correspondents (NAEC), with the theme, “Gas to Power: Prospects and Challenges,” specifically stated that inadequate energy and poor infrastructure had contributed significantly to the country’s economic woes.

Moghalu, who represented the CBN Governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said: “The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the National Association of Small-Scale Industries have estimated that their members spend an average of N1.8 billion on power generation weekly and that the major problem facing the manufacturing sector in Nigeria is lack of power.

“At the individual level, it is estimated that about 60 million Nigerians now own power generating sets for their electricity, while the same number of people spend a staggering N1.56 trillion (about $13.35 billion) to fuel them annually.”

This revelation emerged as the Federal Government disclosed that in the next three months, it would inaugurate about 315 million standard cubic feet per day gas projects to power the nation’s thermal plants to improve generation capacity.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, who disclosed this, also at the workshop, stated that of the 315 million standard cubic feet per day, 65 million standard cubic feet would come from Pan Ocean, 185 million from Chevron and 65 million from the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).

This was coming as the Minister of State for Power, Mr. Nuhu Wya, equally said that gas transportation agreement must be in place before any molecule of gas under the new regime would be sent out.

Wya, while stating that the Federal Government anticipated the negotiation of the agreement to begin as soon as possible, stressed that it was necessary that this was resolved to enable investors in the power sector deal with the various intricacies associated with gas management.

He said: “It is also imperative to introduce a transition programme to accommodate the new supply environment. This is an important aspect of the ‘gas to power journey’. There is the need to provide gas infrastructure for such areas and the policy should take cognisance of this fact and provide the required investment climate for this to happen. It is understood that plans are underway to address these concerns.”

Moghalu explained that the CBN Power Intervention Fund was conceived to provide the much-needed long-term financing to investors in the power sector, pointing out that the refinancing window would enable power industry operators to bring the project to fruition.

According to him, the fund would also ensure that some of the non-performing power industry-related loans that have taken the books of the deposit money banks were refinanced to improve the balance sheets of the banks.

The CBN boss disclosed that electricity generation in the country in 2008 was 7,011.6 megawatts, consisting 72.9 per cent of thermal power and 27.1 per cent of hydro-power.

Besides, he explained that while the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) accounted for 85.3 per cent of the total generation, Independent Power Projects (IPPs) accounted for 14.7 per cent.

Also, total electricity consumption was 2,108 megawatts per hour (Mw/h), which showed a drop of six per cent from the 2007 figures of 2245.5 megawatts per hour (mw/h). The oil and gas industry actually declined by 4.76 per cent and had a negative contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of -0.93 per cent in 2008.

Other notable challenges of power supply, according to him, were the transmission and distribution networks, which had been poorly maintained and inefficiently operated, making it difficult to move power from generation sites to consumption points.

The low tariffs coupled with high level of losses in the system, he said, pointed to the fact that the sector was not financially viable, which made the apex bank to use monetary policy to fast-track the development of the power industry.

Moghalu added: “In other words, this is to ensure that Nigeria has an electricity supply industry that can meet the needs of its citizens and power our economy into the 20 top economies of the world by the year 2020.

“This is in tandem with the goals and objectives of the National Electric Power Policy (NEPP), which include, among others, to improve the efficiency and affordability of power supply, encourage private sector participation and competition, attract investment and provide a conducive environment for long-term development of the sector.”

The minister pointed out that the aspiration of the country to be one of the world’s top 20 economies by 2020 would require a significant increase in electricity supply and availability.

While recognising this need, the Federal Government, Mrs. Alison-Madueke said, had massively invested in power, which has made the power sector to undergo unprecedented growth from 3,500 megawatts in 2005 “to possibly as high as 15,000 megawatts by 2015 based on projection”.

She said: “The growth in thermal power plants translated into massive increase in gas demand. From a modest gas demand of about 650 million standard cubic feet per day in 2005, the power sector requires about 114 million standard cubic feet per day by the end of this year and 3000 million standard cubic feet per day by the end of 2015.

“This represents a growth rate of 16.5 per per annum compared with global average of about three per cent. This growth has been a significant stretch for the relatively young Nigerian domestic gas sector.”

Wya also stated that the infrastructure that would bring gas to the power at various areas of the country should be able to supply power to both existing and intended power plants in these areas.

He said: “This is not limited to the transportation pipelines but also includes the gas processing facilities to ensure that our gas which is said to be rich in liquids will be processed to bone dry quality and hence reduce the risk posed to power plants.

“The availability of this quality of gas, which only Chevron currently supplies to the West African Gas Pipeline, will reduce the cost of balance of equipment and maintenance in the running of a power plant.

“I am aware that the Ministry of Petroleum through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its partners is developing strategies to address this issue. It is hoped that these issues will be resolved and delivered in time to meet the aspirations of the power plants presently under construction.

Lekki Lagos: World’s largest supermarket chain opens

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on August 19, 2010 at 7:56pm

Shoprite Silverbird Galleria Step Aside !

SPAR, the world’s largest supermarket chain now has an outlet in Lekki, underscoring the growth in foreign investors’ confidence in the Nigerian economy.
Speaking at the official commissioning of the departmental store, the grand patron of Spar Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo said he is very happy over the partnership of Spar and park and shop, adding that despite the situation of all manner of meltdowns in the country, that investors still have the hope and courage to invest largely in Nigeria, which is good for the economy of the country.
“I did not hesitate to accept the invitation when they brought it to my house because it is great to encourage investors especially in a situation where there is all manner of meltdowns, we have hope and courage to invest, it is also good for the economy of our country.
Those apostles of doom, who do not believe in Nigeria, an occasion like this should prove to them that there are more good things than bad in Nigeria. We should encourage anybody who wishes to invest in Nigeria, either Nigerian or foreigners” he stated.
He urged Nigerians to also try and produce things that the store will sell and not just buying from them, adding that he prays that when the supermarket is in full swing, that everything in the store will be made in Nigeria products.
The Chairman of Park & Shop, Asiwaju Solomon Onafowokan, said it is a dream come true for the directors of Artee Group to have the privilege of bringing Spar, the world’s largest supermarket chain to Nigeria for the conducive shopping delight of their various customers.

Protesters block Lekki Expressway Police beat Okada man almost senseless

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on August 19, 2010 at 8:28am

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Protesters have blocked the Lekki-Epe Expressway causing a traffic snarl on the road. The protesters bearing placards with slogans such as “No Tolling, no fencing” are against the toll gate on the road. The protest is taking place in front of Ecobank, GTBank and 1st Bank just beside Chevron roundabout and it has left workers heading from Ajah to Victoria Island stuck.

At about 5.30pm On the Major toll gate opposite ikoyi and beside shoprite An Okada man was mercilessly beaten by about 9 policemen .They blocked the acces road for Okada for ten minutes whilst they set upon the hapless fellow who bravely stood his ground while he was being kicked and beaten . The last that was seen by this reporter was the murmur of okada men about a hundred of them who suddenly the policemen realised were getting restless opened the toll gate and all they could do was leave their colleague as they had passengers who in the strong grip of his captors was putting up a brave front while the Policemen continued slapping and kicking him .It is unknown what happened to the poor fellow

Previosuly:

‘Halt toll plan or face mass action’

Tension is building once again between residents of the Lekki community and Lekki Concession Company (LCC), the firm handling the reconstruction of the expressway, over the plan to begin the collection of toll on the road.

As a way of sensitising the residents and motorists to the plan, some representatives of the company on Wednesday began the distribution of leaflets at one of the three toll gates. Titled Toll Road Leaflet Guide, the flyer contains details about the project; the key benefits, convenience services, price incentives, vehicle classification, user types, payment methods, customer account management, and the designated banks for payment, among other information. However, it has no indication of the toll rate.

Howver, at a press conference held Thursday, by some members of the Eti-Osa community to convey their grievances on the company’s latest move, it was resolved that if the plan is not halted, the company would be forced to do so. According to them, at a meeting with Babatunde Fashola on July 20, in which more than 20 obas and chiefs from the community, state officials and the commissioner of police, were in attendance, it was resolved that a committees would be inaugurated to settle the issue of tolling at the three toll points. It was, therefore, a surprise to see leaflets on the toll issue being distributed.

“This is reckless, arrogant and provocative, and we wonder who else LCC will respect or listen to if it can afford to ignore the governor and the House. LCC is part of the committee just as it has been invited by the house committee in order to assist its finding. so why the test run?” said Adewale Sanni, the convener of the Eti-Osa forum and spokesperson at the conference.

Among other demands they also sought to know “whose interest is the project, infrastructure development or economic gains?” adding that the current exercise under the guise of a test-run is a desperate attempt to commence tolling at all cost in order to foreclose or render useless the outcome of the committee set up to look into the disagreement on the issue.

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Part of the information on the leaflet shows that the coastal road which is supposed to serve as an alternative for those who cannot afford to pay the toll fees will now be tolled, and this is the major grouse of the residents. “They have decided to keep all of us in secret; why are they not telling the price? They are just enjoying all of this,” said James Esosa, a resident. “Now, they are sharing leaflets, for what? This whole thing is rubbish. They feel everybody in Lekki is rich; they should have gone to set this toll nonsense in other places. Now, let’s see how they would react.”

Another resident, who asked not to be named, equally expressed dismay at the development. “They haven’t said anything that will let us know about the price; that is what I came here to ask,” she said. “Maybe they are afraid of public reaction. It is going to inconvenience people, because to pay from here to there is not fair. The access road that is supposed to be an alternative, you will also have to pay toll, so what are the options? The one you have now is at Oniru side and around Jakande to come in and out of Lekki. But the roads are very bad, and I wouldn’t want to spoil my car. For those who cannot afford to mess up their car will have to be forced to pay the toll and I would prefer to travel on a straight road. I just think it’s not fair.”

Residents like Betrus Ibrahim, a commercial motorcyclist, are considering relocating if the situation is not changed. “They never put the price, na the thing wey dey confuse us,” he said. “If they start it, how person go do? If the price high, I go live this place go find somewhere wey I go do my Okada.” Another motorist, a danfo (bus) driver who lives in Aja said, “Nigeria no get the money wey they go help Lagos do this thing free? If say they be better people, they for done do this thing well. They are greedy, all of them wey dey government; dey chop money anyhow.”

What will happen when the LCC finally decides to effect its plan remains to be seen.

2011: Jega raises fresh alarm

Posted by arimah patrick ifeanyi on August 18, 2010 at 9:06pm

ABUJA—NATIONAL Chairman of the Independent National ElectoralCommission, Professor Attahiru Jega, yesterday alerted the nation onthe constraints before the commission which may significantly hinderthe commission’s effort to prepare the voters’ register and conduct the2011 elections.

These hindrances, according to INEC boss, are the controversysurrounding amendment of the 1999 constitution as well as the failureof President Goodluck Jonathan to assent the Electoral Act

Jega who met with leaders of the registered political parties in Abuja, said the commission was not sure where it stood at the moment.

He said: “The commission has planned its activities on the understanding that these amendments have been consummated andfinalized. Instead, there have been controversies over whether thePresident has to assent to the constitutional amendments or not, amatter which is subjudice.

“At the same time, to the best of my knowledge, Mr. President is yet to assent to the new Electoral Act. All have constrained INEC’spreparations for both the voters’ registration exercise and theelections.

“Our position remains that we are bound by whatever existing legal architecture provided to us and we need not be drawn into controversiesover such issues. I, therefore, appeal for a speedy conclusion of theseissues to enable us firm up preparations for the voter registration andelections.”

Jega said the commission was ready and “would release a time table of events” as soon as all the uncertainties surrounding the legalframework for the conduct of the elections were clarified.

The IEC boss said political parties shared similar responsibilities with IEC of ensuring free, fair and credible elections in the country,stressing that should either party fail to play by the rules, free fairand credible elections would immediately be put in jeopardy.

He told leaders of the political parties:“Let me state what we consider to be the irreducible mission of our commission. It is toconduct free, fair and credible elections based on a dependable andpermanent Voters’ Register.

In doing this, we offer the Nigerian people a strong leadership built on openness, fairness and unimpeachable integrity. We wantNigerians to judge us on these grounds. We hope that we are correct inassuming that you share this mission and that we can consider youallies in its pursuit and attainment.”

While expressing concern about the absence of internal democracy in the political parties, Jega challenged the leaders to ensure that theyentrenched internal democracy in their parties.

Jonathan only got new Electoral bill Tuesday night—Abba Aji

Meantime, Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Abba-Aji, said the harmonized version of theElectoral Bill only got to the President on Tuesday.

He said the threat by some members of the National Assembly to override the President’s veto was misplaced.

The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Alli Ndume had said at a news conference, Tuesday, that the National Assembly wascontemplating overriding the President’s veto on the bill .

Delay by NASS

But in an interview in Abuja, the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters said: “I can confirm to you that the newelectoral bill is with the President now. It got to the presidency onTuesday and it is now on the President’s table.

But he cannot look at it today (Wednesday) because of the FEC meeting. I can assure you that the President has no problems with thebill.”

He explained that though the bill was passed three weeks ago, it was not transmitted to the President immediately, adding: “Though thebill was passed three weeks ago, it took sometime before the LegalDepartment of the National Assembly could produce a clean copy of thebill.

The Legal Department of National Assembly has the responsibility to prepare clean copies of bills and I think they did a good job. ThePresident has no problems with the bill.”

The National Assembly had passed the new electoral law after the conclusion of the constitution amendment bill. Some aspects of the 1999constitution were removed and placed under the electoral law to makeroom for flexibility of future amendments.

When the new law comes into effect, elections will hold not later than 150 days to the handing over date.

Nigerian professor, Dubem Okafor kills wife, self in US

Posted by arimah patrick ifeanyi on August 18, 2010 at 10:29pm

One of Nigeria’s most respected poet and professor of English andLiterature, Dubem Okafor is dead. He died last Sunday in the UnitedStates after shooting his wife Cheryl 37.

Chukwudubem Okafor and his wife Cheryl

Reports and calls from the US say Okafor, 64, cousin to the late poet, Christopher Okigbo apparently distraught his wife had left him afew days earlier, arranged to meet her at his sister’s Reading home,Pennsylvania, where he shot her several times and himself once in thehead at 3:45 p.m. Sunday, police said.

A small-caliber handgun was found near the bodies, police said. The Berks County coroner declared her death a homicide and his death asuicide.

Chukwudubem A. Okafor, 64, an associate professor of English at Kutztown University, was said to have shot his wife, Cheryl V., 37, whowas an artist, several times Sunday afternoon and turned the gun onhimself shortly after they arrived separately at the home of hissister, Patricia Ofilin, in the 300 block of Pear Street, investigatorssaid.

How to Reduce Menstrual Cramps

Posted by Dan WebNutritionist/Motivator on August 17, 2010 at 11:30pm

How to Reduce Menstrual Cramps

Based on work by Ben Rubenstein,Krystle C., Christy, Tom Viren, Nicole Willson, Lily A, Katie, Dave Crosby, Zack, Elyne, BR, Maluniu,Teresa, Random, Leona and Rebecca, wikiHow user(s) Flickety, Foxglove, Booky, FourFinger, Lottiotta,Bokehmon, Sophie Caley, Lillian May, Mitch and Rick2, OhioMike, Question mark, PZ and Tauseef_7 and Anonymous.

Having your period is hard enough, now you have to deal with cramps. Cramps are caused by the contraction of your uterus during your period. It usually means that the uterine muscles are contracting too hard. The pain can be mild, moderate or severe. You may feel the cramps in your abdomen, in your back, or even down your legs.

Keep a healthy diet including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as plenty of water. Attempt to keep track of how particular foods affect your period. Plenty of fiber is particularly useful in cleansing the body of excess estrogen (which can lead to heavier and more painful periods).
Take dietary supplements. Some studies indicate that Vitamin E, thiamine and Omega-3 supplements may reduce menstrual cramps. ^[1] Zinc and calcium have been found to reduce cramps, bloating and related PMS symptoms. ^[2]
Make sure to have regular health check-ups to ensure health, mention to doctors any menstrual problems you feel you might be having, and take into consideration how conditions such as IBS or anemia may make you feel during menstruation. In addition, menstrual cramps can be caused by an underlying disorder such as endometriosis or fibroids, in which case the surgical removal of tissue may be required to help alleviate your symptoms. ^[3]
Some new scientific evidence points to xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens actually causing menstrual cramps. Xenoestrogens are simply "foreign" estrogens that are not really estrogen but mimic estrogen. Xenoestrogens can be chemicals present in items used in every day life such as lotions, shampoos, and laundry detergent. Phytoestrogens are plant estrogen's that can be found in some herbs. If you avoid Xenoestrogens and Phytoestrogens, the menstrual cramps will go away. Xenoestrogens and Phytoestrogens can cause Magnesium and Vitamin B deficiencies. A Magnesium deficiency can cause muscles to cramp. A Vitamin B deficiency can cause Neuropathy. Think Restless Leg Syndrome.
Topical Natural Progesterone can also counteract xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens, if the body load of xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens is not too high. If the body load of xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens is too high, then topical Natural Progesterone may actually temporarily increase menstrual camps.
Use painkillers around the clock as soon as you notice your period. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs), medicines such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin etc.) or naproxen (Aleve) actually reduce menstrual blood flow not just the pain associated with menses. Acetaminophen, while helpful for the pain, is not nearly as effective as the NSAIDs. Many women find that painkillers can decrease menstrual pain. If you can't tolerate ibuprofen or naproxen sodium, simple aspirin or acetaminophen can help a lot. The effectiveness of NSAIDs builds up over time, so if your cramps are so severe that the painkillers don't do much, start taking ibuprofen every six hours up to a couple of days before you expect to get your period and continue until your cramps abate. If over-the-counter NSAIDs do not help, your doctor may prescribe a prescription NSAID such as mefenamic acid (Ponstel).
Hormonal birth control. Birth control pills contain hormones which prevent ovulation and reduce the severity of menstrual cramps. ^[3] This is why your doctor may recommend birth control pills for menstrual cramps. The same hormones can also be delivered through injection, a patch you wear on your skin or in a flexible ring you insert into your vagina.
Some women find it eases pain if they lay face down on a bed, then get on their knees, sticking their butt up in the air, but leaving their head on the pillow. This tilts the uterus and can relieve pain.
Try placing a hot water bottle or heating pad on your abdomen. This helps ease your muscles. According to the Mayo Clinic, this appears to be just as effective as over-the-counter pain killers. ^[4] If you don't have a heating pad, you can make one.
Do some mild exercise. Walk around the neighborhood, run on the treadmill, go ride your bike, or any other exercises you enjoy. This will increase blood flow which will help the cramps go away. ^[5]
Use the body's own pain-killers. If you're worried about over-use of traditional pain-killers, or they are not available, you may also wish to make use of the body's own pain-management mechanisms.
- Distract yourself from the pain. Distraction is one of the most powerful and readily available painkillers. So if you have intense cramps, do something that normally totally absorbs you, such as socializing with good friends, reading a book, playing a computer game, or spending time on facebook.
- Get regular exercise. Exercise increases your overall serotonin levels. Serotonin is the body's own painkiller, and also makes us feel happier.
- Sexual activities do help anything with the menstrual cycle. Try to get as much as possible. Orgasm releases oxytocin, which causes uterine contractions which eases pain
Try acupuncture, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, may help to relieve pain associated with menstrual cramps. ^[6] Acupuncture has been used as a pain relief method for over 2,000 years. Hair-thin needles are placed into the skin on specific locations on your body. The needles do not cause pain for most people.
(Article extracted by WikiHow)

How we planned to use co-tenant for rituals

Posted by SaintOkocha on August 18, 2010 at 7:00am

crime%20benin%20kidnappers.jpg

The suspected ritualists,

Joseph Dashi and Matem Ngbeme.

WE decided to try money ritual because we were not getting enough money from our work (bricklaying). While we were complaining about our situation, a man advised us to try money making ritual and a human being was one of the key materials needed. We decided to go back to the Republic of Benin to bring the victim. He was a co-tenant back home in the Republic of Benin. We lied to him that we had secured a job for him in Nigeria, so he decided to follow us.”

That was Joseph Dashi, 47, briefing Crime and Security on his journey into the crime world.

Speaking on the activities of the suspected ritualists, the Ogun State Police commissioner, Musa Daura, stated that a popular herbalist (name withheld) in the Ado Odo area of Ogun State, had informed the police of the attempts by the Benin Republic nationals to use a fellow citizen for money ritual. The police boss claimed that the arrested suspects were aiming to collect N4million from the unnamed herbalist, with the hope that the herbalist would, in turn, use the victim for money ritual.

The leader of the two-man gang, Joseph Dashi, confirmed the ritual attempt to Crime and Security. He, however, denied the allegation that they had wanted to collect N4million from the herbalist. The suspect claimed that he and his partner, Matem Ngbeme had wanted to actually use the victim for money ritual.

Dashi, a 47-year-old bricklayer in the Badagry area of Lagos State, stated that Matem and the victim, Chieme Njogaisi, were co-tenants in a building in the Republic of Benin. He also added that Matem had lied to the victim, that he was bringing him to Nigeria for job placement, as a worker with some bricklayers in Badagry area of the state. The suspect stated that they had initially gone to a herbalist, but were referred to another herbalist, who facilitated their arrest.

He claimed that the herbalist, rather than advising them against their mission, invited the police to arrest them.

Relaying how they were arrested to Crime and Security, Dashi stated that the herbalist had instructed them to write their names and that of the victim and that they were doing this when a team of policemen from Ado Odo Divisional Police Station, stormed the scene and took the three of them away.

“The herbalist deceived us. He said we should write our names and that of the victim on a paper and as we were doing this, policemen came and arrested us. He delayed us for police to come and pick us.”

He lamented that the decision to go into ritualism, arose as a result of his inability to make ends meet, despite his efforts through bricklaying jobs. The Republic of Benin national further stated that it was while he was trying to become rich and do away with bricklaying, that the idea of making money through ritual, struck his mind.

Dashi informed Crime and Security that he had initially wanted to do the ritual alone, but had to invite Matem, when he was asked to go and look for the human being that would be used for the ritual.

According to him, Matem had volunteered to bring somebody from Cotonou, in the Republic of Benin for the ritual. In his words, “When the baba told me that I would need to bring somebody for money, I called Matem in Cotonou and he agreed to bring one of his co-tenants.”

The second suspect, Matem, 28, while speaking with Crime and Security, admitted to have brought the suspect from the Benin Republic for ritual. Matem, who claimed to be resident in Cotonou, stated that Dashi actually called him and intimated him about the plan.

He said he instantly agreed to be part of the money making ritual.

Matem stated that he had to join Dashi, because, ”things were not okay for him.

He stated that he had lied to the victim, who was his neighbour, that he wanted to bring him to Nigeria and get him a job. The suspect claimed that the victim had long been pestering him with job requests.

“He had, for long, been troubling me to bring him to Nigeria and get him a job, as he was jobless in Benin Republic. He knew that I was a bricklayer and he wanted to work as a labourer, in Nigeria.”

On what he would have told their other neighbours, if the ritual attempt had been successful, he said “I would have lied to them that he had returned home after he could not get a job.“

The suspect also informed Crime and Security that he regretted his involvement in the crime and blamed it all on Dashi, whom he accused of getting him into trouble.

The victim, however, could neither speak nor understand English and only nodded in affirmation, when asked whether it was Matem that brought him to Nigeria.

Written by Olalekan Olabulo Tuesday, 10 August 2010

Jonathan commends Babangida wishes him long life and Prosperity ....

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on August 18, 2010 at 8:42pm

President Goodluck Jonathan has wished Ibrahim Babangida good health and long life as the former military celebrated his 69th birthday on Tuesday..

Comments: Bros GJ you for just step aside for am na !

In a letter dated August 17th, a copy of which was made available to State House Correspondents yesterday, Mr. Jonathan said: “As you celebrate this day with family, friends and numerous well wishers, it is my prayer that Almighty God continues to guide, guard and bless you with robust health and His abiding provision in many years ahead.”

The president remarked that Mr. Babangida had done so much to uplift this country and therefore deserves to be celebrated.

“I wish you a very happy sixty-nine birthday anniversary. Congratulations your Excellency and please accept the assurances of my highest consideration and esteem,” he wrote.

The President’s congratulatory message came on the heels of the presidential contest, for which Mr. Babangida has already declared his interest and which Mr. Jonathan is still to make a public declaration.

Only last week, Mr. Babangida responded to a comment by Mr. Jonathan saying that for claiming that he was serving out the joint ticket he had with late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the president was being intellectually dishonest.

Nigeria Ranks Second in Lowest Living Condition

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on August 18, 2010 at 8:33pm

United States based Newsweek magazine has ranked living conditions in 100 countries around the world and in the magazine’s analysis, Nigeria was judged to be second to the worst while Finland is the best.

Cameroun is at the bottom of the ladder while Burkina Faso is a step ahead of Nigeria.

The analysis examined factors such as education and health care, quality of life, economic dynamism, and political environment.

Finishing after Finland were Switzerland and Sweden. The United States was in 11th place.

The analysis of educational systems used factors such as the international PISA studies, as well as measures of efficiency and the educational level of the population at large. In this, Finland was in first place, followed by South Korea and Canada, which were in a tie.

Finland’s lowest marks were in health care, in which it came in 17th. The ranking was based on a World Health Organisation comparison examining how many years an average citizen could expect to live a full-blown life without being burdened by illness or disability. The top three were Japan, Switzerland and Sweden.

A number of factors were considered in assessing quality of life.

These included gender equality, the percentage of people living in poverty, the equality of wealth distribution, the suicide rate, the state of the environment, and the proportion of employed people in the population. In this, Finland was in fourth place, with Norway, Switzerland, and Luxembourg coming ahead.

Economic dynamism was gauged on the basis of GDP growth, the proportion of services and industrial output in GDP, innovations, the ease with which new companies can reach the market, and the scope of the stock market. In this Finland was eighth, with Singapore, the USA and South Korea as the top three.

The quality of the political was gauged through a comparison of democratic freedom, the proportion of citizens involved in elections, and political stability. Finland ranked fifth, trailing Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands, and New Zealand.

Muslim students paralyse academic activities in UI

Posted by arimah patrick ifeanyi on August 16, 2010 at 10:09pm

THE stir caused by a female student who allegedly preached against Islam during a Jumat service in the University of Ibadan mosque, hasled to the paralysis of all academic and commercial activities in theinstitution.

A religious crisis was averted on Sunday by the efforts of the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Olufemi Bamiro who condemnedthe action of the female law student and appealed to the muslimstudents who cried foul of the action.

Led by the Muslim Youths leader, Ajibola Akeem, thousands of Muslim students in the institution staged protest round the campus yesterdayblaming the school authority for releasing the student to her parent.

As a result of the protest, all gates leading to the institution were blocked by the protesting students who spread their mats on majorroads within the campus vowing to continue doing so until theinstitution acceded to their demands.

Other demands of the students who trooped out as early as 6am were that the female student, Miss Adegunsoye be expelled outrightly fromthe institution adding that her continued presence would beantithetical to peace on campus and a threat to the muslim community;that her fellowship, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry (MFM)should be asked to vacate the institution.

They also demanded that “preaching and disturbing forms of worship should stop in lecture rooms, halls, cabs, buses, cafeteria,laboratories, common rooms and other public places outside designatedareas; that the free period on Jumat day should be between noon and 3pmirrespective of the period it is”

While pleading with the students to calm down, the Vice Chancellor said, “it was the height of provocation. It is unbelievable. It hasnever happened in the history of this university because what thisadministration has been doing is to ensure inter-religious harmony oncampus”.

“This one that happened beats everybody’s imagination. When it happened, the muslim community invited me to the mosque to appeal tothe students. What we promise is that this administration will do allwithin its power to get to the root of this matter and that is what weare doing”, he explained.

He said the affected student had already been suspended from the institution and that investigation into the matter would continue.

Bamiro added, “I assure the muslim students that justice will be done at the end of the day. This is what I am re-assuring them. I havebeen at the mosque and I know the gravity of what the girl has done.”

The protest denied academic and non-academic workers of the institution entry into
The school premises and this resulted into traffic snarl-up asmotorists on the ever busy Ibadan-Ilorin road had hectic time fromgoing to their destinations.

The students marched from one faculty to the other under the watchful eyes of the security agents with the angry students crying forthe removal of the Chief Security Officer of the institution.

Ajibola said the protest was to register their grievances on alleged injustice of the school authority in handling the case of the 400level student who allegedly disguised into the mosque to preach againstIslam.

The lady, whose name was given as Oluwaseun reportedly deceived other Islamic faithful with a veil and sat among other females at theupper chamber of the mosque last Friday.

Immediately, after the Jumat service, muslim students who were predominantly male had gathered to beat the lady but the situation waschecked by the security personnel in the institution.

She was said to have been protected and moved away from the angry muslim students.

Bamiro described the incident as very surprising and unfortunate. He said, “We will look into the matter and ensure that justice is done. Wewill take a drastic step. We must prevent this kind of occurrence,”.

It was further learnt that the incident prompted some Islamic faithful to stage a peaceful protest yesterday morning.
As at the time of filing this report, there was tension and themanagement of the institution was having a closed door meeting on theissue.

‘Halt toll plan or face mass action’

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