Am (17)

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president, Olusegun Obasanjo, for the second time in 2010, yesterday called journalists to his Abeokuta home to fault rumours that he was dead. The rumour had gripped Abeokuta and its environs most of Friday.

Photo: Looking Good in Kaftan on New Year's Eve

Speaking with journalists at his Hilltop Private residence in Abeokuta, Obasanjo who jumped up to show journalists that he is hale and hearty, said, “obviously if I am dead, you won’t see me in flesh and blood. I think people take delight in speculation and rumouring.”

He said it was the seventh time since he became the nation’s president in 1999 and even after he left office in 2007 that he would be confronted with such reports.

Mr. Obasanjo, who said it is only God that determines the right time a person dies, recalled how a friend of his called him Friday morning, breaking to him the news of his rumoured death.

“He said he was trying to confirm and that he had counted seven times that l have been rumoured dead since the eve of my inauguration in 1999 as a democratically elected President of Nigeria till today,” Mr. Obasanjo said.

The former president said those who indulge in this will not give up “and those who are superstitious believe that when there are rumours and speculation like this means longevity. Whether longevity or not, what I know is that until the Good Lord who has created me decide to say yes, I have reached my take off point to return to him, people may speculate, people may rumour and that will be their own handicap.

“My words to Nigerians are that wishes are not horses. People’s wishes do not make it to happen. But I know that anybody created is bound to die sometimes. When my time comes, it will not be man that will decide. It is in the hands of God,” he added.

On the controversy over whether he slumped at a ceremony in Ondo State, he said:

“I did not slump, but when I was choked in the church because of lack of air conditioner and fan, I went to my car which had an AC and after staying there for about three minutes, I felt okay and I decided to go to my host house because I have not taken my breakfast. There, I was given two pieces of banana which I ate and I returned to the church. I was shocked three days after reading that I slumped. It is part of the gimmick of selling newspapers.”

Mr. Obasanjo said Nigerians should be thankful for the year ending 2010, adding that the new year promises to be a year of high expectations and divine year for sustenance of unity for all Nigerians

“We all Nigerians should be thankful for the year ending, 2010. I wish all Nigerians, young and old, male and female, every good fortune the year 2011 offers and promise to be a year of high expectations for all Nigerians,” he said.

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Former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) cannot be used by anybody to intimidate or stop him from fighting a just course in which he believes. He said this yesterday while fielding questions from the Lagos State House of Assembly correspondents at the Assembly Complex in Alausa, Ikeja, after inspecting the newly constructed Chamber. Tinubu who was reacting to a recent claim by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) that there is a plan to use the EFCC to intimidate him, pointed out that the commission cannot manufacture a case where there is none.

According to him, “I don’t believe the EFCC is an institution meant to harass, intimidate and embarrass opponent. Till date I am not worried about the shenanigans of these people, I don’t believe the releases of the EFCC and whoever is making them.“They might be under political pressure to do what is untold, but they ought to be careful. And if the President is true to his commitment to this country about the rule of law, definitely EFCC is not even the final court if you ask them to manufacture a case, which I believe not.“But a threat to my life as was published; I am not worried about that. This is not the first time I am facing such a threat. I have been on it since 1991, 1993 and 1994 during the military dictatorship and our crusade to bring democracy to the country was worst”, he added. He also explained that the threat level then was worse than as it is now noting that if the fear is eliminated now, “you cannot achieve a progressive democracy that will last longer in our country.

“Therefore, if our institution building, the right to justice, the crusade for our right is dictated by the amount of weapon and intimidation in possession of anybody, that one cannot determine myself and colleagues from pursuing the crusade for a just society in this country.“So God Almighty is the security for every one of us, I will never be afraid; I will continue my struggle in pursuit for liberty; a right to life; right to justice; right to what is the right of all of us in a democratic dispensation. “If those so-called opponents are becoming a danger and we all become afraid to lead the crusade for full democratization; for true federalism; for justice in our society, then we are finished as a nation. I am not afraid about that, let that be clear to all of you and whoever is contemplating whether it is a rumour or real, I don’t even pay attention to it,” Tinubu said...

The former governor also denied the claim that he has anointed who is to be the next governor of the state. He said “I am not into that, I am not a pastor. I don’t have the anointing oil or the spiritual power. I am just a party leader and leadership is about collective decision process.“We will take our time and you will know through the democratic process. You have the right for endorsement; you have the right to be in position of influence, I am just one of the people who will look at all aspects of governance and if you want to provoke a hint, you can’t get that one from me,” he said.

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Despite brutal questioning by a Senate select committee, Central Bank governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, yesterday stood by his comments that the National Assembly’s budget for overhead is 25.4% of the nation’s total..

Mr Sanusi withstood strong attempts to browbeat him into admitting that the figures were at least lower than that, or that he was misquoted by the media.

The public hearing convened by the Senate followed newspaper publications quoting the Central Bank governor as saying that the nation spends one-quarter of its funds on running the National Assembly, and a subsequent publication quoting the finance minster as saying he would cut the budgetary allocation to the assembly.

Mr Sanusi had at a lecture delivered at the eighth convocation of the Igbinedion University , Okada, Edo State, said 25% of the nation’s resources are spent on the lawmakers. This annoyed the Senators who ordered him to appear before them and defend his statement.

The Central Bank governor appeared on Wednesday before the Senate committee alongside the finance minister, Olusegun Aganga. However, unlike the finance minister who quickly dissociated himself from the statement that he intended cutting allocation to the assembly, Mr. Sanusi admitted saying that 25.4% of the nation’s overhead cost is spent on the National Assembly...

He held his grounds, backing his statements with records from other national dailies which quoted him correctly, and with statistics from the budget office.

Mr. Aganga who later assumed the role of an umpire told the Senators that the CBN governor’s figures were correct although they may appear wrong in another context.

The minister argued that overhead cost figures which include Service Wide Votes (money spent on maintenance of government facilities), are as legitimate those which do not include the votes.

Rage

Evidently angry, Iyiola Omisore (PDP Osun State) who led the Senate panel alleged that the CBN governor had chosen to deliberately incite Nigerians against the Assembly. He asked Mr. Aganga to state categorically whether Mr. Sanusi’s statement was right or wrong. The minister again said the statement depends on context or the way one chooses to use statistics.

Members of the Senate panel made up of four different committees could not hold back their rage against the unyielding CBN governor and frequently compared him to the more amenable finance minister, trying to coax him into some form of apology.

The Senators made no effort to hide their bias and blatantly refused to give any room to the Central Bank governor, to defend his figures and the context in which they were used.

Mr. Omisore pointedly told the harassed CBN governor at one point that the committee was not prepared to listen to him and that he must direct his responses through the finance minister. Mr Sanusi, however, occasionally barged in to make the point that his figures were right and that he got them from the director of budget’s office.

No apology

He said he would only apologise if the figures from the budget office were wrong. He insisted that, “Total Federal Government Overhead is over N500 billion and the Overhead of the National Assembly is N136.2 billion. This is exactly 25.1 per cent of total government overhead. I am quoting from the figure I got from the Budget Office. If you like, you can invite the Director-General of the Budget Office.’’ When told by Mr. Omisore, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, that the figure was wrong following a clarification by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Sanusi replied: “I don’t know where the minister got his figures.” To the calls on him to apologise, he said, “By my nature, if I do not believe that I am wrong, I do not apologise.” He urged the Senators to examine the context under which he made his statement which was actually in a lecture about factors that fuel inflationary trends.

Staking his job

After hours of fruitless attempts to get the CBN governor to admit wrongdoing and apologise to the Senators, the lawmakers seemed to deviate from the matter and begin to question the character of the governor and the annual budget of the CBN.

“We really need to be sure that the CBN governor has the character to stay in that office,” Heineken Lokpobiri (PDP Bayelsa State) said.

Other Senators took turns to tongue lash the CBN governor. They accused him of speaking too much and asked him questions like “do you enjoy your job? Do you feel like quitting?’’ And if he thinks democracy is too expensive.

“My name is Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, (my name is) not Central Bank Governor. I enjoy my job but if you want me to quit, I will honourably quit,” Mr Sanusi replied before a cheering crowd of spectators.

The unwavering Central Bank governor told the Senators that the survival of democracy is dependent on allowing people the freedom to speak. He added that he had always been involved in the fight for democracy way back to the time of June 12 and that even if the military takes over now, he will still fight them off.

The issue remained unresolved as both sides disagreed with each other’s figures. However, Mr. Omisore gave the CBN governor a stern warning not to use such figures in comments about the National Assembly anymore.

Mr. Sanusi is also expected to appear before the entire House of Representatives today to defend his statement.

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Questions Arising : IS HENRY OKAH JOMO GBOMO ? Who is Jomo Gbomo ? there are photos of Jomo Gbomo on the web but he seems to be a guru Internet User as he is the one that sends all these emails ? Why cant he be tracked ? Or is the CIA really helping The FG in this case ?
The former leader of Nigeria's armed group has said he was arrested because he refused to tell the group to retract a statement claiming responsibility for last week's deadly attacks in the capital, Abuja.

Henry Okah, currently being held in jail in South Africa, told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that he received a phone call from a "close associate" of Goodluck Jonathan, the Nigerian president, telling him to urge the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) to withdraw its claim for the bombings, which killed at least 10 people and left 36 others injured on the 50th anniversay of Nigeria's independence.
Photo 1 Henry Okah confirmed Photo 2 Jomo Gbomo

"On Saturday morning, just a day after the attack, a very close associate of President Jonathan called me and explained to me that there had been a bombing in Nigeria and that President Jonathan wanted me to reach out to the group, Mend, and get them to retract the earlier statement they had issued claiming the attacks," Okah said.

"They wanted to blame the attacks on northerners who are trying to fight against him [Jonathan] to come back as president and if this was done, I was not going to have any problems with the South African government.

"I declined to do this and a few hours later I was arrested. It was based on their belief that I was going to do that that Jonathan issued a statement saying that Mend did not carry out the attack."

'Unpatriotic elements'

Jonathan, who hails from the country's south and has declared his intentions to stand in next year's presidential election, said investigations had revealed Mend, which is fighting for a greater share of Nigeria's oil wealth, knew nothing about the attacks.

He said the bombings had been carried out by a small group based outside Nigeria, sponsored by "unpatriotic elements within the country".

Nigeria will be holding elections in January almost a year after Jonathan assumed the presidency after the incumbent president failed to complete his term due to illness and eventual death.

Jonathan's predecessor, Umaru Yaradua, came from the northern state of Katsina and Nigeria has an unwritten agreement for the presidency to alternate between the mainly Muslim north and the largely Christian south.

Al Jazeera did not get any immediate reaction from the Nigerian government about Okah's claims.

Meanwhile, the authorities have released nine people they arrested in connection with the bomb blasts on Monday, including an aide for Ibrahim Babangida, the country's former military leader.

Raymond Dokpesi, the director of Babandida's campaign to become the ruling party presidential candidate, was questioned by the country's intelligence services over the blasts, an aide said on Tuesday.

Dokpesi, who also owns one of Nigeria's leading television and radio stations, was summoned to the State Security Services (SSS) on Monday, Kassim Afegbua, a spokesman for Babangida, told the AFP news agency.

"He was released yesterday and is to report back today at about 3'oclock (1400 GMT)," Afegbua said.

"They said it is to do with complicity in the bomb incident of October 1."

Several media reports on Tuesday said text messages found on the mobile phone of one of the nine suspects arrested by the state secret police led to the summoning of Dokpesi.

Threats of fresh bomb explosions heightened yesterday, as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said it would wreak more havoc should the Federal Government repatriate and put its leader, Henry Okah to trial over the October 1 bomb attack in Abuja.

Spokesman of MEND, Jomo Gbomo during an online interview with the Daily Sun maintained that the group was responsible for the bombings, which coincided with the parade ceremony during the nation’s 50th Independence anniversary.
If Okah is repatriated, he contended, he would not get fair trial because the MEND leader has always been blamed for what he is not involved in.

“We will come down very hard on the system because it will be another Ken Saro Wiwa kangaroo trial.
“Henry Okah has always been blamed for what he is not involved in. This is not the first-time, so, it is not coming as a surprise to us. If he was not arrested during the Bonga and Atlas Cove attacks, he would have been blamed as the mastermind,” he said.

More Bombings In store

Gbomo has averred that MEND had made its point with the bombings in Abuja and would employ the same method of attack on military targets. This, he explained, would happen when the group declares resumption of hostilities.
He, however, tendered apology to the families of innocent Nigerians that lost their lives to the Abuja explosions, saying, it was not their intent to kill them.
According to him, “Our apology stems from the avoidable loss of innocent lives as this was not our intent. We wanted to use the opportunity to blame the security agencies for not playing their roles considering the forewarning we gave them.

“We have made our point and we will use this method of attack on military targets after we declare a resumption of hostilities.”
Reacting to President Goodluck Jonathan’s statement that MEND was not responsible for the attacks but perpetrated by terrorists, Gbomo asserted: “It is an obvious political comment which any smart person can see through.”
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A Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has called for a debate, on the economy, among all the presidential aspirants on the economy.Photo Atiku ? this man looks like a Hitman sha



Abubakar, a former vice-President, made the call after submitting his nomination form at the PDP national secretariat on Tuesday in Abuja.



The Adamawa State- born politician said the economy should be the main issue in the 2011 election campaigns.



“The issue of economic recovery for Nigeria cannot be a matter of wishful thinking nor of rhetoric. It is a subject for rigorous analyses and provision of well-thought, viable, practicable and sustainable strategy,” he said.



Abubakar said that all aspirants must be able to tell Nigerians how they intended to confront the challenges of the economy and reposition it for the benefit of all at the shortest possible time.



He said, “Of all the aspirants that have declared interest in the presidential election, I consider myself the most qualified to address the daunting economic challenges facing the country.



“I am the only one who has successfully managed a business and you need extensive knowledge of the private sector to combine its potential with the authority of the public sector to address this challenge.”



The former vice-president said his approach to resolving the economic crisis in the country was contained in a 47-page Policy Document he presented on August 15, 2010 while announcing his intention to contest the 2011 presidential poll.



He said, “We are faced with a job crisis of monumental proportions. Unless we evolve strategies to dealing with the teeming population of young people churned out almost on a daily basis, we may risk the destruction of the next generation.



“If we fail to channel the energies of this huge population, they could be a potent force for instability and social unrest.”



Abubakar, however, stunned journalists when he said that he was not aware that the President had declared his intention to vie for the PDP ticket.



“I didn’t see it (declaration). Honestly, I didn’t watch it,” he said.



Twenty seven out of the 28 PDP governors were among thousands of people that attended Jonathan’s presidential declaration at the Eagle Square on Saturday in Abuja. The event was shown live by some public and private television stations nationwide.



On the reported move by some politicians to produce a consensus presidential candidate among the Northern aspirants, Abubakar said, “There is a process for the emergence of a consensus candidate in the North. It shows that North is even more united if “they” agree to bring out a consensus candidate.”



He also said he was not aware of the support that Jonathan was getting from the northern states.



Reacting to the challenge, the Presidential Adviser to Jonathan on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Abba-Aji, said the President was ready for such a debate.



“We are ready for it (debate) anytime. The President has talked about all the aspects of the economy when he declared. If they want more, we are ready for them,” he said.



Another aspirant, who is also the Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, also expressed readiness for the debate.



“We are ready for the debate. That is what we have been calling for. Without such an issue-based debate, we will not be able to get the best candidate. Saraki is ready for it,” one of the governor’s aides, Mr. Billy Adedamola, said.
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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.
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In other words "him dey kampe !"
'To the people behind the foolishness, I'm not sure you see how upsetting this is,' says the representative of the 'Cosby Show' star.

Legendary comedian Bill Cosby has urged online hoaxers to stop reporting his death - because his friends always fall for the sick rumors. Reports surfaced online this week alleging "The Cosby Show" star had passed away.

Cosby's rep moved quickly to dismiss the rumors, stating: "Mr. Cosby is alive and well." The death reports came just months after similar rumors emerged in February - and Cosby, 73, is calling on the pranksters to stop the erroneous jokes for the sake of his loved ones.

In a series of posts on his Twitter.com page, he writes, "Again, I'm rebuttaling (sic) rumors about my demise. Emotional friends have called about this misinformation. To the people behind the foolishness, I'm not sure you see how upsetting this is."

Zach Braff, Johnny Depp and Kanye West have all been targeted in similar death claims by online jokers.

Notes:Cosby's son Ennis was shot dead while changing a flat tire on the side of the Interstate 405 in Los Angeles on January 16, 1997.
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In the last election, his party had 74,059 votes... That is according to them, according to INEC. His plans to ensure the next election is different They rubbished the entire democratic process. They stifled the voice of opposition and eradicated any form of democracy that is a threat to them, as the political party in power. This is a very peculiar country, but one thing is very clear: the hand of the Almighty God has always being on this country. The hand that brought Obasanjo, Yar'Adua and Jonathan, that same hand will position Reverend Okotie and once that is done, you will know that our nationhood has evolved.


Why God would allow the (electoral) crises to persist

Because there is a word in the scripture that is called long suffering and he delays justice because of the poor that will suffer. If we break into hostilities, it is these rich men that will first abscond. So many times, the Lord is merciful because of we, the people; not because he wants to perpetuate those people in power, but because he is careful. The prophecy concerning the PDP has gone forth and they are going to fight each other and destroy each other because that is how evil is terminated. We can't fight them. They are too strong for us. So they most fight each other..

His previous assertions that he would president in 2003 and 2007

That is what I'm saying, that my time will come. I already quoted Abraham Lincoln in the sense that I am so sure that it is a divine mandate. All I have to do is wait for the right time and not compromise my philosophy or compromise my faith and join a conglomerate of men and women who call themselves political parties, whereas they are just a conscription of men and women of anti-theatrical philosophies who have no ideological connectivity and their only common denominator is their desire to annex wealth. Because I believe in a Nigeria where truth reins; a fresh Nigeria which our party symbolises in F-Faith, R-Responsibility, E-Equality, S-Security and H-Hope. This is the philosophy upon which I have erected the citadel of my confidence because I believe only a fresh Nigerian can salvage this nation. All this cosmetic and superficial activity that are going on by the ruling party is a journey in futility. This will also drift us back to square one, which we have always been.

How soon the drift will happen

If we perpetuate a PDP government, which I think Nigeria cannot afford, we will be back to square one and that is a recipe for extinction. The party is incapacitated, ab initio. But the party has been ruling for 12 years I am aware and it was necessary for Nigerians to reach a point of self-examination and re-assessment of this slavery. Our leaders have betrayed us on a large scale and it takes a while to come to that realisation and global events, as seen in the angry youth protest in Abuja as Nigerians are recognising what they have to do without anybody galvanising them. It is an evolution. Mao Tse Tung once said if people no longer fear your power, it is because another power is on its way and that is what we are seeing here. I believe with all my heart that we are seeing the last vestiges of this oppressive leadership of the PDP. I believe our people are coming to a place where they are willing to make the necessary sacrifice to emancipate themselves and that the money politics that the PDP has played for so many years is gradually frittering out and there is going to be an implosion within the party that will totally fragment it to the extent that it will be totally powerless.

His silence when activists were protesting for rule of law

I do not know the kind of newspapers you read, but I made my opinion known and at some point in time, I called for an interim government to be installed so that the entire malady that surrounded the executive could be cleared and we will move on. The nation was inundated by the soap opera that transpired with incapacitation of late President Yar'Adua and even though we had urged the PDP to declare his whereabouts and be transparent, nobody paid attention and we did not want to sound insensitive with the fact that the president is incapacitated and be more interested in politics. So, the sentiment of it all was something that PDP capitalised on. But it was not because we were not quick to articulate our views on the impact.

How he intends to tackle problems such as corruption, unemployment and power

Let me put this in proper context; campaigns have not begun. What I just did was to articulate my desire to run for the office. We are not suppose to engage in any campaign until INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) says so. I can only give you observations that I have made concerning the things that I have seen in the country from a very constructive view-point. I believe the reason why corruption has been able to flourish is because there is an enabling environment. If you want to incapacitate those who participate in corruption, you will have to change the environment, not just engender punitive measures. It has to be juxtaposed with moral instruction for there to be meaningful change. For instance if you take a fish out of water, it cannot function; if you take an evil man into heaven, he cannot function, so there are certain mechanisms in government that make it possible for this charlatans to operate and until we dismantle this mechanism, corruption will (only) at best be tackled on the punitive level which is where you have the EFCC and all of those things. The 10 commandments didn't even save Israel, not to talk about EFCC saving Nigeria. We also need to understand that there is cooperation between these charlatans and those who are in the supervisory role; this is a major characteristic of the PDP as seen in the House of Representatives, where the speaker was indicted some months ago and we are right back at it. That is why I respect the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, because he was bold enough to address that. When I become president, we will change the environment. If you go back a few years when Yar'Adua was installed as head of state, because they had nothing to offer, they came with a nominal seven point agenda with nothing on ground to corroborate the position. The laws of dialectical materialism by Karl Marx, which involve having a concept called the thesis, you find a concept that works against the thesis called the anti-thesis, then both of them synthesize together to form what is called synthesis which can be translated into chaos and this what PDP does. They create chaos, then they get a group within the party to oppose the chaos and then they resolve the problems within the two groups and synthesize the third position, which is where we are headed in the first place. So they create a problem and get a group of people to fight it, like when they created the Yar'Adua problem. They create that chaos and buy time using the diversionary tactics that makes people then think; oh this is an emergencey situation whilst they have nothing to offer. Government is not transparent in this country and they have refused to give room to the fourth estate (journalism) to do what they are mentally meant to do.

God and the presidential system

The whole concept of the presidential system comes from the bible, because God is our law-giver; that is how you get the legislature; God is our judge, so you have the judiciary; God is our King, you have the executive. That is how it was patterned and it was devised as a concept of government. We need a fourth concept that will articulate the plans on the purpose of the government to the people. That is how the press came about. The new Nigeria of our dreams that will soon transpire must be a government of integrity. It must understand that Nigeria is no longer a pariah nation, that we live in a millennium where the quest for innovation knows no frontiers and that we are no longer isolated in some dark continent. So, a Chris Okotie government will re-establish government in its true definition, where the people are a part of it and know what is going on.

His ability to build a structure that could win elections

If you take the government of this nation in tandem, maybe from the civil war, you will discover that there has always being a divine intervention at some point and recent events corroborate my saying. Look at former president, Olusegun Obasanjo who was out of government, incarcerated for a phantom coup, from where he became the president of Nigeria. He was not involved in any politics at that time, in terms of democratic process, but he became the head of state. The late Yar'Adua, relatively unknown with little or no quality pedigree more or less or his vice, Goodluck Jonathan, probably known regionally, not at on the national platform but today he is our President, because there is a divine intervention in the affairs of this country. That is why it imperative for a Chris Okotie to pontificate on the affairs of this country that identifies him as a credible aspirant for that office; so that when the opportunity presents itself, it will be easy to say this is the man.

Possibilities of merger with other political parties

Talks have already commenced and, in due time, we will unveil our strategy. The talks have always been on since as far back as the last two elections that I contested, where some political parties approached me because of my credibility. But I will not compromise my sense of purpose to give Nigerians the right leadership by jumping at people who do not share the same values as FRESH. Adherence to principles invokes respect, as all kind of overtures have come from different political parties with most of them having leaders who do not have the kind of intellectual capacity that is necessary for the kind of government they are trying to put in place. But I have stayed with my principle. I believe, just like Abraham Lincoln said, "I will study and wait."

What happens to his church if he becomes president

It will be bigger. When God was sending Jesus to the world, he wanted to make him the political leader of the world, not the spiritual leader. But for him to be the political leader, he had to take the sins of the world through his death. He will return as the governor, as stated in the bible, that will rule with the rod, as a political leader. By this procedure, God patterned Jesus to be a secular leader like Melchizedek during the time of Abraham, so that Jesus can become both a spiritual leader and a political leader. So, somebody like me, I am already a spiritual leader and I will be a political leader because earth was given to man to rule. Only a righteous government can exalt a nation.

Ethnicity and zoning formula in Nigerian political parties

We have gone beyond that. Zoning is a PDP mechanism and anybody clamouring for these issues cannot adduce evidence to substantiate that position. The best election in this country was won by a Muslim-Muslim ticket, that everyone across the nation voted for. Such clamour is a narrow perspective of politicians who are unable by any sweat of their imagination to acquire political recognition and so they think the only way they can is to polarize the polity along religious and ethnic divide. The process of galvanising ethnicity in political parties is anachronistic, because the experience we have disproves that philosophy. What Nigerians are looking for today is a credible candidate, irrespective of where he/she is from, because both the northerners and southerners will tell you that their leaders have betrayed them. Zoning is the business of the PDP; a gargantuan monstrosity and PDP is not Nigeria. I will run for the office of the president, irrespective of the fact that Mr. Jonathan is also from the South. The experience of his divorce and second marriage Entering the covenant of marriage is the highest possible level of spiritual responsibility anybody can assume, because it authenticates the mystery of the God head. I have found myself in a better place of understanding which gives a conscious of responsibility for this life.

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Veteran actor, Okpala, douses death rumours
ACE actor in the popular television series, The New Masquerade, Chief Chika Okpalla alias Zebrudaya, yesterday refuted rumours of his death, saying he is very much "alive and kicking."
Okpalla, in his usual comical manner, said in Enugu that he is still breathing "like the rock of Gibraltar."

The comedian disclosed he has been alarmed through over 400 telephone calls on the rumour of his death, which he said started making the rounds since Easter Day.

He joked: "But why should people call a dead Man? They should be calling my wife and not the supposed dead man."

Okpala was rumoured to have died along the Enugu-Abakaliki expressway in the communal strife between the Ezza and Ezillo communities in Ebonyi State.

But the veteran actor said: "People want me to live longer than I am now. How did the rumour even come about? It came to me as a surprise. Between Easter and now, I have received about 400 calls over the rumour. They should have been calling my wife instead of the dead man."

Suggesting the possible source of the rumour, Okpala recounted he had actually travelled to Abakaliki, using the Enugu-Abakaliki highway where he was trapped in the crossfire of the communal war while returning to Enugu from Abakaliki.

He said he actually ran into the Ezillo gunmen unaware that that there was a communal war going on but was saved by the police.

His words: "As I was returning to Enugu from Abakaliki, at Ezillo, I heard two gunshots behind me and I thought that the boys who previously snatched my car at my gate in Enugu had trailed me again.

"But when I got to Ezillo market, I saw a group of boys who had blocked the road carrying guns, machetes and clubs but I didn't know there was communal war there. I turned around but they had also blocked the other end leading back to Abakaliki..

"So I was trapped and the only option left for me was to drive into the Ezillo Police Station where I was told it was communal war. But three hours later, the road was cleared and I returned to Enugu. That was two months ago. As you can see, I am still alive."
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who am i ?

who am i ?
Jackie Chan did a movie where he lost all his memory after busting himself up as usual and the only questions he had to ask was

WHO AM I ? e never really got on with his life until he found out who he was .


Who am i what am i what is my purpose am i fulfilling my destiny or
rather am i walking within my destiny.

Most motivational speakers are actually dwelt on the basis of
discovering who they are.Some Folks discover who they are in this world
but others discover who they are in God .

Questions:

Who is God what does God want from me and why does he want this from
me.What does he think about me now ? yesterday and tomorrow.
Will he change his feelings about me when i sin when i am wrong or
when i am right.

Who is Jesus ? what does he want from me, what has he done for me ?

By identity are we recognised, without knowledge of identity are we
destroyed, By identity does society recreate the orweillian big brother
concept and it is this very same singularity of identity that judges us
in the end.
The last day shall not be a matter of how many shares or cars or kids
or female or husband or wife but by identity and singularity of choice
whilst in this world.

If you have been failing in your life walk be it Christian or
otherwise then you need to go find out who you really are that is who
God made you to be and from there can you go very far !

With knowledge comes much enlightment and sorrow , Without knowledge
people are destroyed and ignorance is no excuse.

For even the brothers of the Rich man could not reached from the grave
as Father Abraham said that they have the Law and the prophets !

Grace comes to those that recieve it and TRUE FAITH comes to those
that realise the absolute faithfulness of God .

Who are you ?

God Bless

Frank
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Have you ever been mad at God? Certainly, everyone has had anger rise up against a person. And there are a lot of people who are angry with themselves. Anger is a problem all of us have to deal with.

Many people come from backgrounds where strife was just normal. Our culture is so full of envy and strife that it's become part of life. We don't realize how deadly it is. But realize it or not, strife will kill you. Listen to what James had to say about envy and strife:

"For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." (James 3:16)

but if you're living in strife, you are opening the door to poverty. You could be trying to take care of your body and meditating on healing scriptures, yet envy and strife will negate all of that and bring sickness and disease. No one who is trusting God for victory in any area of their life can ignore dealing with anger and expect to succeed. It's that important.

This doesn't mean we are supposed to be emotionless or totally passive people. There is a proper use of anger. If we don't understand this and try to completely do away with anger, we will not succeed, and we will become passive in a way that allows Satan to run over us. There is a godly purpose for anger.

GODLY ANGER

Think of this: Every person on the planet has a temper. Why do you think that is? Do you think the devil created anger? No way! Satan never created anything. He doesn't have the power to create. All he does is pervert the godly things God created.

It's God who gave us the capacity to get angry. Anger has a godly function. But with most of us, it's been perverted. We don't need to get delivered of a temper; we need to learn how to manage that anger and direct it the way God intended — not toward people, but toward the devil and evil.

"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil".


Paul is saying there is a godly anger that is not sin. God gives us a command to get angry with a righteous anger. Then he says, "Let not the sun go down on your wrath". What happens when the sun goes down? Typically we stop working. The day winds down, and we rest and go to sleep. Paul is saying, "Don't let this godly anger ever stop working. Keep it awake. Stir it up and keep it active!" Then verse 27 continues, "Neither give place to the devil". If we don't keep a godly anger active within us, we are giving place to the devil. What a revelation!


esus was sinless, but He had hate and anger. In John 2:14-17, which took place at the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry, and then in Mark 11:15-17, which took place the last week of Jesus' earthly ministry, Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple. He didn't approach them meekly and say, "Guys, I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt any of you, but I have to do this to obey my Father." NO! He made a whip and beat the people and animals and turned over their tables. He was mad.



UNGODLY ANGER

Have you ever prayed that the Lord would remove someone from your life who makes you angry? Have you ever prayed that your circumstances would change so that you would be delivered from those things that make you mad? If you have, you are not alone. But it's not what others do to you that makes you angry. You will never be able to remove all aggravating things and people from your path. That's unrealistic. Satan has more than enough people under his control to keep an endless parade of annoying people coming across your path.

That's the example that Jesus gave us. He was able to look at the very ones who crucified and mocked Him and say,

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do". (Luke 23:34)

Paul commanded us to do the same thing in Ephesians 4:32:

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you".

Not only are we supposed to resist anger, but we are commanded to forgive those who trespass against us


"Only by pride cometh contention".

It's not what others do to us that makes us angry; it's the pride inside of us that causes us to get mad. I know that's not what most people believe, but that's what God's Word says. This verse doesn't say that pride is one of the major reasons for anger — it's the only reason. What a statement!


So, pride is not only thinking we are better than others; pride can be thinking we are worse than others or just being self-conscious. It doesn't matter if self is always exalting itself or if it's debasing itself. It's all self-centeredness, which is pride. Like it or not, understand it or not, pride is the source of all of our anger. As we deal with our own self-love, anger toward others will be defused. The only reason we are so easily offended is because we love ourselves so much. As we die to ourselves, we will be able to love others the way that Jesus did.

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‘I am on a vengeance mission to hurt women

A 32 –year old man, Olalekan Kareem, who is alleged to specialise in stealing from women, has been arrested by the police.

Defending his action, Mr. Kareem, a father of two, said he has a good reason to steal from women. “I am on a vengeance mission to hurt women because a woman stole my $160,000.”

The police recovered 28 ATM cards, 12 identity cards, seven handsets, three Senior Secondary School(SSSCE) certificates and several handbags and purses, all belonging to different women who were victims of Mr. Kareem’s ploy.

Mr. Kareem said his vengeance against women began on November 17, 2009 when a brief lust affair with a woman at the Kuramo beach left him almost dead.

“On November 17th, I had gone to Eko Hotel to collect $160,000 from an acquaintance. After collecting the money, I went to the Ocean View Restaurant to eat and I parked my car there; that was around 8pm. From the restaurant, I went to the Kuramo beach. As I was walking on the beach, a woman came to me that she can ‘satisfy’ me if I will give her N2,500. I agreed and we had fun on the beach. I sucked her breast in the process of our lovemaking and it seems she put something on her breast because I fell into a deep sleep afterwards and when I woke up, it was 11am the next day. It was even the people on the beach that woke me up.

“By the time I realised myself, I noticed that my car key and other cash in my pocket were missing. I rushed to where I parked my car and that was how I discovered that my car had been opened and my $160,000 was stolen. I searched frantically for the girl, but I did not see her again. I was detained and my wife left me because of that money that was stolen. It is in a bid to get my revenge that is why I am stealing from women. I have lost count of my female victims and I made more than N100,000.”

Method of operation

Police spokesperson, Frank Mba, said the suspect used free ride to lure his female victims.

“On January 7, the officers at Alapere police station received a report that a man, who lives in Ogun State, comes to Lagos to steal from women.

The suspect, identified as Olalekan Kareem, operates with his brown Toyota E-saloon car with registration number CD 117 FST which he used to offer free ride to women. After giving them the ride, he will pretend as if the car had developed a fault and he will request that the women alight from the car to help push it. By the time the women alight to start to push the car, the suspect would then zoom off with their handbags and other valuables. He was, however, arrested when a lady whom he had stolen from identified him and informed the police.”

Some of Mr. Kareem’s victims include Khadijat Adegoronye, Jenifer Ugochukwu and Cythia Kodu. They all had the same tale.

“Sometimes last week, around 6pm I was waiting at a bus stop at the Muson Centre at Onikan to get a cab to my house at the mainland. Mr. Kareem stopped and asked me where I was going, and I told him. He said he will give me a ride to where I can easily get a cab to my destination. But on our way, his car started jerking and then it stopped. He said I should call somebody to help push the car. Immediately I got down, he drove off with my bag containing N15,000 and other valuables,” narrated Miss Kodu.

Game over

Miss Ugochukwu said she alerted the police after her stolen hand bag was found in a gutter at Alapere.

“Last week Saturday around 8pm, I and one other lady were stranded at Toll gate. Mr. Kareem parked in front of us and offered to give us a ride to Iyana-Oworo. About 10 minutes to the ride, his car started jerking. He told us that the car had developed a fault and we should come down to help him push it but when we got down, he zoomed off with our bags.

“I had N150,000 in my bag and other valuables like my two handsets. The next day, I got a phone call that my bag was found in a gutter at Alapere. As I got there to pick my bag, I saw Mr. Kareem driving pass. I told the guy who had called me that Mr. Kareem had just passed us. We decided to trail him with okada (motorcycle). He stopped at the car wash at Alapere and that was how we alerted the police and he was arrested.”

Urging residents of the city to be vigilant on the road, Mr. Mba said, “Lagosians should beware of people who give free ride as this has been discovered to be a new trick in town to steal from unsuspecting persons. They should board only marked cabs and report any suspects to the police. The suspect will be charged to court for stealing as soon as we are through with our investigations.”
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Lolita is from Nigeria and at only 26 years of age her testimony seems almost unbelievable. Her story perfectly illustrates some of the hardships thousands of African women go through. Prostitution has reduced her to a drug addict and an alcoholic with aids pulling her into the doomed path of the grim reaper.

Prostitution among African women is snowballing in Europe. Amely-James Bela, a business school graduate, has a long history of humanitarian and community work. She has been fighting to stop the traffic of women and children for prostitution. Her book La prostitution africaine en Occident sounds an alarm on this phenomenon. Afrik.com has also decided to follow her example by bringing this trend to light.

“If only I knew what was in store for me here, in this crazy place, this place that so many people admire, this place they all want to come to (…) a place where we, Africans, are considered as good for nothing, slaves who are made to eat human excrement and drink their urine. Some find it normal that sick people, perverts, rich people… use their money and influence to gravely abuse other humans.

They say that we are adults and therefore consenting, but this is not true because no one asked for my consent before throwing me into this hell hole. I was forced and threatened… and if we are adults, what about the kids who find themselves in this milieu? Those people pay a lot to abuse the youngest ones. Poor people do not pay such ludicrous amounts of money for such things, simply because all their money will still not be enough to buy these…

"I am not afraid anymore"

I am disgusted and no more afraid, and by the way, who cares? My days are numbered anyway. My aids is in its final stages. They have more respect for dogs than for us. I know that not all the girls go through what I have been through. But I know what goes on in this milieu and why the girls deny all those horrendous things so as not to fall victim to their anger. Their riches give them the right over our lives… If their drugs, their aids and alcohol had not brought me to my death bed, their filth and the filth of their dogs that I was made to swallow as well as their violence would have done it anyway.

I have prayed to God to forgive me and take me back. No human being can live with what I have in my head. I only have to close my eyes for a few seconds for all the horrors to come rushing back. Everyday and every night I go through the same torture. I need someone to help me end it all, I have no energy in me to even try it. My God! I want just a moment of silence to rest. I just want it over and done with and just go, go, go…

Recruited via the Internet



My troubles began in Lagos. I came across an internet announcement, which said that a businessman was looking for women who wanted to get married for his dating agency. There were photos and stories of happy and successful marriages. Apart from the internet announcement, I also answered to announcements posted in these magazines that we find everywhere now. It all went very fast. The man contacted me and we started communicating via the Internet. He promised me things that no woman would refuse. A dream. In a matter of three months, I had every single paper needed to leave for London. He also gave me the names of persons I had to meet and everything went well. I also had to go to Benin City (a city in Nigeria, ndlr) to collect a small parcel for him. I was a bit taken aback when I realized that the little parcel he was talking about were three young boys between the ages of eight and twelve. Their passports and visas were ready. Everything was ok. I went to see a guy called “wizard” for instructions.

Our trip took us through Ghana where someone provided us with Liberian passports with which we traveled to London. This was to help us obtain refugee status with ease. We left after spending three days in a shantytown in Accra where we were hidden to “avoid being spotted by jealous people who were not as lucky as us!” hmmm… The youngest boy was gripped by fear. He cried a lot, his whole body shook and could not utter a word. His only refuge were my arms and the only moment he left my arms was to allow me to go to the bathroom...

Defenseless children

At the airport, my fiancé and the person who was to collect the children were waiting. The separation was very painful. A lot of force was needed to tear the little boy from me. I never heard of those children again. I followed this man whom I knew nothing about apart from the fact that he called himself “Bryan”. We barely got to his house when the nightmare began. First of all, he wanted us to do it right away. But I told him that I needed a some time as it is not too easy to open up to someone I did not know, just like that. But his violent grip made me give in immediately. My first hours on the English soil were marked with rape and violence on somebody’s living room floor. He took a rest, drank whiskey and came back to do those horrible and painful things that I didn’t even know existed, again and again. I thought I was going to die.

I was forced to do what he wanted, I knew only him and he had kept all my papers. After sexually abusing me, he asked me to watch films in which girls were having sex with animals. He said to study what the girls were doing because I was going to do the same soon. He said that my arrival had cost him a lot of money and I was going to have to pay him back. He also said that because he is a very nice man, he would find good business and film contracts and split the money between the two of us. He gave me a little something to give me courage, but not to worry because there was a lot of money to be made. Lots of money. That little something to give me courage was, in fact, drugs. This is how, three weeks after my arrival in England, I became a bestial porn star addicted to drugs and traveling through eruopean capitals; Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris and London, my residence.

Women and animals

Once or twice a week, I was sent to film sets or individual homes to tape these nasty pornographic videos. Sometimes the master and his dogs would join in. It gave me nausea. His wife would look on, amused, while mixing herself cocktails. I took drugs and drunk before doing those scenes, because without getting high on drugs, I just couldn’t do it. These animals in me, their slaver, their hairs, their bad breathe, the scratches from their claws, while obeying their masters who would order them to go slow or use violence with me under them, forced to obey. I cried, I screamed, I prayed for the good lord to take me away. What was I doing? My poor mother would die if she knew. To prevent her from asking too many questions, I sent her money along with carefully staged photographs Bryan and I made.

The worst moment came was when I was made to perform oral sex on these animals. Sex with the animals were unprotected and the man told me that I was not at risk since God had made sure that animals could not impregnate humans. For years I did only that. Litres of animal sperm in my stomach. My body is so filthy that not a single child could possibly be conceived in it. One day, to spice up the scenes, the producer’s wife went and fetched puppies to suck my breasts. It was very painful because they sucked violently as there was no milk. The professionals sell these films across the world while others watch them during parties.

My family lives well and I live with aids

I have to confess that I made a lot of money. I had a house built back home and my family lives well. I pay the school fees for the young ones and I am respected and adored. My family is very proud of me because they know nothing about what I do. Out of greed, I worked more to get more money, which also meant more drugs and alcohol. Sometimes Bryan rented me out to a friend of his in the south of France, because in summer, the arrival of a number of yachts and celebrities at the côte d’azur means a big market for prostitutes and drug dealers. There are all night long orgies and they pay a lot. It is a change from the usual work and brings in a lot of money.

I think that is where I was infected with aids… and because I did not have regular medical check ups the disease was discovered too late. I was abandoned on the beaches of Saint Tropez. Bryan disappeared and changed his address. A prostitute from Poland came to my aid but since she was not able to cater for my drug needs as well as all she was doing for me, she introduced me to an African girl who was also involved in the same line of work, who introduced me to an association that takes care of African women with aids…

My disease is in its terminal stage. I won’t live past thirty. My body is covered with leeches, I am a drug addict, anorexic, alcoholic… I still work as a prostitute, but I am careful not to put my clients, who know nothing about my situation, at risk. I do it to help me buy drugs and alcohol. I take those things to speed things up, you know, my death. The images torture me and it is like a poison killing me in small doses. It is the worst kind of death. I regret so much for coming to Europe. Back home, I would be healthy, married and by now a mother…”

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Are You Feeding Your Soul? Are you happy with what you see when you look in the mirror? And I’m not talking about your physical body when I ask this question — I’m talking about your spiritual body. Has your soul been getting the nourishment it needs to grow in health and strength, or have you deprived it from the Word it so desperately needs? If what you see in the mirror doesn’t even begin to reflect what you know you can be, it’s time to make a change, time to dive into God’s Word and receive all the love and forgiveness He has been waiting to give you . . . a time to release your life into God’s hands. The Word tells us, But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NLT). You may not like what you see now, but just wait. Rely on God’s faithfulness and perfect timing and begin to make changes when God shows you it is necessary. And soon, you’ll be able to look back and say, “Look where God moved me from. Look what He saved me from. I stand blessed where I am all because of the transforming grace of God.” An Evangelistic Tool The following is an evangelistic tool. Feel free to use this tool to lead someone to the Savior. It can also be used in your church. Tony lead the members of our church through this process, and then commissioned them to offer the good news to those they come in contact with in the course of their day. This is one of our outreach programs for this year. OPENING QUESTION: Has anyone ever shown you from the Bible how you can be sure you are on your way to heaven? Would you allow me to show you? I. First the Bad News a. The Problem: Every person is a sinner before a Holy God and unable to save themselves (Romans 3:10, 23). b. The Penalty: Every person is under the sentence of death and will be forever separated from God because of their sin (Romans 5:12; 6:23). I. Now the Good News a. The Provision: Through the substitutionary sacrificial death of Christ, God has addressed the sin problem for us (Romans 5:8, 17-21). b. The Pardon: God offers a free pardon and eternal life to all who place faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation (Romans 10:9-10; 4:4-5). CLOSING QUESTION: Would you like to trust the Lord Jesus Christ right now as your personal Savior? PRAYER: Lord Jesus thank You for dying on the cross for my sins and rising from the dead to save me. By transferring my total trust to You alone as my Savior, I now receive the forgiveness for my sins and the free gift of eternal life that You offered me.
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Xmas Day Bomber AKA El nigri Said "I am lonely ! " "Hence I am in a situation where I do not have a friend, I have no one to speak too, no one to consult, no one to support me and I feel depressed and lonely. I do not know what to do." Liverpool FC is my TEAM Arsenal is just a stupid team ... The disturbed mind of the Christmas Day airline bomber is evident in a series of tormented postings he wrote on the internet. As a lonely 18-year-old, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab turned to an Islamic web forum as he struggled with his shame over his sexuality and growing alienation from his family. His innermost thoughts reveal a shy and awkward They show an increasingly religious and intolerant young man who fantasised about becoming a Muslim holy warrior in the ‘great jihad’ that would take place across the world. In 310 internet posts written between 2005 and 2007, ‘Farouk1986’ – Abdulmutallab’s middle name and year of birth – desperately searches for guidance and help in hastily written messages filled with spelling and grammatical errors. While at a prestigious British boarding school in Togo, he wrote: ‘First of all, I have no friends. ‘Not because I do not socialise, etc but because either people do not want to get too close to me as they go partying and stuff while I don’t, or they are bad people who befriend me and influence me to do bad things. ‘Hence I am in a situation where I do not have a friend, I have no one to speak too, no one to consult, no one to support me and I feel depressed and lonely. I do not know what to do.’ The posts were made on an Islamic bulletin board called Gawaher, which literally translates from Arabic as ‘gems’ or ‘jewels,’ but can also be read as ‘essence’ or ‘spirit’. They started in 2005 when Abdulmutallab was 18 and preparing to apply to British universities. He wrote about his privileged upbringing in Nigeria and his family’s wealth. Abdulmutallab’s father, Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, a frequent visitor to the U.S., retired this year as chairman of First Bank of Nigeria and still sits on the boards of several prominent Nigerian firms. His love of sport, British football in particular, is evident with his fervent support of Liverpool, and his disparaging remarks about other clubs. But gradually the football-mad teenager with academic ambitions is replaced by a student ideologue. He writes of his struggles between balancing Islamic tolerance and fundamentalism. ‘I want to talk about my dilemma between liberalism and extremism,’ he writes. ‘The Prophet (S) said religion is easy and anyone who tries to overburden themselves will find it hard and will not be able to continue. ‘So anytime I relax, I deviate sometimes and then when I strive hard, I get tired of what I am doing i.e. memorising the quran, etc. How should one put the balance right?’ And there are chilling hints of the deadly role he was to play following his terror training in Yemen earlier this year. He wrote: ‘I won’t go into too much details about my fantasy, but basically they are Jihad fantasies. I imagine how the great jihad will take place, how the Muslims will win (Allah willing) and rule the whole world, and establish the greatest empire once again.’ He also confides that he struggles with his sexual desires – encapsulated by the religious duty of ‘lowering the gaze’ in the presence of women. ‘And then I think this loneliness leads me to other problems,’ he writes. ‘As I get lonely, the natural sexual drive awakens and I struggle to control it, sometimes leading to minor sinful activities like not lowering the gaze. ‘And this problem makes me want to get married to avoid getting aroused. ‘The Prophet (S) advised young men to fast if they can’t get married but it has not been helping me much and I seriously don’t want to wait for years before I get married.’ In December 2005, Farouk1986 wrote that his parents were visiting him in London and that he was torn about whether he could eat meat with them. ‘I am of the view meat not slaughtered by Muslims … is haram [forbidden] for consumption unless necessary,’ he wrote. ‘My parents are of the view as foreigners, we are allowed to … eat any meat. ‘It occured [sic] to me I should not be eating with my parents as they use meat I consider haram. But I fear this might cause division and other complicated family problems.’ While officials haven’t verified that the postings were written by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, details from the posts match his personal history. Abdulmutallab, the youngest of 16 children and a son of the second of his father’s two wives, was raised at the family home in Kaduna, a city in Nigeria’s Muslim-dominated north. At boarding school, he earned the nickname ‘Alfa,’ a local term for Muslim clerics, because of his penchant for preaching Islam. He went on to study at UCL in London, from 2005 to 2008. Fabrizio Cavallo Marincola, 22, who studied with him, said he graduated in May 2008 and showed no signs of radicalisation or of links to al-Qaeda. ‘He always did the bare minimum of work,’ Mr Marincola said. ‘When we were studying, he always would go off to pray. ‘He was pretty quiet and didn’t socialise much or have a girlfriend that I knew of.’ Farouk1986 also refers to his love of Liverpool FC in the posts, mocking Arsenal fans for the state of their home ground Highbury stadium. Writing in February 2005 he described the stadium as a 'tiny junkyard', adding: 'How can someone get to like Arsenal? I tried to, but no way, I've been to several football stadiums, I must say Highbury was one of the least impressive, a tiny junkyard sought of place in the streets of London, what a pity!' He also made reference to players Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, writing: 'Lampard is really becoming a classy player. Now I think his better than Gerrard. 'Gerrard might regret leaving Liverpool, but somehow I want him to leave. He keeps on saying the team needs improving when he needs a lot to improve. 'He's getting more inconsistent with time and pressure is on him. He seems to be handling it pretty badly.' Farouk1986 was enthusiastic and described parts of the city as being traditional and quiet and other parts bustling, with Western fast-food restaurants, amusement parks and gyms. 'Its quite cheap too,' the writer gushed. 'Yemenis are so friendly and welcoming.' Early investigations into the Christmas Day jet bomb have uncovered ‘systemic’ security flaws, Barack Obama said on Tuesday. ‘It is becoming clear that the system … is not sufficiently up to date,’ he said. ‘A systemic failure has occurred and I consider that totally unacceptable.’ The U.S President said information passed on to U.S. intelligence by Abdulmutallab’s father should have been acted on to stop him boarding the plane. He had been concerned about his son’s behaviour and alerted both the U.S. and Nigerian authorities. Mr Obama said the U.S. would have to act quickly to remedy the flaws in the security system Xmas Day Bomber AKA El nigri
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I am Nigeria

I am Nigeria. I have millions of acres of arable land and billions of cubic litres of water, but I cannot feed myself. So I spend $1 billion to import rice and another $2 billion to import milk. I produce rice, but don’t eat it. I have 60 million cattle but no milk. I am hungry, please re-brand me.I drive the latest cars in the world but have no roads. I lose family and friends everyday on roads for which funds have been looted. I lose my young, my old, and my most brainy and productive people to the potholes, craters and crevasses they travel on everyday. I am in permanent mourning, please re-brand me.My school has no teacher and my classroom has no roof. I take lecture notes through the window and live with 15 others in a single room. All my professors have gone abroad, and the rest are awaiting visas. I am a university graduate, but I am illiterate. I want a future, please re-brand me.Malaria, typhoid and many other preventable diseases send me to hospitals which have no doctors, no medicines and no power. So my wife gives birth with candle light and surgery is performed by quacks. All the nurses have gone abroad and the rest are waiting to go also. I have the highest m aternal and infant mortality rates in the world and future generations are dying before me. I am hopeless, hapless and helpless, please re-brand me.I wanted change so I stood all day long to cast my vote. But even before I could vote, the results had been announced. When I dared to speak out, silence was enthroned by bullets. My rulers are my oppressors, and my policemen are my terrors. I am ruled by men in mufti, but I am not a democracy. I have no verve, no vote, no voice, please re-brand me.I have 50 million youths with no jobs, no present and no future. So my sons in the North have become street urchins and his brothers in the South have become militants. My nephews die of thirst in the Sahara and his cousins drown in the waters of the Mediterranean. My daughters walk the streets of Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, while her sisters parade the streets of Rome and Amsterdam. I am inconsolable, please re-brand me.My people cannot sleep at night and cannot relax by day. They cannot use ATM machines, nor use cheques. My children sleep through staccato of AK 47s see through the mist of tear gas. The leaders have looted everything on the ground and below. They walk the land with haughty strides and fly the skies with private jets. They have stolen the future of generations yet unborn and have money they cannot spend in several lifetimes, but their brothers die of hunger. I want justice, please re-brand me.I can produce anything, but import ev erything. So my toothpick is made in China; my toothpaste is made in South Africa; my salt is made in Ghana; my butter is made in Ireland; my milk is made in Holland; my shoe is made in Italy; my vegetable oil is made in Malaysia; my biscuit is made in Indonesia; my chocolate is made in Turkey and my table water made in France. My taste is far-flung and foreign, please re-brand me.My people are cancerous from the greed of their friends who bleach palm oil with chemicals; my children died because they drank ‘My Pikin’ with NAFDAC numbers; my poor die because kerosene explodes in their faces; my land is dead because all the trees have been cut down; flood kills my people yearly because the drainages are clogged; my fishes are dead because the oil companies dump waste in my rivers; my communities are vanishing into the huge yawns of gully erosion, and nothing is being done. My livelihood is in jeopardy, and I am in the uttermost depths of despondence, please re-brand me.I have genuine leather but choose to eat it. So I spend a billion dollars to import fake leather. I have four refineries, but prefer to import fuel, so I waste more billions to import petrol. I have no security in my country, but would rather send troops to keep the peace in another man’s land. I have 160 dams, but can not get water to drink, so I buy ‘pure’ water that roils my innards. I have a million children waiting to enter universities, but my ivory dun geons can only take a tenth. I have no power, but choose to flare gas, so my people have learnt to see in the dark and stare at the glare of naked flares. I have no direction, please re-brand me.My people pray to God every morning and every night, but commit every crime known to man because re-branded identities will never alter the tunes of inbred rhythms. Just as the drums of heritage heralds the frenzied jingles, remember - the Nigerian soul can only be Nigerian - fighting free from the cold embrace of a government that has no spring, no sense, no shame. So we watch the possessed, frenzied dance, drenched in silent tears as freedom is locked up in democracy’s empty cellars. I need guidance, please re-brand me.But then, why can I not simply be me, without being re-branded? Or does my complexion cloud the color of my character? Does my location limit the lengths my liberty? Does the spirit of my conviction shackle my soul? Does my mien maim the mine of my mind? And is this life worth re-branding? I am not yet born, please re-brand me.ssuleiman@gmail. com
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