Wife of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Olaitan Bankole, was yesterday delivered of a baby boy at a Ghanaian hospital.
Olaitan is a medical student in Ghana.
Speaker Dimeji Bankole flew into Ghana yesterday to be with the family, his special assistant on communications Kayode Odunaro said, adding that mother and child are in stable condition.
Read more…
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.
Read more…
Posted by 9jabook.com on December 28, 2009 at 12:47am
Detroit terror attack: Second Nigerian arrested on Amsterdam flight
By NICK ALLEN
A second Nigerian man has been arrested on a Northwest Airlines jet in Detroit 48 hours after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to blow up an airliner
unday's flight - Northwest Airlines 253 - was exactly the same route that Abdulmutallab targeted on Christmas Day.
The pilot alerted the authorities and the plane made an emergency landing and was met by police on its arrival in Detroit.
The man, who is in his 30s, reportedly locked himself in a toilet for more than an hour as the plane flew over the US.
Before locking himself in to the toilet the man had already been up and down to the same cubicle several times. Cabin crew became increasingly suspicious, broke the door down and dragged him out. He is then said to have become irate and verbally aggressive.
He was subdued and the pilot contacted the airport to say there was an emergency on board. Emergency vehicles gathered on the runway to meet the plane.
The passengers and crew were evacuated from the plane and the man was formally arrested. Officials said no explosive device had been found on the suspect.
The man had boarded the flight with no luggage.
President Barack Obama, who is on holiday in Hawaii, was informed immediately. White House officials said Mr Obama was to have further talks with his aides over airline security.
However a senior US official told Fox News that the man arrested on Sunday was simply a “sick passenger”.
Another official told CNN the incident appeared to be “non-serious” and that the disruptive passenger “does not appear to be a threat”.
The FBI gave the all-clear within hours of the latest alert.
Like Abdulmutallab, the passenger had flown from Nigeria to Amsterdam and then picked up Flight 253 to Detroit.
Abdulmutallab, who had studied engineering in London until last year, disappeared into a toilet for a long period of time before trying to set off his device.
The flight, which had 257 passengers and 12 crew on board, landed safely in Detroit at 12.35pm local time.
The plane was removed to a secure area of the airport for additional searches by bomb experts.
Police took the disruptive passenger into custody for questioning.
An airline spokeswoman, Sue Elliott, said the passenger was "verbally disruptive".
She added: "Out of an abundance of caution the flight crew asked the plane be met on arrival by law enforcement."
Read more…
Posted by Jane Okinedo on December 22, 2009 at 11:07pm
The Palace of Benin Kingdom on Monday gave the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, one week within which to show remorse by apologising to the Omo N’ Oba, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa for his sin against the palace.advertisementPublic Relations Consult to the Oba of Benin, Obi (Dr.) Martha Dunkwu, conveyed the palace position on the face-off between the palace and Igbinedion during the quarterly media briefing with the Benin monarch.Igbinedion, who was suspended from palace functions 18 months ago by the Benin Council of Chiefs over allegation of parading himself as the Oba of Benin outside the shores of the country among other offences, was advised to do the right thing by going through the palace chiefs to apologise to and seek forgiveness from the Oba.In the same vain, the Independent Television station (ITV) owned by the Igbinedion was asked to also tender unreserved and unconditional apology to the Oba of Benin for allegedly despising the Oba of Benin.The palace also on Monday asked the Benin Market Women Leaders Association led by one Mrs. Josephine Omoregie, to come to the palace of the Oba and tender apology to the monarch over their conduct and utterances at the palace ground two weeks ago.The women were said to have protested to the palace in their bid to seek forgiveness for Igbinedion by the Benin monarch.Their action, which was given wide publicity in electronic media reportedly, angered the palace, which had queried the behavior of the women.Meanwhile, chairman of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Friday Obanor, however tendered apology to the Oba over comments he reportedly made in electronic media when the market women protested to the palace.Reports had it that journalists who had gone to the palace to cover the protest were restricted by palace security, but the NUJ chairman reportedly berated their actions, which were said to emanate from palace authority.The comments of the NUJ chairman on television, it was learnt, angered the Oba of Benin.Consequently, the palace on Monday during the parley demanded apology from the NUJ Chairman and he was subsequently forgiven by the Oba.Vice Chairman of the Edo NUJ, Ms Flora Bassey, who stood in before the arrival of the chairman, had earlier urged the Benin monarch to continue his good relationship with journalists in the state, noting that no other traditional institution in the country was doing what the Oba of Benin was doing to journalists in hosting them quarterly for the past 11 years.
Read more…
Jonathan shuns Aso Rock food, drinks - Beware of ‘Abiola treatment’ - Groups warn VP - Yar’Adua dragged to UN - Nigeria’s challenges not beyond God - Jonathan
Donald Ojogo, Bureau Chief, South-South - 04.01.2010
THE raging succession battle arising from the long absence of President Umaru Yar’Adua due to ill-health appears to have taken a new twist, as the Vice-President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, has refrained from taking food and drinks served in the State House, Abuja.
Nigerian Tribune learnt authoritatively that the nation’s number two man has only been taking food prepared by his wife, Patience, in the last three weeks.
This development is coming on the heels of a warning from the Ijaw Monitoring Group (IMG), as well as the Ijaw National Congress (INC), that any attempt to hurt Jonathan would spell doom for the country.
The vice-president has maintained a dignified silence amidst calls for his resignation four weeks ago by some northern politicians, even as he has refused to be dragged in as pressure heightens that President Yar’Adua should resign to pave the way for Jonathan to take over in acting capacity.
Only three days ago, Jonathan, who spoke at the New Year Service in Abuja, maintained that the ship of state was sailing with Yar’Adua still in charge.
But the Nigerian Tribune learnt that behind the public show of statesmanship by the vice-president are very serious issues bothering him to the extent that he has resolved “not to take anything for granted.”
According to a highly-placed source in the Presidency, the vice-president’s determination to avoid food and drinks prepared in the Villa became manifest at a state function which was held quietly in the Villa without the prying eye of the press.
The event was the visit of a VIP from a tiny African country sharing some common economic links with Nigeria. Jonathan was said to have quietly turned down the request that he should be served food and drink at the event.
That, according to the source, was about the fifth time the vice-president would turn down such a request. Also at a political rally in one of the South-East states, Jonathan refused to eat and drink throughout the programme.
“ The only thing sure about Oga (Jonathan) is that, he will remain loyal to the president no matter the temptation and pressures from so many quarters; he can never betray him by falling for the temptation of those making moves to spite him and his office.
“I can tell you that they know what they are up to and the VP knows this much too, because whatever thing he does in reaction to their actions are capable of so many meanings.
“But the man has really decided that nothing should be taken for granted at all; that is why he has refrained from taking anything prepared in the Villa, at least for now till the return of the president, insha Allah, because nothing is impossible in this country and politicians can go to any length to stop anybody from becoming something. It has happened in this country before.”
Asked if the action of the vice-president did not have serious implications for mutual distrust, the source said: “Whatever that amounts to I do not know. But I can tell you too that it was distrust and an attempt to ridicule the vice-president that some hawks had to tell to the nation that the president, who they had not seen for over 40 days, had signed the nation’s budget.
“It will be in the interest of the nation if the same persons can show us the specimen signature of the president and then present to him again, the National Merit and Honours List for signature too.
Meanwhle, the IMG, in a statement by its coordinator, Comrade Joseph Evah, expressed fears that the vice-president’s life could be in danger.
“We have said this before and we will continue to say it that the life of the vice-president is in danger, because of the way and manner some powerful politicians are bent on subverting the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“IMG is fervently praying for the president to return home in good health and continue his efforts to change the face of the Niger Delta; but events in the last three weeks show that Jonathan is not wanted by some very influential politicians, who try to do anything to twist the constitution against the collective wish of the people of the country.
“In fact, we cannot be oblivious of the fact that this people can go to any extent, including giving Jonathan the infamous (MKO) Abiola treatment, just to have their way. But we must warn that events that will follow such an action will not be in the interest of the nation,” the statement said in part.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Jonathan has expressed optimism that Nigeria’s challenges as a nation are not beyond God.
Speaking at the Sunday service at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Central Parish, Abuja, on Sunday, Dr. Jonathan said the challenges “we may go through as children of God and as a nation signify that God is in charge of our lives.”
He clarified that when the nation was confronted with the challenge of the swearing-in of the new Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, God averted the confusion that the country might have found itself.
He also disclosed that the provision of the Oath Act, which empowers the sitting Chief Justice of Nigeria to swear in his successor, was evidence of God’s intervention.
Dr. Jonathan commended all Nigerians – both Christians and Muslims –– for their tremendous support and prayers for President Yar’Adua and all leaders at different levels and the country in general.
In his sermon, Pastor Elijah Daramola, whose message centred on grace, identified seven key roles which he said grace played in the life of Christians. He urged Christians to shun unrighteousness in order to enjoy the sufficient grace, which, according to him, God had provided in 2010.
Those with the Vice-President included the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Babatunde Omotoba; former deputy speaker House of Representatives, Chief Chibudom Nwuche, and some other government functionaries.
Read more…
BARCELONA star, Lionel Messi, has been named FIFA World Footballer of the Year to complete a stunning 2009 for the Argentine forward.advertisementThe 22-year-old, who helped Barca win the Club World Cup on Saturday, their sixth trophy of the year, also won the Ballon d'Or award this year.“A magnificent year for me and Barca has ended in the best way,” Messi said after the presentation of the award.He beat off competition from last year's winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Xavi and Andres Iniesta.Messi becomes the first Argentine to win the award, which was inaugurated in 1991 and it completed a stunning year for the brilliant winger.He helped Barca to an unprecedented treble of Champions League, La Liga and Spanish Cup last season, scoring the second goal in their 2-0 win over Manchester United in May.This season, the Catalan club added the Spanish Super Cup, European Super Cup and Club World Cup to its roll of honour, beating Argentine side, Estudiantes, in Abu Dhabi to complete a stellar year.At the start of the month, Messi beat Ronaldo to the European Footballer of the Year award by a massive margin, 473 points to 233 and has now succeeded Ronaldo to win the FIFA award too.However, Messi has played down the attention, saying: “No, please, I am not king of the world now, nor the number one, I don't believe in those things.“I am the same person as always and I have the good fortune to play in a great team. It was an historic year for Barca and for me, but thanks to the work of everyone.”At a glittering gala at the Zurich Kongresshaus, England stars, John Terry and Steven Gerrard, were named in the FIFPro World XI, voted for by their fellow professionals.Fellow Premier League stars Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic and Fernando Torres were also picked, along with former Manchester United star, Ronaldo.Real Madrid's Iker Casillas was picked in goal and Barca quartet Dani Alves, Xavi, Iniesta and Messi completed the line-up.Ronaldo won the inaugural FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal of the year for his stunning 40-yard strike while playing for Manchester United against FC Porto in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in April.Brazilian Marta won the Women's World Player of the Year for a record fourth consecutive time, beating off competition from England striker, Kelly Smith.The 31-year-old Smith, who played her club football in the United States, starred in the England side that reached the final of Euro 2009.The prizes were voted for by the captains and head coaches of the men's and women's national teams.
Read more…
A divorced father of three stabbed his mother 21 times after becoming convinced that she was a witch and had put a curse on him, a court in Britain heard on Friday.
Kayode Kuye reportedly tortured and killed Christina Kuye, 69, because he believed she had ruined his life with a black magic spell, the Old Bailey was told. Unemployed Kuye, 50, of Edmonton, north London, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
The judge, Christopher Moss, ordered him locked up indefinitely under mental health laws and described it as a “brutal” killing.
Kuye reportedly attacked his mother after letting himself into her home in Finchley, north London, with a key in May last year, the court heard.
After a lengthy argument, he stabbed her 21 times to the upper body, also slashing her arms and hands as she tried to defend herself.
He was later arrested covered in blood at Finchley Central station, laughing as he said: “I have had an argument with my mother.”
Policemen forced their way into her home where they found her body in her bedroom.
Kuye later told psychiatrists that his purpose was “to torture his mother to try to prevent her from continuing what he perceived to be black magic upon him,” said Alan Kent, prosecuting officer.
Mr. Kent said: “The motivation behind his attack was his paranoid and deluded belief that his mother had cursed him through witchcraft and had ruined his life.”
Mrs. Kuye came to Britain from Nigeria in 1961 with her husband, who died in 1984. She had eight children, including the defendant, and 20 grandchildren.
She herself believed in witchcraft and her son became increasingly interested in the subject during the four years before he killed her.
His mother helped him get in touch with a witch doctor she knew in Nigeria and he would send him money “for advice and medicine,” the court heard.
Two years before the killing, he began to blame her for all his problems, saying she had “sacrificed him as a child and had put a curse on him.”
He believed that “he was a king and should be rich, but the curse prevented this from happening.”
For about a year before his mother’s death, he had been saying he was going to kill her, as well as other family members.
On the day of the stabbing, he had been “ranting and raving” at his former wife and told her that “he had to go and do what he had to do,” the court heard.
Read more…
Posted by 9jabook.com on November 22, 2009 at 7:46pm
If Mrs. Ekwunife L. Akabogu failed in her duties as a Priority Sales Support Officer for Skye Bank Plc, it was not for lack of effort. But if anything, she indeed succeeded in her new found role of hell-raiser with a sexual harassment and exploitation lawsuit against her former employers that have been giving the management of Skye Bank Plc white nights, as they grapple with damage control over what now seems to be a public relations disaster for the bank.
Love or hate her, there is no denying that her story exposes the hellacious ordeal of several Nigerian women who are coerced into engaging in shameful dehumanizing sexual escapades in a desperate effort to break the glass ceiling to meet unrealistic goals and expectations set for them by heartless mean-spirited men without any moral scruples.
The facts of her story as contained in her lawsuit against Skye bank Plc make for interesting reading, but she is not alone. Mrs. Akabogu is amongst the hundreds of thousands of Nigerian women who face workplace discrimination and harassment simply because they refuse to put their bodies at the disposal of their employers.
Imagine hiring someone simply because you intend to exploit her physical attributes in your unbridled quest for financial gain. If this sounds familiar, then consider a married woman, who is being pressured to employ her “bottom power” to rein in big clients like contractors and politicians for Skye Bank Plc. She is seeking N1 billion in general and punitive damages from Skye bank and some of its top executives who are named as co-defendants in the suit.
The end justifies the means, some might say, but not when an institution like a bank; in this case Skye Bank is so desperate to build its market share, to the extent that it should be indulging in such unorthodox and perverted practices.Upon being hired as Priority Sales Support Officer for Skye Bank Plc, in May 2009, Mrs. Akabogu was posted to the Enugu branch, ostensibly on a six-month internship.
Because the terms of her job description were vague and ambiguous, the bank sought to use her as a sex bait for its potential high value clients like local PDP bigwig, Chief Christian Uba, who was on the bank’s radar screens as a potential target. It did not help that Mrs. Akabogu had a personal relationship with the said Chief Uba which Skye Bank attempted to exploit in their grand scheme of “capturing” the man at all cost, including forcing Mrs. Akabogu into bed with him, in a quid pro quo arrangement involving sexual patronage by Mrs. Akabogu that will open the door for Chief Uba to become a Skye Bank client.
The Skye bank retaliation was predictable when Mrs. Akabogu rejected the indecent proposal by her boss. She was relegated to a more inconsequential position within the bank, where she was maligned and sidelined and treated with scorn and subjected to all kinds of humiliation from her superiors and co-workers, simply because she stuck her guns and upheld her dignity.
Even though she had succeeded in bringing in sixteen new genuine clients worth an estimated N6 million, management of these accounts were assigned to other colleagues and she was given no credit for her efforts. As if that was not enough, she was denied even the basic requisite facilities to effectively carry out her duties – no office; no work station; no computer; no vehicle and was permanently under stress and pressure, as he bosses missed no opportunity to remind her that she was an under-achiever, who was virtually on her way out of the job for failing to do what is expected of her.
According to Skye Bank policy, Mrs. Akabogu’s refusal to exchange sexual favors to meet the bank’s target client benchmarks was seen as an act of betrayal by Mrs. Akabogu, whose decision to uphold her matrimonial vows was viewed as an act of disloyalty by the Skye bank hierarchy. The message Skye bank was sending to Mrs. Akabogu as clear: he who pays the piper calls the tune and if you want to work here, better play by our rules or quit. Otherwise stated, her loyalty should be with Skye bank, and not her husband.
She was subsequently assigned to manage a new campaign of proximity banking; taking the services to the customers wherever they may be found. To which end, she was urged to go to certain local hotels frequented by the rich and wealthy, where Skye bank hoped, she would entice some of the men with he beauty. Mrs. Akabogu, according to the lawsuit, was directed by her boss to wear expensive perfumes, short skirts and other sexually inviting outfits to arrest public attention. To crown it all, she was given an open check to use the Zodiac hotel, as part of contingency arrangements, should the need arise.
The pressure to deliver and the stressful nature of her work environment had a huge impact on her health, which began to degenerate, until she suffered a nervous break down and passed out on two occasions and was rushed to the hospital. But Skye bank officials were heartless and refused to acknowledge that her blackouts were the result of stress, arising from emotional devastation and the psychologically traumatizing pressure deadline driven assignments she was being forced to undertake, against her own valuesb.
When she eventually returned to work from the hospital, it appears, Skye bank officials had come to the conclusion that they hired the wrong horse for the job and decided to force her to quit. It was therefore a contrived policy by Skye bank to make her working conditions so unbearable; she was the target of all kinds of unrestrained vituperations and snide remarks and when matters came to a head with an ultimatum that she opens ten new accounts every week, Mrs. Akabogu was forced to resign her job.
She has proceeded to file a lawsuit No. E/386/09 in the High Court of Enugu State of Nigeria between (Plaintiff) Mrs. Ekwunife L. Akabogu vs, (Defendents) Skye Bank Plc, Nkolika Okoli, Chinedu Oguejiofor, Donatus Ugwuoke, Dr. Charles Udeogo, Maureen Okoye. Mrs. Ababogu seeks N1 billion in damages from Skye bank.
She has also petitioned the Nigerian Human Rights Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), asking for an independent investigation into the practice by banks and other service industry institutions wherein women are being forced into involuntary prostitution as a condition sine qua non to keep their jobs. It is a shame.
Speaking about human rights, for Mrs. Akabogu, it has been hell on two legs. She was taken on a jolly ride to the realm of moral degeneracy by unscrupulous Skye bank bosses who suffer from incurable money-mindedness and will stop at nothing in their quest for personal gain. Fortunately, she will get her day in court where Skye Bank Plc will be made to face their own music.
Read more…
The #1 single in the country got a royal introduction Sunday night (November 22) at the American Music Awards. New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez had the honor of telling the audience that Jay-Z and Alicia Keys were taking the stage."It's been a great year for New York," A-Rod said. "We took the World Series ..."Some people in the audience started to boo — after all, the awards are taking place in Los Angeles, Dodger and Angel territory, and the Bronx Bombers defeated the Angels on their way to their World Series championship."I'm proud to present one of New York's finest, my friend Jay-Z and Alicia Keys."After the intro, Keys was on the main stage, accompanying herself on the piano while she sang "New York, New York," the classic made world-famous by Frank Sinatra.Meanwhile, the man who says he's the the modern-day version of Ol' Blue Eyes leaned on the piano, wearing a white tux jacket, black pants, a bow tie and sunglasses.After a few moments, the beat for "Empire State of Mind" kicked in and most of the audience rose to their feet. Mary J. Blige, Perez Hilton, Whitney Houston and many others were seen dancing in the audience. "Concrete jungle where dreams are made ..."Meanwhile, Jay remained as cool as family of polar bears, rapping most of the song with the mic in his right hand and his left in his pocket. "If Jeezy is paying LeBron, I'm paying Dwyane Wade."The words "New York" scrolled across screens on the stage, while a battery of men and women dressed in elegant finery played grand pianos. As the song came to an end, Alicia joined Jay at the front of the stage. She wore an all-black ensemble that revealed most of her back. As Keys hit the song's last notes, she threw up the "I love you" sign while Jay stood with both arms outstretched.
Read more…
Posted by 9jabook.com on January 13, 2010 at 8:12pm
ABUJA- FOR three hours and three minutes yesterday, thousands of aggrieved Nigerians led by the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, took to the streets in Abuja, the nation’s capital, to protest the French leave embarked upon by the ailing President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua since November 23, last year.Affordable A.d.ve.r.ti.sing LET THE WEB WORK 4 U ! http://www.9jabook.com call or email:
info@systemini.net
twitter:systemini
linkedin:systemini
tel +234-0806 495 0565,234-07083793511,234-07058888394
44-7894214683,
They demanded, in unison, that he must either show up and live up to expectations, if indeed he is still alive and fit to continue in office as he is making Nigerians to believe or transfer powers without further delay to his Vice, Jonathan Goodluck, to avert total collapse of the Nigerian nation.
They also registered their displeasure with members of the National Assembly over their reluctance to act even as they dismissed the cabinet members of President Yar’Adua as a bunch of liars, pseudo-colonialists and terrorists. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, who came out to address the angry protesters, yesterday, was not only booed but also disallowed from making any statement either in support or against the subject-matter of protest.
Unlike what used to be the case during the dark days of the military, there was no single firing of gun or canister to disperse protesting Nigerians. In fact, dozens of mobile policemen carried in their lorries were seen dancing to the popular music of Idris Abdulkarim of ‘Nigeria jaga jaga, everything scatter scatter,’ and hailing the protesters.
All through the period that the protest lasted, a combined team of men of the Nigeria Civil Defence and the Nigeria Mobile Police maintained security without allowing the hoodlums to hijack it. Although a dozen of hired pro-Yar’Adua government protesters carried placards bearing “we support Yar’Adua government,” their voices were drowned in the din of the noisy call for the resignation of President Yar’Adua.
The mass rally which kicked off from the Unity Fountain opposite the popular Millenium Park close to Transcorp Hilton Hotels at about 9:45 a.m, had mobile security men taking their positions in and around the National Assembly and the road to NICON as early as 6:00 a.m. But they did not harass anyone.
They seemed confused
At exactly 9:45 am, the protesters had gathered in their thousands at the rendezvous waiting for a marching order from the convener of the rally. They did not move until Prof Wole Soyinka who was conceded to be the most important person addressed the aggrieved Nigerians on why the mass rally was holding.
The septuagenarian, Prof Wole Soyinka, trekked alongside other leaders of the mass rally while radical Lagos lawyer Femi Falana was seen addressing and singing. Although they got to the open ground of the National Assembly where lawmakers and their visitors park cars at exactly 11:53am, the proper address did not start until 12:04pm when they recited the old national anthem. Leaders of the mass rally took turns to address the rally for just 44 minutes during which Speaker Bankole was booed and disallowed from addressing the aggrieved Nigerians.
At 12:16 pm, Soyinka took to the podium. But there was so much noise that he threatened to walk out of the rally ground if they did not behave themselves. He said he expected them to be orderly and organized. The way he spoke angered some of the protesters who asked him to go if he wanted to go. When he eventually picked the microphone and blew air into it, there was a thunderous applause followed by graveyard silence.
He said: “It seems to me that we have finally woken up from our long harmattan sleep and you are now getting into the spring of rebirth. I have a little information I have been asked to pass on to you as one of you. This is what they told me.
I do not guarantee the veracity of it as it is supposed to have come from the Senate. And you all know what Senate is. The information I was given is that the Senate has now taken this matter to court.
The matter of the President’s absence
“I am passing that information to you so that we, here, are not accused of holding back information from those following us. That is the only reason why I am passing it on. You can weigh it for what it is worth. But if these people are caught in yet another lie, then the next demonstration will be bigger. The nation has been taken to ransom. The nation has been despised and treated with contempt.
We have been treated as colonials, colonized all over again. This is what we call internal colonialism. We are all dignified beings. We deserve to know the truth, at all times about our method of governance.
“We are also qualified to say when we believe that those ‘elected leaders’ of this nation are deliberately dragging their feet over critical issues that concern us. Then the people must stop and then take to the street.
This is normal in any democracy. A lot of you have followed some recent lectures of mine: one in Lagos; one in Abeokuta, and the third one here in Abuja on the occasion of the National Merit Award.
Each time, I have observed the ritual ending. And that ending was enough of talking, let us march. Now today, you have shown me that you have been listening. And your leaders here obviously have been listening and they themselves have been using exactly the same language over a long period. So we are not talking here about certain individual efforts but certain issues must be addressed urgently.
And if by miracle and believe me, I do pray and wish this might happen, if by miracle the missing president were to appear amongst us, hale and hearty, he will be confronted with the same charges that we are leveling against the government.”
Hon Farouk Aliyu Adamu
In his contribution, Adamu, said: “We are all Nigerians. Nobody should hoodwink you with where you come from. We are not ruled rightly. We are ruled by liars. We demand leadership that will come out and tell us the truth. In the last 50 days, one minister after the other will come out and lie.
They said President Yar’Adua spoke on BBC. Do you know why we do not believe them? It is because PDP government said we shall get 6000 megawatts of electricity by December but we didn’t. Now, who will believe them? We will only believe them when we see President Yar’Adua here live. If you do not want Jonathan to lead, do not take the fuel and petroleum from the Ijaw people. If my brothers want to continue using the fuel, the diesel from the South South, then Jonathan should take over governance,” to which they shouted another deafening yes.
Uche Onyegocha
“Few years ago, when Obasanjo tried to impose himself on this country using his third term agenda, we fought him and we won. Today we have a criminal cabal that is holding this country to ransom. I want to remind you that it was the same criminal cabal that supported third term. As we defeated them that time, we will defeat them again. They are saying we are not a terrorist nation and I agreed with them.
They have been holding us to ransom but that must end today and we must take a decision on the issue of a missing president. I thank you very much.”
Buba Galadima
“Today is christened a new birth for a new nation, that Nigerians of all works of life, that Nigerians of all tribes, that Nigerians of all religions have come together to discuss our country, this is how it should be and when we leave here, no body should wink you on the basis of religion or the basis of where you come from, the minimum we demand of those who said we voted them into power is transparency, constitutionalism, institutionalism and accountability.”
Najatu Muhammed
“The issue at stake is not that Yar’Adua has spoken on the BBC, the issue is that he has abdicated without leave, without permission, so this calls for his impeachment, the people at the National Assembly have no moral justification to be where they are today. Yar’Adua is paid by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he is accountable to you and I, so he has no business staying for over fifty days without permission.
Nigerians will also want to get the kind of medical treatment that Yar’Adua is getting, this is their money, so Nigerians, come out and say no to this rubbish enough is enough.”
Pastor Tunde Bakare
“Every one, east, north and south of our country should take these words home. The Presidency is not a birth right. The presidency is not a hereditary stool. The presidency is a constitutional office. President Yar’Adua is not fit to occupy that office.
Therefore, Umaru Yar’Adua go home. Time has come for you to park your load, leave Nigeria alone and go home. This solemn assembly is not for the sake of Jonathan Goodluck, it is for the sake of good governance. The constitution that is imposed upon you stipulates in section 145 that if any one in the office of the president is leaving even for his leave not for sickness, he must transmit authority of that office to the vice president.
It is that we have come to demand this afternoon, that the imposed constitution must be obeyed. Power vacuum is the latest affliction they have imposed on this nation and the entirety of the rest of us say no to power vacuum. Enough is enough! We would not allow them to handle the affairs of this country in a lopsided manner or as they like. We demand accurate governance, good governance, and what do I mean by that?
Femi Falana
“This is the beginning of our struggle. By next week we are going to inform you of the date when we are going to march all over Nigeria. On Friday, Nigerians in America, Nigerians in the United Kingdom are marching. We understand that the Senate met this morning and took a decision; as usual because this is a leadership built on lies.
The Senate claimed that because some of us exercised our fundamental human rights, to go to court, they didn’t go to court, they said because some of us are in court because of their inaction, they are now exploiting our cases in court to abdicate their responsibility. Since they claim to be representing us in our different constituencies we must go and begin a process of making them to be accountable, of making them to be responsible, of making them to be responsive to the yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian people.”
It was at this point that Speaker Bankole came. The Speaker had emerged from an executive session of the Reps around 12:30 pm, made his way to the platform on the porch of the dome of the National Assembly amidst tight security.
But his presence was not acknowledged, as the protesters who arrived the venue at 12.05 kept booing him as soon as they sighted him until Professor Soyinka took the microphone from Mrs. Naja’atu Mohammed – a foremost female activist from Kano State – who was addressing them, and announced that, “fellow compatriots, I understand that we have some visitors here among us We want to give him some few minutes to address us, fellow compatriots.” But the protesters in one chorus, thundered “Nooooooo!!!!!!”
Again Soyinka asked that the Speaker be allowed to speak and he was visited with the same response. He now said, “We are democrats here. I am going to ask for the last time after which I will take a voice count”, he said. “Do we allow the Speaker to address us?” he asked and the answer was reverberating “Noooooooo!!!!!” “The ‘Nos’ (nays) have it” he said.
Yar’Adua supporters hold counter-rally in Abuja
Also yesterday, groups comprising mostly youths, converged at the Eagle Square, Abuja, with banners and posters of President Umaru Yar’Adua, chanting solidarity to his administration despite the mounting agitation from some quarters for his immediate resignation. Besides adorning the major roads along the federal secretariat with posters that read, “We support Yar’Adua” the group further strapped large banners in various strategic places, denouncing those that are calling for his removal and subsequent replacement as “anarchists.”
Read more…
Bank chief nabbed over possession of $3.1m at Murtala Muhammed International Airport
By Wole Shadare
A combined team of Lagos Airport Police Command, the State Security Service (SSS) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Aviation Security officials has apprehended a senior bank official at the General Aviation Terminal of the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos after she was found in possession of $3.1 million, suspected to be a laundered fund.
advertisement
Due to the seriousness of the offence, and to unravel the motive behind the alleged transfer of such huge fund without authorized fund transfer documents from the bank, the case has been transferred to Abuja for investigation.
The suspect, who is a Deputy General Manager in one of the rescued banks, was arrested on November 11, 2009 at 9 am in an attempt to board Arik Air's Abuja-bound flight.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Airport Police Command, Mr. Ayuba Pam, confirmed the arrest of Etuk, when The Guardian visited the Command on Thursday. He however said that the matter had been transferred to Force headquarters in Abuja for proper investigation.
A top official of one of the aviation agencies who pleaded anonymity disclosed that Etuk was detained for two weeks with the SSS in Lagos before he was moved to Abuja on November 27, 2009 .
The source, however, lauded the security personnel for the arrest, stressing that huge movement of funds through the General Aviation Terminal in chartered aircraft and private jets and commercial aircraft has been a source of worry to them, adding that the movement without proper police protection and under questionable circumstances was giving the airport authority real concern.
Investigation by The Guardian showed that the money found on Etuk had been traced to a governor from one of the oil-rich states in the Niger Delta.
Police sources confided in The Guardian that the sum was being transferred on behalf of the governor, but security operatives who questioned Mrs. Etuk said that she maintained that she was handling the cash on behalf of the bank even though without any authorisation document.
The husband of the bank chief is a Special Assistant to the governor on Utilities and has helped to secure the government's account to the bank.
The Guardian had penultimate week, reported the lax in security at the Lagos airport, which has led to the rise in drug trafficking, money laundering and other nefarious activities by powerful Nigerians.
Of particular concern are operators or owners of private jets, whose agents allegedly aid them to flout security check on their aircraft before take-off.
Disturbed by the development, the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren recently summoned all the agents of private airlines in the country, security operatives at the airport which comprise the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Immigration Service, Air Force, security operatives from the Federal FAAN, officials of the SSS and the Nigeria Customs Service among others to a meeting in his office.
Two separate meetings were held that day with the aim of ensuring compliance with screening.
Demuren, at the meeting instructed that all aircraft, particularly private jets be screened by SSS personnel the way it is done in other countries.
There are also indications that prior to the tough stance of government on screening the aircraft of these very few rich men, most of the owners in connivance with their agents were alleged to have been using their jets to smuggle arms, money and drugs out of the country, owing to the lax in security at the airports.
Speaking to The Guardian recently, spokesman for NCAA, Sam Adurogboye said that the Director General of the Authority had threatened to withdraw the agents' licenses if they were found to constitute a security risk to the country and to flight safety.
Adurogboye stated that the private jets owners are given clearance by the NCAA to operate into Nigeria after they must have satisfied all safety related matters to be jointly supervised by the NCAA inspector and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of the country where the aircraft is registered.
He explained that foreign registered aircraft and the ones registered in Nigeria under the 5N call sign are given the same level of certification before they can be allowed to operate, adding that the regulatory body has raised the bar in its oversight functions.
Read more…
Olu Maintain sang his way to the top of A-list acts in Nigeria when he released his celebratory track Yahoozee, but this season seems to be short of celebratory reasons for the crooner. News reaching BASELINE is that Mr. Olu has sold his Anthony Village three bed room flat that served as his residence.A copy of the transfer of ownership made available shows that Mr. Olu had secured a loan from a new generation bank to finance the purchase of the house with the agreement to service the loan periodically. After servicing the loan for a period of time, we gathered the singer couldn’t sustain payments for the house any longer, hence his decision to allow the bank to take over the sale of the house.As you read this, the house has been sold and Olu has been settled with the deposit he paid for the house. As for his new residence, we will surely keep you posted.We’ve Turned Up Our Game - X-ProjectThe trio of Majeed, Saal and Sleez that make up the boy band X-Project say they are not only ready to release a new album, they are also ready to take their game to the next level. The group’s album tagged “Turn it Up” was released under their founding label SKP and us a 14 track album that features a blend of old and young acts in the music industry.From the older generation and the street music scene is the ghetto king Daddy Show Key. The incredible one MI represents the new generation and Hip-hop acts on the album that has beats from the likes of OJB, Chris Okoro and the group’s in house producer Majeed.On why it took the band over two years to return with a single after the success of “Lori Le”, one of the band member had this to say: “We saw the way our fans accepted our last album and we did not want to let them down, that is why we decided to take as much as a year plus to work on this new album and by the grace of God and the support of our label, we have put down this 14 tracks that would prove to our critics and fans alike that we are not a one hit wonder act.”To show their desire to take the game to higher heights, the band is set to release 11 videos from their new album.Cabasa Hits Benue State for New TalentsPlay Me Entertainment has picked prolific music producer Id Cabasa along side yet to be disclosed other music personalities in the country to search Benue State for new music stars through “The Star in Me” talent show hunt.The show which is organized to search Benue State for new talents will berth in other northern states in the near future to help discover young talents from the Northern part of Nigeria. Benue State, according to Ladi Ogungbemi, is a state that has produced great musicians like Tu Face Idibia, Terry G, Black Face, Zaki Azee and Bongos Ikwe, hence “our decision to search the state in search of fresh talent because for every Tu Face you have today, we have about ten undiscovered ones in Benue State.“That is why we want to give them the opportunity. I will like to say a big thank you to our state governor, Gabriel Suswam who has shown great support for the empowerment of young people,” he concluded.Play Me Entertainment is an entertainment outfit that provides content for radio and television in Nigeria.New Kids on the BlockAlthough she might be married with two lovely daughters and once worked for a new generation bank before resigning, Anne Emmanuel Ibrahim who performs under the stage name Anny says “I am ready to fulfill my dreams.” The beautiful mother of two who loves making friends and meeting people, is set to release her second video “You Are too Much” to compliment her first video “Alleluyah” that featured the soulful South-south Keffi.Aside from shooting a new video the gifted singer says she is set to go on a nation wide tour to promote her new project even as she offered a word of advice for other female singers: “No matter what you do as a young lady in show biz, always remember your self worth because your pride as a woman can not be bought with silver and gold.|Anny’s new video is directed by Bobby Hai of Sauti Cinemas.Read more…
Posted by 9jabook.com on December 6, 2009 at 9:40pm
Understanding the nation’s brand of Nazism
Nazism - a term associated with the Third Reich, that conjures fear, hatred and awe especially among the Jews because of the genocide of the fuhrer . Reminiscences of the atrocities of the triad of Hitler, Goering and Gobbeles, their march on Czechoslovakia, Poland, the breach of the Belgian neutrality, their adventures in France, Russia and the Bombing of London were atrocities unparalleled in history. Perhaps the climax of the Hitlerian genocide was the final solution, which meant the extermination of the Jews.
The Nazi had their bedfellows all over the world; the Pol Pots and Suhatos of Indonesia, the Pinochets of Chile; the Eyademas of Togo, The Mobutus of Congo Democratic Republic (CDR) the Idi Amins of Uganda and the Mugabes of Zimbabwe. A sprinkling of them also reincarnated in Nigeria: the Abacha's, the Babangidas and the Obasanjo'. Nigerians generally believe that Abachas was the worst tyrant Nigeria had ever produced, but some people think otherwise. They have certain traits in common: brutality, ferociousness, narcissism and paranoia.
Sometime ago, I read an interview granted by General Jeremiah Useni, retired, popularly known as “Jerry Boy”, and what intrigued me was his refusal to make a comparison between Abacha and Obasanjo. When the interviewer asked him which government he preferred, Obasanjo's or Abacha's, he replied “there was no basis for comparison, Abacha is a Saint! “ The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory even warned the journalist never to compare the two rulers, for he was convinced beyond doubt that Abacha is a Saint compared to the Obasanjo. Although in matters concerning abstract values, people differ in visualizing their scales of judgment and this makes it pretty difficult to conjecture from what binoculars, prism or ideological aperture the former Minister saw the duo.
Again, the argument seems to have been brought to its peak at the 11th anniversary of Abacha's death, when other tyrants like Babangida and Buhari claimed that Abacha did not steal money and therefore exonerated him of his misdeeds of the past. I know that both Christians and Muslims abhor speaking ill of the dead, but they also believe in eschatology and the virtues of truth. Therefore any argument that seeks to beatify an African leader is a serious one that must of necessity be dragged to the court of public opinion.
I therefore elected to compare and contrast the nefarious activities of Abacha and Obasanjo, who operated like the Nazi's in their desecration of democratic values, censoring the press, their penchant for destruction and primitive accumulation. The time difference of the two leaders notwithstanding, both Abacha and Obasanjo were groomed in the military tradition of Sandhurst Academy. Perhaps the thin line of distinction is that whereas Abacha held the reins of power at a time Nigeria was navigating the brink of anarchy, Obasanjo was graciously released from the gulag to be having being persuaded by IBB, a fellow Sandhurst trained tyrant, to be President. By that position OBJ became the Head of State and arrogated to himself near-omnipotent powers to head all organs of government, including the National Assembly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Peoples DemocraticParty and even emasculated the judiciary. His economic policies of privatization was unpopular as he imposed maximum hardship on the masses, with astronomically increase in petroleum products and its attendant spiraling inflation. It was like the Nazi's who conquered Ukraine and stole all their food and exported to Germany.
Both were ferocious in persecuting political opponents. The high point of Abacha's goons was the extra-judicial murders of the Ogoni nine including Ken Saro-wiwa, and the abbreviation of late Kudirat Abiola - wife of late Chief M.K.O. Abiola - the acclaimed winner of the June 12 1993 Presidential elections. Obasanjo's eight years witnessed more than seventy documented high profile politically motivated murders. On the contrary, Abacha never feigned ignorance of his timidity. He read no printed matter, did not give a damn about the international media opinions; he only depended on his marabouts and fortune tellers who conjured voodoo inspiration to prop up his tyranny as long as it lasted. Obasanjo definitely scored a shade above distinction in terms of persecuting political opponents including his Vice-President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and he prosecuted such battles like holy wars under the guise of restoring sanity to the polity. The President and his Vice tried to outdo each other in kleptomania.
On the economic front, OBJ could have been scored very high if his reform agenda succeeded in creating even some marginal impact. At no time in Nigeria's history has the price of crude oil soared to $80 per barrel. With the stupendous wealth accruing from crude oil, Obasanjo inaugurated what he called a “Reform Agenda”. First, OBJ suffocated the banking sector by weeding out the small players under the re-capitalization scheme with Prof. Soludo as the CBN Chief. He also assembled a few pro-IMF egg heads to give legitimacy to his reforms. The administration embarked on a privatization spree and sold all choice corporations to his friends and cronies. Otedola and Dangote were major beneficiaries of the President's largesse. Third, he increased the pump price of petroleum products about nine times, and each time an increase was announced, he justified it by pontificating the same argument that our refineries were producing at very low capacity. This argument is difficult to reconcile with the huge sums of money voted for Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the refineries. Fourth, OBJ's IMF team like fifth columnists plotted to obliterate the time-honoured “public good” concept of education through a policy of marketisation of institutions including the unity schools. Nigerians know the truth about the stories surrounding the African Petroleum, the PTDF imbroglio, the Pentascope saga and now the gale of scandals have radiated to the power sector, Police Equipment Fund, Aviation Intervention Fund and others yet to catch the eager gaze of the anti-graft agencies. It is because of the despicable role Chukwuma Soludo played that makes this writer believe that Soludo is not the kind of Governor Anambra State needs now. The State has a formidable assemblage of tested technocrats, with experience in statecraft.
Arguably, the past eight years of mis-rule have brought about double digit inflation, increase in the price of petroleum products; privatization of refineries and all that could be regarded as our national heritage. At least under Abacha, the educational system was stable, the exchange rate of the naira was tolerably low and inflation was single digit. Worse than the Abacha junta, Nigeria in the past eight years can be described as a corporatized entity. Wages are not keeping pace with the spiraling inflation, graduate unemployment has worsened, our educational institutions seem to have lost their glamour and the so called reform agenda is like bitter pills forced down the throat of Nigerians. For nearly eight years Obasanjo was misguided by a class of mindless pro-IMF economic adventurers who mis-interpreted pro-poor growth as development. Economic growth was only noticed in Soludo's power point presentations, but the reality is that Obasanjo's eight years reign wrecked havoc and increased the misery index of Nigerians, as epitomized in the life expectancy rate, standard of living, access to health care facilities and other basic infrastructure including education.
Obasanjo and Abacha were both sworn enemies of the media. Abacha muzzled the press because he never read newspapers but OBJ deliberately killed the independent media, climaxed by his refusal to assent to the “Freedom of Information Bill”. Thus while Abacha attacked the physical manifestation of the media such as censoring the press, jailing practitioners, OBJ killed the soul of the press; and he who kills the soul is the real murderer of press freedom. Even the Freedom of Information Bill, which has been muzzled by the NASS may continue to suffer setbacks in the future. It is still in the morgue, and only some esoteric conjuration may bring it up for the gracious discussion of the honourable men.
One of the casualties of the Obasanjo self-perpetuation scheme was the lethal injury inflicted on the electoral system. Obasanjo superintended over the worst elections ever conducted in Nigeria since independence. Elections are supposed to be a decision-making process where people give their mandate to their representatives at all levels of government. In political theory, the principal mechanism for translating that consent into governmental authority is the conduct of free and fair elections. The 2007 elections were characterized by massive rigging and bizarre subversion of the popular will. The hullabaloo about electronic voting system and the over seventy billion naira of the taxpayers' money expended on the project demonstrated monumental waste. The NASS may not be in a hurry to review the Electoral Act because of the self-perpetuation scheme. That is the unenviable legacy Obasanjo bequeathed to the Nigerian State and the Yar'Adua administration is too slow to push through these reforms. They may never see the light of day till 2011 or even beyond.
OBJ can be described as the luckiest Nigerian, yet his years of democratic rule also witnessed more strikes, more riots, more collapsed buildings, more crashed airplanes, more politically motivated assassinations and other sundry disasters. The causes of these events are being investigated but this may continue ad infinitum. Of course the Nigerian Police lacks the capacity to investigate because of the bogey of corruption and the get-rich-quick mania.
Abacha's regime centralized corruption such that only Abacha, his friends and other lackeys of the junta enriched themselves. On the contrary OBJ set out to fight corruption by establishing ICPC and EFCC. Whereas ICPC has since inception not recorded any landmark achievements, the EFCC was used as an outfit to hunt down politicians who overtly expressed disdain for the third tenure plot. Nigeria's corruption rating by Transparency International was higher in the last 8 years. Even the World Bank reported in 2003 that 51% of corrupt activities were perpetuated at the Presidency. Now Nigeria ranks 130th among 180 countries in the corruption perception index.
•John wrote from Yenagoa
To many impartial observers, OBJ only de-centralized corruption and corporatized Nigeria under the guise of reforms. Verily, the application of double-standards has diminished the tempo of the anti-corruption crusade. This momentum may be gained with the sack of the former anti-corruption Czar. In fact, the Czar has long been replaced by Mrs. Farida Waziri, who in the imagination of most Nigerians, is attempting to re-position the outfit but the NASS poses a huge bottleneck. Obasanjo - the civil war hero, and gentleman farmer of the Operation Feed the Nation fame, wore the garb of democracy but like Abacha, he suffered from acute military hangover. A soldier by training, character and actions, an archetypal dictator, OBJ sought to push through his punitive reforms by brute force rather than appeal to the conscience of Nigerians. It would therefore be a terrible misnomer for anyone to see the past eight years of unmitigated disaster as democratic rule.
Obasanjo is a fighter and he fought very hard to humiliate his opponents. His is lucky and audacious but bereft of the basic elements followers look out for in a democratic leader. It is difficult for a leopard to change his skin, and for most Nigerians with strong analytical minds, his two tenures in power will go down as an uneventful interlude of military hangover.
I am one of those Nigerians calling for the trial of OBJ, IBB, Chief Tony Anineh, Atiku, and other Nigerian involved in high profile corruption. especially on account of the economic atrocities perpetrated against Nigerians for the past eight years. Obasanjo should also tell Nigerians the truth about the punitive expedition he sent to Odi, Okerenkoko, Odioma, and other communities that were laid waste during his inglorious tenure. Nigerians have the right to know how the former President made his stupendous wealth, using his office as President.
The trial of OBJ and his Vice-Atiku by the EFCC will complete the anti-corruption war, and many Nigerians are looking forward to the time this would happen under the Yar'Adua administration. As a student of creative philosophy I have the conviction that leaders, no matter their description, ideological orientation or world view, must account for their stewardship at some date in the future. Just as the Nazi war criminals were tried in Nuremberg and convicted, the Nigerian brand of Nazists should be tried and convicted, and only then will there be full restitution and the souls of their victims will rest in perfect peace.
Idumange John (Mnim, CBA)
Is a University Lecturer and Activist
Read more…
It has been revealed how Super Eagles striker, Obafemi Martins, extranvagantly squandered about N3.1 trillions while a player of Newcastle.MartinsadvertisementHis former management company, NVA Management Limited who has dragged the player to court over breach of contarct, told the jury how the player’s account almost went red because of his lifestyle.Obafemi Martins was paid £75,000, but allegedly squandered the earnings on an extravagant lifestyleA former Premiership footballer routinely blew his £75,000 a week wages in a matter of days and was constantly overdrawn, a court was told yesterday.Obafemi, ex-Newcastle striker 25, was paid the handsome salary after he joined the club for a £10million fee in August 2006.But despite his extraordinary earnings, his former management team yesterday claimed they repeatedly bailed him out after his bank account continually slipped into the red.The High Court heard that the Nigerian international player would withdraw £40,000 in cash from his bank account at the end of the week.But that would only last him two days, the court heard, as he topped up with a further £25,000 on the Monday morning.He was always overdrawn and repeatedly relied upon NVA Management Limited to ‘manage his life’, the High Court was told.Martins, who owned several fast cars including a top of the range Porsche 4X4, spent the money funding an extravagant lifestyle of luxurious penthouse homes and fine dining.He is now being sued by his former management company which claims that he still owes them 300,000 for sorting out his finances.He told the court that Martins would withdraw £40,000 for the weekend, followed by another £25,000 on the Monday.‘Despite earning these vast sums of money he was constantly overdrawn,’ added Mr Tennink.He said the firm, which looks after the affairs of several footballers, film and music stars, said that Martins had agreed to pay them for simply managing his life.It was under their stewardship that Martins agreed a £2million image rights deal ‘simply for being Mr Martins’.It’s claimed Martins was constantly overdrawn despite earning £75,000-a-weekHe also had lucrative sponsorship deals with various companies including Pepsi and Nike but had not been paid.When the company stepped in to run his affairs they sorted the unpaid contracts, bringing in thousands of pounds.They also organised visas when he travelled to Italy, where he once played for Inter Milan, and sorted out his passport, his mortgage and property valuations.They even arranged critical illness cover and were constantly running up and down the motorway from their London offices to Newcastle in a bid to do all that he required.‘But surely these were things a secretary could do?’ asked Judge Richard Seymour QC, referring to the size of fees charged.‘It was a Jeeves-type of role that they performed.’Mr Tennink protested that managing every aspect of his life was just part of what they did, and asked the judge to bear in mind the sort of figures these players earned.He said Martins had come to them in July 2007 and had agreed a fee of around £300,000 plus 20 per cent of any sponsorship monies they managed to acquire on his behalf.“He asked for these services to be carried out,” Mr Tennink told the court.Before they managed his affairs, Martins had not been paid a penny for his image rights for the use of his name on Newcastle shirts and mugs and had received nothing from his sponsorship deals.He could not even find the contracts he had originally signed, Mr Tennink added.Martins paid the company £67,500 in January last year and another £25,000 in April last year.But the question for the court to decide, said Mr Tennink, was whether there was a ‘binding obligation’ for him to pay the outstanding bill of over £300,000.After Newcastle were relegated from the Premiership last summer Martins was sold for £9million to German Bundesliga Champions Wolfsburg.Martins, who once owned a penthouse apartment overlooking Newcastle’s exclusive Quayside, is fighting the claim.The hearing is scheduled to last for three days.Read more…
The senate has confirmed the appointment of Arunma Oteh as the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Also confirmed on Thursday was the appointment of Ahmed Remi Makele as an Executive Commissioner (Legal & Compliance).
Both were nominated by President Umaru Yar’Adua in July this year and their names were forwarded to the senate for confirmation in accordance with the provisions of the Investment and Securities Act 2007.
Following the confirmation, Ms. Oteh will take over from Daisy Ikineh, who has been acting as the commission’s Director General since Musa Alfaki resigned from the position in April this year after he was allegedly implicated in the poor handling of the AP share manipulation saga.
During the screening exercise that preceded her confirmation, senators praised Ms Oteh’s resume. She was described as a “round peg in a round hole”.
“I think that for once we have made a choice based on qualification and not political inclinations,” Victor Ndoma-Egba (PDP Cross River State) said.
The new SEC bosses
Ms Oteh, 41, has over 16 years of capital market experience and is currently the Vice-President (Corporate Services) of the African Development Bank Group (ADB).
Before becoming the vice president of the ADB, she was the Bank’s Group Treasurer for 5 years (2001-2006) with overall responsibility for the Bank’s fund raising and investments in major international capital markets. She has worked variously in ADB as Division Manager Investments and Trading Room from 1997 to 2001, and Senior Investment Officer/Senior Capital Markets Officer from 1993 to 1997. Cumulatively, she has worked with ADB for over 16 years.
Before joining the ADB, the new SEC chief worked in corporate finance, consulting, teaching and research for several institutions, including the Harvard Institute for International Development, USA, and Centre Point Investments Limited Lagos, Nigeria.
She is on the board of a number of organisations, including the advisory board of the African Investor, as well as the International Financing Facility of Immunization (IFFIm), a charity organization.
Ms Oteh has an MBA from Harvard University, USA, and a First Class Honours Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She has received both a Harvard Fellowship Award and a National Merit Award.
Mr. Makele is presently the Associate Director, Legal Risk & Compliance of DTZ Group Holdings Plc, an international corporate finance and investment management company. He has also previously served as the Senior Manager, Regulation & Compliance at Royal Bank of Canada/Dexia Group – one of the World’s top 10 global custodians.
He has worked with other major UK legal and financial companies, as well as the UK Personal Investment Authority (now Financial Services Authority).
Mr. Makele has also consulted domestically for the Investment & Securities Tribunal (IST) and published papers on a number of domestic financial issues.
He is from Kogi State and has a Masters degree in Public International Law from University of Cambridge and BA Honours in Law from University of Sussex, United Kingdom.
He also has a diploma in Regulation and Compliance from the UK Securities & Investment institute and is a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.
Read more…
Posted by Mikky Webs on November 20, 2009 at 6:06am
With no doubt whatsoever, the crisis in the Niger Delta is traceable and contributed to poor leadership and neglects by the Nigerian Government.The Niger Delta region is at the South Southern Part of Nigeria facing the Atlantic Ocean by the South via the Gulf of Guinea and the Cameroonian cities by the East. The Niger Delta Region is rich in mineral resources like crude oil and natural gas, arable and fertile land for farming and for rearing of animal. The people in this region are of various cultures and languages and industrious as well.More so, the Niger Delta region is best locations for tourist attractions and investments due to excellent weather and serene environment. It is point blank the region every tourist would like to visit and the treasure base of the Nigerian nation and no wonder international companies thrive in the region.Development in the Niger DeltaThe development in the Niger Delta Region is very discouraging and stunt since the inception of the Democratic dispensation in Nigeria headed by the former president Olusegun Obasanjo. The rate of insecurity and mostly unemployment of from the Niger Delta and the poor leadership in the Nigerian nation led to the coalition of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Niger Delta State (MAND) or rather nation which has been in existence for quite sometimes now. They feel marginalised and are fighting the government of Nigeria with the aim of being emancipated from cruelty practiced by the Nigerian Government. Hence the issue of the Niger Delta Region in Nigeria has for some time now remained untreated and neglected by the Nigerian Government.Check the neccessary measures to hit the point here:Read more…
Outrage and amazement are some of the emotions currently on display in Yola, Adamawa State, after the startling revelation contained in a letter addressed to a radio station in the state capital, Radio Gotel, by a lady who claimed to be an undergraduate of the Federal University of Technology Yola (FUTY).The lady, in the letter which was sent to the producer of the programme, "Heart to Heart", said she contracted the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) from her student boyfriend and has, in revenge, willfully slept with some 124 students and lecturers at the school.
The letter also contained the writer's threat to make public the names of those who have had sex with her "on the notice board." This has led to panic and spirited discussions among the male population in Yola, especially within the school community. The school's authorities, however, claim to be unaware of the letter, but promised to look into it.
The letter reads, in part: "I have a well-documented report of all those guys and lecturers who crossed my path, since I got infected with this deadly disease in the campus. So far, I have had 124 students and lecturers; out of these, only six (6) used condoms".
On a revenge mission
Continuing, she said in the letter, "I owe nobody an apology and am still on a spreading till I spread it no more."
The writer, who did not hide the trauma and disappointment she faced, explained in the letter that her first impulse upon the discovery of her HIV status was to take away her own life.
"I, however, did not confide my status to anyone until today (i.e the disclosure via the letter)," she said. "Since 2006, I promised myself that it's in the university I got it and here I will leave it. I have indeed lived to keep my promise.
"I was in year three when a student on his attachment in our school proposed for a relationship. He had all the qualities a woman would want in a man so I gave in. He told me all a girl would want to hear. In my innocence and naivety, I succumbed to his pressure to have sex with him. Consequently, I lost my virginity to him.
"After his placement, he reported for his final year and we still had contacts. I visited him on a number of occasions, I have even lost count the number of times I visited him. He was my first and only love and, therefore, hanged on every word he told me.
"My boyfriend later graduated and we lost contact until last month when his sister told me about his whereabouts. Before registration in the faculty of science, I went for medical test as is the requirement. I then opted for an HIV/AIDS test, which unfortunately turned out to be positive.
"It then dawned on me that I have traded the rest of my life for a university student who had deliberately and intentionally preyed on my innocence".
Danger of casual sex
A medical worker, who gave her name as Agnes, said the only lesson from the letter is that people should be careful about casual sex.
"Whatever you think, it is a fact that casual sex is very popular and for a lot of people, it's something that either satisfies a desire or serves a purpose," she said. "It is, therefore, an issue that affects many young people today, as they patronise casual sex under the various terms like ‘No strings attached' and ‘the one night stands' culture gaining foothold in our social life."
According to the United Nations AIDs agency, a vast majority of people with HIV and AIDS live in lower and middle-income countries. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are25.
Read more…
Posted by 9jabook.com on December 9, 2009 at 6:04am
Govt, others plan database of Nigerians abroad
From Laolu Akande, New York
THE Federal Government's focus on Nigerians living abroad is deepening as plans are being proposed by the National Population Commission (NPC), some Nigerian consulates abroad and the United States Census Bureau to establish an estimate of how many Nigerians are living outside the country.
advertisement
This might end the difficulty in arriving at an estimate of Nigerians abroad, especially those in North America and Europe once the scheme is completed.
Nigerian government sources reveal that the NPC after a visit to the U.S., earlier in the year, is now considering collaborating with some embassies and consulates of the Federal Government abroad to commence an official count and database of Nigerians in foreign countries.
Ambassador Ibrahim Auwalu, the Nigerian Consul General in New York, said yesterday that the NPC was indeed interested in working with the consulate on the issue, after the consulate recently launched a new Internet database of Nigerians in the U.S.
The Consul General stated that it was the objective of the consulate to embark on a "scientific pilot platform for an accurate census of Nigerians in Diaspora."
He said the consulate actually had the official endorsement of the NPC for the project and was also seeking the cooperation of the U.S. Census Bureau which possessed pertinent information about Nigerians in the U.S. Auwalu added that the outcome of all of this would "form the basis of Absentee voting for our compatriots here in the U.S."
Already, by a judgment of an Abuja Federal High Court, Nigerians abroad have been deemed eligible to vote in future elections and the National Assembly is now working with groups of Nigerians in foreign lands, especially those in the United States and Canada to pass a bill designed to give legislative teeth to the right of Nigerians abroad to vote.
The move by the NPC to also count the number of Nigerians abroad will broaden their increasing engagement in affairs and development of the country.
Specifically, both the NPC and the Nigerian Embassy Consulate in New York are known to have started consultations on how to collaborate on the count, after the NPC visited the America and discovered that the Nigerian Consulate in New York, with covering- jurisdiction for Nigerians in over 20 U.S. states have already commenced an electronic database for Nigerians in the area for the purposes of gathering personal, professional and other pertinent information about U.S.-based Nigerians.
Read more…
Posted by 9jabook.com on November 19, 2009 at 10:52am
14 Wraps of heroin sniffed out from lady’s hair
By CHRIS ANUCHA
It is said that a woman’s beauty is her hair. But that can no longer be said of Angela Okiri, who was arrested recently at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport(MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, over hard drug.
Angelaadvertisement
According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA), she concealed fourteen wraps on her well braided hair.
The 31 years old suspect from Edo State, also swallowed fifty-six wraps of heroin and packed twenty-two wraps inside sanitary pad in her handbag.
Angela was among the four suspects nabbed recently by the narcotic agents.
One of the suspects was attempting to smuggle narcotics into the country from Brazil, while the other three suspects were arrested on their way out of the country to Europe. Other suspects were, Anekwe Ugochukwu, 28, who ingested eighty-one wraps of cocaine weighing 1.285kg, Anisiebo Arinze, 45, who ingested sixty-eight wraps of cocaine and Esimone Amanchukwu, 33, that ingested eighty-two wraps of cocaine weighing 988 grammes.
The suspects were detected with the assistance of scanning machine donated to the Agency by the United States of America.
Impressed by the arrest and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, called for more public support for the Agency. While reaffirming the commitment of the Nigerian government to the anti-narcotic crusade, he vowed that all drug trafficking syndicates would be brought to book. Giade stressed that the Agency would leave no stone unturned in the fight against illicit drugs, adding that intense undercover operations were going on to dismantle more illegal drug cartels.
Arinze, who had lived in Germany for the past nineteen years was nabbed while on his way to London. He ingested the drug for a fee of 5,000 pounds.
He said: “I live in Stuttgart, Germany, where I work as a labourer, but I lost my job in August last year. I came to Nigeria in November 2, 2009, to attend a burial ceremony. It was in the village that I met an old friend, who asked me to traffick drugs to London. I agreed because of the money involved, because I needed to complete the traditional marriage ceremony of my wife. I only did the introduction in January and there is pressure on me. I ingested sixty-eight pieces of the drug in my village, Umuoji in Anambra State.”
Ananchukwu was to board KLM flight to Amsterdam, on his way to Hamburg, Germany, when he tested positive to drug ingestion. The suspect said he decided to smuggle drugs to settle his creditors. “I am heavily indebted and my dad is sick. I swallowed eighty-two pieces of drugs and would have been given 3,500 Euros.” Anthony, who was smuggling the illicit drugs into Nigeria was apprehended in a South African Airline from Sao-Paulo Brazil, through South Africa. According to him, he went to Brazil five months ago and was stranded. “I was stranded in Brazil.
Though, I was working in a restaurant, the salary could not pay my rent. When I got the offer to send the drugs to Togo, I was happy, because I saw hell these five months in Brazil,” he stated.
Angela, had lived 11 years in Bergmo, Italy, where she worked as a labourer in factories.
She was arrested during screening of passengers on Alitalia flight. The suspect, whose final destination was Torino, stated that some friends introduced her into the drug business, after being jobless for several months due to the economic recession. “Having lost my job for some months, I am now into trading but things are difficult. I wanted some money to expand my business.
They gave me ninety-two wraps out of which, I could only swallow 56. So, I hid some in my handbag and some in my hair. I thought that they would not see them. They would have paid me 4,000 Euros,” she lamented.
According to the NDLEA spokesman, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, all the suspects would appear in Court soon.
Read more…
I stumbled upon this today while browsing the net and realised that a person's name just like his spirit,soul and body is a distinct criteria for his purpose in life .God has many names and the one we look at today is yahweh .
The Hebrews according to this article below are the progenitors of the naming convention and overtly and covertly have been identified with the history of the written word as we see it today.
Meaning, origin and etymology of the name YHWHYHWH is the second creation Name of God. God's Name changes from Elohim to YHWH Elohim in Genesis 2:4 .
As told by Joel M. Hoffman Ph.D. in his delightful and riveting book In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language - - the Hebrews were the first to incorporate vowels in their written text, and by doing this the previously esoteric art of writing and reading became available to the masses. The seemingly casual command to 'write' something on doors or foreheads included the invention of a writing system that could be learned by everybody. A very big deal, and resulting in the most powerful tool of data preservation up to this common age.
Hebrew theology is by far the most influential ever, and this is in part due to the Hebrew invention of vowel notation. This power (this theology) contrasted others by use of the vowel notation, using symbols that were already used and until then only represented consonants: the letters (waw), (yod) and (heh), and to give an example: the word is either the word dod, meaning beloved (and the is a vowel), or it is the word dud, meaning jar (and the is again a vowel), or it is the word dawid, which is the name David (and the is a consonant).
These letters became markers for both the Hebrew identity and the Hebrew religion, including the various names for God. One of these names is the famous Tetragrammaton (YHWH) which actually exists only of vowels, and is utterly exceptional in many ways, including the fact that it can not be pronounced.
The word (El) was the name of the prominent Canaanite god, whose name was either derived of or became the common word for god in general. The plural of this word is ; gods. With the addition of the letter , creating the word , the Hebrews not only stated essential monotheism (by naming a single God after the plural word "gods") but also marked their God as theirs: Elohim is the singular pantheon of the vowel-people.
Something similar occured when the name of patriarch Abram () was expanded with the heh into Abraham , and the name of matriarch Sarai () was expanded with the heh to Sarah ().
The meaning of the name YHWH is not very clear, and therefor subject to much debate. The key scene in this respect seems to be Ex 3:13-15, where God names Himself first: (I Am Who I Am), then (I Am), and finally (YHWH) and states that this is his name forever and a memorial name to all generations. It has been long supposed that YHWH is derived from the verb that is used to make I Am, namely (haya 491) to be, to become, to happen, or rather from an older form and rare synonym of haya, namely , hawa, hence y-hawa or yahweh, the proper imperfect of the verb, thus rendering the name either Being or He Is. (But note that the Hebrew language is far more dynamic than our modern languages. The verb to be indicates an action that intimately reveals the nature of the one who is doing the acting. For more more on this, see our article to be is to do.)
TWOTOT ( Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Moody Press Chicago) recognizes two separate verbs hawa:
(hawa (484) is the aforementioned older form of (haya 491), to be or become.
(hawa 483) means to fall, with derivatives calamity, wickedness, evil desire, disaster. Perhaps this curious double meaning is in some ways comparable to our word happen, as the words happening and happenstance are often used as euphemisms for typically unfortunate events.
TWOTOT goes even further as it states, "...there is a problem with the pronunciation Yahweh. It is a strange combination of old and late elements.[] In view of these problems it may be best simply to say that YWHW does not come from the verb hawa at all. [W]e may well hold that YHWH [...] is an old word of unknown origin which sounded something like what the verb hawa sounded in Moses' day. However, if the word were spelled with four letters in Moses' day, we would have expected it to have had more than two syllables, for at that period all the letters were sounded."
In other words, the name YHWH looks like a hybrid of times, as if it can not be localized but spans centuries of evolving grammar. Then it also looks very much as if it was derived of a verb that means to be, but which is spelled differently than the regular verb to be, and similarly to a verb that means something very bad. Perhaps all this confusion, or rather, this wide pallet of negotiations is what this Name most essentially conveys: existence in its broadest sense, yet unlike any regular human perspective; a blessing to the wise, but the undoing of the wicked.
On the other hand, perhaps the name YHWH means Tom, Dick or Harry in a language that has slipped out of the collective human consciousness and we are left with the echo's of a revelation that was as sincere and confidential as the word abba: daddy.
If God took so much stock in giving himself all these names and the almost impossiblity of knowing their exact meanings then maybe we should take a closer look at upgrading ours !
Thinking of changing your name now ?Read more…
