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Sunday Sermon: I won't BURN Quran US pastor says So why did you say so in the first place

Posted by 9jabook.com on September 11, 2010 at 6:05am
PH2010091102326.jpgNEW YORK: A US pastor, who had threatened to burn Quran, on Saturday said he never burn copies of the holy book, even if a mosque is built near ground zero in this America's commercial capital.

"We will definitely not burn the Quran, no," Pastor Terry Jones of Florida told NBC.

"Not today, not ever," he said when pressed whether his planned demonstration might happen at a later date.

He explained that it would not happen even if the Islamic center is built near ground zero, NBC reported.

"Even though we have not burned one Quran, we have gotten over 100 death threats," Jones said.

"We feel that God is telling us to stop, and we also hope that ... maybe that will open up the door to maybe be able to talk to the imam."

Jones had on Friday suspended his plans to burn copies of the Quran claiming that he received a pledge from a Florida Imam that the Islamic cultural center would be moved elsewhere.

However, the Imam refuted his claim and said the "deal" existed only in Jone's mind.

The pastor's threat to burn copies of the holy Quran had stirred outrage in Islamic world, with kings and presidents of Muslim nations joining hands to condemn his plans and asking US President Barack Obama to intervene to stop it.

Obama, on his part, said, the pastor's move could lead to "recruitment bonanza for al-Qaida."

In his Eid greetings, Obama said this year's Eid is also an occasion to reflect on the importance of religious tolerance and to recognise the positive role that religious communities of all faiths, including Muslims, have played in American life.

Non-Muslim nations have also condemned the pastor's plans. .


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IBB "bribes" Journalists

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on August 31, 2010 at 11:25pm

Five months ago, a friend of mine, who edits a national daily, sent me a text message agreeing substantially with my column, ‘The Punch and the rest of us’, except the generalised conclusion that “all (journalists) have sinned and fallen short of the glory of the profession”. There are still some journalists, he submits, who toe the narrow path of integrity. Of course I knew where he was coming from, but I also knew the context in which I had made that statement.

I revisit that statement in light of the stories spewing out of the political beat, specifically on the race for the 2011 presidential elections and how it affects the integrity of news.

As part of the effort to sell his candidature for the presidency, former military president, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) invited as many as 40 journalists to his Minna home on August 14 for an interview. I have heard questions asked about why he should invite journalists to his home instead of a public place if he didn’t have an ulterior motive, and why he should offer monetary gifts to the journalists in the name of paying for their transportation.

One news medium, which has championed this opposition in the open, is the online agency, Sahara Reporters. According to SR each of the journalists received N10 million for heeding Babangida’s call on his presidential ambition. That is N400 million just for one night’s interview from an aspirant yet to win his party’s nomination if it were true. But it was not. When some of the journalists complained about the fictional sum, SR changed the story on August 19, saying it was just “a paltry N250, 000 each”. Rather than admit its initial error SR simply said, “our accountants have told us that going by the number of 40 journalists in attendance, we are still around the same ballpark of N10 million”. So much for credible reporting!

Three days later, SR followed up with ‘IBB and his Rogue Journalists’, accusing the journalists of roguery and professional misconduct; roguery, because they collected money from two sources—their employers who presumably authorised and funded the trip and their news source, IBB; misconduct because it is unethical for them to demand/receive gratification from news sources for their services.

And on August 23 in ‘IBB Nocturnal Press Parley: Punch fires Editorial board Chairman’, SR stayed on top of the story by reporting that Adebolu Arowolo, editorial board chairman of the Punch, had lost his job for going on that trip without his management’s approval..

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Oil Spill in Naija Vs BP Oil Spills what is all the Fuss about that

Posted by 9jabook.com on June 18, 2010 at 3:30am
Weekend Trivia:KAITA(Noun/Verb): A man who single handedly hinder the hope of his country for reason best known to him. "Kaita" can be use in place of words like Jeopardy, Hinder, Sabotage, Disrupt, Antagonist, fool etc.
Example

Noun: IBB is a kaita, so is Ota boy. Verb: Don't kaita what we have been building for 11 yrs in one day." I like that girl, please don't be a Kaita" Or In a Foolish Person's Thought: We are winning 1 - 0, let me kaita this game, so that I can get a red card and my opponent can win.



BODO, Nigeria — Big oil spills are no longer news in this vast, tropical land. The Niger Delta, where the wealth underground is out of all proportion with the poverty on the surface, has endured the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez spill every year for 50 years by some estimates. The oil pours out nearly every week, and some swamps are long since lifeless.


Perhaps no place on earth has been as battered by oil, experts say, leaving residents here astonished at the nonstop attention paid to the gusher half a world away in the Gulf of Mexico. It was only a few weeks ago, they say, that a burst pipe belonging to Royal Dutch Shell in the mangroves was finally shut after flowing for two months: now nothing living moves in a black-and-brown world once teeming with shrimp and crab.

Not far away, there is still black crude on Gio Creek from an April spill, and just across the state line in Akwa Ibom the fishermen curse their oil-blackened nets, doubly useless in a barren sea buffeted by a spill from an offshore Exxon Mobil pipe in May that lasted for weeks.

The oil spews from rusted and aging pipes, unchecked by what analysts say is ineffectual or collusive regulation, and abetted by deficient maintenance and sabotage. In the face of this black tide is an infrequent protest — soldiers guarding an Exxon Mobil site beat women who were demonstrating last month, according to witnesses — but mostly resentful resignation.

Small children swim in the polluted estuary here, fishermen take their skiffs out ever farther — “There’s nothing we can catch here,” said Pius Doron, perched anxiously over his boat — and market women trudge through oily streams. “There is Shell oil on my body,” said Hannah Baage, emerging from Gio Creek with a machete to cut the cassava stalks balanced on her head.

That the Gulf of Mexico disaster has transfixed a country and president they so admire is a matter of wonder for people here, living among the palm-fringed estuaries in conditions as abject as any in Nigeria, according to the United Nations. Though their region contributes nearly 80 percent of the government’s revenue, they have hardly benefited from it; life expectancy is the lowest in Nigeria.

“President Obama is worried about that one,” Claytus Kanyie, a local official, said of the gulf spill, standing among dead mangroves in the soft oily muck outside Bodo. “Nobody is worried about this one. The aquatic life of our people is dying off. There used be shrimp. There are no longer any shrimp.”

In the distance, smoke rose from what Mr. Kanyie and environmental activists said was an illegal refining business run by local oil thieves and protected, they said, by Nigerian security forces. The swamp was deserted and quiet, without even bird song; before the spills, Mr. Kanyie said, women from Bodo earned a living gathering mollusks and shellfish among the mangroves.

With new estimates that as many as 2.5 million gallons of oil could be spilling into the Gulf of Mexico each day, the Niger Delta has suddenly become a cautionary tale for the United States.

As many as 546 million gallons of oil spilled into the Niger Delta over the last five decades, or nearly 11 million gallons a year, a team of experts for the Nigerian government and international and local environmental groups concluded in a 2006 report. By comparison, the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 dumped an estimated 10.8 million gallons of oil into the waters off Alaska.

So the people here cast a jaundiced, if sympathetic, eye at the spill in the gulf. “We’re sorry for them, but it’s what’s been happening to us for 50 years,” said Emman Mbong, an official in Eket.

The spills here are all the more devastating because this ecologically sensitive wetlands region, the source of 10 percent of American oil imports, has most of Africa’s mangroves and, like the Louisiana coast, has fed the interior for generations with its abundance of fish, shellfish, wildlife and crops.

Local environmentalists have been denouncing the spoliation for years, with little effect. “It’s a dead environment,” said Patrick Naagbanton of the Center for Environment, Human Rights and Development in Port Harcourt, the leading city of the oil region.

Though much here has been destroyed, much remains, with large expanses of vibrant green. Environmentalists say that with intensive restoration, the Niger Delta could again be what it once was.

Nigeria produced more than two million barrels of oil a day last year, and in over 50 years thousands of miles of pipes have been laid through the swamps. Shell, the major player, has operations on thousands of square miles of territory, according to Amnesty International. Aging columns of oil-well valves, known as Christmas trees, pop up improbably in clearings among the palm trees. Oil sometimes shoots out of them, even if the wells are defunct.

“The oil was just shooting up in the air, and it goes up in the sky,” said Amstel M. Gbarakpor, youth president in Kegbara Dere, recalling the spill in April at Gio Creek. “It took them three weeks to secure this well.”

How much of the spillage is due to oil thieves or to sabotage linked to the militant movement active in the Niger Delta, and how much stems from poorly maintained and aging pipes, is a matter of fierce dispute among communities, environmentalists and the oil companies.

Caroline Wittgen, a spokeswoman for Shell in Lagos, said, “We don’t discuss individual spills,” but argued that the “vast majority” were caused by sabotage or theft, with only 2 percent due to equipment failure or human error.

“We do not believe that we behave irresponsibly, but we do operate in a unique environment where security and lawlessness are major problems,” Ms. Wittgen said.

Oil companies also contend that they clean up much of what is lost. A spokesman for Exxon Mobil in Lagos, Nigel A. Cookey-Gam, said that the company’s recent offshore spill leaked only about 8,400 gallons and that “this was effectively cleaned up.”

But many experts and local officials say the companies attribute too much to sabotage, to lessen their culpability. Richard Steiner, a consultant on oil spills, concluded in a 2008 report that historically “the pipeline failure rate in Nigeria is many times that found elsewhere in the world,” and he noted that even Shell acknowledged “almost every year” a spill due to a corroded pipeline.

On the beach at Ibeno, the few fishermen were glum. Far out to sea oil had spilled for weeks from the Exxon Mobil pipe. “We can’t see where to fish; oil is in the sea,” Patrick Okoni said.

“We don’t have an international media to cover us, so nobody cares about it,” said Mr. Mbong, in nearby Eket. “Whatever cry we cry is not heard outside of here.”
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Saturday Panorama: 62 9ja Senators in faulty Plane to World Cup also Sa babes go topless for soccer (Image Advisory)

Posted by 9jabook.com on June 12, 2010 at 12:00am
Nigeria Vs Argentina Today At 3:00pm

The Super Eagles team that would come face to face against the Argentinian side this afternoon includes Enyeama, Odiah, Taiwo, Shittu, Yobo, Kaita, Etuhu, Obasi, Lukman, Aiyegbeni and Nsofor.

The match which is scheduled for 3:00pm today (Nigerian time)would take place at the Ellis Park in Johannesburg.




Main Article Comments:

Are these fo&^%£$*ols going to South Africa to draft bills? Is senate on recess? How can 62 out of 108 senators leave at the same time to go and jolly with Goodluck Jonathan in South Africa ? How many countries sent more than 6 senators to the world cup ?


Na! They ain't there for you, me or Jonathan. . . SA babes have been welcoming teams by displaying the lovely pointies God blessed them with.

What a mishap,so the plane didn't crash!
We would have been atleast 62 thieves less by now.

Main Article:

NFF sympathises with 62 Senators

NFF President Sani Lulu Abdullahi said on Friday that the Football Federation was grateful to God for sparing the lives of 62 Senators of the Federal Republic who were involved in a near mishap in Lagos on Thursday.

The lawmakers, according to reports, had chartered an aircraft from France for the flight to South Africa to support President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at Friday’s opening ceremony in Johannesburg, to which the Nigeria leader was invited by President Jacob Zuma.

However, their aircraft developed landing gear fault just after take-off at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, and the pilot had to return quickly to base to avert disaster.

“We have the Almighty God to thank for this. What would we have been saying? God is great and it is important that we always give Him thanks anytime things like this happen,” said Lulu Abdullahi.

The Senators eventually arrived and joined a strong Nigeria reception team for President Jonathan who arrived in Johannesburg at about 6.30 pm South African time on Thursday morning.


Other News: SA Goes Nude for World Cup
 Ooops! What an eye-catching scene over there in South Africa, venue of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off in less than 24 hours.
If you aren’t feeling the World Cup excitement yet, then the body language of thousands of South African ladies across the country readily puts you in great competition mood.
The babes are baring everything they have; their beauty, curves and poise all to make the visitors feel at home during the mundial.
While many say posing unclothed is a normal way of life amongst young South African ladies, some believe that the trend is restricted to the grossly under-developed areas of the former apartheid enclave. Whatever the insinuations, South Africans are already in a joyous celebration of their country’s readiness to host the world and they are not hiding it.



South African dancers cheer Chile's national football team before their friendly international against New Zealand at the Kanyamazane Stadium near Nelspruit yesterday, two days ahead of the start of the 2010 World Cup football tournament. AFP PHOTO



Only yesterday during the pre-World Cup friendly match between Chile and New Zealand, thousands of South Africans, including their ladies, stripped themselves unclothed and filed out to cheer the teams at the Kanyamazane Stadium, near Nelspruit.
The pretty damsels appeared happy to showoff their bodies as they danced around in Sandton, north of Johannesburg city centre, where a big party was held in anticipation of the beginning of the world showpiece.


Many of the ladies who spoke to international journalists say whatever they do is ‘for the good of the game’ and an honour for their nation. Reports say the presence of the ladies is not only felt on the streets of South Africa, some unsuspecting players are getting distracted, especially when the babes come around their training grounds and near their hotels. It was gathered that security personnel have been up and doing to ensure that the 32 teams, including the host, Bafana Bafana, are focused on the mundial, the first to be staged on Africa’s soil.
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And the Vice president is : The race for second place Must he be a Northerner ?

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on May 6, 2010 at 7:34pm

The race for the Vice-President’s position heated up yesterday, even as arrangements were made to lay the body of the former president to rest.PHOTO: NUHU RIBADU

It emerged yesterday that several groups used Mr. Yar’Adua’s burial as a forum to lobby and express interest in the job. Some of the groups who have started lobbying include the PDP, the northern political group, Arewa political forum, and the family of the deceased former president.

As many as 20 names were bandied about yesterday in the nation’s capital, and all the groups have drawn up shortlists which they will submit to the president.

Theophilus Danjuma, Yayale Ahmed, and Nuhu Ribadu have emerged as early favourites to be appointed vice president as early as next week. Other names that were rumoured were Aminu Masari, Nasir El-Rufai, Aliyu Gusau, Adamu Aliero, Bukola Saraki, and Isa Yuguda.

Theophilus Danjuma, a Christian northerner, would be a surprise choice, given that he prefers to be more of a kingmaker. He has certainly earned the president’s trust after he was named chair of the presidential advisory board.

Yayale Ahmed, the secretary general of the federation, has played a pivotal role in the transition of power to Goodluck Jonathan. He would be seen as a safe pair of hands to steady the ship over the next twelve months.

During Yar’Adua’s three month visit to Saudi, Yayale largely handled the administration of state affairs in the late president’s absence.

Nuhu Ribadu would be a populist choice and NEXT has exclusively reported that he was already earmarked for a role in Jonathan’s administration.

The intention had been to appoint him as a special adviser on anti-corruption, but the dynamics of power have changed in the past 48 hours. Widely seen as an incorruptible individual, his presence in the vice-president’s position would considerably raise the nation’s profile internationally. Furthermore, he would no longer have the stigma of a court case hanging over him, as the federal government officially withdrew all charges against him a few days ago.

The recently returned Nasir El-Rufai would also be a widely accepted pick. Unlike Ribadu however, he must still contend with charges brought against him by the EFCC if he is to realistically stand a chance. The former FCT minister has remained coy about his political ambitions over the next year, but has firmly stated that he would return in some capacity.

Aliyu Gusau has been more overt about his intentions for higher office, but he lost out to Yar’Adua in 2007 after contesting for president. He was surprisingly appointed National Security Adviser by Jonathan in February, and many saw that as a stepping stone to the vice presidency, and to something ultimately higher. At 68, Mr. Gusau is a shrewd politician and would fit in to the role with aplomb.

The Yar’Adua family is believed to have nominated the Bauchi state governor, Isa Yuguda, but his chances are not believed to be particularly good.

The former speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari, is a dark horse in the race, but certainly has the credentials to be considered. Another Obasonjo confidante, Mr. Masari has been a very vocal champion of electoral reform, a key policy in Jonathan’s fledgling administration. A Katsina State indigene, he is one of the suspended members of the PDP reform forum and had a poor relationship with Yar’Adua.

Mr.Saraki, a member of the Governors’ Forum, has long harboured ambitions for the presidency and this may be an opportunity for him to fulfil his ambition. The Kwara State governor has done some noteworthy things during his tenure, but Mr. Jonathan will be wary of the power that the Governors’ Forum wields.

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US, UK, EU place visa ban on Yar'Adua's men

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on March 1, 2010 at 12:11am
US, UK, EU place visa ban on Yar'Adua's men *President's aides' names compiled by global anti-money laundering body *UK envoy, Jonathan in strategic closed door meeting
Written by Taiwo Adisa
Monday, March 1, 2010

TOP officials of Western powers, including the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom, (UK), Canada and the European Union (EU), have given clear indications to the Nigerian government that they are placing visa restrictions on aides of ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua, who are believed to be



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orchestrating political confusion that could endanger Nigeria's democracy.

In separate representations to Acting President Goodluck Jonathan in the last one week, sources confirmed that the Western authorities have also compiled names of such "trouble makers" in the country and forwarded same to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global anti-money laundering body, for the investigation of their alleged stupendous wealth.

Sources close to the administration confirmed to the Nigerian Tribune that while some of the Western governments made representation to the Nigerian authorities through their ambassadors in Nigeria, others actually sent special envoys.

It was gathered that a special envoy of the UK government actually met with the acting president behind closed doors on Saturday.

A source said that the delegation also included the UK Ambassador in Nigeria, Mr Bob Dewar, who led the team with a special message to the acting president.

Though the meeting was held behind closed doors, a source close to the government said that the discussions centred on how to stabilise the Nigerian democracy.

It was gathered that the UK government had, on its own, identified those described as 'trouble makers' in Nigeria, who are regarded as orchestrating political confusion in the country.

The acting president was told that, henceforth, such persons would be placed under scrutiny in the UK and that their names were being forwarded to the FATF.

It was gathered that while some of those involved have only earned salaries all their life, their offshore accounts are fatter than those of well known businessmen.

Sources said that there was the suspicion in the Western countries that some of those who have earned illicit funds could be willing tools and agents of terrorism.

It was also gathered that these Western governments were ready to seize assets of any of the targeted officials which could not be defended.

"There could be the likelihood of prosecutions at the end of the day but I guess they came early to inform the Nigerian authorities such that it will not be news to them when some Nigerians start facing serious times in the Western countries," a source said.

It was learnt that the Western countries are seriously seeking the intervention of FATF to isolate the channels by which the said officials moved huge sums from Nigeria in recent years.

"They decided to inform Nigeria early enough because they would require the cooperation of the Nigerian authorities," a source said.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister, Mr. Gordon Brown, has written to Dr. Jonathan, expressing the support of his administration for the Nigerian leader and listing areas the two countries need to urgently collaborate.

The letter, dated February 26, 2010 and signed by the Prime Minister, stated the support of the UK's government to Jonathan's commitment to the fight against corruption and finding a lasting solution to the problems of the Niger Delta.

Brown welcomed the inaugural speech by Jonathan on February 9, stating that the UK was ready to continue to partner Nigeria on the path of progress.

Some of the priority areas the UK hoped Jonathan would concentrate on and further collaborate with the West included the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Niger Delta, electoral reform, the fight against corruption and the fight against international terrorism.

The letter reads: "I am writing to congratulate you on taking up your new role as Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"As you know, we firmly believe that principles of abiding by the constitution, together with democratic values, non-violence and the rule of law are fundamental to resolving political and constitutional issues. I commend the efforts made by the Executive Council of the Federation, the National Assembly and the Executive to promote a peaceful and democratic solution to the recent uncertainty.


"The UK has long been a committed friend and partner of Nigeria and have continued to give strong and constructive support during the recent difficult weeks. I welcomed the commitments you made in your address to the nation and would strongly support you on the need for electoral reform and democra-tisation, tackling corruption and bringing peace and stability to the Niger Delta..

"We face joint challenges internationally, including in the fight against global terrorism. We remain committed to help you tackle poverty and make real progress towards the MDGs. I hope we can work together on these and other issues.

"I also look forward to working with you closely on the UN Security Council. We hope that you will be able to support strong UN action in response to Iran's failure to address international concerns over its nuclear programme and its breach of five UNSCRs.

"We remain committed to help you tackle poverty and make real progress towards the MDGs, in particular I hope we can work together to support the 1-Goal campaign and education for all in advance of the South African World Cup this year. I hope we can work together on these and other issues.

"We extend wishes for President Yar'Adua's recovery and I look forward to meeting you in the not too distant future.

Yours Sincerely,

Gordon Brown.
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