WHY (15)

jpeg&STREAMOID=Kwd73E46001hgIa4BIXJNy6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxRSIMcvEUcxp$ZU8UhzjpyanW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-&width=300Oronto Douglas, the special assistant to the president on strategy, expresses optimism that his boss has done enough to win.

Why Jonathan deserves the votes of Nigerians

Because his story is one that most Nigerians can relate to. It is also one that best illustrates the positive attributes of this nation. He never had opportunity of shoes when he was going to school, just like millions of Nigerians. He had no school bag to put his school notes in. He had to trek kilometres to get to school. Yet he never despaired, in his words. He showed fortitude, like millions of ordinary Nigerians. There are problems besetting Nigerians, but they continue to strive to better their individual lots. So a man of that pedigree, who did not allow the circumstance of his youth to stop him from achieving his goals in life, represents the best aspiration of Nigerians. Of course, he also enjoys the support of God, without which most of his achievements would not have been possible..

There has been a visible hand of God in Jonathan’s life. I think 99.9 percent of Nigerians can identify with that. He is a president that every household can look up to and be filled with hope, that their child who is today selling akara or carrot can tomorrow be president of the country. Mr. Jonathan has also promised to make sure that the infrastructure that will make that possible is put in place in the next four years that he will be in power. His emergence has rewritten the story of who can lead Nigeria. He has shown that Nigeria is a nation for all, rather than for a section or a clique. I also think if you give Nigeria to people who will sell the destiny of the country, then we will be in bigger trouble. The president has consistently said all he has is in Nigeria. He schooled in Nigeria and his children are being schooled in Nigeria. This is not to disparage those who schooled abroad, but it is where your heart is that you will defend at all cost. So in terms of commitment, I can confidently say there are few Nigerians as devoted to this country as President Jonathan. I respect all the other presidential [candidates], but we are saying at this time in our history, this man that has been in office for the past nine months and has laid out plans to rescue the nation is best placed to execute the plan and that man is President Jonathan.

Friction within the PDP following the primaries

The PDP is seen by many as a party whose ticket is halfway to getting to office. But people should know that this is a new PDP, where the most popular and competent candidates are picked to run elections. However, in places where there are constitutional issues, the strategy that President Jonathan and the PDP are adopting is dialogue. I can tell you that with respect to Ogun State, there was a time the president did not sleep for two days. He held meetings with the Jubril Martins Kuye and Gbenga Daniel groups and, at a point, brought all of them together at the Villa. The president is a man of peace and always tells people, “I have no enemies to fight. I want all of us to work together.” You remember that after presidential primaries, which he won, he still went out of his way to drive to Adamu Ciroma’s house to have a discussion with a view to keeping the party together. His view was that a statesman of Ciroma’s stature cannot be ignored. He also wants to be president of all, not president of a section or region.

Criticism of president’s ‘rascal’ comment

In the statement, the president praised southwesterners for their sophistication and high level of education. If a statement regarding that is being taken out of context and used for political purpose, it is unfortunate. The President, as a true statesman would came out to say, ‘I take responsibility for this statement, I offer my sincere regrets in this regard, that what I meant is to celebrate the excellence, greatness and leadership of South-West people. It is unfortunate that one or two individuals are appropriating it and pushing it to mean insulting the most educated and sophisticated people. The president will never insult his elders and leaders. If you knew the president well, he always answers ‘sir’ to anyone who is older than him. He will never insult the elders, leaders and people of the South-West. Take note that the president is educated, he did his NYSC in the South-West, has friends from the South-West and is one person who never forgets. Some of those he did youth service with from the South-West are now working with him.

The scanty crowd at the presidential Kaduna rally

My observation is that the crowd in Kaduna had been sitting there from 7am. As at the time the President and the dignitaries arrived, people were very tired. Take note, they were zonal rallies and most of the people had to return to their homes. People came from Sokoto, Kebbi and Kano and I believe that in a place like that, it is like what happened in Port Harcourt, when the occasion ended, people wanted to go back to their buses and travel. So, if the day is getting dark, you will want to get back home. The zonal rally was organised by the zonal coordinator who is from Kastina. The president won 53 percent of the votes of the North-West delegates at the PDP rally. He may have lost in some states, but he won with 53 percent over all, meaning that he had overwhelming support of the people. Democracy is about majority. At the election proper, what the president needs is 25 percent and he got more than that in majority of these states. Ordinary people in the North-West love Jonathan. Why would they not love him? He relates with them.

Challenges of the northwest for PDP

Every other candidate has work to do in every zone. Buhari has work to do in the South-West. He has work to do in the South-East, South-West and in the North-Central, North-East and North-West. Is it everybody in the North-West that loves Buhari? Nuhu Ribadu has work to do in every single zone. So, the challenges are challenges that are not restricted to one person. Let me just say that we have a lot of people who will like to identify with the president, his history and all that.

Alleged poor performance of the PDP in the last 12 years

The president came to transform Nigeria. We believe the place to start is transforming the PDP and the president has started that work. The PDP as a party has been in office for close to 12 years. There are perceptions about the PDP that may not be salutary to Nigerians. However, the determination of President Jonathan is to transform all aspects of our lives. The opposition has been very careful not to attack President Jonathan as a person. So they have been attacking the PDP. Well, if I was working for the opposition, I would probably adopt that strategy because Jonathan is popular with the Nigerian people. So he is fully aware that the PDP will be attacked and at some point the opposition will also attack him. Look at the statement he made in Ibadan, for example, that was blown out of proportion. I am a beneficiary of Obafemi Awolowo’s free education. If I am advising the president, would I tell him to do anything against the South-West? The president did his NYSC in the Southwest and has a lot of friends in the zone. Would he now do anything against the people?

The alleged mismanagement of the economy by the federal government

The President has been in the office for nine months. He promised what we call the three Es. He looked at Electoral reform, Electricity and Energy security. He believed there cannot be good government if you do not have constitutional and robust process for selecting the leaders who will govern the country. In practical terms of electoral reforms, he decided, ‘let us practicalise what we are preaching.’ When the first bye-election came up in the Edo Central, he said it was one of the first test of free and fair elections. He told INEC and security agencies that what he wanted was one man, one vote; one woman, one vote; one youth, one vote. The president insisted on free and fair election and the ACN won. Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole flew from Benin to Abuja to congratulate and thank the president for standing on the rule of law and insisting on free and fair election. That is the benchmark for this election.

On energy security, it is important that we note that before now, people stay on the queue for hours, while some people sleep overnight in filling stations. People were sleeping three days, three nights in filling stations. Now, that is a thing of the past. Secondly, the same amount you pay for a litre of fuel you buy in Lagos is what you are going to pay if you buy in Maidugiri. There has also been improvement in power generation and this will continue to be improved upon over time.

Read more…

12166298090?profile=originalwhat if my girl was called aharit instead of arit



My girl has always been my closest friend but not one day has she ever told me her

real name . She said her name is arit and many times i go Aight ? and she says Right

. Not one day has she dared to put it all together and say AHARIT !

I wondered why she would never tell me her real name . I wondered not for long as I

asked her to marry me . to which she immediately agreed . She had been waiting for

this for ages .


Now we are about to get married it is just a few days or even weeks away .



And I asked her for the last time What is your name Arit

And she said AHARIT and I looked at her and understood . AHA RIGHT !


He sold his birthright for a meal of porridge He ignored the 'Aharit' . That which

comes After . Show me Temptations and I will ask for the AHARIT .

Now we shall soon be together for ever even after the AHARIT !

 

Happy Valentine

 

Ephesians 4:2


Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Read more…

50093_594750933_2799179_n.jpgThere are many stories in the bible that have become so popular among believers and unbelievers, to name a few Jonah and the whale, David and Goliath, Joseph and the colourful coat. The one that caught my attention this time was Noah and the Ark as i was read the story in Genesis 6 a few of the verses ministered to me. verse 9 says " This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man THE ONLY BLAMELESS person living on EARTH at the time and he walked in close fellowship with God". People this man was the ONLY blameless person on earth, now i thought of the world today it will be hard to find one blameless person in a family of four. I know it might sound funny, but it's the truth.

The world we have today no one wants to be the ONLY ONE when it comes to things that are righteous or holy. They are scared of been called names like slacker, I too know , sister/brother holier than thou and as the Nigerians will say over sabi or mugu ! We seem to forget that the only reason we talk about Noah today is because he was the ONLY ONE...

So why can’t you be the ONLY ONE

Among your friends/family/colleagues that decides to earn a honest living instead of duping people (yahoo yahoo/419)


Among your friends/family/colleagues that decides to wait till you get married before you sleep with that wife/husband


Among your friends/family/colleagues that remains faithful to that wife/husband that you asked God to give you


Among your friend/family/colleagues that decides to honour the vow you made to God/spouse instead of divorce


Among your friends/family/colleagues that decides to honour their father and mother no matter what


Among your friends/family/colleagues to tell the truth no matter


Among your friends/family/colleagues not to steal no matter the situation you find yourself


Among your friends/family/colleagues to enter/end a business transaction with integrity


Among your friends/family/colleagues to be forgiving because you know YOU have been forgiven so many times.

I say this because I myself never wanted to be the ONLY ONE, the world makes us feel out of place when we are the only ones, but really we have to put an END to it and realise that we are UNIQUE when we choose to be the only ones and it really is not a bad thing like the world is trying to make it seem it has its great rewards, we do not have to be part of the craze going on at the moment the divorce rate sky rocketing, adultery, fornication, killing, hatred all on the rise, all because people want to be part of it and not left behind on the trend. Forgetting that they will be left behind if they continue the way they do when our Saviour comes.

When Noah decided to be the ONLY ONE he was not disappointed and God never let him down, in fact he had what I will call extended favour, this is the favour that you posses that is then extended to your loved ones that probably don’t deserve that favour, think about it the Word did not say Noah and his family were blameless, he had 3 sons named Shem, Ham and Japheth the Word does not say they too were blameless, but when you go to chapter 9 it says " then God blessed Noah and his sons" extended favour and blessing, be careful what you decide to do now or decisions you make because they might have a negative effect on your generation. We need to make right decisions NOW so our generation will blessed by it.

Please have a think about it today and I pray as we do we all become ONLY ONES like Noah.

Have a blessed weekend people

Ese signing out.

Read more…
Actress Mercy Johnson who was reportedly in a showdown with her older colleague, Patience Ozokwor on location in Asaba few weeks back, has blamed her uncontrollable outburst on Ozokwor’s repeated utterances referring to her as an ‘ashawo’- a hoochie.
In a telephone interview, Mercy recounted her side of the story. She noted that Patience Ozokwor was given a revealing clothe to wear on that location, apparently to depict a character in the movie that was in the making and Patience allegedly refused the outfit, stating that she is not Mercy Johnson, not an ‘ashawo’.
“I’m not a love-peddler. I don’t like the name. I told her I didn’t like it”. According to her, the faceoff was escalated when Mama Gee refused to stop calling her by unpleasant name..
By last week, there were unconfirmed reports that the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) might take a disciplinary action against Mercy Johnson and Patience Ozokwor but when we contacted the AGN president, Segun Arinze via SMS, he simply stated that the issue has been sorted out in-house..
The text message read “Hello sir, I just want to know if the AGN is taking any disciplinary action against Mercy Johnson and Patience Ozokwor”.
“No it’s sorted out. Thanks”, he replied. Arinze would not comment further.
Arinze, sources said, has instructed both parties not to make any further comments on the matter.
Read more…

What Naija Girls Must Know About Violence Love

Violence love is never new to us. It happens every day with all kind of people. Violence in any form isn’t love it’s just to maneuver you. It has the possibility of killing somebody even if the person never meant to kill.You can even notice more signs as time goes on for example short signs of bad-tempered envy, endless phone call or an enquiry to know your whereabouts and who you go out with every time. Initially, you have a sense of pride that you are desired and wanted.Violence love is quite devastating; victims of such relationships are either dead or end up in hospital. Just as you think, nobody has ever taken it seriously. Nobody believes violence love would ever happen to him or her. It’s dangerous for you to involve in any form of violence love.The more time you spend in violence love the more deadly it becomes. It’s better imagined than experienced because you think the one you truly love will change. Except you walk out of violence love your partner may not change because habits are die hardNkechi, a 20 year old undergraduate once said, “Prince’s name rings bell in campus. I never knew why he prefers me to other girls because he’s rich; He rented a house for me and furnished it, lavished me with money and made me feel unique. Not quite long, four months to be correct he suddenly changed. He started calling me names and seriously warned me never to give any guy my attention. I couldn’t believe him till the day he threatened to kill me with his gun if I ever thought of leaving him.According to John Dobson in his book; Love must be tough, girls must be tough too with love. It doesn’t mean you should be strict in relationship no! It simply means that those real instances of abuse that threatens relationships must be noticed and promptly dealt with within the context of love.If violence is not quickly dealt with in relationship, Partners may one day use “violence means” at the slightest disagreement to settle differences. The earlier the better, or else those violence acts will become habit that is difficult to break!
Read more…
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. .


Read more…

Research has consistently found that people who don't drink actually tend to die sooner than those who do. A newpaper suggests that abstainers' mortality rates are actually higher thanthose of heavy drinkers.

Even after controlling for many possible variables, such as socioeconomic status, level of physical activity, and number of closefriends, the researchers found that over a 20-year period, mortalityrates were highest for those who had never been drinkers.

One reason for this may be that low levels of ethanol in your bloodstream will prevent the formation of formaldehyde from dietarymethanol. In fact, ethanol is used as the preferred antidote foraccidental methanol poisoning in an emergency for this reason.

Time Magazine reports:

“The authors of the new paper are careful to note that even if drinking is associated with longer life, it can be dangerous: it canimpair your memory severely and it can lead to nonlethal falls and othermishaps”.

Sources:


Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Follow me on twitterFollow me on facebook

This is not the first time we’ve been told that drinking alcohol is actually good for you. What’s surprising however, not to mentionpotentially troublesome, are the scientific claims that moderate andeven heavy drinking is beneficial – in this case, more beneficial for your longevity than abstaining from alcohol entirely!

It’s difficult to reconcile this claim with everything we already know about the devastating health effects of excessive alcoholconsumption and the fact that ethyl alcohol is neurotoxic..

However, I will offer one potential explanation for this oxymoron a bit later in this article.

Moderate Drinkers Live Longer than Non-Drinkers, Study Finds

According to the recent study published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Research, epidemiological research suggests that moderate to high alcohol consumption is associated with areduced overall mortality risk compared to non- and light drinkers.

Their study included over 1,800 people, aged 55 to 65 when the study began. Sixty-nine percent of the participants were men. The subjectswere followed for 20 years.

Surprisingly, the group with the lowest mortality rate was moderate drinkers, who had one to three alcoholic drinks per day, followed by heavy drinkers, and then light drinkers, while non-drinkers had the highest mortality rate of them all.

The study states:

“Controlling only for age and gender, compared to moderate drinkers, abstainers had a more than 2 times increased mortality risk,heavy drinkers had 70% increased risk, and light drinkers had 23%increased risk.

A model controlling for former problem drinking status, existing health problems, and key sociodemographic and social-behavioral factors,as well as for age and gender, substantially reduced the mortalityeffect for abstainers compared to moderate drinkers.

However, even after adjusting for all covariates, abstainers and heavy drinkers continued to show increased mortality risks of 51 and45%, respectively, compared to moderate drinkers.”

Time Magazine writes that “moderate alcohol use (especially when the beverage of choice isred wine) is thought to improve heart health, circulation andsociability.”

But is that enough to explain these findings?

I believe it’s unwise to ignore the big picture when it comes to health, and when it comes to alcohol, I’m just not convinced that thepotential benefits outweigh all the risks, particularly when it comes tohaving multiple drinks per day.

So I hope these latest findings will not be used as justification to further promote a dangerous and health-damaging habit that can easilylead to alcoholism.

The Health Hazards of Alcohol

Before we get into the potential benefits, it’s important to realize that alcohol is a neurotoxin that can poison your brain. It can alsodisrupt your hormonal balance, which could potentially explain why womendo not appear to reap the same health benefits from alcohol consumptionas men do.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, “moderate” consumption for women is just one drink per day, whereas“moderate” consumption for men is two drinks. Hence, women who consumetwo to three drinks a day will actually fall into the category of“heavy” drinkers.

Another important consideration is that wine or other alcoholic beverages will increase your insulin levels, which will eventually have a negative impact on your health. As I’ve stated on many previous occasions, insulin resistance is a hallmark of nearly every chronic disease there is.

Heavy drinkers also face increased risk of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cirrhosis of the liver.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, women who drink two or more drinks a day increase their risk of breast cancer by more than 40 percent!

Other types of cancer linked to excessive alcohol consumption include cancer of the:

  • Mouth, larynx and esophagus
  • Liver
  • Colon
  • Pancreas
  • Lungs

Alcohol consumption also inhibits your body’s natural stress response by reducing a key stress hormone, known as corticotropin-releasingfactor (CRF). CRF is produced by your hypothalamus and helps triggeryour body's reaction to stress.

If your stress response is impaired, your immune system will also be inhibited, which can have any number of health implications, from reducing your ability to fight infections to increasing your cancer risk.

Alcohol also clearly needs to be avoided during pregnancy.

Beyond Resveratrol – Explaining the Health Benefits of Alcohol

One of the most widely accepted health benefits of alcohol comes from resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red wine, which acts as a:

  • Cancer-preventing agent
  • Blood thinner
  • Vaso-expanding agent
  • Blood pressure lowering compound
  • Anti-aging chemical

But resveratrol cannot explain the health benefits ascribed to the moderate consumption of other types of alcohol (ethanol).

Interestingly, research into ethanol’s impact on dietary methanol may offer clues that could potentially rival the late breaking science into fructose and its devastating impact on health.

One possible explanation for why mortality rates are higher for non-drinkers may be that low levels of ethanol (alcohol) in yourbloodstream helps prevent the formation of formaldehyde from dietarymethanol. (In fact, ethanol is used as the preferred antidote foraccidental methanol poisoning in an emergency for this reason.)

What is dietary methanol and how could this possibly have ANY significance?

New Concern in Your Food: Wood Alcohol (Methanol)

Fresh fruits and vegetables contain small amounts of naturally-occurring methanol, and the artificial sweetener aspartameconverts into methanol in your body.

Normally this is not a problem as the methanol is typically bound to pectin, and since your body has no enzyme to metabolize that bond it issimply excreted in your stool and none of the methanol is absorbed intoyour body.

However, the problem occurs when you can or bottle fruit- or vegetable juice, as the methanol tends to then dissociate from thepectin into free methanol, which you do absorb.

The methanol you absorb readily passes the blood brain barrier where it can be converted to form formaldehyde, which is a potent toxin thatactually causes most of the damage.

Why Ethanol May Protect You From Methanol

An exciting paper that delves into this topic is food scientist Woody Monte’s “Methanol: A chemical Trojan horse as the root of the inscrutable U,” published in the March, 2010 issue of Medical Hypotheses.

In it, he explains that:

Very low levels of ethanol in your bloodstream would substantively prevent all formaldehyde production from dietary methanolanywhere in the body.

Protection from formaldehyde production may account for the yet unexplained dose region of apparent improvement in the U-shapedcurve of alcohol consumption.

Epidemiologic studies show moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction, dementia,lupus, and other diseases of civilization.

Low doses of ethanol appear to provide a preventative measure against the causes of diseases of civilization.

Recent studies of individuals who consumed at least one alcoholic drink per day show subjects had an additional 86 percent reduction inrisk of myocardial infarction if they were genetically endowed with agenotype of ADH I that was 2.5 times slower to metabolize ethanol thanthe control.

These findings were ‘‘consistent with the hypothesis that a slower rate of clearance of alcohol enhances the beneficial effect ofmoderate alcohol consumption on the risk of cardiovascular disease.””

It is important to understand that the primary treatment for methanol poisoning in the emergency room is to give them ethanol, for thereasons described above.

The ethanol will preferentially be broken down before the methanol. The methanol then remains unmetabolized, and in its base form it isrelatively nontoxic. It’s becomes a problem when your body breaks itdown to formaldehyde.

So while your body is breaking down the ethanol it has enough time to breathe out the methanol unchanged in your lungs and excrete itunchanged in your urine.

A Little Alcohol Might Be Good, But More is Definitely Dangerous

As I mentioned earlier, if this theory is correct, it could rival the scientific findings on fructose in terms of importance, and couldexplain not only the health benefits of low-to moderate alcoholconsumption, but also how aspartame affects some people more negativelythan others.

It may still be too early to draw definitive conclusions, but the arguments are compelling and I’ll be following this line of researchwith great interest in the years to come.

In his paper, Dr. Monte continues to connect the dots and shows how greater alcohol consumption ceases to be beneficial at a certain point, and instead starts to take its toll on your health:

“A compelling explanation of the dose region of adverse effects of the U-shaped curve with high ethanol consumption, which shows increased risk of these same diseases, could be themechanism by which humans habituate to high consumption of ethanol.

The induction of the P450 hepatic microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system results in a considerably higher clearance rate of ethanol fromthe bloodstream for an extended period of time, thus accounting for moreconsumption leading to statistically less time of protection.

Small amounts of supplemental alcohol not sufficient to induce P450 might be expected to prolong the residence time and avoid gaps inthe protection afforded by ethanol in preventing methanol-placedformaldehyde. “

P450 is a class, or family, of liver enzymes whose main functions include catalyzing the metabolism of drugs and the oxidation of organicsubstances.

In simplistic terms, higher alcohol consumption sends this system into high gear, and starts clearing ethanol from your system.

Again, a simplified explanation for how you become a habitual drinker (which also tends to lead to drinking increasing amounts of alcohol) isthat the more you drink, the more efficient this ethanol-clearingsystem becomes, and you begin to be able to drink more before you noticethe effects of the alcohol.

What this all means is that in order for the alcohol to provide you with the health benefit of preventing formaldehyde formation, it must below enough to not activate the P450 system.

Hence you get a U-shaped curve, where low- to moderate alcohol consumption gives you increasing amounts of health benefits, until youreach the “threshold,” at which point the more you drink, the more harmit causes.

It’s important to realize that formaldehyde is a class 1 carcinogen and a mutagen, and in the form of methanol, it can easily be transportedthroughout your entire body and brain.

Wherever you have a lot of ADH1 (the enzyme metabolizes methanol to formaldehyde), such as in your brain, methanol can be particularlytroublesome.

But as long as there’s just enough ethanol in your system to keep the methanol moving along, without ever being metabolized to formaldehyde,no damage is caused.

It’s worth noting here also that the average person typically has some naturally-occurring ethanol in their system, as it is also created through the fermentation process in your gut.

However, the addition of small amounts of ethanol in the form of alcohol may be able to more fully prevent formaldehyde from forming,which could explain why low- to moderate alcohol consumption appears tobe even more healthful than total abstinence…

How Can You Get the Same Benefits Without Drinking Alcohol?

It is not my recommendation to start drinking alcohol or to use this information as a justification to continue drinking alcohol. I am notconvinced it is physiologically beneficial for you in the long run.

The purpose of running this article was to merely inform you of a recent appreciation of methanol toxicity, and how ethanol can interactwith it. If this theory is true then the primary benefit of usingethanol would be to prevent methanol from converting to formaldehyde.

So what is the main source of methanol in your diet?

Remember that fresh fruits and vegetables have it but it’s harmless if you eat them fresh, as the methanol is then bound to pectin andcannot dissociate and cause you harm.

They key is to avoid ALL canned (or bottled) fruit or vegetable juices as they will have free methanol. Another large source of freemethanol would be aspartame which is 11 percent methanol by weight.

So if this theory is correct, you would likely receive very little benefit from consuming ethanol if you just avoid canned fruits andvegetables and asparatame….....

Do You Drink Too Much?

It’s dangerous to place too much weight on recommendations that include imbibing alcohol on a regular basis. And even if you do takethat recommendations to heart, it’s important to remember that healthbenefits have ONLY been found in people who drink small amounts ofalcohol on a daily basis, NOT a week’s worth of alcohol over theweekend...

This fact also further strengthens the theory that the benefit is derived from having low amounts of ethanol circulating almostcontinuously, or at least regularly, through your system, keepingformaldehyde from forming and doing any damage.

Unfortunately, alcohol abuse is a major problem in most countries, so I certainly hope you will not use this information as an excuse to hitthe bottle every day.

Most alcohol misuse and abuse stems from deep emotional challenges. Addressing these issues at a deep level is imperative to avoid thenegative health consequences--both physical and mental--that inevitablyresult from excessive drinking.

The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can be helpful if this is an issue for you. This psychologicalacupressure technique is routinely used in my clinic and it works betterthan any other traditional or alternative method I am currently awareof.

However, if you try the technique yourself and find that you are not improving, consider consulting a trained EFT therapist to facilitate theprocess. You can find a list of qualified EFT practitioners near you atthis link. For more information, feel free to review Pat Carrington’s site TappingCentral.

Read more…

IBB "bribes" Journalists

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..

Read more…
This is for the bobos who might have dated a babe that had it going on as in well loaded and beautiful and she blew his mind. She is a winner and he knew it. He dated her for a while and then suddenly her phone calls slowed down, visits started to slow up as well. Finally, she disappeared as if she were a wet dream that never happened. Here are 5 reasons why you were not hubby material and she had to hammer at you with a six inch nail. Sure we might let you take us out a time or two but we will never, and I repeat never be a couple. Think of it in the same way that men do. When they deal with a woman they decide how far they want the relationship to go. They may feel that she is not of wifey caliber. Sure he might still have sex with her but he will never take her seriously.



The disappointing aspect is that many of these guys do have some kind of potential. They really do. But it would take a life time and a lot of blood sweat and tears to dig it out of them. Who the hell has time for that? Not a woman with a good head on her shoulders and much more to offer than her fat ass. “Well , why even deal with him at all then?” Well there a lot of reasons why women deal with men who they would never date seriously. They could just want male companionship, he could be yummy eye candy, or the sex could be ridiculously, orgasmically good. Yep. It is that kind of party. Finally, finding compatibility, love and dating is a dirty game. It is never a clear and easy path for either sexes. That is only for the movies. Grab hold of my hand precious. S**t is about to get real people…...

1. You Have No Life Plan

A chick with a good head on her shoulder does not need and damn sure shouldn’t want a man with no plans for the future, no visions and thinks life is but a dream or even worse. A party. You might slow up her grind. That is something that she cannot risk. So sure, we might hang here and there, but you will never be daddy. TGIF is your life plan

2. You Lack Maturity

This is for the guys who you might deal with here and there and every time you talk to them, they are STILL on the same crap that they were on when you talked to them a year ago. There are no new developments in his personal life, business-wise or internally. The problem with him is that he is not necessarily a bad guy but he still walks around like its 1999 and he is still 18 years old. He lacks maturity and refuses to grow. What a bore.

:

3. I think you are a Dog

I know that the rules differ for men and that most men are more experienced than their girl but if I get the sense that you are an all out slut basket and would bone my Mom if she threw it at you, then I will never let you put your penis inside me. Meanwhile, you can still take me out to dinner a few times. Yeah I know it sounds mean but hell, a sista gotta eat.

4. I think You Are Dumb

So sad. A lot of attractive guys are not that smart. The issue is that they focus too much time on their outer appearance and not enough time on their inner growth. Sure they may stimulate me physically but beyond that, there is not even a fizzle. I hate being on a date with a guy and having to dumb it down as Lupe Fiasco would say. Why? For the sake of you and I communicating? If I speak too educated, or talk about topics other than rap, or basic hood living then it will go over your head. Dumbing yourself down for the sake of a man is exhausting! I have tried! Frankly, no one’s love is worth you not being you. My advice is that if you have to deal with a dumb guy because he is just too tasty not to, know that he is as dumb as a box of rocks and go in with the intention that things will not go farther than a few dates. Beauty is temporary but dumb is forever. A lot of what makes an already physically attractive man even more attractive is his conversation. Challenge me mentally.

5. All You Have To Offer Is Sex

The sex might be fun for a while for the both of us, but when I am ready to settle down, and find my hubby and or future husband you will not be in my choices. It is already clear to me that your biggest asset is between your legs. Although that might have a chick head sprung for a short time, it will not be enough to keep her.


8 Dating Turn Offs That Men Do Dating Your Friends Ex tell us what you think
! Men Tell us what you think for our next article !
Read more…

The last few weeks have been a nightmare for President Obama, in a summer of discontent in the United States which has deeply unsettled the ruling liberal elites, so much so that even the Left has begun to turn against the White House. While the anti-establishment Tea Party movement has gained significant ground and is now a rising and powerful political force to be reckoned with, many of the president’s own supporters as well as independents are rapidly losing faith in Barack Obama, with open warfare breaking out between the White House and the left-wing of the Democratic Party. While conservatism in America grows stronger by the day, the forces of liberalism are growing increasingly weaker and divided.

Against this backdrop, the president’s approval ratings have been sliding dramatically all summer, with the latest Rasmussen Daily Presidential Tracking Poll of US voters dropping to minus 22 points, the lowest point so far for Barack Obama since taking office. While just 24 per cent of American voters strongly approve of the president’s job performance, almost twice that number, 46 per cent, strongly disapprove. According to Rasmussen, 65 per cent of voters believe the United States is going down the wrong track, including 70 per cent of independents.

obamasings1.jpg

The RealClearPolitics average of polls now has President Obama at over 50 per cent disapproval, a remarkably high figure for a president just 18 months into his first term. Strikingly, the latest USA Today/Gallup survey has the President on just 41 per cent approval, with 53 per cent disapproving.

Related link: The Obama presidency increasingly resembles a modern-day Ancien Régime

There are an array of reasons behind the stunning decline and political fall of President Obama, chief among them fears over the current state of the US economy, with widespread concern over high levels of unemployment, the unstable housing market, and above all the towering budget deficit. Americans are increasingly rejecting President Obama’s big government solutions to America’s economic woes, which many fear will lead to the United States sharing the same fate as Greece.

Growing disillusionment with the Obama administration’s handling of the economy as well as health care and immigration has gone hand in hand with mounting unhappiness with the President’s aloof and imperial style of leadership, and a growing perception that he is out of touch with ordinary Americans, especially at a time of significant economic pain. Barack Obama’s striking absence of natural leadership ability (and blatant lack of experience) has played a big part in undermining his credibility with the US public, with his lacklustre handling of the Gulf oil spill coming under particularly intense fire.

On the national security and foreign policy front, President Obama has not fared any better. His leadership on the war in Afghanistan has been confused and at times lacking in conviction, and seemingly dictated by domestic political priorities rather than military and strategic goals. His overall foreign policy has been an appalling mess, with his flawed strategy of engagement of hostile regimes spectacularly backfiring. And as for the War on Terror, his administration has not even acknowledged it is fighting one.

Can it get any worse for President Obama? Undoubtedly yes. Here are 10 key reasons why the Obama presidency is in serious trouble, and why its prospects are unlikely to improve between now and the November mid-terms.

1. The Obama presidency is out of touch with the American people

In a previous post I noted how the Obama presidency increasingly resembles a modern-day Ancien Régime, extravagant, decaying and out of touch with ordinary Americans. The First Lady’s ill-conceived trip to Spain at a time of widespread economic hardship was symbolic of a White House that barely gives a second thought to public opinion on many issues, and frequently projects a distinctly elitist image. The “let them eat cake” approach didn’t play well over two centuries ago, and it won’t succeed today.

2. Most Americans don’t have confidence in the president’s leadership

This deficit of trust in Obama’s leadership is central to his decline. According to a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll, “nearly six in ten voters say they lack faith in the president to make the right decisions for the country”, and two thirds “say they are disillusioned with or angry about the way the federal government is working.” The poll showed that a staggering 58 per cent of Americans say they do not have confidence in the president’s decision-making, with just 42 per cent saying they do.

3. Obama fails to inspire

In contrast to the soaring rhetoric of his 2004 Convention speech in Boston which succeeded in impressing millions of television viewers at the time, America is no longer inspired by Barack Obama’s flat, monotonous and often dull presidential speeches and statements delivered via teleprompter. From his extraordinarily uninspiring Afghanistan speech at West Point to his flat State of the Union address, President Obama has failed to touch the heart of America. Even Jimmy Carter was more moving.

4. The United States is drowning in debt

The Congressional Budget Office Long-Term Budget Outlook offers a frightening picture of the scale of America’s national debt. Under its alternative fiscal scenario, the CBO projects that US debt could rise to 87 percent of GDP by 2020, 109 percent by 2025, and 185 percent in 2035. While much of Europe, led by Britain and Germany, are aggressively cutting their deficits, the Obama administration is actively growing America’s debt, and has no plan in place to avert a looming Greek-style financial crisis.

5. Obama’s Big Government message is falling flat

The relentless emphasis on bailouts and stimulus spending has done little to spur economic growth or create jobs, but has greatly advanced the power of the federal government in America. This is not an approach that is proving popular with the American public, and even most European governments have long ditched this tax and spend approach to saving their own economies.

6. Obama’s support for socialised health care is a huge political mistake

In an extraordinary act of political Harakiri, President Obama leant his full support to the hugely controversial, unpopular and divisive health care reform bill, with a monstrous price tag of $940 billion, whose repeal is now supported by 55 per cent of likely US voters. As I wrote at the time of its passing, the legislation is “a great leap forward by the United States towards a European-style vision of universal health care, which will only lead to soaring costs, higher taxes, and a surge in red tape for small businesses. This reckless legislation dramatically expands the power of the state over the lives of individuals, and could not be further from the vision of America’s founding fathers.”

7. Obama’s handling of the Gulf oil spill has been weak-kneed and indecisive

While much of the spilled oil in the Gulf has now been thankfully cleared up, the political damage for the White House will be long-lasting. Instead of showing real leadership on the matter by acing decisively and drawing upon offers of international support, the Obama administration settled on a more convenient strategy of relentlessly bashing an Anglo-American company while largely sitting on its hands. Significantly, a poll of Louisiana voters gave George W. Bush higher marks for his handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, with 62 percent disapproving of Obama’s performance on the Gulf oil spill.

8. US foreign policy is an embarrassing mess under the Obama administration

It is hard to think of a single foreign policy success for the Obama administration, but there have been plenty of missteps which have weakened American global power as well as the standing of the United States. The surrender to Moscow on Third Site missile defence, the failure to aggressively stand up to Iran’s nuclear programme, the decision to side with ousted Marxists in Honduras, the slap in the face for Great Britain over the Falklands, have all contributed to the image of a US administration completely out of its depth in international affairs. The Obama administration’s high risk strategy of appeasing America’s enemies while kicking traditional US allies has only succeeded in weakening the United States while strengthening her adversaries.

9. President Obama is muddled and confused on national security

From the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to the War on Terror, President Obama’s leadership has often been muddled and confused. On Afghanistan he rightly sent tens of thousands of additional troops to the battlefield. At the same time however he bizarrely announced a timetable for the withdrawal of US forces beginning in July 2011, handing the initiative to the Taliban. On Iraq he has announced an end to combat operations and the withdrawal of all but 50,000 troops despite a recent upsurge in terrorist violence and political instability, and without the Iraqi military and police ready to take over. In addition he has ditched the concept of a War on Terror, replacing it with an Overseas Contingency Operation, hardly the right message to send in the midst of a long-war against Al-Qaeda...

10. Obama doesn’t believe in American greatness

Barack Obama has made it clear that he doesn’t believe in American exceptionalism, and has made apologising for his country into an art form. In a speech to the United Nations last September he stated that “no one nation can or should try to dominate another nation. No world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will succeed. No balance of power among nations will hold.” It is difficult to see how a US president who holds these views and does not even accept America’s greatness in history can actually lead the world’s only superpower with force and conviction.

There is a distinctly Titanic-like feel to the Obama presidency and it’s not hard to see why. The most left-wing president in modern American history has tried to force a highly interventionist, government-driven agenda that runs counter to the principles of free enterprise, individual freedom, and limited government that have made the United States the greatest power in the world, and the freest nation on earth.

This, combined with weak leadership both at home and abroad against the backdrop of tremendous economic uncertainty in an increasingly dangerous world, has contributed to a spectacular political collapse for a president once thought to be invincible. America at its core remains a deeply conservative nation, which cherishes its traditions and founding principles. President Obama is increasingly out of step with the American people, by advancing policies that undermine the United States as a global power, while undercutting America’s deep-seated love for freedom.

Read more…
 Be Transformed (12:1-2)INTRODUCTION

1. In Ro 12:1-2, Paul makes the following plea regarding transforming
our lives:

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that
you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to
God, [which is] your reasonable service. And do not be conformed
to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what [is] that good and acceptable and perfect
will of God.."


2. As we consider this text, several questions come to mind...
a. What does it mean to be transformed?
b. What is the goal of transformation?
c. What should motivate us to undergo transformation?
d. What does one do in order to experience transformation?

[Starting with the first question ("What does it mean to be
transformed?"), let's consider . . . ]

I. THE DEFINITION OF TRANSFORMATION

A. THE WORD...
1. The Greek word is metamorphoo (met-am-or-fo'-o)
a. Lit., "to change into another form" (Vine's)
b. From which comes the word "metamorphosis"
c. Used to describe a change of form (e.g., when a caterpillar
becomes a butterfly)
2. In the NT, this word is used to describe:
a. What happened to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration - Mt
17:1-2

b. What is to happen to Christians in their service to God - Ro
12:1-2


B. THE CONCEPT...
1. The idea being commanded by Paul is this:
a. Christians are "to undergo a complete change, which under
the power of God, will find expression in character and
conduct"
(Vine's)
b. I.e., we who are "caterpillars" are to become "butterflies"
2. Note that Paul uses the passive voice
a. Indicating that "transformation" is something we allow to be
done to us
b. Not something we do by our own power alone
c. Rather, we submit to God's power and by His grace...
1) We are "changed into another form"
2) We become a "new creation" - cf. 2Co 5:17

[But this leads us to our second question ("What is the goal of
transformation?")...]

II. THE GOAL OF TRANSFORMATION

A. TO BECOME LIKE CHRIST...
1. As expressed by Paul - 2Co 3:18
2. As predestined by God - Ro 8:29
3. The purpose of being a disciple (to become like his teacher)
- Lk 6:40
4. The goal of Christian living - cf. Col 3:9-10

B. TO LIVE LIKE CHRIST...
1. To present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy, acceptable to
God
a. Is this not what Jesus did on earth? - cf. He 10:5
b. So we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices - Ro 12:1
2. To prove that God's will is good, acceptable, and perfect
a. Was this not Jesus sought to do on earth? - cf. Jn 6:38
b. So we are to demonstrate that God's will is right - Ro 12:2

[Such is the goal of being transformed; indeed, it is the goal of being
a Christian! Yet why do many never experience the transformation God
offers? Why do they remain "caterpillars"? Perhaps they lack the
proper motivation...]

III. THE MOTIVATION FOR TRANSFORMATION

A. THE MERCIES OF GOD...
1. In our text, Paul appealed to transformation based on God's
mercies - Ro 12:1
2. What mercies of God had Paul discussed earlier in his epistle?
a. Freedom from sin - Ro 6:16-18
b. Gift of eternal life - Ro 6:23
c. Peace with God - Ro 5:1
d. Access to the grace of God - Ro 5:2
e. Saved from the wrath of God - Ro 5:9
-- Should not God's mercy move us to repent and seek
transformation? - cf. Ro 2:4-5


B. THE LOVE OF CHRIST...
1. Elsewhere, Paul revealed the motivating power of the love of
Christ - 2Co 5:14-15
2. Such love compelled him to live for Jesus - cf. Ga 2:20
-- Does not the love of Christ move us to live FOR Him and LIKE
Him?


C. THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE...
1. The alternative to being transformed is being conformed to this
world - Ro 12:1
a. The word conformed (suschematizo, soos-khay-mat-id'-zo) as
used here implies that which is "transitory, changeable,
unstable"
(Vine's)
b. I.e., at the most we can only be an imitation, a cheap copy
2. If not transformed, we will either be conformed to...
a. The world
1) Act like the world, be like those in the world
2) In which we will bring shame to the name of Christ
b. Other Christians
1) Outwardly we may act like Christians, appear like them
2) But it will be just a cheap "copy", which eventually
reveals its true nature!
-- Is that what we want? To bring shame to the name of Christ?
To be "plastic" Christians, or to be the real thing?


[Why not let the mercies of God and the love of Christ motivate us to
seek transformation? The process is not as difficult as one might
think...]

IV. THE PROCESS OF TRANSFORMATION

A. IN THE BEGINNING...
1. Remember, transformation is a passive process ("be
transformed") - Ro 12:2
a. We cannot change ourselves by our own strength or
meritorious works
b. As Paul vividly illustrated his dilemma prior to his
conversion - Ro 7:14-24
-- We must submit to God's working on us!
2. It begins when we are baptized into Christ!
a. For there we experience the working of God - Col 2:11-13
1) Spiritually circumcised as our sins are removed
2) Buried then raised with Christ
3) Made alive with Christ, forgiven of all trespasses
b. For there we experience the renewal of the Spirit - Tit 3:5
1) Saved by the mercy of God
2) Involving a washing of regeneration and renewal of the
Holy Spirit
c. For there we rise to walk in newness of life - Ro 6:3-8
1) Having been buried with Christ by baptism into His death
2) Having been crucified with Christ that we might be free
from sin
3) Having been raised to live with Christ
-- When joined with faith and repentance, baptism becomes the
starting point in which true transformation can take place!
- cf. Mk 16:16; Ac 2:38


B. RENEWING THE MIND...
1. The process of transformation continues as we renew the mind
a. As indicated in our text - Ro 12:2; cf. also Ep 4:20-24
b. Unless there is a renewing of the mind, any change in our
lives will be superficial
2. Renewing the mind is made possible by where we set our minds
a. Setting our minds on things above - Col 3:1-2
b. Setting our minds on the things of the Spirit - Ro 8:5
c. I.e., feeding our minds with the Word of God, prayer,
fellowship, etc. - Ac 2:42
3. With our minds "renewed" we can experience a true
transformation!
a. By putting off the old man and putting on the new man - cf.
Col 3:2,5-10
b. By living according to the Spirit - cf. Ro 8:5,13
4. The process of transformation is really quite simple
a. Set your minds on things above in order to renew your mind;
for example...
1) Meditate and contemplate on God and His Word
2) Keep your mind in communication with God via prayer
3) Involve your mind in spiritual worship via frequent
assembling with others
4) Center your mind on Jesus via the Lord's Supper
...and your mind will gradually be renewed!
b. With renewed minds, it becomes possible to put off the old,
and put on the new!
1) To put off the old man with its sins
2) To put on the new man patterned after the example of
Christ
5. Modern studies in self-improvement confirm this truth
a. We become what we think
b. We can change attitudes and behavior by filling our mind
with positive mental images
-- In our efforts, we are not alone; God is at work with us! - cf.
Php 1:6; 2:12-13


C. WHAT HINDERS MANY CHRISTIANS...
1. If it is so easy, why do many Christians remain "caterpillars"?
a. Were they not regenerated at their baptism? (yes)
b. Don't they have the promise of God's help? (yes)
2. The problem is likely a failure to renew the mind
a. Can a mind be renewed on a starvation diet? (e.g., irregular
Bible study)
b. Can a mind be renewed on a junk-food diet? (e.g., trashy
movies and novels)
3. Why many Christians do not experience transformation...
a. They become what they think, and much of what they think
upon is not becoming!
b. They spend more time watching things of the devil than
reading things of the Spirit!
-- Our attitudes and behavior is but a reflection of what goes
into our minds!


Read more…

Minister justifies N138billion loan


The federal government yesterday strived to explain away its determination to borrow $915m from the World Bank. The Minister of Finance, Olusegun Aganga, who was speaking at the presidential villa shortly after the signing of the 2010 budget said the loan will be spent wisely. "The most important thing for us is to make sure that in spending we get good value for the money spent, that it is spent in areas where we generate both social and economic returns; that is what is critical.".

He refuted speculations that the money will be used to finance the 2010 budget saying the administration was planning to raise a bond of about $5oo million from the international market for that. Mr Aganga who said the entire deal has been misrepresented, sought to clarify the matter: "This is absolutely wrong. We are not borrowing a billion [US dollars] to fund the budget. I think what they are referring to is something which we are working with the World Bank on. The World Bank, as you know, helps a number of developing countries and that [amount] is just a quantification of the work they are doing - which is broken down to quite a few segments. So, it is not one billion dollars borrowing up front; it doesn't work like that. It has nothing to do with the budget."

He also explained that government was looking at securing other sources of revenue, which could include sales of some assets and the possibility of raising a bond. However, he down-played fears about the potential for waste in the nation's spending plan.

He said, "I think the most important thing we should understand is that in a recession, there is nothing wrong about spending. In fact, if you look at any of the Western world they all have deficit[s].

Spending wisely

Mr. Aganga said all sectors of the government will be held accountable for its spending and promised that the new administration would be heavily focused on the proper execution of the budget. He announced that the Minister of Special Duties, Ernest Olubolade, had been mandated to handle the issue.

"It is ok to spend but it is important that you spend wisely and people are held accountable," he said. Mr. Aganga assured the nation that the creation of a Sovereign Wealth Fund to replace the old Excess Crude Account was a step in the right direction.

"As you know, the budget is based on benchmark of $67 per barrel - where oil is trading today. So obviously, over time, we will hopefully accumulate some excess reserve and the idea is how we build some fiscal policy around it or prudential guideline[s] around it to make sure that that is properly managed."

A reluctant support

At yesterday's sitting of the House of Representatives, a motion moved by the deputy leader, Baba Shehu Agaie, urging the lawmakers to approve the World Bank loan to fund the nation's "infrastructural deficit" was vehemently opposed by members of the minority parties. Although the session degenerated into rowdiness, the opposition could not stop the over 270 members of the Peoples Democratic Party, from approving Mr. Jonathan's request.

The approval followed a discussion that the leaderships of the Senate and the House had with the executive on Tuesday night.

The chairman of the House finance committee, John Eno, said members had to approve the request since the executive had complied with the relevant laws requiring it to forward such requests to the legislature for approval.

He recalled that the executive had in the past ignored this law and praised the acting president for not just forwarding a request for approval of the fresh loan, but also formally submitting the external borrowing plan of the government.

He also argued that since the money being requested for was already factored into the budget as a funding item, it was only right to approve the request.

The chairman of the committee on rules and business, Ita Enang, who also spoke in favour of the motion, said the acting president complied with Section 21 of the Debt Management Office Act, which he said allows the government to borrow upon the approval of the National Assembly.

Mr Enang, a PDP member from Akwa Ibom, reminded his colleagues that in the 2010 Budget passed by the National Assembly, there was a provision for borrowing to fund the document, adding that the legislature has already committed itself.

Those who opposed

But the deputy minority leader, Abdulrahman Kawu opposed Mr Jonathan's request, although he said he was one of the leaders of the legislature that met with Mr. Jonathan on Tuesday night on the plan to take a fresh loan. A member of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) from Kano State, Mr Kawu said history will not forgive the lawmakers who approved the loan. He faulted the procedure for considering the request for the loan, regretting that members were only given the 235-page external borrowing plan just before the plenary commenced. He argued that the lawmakers would have no time to read it before voting on the request.

Also, the Minority leader, Mohammed Ali Ndume, who also objected to the request, said it would not only amount to mortgaging the future of Nigerians,

it may also return the country to another era of huge indebtedness from which it came out only few years ago when its debt was forgiven by the external creditors.

He recalled that at the meeting with Mr Jonathan, the acting president merely said that the World Bank was willing to give Nigeria $915 million, but did not clearly seek for approval.

Mr Ndume, who is also the ANPP leader in the House, said "There was no opportunity for me to say our mind. That does not mean we (minority parties) are in support. It is not fair. We have just been given this voluminous borrowing plan and you want us to read it now before we approve. It is not fair. Those people that want us to borrow must come here to explain," he said.

Despite the opposition, members voted overwhelmingly for the approval of the acting president's request when it was put to vote, forcing Messrs Ndume, Kawu and other members of the ANPP to leave the chamber.

Unnecessary loan

At a press conference, Mr. Ndume explained that the country does not need to obtain the fresh loan since, according to him, it makes about $800 million daily from oil.

"As at today they are telling us that we are producing 1.02 million barrels of crude a day and the market price is about $80. If you can make that money one day why should you need the loan? If you multiply that, you get more than $800 million," he said. "Why would you go and mortgage the future of our children?"

The minority leader, who admitted that the opposition had already lost the battle to stop the loan, lamented that members of the House approved it without knowing the implication of doing so. He added that they may have done so because certain things, which he did not disclose, were dangled before them by the government.

Mr. Ndume also revealed that Mr. Jonathan and Mr. Aganga also discussed the plan to increase Value Added Tax (VAT) from five percent to 10 percent and also bring two bills to the legislature.

Throwing more light on why he could not object to Mr. Jonathan's request for the loan during the Tuesday night meeting, Mr. Ndume explained "We (members of the leadership) went in a bus and when we got there we ate food first and the acting president said the finance minister will brief us. The minister said we had problems with some sections of the budget. He said they selected nine critical ministries (to review).

"But after that I was the one who complained that how can one man (finance minister) review what (budget) 469 members (of the National Assembly) did? After that the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation (Iyiola Omisore) was also hard on them."

Also speaking at the press conference, the chairman of Public Accounts Committee, Usman Adamu, who is also a member of the ANPP, wondered if Nigeria could manage the loan since it could not manage its own resources efficiently.

Read more…

EFCC yet to act on Igbinedion's conviction
pix200802192423062[1].jpg

Adelani Adepegba


Sixteen months after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission vowed to appeal the conviction of a former governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion, on one-count charge of money laundering, corruption and embezzlement, the agency has not acted on the processes it filed on the matter, SUNDAY PUNCH investigations have gathered.


former Edo State Governor, Chi

advertisement

Justice Abdul Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Enugu had on December 18, 2008 found the former governor guilty on a one-count charge after he entered into a plea-bargain with the EFCC which led to the dropping of the other 190 charges of corruption and financial impropriety preferred against him.

Igbinedion did not go to jail as he was merely fined N3.6m which drew criticism from members of the public particularly the Nigeria Bar Association.

The commission, which dragged Igbinedion alongside four companies in which he had interests, had rejected the judgment, and insisted on filing an appeal against the conviction.

It said in a statement that it "would rather go the long way of prosecution than to settle for a plea-bargain verdict that has no bite or will not serve any deterrence purpose. The outcome of the exercise at the court in Enugu however fell short of our expectation.

"It is believed that the essence of a plea bargain is not only for suspects to forfeit the proceeds of crime but that such should go with a sentence which will serve as deterrent."

Subsequently, the agency claimed it had filed an appeal on the matter.

But findings by our correspondent last Wednesday indicated that no action has been taken on the processes filed in the appeal against the court judgment as checks at both the registries of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, Enugu showed that nothing has been done on the appeal filed by the anti-graft agency.

Following the inaction on the matter, the case file has already been taken to the archive where old case files are kept by court officers.

Attempts to get the comment of the Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Femi Babafemi, was not successful as calls and a text message to his GSM telephone were not responded to.

But the man who led the EFCC prosecution that secured the conviction, Mr. Rotimi Jacob, told our correspondent that he personally filed the appeal, but said he did not know why no action had been taken on the suit.

"I remember that I filed the appeal immediately after the conviction in early 2009, but I don't know why no action had been taken on the suit. What I heard was that they are compiling the record on the matter, but I can't say why this has not been concluded one year after the appeal was filed," Jacob said over the telephone.

The EFCC, which had filed a 191-count charge of corruption, money laundering and embezzlement against Igbinedion and the companies made a volte face a day before the judgment by dropping the charges.

Instead, it filed an amended 24-count charge but arraigned him on just one-count.

Igbinedion, who had earlier pleaded not guilty to the 191-count charge, admitted being liable to the one-count charge in which he said that he neglected to make a declaration of his interest in the account No. 41240113983110 with GTBank in the declaration of Assets Form of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, an offence punishable under section 27(3) of the EFCC Act, 2004.

The second accused, Kiva Corporation, was convicted on two of the 23-count charge preferred against it and ordered to pay N500m fine and to forfeit its landed property to the Federal Government.

The property include a parcel of land at Asokoro, Abuja, a detached building on two plots comprising four-bedroom and two outer houses in GRA, Benin, and a storey building in Benin.

The prosecution had told the court that the former governor failed to disclose in his assets declaration form that he had N3,579, 524.16 in GTBank and tendered five exhibits, including the certified true copy of the assets declaration form, the statement of account of Kiva Corporation which showed how monies were paid into the GTBank account; and payment vouchers from the Edo State Government House showing how monies were withdrawn and lodged into the account of the company.

The index of payment received from the Government House showing withdrawals and payments of money to the company was also tendered.

Jacob had while proving the case prayed the court to consider the ingredients under count two and three where payments totaling N30m was made to Kiva Corporation on January 10, 2007 and another N70m paid to the same company on May 17, 2007 by one Pat Eboigbodin, an Edo State Government official which showed that the company
Read more…
My new tall, dark and handsome boyfriend was standing across the room looking so fine in his shirt; I couldn't take my eyes off him. It was my pal's birthday party and the first time I had ever dragged my latest man-friend out with my buddies. I wasn't sure how it would go, yet there he was, charming the pants off them all by himself, busting out his A-material small talk with some friends in a corner. He was doing his best to impress. It was very sweet. He was going all out for me. Meanwhile, I was at the snack table and before I could curse myself for leaving him to go in for another cheesy cracker, I was accosted by a buddy's wife I barely knew, a nasty woman named Sue. "How old is he?" she pried. After politely playing 20 questions with Sue about my new boyfriend, I knew this was the one she was getting at. I wanted to say something like, "He's not as old as those frown lines make you look!" Anything that would shut her up and let me enjoy my prized romance. Instead I shoved a cracker in my mouth and mulled over her question as I pretended it was hard to chew. It was more like her question was hard to swallow. Yes, my new man was older than me, much older than me. But I wasn't some gold digger trying to claw at his cash account, or even a woman with daddy issues. I just thought he was the hottest, funniest man I'd ever met. He was more exciting to be with than any of the 20-something guys I knew. I was smitten with his wit and the way he filled out a pair of pants. Really, are there better reasons to date someone? Should I seriously have let 15 years come between me and happiness, just so I could avoid judgment from girls like Sue? I really should have answered her question with the long list of truly great things about dating an older man. The Frisky: 9 inexcusable excuses for breaking up He knows cool stuff you never heard of: Generation gaps can be a good thing culture-wise. He can introduce you to music and movies that are totally awesome classics. The Frisky: 5 ways women try to impress men (and why they don't work) He's super supportive: He's got a career and is secure in his work life, so he's totally supportive of your ambitions. And probs full of good advice! Not to mention the quarter-life crisis is kinda like the mid-life one. The Frisky: Maybe its time to rethink your dating strategy? Someone has already "fixed him up": That relationship didn't work out. And now you can reap the benefits of nice shoes and hand towels in the bathroom. The Frisky: Factors in making love last (or not) He doesn't stay out late: He might be a ladies' man, but after a certain age, he's not out on the prowl every night in da club lookin' for a fresh piece. He just wants to hang with you. The Frisky: 6 heartwarming stories of old love He knows himself: Nobody's perfect, and by now, he understands his main foibles. So, he can even communicate them to you to prevent friction. The Frisky: The 10 best short hair moments of the decade You're the pretty one: It's shallow, but it's always nice to feel extra sexy. He doesn't want to be alone: He's already hit that point when men realize they don't want to be all by themselves. Even if they intend to stay confirmed bachelors, they still want company. Salt n' pepper hair: So hot. Sure, not every middle-aged guy has got it, but it certainly ups your chances. No more going Dutch: There won't be that awkward pause when the check comes; he'll always take it because a man of his years makes more money. You won't even feel the slightest bit guilty. He is going to be this rad forever: Some peeps just lose their lust for life at a certain age, but your dude has still got it! He can not only keep up with your young butt, but he piques your interest. You know for sure that time doesn't slow him down. He's always willing to try new things. He's not going to turn into some couch potato all of a sudden. In another 20 years, he'll still be l-i-v-i-n'.
Read more…
With the growing number of broken homes in Nigeria and a SIGNIFICANT increase in single parenthood Though my critical theological mindset sometimes criticizes and tend to jigsaw around the seeming fundamentalism that characterizes Femi Awodele's intellectual and oftentimes meaningful didactics on the Christian life, I also tend to respect his efforts at publishing these series, especially the ones he titles Home Improvement Series. However, my reflection on these series and the rational question of why we get married refuses to be abated by whatever I read, watch on television, or experience in the clinical marriage therapy world. The point is not to adjudge or argue the biblical principles on marriage but to sincerely ask the rational question: Why do we get married? Tyler Perry the popular black american Movie director has theatrically brought this comical and singular question almost to our doorsteps via television, making each viewer truly question the rationale for marriage, particularly if such a person is unhappy with their choice of a spouse. However, this digest goes deeper than Perry's moviedom to examine the true motivations that push us to believe that life is worthless without marriage. Several sub-questions then arise: Advertisement 9jabook.com 9jamovies.com are the hottest sites in naija right now Amazing selected articles & Videos.Great music! and best of ALL YOU GET F.R.E..E AD.VER.TISI.NG CRE.DIT ! wow ! join now ! click to join 9jabook now where your space is really yours 1) Are human beings naturally engineered to be married? 2) Are married couples truly happier than unwed but committed couples? 3) Is the adult truly unfilled without marriage? 4) Doesn't official marriage seem to cause more chaos than anyone needs? 5) Why bother getting married? 6) Is it not better to have everything but the rings? This writer has been fiddling with these rational aspects of this issue and the yet burgeoning popularity of marriage. 7) Is Marriage really a CONTRACT ? A 2009 study by the Times Magazine shows that "--- more than five million unmarried couples cohabit in the U.S., nearly eight times the number in 1970, and a record-breaking 40% of babies born in 2007 had unmarried parents (that's up by 25% from 2002)." And we are not analyzing the segments of babydaddies or babymamas, the young and the accidental but couples who take up everything and give everything but the rings. Sociologists has dubbed this phenomenon as the committed unmarried (CUs), the happily unwed (HU), the unwed committed (UC); the Brad and Angelina, the Oprah and Stedman, the Goldie and Kurts of our world. While these couples may be disparagingly described as the famous unmarried, their group extends beyond the corners of Hollywood to our local streets and neighborhoods where we now see couples who are committed to a lack of legal commitment. And they are as happy as the truly married couples society shows us. Another study from John Hopkins University notes that unmarried parents in Europe stay together longer than married parents in the U.S. Many other researchers (Cabrera, 2008, Maryland University) have also argued that the longevity of marriages is not because the relationship is rubber stamped by the Church or the State but by the fact and presence children. Having children is "--- a decision that a couple makes to strengthen commitment and move in together"; that commitment is more important than the marital status per se. As a Catholic theologian, this writer understand the goals and purpose of marriage to be more expansive than just the procreation of children, yet ecclesiastical and biblical doctrines weave around human experience to be practical. Street interviews on the subject bring up many conjectures, some without any line of thought processing: 'so that we can live together; so we can have children; to have a solid commitment; to make our relationship official'. "Unwed committed" can live together, have children together, have a solid commitment, and if the public official commitment is what is desired, an advertisement can be placed in the papers reading "We are now official". With such deflated arguments my church folks argue that marriage makes a relationship divine, 'that something bigger than both of you bring you together and helps you succeed in it'. This is a valid faith argument, but not an empirical and rational one. Even so, the divine transposition of human limitations in marriage does not take away mistakes, strife, chaos, stress, fights and divorce. Ask an elderly married couple if they ever thought of divorce, and they will answer: 'divorce, no; committing murder, yes, and several times'. As my unwed committed friends would ask: who gave Eve's hand to Adam in marriage? The musical artiste, Beyoncé sang the lyrics "if you like it, then you should have to put a ring on it." Others would say "the plus sign on the pregnancy test told me it is time to marry; I fell in love because I was tired of dating jerks; I got married because I met my soul mate and we are best friends; we communicate well and we both agreed on our future and I love and respect him." What happens if you loose that pregnancy in the second trimester, or when your sweetheart turns out to be a jerk overnight, or you catch him sleeping with your best friend just before the wedding? In the American Association of Retired Persons magazine, Modern Maturity (May/June 1995), Linda Stern describes the various socio-economic demographics: social security earning limits, capital gains limits, Medicaid eligibility limits etc. and states that some time, long married couples divorce to remain eligible for benefits or in order to avoid financial disaster. One then would question, why did this couple marry in the first place and for how long? Overall, official economic policy makes marriage a bad option for too many people. Yet, there is the seeming pressure from culture, emotions, social status, and religious motivations to get married. Are these pressures good enough to induce us into marriage? Why did David Letterman finally marry his partner of 23 years and the mother of their five year old son, just in the third month of this year? Was Letterman unhappy for the past 23 years, and if so why did he choose to officially marry her? Would Letterman be a happier man now, having married his previous unwed committed sweetheart? No one seems to rationally know these answers or the reason why we get married. Is it some force of nature or a divine engineering in humans that gravitates us towards marriage, if so can the human mind rationally unravel it? No matter how the human mind works on the marriage phenomenon, the 'no spouse in the house' group have their own arguments on why they should not get married: You get the couch to yourself; you can watch whatever TV channel you like, without arguments; no one snores; you know where the bar of soap has been; smelly socks and skidding under-wears are not that big of an issue when you are only washing your own; you don't have to buy those stupid flowers; there are no curfews; if you mess up your finances you have no one to blame but yourself; Las Vegas is at back on the list of vacation considerations; you will never trade your interest in miniskirts for minivans; and without a spouse you can still have a descent social life. Even women feel this same way. Anne Wright of the Sage Magazine (2007) interviewed 30 women on the basic question: "why get married". She found out that many women "don't buy the myth that you to be married to be happy and complete." Medical advances in fertility have extended the childbearing age range, meaning that women can put off having children later or have none. Women are earning graduate degrees, making them more self-sufficient with little or no reliance on men. The high divorce rate is a discouraging factor for others to attempt marriage, and is creating a large pool of single women who may settle down to a partner than a husband. The numbers of single women in New Mexico, 52,559 in 2004 rose to 106,622 in 2003 with the dual deduction that women are not getting married and/or are less likely to stay in troubled marriages than in previous years. Perhaps, some of these divorcees never bothered to reflect deep on the reason why they got married in the first place. Obviously, marriage is more than a love affair, where boy meets girl and they are happy for a moment, and then go their separate ways. Marriages conjure a committed state, companionship, love, and the procreation and education of children; but are these features exclusive to the married state? Even the unwed committed do as much, do they not? The desire to entrench marital values makes us argue that marriage brings satisfaction and happiness; yet happiness is not a tangible and extrinsic value that you purchase or acquire, it comes from within. And are married folks truly happier or more satisfied than the unwed committed? The fact is, any couple can make a lifelong commitment to one another; being heterosexual and saying "I do" in the public doesn't make you more special, respectable or caring than the next person. The fact is, you don't have to do it to be happier than the rest of us. The unwed committed are not inferior to the married committed, and not committing suicide does not make you a health freak. The vanity in this argument is that unwed committed are purposively living their life as a photographic negative, defined not the persons they are but by the choices they refused to commit to. Sitting at the feet of elderly married couples, one would hear galling counsels like: marriage is patience, endurance; marriage is a sacrifice or something you really have to work at. So if marriage is such a hellish pain, why do it? Australian is turning its head on this one, by initiating fixed-term marriages, just like mortgages and car notes; five years, 10 years, or perhaps 20 years and you are done. So why marry at all if you can survive just five year in it? When a couple stands at the front of friends and family to take the marriage vow, they inherently want to believe that their commitment is lifelong. No one takes those vows with the intention of giving it a short. Yet parts of the vow, 'till death do us part' adds to the sense of failure when we can't deliver this promise. Comically, we are a generation of legal contracts: work contracts, internet contracts, cable contracts, cell phone contracts; and when these contracts are about to expire we shop for better deals. Marriage is also a contract, though we would add, a lifelong contract riffed with arguments, stress, fights, misunderstandings, deceits, unforgiveness, accusations, mood swings, heart-breaks, and betrayal amidst momentary satisfaction and happiness. It is becoming clearer that marriage bears a less relationship to having children. By 2026, The Australian Bureau of Statistics project that couples without children will be the commonest type of family in Australia, a 44% of all families. In the same token, married couples are not really happier than the unwed committed. Though marriage is meant to be forever, people can already live together without being married, so why is it necessary? What rational reasons push us to marriage? Why do we get married? click to join 9jabook now where your space is really yours
Read more…

Blog Topics by Tags

  • in (506)
  • to (479)
  • of (339)
  • ! (213)
  • as (166)
  • is (157)
  • a (156)

Monthly Archives