YEAR? (15)

12166300485?profile=originalChannel 4 News learns that the head of a London-based evangelical church with 3,000 congregation members has been charged with indecent assault on a child under 16.

The pastor of a global evangelical movement based in the UK has been charged with sex offences against former members of his congregation.

Dr Albert Odulele who runs Glory House International in London is to appear in court next week. One charge alleges indecent assault of a child under the age of 16.

Dr Odulele, who is 47 years old, is a major figure in the word of evangelism. His church, based in east London, says it has a congregation of 3,000, but he has many more followers around the world through appearances at international evangelic conferences, on religious TV programmes and videos on YouTube.

Registered charity

The church has been a registered charity for 18 years and turns over £2million a year. He was arrested last summer by the Metropolitan Police's Major Child Abuse Investigation Unit.

25_pastor_r_k.jpg?width=278

Channel Four News has learned that he has been charged with two offences - an indecent assault of an under 16 year old, and the sexual assault of another male teenager. This programme understands the alleged assaults took place in 2003 and 2004...

The Evangelical Alliance - the group that represents evangelical churches in the UK - gave this statement: "Our overriding concern here is for the care, protection and welfare of children and young people, so it is imperative that all churches adopt safe practice in order to protect children and young people from abuse - and staff members and volunteers from the possibility of false accusation."

Channel 4 News made several attempts to contact Doctor Odulele and get reaction from Glory House International. They have not responded, though we are told that he is on "annual leave" at the moment. He is due to appear at Bexley Magistrates Court on Monday.

Read more…

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has received a $1million bid for his 34-year-old car, only a day after it was put up for sale.

The Iranian president, who is auctioning his 1977 white Peugeot sedan to
raise money for a low-income housing project, has been made the offer by
a foreign source.

The project is aimed at disabled and young people in a move by the 54-year-old, who took charge of Iran in 2005, to
appeal to fulfill a campaign promise to put a roof over the head of
every poor Iranian.

An Iranian Sunday newspaper said various bids from abroad have been received by the multilingual website set up
yesterday for the auction, including $1 million, but it did not
elaborate on the identity of the bidders.

The top bidders will be invited to the auction, which will be held in mid-February in the south-western city of Abadan.

And online offers can be made until the end of January.

Foreign bidders paid £43 to register, while locals pay around £30.

The president had made a point of being seen in the humble white Peugeot
504 sedan when he was Tehran mayor before becoming president in 2005.

Old: The 34-year-old car is wanted by a number of foreign suitors, according to an Iranian newspaper

Old: The 34-year-old car is wanted by a number of foreign suitors, according to an Iranian newspaper

Auction: Official photographs of the car show that Mr Ahmadinejad took good care of his car, made in 1977 and normally worth $2,000

Auction: Official photographs of the car show that Mr Ahmadinejad took good care of his car, made in 1977 and normally
worth $2,000


He has rarely used the car in the past years, however, probably because of security measures.

 

 

The car would probably be worth around $2,000 on the local market.

Lack of housing has always been a major concern in Iran, where a quarter of
the 75-million population live in rented apartments and nearly a third
of a family's income goes to pay the rent.

Official statistics say the government has built more than 140,000 housing units in the first
half of 201l. It has promised to build nearly 1 million units by March
2011....




Read more…

12166293064?profile=original


Ladies PLEASE your Lives are literally in your HANDS ! USE Them, BREAST CANCER IS NOT A RESPECTER OF PERSONS !

The Comrade Governor of Edo State, Mr. Adams Oshiomole has reportedly lost his wife of many years, Mrs. Clara Oshiomole to breast Cancer. the woman who was last seen in public
some months back, died of the disease according to a source.

.Mrs. Clara Oshiomole, the wife of GovernorAdams Oshiomhole of Edo State has passed on. Vanguard uncovered that the deceased died after a battle with breast cancer.

Further inquest divulged that she died this morning, in Abuja with only about some days to her daughter’s wedding.

The 54 year old Edo First Lady had abstained from public functions because she was receiving treatment overseas and only returned to Nigeria some days ago for the daughter’s wedding slated for 19th of December .


Sadly as Liz Edwards below there are rumours of separation with the Comrade Governor before her passing.May her Soul Rest in Peace .




Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former presidential candidate, succumbs to cancer at 61

Elizabeth Edwards, who as the wife of former Sen. John Edwards gave America an intimate look at a candidate's marriage by sharing his quest for the 2008 presidential nomination as she struggled with incurable cancer and, secretly, with his infidelity, died Tuesday. She was 61.

Her family confirmed the death, saying Mrs. Edwards was surrounded by relatives when she died at her Chapel Hill, N.C., home. A family friend said John Edwards was present. Two family friends said Monday that Mrs. Edwards' cancer had spread to her liver and that doctors had advised against further medical treatment.

She posted a Facebook message to friends the same day, saying, "I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces — my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope."

"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that," she added.

Mrs. Edwards spent much of her life as a little-known lawyer and mother. That changed when her husband became a U.S. senator, presidential candidate and Democratic nominee for vice president, propelling her into the spotlight as a smart, plain-spoken wife and key adviser to her husband.

She later became a figure of sympathy as she battled breast cancer and dealt with her husband's infidelity. Her public image shifted again in recent years: the scorned woman whose husband fathered a child with another woman.

She and John Edwards separated early this year but remained close.


Read more…

Boy drowns in Soak Away Pit

A 13-year old boy, Kabiru Sanni has drowned in an abandoned soak away pit at 17, Orisanu Street, Ijegun in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria.

It was learnt that Kabiru drowned in the pit covered by flood as the victim attempted to pass through it.

P.M.NEWS gathered that the landlord of the house, the late Ogunsake Saba attempted to construct the soak away but could not complete it before he died a few years ago.

The house was inherited by the late Ogunsake’s children. But they also did not complete the soak-away.

According to the tenants, they paid advance rent to enable the landlord’s children complete the soak-away but they did not do it or refund their money.

Efforts by the tenants to compel them to complete the project did not yield any result until the incident occurred.

Following the death of Kabiru Sanni, the owners of the storey building were arrested by the police at Isheri Oshun for allegedly causing the death of the boy.

Those arrested were Idowu Saba and Kehinde Saba while other members of the family have gone into hiding to escape arrest.

When P.M.NEWS visited Isheri Oshun Police Station, the reporter was referred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Yaba, Lagos where further investigation has commenced on the matter after the suspects were transferred there.

At the time of filing this report, the suspects were still in SCID custody.

Photo:previous soakaway pit victims from enugu



Enugu Incident in June:


On Friday 22 May, the staff of One With God Sewage Services in Enugu had finished evacuating the septic tank at 15 Umuaniabor Street Awkunanaw, Garki, Enugu and were about to go when a woman in the house asked them whether they had done a thorough job. Confident that his team had done a marvelous job, Sunday Chukwu, one of the staff of the sewage company who cleared the faeces, opened the lid of the pit. But the pungent fumes emanating from the pit overpowered him. He fell into the pit, unconscious.

The Killer Soak-away pit

When Chukwu did not come up, Chibuike Okoye, a Nigerian Law School student and tenant in the said house who invited the sewage company, went into the tank to rescue him. But he, too, fell unconscious. This prompted a third person to attempt a rescue. This ended in disaster as the man also succumbed to the fumes and passed out. When tenants of the house saw that the three men in the pit were lying motionless in the tank, they fled from the building, screaming and crying.

At this juncture, personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, led by Mr Paul Inaya, arrived the scene but discovered that they were too late to save the three men. Officials of the Enugu South Local Government Health Department later came to dilute the strong gas in the tank with chemicals and water before people could go down to bring out the corpses. But before this was done, a live cock was dropped inside the tank and it survived. The dried up corpses of the three men were later released to the Police coroner for autopsy.

The Coordinator of the Health Department, Mr. Christian Egbo said the tragedy occurred because the septic tank was not allowed to cool for at least two hours before the men went in. He added that human feaces has chemicals that can kill. Egbo advised sewage service providers to always study the environment of houses/yards they intend working on for air escape routes before opening such tanks. He also urged them use ample chemicals to neutralise the poisonous gas before going inside septic tanks..

The landlord of the building, Mr. Bartholomew Mbaorji was said to have travelled. But his wife was later detained and released by the Police in Awkunanaw. She absolved herself of any blame, saying that she engaged the services of a registered sewage company which ought to know its job...


Read more…

Ejiro Henry, a 19-year old cocaine trafficker, currently standing trial for his involvement in the illicit trade, has been arrested again for peddling hard drugs.

Mr Henry, who was apprehended the second time on his way to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2, was found with 167 wraps of powdery material that the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed as cocaine, weighing 2.45kg. “The suspect was first arrested on May 25, for allegedly ingesting 73 wraps of substances that tested positive to cocaine weighing 1.285kg during screening of Alitalia passengers to Italy,” said Mitchell Ofoyeju, spokesperson for the agency. He also added that the suspect was subsequently charged to court and granted bail on September 6. According to him, the agency confiscated the international passport of the smuggler at the time and documented his Italian resident permit for safe keeping.

Premeditated action

Mr Ofoyeju explained that the cocaine was found in a polythene bag inside the suspect’s luggage, adding that he was equally in possession of a valid Air France ticket, with which he intends to “immediately” travel to Italy the same day. “Also in his possession was another international passport, as well as an Italian resident permit, as the travel document recovered from him in May is still in the custody of the agency,” he said.

The suspect, in a statement from the anti-narcotics agency, blamed his involvement in illicit trade this time on the devil, as he explained that his first attempt was as a result of his financial difficulties. “I actually needed money to settle my bills when I was first arrested but I cannot explain this one; I think it is the devil,” he said..

Blame the courts

Ahmadu Giade, the Chief Executive of NDLEA, said that the granting of bail to accused persons allow smugglers to go back into the criminal trade. According to him, the next bail trial date for the first charge against the suspect is to come up on November 4, 2010. “Bail encourages long adjournment, thereby prolonging litigation period,” he said. “It also provides a leeway for accused persons to go back into the illegal trade. When they are in detained in prison custody, cases are decided within a short time because they are usually agitated for their cases to be fast tracked.”

Hamza Umar, the Lagos airport commander for the agency, however, commended officials of Federal Airport Authority for detecting the drug and reporting it to the NDLEA, describing the collaboration as healthy for effective security and safety in the country. According to Mr Ofoyeju, preliminary investigations revealed that the accused was adequately prepared for the crime, as the current passport found with him was issued in March before his first arrest. “The new resident permit also suggests that the accused has established contacts in Italy and he will soon be charged to court in connection with the latest arrest while he will be appearing from NDLEA custody in the on-going trial,” he said.

Read more…

There's a boy who lives in my neighborhood named hassan (name changed). I don't know him well, but he looks to be about eight or nine years old. Despite his young age, this boy has a remarkable business sense. Let me tell you what he's accomplished.

One day I got home from running an errand and found a flyer in my front door. We get quite a few of those so my first instinct was to throw it away, but a picture on the flyer caught my attention. The picture was of hassan standing in front of the sign for the school he attends.

This caught my attention for two reasons. First, the picture was not a professional photo, and almost all advertisements have professional photos on them, so this stood out as different. Second, hassan put his own picture on it, and he's very young, so that stood out as well..

The flyer was offering what hassan calls "Grover TrashCan Valet Service." (grover huh ? yeah from sesame street the muppet in the trashcan !) Trash gets picked up in my neighborhood on Thursday morning, and each home owner is required to get the trash cans back to the house and off the road by Saturday night. But so many people were forgetting (or failing) to bring their trash cans back in a timely manner that the President of our Home Owner's Association had to email everybody with a "reminder" (more like a warning) that they needed to make sure they get their trash cans back in time. This is a requirement because I live in a nice neighborhood and it keeps everything looking nice and clean.

hassan, being the genius marketer he apparently is, saw a need — people weren't getting their trash cans back in time. So he figured he'd offer to haul the trash cans back for people for a small fee (250naira per can per week). In my case it costs me 600naira a week because I have two regular trash cans and two recycle bins. Is it worth it for me? Absolutely! Just saving me the time and inconvenience of having to worry about it is well worth 2400naira or so a month.

But wait, it gets better!

hassan is only eight or nine years old, and he's not a big kid. The trash cans weigh a fair amount even empty, because they're big. On top of that the trash cans are tall, and hassan isn't. He'd probably wear himself out trying to manually haul all of the cans from the long driveways to the houses. But he doesn't do that.

No, hassan rides his bicycle around the neighborhood to his clients' homes, and he lays the trash cans down one at a time on the back side of the bike. He then rides his bike to the house with the trash can rolling behind it like a trailer (the cans have wheels). Not only is this much faster than doing it by hand (I've watched him do it — he's quick!) but it's also a lot easier on hassan, so he can haul more trash cans than he would be able to do manually.

I'm telling you, this kid is brilliant.

I'm not sure how many clients he has, but even with only eight clients having three trash cans each (most of my neighbors have three) this pre-teen is making almost 15,000naira a month with an hours work after school once a week! That means at eight or nine years old he's earning 3750naira an hour.

hassan is very reliable, never missing a day, and he does a great job. His service is worth every penny.

So let's recap. This extremely young, savvy marketer did the following:

1. Saw a need.

2. Created a product (in this case, a service) to fill the need.

3. Contacted his target market.

4. Worked smarter rather than harder to increase his earning potential.

That's a great formula for success in any business.

And remember, he's only eight or nine years old! So stop making excuses about why you haven't been able to succeed and just follow hassan's example.
Culled & adapted for 9jabook.com by Weboga for businessDay 9jabook blog
Ps Remember kids should work too ! Rich kids do ! Who ? well look around you many nigerian kids do not .The photo in this blog is Will Smiths Daughter who just released a single ! His son is already making big money in movies ! Whether your kids are hawking Goods or whatever do it right, keep them safe Teach them young !





Read more…

81% of Nigerians will vote next year

Eighty-one percent of eligible Nigerians are willing to vote in forthcoming elections, according to a poll released yesterday.

jpeg&STREAMOID=iXH8GAOYqbU8RsKLSQfdzy6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxTBxz3DF6ftWImZ6FoKNZzFnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-The poll, ‘Current Pulse of Nation’s Survey’, carried out on topical national issues, sampled 5000 respondents, aged 18 years and above, from across the country.

‘Current Pulse of Nation’s Survey’ is conducted by Research and Marketing Services (RMS), an affiliate of TNS Global, a market research company and Gallup International’s representative in the country.

Adeola Tejumola, the CEO of the company, during a press briefing to announce the statistics, said the polls was centred on the forthcoming general elections because it is the most topical issue as the country celebrates its 50th Independence Day Anniversary..

‘More Nigerians will vote next year’

Mr. Tejumola said the reason for the high figure could probably be attributed to the “one man, one vote campaign”, or INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) administration suddenly improved, or just a reflection of the governance of the day.” “The challenges people raise concern for the most were the epileptic power supply, the increasing crime rate, coupled with the regular kidnapping going on, and corruption continues to rank high on the list,” he said. “For me, the fact that people are beginning to be aware that corruption is an issue, that they acknowledge that it does exist and the need to eradicate corruption in itself, is welcoming news.”

Another problem identified as major by the respondents, were low education quality and poor state of basic facilities.

Only 35 percent of the respondents were, however, confident that the forth coming elections will be free and fair, with half of the respondents expressing concerns about the success of the elections, in spite of the 81 percent willing to vote.

Aggrey Maposa, the company’s chief operating officer (COO), said the difference shows that people think the election process has improved, “though not yet perfect.” “Compared with the previous challenges that INEC used to have, people have seen improvements in the process of the elections. Even though, they understand that the process is not yet perfect, they are willing to vote and express their opinion,” he said.

‘Poor power is killing businesses’

Mr. Tejumola also said 81 percent of Nigeria’s eligible voters support President Goodluck Jonathan’s candidature in the race, noting that the polls was conducted before the presidential aspirants announced to run for office. “But it’s not just one-sided; if 81 percent are saying that President Jonathan should run, in the same report, 54 percent are saying they are not happy with the crime rate, 24 percent are saying that corruption is killing them, and 67 percent are saying that the epileptic power supply is killing their business,” he added.

The report also states that 63 percent of Nigerians will consider character in voting for a presidential candidate, while 33 percent would consider political affiliation. Thirty-one percent will consider political ideology and 27 percent will put the content of the manifesto ahead of other things. The poll also shows a slight popularity advantage for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), going into the next elections, while Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) had marginal drops in the number of respondents planning to vote for them.

Mr. Tejumola, however, advised presidential aspirants to consider Nigerians’ expectations going into the next elections. “Expectations of Nigerians include generation of employment opportunities, dependable electricity to drive national development, poverty eradication and free qualitative education, amongst others; a serious government would want to concentrate on doing these things for the people,” he said.

Mr. Tejumola also said the research was carried out by the company as “its Corporate Social Responsibility”, and promised that the company will continue to sample public opinion on “topical issues affecting the nation.”

Read more…

Rosh Hashanah DAY !

Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: ראש השנה‎, literally "head of the year," Israeli: Hebrew pronunciation: [ˈʁoʃ haʃaˈna], Ashkenazic: ˈɾoʃ haʃːɔˈnɔh, Yiddish:[ˈrɔʃəˈʃɔnə]) is a Jewish holiday commonly referred to as the "Jewish New Year." It is observed on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar.[1] It is ordained in the Torah as "Zicaron Terua" ("a memorial with the blowing of horns"), in Leviticus 23:24. Rosh Hashanah is the first of the High Holidays or Yamim Noraim ("Days of Awe"), or Asseret Yemei Teshuva (Ten Days of Repentance) which are days specifically set aside to focus on repentance that conclude with the holiday of Yom Kippur.

Rosh Hashanah is the start of the civil year in the Hebrew calendar (one of four "new year" observances that define various legal "years" for different purposes as explained in the Mishnah and Talmud). It is the new year for people, animals, and legal contracts. The Mishnah also sets this day aside as the new year for calculating calendar years and sabbatical (shmita) and jubilee (yovel) years. Jews believe Rosh Hashanah represents either analogically or literally the creation of the World, or Universe. However, according to one view in the Talmud, that of R. Eleazar, Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of man, which entails that five days earlier, the 25 of Elul, was the first day of creation of the Universe.[2]

The Mishnah, the core text of Judaism's oral Torah, contains the first known reference to Rosh Hashanah as the "day of judgment." In the Talmud tractate on Rosh Hashanah it states that three books of account are opened on Rosh Hashanah, wherein the fate of the wicked, the righteous, and those of an intermediate class are recorded. The names of the righteous are immediately inscribed in the book of life, and they are sealed "to live." The middle class are allowed a respite of ten days, until Yom Kippur, to repent and become righteous; the wicked are "blotted out of the book of the living."[3]



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah



For secular Jews


It would happen each fall around the Jewish new year. At the very time when renewal was in the autumn air, Arnold Barnett, an engineer from Moorestown, would go into a mild funk. His wife eventually figured it out: He was less than enamored with high holiday synagogue services.


"He simply wasn't engaged by what went on inside our Reform synagogue, or with the traditional approach to Judaism," said Ellen, 70. "I knew he was struggling. So sometimes, I would just go to services alone."


Then last year, the Barnetts saw a small notice in a local Jewish newspaper about a recently formed group in South Jersey. "We went to a meeting that was focused on Jewish history," Arnold, 71, recalls, "and that was something I could relate to. It was much more appealing."


And so the Barnetts will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, which begins Wednesday at sundown, by meeting Sunday with like-minded members of South Jersey Secular Jews - a group of people who may or may not believe in God, but do believe in caring about the world and one another, respecting and understanding Jewish history, and celebrating a culture that has meaning and emotional pull.


"The most important aspect of secularism is the survival and continuity of the Jewish people," said Paul Shane, a native New Yorker now living in Philadelphia and married to the daughter of Holocaust survivors.


Shane, 75, a member of the more established Philadelphia Secular Jewish Organization, believes humans are responsible for what happens on Earth. The here and now is central, and actions speak louder than words.


That philosophy resembles traditional Judaism. But secular Jews and traditional Jews part company when it comes to accepting religious dogma.


If you're secular, God is optional. (Traditional Judaism has "God at its heart. That's not an option," said Rabbi Ethan Franzel of Main Line Reform Temple Beth Elohim in Wynnewood.) Also, life-cycle events are handled individually - for instance, there are no set burial or wedding traditions in secular Judaism.


Of course secularism, in which one adheres to cultural norms rather than religious ones, is hardly new. During the Renaissance, from 1450 to 1600, and the Enlightenment in the 18th century, many Jews shed the God-oriented elements of their Jewishness, according to Shane, a professor of social policy at Rutgers University in Newark. That shedding also continued in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.


What's different today is that a growing number of secular Jews are finding one another, forming groups, and practicing the social responsibility Judaism requires - minus the synagogue.


Rifke Feinstein, executive director of the national Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations, says there are approximately 2,000 affiliated secular Jews in the United States. But because seculars typically are unaffiliated, and therefore uncounted, estimates for the entire American secular population range from 8,000 to 40,000.


In the Philadelphia area, there are six such organizations for secular Jews - including the five-year-old South Jersey Secular Jews - all under the local umbrella cooperative venture called Kehilla for Secular Jews.


For many people, discovering that such an organization exists has been a relief.


" 'I thought I was the only one!' is what people often express when they discover that they are not alone in their secular relationship to their Jewishness," said Larry Angert, 59, a member of 11-year-old Shir Shalom: A Havurah for Secular Jews. "The Jewish tent is big, and there's room for all of us in it."


Some local secular groups, like Philadelphia's Sholom Aleichem Club, which started in 1954, and Philadelphia Workmen's Circle, founded nationally in 1900 to aid Jewish immigrant workers and to promote Yiddish, have graying memberships. Bob Kleiner, 85, of Elkins Park, a retired sociology professor at Temple University, and his wife, Frances, a teacher of Yiddish, both long active in the secular movement, lament that younger people are not actively involved in these historic groups.


But the formation of new groups, such as South Jersey Secular Jews, is evidence the movement still has traction.


Credit Naomi Scher, 64, of Cherry Hill, whose children attended the Jewish Children's Folkshul, another Kehilla group, which is a parent-run cooperative held at Springside School in Philadelphia. About 100 children receive their Jewish education, not in a traditional Hebrew school but in classes that nourish social justice and individual responsibility. Bar and bat mitzvah aspirants undertake personally meaningful projects that they ultimately share with the entire Folkshul community.


Although Scher formed relationships with parents of her children's classmates, commuting to Philadelphia became burdensome once her children graduated, and in 2005, the retired social worker decided to start a secular group closer to home.


What began as a gathering of eight to 10 people now regularly attracts 30, meeting monthly with speakers who address social and political concerns, Scher said.


Deborah Chaiken, 74, of Palmyra is delighted to have a group close to home. "In the formal Jewish community, I felt that I didn't really have a voice. Here, I know that I do."


Dues are $25 a year, and participants are asked to bring food for potluck dinners. Meetings are held on the second Sunday of the month at Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill..


South Jersey Secular Jews members Cary and Bilha Hillebrand of Cherry Hill call the group a welcome addition to the local landscape. For Bilha, 54, the philosophy of the group is more in keeping with that of her native Israel, where the majority of the population leads a more secular lifestyle.


"We are not in any way antireligious," says Cary, 60. "We hold the belief that we are responsible for what happens to ourselves and to the world. And to us, that's the essence of what religion is, and should be."






Read more…
A Federal High Court sitting in Jos, Plateau State has ruled that the tenure of Segun Oni, the Ekiti State governor, ends in 2011, in the controversy over whether a fresh four year tenure started when he won the April 2009 re-run elections in the state.

The judgment in the suit filed by Adunmo Rufus and three others against the Attorney General of the Federation, delivered on Friday by Ambrose Alagoa.

Mr. Alagoa said the re-run election was not a fresh election but a supplementary one which held in some parts of the state, where no elections were held. He also said the oath Mr. Oni took in 2007 is the one recognised by the Constitution while the second oath he took in 2009 was only complimentary.

An Appeal Court’s ruling in Ilorin had on 17 February, 2009 nullified the election of Mr. Oni, and ordered a fresh poll in 63 wards of 10 local governments, out of the 16 local governments in the state, while the results of the remaining six were still considered for the new result...

No precedence

However, Wale Ojo-Lanre, the chief press secretary to Mr. Oni, said in a press statement that the judgment that cannot stand the test of judicial precedence.

“Section 180 (subsection 2a) of the 1999 Constitution is clear on when the tenure of office of governors and presidents ends and this has been settled by the Supreme Court,” Mr. Ojo-Lanre said.

He described the judgment as curious, strange and a pyrrhic victory for those who are desirous of getting power through the backdoor, noting that constitutional matters like the one on tenure of elected public officers can only be settled by the Supreme Court and added that his principal will appeal the judgment.

But in support of the judgement, Rotimi Akeredolu, the Nigeria Bar Association president, described the ruling as a vindication of his position and that of the Bar.

“That is the position of the law,” Mr. Akeredolu said. “The Bar said so, I have said so everywhere. He is fooling himself. I told him openly, I told the deputy governor when we met, and for them to think that the term will start running they are fooling themselves.

“The Constitution is very clear; from the day you are sworn in and he was sworn in 2007. So the election in 10 local governments and in local government like Ido-Osi and the likes will not give him a new tenure,” Mr. Akeredolu said.
Read more…
True story of, one of Africa's leading gospel artistes and Globacom ambassador, Sammie
Okposo’s arrest in

Following the misleading story reported by Evening Express, a Scottish evening paper, on the arrest of one of Africa's leading gospel artistes and Globacom ambassador, Sammie Okposo during his honeymoon in Aberdeen over a racist statement, the artiste and the Nigerians who were present at the scene of the ugly incident have risen to set the records straight.

According to information made available to us by MME (Media & Marketing Experts), Sammie Okposo's PR company and different comments of eye witnesses posted on different websites especially on nairaland.com, Sammie and his newly wedded wife, Ozioma in the company of their friends, Mr and Mrs Efemua, also Nigerians, had gone to a restaurant known as Jimmy Chung's on Aberdeen's Beach Esplanade to attend to their noisy stomachs.

They were said to have arrived at the restaurant at exactly 4.30pm in the evening but were not aware that lunchtime ended at 5pm. One of the attendants, a lady, who some Nigerians described as very violent, announced to them few minutes later that they have to rush their food and leave the restaurant before 5pm or else they will be charged for both lunch and dinner.

At this point, Sammie was already serving the food while the others were sorting out where they would sit.

Witnesses said the Nigerians questioned the attendant. They wondered why she had not informed them when they arrived, saying they would probably have waited till 5pm before settling down in the restaurant.
Photo:One location of the chinese restaurant in Aberdeen
The argument was said to have attracted the attention of the manager of the restaurant (identified as Ronny Shui Hung Yung), who aggravated the issue the more. Another lady allegedly went ahead to drag Sammie's shirt, ordering him to stop dishing out the food; an act that so many people in the restaurant described as unprofessional and barbaric. But Sammie was said to have taken it easy. “He told her politely that she shouldn't have pulled his shirt. At this point, the manager of the restaurant was already harassing Sammie's wife and the pregnant wife of his friend, Eloho Efemua, who happens to be the younger sister of popular Nigerian actor, Fred Amata.

"When Sammie turned back after the violent attendant pulled his shirt and realised the manager was raising hands and pointing accusing fingers at his wife and the pregnant lady in a very disrespectful and demeaning manner not meant for a gentleman and a service provider, he immediately swung into action and warned the manager in a very hard tone to desist from harassing and accusing his wife and Mrs Efemua after he had been briefed about what happened", a witness told Rhythm and Sounds.This photo Sammie & wife about to wed !

When the manager wouldn't stop but was getting more motivated, we heard that Sammie, who was very shocked and displeased at that point, told the manager that he should make sure his fingers don't touch his wife and that if he is tired of running this kind of restaurant, he should return to his country. Immediately Sammie made this statement, the manager wrote down Sammie's friend's car number and called the police to report a racial statement being made against him.

Having realised he had called the police, Sammie urged his wife including the other couple that they should wait for the police's arrival and thrash out the issue once and for all. It was reported that the police didn't arrive until 30 minutes after the distress call but the couples waited outside the restaurant till they arrived.

What however shocked the people present at scene, we gathered, was that the Scottish Police, as professional as they claimed to be, failed to ask any questions from the two Nigerian couples before taking them to the police station after listening to the restaurant manager. This, we heard, infuriated some Nigerians present at the restaurant and they registered their displeasure with the restaurant management.

Speaking for the first time on the incident, Sammie Okposo told journalists in Lagos who have been eager to hear from him that he is only a victim of circumstance. “It is true they took us to their police station without listening to our own side of the story but we played along with them as good and law abiding citizens of Nigeria. After the court in Aberdeen did a thorough check on me from all the countries I have visited, they said my record is clean and impeccable.

I was released the next day without making any official statements. But if the manager of the restaurant presses the issue further and it results to a court case, my lawyer in Scotland, Michael Munro will handle it. I don't regret my actions for speaking up against bad and rude behaviours from the staff of Jimmy Chung's. I don't regret defending my wife as a true African man,” he said.

Sammie's wife, Ozioma was very sad about the incidence. In her words, “We could afford to go to anywhere in the world for our honeymoon, but we chose to visit Aberdeen because of all the good things we had heard. We have been emotionally, mentally, financially and physically drained by this trip; which brings us to one conclusion: that going to Aberdeen for our honeymoon was the biggest mistake we would ever make in our marriage”.

Okposo was alleged to have caused alarm or distress to Ronny Shui Hung Yung by shouting, swearing and uttering racial remarks at the Aberdeen restaurant. He was also accused of acting in a racially aggravated manner by Scottish Evening Express. Against the ethos of journalism, the paper published the story based on the reports of the restaurant's manager, whose unprofessional conduct has greatly been criticised, without listening to the other party and the eye witnesses.

Sammie Okposo's lawyer in Nigeria revealed that Sammy is going to raise a case of personal harassment and aggravation against the restaurant management and the violation of his human rights by the Aberdeen police. The lawyer is filing a petition to the Nigerian High Commission and United Nations, where he is an ambassador.

One of the comments posted on nairaland.com, based on the experience of the writer at the said restaurant, says “the distasteful, snotty and poor attitude of staff of Jimmy Chung Restaurant resonates in good measure to all of its outlets in the Granite-city of Aberdeen; as if to say it was a management requirement for its staff. The attendants and staff look down their nose at you as if you're a fly in their soup”.

Marvelous Benjy Is Married: Popular dancehall act, Benjamin Ukueje, a.k.a Marvellous Benjy is now married. The wedding took place on July 9, 2010 in Bayelsa State. Speaking on his new status, the once upon a time rave of the moment described being married as one of the greatest things that has ever happened to him. “I'm very happy because I have found someone that truly loves me and I am very grateful to God about it. My attraction to her is divine because it is not something anybody can explain. I love her so much”, he said.

The Ajegunle-breed act with lots of energy-sapping dancing skills however, did not marry a Nigerian. His wife, Vanessa is a Spanish based in London.

The wedding took place at the State Registry where the lovebirds exchanged marital vows. The reception followed immediately and it was well attended by prominent Bayelsa State indigenes.

Marvellous Benjy became a household name after the release of his popular song, 'Suo' under Kennis Music Imprint. But since his fallout with the record label that promoted him massively, little or nothing has been heard about him musically. The talented dancehall act however said he has been working.

Lara George Emerges Gospel Artiste of the Year: Talented leading gospel artiste and award wining vocalist, Lara George is doing us proud. The more we think we have had enough of her, the more her talents prove us wrong. It has now been established in all quarters that she is one of Nigeria's best in and outside the country.
Few weeks back, the respected vocal gymnast, who won the Best Vocal Performer (FEMALE) at the just concluded Hip Hop World Awards, was selected as a member of the voting academy BET set up to decide the winners in different categories of the BET awards.

Last weekend, Lara emerged as the Best Gospel Act of Year 2010 at the City People Entertainment Awards in Lagos. The cheering audience confirmed the fact that it was a well deserved award with a standing ovation for the great vocalist.

And, this may just be the beginning as she is also a nominee for the Best Gospel Act award in Nigeria Entertainment Awards (NEA) coming up in America on September 18, 2010.

Immediately after the awards ceremony, Lara George will proceed on a tour of the USA where her esteemed fans are already waiting for her superlative performances.

She has also recently been selected out of hundreds of candidates, as one of the few finalists to take part in the British Council initiative called the Creative Entrepreneurs (formerly tagged Creative Lives). Creative Entrepreneurs is a project for training, mentoring, networking and secondments across the Creative Industries. It is led by the British Council. The vision of the project is to be Africa's most respected and effective scheme for developing aspiring creative entrepreneurs.

Kunle Bakare Stages White And Black Ball 2: Publisher, power dresser, stylist of note, brilliant journalist and one of the best party organisers in this part of the world, Kunle Bakare, is once again set to spoil us silly with a helluva party that fun lovers always look forward to. What is it this time around you may ask? It is the second edition of the Black and White Ball, a high-octane, all glitz and all glamour party incorporating a spectacular fashion show and the Elegance and Style Awards 2010; an occasion when distinguished stylists who have always been on point will be honoured.

Due to the successful outing of the first edition, fun lovers are already looking forward to having a good time this Sunday, July 25 at The Darlinton Hall in Ilupeju, Lagos where the event will be held. The high-octane event will parade fashionistas, A-list celebrities, society pillars, politicians and the stars of music and movie..

Top rated designers expected to showcase their designs at the events are House of Nwocha, Zizi Cardow, JD7, Vigold, Imol, Shakara, Nobel Afrik, Adu, Rogue and Design for Love.

Some of the categories in the Elegance and Style Awards are All-Time Beauty Queen, Best Promoter of Style, Most Dashing Celebrity Couple, Best Hairstylist, Best Make-Up artiste, among others.

There will be no short supply of music as renowned DJ, Jimmy Jatt and popular music band, God Bless will dish out good music to nourish the soul and body and make guests engage their legs in a little exercise of dancing.

Two brand new limousines, A Lincoln Continental and Chrysler will ferry the guests from the car park to the entrance of the hall. The organisers insist that full royal treatment awaits all the people that made it to their guests' list this year.

The event, which is strictly a black and white affair, is by invitation but guests who are not properly dressed will not be allowed into the venue.

Sparkling Talents Make Project Fame Season 3 Tick: We are about to witness the best MTN Project Fame
ever. Instead of the usual 15 contestants that normally make it to the Performance Academy, 18 contestants made it this time around due to their impressive outings at the opening night on Sunday July 18, 2010.

The contestants sang their hearts out and their performances were filled with so much promise and potential that it was virtually impossible to eliminate any of them._

When it was time for the judges to get down to business, they couldn't execute any elimination because all the contestants poured out their hearts and showed enormous potential.

Their work will however be cut out for them as 5 contestants with the lowest public votes will automatically be up for eviction from Saturday July 24.

The contestants will be taught aspects of song composition, vocal training, physical fitness and live performance by a group of professionals known as the Faculty whose latest member is Kaffy- the renowned choreographer. Other faculty members are Joke Silva (Principal) Ben Ogbeiwi (Music Director) and Dupe Ige (Voice Coach). The rank of judges has also swelled to 4 with the addition of a new member- Nomoreloss. The three other Judges are Kwame, TY Mix and Bibi.

A lot is at stake in the third season of MTN Project Fame. Besides fame and fortune, this year's winner will be going home with a fantastic recording contract, N2.5m and a brand new Toyota RAV4. The 1st runner up will get N1.5m and a Toyota Corolla while the second runner up gets a Toyota Yaris and N1m. The producers of the show have also revealed that renowned female singer, Asa will, on Thursday, visit the Performance Academy to mentor and advice the contestants. As a tribute to the singer, who has proudly flown the Nigerian flag, the contestants will be performing her songs this Saturday as part of the week's show. The contestants will also perform select numbers from Tracy Chapman's albums.
Read more…

From the Lab to World Stage, Future Awards 2010 Young Person of the Year, Ify Aniebo is making a real impact

Posted on Monday, June 21st, 2010 at 12:02 AM

By Wana Udobang

The 2010 edition of the Future Awards was the best yet. At the awards ceremony, it was a double whammy forIfeyinwa Aniebo, the young malaria researcher bagged awards for Scientist of the Year and the most prestigious of the awards, Young Person of the Year.

Less ‘popular’ than most of the other nominees (Her co-nominees for Young Person of the Year included superstarsAsa and Cobhams), Ify Aniebo’s resume reads quite differently from one typically expected of a Future award winner.

She has a first degree in Medical Genetics from Queen Mary’s University, An MSc in Applied Biomolecular Technology from Nottingham University and went on to receive a scholarship from the Prince’s Trust. She is currently a PhD student at Oxford University on a fully funded scholarship from the Wellcome Trust, the Tropical Network Fund and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She has carried out research at the Wellcome-Oxford-WHO unit in Thailand. Passionate about finding a cure to Malaria, this has been her main area of research, her goal is to discover a vaccine to the biggest killer disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Her passion for healthcare goes beyond the world of academia, she hopes to start her own health care magazine in the future with as much glamour as any fashion magazine out on the market.

BellaNaija caught up with Ify to find out a bit more about her and her desire to bring the sizzle from the laboratory to the world stage.

Did you think you stood a chance to win the Young Person of the Year award, Also what was going through your head when your name was called?

Honestly I did not think so. When I saw the other names in that category including Asa, Cobhams, Toyosi Akerele and Tolu Ogunlesi, I thought, never in a million years would I stand a chance because all of them are immensely talented and inspiring people. When my name was called I wasn’t even expecting it. I was busy reading the certificate I was given for the Young Scientist of the Year award and was really waiting to cheer someone else on. I was absolutely gobsmacked when I heard my name. I couldn’t believe it. It was a wonderful moment I tell you. l was so happy and was in tears.

Do you think receiving two future awards will have any significance to your career?

Yes. Science is a very tough field to be in and often people need motivation or else a career change will ensue. I get motivated by a myriad of things but receiving two awards to me means I have the full support of a lot of people which I find motivating and encouraging. Winning those awards has given me the strength to continue in my path. The strength also comes from the fact that so many people have been inspired from this experience. I get a lot of messages on facebook from people telling me how inspired they feel and how they want to do something great for the country. I also received a few saying they want to get back into the field of science. I love to inspire people in every way and that to me is the most significant thing in my career.

Your area of research is malaria. With other diseases that have been placed as more important by the international health community, what made you choose Malaria?

My interest was first sparked after I had suffered multiple infections from the bites of anopheles mosquito during my childhood and adolescent years. I noticed that the drugs administered both for treatment of the infection and for prophylactic use always changed. For instance I remember quinine used to be administered then a couple of years later, chloroquine became the chosen drug.

In West Africa today, none of these drugs are used because the parasite has become resistant. The drugs popularly administered are Halfan (halofantrine hydrocholoride), Fansidar and artemisinin. I find it both disturbing and fascinating that a disease which has been around for half a billion years still kills millions of people each year. What’s more intriguing is that no efficacious Vaccine has been developed. Malaria was neglected by the international community in the 90s and interest was only taken up a few years ago. There were no grants or funds to study the disease and millions were dying. Today there are some grants available but not as much as is expected. It is also saddening that there aren’t a lot of African scientists leading most malaria research programmes considering the fact that it greatly impacts our continent. It is disheartening that most of the funds donated are from foreign organisations. I want to be part of the movement to eradicate malaria and effect a change positively because at the moment Malaria kills more people everyday than HIV/AIDS.

How close are you to finding a malaria vaccine?

Finding a vaccine to malaria involves collaborations within the scientific community because one person really cannot solve the problem. This is because the disease is multifaceted. For instance, I work on the molecular biology and genetics of the parasite but I still have to collaborate with bioinformaticians, biochemists, epidemiologists, physicians and statisticians. Basically it has to be a combined effort. Our group in Thailand have started a clinical trial in Kenya but then again other groups in other countries have done clinical trials in the past and are currently doing one now. Honestly, the lifecycle of the parasite is not a straight forward one to decipher and to make matters worse it keeps evolving and mutating. Whenever we think we are close to finding a vaccine, something else crops up. Its very hard to say how close we are to finding a vaccine because the parasite keeps mutating all the time making it harder for the scientific community to control. But we are working very hard and hopefully one day we would get there.

What was the attraction to doing you research in Thailand?

Thailand has the best tropical disease institution in the world and that was an immediate attraction. Also Oxford has an excellent relationship with the institution so that makes it easier for students to go there and carry out research. I also liked the fact that it was going to be a challenging experience for me. I don’t speak Thai so carrying out scientific research in a non-English speaking country seemed abysmal at first but it’s awesome. I’m also the only black person there which personally I think is great. Lastly, Thailand has lovely resorts and beaches with loads of tourist attractions. I love to have a good time too.

What would you say to people that say you are more at an advantage to access funding for your projects and research?

I will let them know it is difficult. It’s particularly more difficult if you are not British , An EU citizen or a US citizen because a lot of the funding organisations only cater to their citizens and rightfully so. The scholarships that are open to all nationalities are so difficult to get because one would have to compete with thousands of students from all over the world making it highly competitive. I was not born in England and unfortunately Nigerians have a negative reputation in certain circles. I applied for the scholarship like thousands of other students from around the world and after four stages of interviews and tests I got it. I think its by the grace of God I won it because winning a full scholarship in the UK is a rare occurrence especially for Nigerians. I actually consider it to be a miracle and gave thanks to God and testified in church.

Science in an industry that never receives much publicity (particularly in Africa), what do you hope to achieve with all the publicity you have received so far?

I hope to inspire more young people and lobby the government to emphasize the importance of science and research to the development of the nation. I hope to bridge the information gap in terms of health education and I plan on doing that in my own little way. I will like to encourage the study of science in schools and universities and as a career choice. I want to prove to young people that what everyone calls geeky can still be very chic. You can get a buzz from watching an organism mutate under a microscope just as much as you can watching Deola Sagoe’s new collection at the New York Fashion Week.

Why do you think more young people especially in Nigeria are steering away form careers in areas of science and technology

There hasn’t been so much focus or emphasis on science in Nigeria. The youth are not thinking about science when they go to school simply because the industry in Nigeria is not developed enough and there are very little opportunities. The youth tend to pursue degrees in areas such as accounting/finance and Engineering simply because they are inspired by a future career in the two main industries, notably Banking and Oil & Gas. These days also you get young people wanting to be entertainers, models, journalists e.t.c and that’s because they have role models in these fields and are inspired by that. Science in Nigeria I can imagine does not pay as much as other careers do and in a country where people are suffering i think they would rather opt for the money option rather than passion because in the end it is survival of the fittest still.

How do you think we can attract more young people to science as a career. Many seem more interested in the seemingly glamorous careers such as Investment Banking and Fashion.

I already think science is a glamorous career that just needs to catch on in Nigeria with time (like everything else). Glamorous is anything that is full of excitement, adventure and unusual activity and that is what science is. Broadcasting cooperations know this which is why you have shows like CSI which has made forensic science a popular career choice. Heroes on TV is all about genes and mutations (Genetics), House is a show about Doctors that already have PhDs (MD/PhD) which is why you see them diagnose and do further analysis in labs just to name a few. Scientists globe-trot doing what they are passionate about and that to me is exciting. With all the infrastructure in place it should not be a problem making science a glamorous career.

How will you encourage young Nigerian scientist that despite not having a foreign education, all their efforts and hard work isn’t going to be futile?

I would say passion, hardwork and dedication always pays off irrespective of ones geographical location. Nigeria is a developing country and I’m optimistic that the science sector will start to flourish in a few years. All hope should not be lost.

What are your future career plans?

For now, I look forward to completing my PhD. After that I intend going into Public health where I will be able to contribute to the development of the health sector in Nigeria by implementing new health policies, monitoring the health of the population, identifying its health needs, evaluating health services and generally ensuring a health system that actually works.

You have a health blog, what do you hope to achieve with via your blog.

With my African health blog, I focus on health issues young Africans can relate to. I try not to make it so complicated with medical terms people don’t understand and I try to make it less tedious and boring. I hope the blog will get people more interested in health and wellness because at the moment a lot of people are not bothered. The website is being designed at the moment and I have a few writers (medics and non medics) who are passionate about health willing to contribute. The website would cover areas like men’s health, women’s health, pregnancy and childcare, mental health, sexual health etc. For now we are focusing on an e-magazine because a lot of young people spend time online these days. Hopefully if it becomes a success we might start printing and then target a wider audience. For now it’s one step at a time. You can check out Ify’s blog, its www.mutant-geek.blogspot.com

Let’s get a bit more lighthearted. Most people see scientists as nerdy characters. What do you say to that?

It is just a stereotype. I am not a nerd and a lot of scientists I know are not nerds either. I represent the neo- scientists. The ones that cycle in stilettos and still reduce their carbon footprints. The ones that wear red lipstick and faux-fur and go out to a trendy bar to drink a glass of carbenet sauvignon packed with polyphorins (which by the way is good for your heart). The ones that know how to work hard and play harder. The ones that queue outside Selfridges for hours on boxing day in the blistering cold just to lay their hands on half price designer goods (Okay I’ll stop Now). Science like I said earlier can be chic. Gone are the days of stereotypes.

I actually consider science to be sexy – it is mysterious and exciting. I love the fact that with science you never know where the journey would take you. It is very adventurous and unpredictable. You find out new things as you go on and that is what’s very engaging and exciting. I love it!

Your research appears intense. Outside science, what do you enjoy.

I mostly hang out with family and friends and I really love having a good laugh. I love going to the spa, indulging in Thai massages, going to the theatre, listening to live music. I enjoy very good food. I like dancing which I do every week, I love pilates, I enjoy shopping especially at thrift stores as I find fashion on the high street a tad nauseating. I really love to sleep. Infact my sisters think I am very lazy.

As the 2010 Future Awards Young Person of the Year, you are a role model to many Nigerian youth. What is your message to all?

I feel humbled to even be referred to as that. I am honoured.

My message to all would be to stop talking and start acting. Enough of the facebook updates, facebook groups wanting change, twittering, BBing etc. I do understand we haven’t had the best leaders but we need to stop dwelling on that and move on. What I’m saying is the future of the country does not just lie in the hands of our leaders, it lies in every individual as well. We all need to look in the mirror and start affecting change where necessary. We need to be more positive and supportive of each other. We need to be more helpful to our neighbours and communities. We need to stop being selfish. We need to be the change we want to see in the country because we would become leaders one day and if we do not start doing all these things now then we would be no different from our leaders. We might even end up being worse. A vicious cycle really. Stop waiting for someone or a group of people to change Nigeria. We all can start in our own little way. I’m not saying you cannot pop champagne or fix your hair, all I’m saying is do something positive and impact visible change around you...

Read more…

59 year old Woman Delivers First Baby

Something close to a miracle occured last week when a 59- year old woman, Mrs Iyabo Balogun, was delivered of a baby.

The miracle baby came after four fibroids and ovarian cyst that blocked her womb was removed by Dr. Christianah Abosede Oluwashola of the GVM International Ibadan.

Telling the success story, Dr. Abosede explained “that nothing could have been more fictitious to her than the story of the possibility of her getting rid of the four fibroids tube blockage including two ovarian cyst that have given her lot of concern.”

Added to her pain she said, was also the fast aging husband that clocked 60 at the time the story of the possible relief came. When she was told the success story of those who had their lives changed for better after the disappearance of their fibroids, she dismissed it as impossible. Later, she partially agreed that the fibroids could disappear quite all right, asking whether that would bring her age back to allow for a childbirth. The answer she got was the emphasis that Dr. Mrs Christianah Abosede Oluwashola of the GVM International had the magic wand to put smiles on her face through her medicinal herbs. There and then, she was persuaded to give it a thought her husband explained.
After serious considerations, the couple met with Dr. Oluwashola, who had to be told of yet another impediment which had to do with the low spermatozoa count of Mr. Balogun, her husband..

Desperate to get the fibroids removed as a first step towards getting Mrs Iyabo Balogun’s womb ready for her miracle baby, she was made to purchase the ovarian cyst and tube cream which are usually rub on the navels of patients to get the fibroid dissolved. It is usually after the dissolution Dr. Oluwashola told Nigerian Tribune that a patient got delivered of the discomforting substance to give way for proper ovulation to take place.

Today, she said, “they are proud parents of a bouncing baby, the first in their life at the age no one would ever have expected such to happen.”

Dr (Mrs) Christianah Abosede Oluwashola, a Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) trained medical doctor while speaking exclusively to Nigerian Tribune, explained that she diverted to herbal medicine through divine inspiration. So, as a surgeon, what she used to do with scapels are now done with herbs but with God’s strict directive, she said.

Though a Christian and a teacher of the words, her patronage cuts across all religions. So, like any other professionals, she said she cares for everyone irrespectve of their religion as according to her, the new parents are both muslim.
Read more…
Women in the senate and a coalition of Nigerian women’s groups, including the Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Women Rights Advancement and Pro-tection Alternative (WRAPA) and the Global Association of Women Attorneys (GAFA), are protesting the marriage of former Zamfara State governor and Senate Minority Whip, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima to a 13-year old Egyptian girl..
They took their protest to the Senate, urging the Senate President, David Mark leadership of the Upper House to suspend him for marrying an underaged girl. They are also asking his constituents in Zamafara Central Senatorial District to recall him from the Senate.

The women argued that Mr. Yerima’s action is both medically unsafe for the child-bride and legally wrong. They also asked that the senator return the Child to her Egyptian parents or face more protests and possible court action.

Mma Wokocha, a gynaecologist and the national president of Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria, argued that the marriage will expose the child to vagino-vesicular fistula (VVF). This is a situation where, because the child’s pelvis is too narrow to give birth, pressure from the baby’s head blocks the circulation in the area between the bladder and the vagina, killing the tissue and creating a permanent hole in which urine constantly passes through the vagina.

GAFA representative, Mrs. Chinelo Iriele, said “Nigerian women are sad because the Child Right Acts, Section 21 prohibits Child marriage.

“Section 22 prohibits betrothal of a child under the age of 13. Today one of our senators, Senator Yerima, who is a member of the highest law making body in the country, is committing the same offence that attracts the penalty of five years imprisonment or N500,000 fine or both."

He married a fifteen year old girl two years ago who has a child for him. Now a 13 year old girl? How sick sad...
Read more…

Nine year old Naija Twins set british record


Nigerian-born nine-year-old twins yesterday became the youngest pupils to be admitted to a secondary school in Britain, timesonline.co.uk has reported.15562306.jpg
Paula and Peter Imafidon had already broken world records when they passed A/AS-level mathematics papers at the age of 7. Yesterday, the twins joined hundreds of thousands of other families across the country to find out which secondary school they would attend, despite being two years younger than most of their counterparts.

Peter and Paula, from Waltham Forest, northeast London, attend a normal State primary school but have received provisional offers from more than 12 leading secondary schools.

The so-called “wonder twins”, who come from a family of high achievers, set two world records when they passed A/AS-level maths papers. They became the youngest candidates to pass A-level maths and were also the youngest school pupils to do so, as the previous record holders had been taught at home, the website reported.

A year later they took and passed the University of Cambridge’s Advanced Mathematics (FAM) paper, becoming the youngest students to pass the rigorous examinations.

Chris Imafidon, their father, said that the twins would cope well with secondary school despite their age. “We’re delighted with the progress they have made,” he said. “Because they are twins they are always able to help and support each other.”

Peter and Paula’s sister Samantha, 12, passed her maths and statistics GSCEs at the age of 6, as did the twins. Their eldest sister, Anne-Marie, 20, holds the world record for being the youngest girl to pass A-level computing, at 13. She received a government scholarship to study at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Another sister, Christiana, 17, was the youngest schoolgirl to study at undergraduate level in any British university, at the age of 11.15562307.jpg

Mr Imafidon said that all of the children had taken part in the Excellence in Education programme, which helps disadvantaged families, and their achievements were due to being nurtured rather than natural "genius".

“Every child is a genius. Once you identify the talent of a child and put them in the environment that will nurture that talent then the sky is the limit," he said.

Peter has ambitions to become Prime Minister of UK while his sister wants to be a maths teacher. Mr Imafidon said he was confident that they would achieve their goals.
Read more…

Revealed: How N17tr stolen in one year

Recently, the Director of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), Tim Daniel, revealed that Nigeria loses $110 billion annually to treasury looting. According to him, the country cannot boast of tremendous development because of the large amount of money being siphoned out of government and taken outside the country.Saturday Sun’s findings reveal that Daniel hit the bull in the eye. Every ministry, government’s agency and parastatal corporation have been discovered to be involved in the looting spree. Indeed, during her first anniversary as Chairman of Economic Finance and Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri noted that former governors, ministers and members of parliament alone have stolen N285billion in this political dispensation.With this and other reported cases of corruption Transparency International cannot therefore be faulted in its position that corruption is high in Nigeria.It would be recalled that one of the reasons the military sacked the civilian government of Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983 was corruption. Corruption still continues. When what happened then is compared to the looting in the last 10 years, the former pales into insignificance. When the country started another journey in democracy, led by Olusegun Obasanjo, a probe was instituted against the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, which led to the discovery that the former military junta sole $3billion from the country’s treasurer.The uproar this generated and the recrimination it attracted to the Abacha family did not deter others from helping themselves from the treasury, whether it is national, state or local government levels.Saturday Sun gathered that on daily basis political office holders’ siphoned money, through various means, from the treasury. Recently, the National Coordinator, Nigeria Network on Stolen Assets, Rev. David Ugolor, revealed that the N65billion looted by Abacha, which had been returned, had been mismanaged. According to him, from evidence the Federal Government, under Obasanjo, disbursed the funds and could not provide evidence of transparent disbursement. The same fate greeted the N16billion recovered from Tafa Balogun, which was said to be missing and no record to trace it.When Obasanjo assumed office in 1999, he adorned the messiah toga. In fighting corruption, he set up the EFCC, with Nuhu Ribadu as its chairman. The anti-graft agency started blowing hot until it turned out to be a tool for hounding perceived or real enemies of the president. Ribadu, while appearing before the Senate in 2007, told the bewildered nation that the agency had investigated then serving governors and that 31 out of the 36 of them had been found to have allegedly looted the treasury of their respected states and would be prosecuted as soon as their immunity expired.Curiously, when the tenure of these governors ended, only six of them who were said not to be in the good books of Obasanjo were taken to court by the agency. Not much was known about the extent of looting of the national treasury until the National Assembly started probing various agencies, ministries and parastatals. The figures coming out from some of the probes that represent what have been looted are frightening. It was from the probes that Nigerian realised why the problem of the energy sector had defied solution and why the country has been in perpetual darkness. Over $16 billion, said to have spent by Obasanjo’s government to find solution to the perennial darkness, went into private pockets.The usual Nigeria’s conundrum was introduced in the probe, which made the report to be confined to the trash bin. The hunter later turned the hunted. Ndudi Elumelu, the head of the probe committee, is now facing trial with four others for alleged perpetration of monumental fraud of N5.2b.Those involved are Chairman, Senate Committee on Power; Senator Nicholas Ugbare, his House of Representatives counterpart, Ndudi Elumelu; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Dr. Abdulahi Aliyu and Managing Director of Rural Electrification Agency, Samuel Gekpe.Another sleaze at Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) involved N3billion alleged stolen by the suspended Chairman of the agency, Dr. Ransome Owan and six commissioners. They are currently facing trial on 197-count at an Abuja High Court. Of this amount, N77million was said to have been spent on overseas frolicking and cost of living allowances.Yet another case of looting is in educational sector, while the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is lamenting the high level of adult illiteracy in Nigeria, the literacy commission boss was involved in N271m fraud, which is part of the amount meant to reduce the illiteracy rate in the country. According to latest report of UNESCO, Nigeria is classified as one of the countries at a serious risk of not attaining the Education for All (EFA) goal by 2015. The report claimed that there are about 60 million adult illiterates and 11 million out-of-school children in Nigeria. It rated Nigeria as one of the most illiterate in the world. In the face of this negative index, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Adult Education, Mass Literacy and Non-Formal Education, Dr. Dayo Olagunju and 19 officers of the commission are being prosecuted for the alleged fraud.The Director of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Prof. Bridget Sokan and three top officers are also facing trial over N78million loot. Also, while the universities are crying of under-funding and lecturers on strike, the Vice Chancellor of Imo State University, Prof. I. C. Okonkwo, has been arrested in connection with N70million fraud. When his house was searched, the sum of N4.5million cash, $11, 200 and 700 Euros were found in his apartment in Owerri.Former Minister of Aviation, Prof. Babalola Borishade, NAMA’s former Managing Director, Roland Iyayi and two others were fingered in N19billion loot. They are facing criminal charges in court.The football house is not left out. It was recently reported that $236, 000 was stolen from coffers of Nigerian Football Federation. Funny enough, the National Sports Commission, the supervising agency inaugurated committee to trace the money. The committee, after collecting sitting allowance, did not come up with any finding.The National Film Corporation has its pie in the shame, as its Managing Director, Afolabi Adesanya and four directors were recently arrested for allegedly sharing of N11.8m belonging to the agency.The Trans National Corporation (TRANCOP) is also in the news as it relates to corruption. Its Group Managing Director, Thomas Isegoli, is in the net of EFCC for fraud. The amount involved is more than N15billion. He is being held with the company’s Secretary, Mohammed Buba and another official, Mike Okoli.The GMD is said to have, in connivance with other staff, severally abused the N100million approval limit given to him by the Board of TRANSCORP. He allegedly used organisations owned by his friends and associates to siphon money through bogus and overlapping consultancy projects, contracts and services.The Chairman, Federal Character Commission, Prof. Oba Shuaibu Abdulraheem, was last September accused of involvement in N262million scam. A petition on this issue was sent to President Umar Yar’Adua and Code of Conduct Bureau. Chief Bode George and others are also facing charges over scam in the Nigeria Ports authority. Former Senate President, Adolphs Nwagbara with Prof. Ebere Osuji, former education minister and others are also facing corruption charges, likewise serving Senator Iyabo Obasanjo and Prof Adenike Grange, who are alleged to have corruptly enriched themselves to the tune of N300million.At the peak of the Obasanjo campaign for the cancellation of Nigeria’s foreign debt, United Kingdom Minister for Africa, Mr. Chris Mullin disclosed, on February 2005, that about N315.5billion of Nigeria’s looted funds were frozen in various British banks. He had said that Nigeria’s quest for debt cancellation would be a mirage if corruption and looting of the treasure persisted in the country. From reports, Nigeria’s stolen money kept in foreign accounts in 1999 increased from $50billion to $170billion in 2003. This was buttressed in the June 2006 edition of The Africa Report by the former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mr. Raymond Baker, who had estimated stolen money from Nigeria and stashed away in foreign banks to be about $100b.Baker, who put the total value of “dirty money” laundered globally at $500million per annum, also noted that about 50 percent of these funds, which come from developing economies end up in US dollar dominated accounts.Saturday Sun gathered that the sum of N53.3billion owed failed banks in the country and now considered bad debts came about as a result of insider abuse or outright stealing by officials of those banks. Before the collapsed of these banks, some of them went to the Nigerian Stock Exchange to raise funds to assist them come out of the woods. This ended with much of the funds being diverted to other uses by the unscrupulous officials of the banks.Of all these funds stashed away in foreign banks, in 2006, the then Attorney General of the Federation declared that the Federal Government could only recover $1billion.By VINCENT UKONG KALU(vin@sunnwsonline.com) Culled from The Sun
Read more…

Blog Topics by Tags

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

Monthly Archives