Posted by 9jabook.com on December 28, 2009 at 2:04am
To his classmates and teachers at the British school in Togo, west Africa, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab was the cheerful if sometimes serious student, whose pious views earned him the nickname, the Pope.
But behind his innocent chiding about the perils of alcohol and western decadence lay a burgeoning pull towards radical Islam, which on Christmas Day, saw him try to take the lives of 278 passengers aboard an American bound airliner.
Mutallab's journey towards terrorism is an unusual one which has shocked and dismayed those who knew him as a youngster.
The son of the former chairman of a Nigerian bank, he enjoyed the trappings of a wealthy upbringing, privately educated in a highly regarded international boarding school.
Among his classmates was the daughter of Karl Hoffman, an adviser to the former US secretary of State Colin Powell.
Mutallab's former history teacher, Mike Rimmer who taught him at the British School of Lomé in Togo, west Africa, remembered him as a model pupil but admitted that he had some radical views in his teenage years.
Mr Rimmer told The Daily Telegraph: "In 2001 we discussed the Taliban in class. All the other Muslim kids thought they were a bunch of nutters with beards, and could not understand why they did such things as banning kite flying. But Umar seemed to think that was reasonable."
He said fellow pupils gave him the nickname ‘The Pope’ because of his "pious" and "high-minded” attitudes and later dubbed him 'Alfa' a local term meaning Islamic teacher.
On one occasion, during a school trip to London, Mutallab objected to being taken to a pub for lunch.
The teacher said: "Umar came up to me and said, ‘Mr Rimmer, you should not be taking us into pubs. We do not want to be in a building associated with alcohol.'"
But despite these instances Mr Rimmer remembered his pupil with fondness, saying: "He was very interested in world affairs and would stay behind after lessons to discuss issues. For a teacher, that was just wonderful.
"He was a very personable boy; he could have gone into politics. He could have become the president of Nigeria. But now his future doesn’t look bright at all."
Mutallab's father, Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, 70, is from Funtua in the largely Muslim northern state of Katsina, and retired as chairman of Nigeria’s oldest bank, First Bank, earlier this month after a distinguished career in finance that included 13 years on the board of the bank.
Last night he spoke of his devastation at the news of his son's alleged terror bid. He said: "I am really disturbed. I would not want to say anything at the moment until I put myself together."
After leaving school Mutallab won a place at the prestigious University College London to study mechanical engineering.
His father rented a luxury apartment just off Harley Street and Mutallab surrounded himself with siblings and friends who were part of an elite group of Nigerian ex-patriots in London.
But one friend who knew him in London said he kept himself to himself much of the time and always wore a skullcap, relatively rare among young Nigerian Muslims who usually only wear them on religious occasions.
After graduating from UCL, he moved first to Egypt, and then Dubai in the United Arab Emirates where he studied for an MBA before dropping out and telling his family he did not want to have anything to do with any of them again.
A family friend said Mutallab had made two trips to Yemen for short Arabic and Islamic courses.
Speaking in Kaduna, Nigeria, one of his brothers said he had “extreme views about religion” and had alienated himself from his family members because they disagreed with his views.
The man, who declined to be named, said Mutallab had a number of arguments with his immediate family members over his views on religion and feared he had joined an extremist group in Northern Nigeria called Boko Haram.
"We know Farouk’s extreme views and were always apprehensive of where it may lead him to. He has maintained his distance from us and we never bothered him much. He wanted to be left alone so we respect his wishes. We were always worried about him because he is young," he said.
The brother described Mutallab as "quiet, nice and gentle," adding that he minded his own business and was "morally upright."
But in a series of postings on internet chatrooms Mutallab revealed some of his personal struggles.
In one he wrote: "Can you be my friend? I get lonely sometimes because I have never found a true Muslim friend.”
Later he wrote of joining protests against the war in Iraq, asking: “When is lying allowed to deceive the enemy?” and among his last posts he wrote of heading to Yemen.
Family sources told The Daily Telegraph that Mutallab contacted his them in October from the Yemen, telling them he would be out of touch for seven years.
In interviews with FBI agents Mutallab said he made contact via the internet with a radical imam in Yemen who then connected him with al Qaeda leaders in a village north of the country’s capital, Sanaa.
The student said he lived with the al Qaeda leader in Yemen for about a month and was not allowed to leave as he was trained in what to do and how to explode the device.
At some point, according to the account, Abdulmutallab said he was joined by a Saudi citizen whom he described as an al Qaeda bomb maker.
His family's mounting concern over his behaviour eventually prompted his father to report his activities to the United States’ Embassy in Abuja as well as Nigerian security agencies.
Fabrizio Cavallo Marincola, a 22-year-old mechanical engineering student at University College, who studied with Mutallab said. "We worked on projects together.
"He always did the bare minimum of work and would just show up to classes. When we were studying, he always would go off to pray.
"He was pretty quiet and didn't socialize much or have a girlfriend that I knew of. I didn't get to talk to him much on a personal level. I was really shocked when I saw the reports. You would never imagine him pulling off something like this."
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Posted by 9jabook.com on December 29, 2009 at 9:16pm
Xmas Day Bomber AKA El nigri Said "I am lonely ! "
"Hence I am in a situation where I do not have a friend, I have no one to speak too, no one to consult, no one to support me and I feel depressed and lonely. I do not know what to do."
Liverpool FC is my TEAM Arsenal is just a stupid team ...
The disturbed mind of the Christmas Day airline bomber is evident in a series of tormented postings he wrote on the internet.
As a lonely 18-year-old, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab turned to an Islamic web forum as he struggled with his shame over his sexuality and growing alienation from his family.
His innermost thoughts reveal a shy and awkward
They show an increasingly religious and intolerant young man who fantasised about becoming a Muslim holy warrior in the ‘great jihad’ that would take place across the world.
In 310 internet posts written between 2005 and 2007, ‘Farouk1986’ – Abdulmutallab’s middle name and year of birth – desperately searches for guidance and help in hastily written messages filled with spelling and grammatical errors.
While at a prestigious British boarding school in Togo, he wrote: ‘First of all, I have no friends.
‘Not because I do not socialise, etc but because either people do not want to get too close to me as they go partying and stuff while I don’t, or they are bad people who befriend me and influence me to do bad things.
‘Hence I am in a situation where I do not have a friend, I have no one to speak too, no one to consult, no one to support me and I feel depressed and lonely. I do not know what to do.’
The posts were made on an Islamic bulletin board called Gawaher, which literally translates from Arabic as ‘gems’ or ‘jewels,’ but can also be read as ‘essence’ or ‘spirit’.
They started in 2005 when Abdulmutallab was 18 and preparing to apply to British universities. He wrote about his privileged upbringing in Nigeria and his family’s wealth.
Abdulmutallab’s father, Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, a frequent visitor to the U.S., retired this year as chairman of First Bank of Nigeria and still sits on the boards of several prominent Nigerian firms.
His love of sport, British football in particular, is evident with his fervent support of Liverpool, and his disparaging remarks about other clubs.
But gradually the football-mad teenager with academic ambitions is replaced by a student ideologue.
He writes of his struggles between balancing Islamic tolerance and fundamentalism.
‘I want to talk about my dilemma between liberalism and extremism,’ he writes. ‘The Prophet (S) said religion is easy and anyone who tries to overburden themselves will find it hard and will not be able to continue.
‘So anytime I relax, I deviate sometimes and then when I strive hard, I get tired of what I am doing i.e. memorising the quran, etc. How should one put the balance right?’
And there are chilling hints of the deadly role he was to play following his terror training in Yemen earlier this year.
He wrote: ‘I won’t go into too much details about my fantasy, but basically they are Jihad fantasies. I imagine how the great jihad will take place, how the Muslims will win (Allah willing) and rule the whole world, and establish the greatest empire once again.’
He also confides that he struggles with his sexual desires – encapsulated by the religious duty of ‘lowering the gaze’ in the presence of women.
‘And then I think this loneliness leads me to other problems,’ he writes. ‘As I get lonely, the natural sexual drive awakens and I struggle to control it, sometimes leading to minor sinful activities like not lowering the gaze.
‘And this problem makes me want to get married to avoid getting aroused.
‘The Prophet (S) advised young men to fast if they can’t get married but it has not been helping me much and I seriously don’t want to wait for years before I get married.’
In December 2005, Farouk1986 wrote that his parents were visiting him in London and that he was torn about whether he could eat meat with them.
‘I am of the view meat not slaughtered by Muslims … is haram [forbidden] for consumption unless necessary,’ he wrote.
‘My parents are of the view as foreigners, we are allowed to … eat any meat.
‘It occured [sic] to me I should not be eating with my parents as they use meat I consider haram. But I fear this might cause division and other complicated family problems.’
While officials haven’t verified that the postings were written by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, details from the posts match his personal history.
Abdulmutallab, the youngest of 16 children and a son of the second of his father’s two wives, was raised at the family home in Kaduna, a city in Nigeria’s Muslim-dominated north.
At boarding school, he earned the nickname ‘Alfa,’ a local term for Muslim clerics, because of his penchant for preaching Islam. He went on to study at UCL in London, from 2005 to 2008.
Fabrizio Cavallo Marincola, 22, who studied with him, said he graduated in May 2008 and showed no signs of radicalisation or of links to al-Qaeda.
‘He always did the bare minimum of work,’ Mr Marincola said. ‘When we were studying, he always would go off to pray.
‘He was pretty quiet and didn’t socialise much or have a girlfriend that I knew of.’
Farouk1986 also refers to his love of Liverpool FC in the posts, mocking Arsenal fans for the state of their home ground Highbury stadium.
Writing in February 2005 he described the stadium as a 'tiny junkyard', adding: 'How can someone get to like Arsenal? I tried to, but no way, I've been to several football stadiums, I must say Highbury was one of the least impressive, a tiny junkyard sought of place in the streets of London, what a pity!'
He also made reference to players Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, writing: 'Lampard is really becoming a classy player. Now I think his better than Gerrard.
'Gerrard might regret leaving Liverpool, but somehow I want him to leave. He keeps on saying the team needs improving when he needs a lot to improve.
'He's getting more inconsistent with time and pressure is on him. He seems to be handling it pretty badly.'
Farouk1986 was enthusiastic and described parts of the city as being traditional and quiet and other parts bustling, with Western fast-food restaurants, amusement parks and gyms.
'Its quite cheap too,' the writer gushed. 'Yemenis are so friendly and welcoming.'
Early investigations into the Christmas Day jet bomb have uncovered ‘systemic’ security flaws, Barack Obama said on Tuesday.
‘It is becoming clear that the system … is not sufficiently up to date,’ he said. ‘A systemic failure has occurred and I consider that totally unacceptable.’
The U.S President said information passed on to U.S. intelligence by Abdulmutallab’s father should have been acted on to stop him boarding the plane.
He had been concerned about his son’s behaviour and alerted both the U.S. and Nigerian authorities.
Mr Obama said the U.S. would have to act quickly to remedy the flaws in the security system
Xmas Day Bomber AKA El nigri
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A divorced father of three stabbed his mother 21 times after becoming convinced that she was a witch and had put a curse on him, a court in Britain heard on Friday.
Kayode Kuye reportedly tortured and killed Christina Kuye, 69, because he believed she had ruined his life with a black magic spell, the Old Bailey was told. Unemployed Kuye, 50, of Edmonton, north London, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
The judge, Christopher Moss, ordered him locked up indefinitely under mental health laws and described it as a “brutal” killing.
Kuye reportedly attacked his mother after letting himself into her home in Finchley, north London, with a key in May last year, the court heard.
After a lengthy argument, he stabbed her 21 times to the upper body, also slashing her arms and hands as she tried to defend herself.
He was later arrested covered in blood at Finchley Central station, laughing as he said: “I have had an argument with my mother.”
Policemen forced their way into her home where they found her body in her bedroom.
Kuye later told psychiatrists that his purpose was “to torture his mother to try to prevent her from continuing what he perceived to be black magic upon him,” said Alan Kent, prosecuting officer.
Mr. Kent said: “The motivation behind his attack was his paranoid and deluded belief that his mother had cursed him through witchcraft and had ruined his life.”
Mrs. Kuye came to Britain from Nigeria in 1961 with her husband, who died in 1984. She had eight children, including the defendant, and 20 grandchildren.
She herself believed in witchcraft and her son became increasingly interested in the subject during the four years before he killed her.
His mother helped him get in touch with a witch doctor she knew in Nigeria and he would send him money “for advice and medicine,” the court heard.
Two years before the killing, he began to blame her for all his problems, saying she had “sacrificed him as a child and had put a curse on him.”
He believed that “he was a king and should be rich, but the curse prevented this from happening.”
For about a year before his mother’s death, he had been saying he was going to kill her, as well as other family members.
On the day of the stabbing, he had been “ranting and raving” at his former wife and told her that “he had to go and do what he had to do,” the court heard.
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Posted by 9jabook.com on December 29, 2009 at 8:00am
THIS is the singed underpants bomb that terrorist Umar Abdulmutallab used in his deadly bid to blow up a Christmas Day jet.THe Exploded Pant
The charred underwear contained a packet of high explosive strong enough to blow a hole in the side of the plane, it was claimed.
Photos of the would-be suicide bomber pants were revealed as internet postings allegedly from Abdulmutallab emerged.
A 'farouk 1986' posted hundreds of messages on the Islamic Forum Website from around 2005 and on Facebook.
In one blog he says: "loneliness leads me to other problems".
Photos of the Abdulmutallab appeared on ABC News in the US.
A six-inch long packet of the high explosive chemical called PETN - weighing about 80 grams - was sewn into the crotch of the underwear.
A government test with 50 grams of PETN blew a hole in the side of an airliner. That was the amount in the bomb carried by the so-called shoe bomber Richard Reid over Christmas 2001.
The underpants bomb would have been one and a half times as powerful.
Abdulmutallab allegedly attempted to detonate the device as the plane came in to land at Detroit airport.
Explosive powder
Explosive ... PETN powder
A second picture showed the burnt and melted syringe which would have been used to ignite the device.Postings
Al-Qaeda admitted last night that it was behind the Christmas Day attempt to blow the American airliner.
Terror chiefs bragged that Abdulmutallab, a London-educated Nigerian, was a "martyrdom-seeking brother" who "reached his target".
They said he failed because "a technical fault occurred leading to a lack of complete explosion".
But they warned of atrocities and called on Islamists to attack Western embassies.
Last night federal intelligence officials were reviewing the internet postings believed to have been written by Abdulmutallab, said the Washington Post.
The newspaper, which has reviewed the postings reported that farouk 1986 (a combination of his middle name and his birth year) searched for friends online through Facebook and in Islamic chat rooms.
In one such posting he wrote: "My name is Umar but you can call me Farouk."
Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab
Bomber ... Umar Abdulmutallab
A posting from January 2005, when he was attending boarding school, read: "I have no one to speak to. No one to consult, no one to support me and I feel depressed and lonely. I do not know what to do. And then I think this loneliness leads me to other problems."
Farouk1986 also wrote about considering applications to US and British universities - including University College London from where he graduated in June 2008
In a June 2005 posting, when Mr Abdulmutallab is now known to have been in Yemen, farouk1986 wrote that he was in Yemen for a three-month Arabic course, saying that "it is just great" and raving about about the capital's shopping and restaurants, including Pizza Hut and KFC.
Lonely
As a student at the British boarding school in Togo, Farouk1986 wrote that he was lonely because there were few other Muslims.
He said: "I'm active, I socialise with everybody around me, no conflicts, I laugh and joke but not excessively," he wrote in one posting.
In the same posting he also wrote about desire and marriage, saying that at 18 he was not yet ready for it.
"The Prophet advised young men to fast if they can't get married but it has not been helping me much and I seriously don't want to wait for years before I get married," he wrote.
He said he had not started searching for partners because of social norms such as having "a degree, a job, a house, etc. before getting married."
But, he said, "my parents I know could help me financially should I get married, even though I think they are also not going to be in favour of early marriage."
He also wrote of his "dilemma between liberalism and extremism" as a Muslim.
He wrote in 2005: "The Prophet said religion is easy and anyone who tries to overburden themselves will find it hard and will not be able to continue".
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By Victoria Osteen
Not long ago I was talking to a young lady who recently gave her heart to the Lord. She told me that her family wasn't sure about her new life of faith, and she was a little nervous about her trip to go visit them for the holidays. She was intimidated and didn't want to get into debates or arguments, and she just didn't know what to do or what to expect. I simply told her, "You don't have to be nervous to go see your family. You don't have to preach to them, just be the blessing God has called you to be.quot; I began to explain to her the principle that God's purpose for blessing us is so that we can be a blessing to others.
John 10:10 says that God wants you to have an abundant life. "Abundantquot; simply means "amply supplied.quot; God wants you to be amply supplied with everything you need so that you can reach out and be a blessing to others. That's His purpose in blessing us—so that we can be an example of His goodness to the people around us.
Remember, people respond differently when they know you have their best interest at heart. You'll have greater opportunity to speak into their lives when you encourage and lift them up. It's God's kindness that draws people to Him, not philosophical debates or arguments. As believers, our job is to show His kindness. So look for ways to be a blessing, and be an example of His amazing love!
Joel and I want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving and a blessed holiday season. Remember that you are God's hands and feet in the earth. So take time for the people in your life and look for ways to reach out and be a blessing wherever you go!
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Posted by 9jabook.com on November 21, 2009 at 6:35am
FG begins payment of N65,000 monthly allowance to ex-militants
By Jimitota Onoyume, with Agency reports
A cross section of Niger Delta Militants who embraced amnesty and surrendered their weapons in Arogbo town
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Each repentant militant is entitled to an allowance of N65,000 per month for the period of rehabilitation.
There are two rehabilitation camps in Rivers and Delta States.
Former militants camped at Aluu, near the University of Port Harcourt, staged a protest on November 16 over non-payment of the arrears of their allowances and alleged neglect by government.
The Media Coordinator of the Amnesty Implementation Committee, Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, said yesterday on phone that the payment commenced earlier in the day.
“As I speak to you, the Federal Government has commenced payment of the arrears owed former militants at various camps in the Niger Delta region.
“Normalcy has also been restored at the Aluu camp, near Port Harcourt,’’ she added.
Koripamo-Agary said government was resolutely committed to the implementation of the post-amnesty programme and would ensure that the former militants were properly rehabilitated.
She declared: “The delay in commencing the rehabilitation programme was caused by the leaders of the former militants.
“At a meeting we held with their leaders, they asked for time to enable them to study the programme. They have not responded and we are still waiting for them,’’ she said.
The Coordinator urged the former militants to exercise restraint and patience, stressing that violence would not achieve anything.
“The former militants should adopt peaceful means of conveying their grievances to government. We appeal to them to remain calm, because the programme is on course,’’ she added.
Ex-militants clash
Meanwhile, some ex-militants yesterday clashed at their Aluu rehabilitation camp yesterday. But for the timely intervention of soldiers on ground, the development would have recorded casualties, some of the ex-militants told Vanguard.
According to the ex-militants, there are about five different groups being quartered at the rehabilitation centre.
They are boys loyal to Prince Amachree aka General Adekunle; boys of General J.J.; Osama Bin-Laden; Soboma George and others.
They said the clash erupted after one of the ex-militant leaders led about 20 boys loyal to him to attack another ex-militant leader at a drinking spot in front of the rehabilitation centre.
According to them, the situation almost degenerated to an orgy of violence but for the timely intervention of soldiers on ground who stepped in to calm frayed nerves.
They said the rehabilitation centre has already been divided along lines. They therefore urged the soldiers on ground to beef up security to avert a repeat of the clash.
Meanwhile, at press time, the ex-militants at the camp were still expecting their allowances.
They said they were assured that they would be paid that yesterday, but as at 5pm when Vanguard called, they said the Major who does the payment was yet to come to the rehabilitation centre.
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It has been revealed how Super Eagles striker, Obafemi Martins, extranvagantly squandered about N3.1 trillions while a player of Newcastle.MartinsadvertisementHis former management company, NVA Management Limited who has dragged the player to court over breach of contarct, told the jury how the player’s account almost went red because of his lifestyle.Obafemi Martins was paid £75,000, but allegedly squandered the earnings on an extravagant lifestyleA former Premiership footballer routinely blew his £75,000 a week wages in a matter of days and was constantly overdrawn, a court was told yesterday.Obafemi, ex-Newcastle striker 25, was paid the handsome salary after he joined the club for a £10million fee in August 2006.But despite his extraordinary earnings, his former management team yesterday claimed they repeatedly bailed him out after his bank account continually slipped into the red.The High Court heard that the Nigerian international player would withdraw £40,000 in cash from his bank account at the end of the week.But that would only last him two days, the court heard, as he topped up with a further £25,000 on the Monday morning.He was always overdrawn and repeatedly relied upon NVA Management Limited to ‘manage his life’, the High Court was told.Martins, who owned several fast cars including a top of the range Porsche 4X4, spent the money funding an extravagant lifestyle of luxurious penthouse homes and fine dining.He is now being sued by his former management company which claims that he still owes them 300,000 for sorting out his finances.He told the court that Martins would withdraw £40,000 for the weekend, followed by another £25,000 on the Monday.‘Despite earning these vast sums of money he was constantly overdrawn,’ added Mr Tennink.He said the firm, which looks after the affairs of several footballers, film and music stars, said that Martins had agreed to pay them for simply managing his life.It was under their stewardship that Martins agreed a £2million image rights deal ‘simply for being Mr Martins’.It’s claimed Martins was constantly overdrawn despite earning £75,000-a-weekHe also had lucrative sponsorship deals with various companies including Pepsi and Nike but had not been paid.When the company stepped in to run his affairs they sorted the unpaid contracts, bringing in thousands of pounds.They also organised visas when he travelled to Italy, where he once played for Inter Milan, and sorted out his passport, his mortgage and property valuations.They even arranged critical illness cover and were constantly running up and down the motorway from their London offices to Newcastle in a bid to do all that he required.‘But surely these were things a secretary could do?’ asked Judge Richard Seymour QC, referring to the size of fees charged.‘It was a Jeeves-type of role that they performed.’Mr Tennink protested that managing every aspect of his life was just part of what they did, and asked the judge to bear in mind the sort of figures these players earned.He said Martins had come to them in July 2007 and had agreed a fee of around £300,000 plus 20 per cent of any sponsorship monies they managed to acquire on his behalf.“He asked for these services to be carried out,” Mr Tennink told the court.Before they managed his affairs, Martins had not been paid a penny for his image rights for the use of his name on Newcastle shirts and mugs and had received nothing from his sponsorship deals.He could not even find the contracts he had originally signed, Mr Tennink added.Martins paid the company £67,500 in January last year and another £25,000 in April last year.But the question for the court to decide, said Mr Tennink, was whether there was a ‘binding obligation’ for him to pay the outstanding bill of over £300,000.After Newcastle were relegated from the Premiership last summer Martins was sold for £9million to German Bundesliga Champions Wolfsburg.Martins, who once owned a penthouse apartment overlooking Newcastle’s exclusive Quayside, is fighting the claim.The hearing is scheduled to last for three days.Read more…
Posted by Mikky Webs on November 20, 2009 at 5:52am
Click here to read the main articleThis will certainly interest you if you are writing a business projection/proposal.Before getting into business one should ask a warm up questions like:1. What is the type of business?2. How will I be classified?3. What is the purpose of this plan?4. Who are our target audience?5. How can we use the plan to advance?6. What market need are we satisfying?7. How is my approach better than existing products and services?8. My time table to get my offering to the marketplace.Click here to read the main articleTIPSBe sure of these tips if you are writing a business projection/proposal.1. Approach to be market driven rather than products driven.Investors are only interested on how the product will be received in the market.2. Quality is the competition.3. Present your distribution plan to the targeted audience.4. Exploit you company uniqueness. (Like traded secret)5. Emphasis to be on management strength.6. Present attractive projections – be realistic in you market data.7. Show possible funding source because banks interest always lies on stability, security, cash flow coverage & fund return8. Close with a bang – drive home your points that you are offering a good deal.“Until you are able to say where your money goes you are not qualified to handle money”Click here to read the main articleA MUST HAVE FOR ENTREPRENEURS1. Intelligent, brilliant and has potentials2. Has a forward looking disposition towards the market prospects3. Believe God is more or his side than with anyone else4. Is faced by the twin evil of poor basic infrastructures, small or no capital.5. Is not attuned to borrowing to leverage.6. May or may not keep adequate recordsClick here to read the main articleSCHEMES FOR THE ENTERPRENEURSThe scheme are mostly credit orientated a few offer capacity building/ training and infrastructure development for entrepreneurs. Some are for export while some are in form of tax incentives owned by state, federal government Private Sector foreign agencies, non governmental organization; schemes for groups, individuals, firms etc. Micro Credit approaches are adopted in certain cases a general problem of poor access to the schemesClick here to read the main articleRead more…
Posted by 9jabook.com on October 31, 2009 at 9:00am
His ebony skin stood out in sharp contrast to the white crowd pressing to get a better view.
The young African boy bared his teeth at the men and women staring at him through the bars. They were sharpened into dagger-like points, making him appear all the more barbaric to the ignorant hordes.
Above the cage hung a sign proclaiming: 'The Missing Link.' A baby chimp sat disconsolately at the bottom of the enclosure, a single companion to the boy.
Exploited: Pygmy Ota Benga on display with monkeys at Bronx Zoo in 1906
The year was 1906. This was a pygmy, brought to America as a novelty to be put on display in the monkey house.
The New York Times reported: 'There were 40,000 visitors to the park on Sunday. Nearly every man, woman and child of this crowd made for the monkey house to see the star attraction in the park - the wild man from Africa.
'They chased him about the grounds all day, howling, jeering, and yelling. Some of them poked him in the ribs, others tripped him up, all laughed at him.'
Suddenly, the boy turned. Taking the bow and arrow given to him as an ethnic accessory, he shot at the gawpers. His arrow did no harm, but he did scare the life out of the onlookers.
This was Ota Benga, a pygmy, brought from the Congo and put on display in a zoo as an example of what scientists at the time proclaimed to be an evolutionary inferior race.
His story would divide a nation, and is now told for the first time in a new documentary, The Human Zoo.
The programme lifts the lid on a dark period in history, where 'natives' were paraded as exhibits, fuelling the spread of white supremacism and even contributing to the rise of Nazism.
Tragically, Benga became the victim of one of the most awful acts of exploitation ever seen and died a shadow of the proud young tribesman who arrived in America.
So just who was he, and how did this grotesque experiment help shape the 20th century view of race?
A hundred years ago, before television and mass tourism, a handful of enterprising adventurers, anthropologists and businessman decided to bring the far-flung glories of the world to life in one place.
Huge fairs were held in Paris, London and America, exhibiting everything from Italian gondolas to African elephants.
Having promised the world, there was pressure to deliver: people were the next quarry.
In 1904, the showman anthropologist William McGee conceived the idea of a human zoo, to be held in St Louis in the U.S. state of Missouri.
It was designed to be one of the largest scientific experiments ever undertaken and would be spectacular public entertainment.
McGee wanted the tallest people in the world, veritable giants from Patagonia, at the tip of South America. He wanted the Ainu, who lived on an island north of Japan and were supposedly the hairiest humans. He placed an order for 300 Filipinos - there is no record of why he wanted so many.
His grandson, Phillips Verner Bradford, says: 'If you told him that a place was dangerous, he'd say: "I want to go there!" He was that sort of guy.'
Verner took a boat from New York to London, down the European coast and around Africa to the Congo River.
Bradford says: 'He made his way up the Congo River with steamers as far as they would go. Once he arrived at the great waterfalls, he had to hire a crew of natives.'
They encountered crocodiles and hippopotamuses, and deadly whirlpools that could sink a boat.
Eventually, Verner made it into the jungle. He blithely walked into a village of cannibals, and found that they had captured a rival tribe who were being held in cages, ready to be eaten.
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The final proof? Memoirs that may show Hitler DID order the 'final solution' to be published after his right-hand man dies
To his delight, the prisoners were pygmies, or Mbuti - just what he was looking for. He began negotiating. Talking to the pygmies in their native Chiluba, he established that they would rather be taken to America than eaten. He bought six pygmies from their captors for a roll of brass wire and some salt.
One pygmy stood out. He was Ota. Photos of him taken in the Congo show a playful, chubby young man, a broad smile revealing his sharpened teeth, which were filed in his youth.
He looks healthy, spirited and full of life, standing around 4ft 8in tall.
He had never seen a white man before. Verner realised that he had a hugely marketable proposition on his hands, and made the return trip across the Atlantic with his human treasure.
For their part, the pygmies were intrigued by everything they saw and were full of questions: how did the boat work? Was there a cage of hippopotamuses down beneath pedalling it along? Verner showed them how the steam engine functioned.
Docking at New Orleans in June 1904, the Africans caught their first glimpse of America. They were stunned by the tall buildings and wide streets.
The six pygmies were sent to St Louis by rail. There, they became McGee's most important exhibits, the centerpiece of the St Louis World Fair, feted by society and academics alike.
Adverts proclaimed: 'They live in forests, they are extremely shy. They eat the flesh of wild animals killed with poisoned arrows. They are cruel, finding delight in torturing animals.
'They have long heads, long narrow faces and little red eyes, set close together like those of ferrets. Their bodies are exceptionally hairy.
'A pygmy has been known to eat 60 bananas at one meal, in addition to other food, and then ask for more.
'They seem to be controlled by an impulse that makes them delight in wickedness. If caught young, they are said to make excellent servants.'
Scientific racism: Ota Benga's Bronx Zoo captors had an admirer in Hitler
He wanted what he considered the most primitive American Indian tribe, the Cocopah in Mexico. He asked for Eskimos.
But most of all, he wanted the smallest people in the world. He needed pygmies. He had heard that they were very short and very black, and he had to have one.
Explorer Samuel Phillips Verner was dispatched by McGee to the Belgian Congo with a shopping list.
It read: 'One pygmy patriarch or chief. One adult woman, preferably his wife. One adult man, preferably his son. One adult woman, the wife of the last or daughter of the first. One female youth unmarried. Two infants. A priestess and a priest, or medicine doctors, preferably old. All of the above to be pygmies.'
Duly detailed, Verner set off for deepest Africa. He knew that this operation could be the making of him, putting him in the same league as Henry Stanley and Dr David Livingstone.
As the sales pitch shows, the human zoo played into the hands of white supremacists, teaching the public that there was a hierarchy of races, with the white man at the top and all others beneath.
McGee himself, in his book The Trend Of Human Progress, published in 1899, wrote: 'Those who know the races realise that the average white man is stronger of limb, fleeter of foot, clearer of eye, than the average yellow or red or black.'
Bastardising Darwin's theory of evolution, McGee saw each race as a stage in human evolution - with pygmies the least evolved of the species. With his rudimentary Victorian understanding of science, he believed they were the living missing link between apes and humans.
The human zoo was a fantastic success - and widely copied. Dr Sadiah Qureshi, a historian at the University of Cambridge, says: 'Millions of people went to see these shows at their peak. Originally you would get a show in a local theatre. By the late 19th century you would see hundreds, if not a couple of thousand people living on site, eating and on constant display.'
Indeed, some years later, in 1924, King George V and Queen Mary inspected the live exhibits at the British Empire Exhibition, at Wembley. Some Europeans' curiosity knew no bounds, however.
Qureshi says: 'The 1899 exhibition Savage South Africa held at Earl's Court in London caused quite a stir. At one point women were banned from going inside because they had supposedly been touching the natives.' For almost
a year, Ota and the other pygmies lived in America as human exhibits. They were made to build native houses, perform traditional dance ceremonies, live partially naked and cook authentic food.
Ota was described in the press as 'a dwarfy, black specimen of sad-eyed humanity'. With his filed tribal teeth, he was the most celebrated pygmy and dubbed 'Lord of the savage world'. He posed for photographs for 25 cents.
In 1905, after they had been viewed by a total of 20 million people, Verner took the pygmies home to the Congo.
Ota had planned to rejoin his tribe - but discovered that they had been entirely wiped out by Belgian soldiers. He married a girl from the nearby Batwa tribe, and appeared to settle back into life in Africa.
Then his wife was bitten by a poisonous snake and died. The Batwa rejected him, believing he was cursed and responsible for the young woman's death. Ota was cast adrift, a stranger in his own land.
He begged his friend Verner to take him back to America. Verner was reluctant, but eventually acquiesced, taking him to New York.
The pair shared the 3,000-mile sea voyage with crates of live animals, parrots, monkeys, snakes and other exotic booty, which Verner planned to sell in America. On the ship, Ota discovered cigarettes and drink.
Arriving in New York, Verner - who had business to do - bade him farewell, arranging accommodation in a spare room - this time he was not on show - at the American Museum of Natural History. There, he thought Ota would be safe.
Soon, however, he came to the attention of William Hornaday, a conservationist and director of the Bronx Zoo.
Collaborating with one of America's most notorious racists, Madison Grant, he conceived a plan.
Grant wanted to promote 'scientific racism', talking in terms of 'purity of type', and the survival of the white master race.
In 1930, after his work The Passing Of The Great Race was translated into German, Grant received a letter from an aspiring politician, saying 'your book is my bible'.
The man was Adolf Hitler. He would indeed use 'scientific racism' as the foundation for the Third Reich, giving academic grounding to the Holocaust.
Together, Hornaday and Grant offered to take charge of Ota Benga, who initially believed he would be looking after the Bronx Zoo's elephants.
In fact, he was going to be put on public display as a living example of 'racial inferiority'. Immediately, the exhibition prompted criticism. The New York Times reported on September 9, 1906: 'The exhibition was that of a human being in a monkey cage. A human being. In a monkey cage.
'The human being happened to be a Bushman, one of a race that scientists do not rate high in the human scale, but to the average nonscientific person in the crowd of sightseers there was something about the display that was unpleasant.
'It is probably a good thing that Benga doesn't think very deeply. If he did it isn't likely that he was very proud of himself when he woke in the morning and found himself under the same roof with the orang-utans and monkeys, for that is where he really is.'
The exhibition was a sensation. On a single day, 40,000 people arrived to see Ota and his chimp. The show lasted only two weeks, however, due to a public outcry, and human zoos as a phenomenon died out by the Forties.
So what became of Ota Benga? After he was removed from the Bronx Zoo, there was great debate regarding his fate. African-American church ministers insisted he be released - not for his comfort, but because they wanted to convert the pygmy to Christianity.
He was eventually placed in an orphanage for black children, the Howard Colored Orphan Asylum, to be 'civilised'. He was dressed in Western clothes and taught how to eat, talk and behave like an American.
He had his pointed teeth capped and attended a Baptist seminary, where he started to study English.
He was kept out of the public eye for four years. Eventually, he moved from New York to the backwater town of Lynchburg, Virginia, where he became a local curiosity and was known as Otto Bingo.
Forevermore haunted by his time in the monkey cage, he would repeatedly slap his chest, declaring: 'I am a man. I am a man.'
He began to save money to return to the Congo, working in a tobacco factory. With the outbreak of World War I, this became impossible and Ota sunk into depression.
He never did make it home. One evening, he went into a barn behind the village general store. He chipped off the caps hiding his teeth, restoring them to their filed-down glory, lit a small ceremonial campfire, and shot himself in the head, dying ten years after being put on display at the Bronx zoo. He was 32 years old.
His story now bears testament to the ignorance of those who believed themselves superior to him.
He was buried in an unmarked grave, but he left his mark on the world, exposing as moral pygmies the lesser men who would cage a human.
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resurrected by Tony Award winning director, Bill T. Jones in a manner that makes the legend more accessible to Western audiences. For those who are unacquainted with his music or reputation for being a thorn in the flesh of military rulers and despots in Africa and around the world, this production does a lot to educate while entertaining with memorable beats and the signatory blare of the saxophone.Fela! takes the audience into the legendary nightclub “African Shrine” where the musical icon and political activist played for several years, perfecting his music and criticism of the military junta in his homeland. A biography ensues as Fela takes the crowd through his life story, his relationship with his mother, his rebellion against zombie soldiers and the origin of his style of music, Afro-beat. The performance is quite interactive with the hip-gyrating dancers filing through the theatre and Fela’s insistence of crowd participation. Brooklyn-based Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, who has been performing Fela’s music since his death in 1997, also does not disappoint.Fela! is an explosive, awe-inspiring show and perhaps the best and most original part of the production is when it explores the relationship between the musician and his accomplished mother with a backdrop of African rituals and egungun spirits. It is not too often that a musical depicting an African character makes it to Broadway and Anikulapo-Kuti comes across as a champion for the rights of his people, music as his weapon, fighting till the very end.-- Osahon Akpata (Monday, Oct. 19, 2009)Fela!, Contains spirituality and brief smoking. In English, Pidgin English and Yoruba with subtitles. At the Eugene O’Neil Theatre in previews with the official opening date set for November 23rd, 2009.
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Posted by 9jabook.com on November 13, 2009 at 3:30am
Virginia Tech Students Build a Car Blind People Can Drive
To spur development of technologies that could give blind people more independence, the National Federation of the Blind issued a challenge to engineers and inventors in 2004: Build a car that blind individuals can drive. Two years later, only the Robotics and Mechanism Laboratory at Virginia Tech had taken up the challenge. The school’s Mechanical Engineer Dept., and nine undergrad students spent about two years on the project with the help from a $3,000 grant from the Federation, plus hardware and software donations from interested companies. The Federation challenge mandated that drivers could navigate a curved course defined by a single lane of traffic cones; regulate speed within a predefined limit; and stop in time to avoid a collision.
With funds limited, the Virginia Tech team, now named the Blind Driver Project, started with a relatively simple dirt buggy and began adapting it for a new kind of driver.
One of the first steps was to add a Hokuyo UTM-30LX single-plane laser range finder, which acts much like a radar. The sensor sends range and distance data on objects in front of the car to a CompactRIO real-time controller from National Instruments. The controller contains an FPGA that processes targets, translating the range-finder’s data into information the drive can use to stay on the road and avoid obstacles (cones).
A laptop running National Instrument’s LabView program gives the controller USB hosting capabilities, needed because the range finder works only with USB. Although the team tried to make the controller accept USB inputs, they stopped when they found that Ethernet communication between the laptop and controller was sufficient. The laptop also let sighted passengers and developers monitor all hardware and software operations and modify the programming for quick calibrations in the field. The controller also receives feedback about vehicle speed from a Hall sensor and steering angle from a string potentiometer.
The tricky part, of course, was conveying the sensor information to blind drivers. The approach they chose was to take advantage of the driver’s other senses, hearing and touch. For example, drivers wear a vest with several motors sewn into it. Each motor vibrates at a variety of intensity levels. To stay within the speed limit, one of the motors vibrates to indicate braking is needed, and the degree to which it vibrates correlates with the amount of braking needed. If the controller interprets all the input data as saying there’s an unavoidable obstacle up ahead, another motor in the vest vibrates, cueing the driver to stop immediately.
In the early stages of the project, a custom circuit board controlled the motors. The board hosted a PIC microcontroller managing a large bank of transistors and relays that activated motors in the vest at various intensities. It took commands send via RS-232 signals from a PC running LabView. But when the team acquired the RIO controller, they could use an NI 9458 eight-channel relay module to replace the circuit board. This cut down on the hardware’s bulk and simplified the underlying software. More importantly, it shortened the time between obstacle detection and full motor vibration, a critical factor in emergencies.
For steering, a mechanism on the steering column “clicks” every time it turns 5°. A potential-field algorithm in the controller takes laser data to map out a proper path. The controller then uses a speech-generation module to tell drivers how many “clicks” and in which direction to turn.
The team developed a tactile map to give drivers an idea of where they are. The flat, handheld device has small holes on one surface, similar to an air-hockey table. Compressed air sent through specific holes, or pixels, depict obstacles the laser range finder has detected. The map, named AirPix, lets drivers “feel” obstacles and navigate around them.
This past summer, the team let 30 people who were blind or visually impaired get behind the wheel and take the car for a spin. And whether it was their first time driving or a long-awaited reunion with the automobile, their reactions were overwhelmingly positive. In fact, says one team member, somewhat tongue in cheek, “We’re having to ask drivers to refrain from doing donuts in the parking lot.”
The volunteer drivers also made a lot of suggestions for improving the car, feedback the team will evaluate and try to implement this year.
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Jesus or Paul? It’s time to make a choice.
I wonder what those who choose to follow Paul would call themselves. Since apparently, they aren’t ‘Christians’ by definition. Maybe Paulines. LOL. The following article was lifted from 234next.com. I just couldn’t resist re-posting it here to see what my readers have to say about it. Let’s go!
Every Christian must decide whether s/he is a follower of Jesus or a follower of Paul. Don’t make the mistake of many in assuming the two are the same. For starters, take a look at the following discrepancies.
Inconsistencies
Jesus says children of God are born (Jn 3:3); but Paul says they are adopted (Rm 8:23).
Jesus says God must be the only father of believers (Mt 23:9); but Paul says he (Paul) is the father of some believers (Phile 1:10; 1 Cor 4:15).
Jesus says he is the only pastor and the only teacher (Jn 10:16; Mt 23:8); but Paul says there are many pastors and teachers (Eph 4:11; 1 Tim 2:7).
Jesus says we should pray in private (Mt 6:5-6); but Paul says we should pray everywhere (1 Tim 2:8).
Jesus says we should not eat food sacrificed to idols (Rev 2:14); but Paul says it does not matter if we do (Rm 14:14).
Jesus himself was circumcised (Lk 2:21); but Paul says if we are circumcised we would be estranged from Christ (Gal 5:2-4).
Jesus says we should not receive payment for preaching the gospel (Mt 10:8); but Paul says we should (1 Cor 9:11).
Jesus asks us to baptise as we preach the gospel (Mt 28:19); but Paul dismisses the importance of baptism (1 Cor 1:17).
Jesus says lying is of the devil (Jn 8:44); but Paul says God’s truth increased through the lies he told (Rm 3:7).
Jesus says the word of God is truth (Jn 7:17); but Paul says the gospel can be preached with falsehood (Php 1:18).
Jesus is against the use of deception (Jn 1:47); but Paul boasts of using deception (2 Cor 12:16).
Jesus says we should love one another (Jn 13:34); but Paul wished some people would be castrated (Gal 5:12).
Jesus says we should love our enemy in order to be like God (Mt 5:44-45); but Paul says we should love our enemy in order to pour coals of fire on his head (Rm 12:20).
Jesus says we should not swear or curse (Mt 5:34-37; Lk 6:28); but Paul swears and curses (2 Cor 1:23; Gal 1:9).
Jesus says God’s children don’t bear arms and don’t fight (Mt 26:52; Jn 18:36); but Paul says God’s ministers bear arms and use them (Rm 13:3-4).
Jesus says we should disregard public opinion (Lk 6:26; Jn 15:18-19); but Paul actively courts public opinion (1 Cor 10:33; 1 Cor 9:20-22).
Jesus says he who is acceptable to God will be hated by men (Jn 15:18-19; Lk 16:15); but Paul says he will be approved by men (Rm 14:18).
Jesus says we should seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Mt 6:33); but Paul says we should seek glory, honour and immortality (Rm 2:7).
Jesus says the kingdom of God has been taken away from Israel (Mt 21:43); but Paul says all Israel will be saved (Rm 11:26).
Jesus says only a few of those called will be chosen (Mt 22:14); but Paul says all those called will be chosen (Rm 11:29).
Jesus says salvation is by works (Mt 7:21; Mt 21:28-31); but Paul says it is by grace (Eph 2:8-9).
Jesus says he completed his God-given assignment (Jn 17:4; Jn 19:30); but Paul says he completed what Jesus failed to complete (Col 1:24).
Jesus says our trespasses will be forgiven if we forgive others (Mt 6:14-15); but Paul says they have already been forgiven (Eph 1:7).
Jesus says we will be justified by our own words (Mt 12:37); but Paul says we are justified by faith (Rm 3:28).
Jesus says eternal life is very costly (Mt 19:29; Lk 14:28-33); but Paul says it is a free gift (Rm 6:23).
Jesus says God is not the God of the dead (Lk 20:38); but Paul says he is (Rm 14:9).
Jesus says the commandments give life (Mt 19:17); but Paul says they bring death (Rm 7:10).
Jesus says all the commandments are summed up in two commandments (Mt 22:37-40); but Paul says they are summed up in one commandment (Rm 13:9; Gal 5:14).
Jesus says we should beware of anyone who says the day is at hand (Lk 21:8); but Paul says the day is at hand (Rm 13:12).
Jesus says Abel, Adam’s direct son, was righteous (Mt 23:35); but Paul says all Adam’s descendants are unrighteous (Rm 5:12/19; Rm 3:10).
Jesus says none of the Pharisees kept the law (Jn 7:19); but Paul says he kept all the laws of Moses as a Pharisee (Php 3:5-6).
Jesus says we should be like God (Mt 5:48); but Paul says we should be like him (Gal 4:12; Php 3:17).
Whose report do you believe?
I only believe the report of Jesus Christ.
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Look who's coming around after all.Joe Jackson, who previously said that he spends most of his time in Las Vegas and that his estranged wife, Katherine, would handle the raising of Michael Jackson's children, is now petitioning the estate for his own monthly stipend.Saying he has no steady source of income aside from $1,700 a month from Social Security, Jackson stated in court documents that he had relied on his son for support up until the King of Pop's death. Michael gave money to his mom, which she in turn, acting as an agreed-upon go-between, gave to Joe.Michael did not provide for Joe in his will, rather splitting his estate among his mother, children and various charities.But that doesn't mean the King of Pop's estate is legally prohibited from providing for Joe, his lawyers insist.The administrators of Michael's estate were "either ignorant or negligent" by not apportioning an allowance for Joe, states the petition filed yesterday in Los Angeles Superior Court.Meanwhile, a judge has approved $26,800 in monthly support for Katherine and $60,000 a month for the care of Michael's three kids.Joe is 81 and, in addition to suffering a stroke in 1998, suffers from diabetes, ulcers and other ailments, according to his lawyers, and Michael, knowing his dad was in ill health, supported him for many years.A list of the Jackson family patriarch's itemized expenses included $1,200 a month in rent for his Vegas home; $2,500 to eat out; $1,000 on entertainment, gifts and vacations; $2,000 on air travel and $3,000 on hotels.Maybe figuring Joe will just have to eat in more often, a judge denied a request for an expedited hearing on the matter.
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Posted by 9jabook.com on October 5, 2009 at 9:06pm
It is the month of August, a resort town sits next to
the shores of a lake. It is raining, and the little town
looks totally deserted. It is tough times, everybody is in
debt, and everybody lives on credit.
Suddenly, a rich tourist comes to town. He enters the
only hotel, lays a 100 Euro note on the reception counter,
and goes to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick
one.
The hotel proprietor takes the 100 Euro note and runs
to pay his debt to the butcher. The Butcher takes the 100
Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the pig raiser. The
pig raiser takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt
to the supplier of his feed and fuel. The supplier of feed
and fuel takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his debt to
the town's prostitute that in these hard times, gave
her services" on credit. The hooker runs to the hotel,
and pays off her debt with the 100 Euro note to the hotel
proprietor to pay for the rooms that she rented when she brought her clients there.
The hotel proprietor then lays the 100 Euro note back
on the counter so that the rich tourist will not suspect
anything. At that moment, the rich tourist comes down after
inspecting the rooms, and takes his 100 Euro note, after
saying that he did not like any of the rooms, and leaves
town.
No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now
without debt, and looks to the future with a lot of
optimism.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the Irish
Government is doing business today.We hope naija can cash in on this strategy !
This is the only way to Economic recovery, bailing out all those FAT CATS up-stream does not guarantee that it will flow down-stream. Trickle-Economics will definitely flow up-stream, although it defies Sir Isaac Newton's law of universal gravitation. Have a great day
Thanks to Osamuyi Paul Ogbebor for sending in this one !Read more…
Posted by Jane Okinedo on October 24, 2009 at 12:02am
Every so often, a story breaks that so unbelievably stupid that it makes one shudder with disbelief at the lack of judgment by Nigerian government officials. We should collectively ask whether the people we designate to manage our affairs, including the President of the Federal Republic have ever been tested for common sense. The answer would be obvious. The latest example of this disreputable policy would be almost laughable if it weren’t so tragically flawed as it involves a Nigerian diplomat who was assassinated in the line of duty in the Czech Republic.Picture this. The year is 2005. A Czech citizen allegedly loses over one million Euros in a 419 Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) investment scam said to have been masterminded by some Nigerian con men. Unable to recover his money, the Czech citizen storms the Nigerian embassy in Prague, Czech Republic where he opened fire, killing a Nigerian Diplomat inside his office in cold blood. The Federal Government through the Nigerian Embassy in Poland with concurrent accreditation to the Czech Republic retains a group of Nigerian lawyers to represent the Nigerian Government and the family of the deceased; in the substantive matter of MUDr. Jiri Pasovsky, Case No. 45 T 21/2004 at the Municipal Court in Prague, as well as before appellate jurisdictions in the murder trial.The case goes to trial and the suspect charged with the killing of Mr. Michael Lekare WAYI is sentenced to eight (8) years imprisonment. Outraged by the paltry sentence, the lawyers inform the FGN of their intention to appeal within the statutory 8-days deadline. The FGN says wait for instructions from Abuja; the lawyers also ask to file a civil suit against the culprit and the Czech government for damages to the deceased’s family. They were again advised to wait until the statutory three-year limitation has run out. To crown it all, the FGN has not honored its obligations towards the Counsel they retained and after four years of trying to navigate the bloated Nigerian bureaucracy, the Presidency informed the lawyers that the FGN was not aware that one of its Diplomats had been killed in the Czech Republic, let alone being familiar with the retention of the legal services in question.This is 2009 and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is Umaru Musa Yar’adua; the Foreign Minister is Ojo Maduekwe and the Justice Minister is Michael Aondoakaa. Together with officials of the Nigerian Embassy in Poland and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, these cast of clowns who are actors in the unfolding tragic-comedy of errors. Nigerians are not in doubt that the people pretending to be managing the affairs of the nation are irresponsible. Our people know for a fact that Yar’adua's PDP government are doing far more than disservice to the people, far more selfish than the nation has ever known and far more unreliable and undependable to put in anything for the good of the nation; They do not care about anything; they just steal, steal and steal.The facts of the five-year long saga remain intriguing and reveal a government that has absconded its responsibilities towards its citizens as well as immobilism and lack of coordination amongst various government departments – from the Presidency to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to the Nigerian Embassy in Poland. The Federal Government is now facing a payment order lawsuit to the tune of 150,913.21 Euros being unpaid legal fees for professional legal services rendered by Law Allianz firm retained to represent the Federal Government of Nigeria and the family of the deceased; Mr. Michael Lekare WAYI in the substantive matter of MUDr. Jiri Pasovsky, Case No. 45 T 21/2004 at the Municipal Court in Prague, Spalena as well as before appellate jurisdictions in the murder that took place inside the Nigerian Embassy, Prague, Czech Republic.Documents obtained exclusively by Huhuonline.com indicate that on February 10, 2005, the Nigerian Ambassador to Poland, Nuhu N Bajoga Audu duly contracted the Law Allianz firm by signing a certificate of authority authorizing the attorneys to hold brief for the government and the deceased in the case. The task was executed as mandated and the lawyers have been engaged in a frustrating exercise to get payment for their services. In another petition addressed to President Yar’adua’s office, the lawyers explained that after four years of futile efforts to get the Nigerian government pay their bills, they were left with no other option than to file the payment order lawsuit before the statute of limitation runs out. The petition, signed by Edward Asu Esq, lead counsel, enjoined President Yar’adua to use is high office to seek an amicable solution to the matter.Said the petition: “We filed the first demand for payment through the Nigerian Embassy in July 2005 and received a response Ref. No. ENP/PER/44/Vol 1 (Exhibit G). We replied timely. After this reply, we heard nothing from the NE Poland. When the NE Poland ceased to communicate with us, we filled the same demand for payment a second time directly to HMFA, Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji, the Nigerian Embassy, the Director, NIA and the HMJ, Chief Akinlolu Olukinmi and your honourable office, the Presidency. About a Month or later we received a single and only correspondence from your honourable office, Ref. No. SH/COS/09/A/154 dated 12th July 2005 and signed by Ado Ma’aji, for the Chief of Staff to the Presidency. (Exhibit H). We were basically called names as the author claimed that your esteemed office did not know about such a case and neither was your office familiar with the retention of our professional services. This response begs the question, how come the highest office in the land does not know about the assassination of one of its senior diplomats inside her territory? Assuming the office of the Presidency is not aware of this incident as the writer claims, then, it introduces an even more vexatious question, why were the Permanent Secretary of MFA and deputy director of NIA in attendance at the trial? Is it feasible that the MFA and NIA did not advise the office of the Presidency about these events? We think not. There seem to be more questions than there are answers. Our opinion is that our demand for payment was intercepted and returned the MFA to prevent embarrassment; but like every light lamp that cannot be hidden under a bowl but placed on a lamp stand, this correspondence shall return to hunt them…Under Czech rules, the statute of limitations for filling suit is three (3) years, thus, based upon counsel’s advice we were forced to file a payment order suit prior to this date. We advised NE Poland in writing prior to filing this payment order suit. We cannot and refuse to be at the mercy of the FGN for services that we already rendered and expenses paid out of our own pockets. It is noteworthy to state that at trial, the facts and evidence manifestly showed that the late WAYI may have been murdered because the FGN allegedly did not fulfillment (alleged) legal financial obligations – repayment of the investment - to the culprit, MUDr. Pasovsky. Do you see a connection there? In the words of the statesman Benjamin Franklin, "to try and fail is at least to learn. To fail to try is to suffer the loss of what might have been." Apparently, irrespective of whatever anyone might think, there seem to be a nexus and pattern of behaviour here. Having being forced to file suit we have nothing to loose as it stands but we continue to hope that the FGN resolves this matter amicably and out of court by settling our invoices. In this light, our position remains unchanged. And as the late Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) would say, "Stand up for what is right even if you are standing alone". Unfailingly, we shall continue in this regard.”“We reiterate that it is not our intention to humiliate or tarnish the image of Nigeria but as already explained herein, we have run out of all other options and had to institute legal proceedings due to the statute bar provisions, even though we tried our utmost best to refrain from brining legal action. Given the circumstances we rather choose to exhaust all avenues for consultations and amicable resolution of the matter which have proved unsuccessful till date because all our demands have not been dignified with an acknowledgement or response including our second demand for intervention to your esteemed office. “
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Posted by Jane Okinedo on September 11, 2009 at 2:04am
t is not news that Taraba State, located in the North-eastern part of the country, is not connected to the national grid. Neither is it news that power supply in the isolated state, particularly in the capital Jalingo, is nothing to write home about, due largely to the absence of a Transmission Station.The fact, however, remains that Taraba state which is sandwiched between Adamawa to the north and Benue state to the south, derives its power supply from Yola [Adamawa] and Yandev [Benue ].While Jalingo, the state capital, and other parts of the northern zone of the state are fed from the electric feeder in Yola, the Southern part derives power supply from Yandev in Gboko local government area of Benue state.Consequently residents of the state, particularly those in Jalingo, are consigned to darkness occasioned by epileptic power supply, for both domestic and commercial purposes.The Business Manager of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria [PHCN] in Taraba, Amadi Uche, attests to the poor power supply in the north-east state. “Power supply in Taraba state is not good”, Uche said, attributing the situation to the absence of a Transmission Station in the state.Now the cheering news. The ongoing Transmission Station located at Mile Six in Jalingo, would be commissioned before the end of December this year. This assurance was given by the Minister of State for Power, who inspected the project during a recent visit to Taraba.Ironically, not many residents of Taraba state consider this as cheering news. Of course the poor power supply situation in Taraba State has never been without its beneficiaries. Like its twin problem of perennial water scarcity which has given a boost to water vendors, the scarcity of electricity in Taraba has equally served as veritable source of income to Generator sellers.To this category of businessmen the commissioning of the ongoing Transmission Station in Jalingo before the end of December, as promised by the Honourable Minister would be counter productive, as it would certainly throw them out of business.There is no household in Jalingo or small scale business outfit, that does not have a standby generator, due to the poor power supply from PHCN, an acronym which now translates into the wisecrack: Problem Has Changed Name.Little wonder that apart from assuming a pride of place among residents of the state, generators have become one of the most sought after commodities in Taraba, especially in Jalingo. This explains why every household or business premises in the state capital, has created a space at a corner where standby generators, otherwise known as I pass my neighbour’, are kept.Emmanuel Mbakwe of Emmabec Electronics located along Palace way, Jalingo, is one of those who sell generators in Jalingo. For over ten years Mbakwe has been in the business, and he is not in a hurry to quit. “I have recorded high sales and profit margins from generators, for the past ten years of my being into the business in Jalingo”, he said.This, Mbakwe attributes to the abysmally low level of electricity supply to the state. “Even with the current economic meltdown, the sale of generators in Taraba has not dropped significantly”, says Mbakwe who also deals in electronics.Like Mbakwe not a few other generator sellers in Jalingo who spoke with this reporter, expressed their readiness to remain in the business due to its high patronage in the state. To them therefore the proposed commissioning of the Transmission Station in Jalingo before the end of the year, as promised by the Minister of State for Power, is bad news for their business.Interestingly, a new dimension has been introduced into marriage by the locals in Taraba state to the advantage of generator sellers. Standby generators are now included in local marriages as part of the dowry. What this means is that every family which can afford to buy a set of generator includes it among the items the bride takes to her husbands house.Why is it so? Mallam Gidado Abubakar, a resident of Jalingo, explained that it was one of the changes that traditional marriages have undergone in the state over the years. “It is a common practice in traditional marriages in this part of the country, that when one is giving out his daughter in marriage certain items are required as dowry. These include beddings, furniture, cupboard and electronics such as Television and Video sets.Abubakar, who recently gave out his daughter in marriage with a standby generator in conformity with this new custom, said the inclusion of a generator on the dowry list of local marriages in Taraba State was a consequence of the poor power situation in the state.He said: “I gave out my daughter with a standby generator in order for her to be comfortable in her husband’s house. As you are aware the power supply in the state is pathetic. Out of the 24 hours in a day, people hardly enjoy power supply from PHCN for two hours.”Alhaji Saidu Ajiya Karim, a senior civil servant in Jalingo, also gave out his daughter in marriage recently, with a standby generator as part of the dowry. According to Ajiya who is the permanent secretary in the ministry of Agriculture, generators have become an essential part of dowry in Taraba state.“In Nigeria, and Taraba state in particular, we have the enduring problem of power supply, hence the need for this new practice in Taraba State . For this reason as well as the sake of keeping abreast with the new world information order, the inclusion of generators as part of dowry, has become essential for local marriages in Taraba state”, he explained.The size of the generator presented as part of dowry and its capacity ,depends on the financial status of the family giving out their daughter in marriage. This ranges from the smallest size of Tiger-950 which goes for N12, 000 to the Sumec fireman brand which costs between N90, 000 to N95, 000.The new practice of presenting generators as part of dowry has also encouraged marriages among the youths of Taraba, especially those in Jalingo. Although not every family can afford to buy one for their daughter ,many youths are taking advantage of this practice to own a free standby generator from their prospective in-laws.Tukur Ado [not real names], a Jalingo based applicant who spoke with this reporter said: “I am planning to get married to a lady from a well to do family, so that my wife can bring such items as electronics, furniture, as well as a big standby generator.”But there is a caveat for those who are already beneficiaries of this free standby generator in Taraba: if the marriage hits the rocks, all the items provided are forfeited by the husband, including the standby generator.
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Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota: 11 Nigerians face federal charges for credit card scam
By BOB VON STERNBERG
leven people have been charged in federal court in the Twin Cities with fraud for a counterfeit credit card scam that allegedly netted them more than $650,000.
The defendants were charged last week with using the bogus cards to withdraw the cash from more than 170 automatic teller machines in the metro area.
According to the criminal complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court, the defendants obtained personal information about customers of Capital One Bank from an online source based in the Ukraine.
With the stolen information in hand, the defendants allegedly manufactured the counterfeit cards with that information. They were then able to obtain new personal ID numbers from the bank which allowed them to withdraw $652,205 from the teller machines.
According to the complaint, some of the stolen money was converted into cashier checks and used to purchase vehicle parts or vehicles with salvage titles; the vehicles were then shipped to Nigeria, and sold at inflated prices.
Some of the defendants allegedly recruited Nigerian residents in Minneapolis to buy vehicles at auto auctions, giving them cash to make the purchases.
According to a U.S. Secret Service affidavit, one of the defendants bragged about how he could not "get caught conducting his illegal activity" because he was "very good at covering his tracks."
Charged with one count of bank fraud and one count of access device fraud are Adekunle Kayode Ayeni, 27, Yewande Mariam Sholebo, unknown age, Adewale Alba Alli, unknown age, Olayemi Lateef Banjoko, unknown age, Idowu Ayinla Sadiq, unknown age, Abiodun Banjoko, unknown age, and Oyetoyin Oseni Atobatele, unknown age, all of Fridley; along with Bashiru Adelumola Fowoshere, 36, and Titilayo Abidewi Fowoshere, unknown age, both of Ramsey; Oriyomi Enitan Olowosago, unknown age, Brooklyn Park; and Ajibola Alli Fowoshere, 34, address unknown.
Eight of the 11 were arrested last Friday, when they also made their initial court appearance. Three remain at large.
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Posted by 9jabook.com on September 3, 2009 at 11:38pm
About a dozen wealthy Nigerians are on a list the usually secretive Switzerland government has handed over to American authorities in a tax dispute settlement that has broken the countrys banking secrecy and now threatens to spill over to other banks.
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The deal promised to end years of investigation and uncertainty for the bank, UBS, which announced that the government was exiting the stake it had taken to aid the bank during the financial crisis.
The Swiss have also agreed to process requests by the United States seeking information from banks besides UBS about account holders suspected of evading U.S. taxes.
Sources said the Nigerian clients of UBS are already initiating legal moves to keep their identity secret.
“This announcement should send a signal, no matter what institution you’re with, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is willing to pursue both the institution and the individual,” I.R.S Commissioner Doug Shulman said, adding that the accounts were at one time worth $18 billion.
He said U.S. authorities would not name any other foreign banks being probed, but the IRS is expected to use the Swiss deal as a template to pursue further prosecutions.
“The IRS is now gaining institutional skill and knowledge in how to pursue these types of cases and they’re going to use that. This is, I believe, the beginning and not the end,” said Peter Hardy, a former federal prosecutor and specialist in white-collar crime at Post & Schell in Philadelphia. The UBS dispute had strained relations between the United States and Switzerland and challenged the latter’s jealously guarded bank secrecy laws.
The deal may add steam to a global effort among cash-strapped governments to crack down on tax-evading jurisdictions.
But the settlement could help UBS, the world’s second-largest wealth manager, restore an image that has been battered by the financial crisis.
UBS said the Swiss government was exiting its 6 billion Swiss franc ($5.6 billion) stake, with the shares to be placed with institutional investors.
UBS Chairman Kaspar Villiger said the tax agreement helps resolve one of UBS’ most pressing issues. “I am confident that the agreement will allow the bank to continue moving forward to rebuild its reputation through solid performance and client service.” he said.
In February, UBS agreed to pay $780 million and disclose about 250 client names to settle a criminal probe by U.S. authorities.
One former UBS banker testified that he smuggled a client’s diamonds into the United States in a tube of toothpaste. The deal effectively ends a separate civil lawsuit by U.S. authorities that sought up to 52,000 account names. There was no further monetary penalty. “It’s good to get this out of the way but the confidence of a lot of clients has been compromised so I’m not sure we will see inflows return.
It will take time to recover reputation from this,” said Jaap Meijer, an analyst at Evolution Securities in London. Switzerland may claim its banking secrecy remains intact, but some private bankers said it is no longer a selling point for its banks, which will need to offer other skills like wealth management and legacy planning to attract clients. “The majority of assets in Swiss private banks are from European Union citizens,” said David Williams, an analyst at Fox-Pitt Kelton in London.
“I think it won’t be long before we see action from the European Union along similar lines,” he said. The revised treaty between the United States and Switzerland would allow action in the case of “tax fraud and the like” in the UBS case, the Swiss government said. Officials said precise details would be published 90 days after the agreement comes into force.
The U.S. government retains the right to go back and use a summons to collect the names, which roughly equal the number of accounts, if the settlement process fails, said Shulman.
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The Bible says,
“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are” (James 5:17).
Yet he was mightily used of God. This reference is talking about the time Elijah became so despondent that he asked God to kill him (1 Kin. 19:4).
Elijah wasn’t perfect; yet he called fire down from heaven three times; he was the first person to raise someone from the dead; he caused the greatest revival in history up to that point; his word started and ended a three-year drought; he multiplied food miraculously; and he is one of only two men who never died—he was caught up alive into heaven. There is a lot we can learn from a man like this, both positive and negative.
The Bible gives little background on Elijah. It wasn’t his pedigree or education that brought him into a position of influence and power. Elijah was nobody until he received a word from God. It was the revelation God gave him that put him into a position of leadership.
Likewise, anyone who is born again, or baptized in the Holy Spirit, or has a good relationship with the Lord, has a revelation from God too. Just as Elijah’s revelation from God put him into a position of influence, anyone who has a revelation of God has the potential to influence others also. The only difference is that Elijah knew what he had and was bold enough to speak.
Many of us have been intimidated by the ungodly. We aren’t boldly speaking the truth we have from the Lord. What if Elijah hadn’t spoken that prophecy to King Ahab? The drought may have occurred anyway, but Elijah wouldn’t have been able to use it to affect the nation. The people would have dismissed the drought as a natural occurrence.
Elijah was bold enough to speak before there was any proof that what he was saying would come to pass. That took faith and great courage.
When the drought came as promised, Elijah became the most sought after man in the nation:
“As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not” (1 Kin. 18:10).
If we would speak forth the truths God has shown us, just like Elijah, the truths we speak would ultimately prevail.
Elijah didn’t have all the answers or know what would happen next when he spoke the prophecy to King Ahab (1 Kin. 17:1). Ahab had forbidden worship of the true God, instituting Baal worship. He killed the prophets of the Lord, and Elijah was putting himself in harm’s way by obeying the Lord.
It wasn’t until after Elijah delivered the word of the Lord, that God spoke to him about how He would protect and sustain him.
First Kings 17:2-4 says,
“And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.”
One of the great lessons we can learn here is that God doesn’t reveal His complete plan immediately. He reveals His will to us one step at a time. After we obey the first step, He shows us the next. Why should the Lord show us step two or ten if we haven’t obeyed step one? That would just make us more accountable. So, don’t try to figure out the next step until you have acted on what you know to do now. That’s a powerful truth.
The Lord told Elijah to go to the Brook Cherith. He had already commanded the ravens to bring Elijah bread and meat “THERE” every morning and evening. This was miraculous! What a provision during a terrible time!
But notice this: The Lord didn’t send Elijah’s provision to where he was. A quarterback doesn’t throw the football to where the receiver is, but where the receiver is going. Elijah’s miracle wasn’t where he was but where the Lord was sending him. That’s awesome!
Each of us has a place called “THERE,” where the blessings of the Lord are waiting. The Lord never fails to provide, but people often fail to receive because they aren’t all “THERE.” If Elijah had not gone to his place called “THERE,” his disobedience would not have stopped God’s faithfulness; however, he would not have received the provision; it was over “THERE,” by the Brook Cherith.
This is exactly what is happening to many of us. The Lord has placed something on our hearts to say or do. But, if we haven’t obeyed, we aren’t in our place of “THERE.” We aren’t seeing God’s provision, because we aren’t in that place of obedience.
I’ve heard many people say the Lord told them to attend Charis Bible College. But they just can’t see how it could happen. They want to see the Lord’s provision before they go “THERE.” That’s not how it works.
Some of you are not seeing God’s provision because you aren’t doing what He has told you to do. This doesn’t mean the Lord is punishing you. If Elijah hadn’t gone “THERE,” he would have lost his provision. The Lord has provision for you too, but it’s “THERE.”
This place called “THERE” changes. God changed the place and method of Elijah’s provision:
“And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee” (1 Kin. 17:8-9).
You can’t just seek the Lord once, hear His voice, step out in faith, and then stop listening. The Lord brings us into His perfect will step by step. Elijah moved when the Lord told him to move.
This led Elijah to the city of Zarephath where he asked a widow to give him the last of her food. It looked like he was taking from this woman, but he was actually giving to her. Instead of this being her last meal before dying, the Lord multiplied this woman’s supplies, which kept her, her son, and Elijah alive for about three years (1 Kin. 17:15-16). What a great miracle!
That wasn’t all the widow received. Her faithfulness in giving caused her son to be raised from the dead (1 Kin. 17:17-23). She had been operating in faith every day. She would use the last bit of oil and meal for Elijah and then find that there was always enough to make a cake for herself and her son. This was a great faith builder, which I’m sure figured into the miracle of her son.
Elijah went on to call fire down from heaven and consume a sacrifice in the sight of all of the people of Israel (1 Kin. 18:36-38). The people who saw it cried out, “The Lord, He is the God. The Lord, He is the God.” They killed all the prophets of Baal, and the whole nation turned to the Lord.
That same day, Elijah prayed and ended the drought by a great rain storm (1 Kin. 18:41-45). He was so pumped, he outran Ahab’s chariot in a twenty-mile race after Ahab had a head start. Elijah was excited!
Here is a very important lesson: After great victories come great temptations. This is primarily because we lose our sense of humility and dependence upon God (1 Kin. 19:4). Elijah had successfully defied the king, his armies, his prophets, and all the people in the nation. But the next day, a note from a woman caused him to run in terror (1 Kin. 19:2-3).
The Lord appeared to Elijah and asked, “What are you doing HERE, Elijah?” (1 Kin. 19:9). Elijah wasn’t “THERE” anymore. His place called “THERE” was back in Samaria. People were now worshiping the true God, but Elijah had run away in fear, leaving the people without a leader.
This resulted in the Lord replacing Elijah with Elisha. Elijah’s ministry fell short of what it could have been. The Lord actually spoke to Elijah in an audible voice. He told him to do three things, one of which was to anoint Elisha to replace him (1 Kin. 19:15-16). Elijah anointed Elisha (1 Kin. 19:19), but didn’t do the other two things. That means Elijah failed in two-thirds of the things the Lord told him to do. That’s amazing.
You might think this meant Elijah was washed up and was never used of God again. That’s not the case. Elijah went on to prophesy (1 Kin. 21:17-24), and he called the fire of God down two more times (2 Kin. 1:9-12). And most impressive of all, Elijah never died; he was caught up into heaven by a whirlwind (2 Kin. 2:11).
This man, who failed miserably, still walked so closely with God that he never died. This speaks volumes to us. The Lord has never had anyone working for Him yet who was qualified. He uses us in spite of what we do, and not because of what we do. If we will hold on to our faith, we can still experience wonderful things from the Lord even after failing BIG TIME. What powerful truths.Read more…
The NHS is telling school pupils they have a 'right' to an enjoyable sex life and that it is good for their health.
A Health Service leaflet says experts concentrate too much on the need for safe sex and loving relationships, and not enough on the pleasure it can bring.
But family campaigners last night condemned the guidance, saying it encouraged underage sex and could increase rates of sexually-transmitted diseases.
Under the heading 'an orgasm a day keeps the doctor away', the leaflet says: 'Health promotion experts advocate five portions of fruit and veg a day and 30 minutes physical activity three times a week. What about sex or masturbation twice a week?'
The advice, which also claims regular sex is good for cardiovascular health, has been circulated to parents, teachers and youth workers.
It came to light just a week after it emerged that teenagers who took part in a £6million Government initiative to reduce teenage pregnancies were more than twice as likely to fall pregnant as other girls.
The scheme tried to persuade girls not to get pregnant by handing out condoms and teaching them about sex.
The NHS leaflet has been drawn up by Sheffield primary care trust and is entitled Pleasure.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1199132/NHS-recommends-pupils-orgasm-day-reduce-risk-heart-attack-stroke.html#ixzz0LAP6ylMx&D
Its author, Steve Slack, director of the Centre for HIV and Sexual Health at NHS Sheffield, defended it by saying the advice could encourage young people to delay losing their virginity until they are sure they will enjoy the experience.
He added that as long as teenagers are fully informed about sex and making decisions free of peer pressure as part of a caring relationship, they have as much right as an adult to a good sex life.
Anthony Seldon
Anthony Seldon, master of Wellington College, said the NHS's approach was 'deplorable'
But Anthony Seldon, master of Wellington College, Berkshire, who introduced classes in emotional well-being at the public school, described the approach as 'deplorable'.
Dr Trevor Stammers, of the pressure group Family and Youth Concern, said the leaflet would encourage 'risky' behaviour and an increase in sexually transmitted diseases.
'It is unbelievable that this is being sent to schools', he said.
'I'd like to know what scientific evidence there is to back this up. There are an awful lot of overpaid and under-occupied health promotion officers around who are obsessed with sex.'
He added that inciting underage sex was 'nothing less than encouraging child abuse'.
'If the NHS wants to promote a healthy heart, as it says it does in this leaflet, it should put the money into reducing smoking and alcohol,' he said. 'Underage sex is as dangerous as underage drink and usually leads to sexual ill-health.'
About 40,000 teenagers become pregnant every year in the UK - the highest level in western Europe. More than half end in abortion.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1199132/NHS-recommends-pupils-orgasm-day-reduce-risk-heart-attack-stroke.html#ixzz0LAOx9sLD&D
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