Blog

of (338)

Lukman backs Barkindo on Northernisation of NNPC

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on February 21, 2010 at 1:18pm
Lukman backs Barkindo on Northernisation of NNPC • Mass replacement of qualified senior officials from the South in NNPC with new officials being recruited from Northern States

INDICATIONS have emerged that Dr. Rilwan Lukman, Minister of Petroleum Resources, is responsible for the mass replacement of qualified senior officials from the south of Nigeria in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) with new officials being recruited from the states in the north.

advertisement

Recently, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources was redeployed for protesting the appointment of Dr. Mohammed Barkindo, Group Managing Director of NNPC as the governor of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

This position, in the past, was consistently occupied by Permanent Secretary of the Petroleum Ministry and Head of Petroleum Inspectorate Division, now Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), since Nigeria joined OPEC..

A senior official of the Petroleum Ministry disclosed in Abuja during the week that Lukman has consistently frustrated other board members of NNPC from bringing an end to the recruitment of mainly top officials from the north taking over from qualified southern officials.

This backdoor recruitment, which was started few months ago by Barkindo, it was gathered, involves placing new officials from the north as general managers, managers and deputy managers above those already in service without promotion for several years.

The implementation of the northernisation project, the official said, was enhanced by major changes made by President Umaru Yar'Adua in NNPC whereby 67 top senior management staff were redeployed in July 2009.

In the changes approved by Yar'Adua during the period, 13 senior officials of the corporation were retired.

Our source said further: "To strengthen the recruitment of northern candidates into key positions in the corporation, key officials from the north were approved for the replacement of officials affected by the changes at the group human resources of NNPC."

The new appointees included Dr. Attahiru Yusuf, Group Executive Director (GED) Corporate Services; Mr. Auwalu Abubakar, (GGM) of Group Human Resources; Hajia M. Sanni, General Manager of Human Resources Division and Malam I.M Bawa, General Manager, Admin Services.

"From the top positions being occupied by officials from the north, it is clear that it will not take a year before NNPC will eventually be dominated mainly by northerners because the recruitment organ of NNPC is manned only by northerners," he noted.

The source added that several northerners have been employed by the NNPC through the backdoor without following due process of employment and input of other board members. He added that these young northerners were placed in management positions, whereas there are several qualified staff of the corporation who are in positions of chief officers for several years without promotion.

Read more…

Elumelu Exits UBA: Interview with "Tbruiser" The Don Corleoni of Naija Banking

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on January 24, 2010 at 4:02am
Was this the way you planned your exit? No, I didn't plan it this way. But, at the same time, about exiting at some point, yes, but not now. I had planned to leave at 50, which is three years from now. However, this is coming at a time when what I wanted to achieve in 36 months, I now have to see if I can achieve them within seven months. Yes, there was a bit of suddenness in the announcement, but for Tony, the idea of leaving has always been there. For UBA as an institution, the idea that the CEO will leave someday has been long decided, that is why we had planned for it. A lot of programmes were put in place for this. We started two years ago by appointing the deputy managing directors under a governance and socialisation framework. We tried to let them through the end-to-end of our strategic businesses, to begin to groom them as successors. It was not political; we planned for it that at some point, the CEO must leave and some other person must take over. Does that mean that one of them will automatically take over from you? The board and committee have been meeting and the automatic nominees are the DMDs and after them, the executive directors, if the CBN fails to approve, the senior managers. Judging by the board's quick response, one would think that UBA was privy to the CBN's decision. Was this the case? No, we were not privy to the CBN's decision; the board of UBA believes that no one person is more important than the organisation. The board felt that we have key people such as our staff, customers, investors, regulators and that we must, not only because it is not only appropriate, but to reassure these key people that there is business continuity and there is business sustainability, and should not entertain any fear about our ability to produce good leadership, which is consistent with our corporate governance practice, to respond appropriately at all times, in the best interest of our stakeholders. Talking about the CBN, do you have any personal issues about the CBN governor? No, nothing. But you know that some Nigerians will always give the wrong interpretations to the best of intensions. Why will people say that? Maybe because we as a bank always identified with the CBN governor; so the issue of personal animosity does not come in. For one, the governor and I were one time colleagues, and we worked very well together, we have mutual respect for each other. Should the CBN's new policy affect CEOs like you that are still serving or will you leave it for expert interpretation? I think we will leave that for the experts to interprete. But having said that, there is a context, which is that we have a new CBN governor, coming in at a time of global financial crisis, and I believe every new leader has a vision and ideas of how he will like to shape the industry. There have been accusations that the CEOs were living larger than expected by the public, part of which plunged the industry into crisis. It this true? I believe that the financial system is a highly regulated one, I think all players must comply with the rules of the game. Every sector has its own rules. Given the extent of decay Mr. Sanusi claimed he discovered in the sector, would you say Mr. Soludo lived up to expectations? It may be inappropriate for me to adjudge a regulator. But the current CBN governor was one of us, and upon assumption of office, he ordered for the stress test, put in place additional policies and framework to institute good corporate governance and proper risk management, among others. There were two major facilities that UBA made under your tenure, the first is Transcorp and the second is Virgin Nigeria. What really happened? First, I'd like to note that there is customer-banker confidentiality and I'd like to uphold that. But let me say that in the case of Transcorp, I can comment on it because it has been fully liquidated. And with Transcorp, we followed due process to advance acquisition finance. Not just us, but a consortium of big Nigerian banks. The loan was properly analysed, packaged and approved up to the board level of UBA before the facility was made available. There was no malpractice, we followed due process. For Virgin Nigeria, again, we followed due process and it was done through UBA Asset Management Company. In other words, UBA has no equity holding in Virgin Nigeria? Contrary to speculations, UBA has no equity in Virgin Nigeria. It is UBA Asset Management Company that manages investment for companies; has between three and five per cent. Why did UBA sack over 1,500 workers without paying them their benefits? Less than 600 workers left UBA and they were paid all their entitlements in line with the contract engagement. In addition to that, they are still on the UBA pay role for the next six months. Let us look at the issue of full disclosure; people are skeptical that the banks are still not telling the whole truth, otherwise there will not be so many job losses in the industry. What do you thnk? Citibank, Bank of America, Meryl Lynch all laid off thousands of workers. When business is shrinking, everything has to shrink with it, if a bank is making profit and it is no longer making as much profit, there has to be structural changes to help it recover, and one of it is to prune down the workforce. Are you also going to close down branches that are not doing well? I did a memo concerning branches that a minimum bottom of five per cent of staff, we refresh every year. But last year the executive management did not uphold this, because we are not happy in letting people go. We do not delude ourselves about what or who we are, but we respond to issues appropriately. We did a clinical review of all our strategic business units, and how they can add more value. We used three criteria to do our assessment - first is what is the contribution to our bottom line? Second, what is the strategic relevance to our business and the group? And the third one is the risk exposure. Would you then say these strategies are part of the reasons UBA scaled through the stress audit, because many are surprised that UBA passed the test? In terms of corporate governance, UBA is outstanding, in terms of risk management, we have laid down procedures. We have a chief risk officer; we have a chief compliance officer with 20 years of global experience. We have strong credit management process that is institutionalised and process-driven. We have a very strong board, and we had all of these long before risk management became the fad in the industry. Besides, we have put in place most of the risk management software to run a successful financial system. Why is it difficult to grant loan to the small and medium enterprise sector in spite of efforts by the CBN to get banks to do so? The current CBN governor is dealing with the root cause because it requires fundamental approach. We had a CEOs retreat in Enugu recently to look at the issues and these infrastructure challenges, having to generate your own power and water, and at the end of the day, there is hardly enough left to give out as loans to the SMEs, but like I said, these are being dealt with. What will you say is really wrong with the Nigerian economy, because nothing just seems to work? Let me speak to you as an economist. I have just said there are structural rigidities where certain things are not right. So we must go back to the basics, and a lot of this has to with infrastructure issues. The economy is an intricate web and so many things have happened. What is the future for UBA, can it really compete with its peers locally and globally? One of our major targets is to become a leading Nigerian bank, and to remain relevant in this market. Also, to play significantly in the African second tier market. In achieving this, it is a matter of having the right people, training them, strong governance policy, compliance to regulations in these countries and the totality of these factors will position you for competition. One thing you must realise is that no one CEO can start and finish a process. What the CEO can do is to assemble the right team, and in partnership with the board articulate the right policies. So then what legacies are you leaving behind for UBA? I will say quality people. An average UBA person is confident, knowledgeable and goal getters. Confidence comes from achievements and self-empowerment is number one. The second is having a culture of value - humility, empathy and integrity. We embarked on a massive service of excellence, which is key to sustainability. Working with the board, we have put in place a framework and process to continuity, viability and sustainability, to have a UBA that is self-sustaining, with strong governance institution. By my retirement, the true test of my leadership has just begun and I'm sure UBA will outlive me. You're retiring at 47, what do you hope to do? Is it not too early for retirement? I have lived a very engaging and active life. It's been tough and I just hope that I will now have the time to take the children to school and what have you. I am fortunate in that I reached the pinnacle of my career early and so I would take it easy from now on. Plans for retirement? Well, if it had been in more advanced countries, people like me will be in high demand as speakers and academics but not here in our society. As I told my people yesterday at the board, I hope to get more involved with the UBA Academy as a lecturer and speaker and tell others what I have learnt and experienced. I also hope to be involved later with the Lagos Business School where I can impart knowledge into people because there is so much to share and we should bridge the gap between theories and experience on the field. So I will spend more time with my family and teach, offering enlightenment to others sharing what I have seen. We rarely see your wife, who is she and what about your children too? Well, I'm married to a medical doctor and we have five children. (Points to her picture on the shelf) there she is and you can see her. The truth is that I'm a home person, I rarely go out. You're most likely to see me lying down with a bean bag watching movies with my children. I like my home and whenever I'm not at the office, you will see me at home. I enjoy reading also; I'm particularly fond of Jeffrey Archer's novels. I remarked to my wife the other day that it's been long we attended a wedding and she said yes, that's the kind of man I am; a very homely person.
Read more…

Toyota Nigeria commences recall of cars

Posted by 9jabook.com on February 18, 2010 at 2:54am
Toyota (Nigeria) Limited has said there would be a reassurance check in Nigeria on three of its car models affected in the car defect and recall all over the world.jpeg&STREAMOID=QH6Z1_5EAz0rBc7C0EN06y6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxQ$OkDhAnfYHBjN87jlkOxWnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-

At a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday, Toyota said it has received directives from Toyota Motor Corporation's to carry out a reassurance check on three of the model. Chandrasheker Thampy, the Managing Director TNL, apologised for the panic, concern and inconvenience the news of the global recall had caused their customers.

"The company is making a reassurance call to inform its customers that there is no cause to panic as the problem is very much not likely to occur with Toyota models in the country.

The three models are Toyota RAV4, Toyota Avensis 2.0 and a few sub models of the corollas.

TMC has been making recalls of some of its car model with faulty accelerator pedal which makes the brakes falter on slippery or frozen roads.

"This reassurance recall is a means of checking for any possibility of the defect being faced in other parts of the world, but we doubt we will be having any," said Michael Ade-Ojo, the company's chairman in Nigeria.

No extra charge

Mr. Ade-Ojo said the exercises will also be free of charge for cars bought from the accredited dealers, while "Toyota brands imported into the country through other means will also be attended to after we have attended to our own but it would be with a fee," he said.

Mr. Thampy explained that the problem is synonymous with the cold region where they have to put on the car heater during winter leading to a wear and tear on the sliding surface of the accelerator.

In the last week of January this year, TMC announced its intention to recall certain models of Toyota vehicles in American, European and Chinese markets in order to inspect and fix a likely problem that would have arisen.

Mr. Ade-Ojo said the lateness in addressing the issue was due to the fact that they believe there will be no occurrence of the problem, but TMC wants the company to be doubly sure that is why the check is going to take place.

Mr. Ade - Ojo further said that the company had not met to discuss the recall with the government since the beginning of the recall process all over the world.

This is contrary to the response from the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in an earlier story in NEXT that it had a meeting with the minister of state for Commerce and Industry, Humphrey Abbah, and all automobile importers and assemblers in Nigeria, and part of the outcome was that the Toyota cars that are being recalled were not in Nigeria yet.
Read more…

U.S Senate accuses Atiku & American Wife of $40m illegal transfer

Posted by 9jabook.com on February 4, 2010 at 8:08pm

WASHINGTON DC —A REPORT on former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar was presented to the United State’s Senate yesterday.

The US Senate report which showed how funds were transferred on behalf of the former number two citizen showed that: “From 2000 to 2008, Jennifer Douglas, a U.S. citizen and the fourth wife of Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and former candidate for President of Nigeria, helped her husband bring over $40 million in suspect funds into the United States, through wire transfers sent by offshore corporations to U.S. bank accounts.”

The report said: “In a 2008 civil complaint, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, alleged that Ms. Douglas received over $2 million in bribe payments in 2001 and 2002, from Siemens AG, a major German corporation.

“While Ms. Douglas denies wrongdoing, Siemens has already pleaded guilty to U.S. criminal charges and settled civil charges related to bribery and told the Subcommittee that it sent the payments to one of her U.S. accounts.

In 2007, Atiku Abubakar was the subject of corruption allegations in Nigeria related to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund.

“Of the $40 million in suspect funds, $25 million was wire transferred by offshore corporations into more than 30 U.S. bank accounts opened by Ms. Douglas, primarily by Guernsey Trust Company Nigeria Ltd., LetsGo Ltd. Inc., and Sima Holding Ltd.

“The U.S. banks maintaining those accounts were, at times, unaware of her PEP status, and they allowed multiple, large offshore wire transfers into her accounts. As each bank began to question the offshore wire transfers, Ms. Douglas indicated that all of the funds came from her husband and professed little familiarity with the offshore corporations actually sending her money. When one bank closed her account due to the offshore wire transfers, her lawyer helped convince other banks to provide a new account.

“In addition, two of the offshore corporations wire transferred about $14 million over five years to American University in Washington, D.C., to pay for consulting services related to the development of a Nigerian university founded by Abubakar.

“American University accepted the wire transfers without asking about the identity of the offshore corporations or the source of their funds, because under current law, the University had no legal obligation to inquire.

lagos..Port-Harcourt..Abuja..Kaduna.. Owerri..Edo.. AkwaIbom..Ibadan..Enugu
Watch More Nollywood & Naija Videos
utube4naija Videos Now playing Click here to go !
Read more…

Beware of 'hot' love

Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on February 21, 2010 at 1:06pm
Beware of 'hot' love

Kemi ashefon.


SENI, 35, is heartbroken. But that was not her state a few months back. "Then, I was excited to have got a mate after many years of searching," recalls Seni. "Dehinde came and proposed to me. He had seen my picture on my friend's laptop in his office and decided to call. By the time we went on our third date, he told me he was single, was searching and was ready to get married within six months.


Live-in lovers, live-in trouble


advertisement

"That was what I needed to hear. Promptly, I started telling everyone who cared to listen that I was getting married. Dehinde was not talkative about it, but smiled whenever I told a friend or relative about our wedding plans. He said our honeymoon was going to be in the Caribbean and I would have to stay abroad and have our baby when I got pregnant.

"Though he had an old car he was using, he was expecting a contract worth billions of naira and would change his and mine. Little wonder, I quickly gave in to his suggestion that we sold my car, got a house and used a part for furniture. I was in love and all that he suggested were accepted.

"I sold my car, which was worth N1.2m at N700, 000. I sold my jewellery and my shares for the new set of furniture he desired and to buy him a brand new car. I was happy doing all this because I wanted a home and a husband. I was happier when our wedding invitation cards were out and eventually, we got married.

"I settled down to my new life, only to discover I was the third wife he would be marrying in seven years. Two other women had kids for him, but later divorced him due to his womanising ways. He confessed these to me when I discovered some strange text messages in his phone and some receipts of school fees he paid.

"He had five kids. After a year, he stopped coming home and was said to be dating another lady. It was a terrible year for me: two miscarriages, lost my job due to negligence, was broke and had to run back to my sisters for help. Just two months ago, I heard he was married again. I'm back to my single state and so scared to date again."

Seni was not the only victim. Mike, 32, met Meg at a party. "I was 32 and my mother wanted me to get married," he says. "Not that I was desperate, but I wanted to get it over with marriage and children so that I could face my career. Meg was 22, looked innocent and was an undergraduate.

"I fell head over heels in love with her and took up her educational expenses. I was shocked recently when she decided to call off the relationship. She confessed to me that she was seeing another guy, where she was having her internship.

"Though she confessed to have loved me, her other excuses were that we quarrelled a lot on the phone and she could not cope with the distance (I was in Abuja; she in Lagos) because she believed in regular physical contact. She confessed to have slept with the guy and left me with no assurance of coming back because she said the guy in Lagos was fun to be with.

"I was shattered and I stopped calling her. But she had not stopped calling me. She spent more than five minutes talking to me, but she didn't talk about the broken relationship and sometimes, she sent platonic text messages. Really, I don't know why she called me. Knowing that I loved her, she knew I would readily accept her back, but why would Meg play on my emotions? Do I stop her from calling me or not?"

With Bitrus, 33, and Beatrice 26, everything came in a rush and they did all things with the speed of light. Bitrus says, "I was posted to Abuja on official duties and while trying to settle down, I met Beatrice, who was a civil servant," recalls Bitrus. "She was young and she helped me with whatever I went to do at the ministry.

"Because she spoke my language fluently, we became friends and I knew my way round the city, courtesy of her. Suddenly, we became lovers and neither wooed nor spoke to her on marriage, but I thought I was in love. I didn't have any time with other women because she was all over me. At work, she called, before I closed, she would have arrived and made sure we went home together.

"She packed her things to my place and assumed the role of a wife without any of our parents knowing. I couldn't travel to anywhere but was always with her. She put a check on who I called, who called me and went through my text messages. But I have discovered that she would run after men, close late from work and abandon me at home. She would feign pregnancies and after three months, would declare she had miscarriages. I have fallen in love with her and would not think of leaving her."
Read more…

Edo Showdown as Oshiomole Accuses Anenih,Abbe & Ogiadomhe of aiding 'n abetting gunrunners for elections

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on January 18, 2010 at 6:59am
Crisis looms in Edo, Oshiomhole warns * Decries withdrawal of soldiers from security teams * Asks govt to call Abbe, Anenih, Ogiadomhe to order From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu (Benin GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole warned yesterday that law and order may break down in Edo State after it emerged that the ministry of defence has withdrawn members of the armed forces attached to the state's joint security outfit, Operation Thunderstrom. advertisement The move has been interpreted in government quarters to mean that they were being withdrawn ahead of the forth-coming re-run election in Etsako Central Local Council into the state house of assembly. Oshiomhole alleged that the withdrawal of the soldiers from the team was to allow influx of arms and suspected thugs into the area for the Saturday January 23, 2010 election. The governor who was furious when he spoke to journalists yesterday alleged that the decision was masterminded by the Principal Secretary to the Vice President, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe and Chief Tony Anenih in connivance with Defence Minister, General Godwin Abbe (rtd). All efforts to confirm the order from the 4th Mechanised Brigade, Nigerian Army, Benin City yesterday failed as no official was ready to talk on the issue when The Guardian visited. "I have just been informed by the army that General Godwin Abbe, the Minister of Defence, has ordered that the army should be withdrawn from the Joint Task Force contrary to the directive of President Umaru Yar'Adua who approved the soldiers in the wake of the kidnapping, robbery and other violent crimes in the state then. "We are aware that it has been difficult for the PDP to move in arms to Etsako Central due to the presence of the soldiers after they boasted to bring in militants to come and unleash mayhem during the election. Curiously, today, the army has informed me of their withdrawal. It is very clear that General Abbe in collaboration with Chief Tony Anenih and Oghiadomhe, have decided to reverse the order of President Yar'Adua. " I have decided to raise this alarm and I call on the Vice President to call Abbe and Anenih to order. I want to affirm that any attempt to cause crisis in Edo State will be resisted by the people. I am very worried that with the withdrawal of the soldiers there will be influx of arms into Etsako Central and that will endanger the lives of our people there during the election. "I have alerted the Vice-President before about the activities of Oghiadohme who has been boasting that they will use Federal might to rig the election. There is grave danger and I appeal to the Vice President to call these people to order now. I have confidence that the Vice President has no hand in this conspiracy by the Minister of Defence and his godfather to use their control over security agencies to undermine the peace and stability of Edo State." But a PDP chief who did not want to be mentioned dismissed Oshiomhole's allegations, saying Oghiadomhe "is a gentleman who believes in the rule of law and will not be party to thuggery and election rigging."
Read more…

Of Wolves Shepherds 2 Right of Reply: Fashola & Mega Corruption: The true face of Lagos

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on January 31, 2010 at 4:01am
In Punch Newspapers on Thursday 28th January 2010 a group called ‘The True Face of Lagos’ took out a 2 pg advertorial in pgs 44 and 45 where they accused our erstwhile Governor Fashola, our Attorney General Supo Shasore and a Mr. Tunji Olowolafe of financial recklessness. They claim also that the Law makers in the house had been shielding the Governor from probe as they have been bribed and their ‘lion of bourdillon’ had bribed the press to avoid leakages. The advert was signed by a Mr. Kasali Martins and another Dr Tunde George. The punch newspaper also wrote their report based on the advert and said they spoke to our former Governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who said he does not work in governor’s office, BRF does not take instructions from him and that he is not BRF’s boss. This advertorial by this seemingly faceless group was interestingly only placed in Punch Newspapers. Not in other papers like Next and This Day where some investigative journalism would have gone to the bottom of all their spurious allegations before reporting the story. It is interesting also that they care so much about the people of Lagos and only Punch readers have been privy to their grave concerns and the consequences of their action. The lawmakers thus based on this advertorial started impeachment proceedings against our action Governor the very next day. Again this was reported in Punch Newspapers the next day, Friday 29th January 2010 in pg 12. There will be a probe that will be led by a group of 6 ad hoc committee. A name in the group is Mrs Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, the disgraced former deputy speaker that was ousted last year is now trusted to be inquisitor of a Governor who has put the State on the World map! These are indeed interesting times in politics in Nigeria. We want to warn the law makers especially this group of 6 to be careful they do not succumb to temptations that would lead to setting Lagos on fire. They should not agree to be weapons in the hands of satan. We are not faceless but a group of professionals of all works of life. We are going to do all to see that after 10 years we have for the first time a patriotic, forward thinking, hard working, Godly man who is there truly to serve to lead us that he stays there. We know those behind this faceless group and they will fail. We were ambitious when BRF agreed to answer the call to be governor that asiwaju would be big enough to let him do the work whilst he takes care of the politics involved. What asiwaju seems to forget also is that but for him giving us this governor, we would be petitioning all the looting that took place under his administration that caused some commissioners to resign for fear of probe as the treasury was practically empty. He probably now would be in kirikiri with his co megalomaniac of the Lagos PDP, Bode George courtesy of the EFCC. At least they can say which contracts they feel were awarded and figures, who knew what was given to whom under the Tinubu regime? What are BRF’s real crimes? 1, Asiwaju wants the state to pay his company alpha beta N4 Billion every month and more as our revenue rises, to which BRF says ‘ No sir, I need the money to build roads, bridges, hospitals, courts, rail lines, houses that I promised my people when I took the oath of office which means something to some of us. It is interesting True Face of Lagos mention anything about Alpha Beta in their advertorial. Asiwaju already collects revenues from Lagos State higher than some state revenues. In the whole of BRF’s cabinet, the Judiciary, and the executive there are only a handful of BRF’s own people. Majority defer to Asiwaju and still BRF keeps working with dignity. Asiwaju owns practically half of Ikoyi, nearly all of Lekki several properties abroad. He still is not satisfied and publically denounces BRF as being stingy. What does BRF own? Asiwaju took delivery of his own private jet last month, True Face was this acquired from his pension? 2, Lagos State Government wanted to buy helicopters as one of the ways to raise revenue, asiwaju with all his cronies like Muiz Banire, Afikuyomi decided that he would supply the helicopters. BRF says ‘ No sir, anything else. This is not a contract. It has to be given to those who can maintain service and manage them. This was awarded to Caverton Helicopters who not only put up the best bid but also submitted a Business plan on how best to service the choppers such that they will earn their cost in just 2 years and they have started working. The same Punch Newspapers in today's review 31st Jan on page 7report on the good work the choppers are doing. 3, The Martin Luther King award for outstanding Governance that was given to BRF. Asiwaju was furious! He could not even help but comment on BRF’s star that is shinning too bright. What he should know is that it is not by power or by might but from above. Even BRF could not brighten his own star. It is God that does that and can Asiwaju challenge God now? He should please ask his beautiful and very kind wife Remi, who goes to Church toread and explain Ezekiel 28 v2-19 to him and the consequences. As usual BRF knowing his former boss as usual showed such deference he did not go to collect the award himself. He did not ask friends and use money from the State’s coffers to take out Congratulatory messages to himself as is the norm of recipients of even less prestigious awards like the ‘Ikorodu Hall Of Fame’. He needs also to read the story of King Saul and David. He would understand how God works. The Truth. The truth will always be the truth no matter where it is being told and for how long. To use some of the issues raised in the advertorial. 1, The Western Avenue road contract awarded to Julius Berger. The Committee should probe it and all other Julius Berger contracts awarded under Asiwaju’s Government as the CEO of JB Engr Salami is Asiwaju’s long time best friend. 2, Our investigations show that under the Civil Service Rules and which BRF’s government stictly adheres to, a situation that did not give under Asiwaju’s time, whenever a contract is to be awarded, let us take the Contract awarded to Deux limited by the Ministry of health. A memo is raised by the Director of the ministry to the Perm Sec with a list of companies who bid. It is the Perm sec who vets this list of companies and recommends the best 3 based on their reputation, their past performance, their financials and then recommends these 3 to the commissioner. The Commissioner for health in Lagos State is Dr Jide Idris- Asiwaju’s 1st cousin. The commissioner now presents these 3 companies to Exco which is made up of 40 members including the deputy governor and the governor. It is the Exco that now award the contract to 1 company. Any company in our estimation that can bribe 40 people and then perform really should get that contract however unlikely that is. Deux limited from our findings a construction company that also specializes in Health service delivery are popular with Lagos state because they are patriotic. They get the work done with their own funds and then await payment and are owed a lot of money by the state. They have in their employment close to a thousand lagosiansand only in comparison very few expats. They work in Abuja, Portharcourt and not justLagos. Above all their initial introduction into Lagos was the closeness of Olowolafe and Asiwaju. The fallout is Asiwaju refusing to be advised to allow BRF work. We have had enough and despite what is going on at the centre, Lagos is our own and we wont let Tinubu who afterall is from Osun State and cannot understand the pride we have in BRF, pull us down. We are rising up and reject all this godfatherism. Tinubu regrets his choice of BRF but what he should realize is that it was not his choice. It was the choice of God. We are not faceless and we would use our professionalism to put the truth out there. We are Lawyers, Doctors, Engineers, Bankers, Accountants, Nurses, Teachers, Home makers who have influences with embassies, international chambers of commerce, foreign governments and have a wide reach. What you decide and stand on does not stay in Lagos. We are not all from Lagos State but we have our livelihoods here and pay our taxes here. Our roots are here. This is the beginning of getting Lagos’s much needed freedom from Tinubu. It has gone on too long. There will be plenty of activities to this end and we will call on you all to stand and speak up. Eko o le baje! Eko o ni baje. Adebola Olasewere. Abidemi Dabiri. Kehinde Olusi
Read more…

Haiti Quake:Wyclef accused of Corrupt Yele Charity foundation and missappropriation of Funds ! Video of his defense !

Posted by NollywoodMohits on January 17, 2010 at 11:32pm
Haitian-born singer Wyclef Jean has dismissed accusations of corruption in his Yele Haiti Foundation, calling them "baseless attacks". The former Fugee refuted allegations that he and his partners have profited from the organisation's previous development work. After the Haiti earthquake, Yele Haiti has become one of the most important aid groups, collecting around $2m (£1.23m) through SMS fundraising."I have been committed to helping the people of Haiti throughout my life, and that commitment will continue until the day I die," Jean wrote on his website, with an accompanying video. "I denounce any allegation that I have ever profited personally through my work with Yele Haiti. These baseless attacks are simply not true."Concerns over the Yele Haiti Foundation began with a report by the Smoking Gun on Thursday, claming that over the last four years Jean and his partner have collected at least $410,000 ($252,000) from the organisation, paid out for rent, production services and a performance at a 2006 benefit concert. Until two months ago, Yele Haiti was allegedly known as the Wyclef Jean Foundation.WYCLEF Defends Himself :"It seems clear that a significant amount of the monies that this charity raises go for costs other than providing benefits to Haitians in need," Dean Zerbe, a former tax counsel to the US senate finance committee, which oversees charities, told the Washington Post. In 2006, most of Yele Haiti's reported $1m revenue came from Angelina Jolie, who donated proceeds from a People magazine photoshoot. More than a third of this money went to parties linked to Jean and other board-members, according to the Post."I never, or would ever, take money for my personal pocket when it comes to Yele," Jean insisted, claiming to have donated at least $1m of his own money to the charity. To date, the group has provided scholarships, funded a Haitian football team, and employed women to cook at schools. After a 2008 storm, it helped community networks distribute food to 6,000 families, according to foundation president Hugh Locke, using local expertise instead of aid workers. Next week, they plan to use a FedEx aeroplane to airlift medical supplies, water and Clif Bars from Miami to Port-au-Prince.While Yele Haiti has benefited from several gala fundraisers, including a forthcoming telethon co-hosted by Jean and George Clooney, most of their money was collected in an SMS campaign. Americans donated $5 to the foundation by texting the word "Yele" to a designated number. "I think people should be comfortable that any money given to Yele Haiti is going 100% to emergency relief," Locke said.But critics point to incidents like the 2006 payment of $250,000 (£154,000) to Telemax, a for-profit TV station and production company in which Jean and Jerry Duplessis, both Yele directors, had a controlling interest. The charity also paid $31,000 (£19,000) in rent to Platinum Sound, a Manhattan recording studio owned by Jean and Duplessis, and $100,000 (£61,500) for Jean's performance at a Yele benefit in Monaco.A Yele public relations spokesman said that the Telemax money was used for "everything from public-service announcements to educational programming", and as at Platinum Sound, it offered the organisation "a significant discount". As for the Monaco concert, Locke said the $100,000 included all production expenses, including back-up musicians.Another Smoking Gun report has found that the Yele Haiti Foundation had its corporate status dissolved on four occasions over the last five years. The charity was repeatedly sanctioned by the Florida Division of Corporations for failing to provide reports of its corporate structure. "The fact that these attacks come as we are mobilised to meet the greatest human tragedy in the history of Haiti only serves to perplex me," Jean complained. "I live in [Haiti], I'm Haitian. This is where I come from."
Read more…

US court convicts Nigerian couple of forced servitude

Posted by jackie webLondonGirl on February 4, 2010 at 12:39pm


The Punch
Thursday, February 4, 2010

US court convicts Nigerian couple of forced servitude

Agency reporter

A United States federal jury in Texas has convicted a Nigerian-born couple based in Arlington, Texas, Emmanuel and Ngozi Nnaji, of forcing a widowed Nigerian mother of six into servitude for nine years.

blank.jpg

arrow-down-gray.gif advertisement
357?rand=19249

The US Justice Department said in a statement on Wednesday that a jury found the defendants guilty of conspiracy, forced labour, document servitude, alien harbouring and false statements. Ngozi and Emmanuel Nnaji each face a maximum sentence of up to 55 years in prison.

According to the evidence at trial, the couple enticed the widow to come to the US to be their domestic servant by falsely promising a salary and support for her children, whom she was struggling to support.

The defendants procured fraudulent immigration documents, confiscated the victim's documents, harboured her in their home and compelled her to work long hours with no days off for little or no pay. They also used a scheme to isolate her and restrict her communications, withheld her documents and pay and refused her requests to return home or be paid.

Court documents also said the couple failed to provide support for the victim's six children in Nigeria, limited and monitored contacts with her family in Nigeria, isolated her from normal society in the United States, and refused to allow her to regularly attend church. According to the evidence at trial, Emmanuel sexually assaulted the victim and made her too scared to call the police.

A statement quoted Assistant Attorney-General for the Civil Rights Division, Thomas E. Perez, as saying, "Holding other human beings in servitude against their will is a violation of human rights that will not be tolerated in our free society. This prosecution demonstrates our commitment to combating human trafficking in all its forms, vindicating the rights of trafficking victims and bringing human traffickers to justice."
Read more…

Family of 12 perish in Kano inferno

Posted by 9jabook.com on February 18, 2010 at 7:38pm

Twelve members of a family were killed in a fire which gutted their residence on Wednesday night in Kano. The tragic incident affected the family members of Ahmed Kabiru Boss which are his 38-year-old wife, her four children and seven other relatives that came from Gombe State for the naming ceremony of Mr. Kabiru's son, Umar on Saturday. One of the victims include the mother in-law of Mr. Kabiru, also the mother of chairman of Nafada local government area, Gombe State.

Miraculously, both little Umar and his father survived the incident.

A neighbour of the Kabiru at Chirancin Gabas quarters in the ancient city, Mustapha Auwalu, said he heard people screaming at about 10.30pm on the fateful day.

"This was replaced by people shouting ‘fire , fire' and when I came out, I realized that my neighbour's house was on fire," he said. He said the fire started from the kitchen attached to the one-storey building in which the victims were staying and it spread to the adjoining rooms.

Mr. Kabiru, a former staff of Oando Oil Plc, was weeping and could not talk when approached for comments. However, another neighbour, Abdulsalam Mohammed said more lives would have been saved if efforts of fire fighters and voluntary rescue workers had succeeded.

Lack of good roads

He said officials of the fire service could not gain access to the road that leads to the burnt building as a result of poor road planning. The burglar proof installed on the windows of the building also hindered rescue efforts.

"People came immediately the house caught fire and even the fire service came early, but they couldn't do anything because their vehicle didn't gain access to the slim road and they had to try using other means. But before they arrived, it was too late." Mr. Mohammed said.

Strong burglar proof

Mr. Mohammed, who frowned at the government's laxity in enforcing building codes, said this tends to promote the building of illegal structures close to public roads. He also advised the government to address the issue of insecurity as ‘the burglar proof that was fixed on the windows hindered access to the victims.' The Kano State commissioner of police, Mohammad Gana who was at the scene of the incident, confirmed the death of the twelve persons.

"Twelve persons lost their lives in the fire incident, may their soul rest in peace. Our men tried all their best, but couldn't do much because the burglar proof was so strong that we couldn't remove it. It is a pity that this kind of thing happened," he said.

The deceased were buried according to Islamic rites, with the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Bayero Nafada in attendance.

The Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau paid a condolence visit to the family where he inspected the burnt house and prayed for the souls of the departed.

Read more…

Court stops probe of Fashola

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on February 10, 2010 at 8:20am

A Lagos High Court presided over by H. A. Abiru has granted an order of interim injunction "restraining the defendant (Lagos State House of Assembly) whether by themselves, agents, members, officers, privies or by whosoever from proceeding with or acting on the purported investigation of allegations of financial impropriety levelled against the executive and legislative arms of the Lagos Government ..." Further hearing on the suit has been fixed for February 17.

The suit was filed by Human Rights Lawyer Bamidele Aturu, on behalf of Richard Akinola, a journalist, after a six man committee was set up by the Lagos State House of Assembly to probe allegations of corruption levelled against Raji Fashola, the Lagos State Governor; and the Lagos State House of Assembly. The planned probe was due to an advertorial published in the Punch Newspaper of January 28 by an unknown and unregistered group, "The true face of Lagos" accusing Mr. Fashola and the Lagos House of Assembly of corrupt activities.

Read more…

David Beckham: ‘Wayne Rooney is one of the best goalscorers anywhere. He’s proving that’

Posted by Choochoo Sports Book on February 16, 2010 at 11:16am


When David Beckham arrived in Italy for what, at the time, seemed a novelty excursion some 14 months ago, he received a text message from an old friend. It consisted of just seven words: “David Beckham. Manchester United. Real Madrid. Milan.” The point was being made that, long after he stopped being a footballer, he would have a unique legacy: he has belonged to the three most glamorous clubs from what, in the span of his playing career, have been the three most celebrated leagues.images?q=tbn:NtJfBvwu1KhAUM:%3Ca%20rel%3Dnofollow%20href=http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/rap_sheet/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/david_beckham1_300_400.jpg">

So storied is the life of David Beckham that there is plenty to insert in between the Manchester chapter, the Madrid episode and the coda in Milan; there are debates to rehearse about the ratio of skill to hard-sell that motivated those who have employed him; arguments to hold about the greatness of the actual sides he played in at each of those clubs. But the sequence United-Real-AC gives Beckham a great deal of pride, not just because it reflects professional peaks set across so sustained a time, but because it also shows a sportsman with the dedication to see out and deliver a grand plan.

What he had never quite planned for, he admits, was the moment when the distinguished line of fabled club names had a kink in it, a meeting of the threads, as it does on Tuesday, when Milan face his “ex” — his most loved ex. “You know, I’ve never had to do this before, play against one of my old teams,” says Beckham, struck by the curiosity of that fact. In Madrid, he used to look forward to Uefa draw ceremonies at least twice a season, and the strong possibility that the names Real and Manchester United would be paired and he would be obliged to stand in a line and shake hands before kick-off with Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and perhaps Roy Keane as they filed past him wearing red while he wore white.

As Beckham spent a third and then a fourth season as a Madrid footballer, always in the Champions League, the chance of playing against United became more probability than possibility. It never happened. Once he joined Milan for the second half of the 2008-9 campaign, his adventures abroad were restricted to the Uefa Cup. When Milan did meet Madrid in the senior competition last autumn, Beckham was at the other end of his transatlantic commute, seeing out his obligations to Los Angeles Galaxy in America.

images?q=tbn:J9Imq4sv4W5qOM:%3Ca%20rel%3Dnofollow%20href=http://images.hollywoodgrind.com:9000/images/2008/3/david-beckham-chinese-tattoo.jpg">

And so, 15 years and two months after Beckham made his Champions League debut for United, it is United he faces on his Champions League debut for Milan. The occasion will have an extra drumroll and crash of cymbals because it is Milan’s 100th match in the European Cup to be played at their San Siro site.

As Beckham spoke on Friday evening, it was clear that if he was preparing to put on the professional blinkers to safeguard against a confusion of emotions, those around him were readying themselves for an occasion of gravitas. His children, who have continued their schooling in the US while dad does his five-month stint in Italy, have come over. His head coach at Milan, Leonardo, spoke of “a very special moment in David’s life. For any player to play in the Champions League against an old club is special, but for David it is particularly.”

Leonardo was stressing that this was not just a case of an itinerant professional playing against a former club. Beckham is not a peripatetic Nicolas Anelka or Christian Vieri, he is a Manchester United fan, several of whose contemporaries never left Old Trafford. Beckham still sometimes suggests that he would have been equally happy, in the summer of 2003, had he stayed there rather than joining Madrid.

Will there be a knot in his stomach, a lump in his throat on Tuesday? “Obviously there will be emotions,” he says, “but I don’t think it will be a problem. I’ve played in many big games. There has been so much talk about me going back to Manchester United in the second leg, because it will be my first time playing for a club there in seven years. But this tie is not just about me playing against United, it’s about AC Milan. It’s about two great clubs coming together, and that’s what makes it such a big game, for the teams, for the fans.”

There are plenty of grounds for trepidation besides his own butterflies. “United are just on fire at the moment, which means it’s going to very tough for us.” It goes without saying that Beckham — “I love to watch every United game where possible” — has as precise a gauge of United’s form as anybody at Milan, and the same understanding of where the principal menace comes from: Wayne Rooney.

Beckham, a close witness to Ronaldinho’s recent revival in form, has no hesitation in likening Rooney to the Brazilian in his best form. He sees a Rooney liberated this season, operating at the sharpest point of the attack. “I have always thought,” says Beckham of his England colleague, “that Wayne is one of the best goalscorers in football anywhere. He’s proving that. He’s at a great club and doing what he does best, which is scoring goals. United are playing so well for him, too.” Not least Ryan Giggs, whose absence with injury seems a genuine source of personal regret for his former colleague. “It’s a big shame Giggsy’s out. To have played on the same field as Giggsy, but against him for once, would have been really nice for me. Hopefully he’ll be fixed up soon and maybe he’ll make the second leg.”images?q=tbn:ib67OKW5GLWOiM:%3Ca%20rel%3Dnofollow%20href=http://www.sportsagentblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/david_beckham_victoria_beckham_boob.jpg">

As for his own fitness, Beckham, 34, is happy with progress since reaching Italy and with his capacity for taking his season all the way into July, as part of the England World Cup squad. Fabio Capello is expected at San Siro as an observer on Tuesday and the understanding between the England manager and Beckham is that the player needs to show sufficient stamina and competitiveness with Milan to earn his ticket to South Africa. Major League Soccer was not a convincing platform for Capello. Milan is.

“My fitness is good, really good,” insists Beckham. “Obviously being back at Milan and working hard with the medical regime they have here has been great. To be part of an England squad, you have to be playing at the top level. You have to be playing with top players and be at the top of your fitness.” And his form? “Good,” he replies. Up and down, say the Italian media, ranging from a beaming 7.5 out of 10 from Tuttosport for his showing on his first game back, to a grumpy 4.5 from Corriere dello Sport for the Milan derby three weeks ago.

Leonardo, appointed head coach last summer, appears pleased to have Beckham back at Milan. “He arrived in December, he already knew everything he needed to, knew the atmosphere, most of the team, and how we play,” says Leonardo. “All of that’s not been a problem for him.”

Of the new teammates, the strikers were especially welcoming. Marco Boriello, who spent most of last season injured, has already profited from Beckham’s crossing. The Dutch international Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, signed last August but more out of the first XI than in it so far, hopes the combination of his alertness in the penalty box and the Englishman’s passing might prove fruitful. “He’s got a real eye for the assist,” Huntelaar thought immediately. “He’s always looking for the strikers and to swing the ball in, in front of you. It’s nice to play as a striker with him there and with Ronaldinho on the other side.”

“I got a great welcome from everybody, fans and players,” says Beckham. But there was one significant change from the last Milan dressing room he had been a member of. “Obviously Paolo Maldini’s retired and a couple of other characters have gone who were here last time. But the team is similar. There’s a great spirit within the club and that’s definitely not changed. We’re just as strong. When we play well, we’re a very good team.” The “when” is heavily weighed. He acknowledges that Milan have had a horribly inconsistent month.

January started superbly as Beckham seemed to have brought his Golden Balls knack with him into the new year: Milan had finished 2009 with just three points from their past three games. Beckham went straight into the starting line-up and they won the next three matches, racking up 12 goals, including a 3-0 win away at Juventus.

Then came the derby with Inter, a 2-0 defeat, and two subsequent draws, the second of which, against Bologna, Beckham watched entirely from the bench. Is he frustrated at being left out of the XI? “No,” he replies, “because I’ve always said when I came to the club, I never expect to start any games here.”

His return to action in Friday’s 3-2 win over Udinese, albeit as a substitute, suggests he will have a senior role on Tuesday. “We needed that win after the past couple of games,” he says, “and we needed also to get players fit again, like Alex Pato, with the United matches coming up. Both are going to be tough, but I’m looking forward to it.”

FIFTH TIME LUCKY FOR UNITED?

Manchester United have a score to settle with Milan. The teams have met in four previous two-legged European ties — three of them at the semi-final stage — and Milan triumphed each time, twice going on to win the trophy — in 1969 and 2007.

May 1958 European Cup semi-final: Man Utd 2 Milan 1, Milan 4 Man Utd 0.

April/May 1969 European Cup semi-final: Milan 2 Man Utd 0, Man Utd 1 Milan 0.

Feb/Mar 2005 Champions League, 2nd rd: Man Utd 0 Milan 1, Milan 1 Man Utd 0.

Apr/May 2007 Champions League semi-final: Man Utd 3 Milan 2, Milan 3 Man Utd 0.

Read more…

Chronicles of an "Acting" President:Plot, intrigues against VP thicken - Power, water supplies regularly interrupted

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on January 16, 2010 at 8:21pm
Plot, intrigues against VP thicken - Power, water supplies regularly interrupted in Aguda House - His correspondences under close monitoring - VP keeps mute Plot, intrigues against VP thicken - Power, water supplies regularly interrupted in Aguda House - His correspondences under close monitoring - VP keeps mute Let the Web Work 4 ! You Affordable Online Marketing & A.d.v.e.r.t.i.s.i.n.g on http://www.9jabook.com call or email:info@systemini.net twitter:systemini linkedin:systemini tel +234-0806 495 0565,234-07083793511,234-07058888394 44-7894214683, VICE-President Goodluck Jonathan has been subjected to great discomfort in the last four weeks, as events are attesting to this, Nigerian Tribune investigations have revealed. Since the clamour by Nigerians that Vice-President Jonathan should act as president has been intensified following the continued absence of President Umaru Yar’Adua, who is thought to be currently recupperating in a Saudi Arabian hospital, the vice-president is reportedly prone to attacks in the Villa, according to Nigerian Tribune source. One of such attempts against the number two citizen was through food poisoning, which sources said the vice-president himself had taken note of and therefore refrained himself from taking food and drinks served in the State House. Nigerian Tribune also gathered that events in the last four weeks in the Villa suggest that there is more to the threat to the life of Vice-President Jonathan. The latest remote or near incident, according to sources, indicated that a top company which manages Aso Rock, is this time orchestrating the plan. For instance, sources said the entire Presidential Villa was thrown into darkness on Tuesday night, when the vice-president was billed to host members of the Diplomatic Corps in Aguda House. The incident was so dramatic that even the envoys were quite stunned. Sources said that as soon as the diplomats began to trickle in, the Villa was, without warning, plunged into darkness for close to one hour. The confused ambassadors, it was gathered, were seen huddling together, wondering if the Presidential Villa had no standby generator, or if there was something sinister about it. Nigerian Tribune learnt that, when power was finally restored, the central public address system failed to work, causing the vice-president’s aides to run helter-skelter for remedy. The Nigerian Tribune gathered that it was not the first time such an incident had happened. Sources said that in December 2009, during the Christmas Carol night hosted by the vice-president, the Villa was similarly thrown into darkness, causing a similar scare. “And when power was eventually restored, the air conditioners were deliberately shut down. Over 100 guests had to endure the suffocating heat of the banquet hall during the event, but dramatically, the air conditioners began to work again as soon as the event ended,” the source said. It was learnt that mobile phones are programmed not to work in the Presidential Villa, leaving the principals and staff with no choice but to use the telephone lines run by the company. Nigerian Tribune learnt that situation had become so bad that the company is being fingered in an effort to sabotage the vice-president’s activities in the Villa. During the week, Jonathan was said to have issued a query to the company over recent happenings. The role of the top company said to be managing the Villa was also said to be another “instrument” being used to sabotage the efforts of Vice-President Jonathan or cause him discomfort. The Nigerian Tribune learnt that given its vantage position, the company holds sway over virtually all activities in the Villa. It was gathered that its access to every part of the villa is unrestricted. Sources said: “The company has unfettered access to the vice-president’s offices and the innermost recesses of his living quarters. They control the telephones, so they can have access to the vice-president’s conversation, and they run the internet services, so they have access to private e-mails through the web portal.” It was gathered that this company is being used to monitor the vice president’s activities, while sources said that “they do this by shutting down facilities like electricity and water at such hours in sections of Aguda House and when they are inevitably invited to check what has gone wrong, they are able to pinpoint where the vice-president is and when.” Meanwhile, rather than abating the constitutional crisis, Wednesday’s verdict by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Daniel Abutu, has further deepened the logjam occasioned by the long absence of President Yar’Adua. Abutu, had on Wednesday, directed Vice-President Jonathan to perform the functions of the president in his absence. Curiously, the judge was emphatic that Jonathan was not an acting president as adherence to section 145 of the constitution, according to Abutu, was at the discretion of the president. This is coming on the heels of a warning by the Ijaw National Congress (INC), the umbrella body of Ijaw ethnic nationality, that the verdict was capable of causing further damage than ameliorating it. INC’s position was made known by its National President, Dr Atuboyedia Obiannime. Obiannime spoke as constitutional law expert, Professor Itsey Sagay, said that the verdict had said nothing new. Also, the coordinator of Ijaw Monitoring Group, Joseph Evah, canvassed that further steps should be taken to address the issue along the constitution instead of putting the nation’s judiciary to ridicule. ”The development is a very welcome one. I mean it means that the judiciary is also seen to be performing its duties as the third tier of government. But I doubt if the verdict has really leveraged anything near the resolution of the crisis because it is already a constitutional crisis. Rather, I see a situation where some persons have decided to impose their political inclinations as well as their personal views on the nation. By and large, what they are doing is simply replacing the nation’s supreme document, which is the constitution, with their views. “In my own view, this is very dangerous and it is capable of instigating doubts in the minds of the people, whether the prayers of Nigerians are, indeed, needed. Nevertheless, much as the INC will continue to pray for the quick recovery of the president, it abhors anything aimed at undermining the nation’s constitution to suit the personal whims and caprices of a few individuals. “We pray for the vice-president as he pilots the affairs of the nation, but he has to be wary of booby traps such as this verdict,” Obiannime said. Sagay said “this verdict has said nothing new in its enterity. I have not seen the full text of the verdict, but from what I have seen this morning in some newspapers, it is mere academic exercise for anyone to say the vice-president should continue to perform the duties of the president. “The verdict is nothing new from what the justice minister said that all other things requiring the attention of the president are being attended to by the vice-president. To me, the verdict has successfully affirmed that position. Beyond that, the verdict is a very trickey one that requires the carefulness of the vice-president because it is capable of pitching him against the constitution and, even, his boss. In his own reaction, Evah said ”the verdict delivered by the chief judge of the Federal High Court has confirmed that there is a cabal in this country that is trying to subvert the nation’s constitution by all means, but Nigerians will reject it with all legal means because the nation belongs to all of us. “What the judge said in the verdict was just to read out the provisions of Section 50 of the constitution; does Jonathan need a judge to answer his name as Jonathan or doesn’t he know that he is a vice-president? As far as we know, the verdict is another way of deceiving the vice-president to believe in the wrong thing but he will survive all these intrigues.”
Read more…

Peter Obi declared winner of Anambra polls

Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on February 6, 2010 at 10:30pm

All People Grand Alliance Party gubernatorial candidate and incumbent governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi has been declared the winner of the governorship elections in Anambra state.

Obi won by a total of 97843 votes, followed closely by Action Congress's candidate, Chris Ngige with 60240 votes while PDP party flag bearer, Chukwuma Soludo came third with 59365 votes respectively.

Obi was declared winner of the election by the resident electoral commissioner of the state

Lead Image


More News :

AWKA-At exactly 9.09 am Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC declared the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA candidate and the incumbent governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi as the winner of Saturday governorship election having scored majority lawful votes of 97,833.

obi4.jpg
Governor Peter Obi

blank.gif
arrow-down-gray.gif advertisement
357?rand=34537

Obi who by this victory has earned another four-year mandate, fulfilled the constitutional requirement by winning two-third votes in 14 out of the 21 local government area of the state.

His closest rival, the candidate of Action Congress, AC, Dr. Chris Ngige scored 60,240 votes to emerge second in the keenly contested ballot. He scored 25 percent in three local governments.

However, the highly rated Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Candidate, Professor Chukwuma Soludo came third winning in two local government areas with 59,355 votes. Surprisingly, the former Central Bank Governor lost in his Aguata Local Government to APGA.

Former presidential aide, Dr. Andy Uba of the Labour Party, LP came fourth with 26,106 while former House of Representatives member and Hope Democratic Party, HDP candidate, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu polled 20,727. Both Uba and Ukachukwu won in only one local government area each.

The only prominent female candidate and House of Representatives member, Hon. Mrs. Uche Ekwunife got 9,595 votes.

Declaring the result of the election, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Anambra State, Josiah Uwazuruonye, said Obi had satisfied all the constitutional requirements to be elected for a second term of four years.

“I, Bar. Josiah Chukwudi Uwazuruonye hereby certify that I was the Returning Officer for the Anambra State Governorship Election 2010 and that as the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Anambra State, the candidate of APGA Mr. Peter Obi has satisfied the constitutional requirement and is hereby declared winner of the election,” the REC said.

National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, who was elated by the party victory, said the outcome of the election was a reflection of the wishes of the people while commending the electorates and security operatives.

He said: “We feel so happy that after the strenuous struggle to pull the seat of Anambra State down we have been able to do it in a very spectacular way to the glory of God. Like we stated before the only thing Nigeria needs to progress as a democratic country is a credible, free and fair election. And our party APGA has been in the vanguard of this struggle. We are very happy that this morning our involvement in this struggle has yielded the necessary dividends.

“Nigeria is going to move on from this election to greater glory. There is no way we can succeed as a country if we continue to deny the people their inalienable right to elect leaders of their choice and this is the beauty of democracy.

“For me, I will say that the INEC has done well, not just because we have won but because yesterday (Saturday) we were allowed to vote. Anambra State that has had traumatic experience in the past election yesterday did not record any incident of people writing results from their private homes and these results finding their ways to INEC Headquarters for declaration. So, if INEC keeps it this way we would get out of the woods.

“I sincerely thank the Nigeria Police. Before this election yesterday, Anambra State was invaded by thugs hired by desperate candidates in this election and it was an uphill task to maintain peace. The level of security provided by the Nigeria Police the thugs took their heels that was why the election was peaceful. I also thank INEC for having this disposition at this time to allow the people of Anambra State elect governor of their choice.”

Addressing a news conference shortly after results were declared, the Anambra State Election Monitoring and Observation Board praised INEC for the successful conduct of the election.

Chairman of the board, Barrister Ikeazor Akaraiwe, who spoke on behalf of the observers, also commended the security agencies for providing adequate security for the election just as he expressed concern over the late commencement of the election in most centers.

He said: “In spite of laudable action of action of INEC in commencing early distribution of sensitive election materials, voting did not start early in many units. During the board’s pre-election assessment, it expressed the concern on the integrity of the voters’ register. Among our key concerns were the omission of names in the voters’ register and the inclusion of foreign names.

“The board regrets that in spite of our efforts to encourage INEC to deliver a credible voters’ register, the envisaged serious challenges occurred. In many of the wards monitored by this board we observed that unacceptable number of voters did not find their names on the register.”

The Board, however, recommended that INEC should make provision for its transportable during election as against the present practice where party chieftains provided transportation to convey sensitive electoral materials to voting centers.

Noting that the corps members used for the conduct of the election were not indigenes and could not speak the native language of the people and that they were left to operate without adequate instruction on what to do with people with valid voter’s card but whose names could not be found in voters’ register, the Board said there was need for a review of their operation in that regard.

FINAL RESULT OF ANAMBRA GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION RELEASED BY INEC







                            

                        Read more…
                    
                

                

                    

                        
                                      
            
          

                        
                        

                            

                                
                                    African Cup of nations:Nigeria vs Benin 1-0 as Yakubu gives Super Eagles hope
                                
                            


                                

                                                    Posted by Choochoo Sports Book on January 16, 2010 at 7:53am                                


                        



                    

                            

                                Yakubu gives Super Eagles hopeSCORING SUMMARYNigeria BeninAyegbeni Yakubu (pen 42)MATCH INFORMATIONStadium: Estadio do BenguelaAttendance: 8,000Match Time: 16:00 UKOfficial(s):Henrique Martins de Carvaldo (Referee)TEAMSNigeria Benin1 Vincent Enyeama 16 Rachad Chitou6 Dan Shittu 5 Damien Chrysostome2 Joseph Yobo 3 Khaled Adenon21 Uwa Echiejile 23 Emmanuel Imorou19 Yusuf Mohammed 18 Seidath Tchomogo20 Dickson Etuhu 7 Romuald Boco16 Kalu Uche 17 Stephane Sessegnon10 John Mikel Obi 4 Djiman Koukou8 Ayegbeni Yakubu 10 Nouihoum Kobenan11 Peter Osaze Odemwingie 11 Muri Ogunbiyi7 Chinedu Obasi Ogbuke 8 Razak OmotoyossiSubstitutes12 Austin Amamchukwu Ejide Yoann Djidonou 123 Dele Aiyenugbu Valerie Amoussou17 Chidi Odiah Felicien Singbo 123 Taye Ismaila Taiwo Rede Johnson5 Obinna Nwaneri Mouftaou Adou22 Onyekachi Apam Jocelin Ahoueya 1914 Seyi George Olofinjana Pascal Angan13 Ayiila Yussuf Junior Salomon15 Sani Kaita Gerard Adanhoume4 Nwankwo Kanu Mickael Pote 149 Obafemi Martins Mohamed Aoudou18 Victor Nsofor Obinna Arnaud Seka 20SubstitutionsOnyekachi Apam for Joseph Yobo (55)Felicien Singbo for Emmanuel Imorou (66)Victor Nsofor Obinna for Ayegbeni Yakubu (59)Yoann Djidonou for Rachad Chitou (73)Sani Kaita for Kalu Uche (74)Arnaud Seka for Nouihoum Kobenan (83)Yellow CardsUwa Echiejile (86)Stephane Sessegnon (25)Romuald Boco (42)Razak Omotoyossi (90)Nigeria reignited their African Nations Cup hopes with a narrow victory over Benin in an entertaining game in Benguela.Ayegbeni Yakubu's spot-kick four minutes before the break was enough to separate the sides.Nigeria are now level on points at the top of Group C with Egypt, who face Mozambique later. Benin are rock-bottom.The match got off to a bright start and Nigeria slowly started to take control but it was to be Benin who had the first decent chance as Seidath Tchomogo saw his 25-yard effort fly narrowly wide of the left upright.Nigeria knew they had to win to boost their chances of progressing but wasted a glorious opportunity in the 15th minute.Yakubu was sent through on goal but, with only the goalkeeper to beat, he sent a rasping shot wide in a real let-off for Benin.The Nigerians were almost made to instantly pay for their profligacy when Benin won a free-kick on the edge of the area but Stephane Sessegnon could not get his attempt to dip enough and it flew over the crossbar.Sessegnon went closer in the 39th minute when he sent a fabulous drive crashing off the bar.However, Nigeria were to take the lead four minutes from the break. Benin goalkeeper Rachad Chitou did well to beat out Djiman Koukou's attempt but in the goalmouth scramble it fell to Chinedu Obasi Ogbuke who crossed in towards Peter Odemwingie.Romuald Boco was adjudged to have handled Odemwingie's header and Yakubu sent the resulting penalty straight down the middle to give Nigeria the lead.Benin came out after the break desperate for the equaliser and almost got it ten minutes after the restart when the ever-dangerous Sessegnon set up Nouihoum Kobena only for the Squirrels to once again be denied by the woodwork.Nigeria thought they had doubled their lead shortly after the hour mark as a superb ball by Obasi Ogbuke released Victor Obinna just moments after the Malaga striker had come off the bench.However, Chitou was quick off his line and did well to keep his side very much in the game.The Super Eagles should have sealed the result 15 minutes from time but Obasi Ogbuke headed wide from close range. However, Nigeria clung on to take all three points.
                            

                        Read more…
                    
                

                

                    

                        
                                      
            
          

                        
                        

                            

                                
                                    Coup : Yaradua's absence puts Army on RED Alert restricts movement of troops
                                
                            


                                

                                                    Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on January 26, 2010 at 7:30pm                                


                        



                    

                            

                                The Nigerian Army has restricted the movement of soldiers because of “rising tension” as President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua remains in Saudi Arabia receiving medical treatment.



Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazau, told reporters yesterday that troops must have passes, and good reasons to travel outside the places their units are stationed.

Fears of a military coup are rising because of Yar'Adua's absence since November 23, 2009 and the ensuing tension in the country occasioned by nationwide protests by civil society groups, Associated Press (AP) reported yesterday.

Danbazau dismissed the “unnecessary, unwarranted and inflammatory comments” circulating which suggest that a coup might be needed to pull the country out of a constitutional crisis in Yar’Adua’s absence.

He warned that a military coup would be akin to “dragging us back to the dark days of our nation's history”.

“We are aware of the fact that there is tension in the country. We know it's not a secret," Danbazau said. "Everybody knows that. And we also got intelligence information that some people are trying to infiltrate our ranks."

The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Paul Dike, also told reporters that military officials would not seek to overthrow the government.

“Meddling in political issues does not complement our constitutional role in any way, shape or form,” Dike said. “I therefore warn all members of the armed forces to steer clear of politics. Ours is a military that is mindful of its past, conscious of its present and hopeful of the future.”

Dike said: “Regardless of the imperfections of our political experiments, democracy remains the only acceptable form of governance.”

Both men stated this at the inauguration of the Nigerian Army Peacekeeping Forward Operations Base along the Bill Clinton Drive that leads to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

According to Dike, “Pertaining to developments in our political scene, the Nigerian military would not in any way meddle in the political affairs of the country. Politics is better played by politicians.”

Dike stated that it is the duty of all military personnel to defend the nation’s democracy “at all cost”.

The Defence Chief further warned that meddling in political issues does not complement the military’s job of protection of the nation’s territorial integrity.

Reacting to comments in the news media expressing fears of possible military take-over, Dike said: “From the recent comments and innuendos about our Armed Forces by certain segments of our society pertaining to developments in our political scene, I am compelled to remind everyone of the constitutional role of the Armed Forces which is primarily anchored on the protection of Nigeria’s territorial integrity. I therefore warn all members of the Armed Forces to steer clear of politics. Ours is a military that is mindful of its past, conscious of its present and hopeful of its future.”

The Defence Chief further stated that it is imperative for all personnel of the military to “justify the trust of the nation’s leadership by exhibiting unflinching loyalty.”

On peacekeeping operations, he noted that “Nigeria would, in the foreseeable future, continue to play a pivotal role at both regional and global levels in the efforts to create and sustain a peaceful environment. We must also realise that for as long as the nation exists, conflicts will occur that will require the deployment of peacekeeping troops. Furthermore, our deployment outside the shores of Nigeria confers the status of ambassadors of this nation. This presupposes that our troops will obey the laws of their host countries and must upon return join us in our collective resolve to serve our great nation with pride while upholding the tenets of democratic governance at all times.”

Dambazau in his comment earlier noted that with “the subsisting democratic environment giving us a lot of advantages in our pursuit of professionalism, the Nigerian Army affirms its commitment to its constitutional responsibilities and will continue to contribute meaningfully to the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria. The Nigerian Army urges all stakeholders in our national affairs to eschew violence and promote peace and tranquility in Nigeria.”

Reacting to accusations that the Army is culpable in the recent Jos crisis which claimed hundreds of lives, the Army Chief said that those who are accusing the Army of taking sides in the recent crisis in Jos, Plateau State, are missing the issues as all Army personnel, by their training “has placed us above primordial sentiments”.

He said “no [Nigerian Army] soldier fired a shot. For this operation, there was no order for any soldier to fire. So, soldiers have not fired a shot.”

Danbazau dismissed the accusations of genocide against the Nigerian Army during the crisis in Jos, saying that “we are too clean to do that.”

Defending the Nigerian Army stoutly from any untoward acts, Dambazau blamed the accusations against the Army on “some persons who apparently do not value peace and are hell-bent on creating disaffection between the military and the public, particularly with reference to the Jos crisis.

“Of course, we can safely assume that such persons find it impossible to commit other atrocities whenever we deploy to keep the peace, hence their frustration. Lest we forget, the military was swift and decisive in containing the Boko Haram debacle and will therefore not hesitate to equally deal decisively with any form of mayhem whenever the need arises. We want to state categorically that in the Nigerian Army, our religion is espirit de corps, while our tribe is the military profession. And our training has placed us above primordial sentiments. The barracks is not a political battlefield and our soldiers are not tools to be used for creating disunity.”

He added that accusations that the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division, Major Gen Saleh Maina, is Muslim does not mean he would move against Christians as “the Chief of Staff is Yoruba. He is responsible for organising operations. The Garrison Commander is a Yoruba and Christian. And he supervises, deploys the troops. Anyone bringing religion into this is trying to bring tension.”
                            

                        Read more…
                    
                

                

                    

                        
                                      
            
          

                        
                        

                            

                                
                                    Slavery Again :Bestiality,New forms of African pornography
                                
                            


                                

                                                    Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on February 6, 2010 at 7:46am                                


                        



                    

                            

                                
!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!very descriptive descriptions of degrading scenes 


The african pornographic network owes its sad success to Europe (U.K. and France among others). It is a no holds barred industry as it delves into more extreme forms of sexual practices like zoophilia, scatology, uro, etc. An insight into a phenomenal industry.


The african pornographic network owes its sad success to Europe (U.K. and France among others). It is a no holds barred industry as it delves into more extreme forms of sexual practices like zoophilia, scatology, uro, etc. An insight into a phenomenal industry.


Trapped by juicy marriage announcements on internet sites, chat rooms, or even classified sections of certain magazines, a high number of young african girls find themselves caught in pornographic networks in Western countries. But so often, the bodies of these naïve and helpless young women only become sexual objects forced into some of the most horrid scenes to satisfy the some perverse sexual whims of men. Acting scenes with animals, excrements, faeces, sharp objects, hot candle wax which pays up to 4500 euros per hour. Pushed into such a world while still in their innocence, some of the girls remain reluctant to give it all up for the sake of financial gains. These videos, which show them as the “stars”, have their own special clientele, their distribution agents and a thriving black market.


"Black Bitches"


It is summer in the French capital. Well over 11 pm, a Parisen train arrives at its last stop : Marne-la-Vallée, close to disneyland. Exhausted commuters file out station after long trips and scatter towards their homes. Among the lot are a group of four women among whom a social worker who has kept her identity under wraps. They exit the station and place a phone call from the telephone booth just outside the station and in no time two Mercedes cars pull over the curb across the phone booth.


Ten minutes later they arrive at a magnificent uninhabited looking building. A sixty something year old white male and his wife, also white and much younger, welcome the girls. The dim lights at the far end of the house reveals a tennis court. A gaze at the poolside of a large swimming pool in the garden area; nine black girls and six well built black men chat away happily. They all move into the building. Introductions are made by the white couple in a spacious hall in their basement which has its walls covered in wine coloured tapestry. To the right is a grand bar displaying bottles of champagne and assorted whiskies accompanied by delicious smoked salmon finger food. The floor of the room lays a thick mattress, same colour as the walls. A cameraman and his two technicians enter the room and start installing their equipment. The boss claps his hands and no sooner had a handler accompanied by six german shepherds entered than the zoophilia scenes begun, starring africans. The film titled “Black Bitches” sold out in specialised shops in europe shortly after its release.


"Zoophilia"


The oldman gargles alcohol in his mouth and spits it into the eyes of the dogs: this technic is said to make the beasts nervous and agressive during sexual intercourse. Meanwhile, the twelve girls and six men take off their clothes and start fondling. The handler sexually arouses the dogs until their penises become erect, the girls take over from the handler and start performing oral sex as well as cunnilingus on dogs’ rectums, after which the real sexual act begins. From time to time one of the muscled african men is called in penetrate a girl’s free orifice as the dogs pound away. The financial compensation for this type of sexual intercourse with animals is around 4500 euros per hour for the professional while the beginner gets the same amount per day.


http://en.afrik.com/images/encadre_fond_1.jpg); background-position: 50% 100%;" width="250">













http://en.afrik.com/images/encadre_1.jpg); background-position: 0% 0%;" width="248">
SEE ALSO


• I am a dying African bestial porn actor stranded in Europe


• Uganda: Obama ridicules anti-gay bill


• Sexuality: Artificial hymen, a Moroccan sore?


• All articles related to Sexuality
























Sometimes the cameraman takes close up shots of some scenes, shoots the important scenes, or asks the actors to repeat certain scenes. All this to make good use of the full four hours for which they are paid. The woman of the house, refreshes the girls’ make up from time to time, changes their clothes, wigs, contanct lenses (coloured), and makes sure they look the part in front of the camera. The objective of the wardrobe change is to create an illusion; to make the viewer think that the actor is another person. “About ten different films are sometimes obtained from the four ‘contracted’ hours”, confirms a parisian sex shop owner. Sometimes the penises of the dogs swell to a point that it is impossible to get them out of the girls’ vaginas. This scene is very sought after, particularly when the two bodies are pulled from all sides to detach the dog’s penis from the vagina causing the girls immense pain. During these takes, the coordinator (the sixty something year old man) hurls obscenities at the girls: “suck his fucking balls, bitch”, “get fucked doggy style from my big bad dog”... Towards the end if the shoot, his wife brings in a couple of puppies to suck from one of the girl’s breasts. The sadistic purpose of the pain felt and shown by the girl as the puppies suck is purely commercial.


"Seeing is believing"


The woman who accompanied the three girls, and thought to be of no importance, is seated only a few metres from the action, looking on in disgust. Fighting against abuse of african women and children in both prostitution and pornography, it took two years before being trusted enough by the girl who invited her to witness the filming. To get the green light from the producer she had to pass for a future actor who wanted to witness a porn shoot first hand before her first. What she sees is dooming, it hurts and breaks her heart. She wanted to see it to believe. But it took extraordinary force to sit through the close horrid scenes without throwing up or passing out. To hold out, she bit on slices of lemon. It took her quite some time to rid herself of the images she witnessed. But for over four hours, she had to stay put, look on and unsuccessfully try to understand those perverse and attrocious acts. For her, it was “more than the death of a soul”... “it drives a dagger through the heart”, she says.


"The men too"


Women are not the only ones who are seduced by money to sleep with animals. Men do it too. During this same filming which took place at Marne-la-Vallée, a mare, a cow, and a poney were brought to the same room. The six black men were asked to penetrate the animals from behind. They obeyed without a moment’s hesitation.


The filming was finished around three in the morning and stuffed enveloppes were dished out to the actors. First to grab her enveloppe was a girl who was not more than 16 years and who was warned to play well next time or she won’t get the agreed sum, she had to put “more of herself” into it. The next girl got a bonus for her “impeccable performance”. And before leaving, she was booked for the same type of film in the same sixty year old white man’s dutch production to take place in two months. Later the drivers dropped the girls off in central Paris. One of them was to leave for Holland the next day, another to Switzerland, another to London whilst the others said they would stay in Paris for business.


"Dejection (Scatology)"


Scatology is also part of this new type of perversion in pormography. It consists of smearing the bodies of the girls in human or animal faeces and feeding them on it. In certain films, whole tables are set with glasses of champagne accompanied by faeces served on plates to be eaten by the african girls. In other films, faeces are spread on toasts or in dropped in bowls and served to the girls to gulp down.


Another trend in pornographic films with african girls in recent years is the acting of real pain inflicting scenes. In one of the scenes witnessed, an african girl wearing a blond wig getting a large extra strong cellulose tape (scotch tape or sellotape) torn from her body, naturally cries from pain. These films are in such a high demand that the girls are being asked for more kamikaze acts. Another girl’s ordeal was getting her legs tightly bound with barbed wire, which without a doubt, her lacerated skin bleeds. It is also not too rare to come across scenes where half-smoked cigarrettes are stubbed out on a girl’s skin or even having their nipples squeezed with metal tongs. Setting pubic hairs ablaze with burning cigarettes, dripping hot candle wax on nipples or even labium, piercing the girls with needles, etc, are all part of the torturous acts the girls go through.


"Pregnant women sex"


In cases of “extreme dilatation” which include “fist fucking” humongous cylinders or dildos are inserted into the female’s orifices: champagne bottles, fists (sometimes as many as three) pushed into sexual organs. Phallic fruits or vegetables, such as, cucumbers, courgette (zucchini), gaint sized aubergines or egg plants, bananas, etc are all part of the props. Women sometimes carrying pregnancies as old as seven or eight months have also become an object of perverse desire.


These films have titles that focus on national products. After the “Cameroonian gang bang” which was sold on the international pornographic market, Ivory Coast’s (Côte d’Ivoire) Mapouka showed girls doing the mapouka dance and later getting penetrated by animals. These films are sold everywhere in “sex supermarkets” as well as “cybersex markets” in european capitals. In Paris, sex shops that deal in such films are mostly concentrated in the Pigalle area in the same vicinity as the Moulin Rouge.


A porn shop owner indicated that the sale of zoophilia films were banned under Sarkozy (during his term as French Interior Minister). It is believed that the old french singer actor, Brigette Bardot, also an animal rights activist, played an influential role. The same shop owner said that he was warned by a politician about the ban before it was made public, “this helped me clear my shop beforehand”. He also confirmed that the law has not prevented the production of these films further confirming that they can still be bought in sex shops in Pigalle for three times more than its original market price.


Sado Zoophilia african movies have seen a sharp rise in demand. The porno shop manager pointed out that six years ago he was only selling between 10 and 15 of these films per week but these numbers have sharply risen in recent times. Confirming this, the president of AIDE Federation, Amély-James Koh Bela talks of a "boom in the african zoophilia market”. In an investigation conducted not long ago, she noticed that a parisian sex shop still had at least 12 african zoophilia films showing all sorts of animals on their shelves. “This is a thriving market” she concluded.



                            

                        Read more…
                    
                

                

                    

                        
                                      
            
          

                        
                        

                            

                                
                                    AVATAR movie: Will the 3-D wonders of Avatar change the film industry?
                                
                            


                                

                                                    Posted by NollywoodMohits on January 15, 2010 at 6:21pm                                


                        



                    

                            

                                Will the 3-D wonders of Avatar change the film industry?By Michael CieplyJust five months after Warner Brothers released its talking-picture sensation The Jazz Singer in October 1927, the studio was back in theatres with another talkie, the crime drama Tenderloin.In today's Hollywood, things take a little longer.Never seen beforeEven as James Cameron's science-fiction epic Avatar continues to dazzle the audience with its visual wizardry, filmmakers and studios are struggling to figure out when, if ever, viewers can expect an equally striking on-screen experience. With its combination of immersive 3-D images and a sophisticated performance-capture technology, the movie has, as of Sunday, taken in $1.3 billion (approx. N195 billion) in worldwide ticket sales, much of it from 3-D screens.Asked last week if any similarly ambitious film were in the works, Alec Shapiro, senior vice-president for sales and marketing of Sony Corp.'s content creation group, whose digital cameras were used on Avatar, was stumped. "Not to my knowledge," he said. "I can't, offhand, see another half-billion-dollar production."Cameron and his producing partner, Jon Landau, have talked of possible sequels to Avatar. But 20th Century Fox, which distributed the movie and helped underwrite production and marketing costs of about $460 million (approx. N69 billion), has yet to announce plans for any successor to a film that was at least 15 years in the making.In a research report published by Barclays Capital on Wednesday, Anthony J. DiClemente and George L. Hawkey called Avatar an "outlier": a unique event that leaves the business environment around it largely intact."While Avatar is likely a watershed for digital and 3-D technology," they wrote, "it does not tell us that the underlying economics of the film business have changed."DiClemente and Hawkey predicted that Avatar would be a moneymaker, though they do not expect imitators anytime soon. In a detailed financial model of the film, they estimated that Fox and its partners would see slightly more than $1 billion (approx. N150 billion) in pretax profit from their investment in Avatar.How the best was doneAs for cinematic technology, the achievement of Avatar was not so much a single leap - like the one from silent film to sound - as an integration of complex filmmaking systems that allowed Cameron to combine live actors and computer animation in a relatively seamless, and believable, blend of fantasy and the real world. Critics and audiences noted a qualitative difference between what they saw on the screen in Avatar and what they saw in other recent films that used 3-D or motion-capture technology.At its core was a 3-D "virtual" camera, developed by Cameron in partnership with the effects expert Vince Pace. The camera and its rigging systems allow a director to view actors within a computer-generated virtual environment, even as they are working on a "performance-capture" set that may have little apparent relationship to what appears on the screen.Among the next films to use the same system will be Tron: Legacy, a cyberspace adventure due from director Joseph Kosinski and Walt Disney this December. Another is The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, directed by Steven Spielberg and set for release by Dreamworks, Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures in late 2011.But it is not clear, for instance, that Spielberg's use of the technology - and reliance on Weta Digital, the company made famous by Peter Jackson and that produced the effects for Avatar - will strike viewers in the same way as Cameron's fantasy moon and blue aliens."We can't talk about what it's going to look like, because that process goes on for another two years, practically," said Marvin Levy, Spielberg's longtime spokesman.(A Christmas Carol from filmmaker Robert Zemeckis used motion capture and 3-D technology, but looked wholly different from Avatar and took in just $137 million (approx. N20.6 billion) in domestic theatres after Walt Disney released it in early November.)The imitation of innovationSo far, Guillermo del Toro, who is expected to direct the first of a two-part fantasy series based on The Hobbit for release in 2012, has stuck with a plan to film that movie with more-conventional, 2-D techniques, even though Jackson - a powerful force behind both Avatar and Tintin - is among his producers.Executives of Warner's New Line Cinema unit, one of the studios behind the project, have in the past said that they believed that 2-D would be well suited to the sense of intimacy they anticipated from The Hobbit and its fantasy universe - and nothing about Avatar appears to have changed that plan.Still, some filmmakers were sufficiently inspired, or jolted, by Avatar to shift gears. Shortly after seeing Avatar last month, for instance, Bryan Singer, who in the past directed summer blockbusters like X-Men and Superman Returns, asked New Line to consider using 3-D in filming his planned fantasy Jack the Giant Killer. The debate continues, according to people who have been briefed on the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity because of studio policy.Katie Martin Kelley, a spokeswoman for Paramount, said that studio had made no decision about whether its planned Transformers and Star Trek sequels would make the leap to 3-D, possibly giving the audience another sampling of the kind of immersive world devised by Cameron.Michael Bay, whose third Transformers film is set for release in July of next year, declined to be interviewed about his plans.J.J. Abrams, who is developing another Star Trek film to be shot in the next couple of years, also declined to be interviewed about his plans for that franchise. But Paramount executives have already begun debating whether to shoot the next film in 3-D, even if that increases the cost and production difficulty, according to one person who was briefed on the talks but spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment.Asked whether he would consider making a movie on the scale of Avatar, Brad Grey, the chairman of Paramount, said in an interview in early December, "With a lot of sleepless nights, I guess I would."But the Transformers and Star Trek sequels are at least a year and a half away. And a new Spider-Man episode is not due until 2012, now that Sony Pictures has cancelled a planned fourth instalment from director Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire, choosing instead to focus on a reinvention of the series, with a new director and cast.The next stepThat leaves a long stretch during which moviegoers, tantalized by Avatar, will be watching fantasy films like Iron Man 2 from Marvel Entertainment and Paramount or Jonah Hex from Warner and Legendary Pictures, neither of which is as technologically ambitious as Cameron's recent film.Speaking by telephone last week, Landau said the Avatar innovations were perfectly suited to prospective projects like Battle Angel, a film that is based on a Japanese comic and that has been in development for Cameron to direct at Fox.While he and Cameron have not settled on their next project, Landau said he believed a new, Avatar-like film could now be made in no more than the two years or so it takes to produce many effects-driven films, and for no more expense.Asked how quickly the next such movie might arrive, Landau said, "I hope sooner, rather than later, and not just from us."© 2010 New York Times News Service
                            

                        Read more…
                    
                

                

                    

                        
                                      
            
          

                        
                        

                            

                                
                                    Crotch Bomber Mutallab had Accomplices Two Son's of former Justices: Farouk Umar's Dad has Yemeni Wife.
                                
                            


                                

                                                    Posted by Paul "EFCC" Hawk Adams on December 30, 2009 at 8:40pm                                


                        



                    

                            

                                Security Adviser queries DG, NIA over Mutallab

Inquest reveals involvement of sons of two former justices



NIGERIA's intelligence/ Security machinery has kicked into overdrive in its bid to find what went wrong on its part, who knew what and when about the deeds or moves of Farouk Abdul muttallab, now facing charges of attempted terror attack in the United States of America (U.S.A).


advertisement here call 07058888394 or email adverts@systemini.net

Piqued by the negative impact of the global discussion of the involvement of the Nigerian in the Christmas day's botched attempt to blow up a U.S.-bound plane that took off from Amsterdam, Holland and with the looming spectre of being tagged a haven of terrorists, Nigeria's presidency has launched a comprehensive probe of the tragic incident. The claims and counter- claims on who knew what, when and where, about Farouk Mutallab's suspected attempt are of course of special interest.

The probe, which promises to be far-reaching, began in earnest on Monday morning when the National Security Adviser Abdul Sarki Mukhtar, a retired Major-General, personally issued and signed a strongly-worded query to the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Ambassador E.O. Oladeji.

In the query entitled: "Alleged Involvement of Umar Farouk Mutallab in an Attempt to Bomb a U.S. Airliner" and dated December 28, the National Security Adviser indicated that the National Intelligence Agency had prior knowledge of a report said to have been deposited with it on the suspect. The words of the query:

"From all indications, it seemed that your Agency had prior knowledge of a report, said to have been made by Alhaji Umar Mutallab about the tendencies of his son, Umar Farouk, towards radicalisation, which was manifested in the incident leading to his arrest in the U.S."

The query goes further, "It is really unfortunate and sad that knowledge of such an important intelligence issue could not be brought to the attention of this office, or the weekly Intelligence Community Committee Meeting (ICCM). It was this failure that led to the unfortunate incident we are grappling with now".

"The report if circulated within the ICC would have alerted the Security Agencies at our Travel Control Points (TCPs) to take appropriate required action, that would have led to his arrest, before boarding the KLM flight from Nigeria, thereby pre-empting the sad incident", it added.

The NSA notes that "Failure to do so has not only led to this rather unfortunate international embarrassment to the Nigerian nation, but also depicted our country as a haven for terrorists. You are therefore to explain what led to this failure of intelligence, and the persons therein involved. Your explanation, should reach me on or before Tuesday December 29, 2009..."

According to sources close to the NIA, the National Security Adviser's letter has caused some "consternation" within the Agency coming on the heels of a recent crisis that led to the dramatic removal of the former DG NIA, Ambassador Imohe.

The Guardian gathered last night that even as the NIA chief executive faces the challenge of answering the query from the NSA, the presidency has been told that contrary to earlier reports that the lead and indeed activities of Umar Farouk (Jnr) were reported to Nigeria's security agencies, "the father only reported it to a former National Security official who served under President Obasanjo, who in turn reportedly informed one of the directors at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). The director obviously did nothing about the lead until the current incident happened."

The report of how Mutallab (snr) reported his son is said to have also raised curiosity of the Intelligence and Security Community. One puzzle operatives are hoping to unravel is "what the former Managing Director of UBA knew and what compelled him to head for the American Embassy instead of, for instance, the British High Commission which had in May this year rejected his son's re-entry visa shortly after he completed his degree programme in a London university".

Besides, the Intelligence and Joint Security Services are said to be interested in questioning the eminent Mutallab, a former federal commissioner (minister) under General Obasanjo as military head of state (1976-1979) on "why he did not report the suspicious deeds of his son to the offices of current National Security Adviser or even the Directors-General of the State Services Department or the National Intelligence Agency".

In the same vein, the presidency, still smarting from the embarrassment occasioned by the absence of the president for more than a month now, is now running with bursting adrenaline to get to the root of this crisis. As a result, so many questions are being asked: What are some of the relationships the older Mutallab has in the world of business, government and even religion? Being married to an Arab Yemeni himself, what could the older Mutallab know or say of his son's Yemeni connections? Yemen is now widely known as the base of radical islamic fundamentalists where attacks had previously been planned on American targets.

Could the attempted attack by Mutallab have been a culmination of an intricate web of local and transnational intrigues that may have implications for domestic and foreign policy direction of the current administration?"

Just as answers were being sought to these and other questions, last night, it was revealed by diplomatic sources that Umar Farouk may not have been alone in his suspected enterprise. Indeed, two sons of two former justices of Nigeria have also been fingered and are already under the scrutiny of security men.

British investigators are said to have also revealed that a Pakistani citizen who collaborated with a Yemeni citizen actually trained the three Nigerian suspects inside the United Kingdom.

In the meantime, The Guardian also confirmed yesterday from diplomatic sources that some U.S. security and intelligence chiefs visited the State Security Service Headquarters on Monday where they met with a Director of Operations of the Service.

It was understood that they actually discussed and harmonised positions on how to deal with what is now known as "the Mutallab Challenge".

Meanwhile, the Department of State Security Services (SSS) which called off a planned briefing two days ago is said to have clarified its own stance to the presidency especially on how the suspect pased through the airport. The SSS was said to have clarified its role this way: "The role of the Service at the airports is to maintain Watch-list Action and not to search intending travellers. Watch-list Action is a request from various agencies for the Service to take specific actions on suspected persons who contravened one law or another affecting the requesting agency".

"In this case, (Umar Farouk's), no Watch-list Action was demanded on Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab from any agency within or outside the country. Watch-list Action can be mounted to check those travelling with stolen passports. Accordingly, the Service may conduct Service may conduct searches on air travellers if such persons are on Watch-list".

It clarified further, "Meanwhile, it is on record that airlines employ private security companies, which carry out all forms of checks and searches even at the final point of boarding".

It concluded on a plea note: "In the light of the current development, the Service wishes to reiterate that security is a collective responsibility. Therefore, all citizens are urged to be more sensitive to their environment and collaborate with relevant agencies to timely identify such tendencies and other issues that impact on our collective security".

It has been disclosed, by a law enforcement official that part of an explosive device that failed to take down a plane last week was sewn into AbdulMutallab's underwear.

According to foreign media, Abdulmutallab, 23, the privately-educated son of one of Nigeria's most prominent bankers, managed to smuggle his bomb aboard the aircraft by strapping a condom filled with the high explosive PETN to the inside of his leg and then attempting to detonate it using a syringe filled with a liquid chemical. The PETN powder caught fire but did not explode.

Investigators are worried that AQAP has developed what is effectively an "undetectable bomb" involving PETN that can only be found by using expensive and intrusive full body scanners at airports, with huge implications for airport security.

A preliminary FBI analysis found that the device AbdulMutallab was said to have carried aboard the flight from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Detroit, Michigan, contained pentaerythritol tetranitrate, an explosive also known as PETN. The amount of explosive was sufficient to blow a hole in the aircraft, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN on Sunday.

U.S. investigators have not determined whether the al Qaeda claim of responsibility was true, but one U.S. counterterrorism official told CNN on Monday that the group might have some involvement.

CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen said that if al Qaeda operatives in Yemen were behind the Christmas plot, that would represent a significant advance for the group.

"Most of the attacks we have seen in the past have been in Yemen or Saudi Arabia, and the (al Qaeda) affiliate there has not been able to do out-of-the-area operation," Bergen said.

A federal security bulletin obtained by CNN said AbdulMutallab claimed the explosive device used Friday "was acquired in Yemen along with instructions as to when it should be used."

Meanwhile, a very influential U.S. Congressman representing New York is advocating that Mutallab be tried under martial law over his attempt on Christmas day to blow up a U.S. airliner.

Congressman, Peter King, a Republican legislator who is also the ranking Republican on the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee said yesterday that Umar Farouk should face a military court instead of civil courts.

King spoke as Nigerian diplomats completed a "consular visit" to the Nigerian terror suspect on Monday in Milan, Michigan, where he is being held in a federal detention centre.

Nigeria's Acting Ambassador to the U.S., Mr. Baba Gana Wakili, confirmed that Nigerian Embassy officials completed their first meeting with Umar Farouk.

However, the Acting Ambassador declined to talk about the legal options of the suspect, except to say the embassy and the Nigerian government "are cooperating with the U.S. investigating authorities at a government to government level, we are in constant touch with the State Department."

Under the administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush, the chances of a military trial would have been more likely, but the Obama White House has clearly shifted towards open civil trials, where defendants are allowed the basic rights, unlike a military court where the proceedings are secret and the defendant is deemed a combatant.

According to diplomats, the consular visit is to ensure that the Nigerian suspect is being held under the right conditions and that his rights under the Geneva Convention are not violated.

"There was no suggestion he was about to carry out a terrorist act," the official said.

The official said the father, Umaru AbdulMutallab, came to the embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, on November 19 over the safety of his son.

"He was concerned about his son's safety and whereabouts and wondered if the U.S. government could help," the official said.

The next day, November 20, the U.S. embassy in Abuja sent what is called a "Visas Viper cable" to the State Department detailing the father's concerns, according to an official account by State Department spokesman Ian Kelley.

The information was passed on to the National Counter-Terrorism Center in Washington, which ruled that the information in the cable was "insufficient for this interagency review process to make a determination that this individual's visa should be revoked."

The secretary of state can unilaterally revoke a visa but usually does that for foreign policy and diplomatic, not national security reasons, Kelley said. "This has to be done in consultation with other agencies," Kelley said.

The Christmas Day airline terror alert has brought focus on PETN, a substance till now largely unknown to the public.

The white powder is said to be central to the alleged plot by Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab to bring down a passenger aircraft, carrying 300 passengers, as it prepared to land in Detroit. But just what is PETN?

What does PETN look like?

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate, PETN is a fine white powder that resembles sugar or salt. It does not compress down very well.

Although it is an explosive, it needs to be hammered it or ignited to it go off. And since it is not volatile, it is perfect for a terrorist on a long haul flight.

UK explosives expert, Sidney Alford, explained to CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson: "It wouldn't go off accidentally. If I was carrying a pocketful of just neat powder in my pocket, it blowing up would be the last of my worries."

Sources familiar with the investigation tell CNN that the working assumption is that AbdulMutallab may have had some 80 grammes of PETN. Alford said that this would be enough to blow a hole in an aircraft.

Alford conducted a controlled explosion of a sample of PETN for CNN. Video

Six grams of PETN - less than a tenth of what AbdulMutallab is alleged to have had in his possession - punched a large circular dent into a metal plate twice the thickness of an aircraft fuselage.

Canada is immediately limiting carry-on items for flights to the United States in the aftermath of a failed terror attack on a Northwest Airlines flight.

"Effective immediately, U.S.-bound passengers are not allowed to bring carry-on bags into the cabin of the aircraft, with some exceptions," said a statement from Transport Canada.

According to the agency, carry-ons will be limited to medication or medical devices, small purses, cameras, coats, infant-care items, laptop computers, containers carrying life-sustaining or special-needs items, musical instruments, or diplomatic or consular bags. Crutches, canes and walkers also are permitted.

"These measures are expected to be in place at least for several days," Transport Canada said.
                            

                        Read more…
                    
                

                

                    

                        
                                      
            
          

                        
                        

                            

                                
                                    Confessions of female armed robbers
                                
                            


                                

                                                    Posted by 9jabook.com webmadam on January 11, 2010 at 4:00am                                


                        



                    

                            

                                For years, frail – looking favour held the forte in the Eastern part of the country. She and her gang terrorized and successfully ran the crime scene in Enugu, Awka, Onitsha, Aba Owerri, Abakaliki and Port Harcourt.





http://www.9jabook.com your a.d.v.e.r.t.i.s.e.m.e.nt here call or email:info@systemini.net
twitter:systemini
linkedin:systemini
tel +234-0806 495 0565,234-07083793511,234-07058888394
44-7894214683,


Dimunitive, comely Mavis and her gang held sway at Benin city Asaba Warri and Sapele. As though on cue, the two dangerous dames came to a church, Synagogue in a Lagos suburb, Ikotun, and openly confessed. They publicly begged for forgiveness. Listen to Favour as she gushed like an unstoppable water tap: “My name is Favour (surname withheld). I’m from Enugu State. My father died when I was a small girl. I saw my mother suffering to raise us. So, being the first child, I decided to go out and hustle.

My boyfriend in secondary school helped me. I left my mother and four of my younger ones and ran away with him. I didn’t know the type of job, he was doing but there was money at home. He was always going out and bringing money.

Sometimes, he and his friends would come home and drink and smoke heavily. From the smell of the cigarratte, I knew it was Indian hemp. One night, I smoked it with them. I wasn’t myself for two days. Later I started smoking again and nothing happened to me. Each time I smoked it, I felt strong and powerful.

I started following the boys out at night. We used to rob buses, and houses with big, high walls. Any where there is a big fence, there’s money people are hiding there.

Shoot out

Atimes we ran into police road blocks. That was always not good, we always wanted to bypass such a place but the police used to get tipped off and come after us. When that happened, our boys died. We atimes got them too. One day, we even overpowered them. We collected their guns and moved.

Stolen money, cursed money

We make money but we don’t even use it well. I think stolen money is cursed. Yes, it’s blood money. Once we shared it, everyone went his way. We give it to friends, buy more drinks, Indian hemp, Chinese tablets, good clothes that’s all. Nobody cared about going to bank and saving some. We were even afraid of everyone.

Ballooned

I later became pregnant. When I noticed it, I stopped going out for operations. I stayed at home until I delivered a baby boy. He’s four years old now. I know something will go wrong one day. I was always afraid. After so many years away from home, I decided to go and look for my mother. I found her but I didn’t tell her what I was doing. I lied to her that I was working and schooling.

Tragic end

Two months after reconciling with my mother, my boyfriend died. I was told he died in a shootout with the police. I took my son home to my mother. I dropped him there and continued. I started leading the gang. We went to places. We got charms for protection. I avoided my mother. She sells food-stuff. When she goes to market, I go into the house to see my son. I’ll leave money for them and run.

U-Turn

I came here because I saw what he (Prophet T. B. Joshua) has done for other people like me on Emmanuel Television. Please I beg God and all of you to forgive me. I know I’ve lived a useless life. I want to start a new life and be good person. If not for God, I would have died like my boyfriend and others.

Double life

Born in Delta State, Mavis like a Favour was raised by a single parent – her mother. According to her, her parents divorced when she was still a toddler. She became a teenage mother. She claims her boyfriend also introduced her to prostitution, armed robbery and other vices. Hear her: I became pregnant and went to live with the boy responsible for it. After delivering a baby boy – he’s now six years old, life became tough - no money, no food, nothing at all. So, I began doing all types of things to survive.

At night, I’ll dress and pose at street corners. Because I’m yellow (fair in complexion), car owners would see me and stop. They would carry me and pay me N2,000 for short time. If it’s all night, I got up to N4,0000. If the man is rich I will go to the toilet and phone the boys. I’ll tell them the house number and every thing. When they come. They will tie us up and beat all of us. After the robbery, I’ll get my own cut. It depends on the amount, they always gave me a good portion because I arranged every thing.

Drugged

The man may not suspect, I atimes put sleeping pills in his drink and he would sleep. While the man was sleeping, I’d take his money, phones and valuables and go away. When I did that, nobody would see me around for weeks. I usually went away to another town.

Roaming large

Port Harcourt. Port Harcourt used to be good until cult and militant boys drove away oil workers and businessmen. The Oyibo boys were easy to rob. When they take you to night club, you’ll phone the boys and they will come and waylay (ambush) us.

Warri was also a good place. The oil workers used to give us money. I’ve also carried gun and went with the boys for operations. One company wanted to pay their workers. Someone inside told us and we attacked. We got the money that day. As we were going, and saw crowd, we threw bundles of money at them.

Now I’m tired of that type of life. I don’t want to go back to that life again. Please help me.

A pastor who wanted anonymisty told Sunday Sun the two women would undergo a rigorous prayer session before being rehabilitated. “We wont leave them alone. We’ll monitor and mentor them” the pastor said.
                            

                        Read more…
                    
                

                


        


        








                            

                

                

                            

                                

        

            

                Latest Blog Posts
            

        

    



    

            
            
            
    

        






        

            

                Most Popular Blog Posts
            

        

    



    

            
            
            
    

        




    

            

                
Blog Topics by Tags

            

    

    

                

                        
    
                            
  • in (506)
    • 
                        

                

                

                        
    
                            
  • to (479)
    • 
                        

                

                

                        
    
                            
  • of (339)
    • 
                        

                

                
                
                

                        
    
                            
  • ! (213)
    • 
                        

                

                
                

                        
    
                            
  • as (166)
    • 
                        

                

                

                        
    
                            
  • is (157)
    • 
                        

                

                

                        
    
                            
  • a (156)
    • 
                        

                

    







        

            
Monthly Archives