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I 'll take over when I recover fully - Yar'Adua *Refers to Jonathan as 'Vice-President' *'Jonathan won't be surrogate president'

PRESIDENT Umaru Yar'Adua, on Wednesday, officially announced his arrival in Nigeria from Saudi Arabia, where he had gone for medical treatment. However, he stated that he would not take over the running of government from Acting President Goodluck Jonathan until after his recovery.


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In a statement signed by his spokesman, Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, the president said his Saudi Arabian doctors had discharged him and that he returned early Wednesday morning.

Yar'Adua also thanked members of the National Assembly, Nigerian groups and security agencies for their roles in maintaining law and order while he was away.

Full text of the statement reads: "After being discharged by the team of medical experts overseeing his treatment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, President Umaru Yar'Adua returned to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, early this morning.

"President Yar'Adua wishes to express his profound gratitude to all Nigerians for their prayers for his recovery, their exceptional generousity of spirit and their appreciation of the fact that all mortals are subject to the vagaries of ill health...

"President Yar'Adua is grateful to the vice-president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, for competently overseeing the affairs of state in his absence.

"The president also wishes to thank the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the entire membership of the National Assembly, the Governors' Forum, the Judiciary, the Armed Forces and other security agencies, former heads of state and other eminent Nigerians for their roles in maintaining order and stability during his absence.

"President Yar'Adua wishes to reassure all Nigerians that on account of their unceasing prayers and by the special grace of God, his health has greatly improved.

"However, while the president completes his recuperation, Vice-President Jonathan will continue to oversee the affairs of state."

Meanwhile, this week's Federal Executive Council (FEC) was cancelled by Acting President Jonathan after keeping ministers and cabinet members waiting for more than two hours.

Ministers, who as expected, came early, began waiting before 10.00 a.m., the commencement time of FEC meeting and stayed till 12.15 p.m. when the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mallam Yayale Ahmed, announced the cancellation.

The SGF, who was part of the FEC delegation to Saudi Arabia, walked into the Council Chambers and said, "the acting president has directed me to announce that this council meeting is postponed.

"Accordingly, we are to go back to our offices. A special meeting with the acting president with all ministers in attendance is being convened by 2.00 p.m. in the acting president's conference room. Attendance is mandatory. Thank you and God bless," he concluded.

The meeting was fully attended and the absent ministers were the six sent to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Cabinet members started arriving for the meeting early on Wednesday with some smiling while others wore long faces.

Ministers who are known to be pro-Yar'Adua were once again seen smiling and chatting away after more than two weeks of carrying long faces over apparent loss of influence as a result of the absence of the president.

The acting president was said not to have shown up in his office until afternoon, same with his personal aides, fuelling speculations that he might have decided not to attend the FEC because he was not sure in what capacity he was to attend.

Yar'Adua's aides became very visible from early in the morning and it was obvious they had taken over from the VP's men who were nowhere to be seen around the council chambers.

Yar'Adua's aide-de-camp (ADC), chief security officer (CSO), spokesman and other aides were running round to put everything in order for the much-expected appearance of the president to chair the FEC meeting but he did not show up.

The Commander-in-Chief's seat, which was the one meant for the president, remained unoccupied throughout the waiting period. Jonathan had been sitting in it since he was made the acting president, a development which was said to have angered Yar'Adua's loyalists.

Meanwhile, the plan by the kitchen cabinet of President Yar'Adua to turn Acting President Jonathan into a surrogate was said to have been the major reason Jonathan cancelled the FEC meeting, on Wednesday.

Jonathan, according to sources, insisted that he must hear directly from his boss and cannot take orders by proxy.

The development, which was described as a set-up by government sources, played out when two aides of the ailing president walked to the acting president's office and told him that the ailing president had asked him to go and lead the FEC meeting of Wednesday.

But Jonathan refused to carry out the said order. He was said to have attempted to reach his boss without success and then communicated to ministers that the FEC meeting had been put off.

He also gave the order that the ministers should meet with him in his office by 2.00 p.m, with the hope that he would have seen Yar'Adua by then.

At the 2.00 p.m meeting with the ministers, Jonathan informed them that with the return of President Yar'Adua, there was the need for him to see him, adding that there could not be two Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces in the country.

Sources said the plan by those who invited Jonathan to lead the FEC before hearing from Yar'Adua was to precipitate crisis at the FEC meeting, such that the scenario would be painted that Yar'Adua's men and Jonathan's men were fighting over the control of the presidential seat.

Some diplomatic sources, on Wednesday, said the plot was tantamount to orchestrating an undemocratic move as a result of the said scuffle which might have occurred.

"They wanted to precipitate a crisis to create the scenario that the two leaders were fighting over the president's seat. That could be very dangerous for the survival of Nigeria's democracy," the source said.

Another source said Jonathan, who had read a book on the gang of four, which ruled China by proxy while Chairman Mao was sick, would not want to be a victim of "the president said."

"When the two presidential aides came to the acting president to tell him that the ailing president said he should lead the FEC, they did not know that the man has read the Gang of Four written on the activities of the group of four who ruled China by proxy when Chairman Mao in China was sick. He did not want to do anything without hearing from his boss," the source said.

Sources also said what happened in Nigeria, early on Wednesday, was near military takeover, as the powers of the acting president and Commander-In-Chief were breached when some persons deployed soldiers without informing Jonathan.

There was said to be confusion as to who deployed the soldiers between the Chief of Army Staff and the Chief of Defence Staff, but sources said men of the 4th Battalion of Nigerian Army, as well as the Guards of the Brigade Garrison, were deployed and armed without informing the acting Commander-in-Chief.

"That is what happened, but it is never done. If there is a Commander-In-Chief, it is through that hierarchy that orders can be given. Over 25 vehicles were used to convey troops numbering over 300 men.

"At the airport, they sealed off the place and took over the whole international wing. All roads leading from the airport to the Presidential Villa were blocked with soldiers manning every 100 metres. They drove away journalists and protocol men from the presidential wing," a source said.


How Yar'Adua arrived

A source vividly described the scene at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in the early hours of Wednesday.

"When the air ambulance conveying President Yar'Adua arrived, only the Ford ambulance was allowed to move close. He was conveyed on a stretcher in an ambulance to the Presidential Villa. It took 50 minutes for the officials manning the air ambulance to move him into the Ford ambulance because of the gadgets on him."


Yar'Adua brought in unconscious

It was gathered that the ailing president was brought in unconscious and he was yet to regain his consciousness on Wednes-day evening.

Sources close to the government informed the Nigerian Tribune that as of 2.00 p.m on Wednesday, the man was not aware of situations around him, adding that the decision by the kitchen cabinet to bring him to the country was aimed at stalling some decisions which they said were to be taken by Jonathan.

It was gathered that the decision to relocate the ailing president was aimed at ensuring that power reverted to the kitchen cabinet.


Jonathan not aware of Yar'Adua's coming

Besides the plot against his control by the kitchen cabinet, it was gathered that Acting President Jonathan was not officially told of the return of the ailing president.

He was said to have been informed by diplomatic and other sources.

It was gathered Jonathan got information from diplomatic sources and he spent most of Tuesday night talking to power blocks in Nigeria and others across the world.

He was telling them that the country was stable and that there was nothing untoward that would happen to the country.


Senate leadership cancels parley with Jonathan

The leadership of the Senate was to hold a parley on the state of affairs in the country with Jonathan, on Wednesday night, but the parley had to be called off, following the unexpected arrival of President Yar'Adua.

No official word came on the cancellation of the parley.


Fear of OBJ, impeachment

It was also gathered that the fear of impeachment by the National Assembly and the fear of former President Olusegun Obasanjo bouncing back to reckoning in a Jonathan presidency led the kitchen cabinet to take the only available option of forcing Yar'Adua home.

There is also the information that the Saudi authorities came under serious pressure from the international community on why it was hiding Yar'Adua from the Nigerian delegations.


Ship of state on course

Acting President Jonathan has assured Nigerians that the ship of the state was on course.

Speaking at the State House, Abuja, on the return of President Yar'Adua, he commended Nigerians for their prayers, both for the president and the nation.

He said the president's return was a pointer to the fact atht the prayers of Nigerians were being answered.

Jonathan called on Nigerians to continue to strive for the well-being of the nation, adding that "it is at a time like that that all patriots must rise to the occasion and place the interest of the country above every other considerations.
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There must be accountability for this act because it's an act to sabotage the peace of the country for a selfish interest. The elected from both house took a trip to Saudi Arabia spending tax payers money for a whole week only not to see the first citizens of the nation of Nigeria, The Governor's did like wise but fail and now the Federal Executive delegate six members to Saudi Arabia in the interest of courtesy and thank you to the government of Saudi Arabia only to discover that the number one citizen of the country has been shipped back to the country of Nigeria in the dark of the night.
He didn't sneak out of the country why sneaking in when all are concern for his welfare and his health......Why ? What's behind it if not to disrupt its peace by the few hand and their mission has been manifested. His Vice or Acting President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan knew nothing, both house has the slightest idea, the party boss knew nothing either. He was brought in the dark of the night without any media coverage and to add insult to the injury the Acting President/Vice cannot see him but get instruction from his wife.
The statement that was released from the President to the media was another slap on the face of Nigerians to refer to his Acting President as Vice President when it's a known fact that both house has passed a resolution to that effect. It was also a known fact that he cannot just be business as usual both house must be duly informed formally before he can assume his role for proper transfer of authority for continuity.
Because of all this factor all of those who have worked or who connived committing this act must be duly investigated and be prosecuted no matter how highly placed in the society. This is an act of treason in the first degree. Nigeria belongs to all and not to the few hands or the so called Cabals. Arise O Compatriot Nigeria Call Obey......................
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NAETO C's P-MIX album

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Naeto C is back with the "P-Mix". First its was Drake's "SUCCESSFUL", this time its for the song "BEDROCK" by Young Money.

Naeto is currently working on his highly anticipated second album titled ‘Super C Season‘ which is due out soon. The album will include songs like Duro and Ako Mi Ti Poju. It will also include a track with Terry G.

The video for ‘Duro’ is expected to hit the screens very soon. It was shot sometime in January...

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Rapper Shyne, who just got through a gruelling ten-year sentence behind bars, has suddenly been deported from his near-native home of the United States. .

The rapper’s plight came to the pubic attention when he was also refused entry into the United Kingdom when he chose to relocate there in order to begin recording of his next album.

Shyne is often thought to have been the logical replacement for the Notorious B.I.G on the Bad Boy roster, and is still silent about the actual course of events that led him to the serve the decade-long sentence that he did, in what is estimated to be the biggest sacrifice that has been made by a key player in Hip-Hop in a bid to protect their bosses, which in this case was P-Diddy.

Presently, it is uncertain where the native of Belize, in South America will be located in the course of recording the follow-up to his ‘Godfather Buried Alive’ which was released while he was still in jail, and as before, there are still no comments from P.Diddy on the matter.

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9ice's TONI PAYNE HOOKS ONYEKA ONWENU

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Estranged couple 9ICE and TONI PAYNE might be going through hard times with their marital lifes but it sure aint affecting their individual businesses as they've both been reported to be making giant moves since break up..

9ICE who has sold more than 2 million units of his new album TRADITION is reported to be planning to release another album in March with the first single already on the internet while only recently, we got reports that TONI PAYNE aint sleeping either as reports reaching us says she just added veteran singer ONYEKA ONWENU to her client list.

"We are very proud, in fact floored to say ONYEKA ONWENU is our latest PR client. Her new album is smashing, and I am honored to be working with such a fantastic Legendary Music Icon." TONI PAYNE said.

Toni Payne concept and PR currently manages artists W4 and ZARA.

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D'Banj has officially become the "Chief Oluoma 1" of Abayi Amaugwu, Osisioma Ngwa L.G.A, autonomous community in Abia State.

Although details are sketchy, sources told NET that the ceremony took place over the weekend.
d_banj.jpg”Oluoma 1 of Abayi Amaugwu autonomous community in Abia state. New Feather added to my cap. Igbo Kwenu” D’Banj said in a post on his official Twitter page on Monday.

It’s D’Banj’s second title in a month, say sources close to him. ‘He was also decorated as the Are Makun of Shagamu few weeks back’.

”We just went for a Valentines’ show in Abia last weekend, there was no plan for a cheiftaincy title. He was surprised himself”, the source said of the Osisioma Ngwa title.
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Chris Brown and Tiger Woods are the same kind of cat. At least, that's what the musician thinks.
During an interview with Mojo in the Morning, the "Forever" singer shares his sympathy for the troubled golfer when asked about the swinger's public apology.

"My hat goes off to him," Chris says. "I support him. I hope he gets back on the field and does his thing because he is the best at it."

But the chatter doesn't stop there. Without prodding, Rihanna's ex-beau, a self-proclaimed nontroublemaker, offers a comparison to their current dramatic plights.
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She may be a bitch but she is definitely Yaradua's bitch !


Since returning her critically ill husband to the country in the dead of the night yesterday, Turai Yar’Adua has in the last twenty-four hours effectively seized control of the apparatus of government, shoving aside Goodluck Jonathan and unilaterally causing a reversal of the decision by the National Assembly to name him Acting President.

She has a combination of factors working to her advantage: on the one hand, her husband is back in the country and expected to resume Presidential functions; on the other, the state of his health renders him incapable of exercising any presidential authority, automatically creating a vacuum for a proxy.

This bizarre scenario is what Mrs. Yar’Adua is exploiting, with urgency and precision. Yesterday, she instigated a series of puzzling actions, aimed at curtailing the movement and powers of the Acting President.

These include the deployment of two members of the brigade of guards to barricade the “presidential seat”, allegedly to prevent Mr. Jonathan from sitting on it to preside over the meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation; and the early afternoon ransacking of Mr. Jonathan’s office by personnel of the State Security Service (SSS).

Not long after that action, the President’s spokesperson, Segun Adeniyi issued a statement announcing that, “while the President completes his recuperation, Vice President Jonathan will continue to oversee the affairs of state.” There is however no evidence that the Acting President is in any position to oversee Nigeria’s affairs, as he spent most of Wednesday holed up in his office or home, as ignorant as the rest of the country about happenings in the corridors of power. In the vacuum, the First Lady is in absolute control, not only of the affairs of state, but also of access to the President.

Acting in the dark

Over 20 hours after arriving in the country, no public official has yet seen Mr. Yar’Adua, NEXT findings reveal. It emerged yesterday that even Mr Jonathan, has not seen or spoken to Mr Yar’Adua since he returned to the country. A highly placed source in Aso Rock revealed this Wednesday, adding that a political stalemate is in the offing between the two men.

The source confirmed that the Mr. Jonathan was completely unaware of the president’s homecoming until just a few hours before his plane landed in Abuja. In addition, all the security and army personnel that were dispatched to the airport did not receive their orders from the Acting President’s office.

Two army units, the 4th battalion and Guards brigade, were deployed to secure the road leading to the airport and escort the presidential convoy back to Aso Rock.

According to our source, “300 carefully selected officers were secretly deployed and conveyed in 25 vehicles for the operation. Even the weapons were released to them at night.” The directive for this deployment was not issued by the Acting President who is also the present commander in chief of the armed forces of Nigeria. This caused a little pandemonium among the ruling class who wondered who deployed the men.

“The Acting President did not give orders for the deployment of the troops and neither were we consulted on such.

So we all wondered if the army was just acting on its own. Maybe it was the Chief of Defense Staff, or the Chief of Army staff or the National Security Adviser who deployed them; you know they all never liked Mr. Jonathan. We don’t know even up till now,” our source stated.

A President held hostage

The list of persons who are being denied access to the President by the First Lady is growing.

Apart from the Acting President, none of the Ministers or Presidential aides has seen or spoken to Mr. Yar’Adua. Not even Segun Adeniyi, Mr. Yar’Adua’s senior special assistant on media and communications, who issued a press statement on behalf of the President has seen or directly heard from him, NEXT findings reveal.

The Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, Bukola Saraki, and the Chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Vincent Ogbulafor, have also been unsuccessful in their attempts to see Mr. Yar’Adua.

“They are preventing everyone from seeing him. None of us, except his wife and his security aides have seen him since his arrival. Right from the airport, they hid him from everybody. The Vice President even tried to go see him yesterday, but was disallowed by Turai,” a senior government official stated.

At the moment, no one outside the tiny inner circle has any details about the current state of the President’s health. A widely-quoted NEXT exclusive story in January reported that he was “seriously brain damaged.” Our investigations continue to point to a man who remains incapacitated and clearly unable to function as President, contrary to Mr. Adeniyi’s statement that the President had been “discharged” by his Saudi doctors.

We have it on reliable authority that since the President’s arrival in the country on Wednesday, his critical condition has necessitated his continued stay in the Ford E-250 intensive care ambulance that picked him at the Abuja airport. He is expected to be in the ambulance until the intensive care unit that will receive him is retrieved by Julius Berger from Katsina and re-installed in House 7 within the grounds of the Presidential Villa.

Sources also said that the President was carried on a stretcher aboard the ambulance that airlifted him into the country. The arrival of the President in the early hours of Wednesday was engineered to take place in utmost secrecy. Just before midnight on Tuesday, the military units sealed off the presidential wing of the airport and cordoned off the area, ordering all airport staff to move to the international wing. The airport was sealed off from journalists and other visitors who had begun to gather at the presidential wing.

The air ambulance conveying the President landed at 1.45am in a remote section of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport runway. Tarmac floodlights were also dimmed, heightening the covertness of the operation.

Sinking deeper into confusion

A brief private meeting between Mr. Jonathan and the ministers held in place of the customary Wednesday Executive Council meetings, which Mr. Jonathan has consistently chaired in the absence of Mr. Yar’Adua. The meeting, which traditionally starts at 10.00am, was postponed by Mr. Jonathan as soon as news of the President’s arrival broke.

The Ministers were duly notified.

A minister confirmed that the instruction to postpone the council meeting came from Jonathan.

“I received a call at about 8.30 from his secretary saying that our meeting would be postponed,” the minister said. “I was asked to come directly to the conference room by 2 (o’clock) where they would explain why the meeting did not hold.” The minister went on to say that many of his colleagues did not know about the arrival of the President until Wednesday morning. “Some of us were hearing it from you people in the media as of this morning,” the minister said. “As for me I have not spoken to him since he left and that remains so.” The failure of the meeting to hold is just one of the many manifestations of the deepening confusion that has plagued the country since news first broke on Tuesday evening of Mr. Yar’Adua’s return.

At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Information, Dora Akunyili announced that the Mr. Jonathan would be meeting with Mrs Yar’Adua on yesterday evening. Even though a source said the meeting was not at Mrs Yar’Adua’s behest, but an attempt to stave off a constitutional crisis, the fact that it is taking place at all is yet another pointer to the significant role that the President’s wife will be playing in the current power configuration.

It remains unclear what the agenda of the meeting will be, but a source insisted that the ongoing political stalemate cannot be dispelled until the Acting President meets with the President. “Until the Acting President receives a secure directive from the President, the executive council cannot fulfil its duties,” the source said.

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He pretends to be a nice guy who would readily offer a free ride to a willing female. But he’s actually a criminal whose ploy is to rob his victims. Olalekan Kazeem is currently telling police detectives in Lagos why he’s been going about the city robbing women of their personal effects. He was arrested by the police after one of his victims sighted him in Lagos. He is currently cooling his heels in a police cell, awaiting his date with the law.

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Khadijat Ope was one of his victims. Her ordeal happened on a hot, sunny Saturday in Ikorodu, a Lagos suburb.
That day, she had waited without success for a commercial bus to take her to Victoria Island. Just as the she was contemplating calling a cab, a private car, a Toyota Camry, stopped and the driver offered her a ride.
The young man driving the car, later identified as Olalekan Kazeem, said he too was going to the island but that he had already missed his way.
The 23-year old student, who had gone to collect her West African Examination Council (WAEC) result, promised to guide the man.

Few minutes into their journey, Kazeem pretended that the car had developed some fault and stopped.
After alighting and examining the car, Kazeem implored the girl to assist him in pushing the car. The unsuspecting girl dropped her bag inside the car and climbed out. In the bag were her handset, some money, her identity card, a WAEC certificate and two ATM cards. But as soon as she came out of the car, Kazeem started the engine and zoomed off with Ope’s belongings.
That was not all. Through the girl’s data on her birth certificate in her bag, Kazeem got the password for the girl’s ATM card and promptly cleared her account at the First Bank.

Khadijat wasn’t the only victim. Kazeem also employed the same method to rob another lady, Jennifer Chizoba, of the sum of N150, 000 and other personal effects.
Chizoba, who spoke with Daily Sun said: “When the man picked me, he stopped on the road, saying that his vehicle was bad. He begged me to assist him in pushing the car. While I was pushing the car, the man zoomed off with my bag containing N150,000 which my relatives contributed for me to set up a business.”
Many other girls have been similarly defrauded by Kazeem. But luck recently ran out on the man who has for long made life unbearable for his victims. He’s now cooling his heels in a police cell.
Kazeem, who is currently singing like a bird at the Alapere police station was arrested when one of the victims sighted him at a car wash at the Alapere area and called in the police. He was subsequently picked up.

Recovered from him were five female handbags, 28 ATM cards, 12 identity cards, four national ID cards, two voters registration card, a Joint Matriculation Examination result, and other items.
The suspect who claimed he only targeted women told Daily Sun that he decided to start robbing them because he had earlier been robbed by a woman.
He said his journey into crime began in November last year. According to him, somebody had given him the sum of N160,000 to keep on trust at the Eko Le Meridien Hotel, Lagos.
Said he: “That day, I decided to eat at the Ocean View Restaurant. As I was eating, two beautiful young girls appeared from the blues. I approached one of them and I even paid her bill of N2, 500. I also bought drinks for them.”

‘Why I rob only women’

In his words, trouble started for him when he was fondling the breasts of one of the girls. According to him, he was sucking the girl’s breast when he slept off. He regained consciousness the following day, he said, adding that the girl might have coated her breast with a sleep-inducing drug.
While he slept, he said, the girl searched his pockets and collected all the money. She was also alleged to have taken his car keys and stole the N160, 000 inside the car.

According to him, the man who gave him the money on trust did not believe the story even after he had explained what happened and ordered Kazeem detained for a week at a police station in Abeokuta, Ogun state.
“My real predicament started when my wife came to visit me at the police station and a policeman told her how I sucked a prostitute’s breast. My wife could not take the insult, so she abandoned me to my fate.”
After his release, Kazeem said he decided to avenge his humiliation on any woman he came across. “Any time I pick a woman, I derive immense pleasure in dealing with her. I regard all my victims as prostitutes because a responsible woman would not be looking for a free ride with a total stranger,” he informed.

Kazeem has a word of advice for ladies. “They should stop looking for free ride with strangers. They should try to patronize registered taxis.”
The 37-year old Abeokuta indigene begged those he had offended to forgive him but said they should thank God that he had no gun when he was perpetrating the act as he would have used it on them.
Another victim, a model, Cynthia Kodu said the man had also applied the same method to rob her of her handbag containing handsets, N18, 000, underwear and make-up.

Lagos state police spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba said preliminary investigations have shown that the man has robbed over 30 female victims.
Mba, who said the man would soon be charged to the court, warned members of the public to stop patronizing unregistered taxis. “They should go to the recognized taxi parks to board taxis,” he said.

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The handlers of the ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua who sneaked him into the country in the wee hours of today have not wasted any time in trying to wrest power from Acting President Goodluck Jonathan.

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Unconfirmed reports speak of plans to make him resign if he doesn't toe the line now being drawn by Turai Yar'Adua who is now effectively in charge of the presidency. A number of ministers who were deemed to have been disloyal to Mr Yar'Adua, are also slated to be sacked, and Dora Akunyili is said to be top on that list.

A source in Aso rock confirmed that officials of the State Security Service had this afternoon gone into the office of Mr Jonathan and conducted a thorough search although it is not immediately clear what they were looking for. They were allegedly working under the directives of Mrs Yar'Adua.

Only a few hours after he arrived the country, and while he lies convalescing in a ‘clinic', aides to the President began systematically to divest Mr Jonathan of any opportunity to exercise the powers of the presidency. He has been denied access to the President and to any information that will keep him abreast of the unfolding drama. Sources say he is barely managing to avoid embarrassment as events keep changing around him and he only gets to hear of the changes after they were announced.

As early as 11.31am, while he prepared for the weekly meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation, a security detail entered the chambers and immediately secured the president's chair to prevent Mr Jonathan from sitting on it. Less than one hour later, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Yayale Ahmed announced that the Council meeting has been postponed. Instead, Mr Jonathan was scheduled to have a private meeting with the ministers. That meeting eventually lasted less than 10 minutes and the confusion was evident in the faces of some of the ministers who appeared to be sleep walking .

As part of the process of demoting Mr Jonathan, Presidential spokesperson, Segun Adeniyi has announced that from now on the Acting president will revert back to his previous status of vice President, although he will still need to hold the fort while the President recuperates.

However, there are indications that none of this is happening with Mr Jonathan's consent as he remained locked out of the decision making process. Although no one has come out to say he is under house arrest, sources say after the search of his office, the Acting president was effectively kept apart and the coterie of visitors that has been around him in the last two weeks is no longer evident.

As a sign that Mrs Yar'Adua is now in charge of running the presidency, the Acting President has been scheduled to meet with her this evening, and sources say the fate of Mr Jonathan may depend on how that meeting goes.

US concerns

The United States of America has raised concern over the sudden return of Mr Yar'Adua. A statement from its mission in Abuja today warns that the President's return may create chaos in the nation's polity. According to Johnnie Carson, the US Under-Secretary of State on African Affairs, the US government hopes that, "President Yar'Adua's return to Nigeria is not an effort by his senior advisors to upset Nigeria's stability and create renewed uncertainty in the democratic process."

The statement also touched on the president's health: "We hope that his health is sufficient to enable him to fully resume his official duties," Mr Carson said, adding, "Nigeria needs a strong, healthy, and effective leader to ensure the stability of the country and to manage Nigeria's many political, economic and security challenges."

Some celebrate


Residents of Katsina, the home state of the president, yesterday came out in their thousands to celebrate the return of Mr Yar'Adua from Saudi Arabia. He was flown into the country from Saudi Arabia in an air ambulance Number HZM55A at about 1.47 a.m. yesterday.

Security sources say Mr Yar'Adua was forced to relocate to Nigeria from Saudi Arabia following the decision of the Saudi government to avoid mounting diplomatic crisis.

Status quo

The House of Representatives announced yesterday that it still recognises Mr Jonathan as the Acting President of Nigeria. According to the chairman, Rules and Business, Eta Inang, the status of Mr. Jonathan has not changed. Also, at about 5pm today, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties welcomed the president into the country, but note that the manner of his arrival clearly indicates that he is too incapacitated to rule. However, a statement from the Peoples Democratic Party which also welcomed the President, praised Mr Goodluck Jonathan for holding the fort during the three months of the President's absence.

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Press Release

Google Selects Layer3 to Power the Largest G-Africa Event

Google has selected Layer3 to power G-Nigeria 2010. G-Nigeria is the largest G-Africa event yet and was held at the University of Lagos. The event gathered together software developers, entrepreneurs, computer science students in Nigeria as well as several Google employees and representatives from around the globe. Layer3 provided the entire wireless infrastructure, technical support as well as a 30mbps Internet backbone for this event.

Google's choice of Layer3 was based on Layer3's unmatched service borne out of the highest level of professionalism, support and quality of service. As expected, we were not disappointed. They provided a world-class service with on-site personnel to provide support when needed” said Nyimbi Odero, Google Lead, English Speaking West Africa.

The three day conference which held from 18th to 20th February was themed 'Out of Africa’ and had very strong Nigerian content display. The Google representatives were on ground to enlighten, educate and guide delegates on business opportunity for entrepreneurs, career path for students and application tool kits for developers.

Google reinstated that part of their goal was to improve Nigerian local content, provide education on how to use the net, provide location based services that are geographically relevant, reduce latency by bringing content closer, and reduce internet cost.

Layer3 is fast becoming one of the leading IP Solutions and Managed Service Providers in Nigeria. Her bespoke solutions range from Managed Longhaul and Metro VPN services, to Network Security, Broadband Internet and Managed Data Back-up and Recovery Solutions. Layer3 still remains the first and only Juniper Network certified security partner in West Africa and has become the provider of choice for most corporate bodies.

http://www.layer3.cc/
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Live updates - Yar'Adua's return

Updates as they happen

1245 - Action Congress says the "mere presence" of the president is not enough for him to resume power. Publicity secretary, Lai Muhammed, says the president must now write a letter to nation assembly to announce that he is fit for office.

1239 - Senate begins third reading of Section 145 ammendement bill. On the same day that it passed the second reading.

1232 - Army official detailed to receive president at airport this morning claims that Mr. Yar'Adua "walked" into the waiting ambulance. This is unconfirmed.

1220- Secretary to the government of the federation, Yayale Ahmed, announces that the weekly federal executive council meeting has been postponed. The Acting president will still meet with his cabinet in his office at 2pm but this will be a private meeting. No reference made to President Yar'Adua's health or return. He is not expected however to attend the meeting between Goodluck Jonathan and his cabinet.

1153 - Senate goes ahead to conclude debate amending section 145 of the constitution without any mention of President Yar’Adua’s return.

1135 - Jonathan is waiting, trying to avoid embarrassment by staying away and waiting for the president who is taking eternity to come out

1134 - Senate makes no reference to the president's return and continues session on amendment of Section 145 of the Nigerian constitution. However various groups are seen fervently huddling together during recess.

1131 - A security detail is guarding the president’s chair to ensure Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan does not sit on the chair.

♦One hour after the weekly cabinet meeting of ministers was supposed to have commenced, there is no sign that it would hold, as all the ministers have stayed away.

Neither the Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan nor his aides have also turned up. This is very unusual, as they (the Acting President and his aides) always keep to time in past meetings. Mr Jonathan had locked out some ministers from past meeting for lateness.

However, aides to the ailing President, Umaru Yar'Adua who returned to the country, early this morning were seen at the chambers. Mr Yar Adua's (Aide-de-Camp) ADC, Mustapha Onoedieva
and Chief security Officer Yusufu Tilde were seen at the council chambers for a while earlier today, but they also left.

No presidency official is willing to talk yet.

President Umaru Yar'Adua returned to Nigeria early this morning, and was carried from the airport in an ambulance. A terse report on Nigerian Television Authority this morning said he has been taken to a ‘clinic.'

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Ministers who travelled to Saudi on monday a Decoy !

Exactly three months after he left Nigeria for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, in a most dramatic twist, returned to the country in the early hours of today.
THISDAY learnt that the President, whose prolonged absence had generated considerable heat in the polity, left Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at 8.22pm Nigerian time last night and arrived at 1.46am today.

About 30 minutes to his arrival, the source of power supply to the airport was switched from public to generator.

After the first, small aircraft arrived, another one, a bigger aircraft, landed a few minutes later. Both were unusually parked on the runway - virtually in the bush - instead of the parking area, for a very long time. It was not clear which of the two aircraft carried the President as the entire area was covered in darkness.

An ambulance was seen moving towards the two aircraft shortly after the arrival of the second one. A bus also moved in a few minutes later.

At the airport to receive Yar'Adua were Governors Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) and Namadi Sambo (Kaduna). They had earlier met with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Dimeji Bankole, at his residence in Abuja.

Soldiers were deployed on the route from the airport to the Presidential Villa. They all took strategic positions, fully armed. The trucks that conveyed them bore the sign of Brigade of Guards.

THISDAY learnt that all the soldiers, who came in two companies, were asked to drop their phones, thereby rendering them incommunicado.

Airport staff were also ordered out of the presidential wing as soldiers took over the place. The only thing that could be gleaned from the aircraft was the flashing beacons.

At 2.56 am, the ambulance left while a convoy of about eight cars drove towards the aircraft. After 3am, the cars left the airport. They drove at moderate speed on the way to Aso Rock. There were about 16 cars in the convoy that headed for town.

The presidential jet eventually moved to park at its usual place at 3.20am while the unmarked smaller aircraft, presumed to be an air ambulance, also parked at 3.25am.

Yar'Adua returned to the country in company with his wife, Turai; his Chief Security Officer, Yusufu Tilde; and Aide-de-Camp, Col. Mustapha Onoedieva.

The President’s return came as a complete surprise as the public had no prior notice or indication to that effect. The six-man ministerial team set up by the Executive Council of the Federation (EXCOF) to pay him a visit only left for Saudi Arabia Monday night.

A source said yesterday that the ministers flew directly to Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, and met with a representative of the King, Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, to “express deep appreciation for the excellent and generous attention the government and people of Saudi have given to the President”.

However, before the team could move to Jeddah – about one and a half hours by flight from Riyadh – the President had begun his journey back to Nigeria.

There were unconfirmed reports, however, that Yar’Adua flew in an air ambulance provided by the King of Saudi Arabia.

The presidential jet that flew him out of the country on November 23, 2009, was still at the Jeddah International Airport after he left, but it was believed to have taken off shortly after.

The air ambulance had been on standby for the past five days to bring the President back, THISDAY learnt, and airport authorities in Nigeria had been put on alert in the last two days to prepare for his return.

Members of the ministerial team, namely the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed; Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin; Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Rilwanu Lukman; Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN); Agriculture Minister, Dr. Abba Ruma; and Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, are expected to return to Nigeria this morning straight from Riyadh.

Nigeria’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mr. Abdullah Garba Aminchi, had said on Monday that doctors were preventing visitors from having access to Yar’Adua.

Aminchi said he himself had visited Yar'Adua on Saturday and that the condition of the president was improving after treatment for a heart ailment.

"I saw him the day before yesterday... He's really feeling better now," Aminchi had told AFP.
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Johnny Depp: 'I Prefer Not to Watch Myself'

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Posted on February 23, 2010
Johnny Depp

Getty Images

Johnny Depp doesn't even know how wacky he can look on the big screen... because he doesn't watch his movies!

Depp admits to "Extra's" Terri Seymour that he hasn't seen "Alice in Wonderland" yet (it opens March 5), and he has only seen one movie he and director Tim Burton ever did together... "Edward Scissorhands."


"It's not just Tim's movies, you know, I prefer not to watch myself," says Depp.

When asked what his kids thought of his crazy Mad Hatter look, the actor says, "They stared at me for a minute and a half, like 'Oh mygod, it's you!' They were a little freaked out initially, but theyliked the Mad Hatter."

And what about this new "Alice in Wonderland" dance craze "The Futterwack?" Burton explains Depp injured himself on set, doing thefunky moves, inspired by Lewis Carroll's text. "The doctor said hecan't Futterwack for three months. And I only Futterwack in the privacyof my own home. You know, like a singer or dancer. I do it privately."Depp chimes in, "I'm itching to Futterwack. Just don't have it in metoday."


Depp was also once again tagged "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine. "Oh, boy. One is never really ready for something like that,especially ripe as I am," sighs Depp, to which Burton adds, "Have theyseen the 'Mad Hatter' yet?"

Let's just say, the sexiest Mad Hatter alive hits theaters March 5.

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Turai Yar'Adua has bundled her gravely ill husband onto an air ambulance and the couple and a coterie of close aides were making their way back to Abuja last night, scheduled to arrive in the pre-dawn darkness, highly placed sources told us last night.

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As the nation's capital was gripped in the anxiety and near panic induced by the news, a convoy of vehicles including a new Ford E-250 intensive care ambulance made its way from Aso Rock and arrived in a secluded area of the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, awaiting its fragile cargo.

As at the time of going to press, it was not clear if the aircraft had landed, or in which city it would land. The sources say the ambulance was accompanied by the Presidential jet and that the recent installation of additional life support machine at the Presidential Villa suggests that Mr. Yar'Adua will be taken directly to Abuja, although apparently the flight plans filed on departure also list Kano and Katsina.

The news of the President's arrival is reportedly causing a lot of anxiety in Abuja especially among politicians, many of whom had prepared themselves for a post Yar'Adua era. Speaking to NEXT on condition of anonymity a source said the timing of the President's return is suspect especially as he is still clearly ill and in no position to undertake such an arduous journey. "We face total political chaos and government paralysis," an influential retired general told NEXT.

It is being speculated that Mrs. Yar'Adua, who orchestrated the return, is fearful of acting president Goodluck Jonathan's growing stature and acceptance as de-facto president of the country.

It is still unclear if the intention of this sudden action is to regain the upper hand in a power game that has steadily slipped out of Mrs Yar'Adua's control in the last few weeks.

The final turning of the tide appeared to come on the 9th of February when the Senate and the House of Representatives, invoking a "Doctrine of Necessity", passed resolutions asking the Vice President to assume the position and title of Acting President of the country. The powerful Governors' Forum wasted no time in shifting their pro-Yar'Adua stance and assured Mr. Jonathan of their support.

The Acting President immediately took charge of the government, effecting a minor cabinet reshuffle. He was immediately elected Acting Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to replace Mr. Yar'Adua.

In the last few days Mr. Jonathan has also garnered a groundswell of international support. Over the weekend he met separately with the former Presidents of America and Ghana, George Bush, and John Kuffour respectively, and the former Prime Minister of Britain, Tony Blair, who congratulated him and assured him of their support. The international community has in the last few weeks been vocal in expressing its concerns about the state of affairs in the country.

President Yar'Adua has been away from the country since the 23rd of November, 2009, when he was hurriedly flown to Saudi Arabia to seek medical attention. Days after his departure his personal physician revealed that the President had been diagnosed with pericarditis, an inflammation of the lining of the heart. That announcement, made through the President's spokesperson was the last information that would be revealed regarding the President's state of health, in all the time he has been away.

The three months since the President's departure have been marked by widening intrigues and campaigns of misinformation originating from the President's camp and aimed at concealing the actual state of his health, and obviating the need for a transfer of power to the Vice President. These schemes have been met with rising resistance from civil society groups, opposition parties and groups of influential politicians, including former heads of state.

On the 12th of January, two days after NEXT exclusively reported on the President's poor state of health, the British Broadcasting Corporation broadcast a telephone interview purported to have been conducted with the President.

Mr. Yar'Adua's return is coming barely twenty-four hours after Mr.Jonathan carried out his first official correspondence with the legislature, by sending a letter to the Senate requesting confirmation of his nominees for membership of the Code of Conduct Bureau.

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Edo State House of Assembly in free for all (PICTURES)
By Simon Ebegbulem

* Speaker impeached


Hon. J. E. Oghumah, member of Edo State House of Assembly, who was allegedly injured during the fracas, and Action Congress supporters jubilating outside the Edo State of Assembly complex, after a fracas between PDP and AC lawmakers in Benin-City. Photos: Barnabas Uzosike.
edo1[1].jpg

HELL was let loose at the hallowed chambers of the Edo State House of Assembly Monday, when members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Action Congress (AC) members in the House, threw caution to the winds in a free for all fight.

The Action Congress lawmakers resumed sitting after the fracas, impeached the Speaker, Zakawanu Garuba and swore in Mr Peter Aliu, representing Etsako East as the Acting Speaker.

Three AC lawmakers Shuaibu Philip, Johnson Oghuma, Kabiru Adjoto sustained serious injuries in the fracas. One of the lawmakers used axe to cut Oghuma’s head while they were struggling to get possession of the mace.

However, Zakawanu who addressed newsmen after the AC lawmakers concluded proceedings, described the impeachment as laughable, saying that he still remains the Speaker of the House. The PDP in the state through its chairman, described the action as “a failed coup”, saying that “they need 16 members to impeach the Speaker but they were not able to get it and they decided to cause trouble in the state”.

The state Government through the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Mr Charles Idahosa, absolved the state government from the fracas, saying that “it is an internal affairs of the lawmakers to change their leadership any time they want. Thank God the Governor is not even in town when this thing happened but you will see them running their mouth that it was the Governor who instigated it”.

Trouble started when Speaker Zakawanu said that all that was read by the Clerk of the House, Bar. Egbe Evbuomwan was a true reflection of what transpired in their last proceedings and that they should proceed to the next item on the list.

But Bright Omokhodion, a PDP lawmaker and other AC members disagreed, and told the Speaker that what was read was not the true reflection of what happened.

There was pandemonium at this level, the AC lawmakers went for the mace, and in order to stop them, a lawmaker brought out an axe and another one brought out a tear gas canister and the lawmaker with axe rushed Oghuma and cut his head with the axe. Oghuma is the AC lawmaker that recently won the House of Assembly re-run election in Etsako Central Local Government Council of the state.


One of the injured House Member being rushed to a hospital
There was blood stain every where as the lawmakers engaged in a free for all fight. After the drama, the PDP members left the House of Assembly premises. But the AC lawmakers and a PDP lawmaker, Bright Omokhidion who immediately defected to the AC, continued proceedings.Omokhodion’s defection now gave AC 13 member majority while PDP now has 11.

However, the lawmakers who sustained serious injuries were rushed to the Central Hospital for treatment.

They joined their colleagues after receiving treatment at the hospital. Oghuma came back with a nurse standing behind him while proceedings were on. Shortly after the Clerk of the House, Barr. Evbuomwan swore in Peter Aliu as the

Acting Speaker, Mr Omokhodion informed the House of an impeachment notice on Speaker Zakawanu Garuba and his deputy Levis Aigbogun, quoting section 92 sub section 2© of the 1999 constitution, “ and rule 66 of the Edo state House of Assembly”.
Crisis-at-Edo-House-of-Asse[1].jpg

“This petition contains numerous allegations bothering on abuse of office, misconduct, tyrannical tendencies on the part of the leadership of the House and it is signed by 16 members of the House”. He consequently presented the report to the Acting Speaker.

The members suspended Frank Okiye, Blessing Aigbaku, and Zakawanu Garuba. Blessing and Okiye was accused of being suspended for bring in arms into the House. A three men committee was set up to investigate the allegations against the suspended members and report back to the House next Monday.

Reacting Zakawanu said that “ it was not surprising that hoodlums came inside here to take control of the House. No body saw any impeachment notice. I am still incharge you can see that I am still in my office. We must bring order to this state”. However the Clerk of the House, came later to say that he swore in Aliu under duress when he spoke to newsmen.
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FG declares Friday public holiday

FG declares Friday public holiday

Agency reporter


The Federal Government has declared Friday, February 26, as a public holiday to mark the Muslim festival, Id-el Maulud.

The Minister of State for Interior, Chief Ademola Seriki, announced the holiday in a statement in Abuja on Monday, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

He wished all Nigerians at home and abroad a blissful and joyous celebration.

The minister urged the citizens to use the occasion to reflect on the true teachings of Prophet Mohammed, which emphasised the virtues of humility, sobriety and selfless service to humanity.

Seriki urged Nigerians to pray fervently for peace and progress of the country.
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Civil servants demand N100,000 minimum wage

Civil servants demand N100,000 minimum wage which is 7,500naira 30pounds or 50dollars per month ! ! !

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja canvassed for a minimum wage of N100,000 for civil servants in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the current minimum wage at the federal level is N7,500.

The Chairman of ASCSN information unit, Mr. Atuoba Obed, said this at a one-day seminar organised by the union.

The theme of the seminar is: "Creating a conducive working environment for improved productivity in the workplace.''

Obed said the theme of the seminar was derived from the need to empower the members with the knowledge of managing the present socio-economic and political situation in the country.

He lamented the condition of workers in the civil service, saying, "The unbearable means of human survival in the country has continued to impoverish Nigerians.

"The salary of civil servants is very meagre, and the high cost of living in the country has eaten deep into the stipend called salary.

"We use this opportunity to call on the Federal Government to look into the present meagre salary of the civil servant and increase it to at least N100,000 for the least paid official.

"Also, the policy of consolidated salary and high tax on the salary of civil servants is a sorry case, which is widening their scope of financial and health predicaments."

Obed also called for regular trainings for information officers to improve on their duties, especially in this era of information technology.

He described information and communications technology as the mouthpiece of the nation, saying that information officers, by virtue of their office, ought to understand government policies to give to the people the desired image of the country.

He said, "We use this opportunity to call on all ministries, departments and agencies to embark on regular training and retraining of their staff.

"Training programmes should be transparent, not to be used to favour some staff because it is not a personal project, but rather a Federal Government programme designed to improve the staff on their duties.''

While declaring the seminar open, the Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, tasked ASCSN over better conduct in order to achieve the desired goals of the nation.

Akunyili, who was represented by the Director of Research and Production in the ministry, Mr. Ladan Ndam, said the theme of the seminar showed that workers were willing to make things better this year.

She said that welfare and good working environment for workers was a "two way process."

She said "Management is expected to provide some of the physical facilities but the human person makes the difference, and in that case, sometimes it is not the fault of management.

"While we put pressure on management and remind them of what they ought to do, we should equally remind ourselves, individually and collectively, to do our best for our organisations and the nation in general."
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China throws birthday bash for Mugabe

China said on Monday its embassy in Zimbabwe had thrown a birthday party for President Robert Mugabe, a rare sign of foreign support for a leader reviled by many Zimbabweans and criticised by the United States and Europe..

Mr. Mugabe celebrated his 86th birthday on Sunday and made time to attend a party held in his honour at the Chinese embassy in Harare, China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Hailed as a saviour by fanatical supporters and praised throughout Africa for standing up to what many see as bullying by the West, Mugabe is hated in equal measure by opponents who accuse him of being a dictator.

Rights groups have repeatedly criticised China for propping up dictatorial and corrupt African nations. China counters it offers no-strings aid and that its pledge not to interfere in any country’s internal affairs is welcomed by African nations.

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