The Access Bank MD from a parrallel view by huhuonline.com . Persecution or Prosecution you be the judge.

He is called Aigbogun, Aig-Imokuede but his close aides and associates have given him the sonorous unflattering sobriquet of “God’s Banker”. His critics describe him as erratic, unpredictable and sometimes mentally unsteady. He is a chronic womanizer and skirt-

chaser who has transformed Access Bank into a prostitution ring where female employees have been reduced to sex objects at the service of the bank. He is also known to have hot pants and an uncontrollable libido which makes him lascivious and lecherous as a he-goat.  

Banking sources tell Huhuonline.com that there has been a lot of concern lately, about the plight of Access bank employees, particularly female workers amid widespread allegations that under Aig-Imokuede’s watch, young ladies in Access bank are engaged in disguised prostitution, using indecent exposure, sexual inducement and other unethical means to woo customers to Access bank. Aig-Imokuede is said to have ordered a review of Access bank’s employment policy to make sure that priority is given to “female bankers”, who on the strength of their body appeal end up at the marketing department. 

For a man who boasts about his very strong anti-union credentials, Aig-Imokuede has introduced anti-labor practices in Access bank, which include the undue harassment bank staff particularly those in the marketing department and the deliberate employment of young girls who are sent into the market to hunt for deposits. Aig-Imokuede even insists that condoms be distributed to his female staff whenever they are sent on assignments! Access bank female staff, close sources told Huhuonline.com are warned against getting married, and advised not to have children except with the express permission of the bank MD/CEO, Aig-Imokuede. As a matter of policy, Access bank staff are not allowed to join unions in the industry. 

A CBN source told Huhuonline.com that facing stiff competition, Aig-Imokuede is obsessed with sourcing bank deposits from the public by any means possible. Documents obtained from the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) by Huhuonline.com show that Skye Bank reported the highest growth of 20% in loans and advances in 2010, compared to previous year; Access Bank came second with 12%, followed by First Bank with 5.5%; Zenith, 2.0%; and UBA, 1.3%. The success of Access Bank is thanks to the many tactics of inducement adopted by Aig-Imokuede. In effect Access bank halls have become mini disco halls and fashion houses.  

Aig-Imokuede’s Mercedes is bigger than yours!!!

Aig-Imokuede has engaged in an ego contest with other bank chiefs.  His modus operandi at Access Bank and his actions are conditioned by a "My-Mercedes-is-bigger-than yours" mentality. All of a sudden Access Bank no longer wants to be Nigerian bank. It wants to be among the biggest banks in Africa if not the world. To which end, Aig-Imokuede thinks it is also fashionable to open offshore branches and to lay claim to being international, he boasts about Access Bank being an affiliate of bigger banks in the world. 

Impossible targets are set for the staff in the marketing department; marketing has become perhaps the most important function in Access Bank. Aig-Imokuede has also come up with what he calls relationship management. The targets that are set have more or less no limits. Once a banker meets a particular limit, a higher target is set. And so Access Bank has created a set of schizophrenics and terrorists of sorts. Aig-Imokuede sends his staff onto the streets to go and get customers "by any means". University graduates wearing funny Access Bank T-shirts run after you and pester you with subscription forms. You are asked to open accounts, to deposit money, to help look for other depositors. Access Bank staff go to bed thinking of deposits, dream deposits and wake up every day to chase deposits.  

This evil and vaulting ambition of Aig-Imokuede can be seen in his current obsession with sourcing deposits, and the cut-throat competition he has launched against the other banks. The situation in Access Bank is so bad it is beginning to look like a form of madness. Aig-Imokuede routinely orders Access Bank staff to go onto the streets to dance and entertain the public as a way of raising awareness about its services. If you don't know how to dance or how to solicit for deposits like beggars on the streets, you lose your job! In Access Bank, everybody is asked to bring deposits, including drivers and messengers, and Aig-Imokuede's secretary. You don't have to be a banker, just bring money to the bank; introduce a customer. 

The management of Access Bank is also destroying family life. Several Access Bank staff, who elected anonymity for obvious reasons, painted pictures that expose the hellacious ordeal of female bankers who are coerced into engaging in shameful dehumanizing sexual escapades in a desperate effort to meet unrealistic goals and expectations set for them by the unscrupulous, heartless and mean-spirited Aig-Imokuede. Bank staff are made to work long hours, closing late in the evening and work on weekends. Aig-Imokuede has categorically told female bankers in Access Bank that they cannot have children as often as they want, and should any one of them choose to make babies instead of serving the bank, she may not be promoted at the same pace as her colleagues.

Three phrases rule Aig-Imokuede’s banking world, one: deposit/target, two: warning letter or suspension and three: termination of appointment. 

These are the kind of allegations that the CBN should investigate and make an example out of Access Bank and Aig-Imokuede. The Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) and the Central Bank of Nigerian (CBN) should stop banks from sending their staff onto the streets to dance and entertain prospective shareholders. Access Bank must also be told to set realistic targets for their marketing staff (if they must set targets), design other performance measurement benchmarks, and concentrate more on raising the quality of their service: the surest way to build customer confidence. The present Gestapo tactics by Aig-Imokuede dehumanizes and endangers the lives of Access Bank staff and sabotages the banking profession in Nigeria. The CBN and the CIBN ought to be concerned about this. 

Dele Giwa's Legacy sold : Jimoh Ibrahim acquires Newswatch magazine, What Happened to the "Premier" of Investigative Journalism in Nigeria Ray Ekpu Yakubu Mohammed, Dan Agbese etc the site is aesthetically disheartning  http://www.newswatchngr.com/ Nigeria We indeed Hail thee.

Who killed Dele Giwa still is a mystery ..

General Togun's Book out . For more info email us togunsbook@systemini.net

LAGOS - As part of measures to save the moribund Newswatch magazine, business mogul and Publisher of National Mirror titles, Mr Jimoh Ibrahim, and his turn-around team, Thursday, concluded arrangement for the final acquisition of the magazine when it signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the former owner and the new management. 

Under the new arrangement, the backlog of seven months staff salary being owed are to be paid by the new management while all debts being owed will also be offset by the new owner. 
Addressing members of staff of the magazine yesterday, Ibrahim, who introduced the principal members of his turn-around team, explained that his turn-around mission in Newswatch magazine would not tamper with the editorial build up of the magazine but would be greatly concentrated in the managerial aspect of the company to ensure that the vision of the founding fathers of the magazine does not "go under, but survive." 
Speaking further, Ibrahim who expressed confidence in the ability of the editorial departments to deliver also stated that though he has not done a proper diagnosis of the paper but he was relying on the reports submitted by members of his acquisition team who stated that the principal problem of the magazine was that of finance and not incompetence, hence his readiness to invest in the magazine. 
While assuring the employees of having no plans of sacking anyone, he explained that those that may be affected are those who joined the company without following the due process or those that have fraudulent promotion or those that are owing the company's money and have not reconciled their accounts. 
To demonstrate his readiness to ensure a speedy take_off of the magazine under the new management, Ibrahim explained that the new management has resolved that all the employees of Newswatch magazine will as from today (Friday) commence a training and orientation to upgrade and refresh their knowledge to conform with the realities and aspirations of the new management of the company. 
Towards this, all employees of the magazine were directed to report at Nicon Hotel and Suites, Ajah by 8:00 a.m Friday 6th May, 2011for the orientation course that will take them through to Sunday 8th, May, 2011. 
While promising a cash injection to take care of the outstanding salary arrears as well as to offset the debt incurred by the company, Jimoh Ibrahim also told the employees to be ready to swap job to any of the companies already in his conglomerate if they so desired. 
Among the principal officers that make up the turn_around team for Newswatch magazine is the editor of the magazine, Bala Dan Abu who is saddled with the editorial build_up portfolio, while the position of Mr Ray Ekpu as the C.E.O of the magazine was said to be altered to a higher pedestal.

The Dele Giwa Murder: Where are they now

Ibrahim Babangida

In 2001, Mr. Babangida was summoned before the Justice Oputa panel based on a petition sent by Gani Fawehinmi, Giwa’s lawyer. Mr. Babangida refused to appear, and went to court to challenge the legality of the panel asking that it be barred from compelling him to appear before it.

Both the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court (2004) ruled in his favour. In October 2008 he told a Lagos-based television station: “I feel really pained that the cold hands of death snatched him... The killers of Dele Giwa were not found because Nigerians had already made up their minds on who the killers were... Nigerians did not co-operate with the government, that is why it has proved difficult to apprehend the killers of Dele Giwa.”

Kayode Soyinka

Kayode Soyinka, the London Bureau Chief of Newswatch, survived the blast that killed Dele Giwa. He fled to the United Kingdom, and remained in exile for eight years. In 1994, he founded a monthly newsmagazine, Africa Today. In recent years he has been visible on the political field, with gubernatorial attempts in Ogun State on the platform of opposition parties. He has indicated interest in contesting the 2011 governorship election.

Ray Ekpu

Dele Giwa’s friend and deputy at Newswatch. Both men were also neighbours in Ikeja. He took over the management of Newswatch Communications after Dele Giwa’s death, and remains its Chief Executive Officer and Editor-in-chief.

Kunle Togun

At the time of Giwa’s death he was a Lieutenant Colonel and the Deputy Director-General of the State Security Service. Mr. Togun went on to retire as a Brigadier-General, and in 2004 published a book on the Dele Giwa assassination, “Dele Giwa: The Unanswered Questions”, in which he denies complicity in Giwa’s death.His book includes a public letter to Giwa’s mother, in which he says: “I swear to you in the name of the Living God that I knew nothing and have no hand in the death of your dear son, Dele.” Togun is currently active in the clamour for the creation of Oke Ogun State out of the present Oyo State.

Halilu Akilu

He was Director of Military Intelligence at the time of Giwa’s death. He later went on to become Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, and then National Security Coordinator. He was among a batch of 17 military officers retired by Abacha on November 27, 1993.

Gani Fawehinmi

Gani, Dele Giwa’s lawyer, instituted 38 court cases and made more than 200 court appearances in his quest for justice regarding the assassination. In January 1990 he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for contempt of court, a fallout of a libel case brought against him by Mr.Akilu and Mr.Togun. Gani testified before the Justice Oputa Panel on December 11, 2000 and July 11, 2001. Fawehinmi died of lung cancer on September 5, 2009.

Chris Omeben

At the time of Giwa’s death he was the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police heading the Criminal Investigations Department, and therefore in charge of the investigations into the bombing. At an Oputa Panel sitting he was mentioned by Abubakar Tsav as the person who knew what happened to the Dele Giwa murder case files. Now RT. Rev. Dr. Chris A. Omeben, he is the Archbishop of Jesus Family Ministries Church, and President of All Neighbours Institute of Theology, Lagos.

Mohammed Buba Marwa

In June 2009 Mr. Marwa was accused, in widely publicized interviews with at least two media houses, by Taiyemiwo Ogunade of being the courier of the bomb that killed Dele Giwa. In Marwa’s defence, a statement was issued by Bayo Yusuf, his Personal Assistant, saying that between September and November 1986 Marwa (who took command of 233 Tank Battalion in August 1986) was involved in the annual battalion test exercise in Bauchi State.

Mr. Marwa is Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, having previously served as Military Administrator of Borno and Lagos States.

James Oduneye

A 1968 graduate of the Nigerian Law School, he was the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions at the time of Giwa’s death. He later became the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, and then a Judge of Lagos State. In 1993 he ordered Classique magazine to pay ₦10 million to Mr. Akilu, as damages for libel. He retired in February 2004 as a Justice of the Ikeja High Court.

Eniola Fadayomi

She was the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice when Giwa was murdered. In February 1988 she filed murder charges against Akilu and Togun. On the day the case came up for hearing she agreed with the defence that the accused had no case to answer. She is the chairperson of Millennium Harvest Limited, Publishers of Financial Standard Newspapers, and Principal Partner, Eniola Fadayomi & Co. She is also the 2nd Vice President of the Institute of Directors.

Abubakar Tsav

He was the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) assigned to the Dele Giwa murder case. He later became Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Oyo, Abia and Sokoto states. In his statement to the Oputa Panel he said:

“I submitted an interim report high lighting my preliminary findings ...and recommended that both Col. Haliku Akilu and Lt. Colonel A. K. Togun against whom there was strong circumstantial evidence for conspiracy and murder, be made available for interrogation and voice identification… He is now an outspoken social critic and commentator on national affairs

West Brom striker, Osaze Odemwingie today picked up the Barclays Player-of-the-Month award for April.

It is the second time this season the Nigerian, who already has 14 goals to his name, will be receiving the award after previously been named the league’s best player last September.

Odemwingie has enjoyed a sensational month and his scoring exploits have helped to all but secure Albion’s Barclays Premier League survival.

He began April with a superb performance against Liverpool, winning the two penalties Chris Brunt netted to seal a 2-1 victory.

The Nigeria international then had a hand in all three of Albion’s goals, in a thrilling 3-2 win against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, scoring one and setting up two.

His outstanding form continued with goals against Chelsea and Tottenham, and he rounded off the month by firing the equaliser in a 2-1 derby victory over Villa, at The Hawthorns - becoming the first-ever Baggies player to score in four successive Premier League games.

The decision was made by the Barclays Awards Panel, which includes representatives from football’s governing bodies, the media and fans.

Giant killers Niger are upbeat they could again upset their more illustrious neighbours Nigeria at the 2011 WAFU Nations Cup on Saturday in Abeokuta, near Lagos.

Niger sent Nigeria packing from the 2011 Championship of African Nations (CHAN) and are now drawn against the home-based Eagles in the sub-regional WAFU Cup.

"We are here to win again," boasted Niger defender Harouna Ide on his team’s arrival.

"Nigeria are a big team but we have also showed that we can compete with the best teams in Africa like Egypt and Nigeria."

Ide, who until recently starred for Nigeria Premier League (NPL) side Kano Pillars, is one of a handful experienced players who are in Nigeria for the annual WAFU tournament.

"The squad for this competition is mainly made up of players from our under-20 team, who recently toured Saudi Arabia and Algeria. We are handled by the national team assistant coach as the main coach is undergoing a course," the big central defender informed

MTNFootball.com.

Defending champions Nigeria got off to a winning start on Thursday when they pipped Liberia 1-0.

How notorious armed robbery suspect was arrested confessed to be a one- time Personal Assistant of a Deputy Governor of Lagos state


By Evelyn Usman &Victor Akpa-Fresh


The peace and tranquility associated with Our Lady of Fatimah Catholic Church , Aguda Surulere in Lagos, was last Wednesday truncated following the unprecedented arrival of men of the underworld, at about 1.30am, thereby jolting the Reverend Father and other occupants in the residential area, from sleep.


Photo:The Suspect Okon:"Leave my Girlfriend out of this ". The statment was singular and pregnant with meaning but her complicity will come out with time .

Without mincing word, the robbers went about the business of the day , by first, tying the security man up, before making straight for the church's vault where millions of naira were carted away. The robbers who threw moral and the fear of God to the dogs, did not leave the premises without dispossessing the Reverend Father of an unspecified amount of money and other valuables.

Today, most women and men discuss issues of violence in other people's relationships without knowing or identifying similar traits within their own bad relationships, let alone getting out of them. Violence in whatever form, within or outside the home, has its implications on personal development, and addressing violence in its earlier stages reduces its re-occurrence.

However, the fact that not all people can identify violence at an early stage is a problem. Interactions with women who survived violent relationships have revealed that when their abuse started, most of them were silent about it because they did not recognise or see the signs as something to worry about.

Recognise the signs

As individuals, we need to check this list to be sure we are safe from abusive relationships. If you are in a relationship where your partner calls you names; insults you or talks continuously about your weaknesses; does not trust you and acts envious or possessive all the time; tries to isolate you from family or friends; monitors where you go, who you call and whom you associate with; does not want you to work, controls your finances or refuses to share money; punishes you by withholding affection; expects you to ask permission; threatens to hurt you, the children, your family or your pets; or humiliates you in any way, then you are in an abusive relationship.

It is worse when your partner has ever: damaged property when angry (thrown objects like bottles, punched walls, broken glasses); pushed, slapped, bitten, kicked or choked you; abandoned you in a dangerous or unfamiliar place; scared you by driving recklessly; used a weapon to threaten or hurt you; forced you to leave your home; and locked you out. Similarly, you can be sure you are in an abusive relationship if your partner has trapped you in your home or kept you from leaving; stopped you from making calls to the police or seeking medical attention; hurt your children; or used physical force in sexual situations.

Take action

The list above is not exhaustive as there may be several other signs not mentioned here. But the reality is that in whatever form it comes, abuse is dangerous and a red alert to immediately seek help or intervention to break the silence. Talking to someone about it does not mean you are weak. It only means you are empowered, courageous and can take control of your own life, which no one else owns but you. You are responsible for all the consequences thereafter.

Beyond the pain that comes with abuse - psychologically, physically, socially, and economically - it has its untold strain on the human resources much needed for one's development, because only a sound mind can make meaningful contributions to any process.

As citizens of the world, as declared in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, protection and freedom from pain is a universal right and should not be denied anyone under any circumstance. Therefore, now is the time to say no to all forms of abusive relationships within the home, in offices, and any other space - public, local and international.

Written by Sakirat Adekunle Friday, May 6, 2011 The problem of accomodation and lack of infrastructure in the tertiary institutions in Nigeria today has reached a whole new level. Because of the many hassles applicants face before they are granted admission, namely the set cut-off scores by individual tertiary institutions among others, applicants have had to put up with whatever institution they were given admission and in most cases, move away from home, if they failed to meet the standards of the institution of their choice. Also, with the large and growing number of applicants churned out by the secondary schools, accomodation for these students has remained a problem. advertisement Although the government and private sectors have proffered various solutions, among which were the privatisation of hostel accomodation for undergraduates, enabling business minded individuals to build private hostels, the increasing number of applicants every year has made it insufficient.

This, has made some home owners a.k.a landlords, to cash in on the unfortunate situation where it existed. Apart from the exorbitant rent, the non-availability of residential houses has also become a serious issue. While the stakeholders have been searching for an end to the menace, some undergraduates who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune hinted that they had devised various means of solving the problem, not minding the morality of their solutions. One of it is called the 'couples life' which is unauthorised co-habitation of both male and female students in the same apartment. To students it is called 'campus couples'.

In some campuses, the partner may not be a student of the host institution. Nigerian Tribune learnt that there are two types of campus couples: the permanent couples and temporary couples. Permanent couples live together in the same apartment while temporary couples often spend time with each other during the day, not living together in the same apartment. While many have criticised the action, others argue that with most students having no place to stay and with the exorbitant rents on the available private accomodations, undergraduates may not have a choice but to suscribe to 'couples life'. Adeyinka Sanyaolu, a 300Level Mass Communication Student, Lead City University said, "living together as lovers and having intimacy with your partner can lead to unwanted pregnancy which may lead to HIV/AIDs infection during abortion or affect them academically and this is not good".

Nnamdi Okafor, a 400Level Computer Information Student, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, also described campus couple as, "two people having fun together in order not to be bored. Being companions while planning for their future, he argued that they could end up as married couples or friends in the future. However, he said that if they indulged in sexual intercourse, it could bring them down both physically and academically". Jare Adeleke, a contractor, remarked that, "staying together in the same apartment is not a good idea, since they have not been joined together as husband and wife. Most ladies find it difficult to be independent and it can lead to unwanted pregnancy and then they will fail to get married in the future". In her view, Onyeka Ekeh, a 300 Level Mass Communication Student, Lead City University believes that "normally boyfriend and girlfriend do things together, so that, they can spend money for each other. Most ladies often engage in the trend to raise funds to cater for their educational expenses. The process of aborting an unwanted pregnancy, a fallout of such relationship, can lead to womb damage", she said. Corroborating Ekeh's view, Tope Aje, a 200Level Mass Communciation Student of the same University, said, "poverty is the main factor that gives rise to cases of campus couples." She stated that a personal relationship is a different thing entirely because it is emotionally driven adding that poor financial situation could make some of them to live together, leading to unseriousness. "Some believe that it will help them out financially and it can lead to pregnancy", she said. Bukola Adewumi, a 400 Level Microbiology Student of the University of Ibadan, Ibadan said, "it is very romantic to live together as husband and wife, doing things in common and taking a collective decision as a family".

In his own opinion, Damilare Afolabi, a 200 Level Computer Science Student, Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, said, "having something in common between two people, by giving helping hands, leads to sex and pregnancy. An attempt to abort such pregnancy can even result in death. It is a condemnable act". However, parents' opinion about campus couples differ. In her own opinion, Mrs.Owabire Oluremi, a trader, described a campus couple as "two people living together as husband and wife without being legally married or engaged. Said she, "Although, they are doing so to satisfy their lustful desires, it is ungodly and bad". She also urged parents to teach their children the way of God and advised students to change their attitude for better and have the fear of God in their lives.

A retiree, Mr. Akinwale A.A., decried campus couple life. "It is not a normal life because they sent them to school to learn and not to live together as husband and wife. Students should listen to their lecturers so that, they will achieve their aims and objectives in the campus", he said. In a chat with the Nigerian Tribune, Mr. A. Moses, a staff of a publishing outfit in Ibadan said, "campus couple is a very dangerous life and it is not encouraging. Some people are doing it for money making purposes. The result of such attitude is unwanted pregnancy. Students should desist from it and they should be content with what their parents are giving to them". Mrs. Olawoyin Bolatito, a trader said, "living together as campus couples is not a good attitude, saying, however, that there are circumstances that led some practitioners of the act into doing so, most of them do not know that the reasons they gave for indulging in the act are not tenable at the end of the day. She, therefore, urged parents to be very vigilant on the type of lifestyles their wards live". In a nutshell, whatever justification is given for the immoral act, most people believe it should not be encouraged, not minding the debate on whether the action is good or bad.

The announcement by the Islamist militant organization, which promised to publish a taped message from bin Laden soon, appeared intended to show its adherents around the globe the group had survived as a functioning network.

In a statement online, it said the blood of bin Laden, shot to death by a U.S. commando team in a raid on Monday on his hide-out in a Pakistani town, "is more precious to us and to every Muslim than to be wasted in vain.

"It will remain, with permission from Allah the Almighty, a curse that hunts the Americans and their collaborators and chases them inside and outside their country."

Al Qaeda urged Pakistanis to rise up against their government to "cleanse" the country of what it called the shame brought on it by bin Laden's shooting and of the "filth of the Americans who spread corruption in it."

The statement also warned Americans not to harm bin Laden's corpse and to hand it and those of others killed to their families, although U.S. officials say bin Laden's body has been buried at sea and no others were taken from the compound.

Some in the Muslim world have been skeptical of bin Laden's death. One survey conducted in Pakistan this week by the British-based YouGov polling organization found that 66 percent of over 1,000 respondents did not think the person killed by U.S. Navy SEALs was bin Laden.

Before Friday prayers at a mosque in Paris, one man who declined to give his name said: "This whole story is a myth. They invented it to distract Americans from real problems over there, like the economy and gas prices."

But U.S. President Barack Obama continued to bask in public approval for the killing of bin Laden. He flew to a military base at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, on Friday to thank special forces involved in the raid.

"This has been an extraordinary week for our nation," Obama told a jubilant audience of troops. "The terrorist leader who struck our nation on September 11 will never threaten our nation again." But he warned that "this continues to be a very tough fight."

U.S.-PAKISTAN TENSIONS

Anger and suspicion between Washington and Islamabad over the raid in Abbottabad, 30 miles from the Pakistani capital, showed no sign of abating.

A U.S. drone killed 17 suspected militants in northwest Pakistan, despite warnings from the Pakistani military against the mounting of attacks within its borders.

About 1,500 Islamists rallied in the southwestern city of Quetta to vow revenge for bin Laden's death and there were small protests elsewhere. Afghan Taliban and Islamist Indonesian youths made similar threats.

A Taliban spokesman said the group "believes the martyrdom of Sheikh Osama bin Laden will give a new impetus to the current jihad against the invaders." Bin Laden lived for years in Afghanistan and is thought to have plotted the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States from there.

One of bin Laden's wives, Amal Ahmed Abdulfattah, told Pakistani interrogators the al Qaeda leader had been living for five years in the compound where he was killed, a Pakistani security official told Reuters.

The disclosure appeared sure to heighten U.S. suspicions that Pakistani authorities had been either grossly incompetent or playing a double game in the hunt for bin Laden and the two countries' supposed partnership against violent Islamists.

Pakistani security forces took 15 or 16 people into custody from the Abbottabad compound after U.S. forces removed bin Laden's body, said the security official. They included bin Laden's three wives and several children.

In Washington, a U.S. official said U.S. intelligence had established on-the-ground surveillance in Abbottabad in advance of the raid.

U.S. officials also said among materials found at bin Laden's hide-out was evidence indicating al Qaeda at one point considered attacking the U.S. rail system on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks later this year.

Officials said evidence analyzed so far indicated bin Laden was still involved in directing al Qaeda's activities, even though he had largely avoided the public spotlight for years.

The fact that bin Laden was found in a garrison town -- his compound was not far from a military academy -- has embarrassed Pakistan and the covert raid has angered its military.

Pressure is building in the U.S. Congress to suspend or at least review U.S. aid to Pakistan.

VIDEO FOOTAGE

The Pakistan army, for its part, threatened on Thursday to halt counterterrorism cooperation with the United States if it conducted any more similar raids.

It was unclear if such attacks included drone strikes the U.S. military conducts regularly against militants along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.

Pakistani security officials have charged that U.S. troops, after landing by helicopter, shot the unarmed al Qaeda leader in cold blood rather than in a firefight, as U.S. officials first suggested.

Amid differing accounts this week of how much hostile fire the SEALs encountered in the compound, one Pakistani security official said on Friday that U.S. forces should release video footage he said they "must have" of the operation.

U.N. human rights investigators called on the United States to disclose the full facts "to allow an assessment in terms of international human rights law standards.

The Pakistani military also said on Thursday it had decided to reduce the U.S. military presence in the country.

In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Colonel David Lapan said the Defense Department had not received notice from Islamabad about any decision to change the size of the U.S. military contingent in Pakistan. He said there were a little under 300 U.S. military personnel in Pakistan, many of them trainers.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the relationship was "complex" but pointed to Pakistan's effort against the Taliban and al Qaeda in its own tribal areas and the use of its territory as a U.S. supply route.

"At the same time, there's no question they hedge their bets," said Gates, fielding questions from service members at an Air Force base in North Carolina. "Their view is that we have abandoned them four times in the last 45 years. And they're not sure we're going to stay in the region."

"So we just have to keep working at it, on both sides," he added.

REUTERS

For allegedly defrauding the Ondo State government, eight students of Saint Peter’s Unity Secondary School, Akure, were yesterday arraigned before a magistrate court in Akure.

The students were apprehended on Wednesday on the instruction of the state commissioner for education, Pius Osanyikanmi.

They were arrested for presenting fake bank tellers to the management of their school as proof that they had paid their tuition.

The commissioner prevented the students, who are in their final year in school, from writing the ongoing West Africa Examination (WAEC).

And yesterday, the students appeared before the Akure Magistrate Court on a two-count charge of conspiracy and fraud.

The affected students are Adenuga Abiodun, Ewegbemi Femi, Imafidon Tope, Akinnawonu Nelson, Olorunusi Ayodeji, Ayinnuola Damola, Umeric Michael and Akinbowa Tayo.

They were arraigned in court for allegedly forging Spring Bank Teller, an offence that is contrary to Section 467(2) of the Criminal Code cap 30 Vol 11 of the laws of the state.

While the charges were read against them in court, the students pleaded not guilty. Their counsel consequently applied for their bail.

The Magistrate, however granted the suspects bail of N150,000 each with sureties in like sum. He said the sureties must be their fathers or residents of Akure Magistrate district.

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Man kills sister http://bit.ly/l6Dtft 

The deal about abstaining from sex http://bit.ly/mBJlx0

9 New Varsities but only 500 Students http://bit.ly/iOm58p 

Ten Tactics of Online Oppressors http://bit.ly/kpY

Pastor Adeboye Sacks Senior Pastor http://bit.ly/jaJtjc

YOUR M.O.N.E.Y B.A.C.K A.N.Y T.I.M.E ! Own a facebook like site 9jabook.com investments start from just 100 naira !  see list of those who have PAID .http://bit.ly/hARciM

EFCC rearrests former bank chiefs, directors    http://bit.ly/kWUHvm

Woman in court for assaulting househelp http://bit.ly/laUH76

Photos – bin Laden compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan WARNING GRAPHIC PHOTOS http://bit.ly/jcP2pK

Fake Dead Osama Photos :US debates release of Osama bin Laden pictures to quash doubts over death http://bit.ly/lIwMJb

Al-Mustapha is alive, says lawyer: former chief security officer to the late Sani Abacha, a dictator who ruled t... http://bit.ly/iJOQSN  

previously:

Ras Kimono Storms Benin in Comeback Reggae fest !

http://bit.ly/mTMdbO

IRAN EXECUTES FIRST JUVENILE OFFENDERS IN 2011 http://bit.ly/iMLKW3

The deal about abstaining from sex by Myne Whitman http://bit.ly/mBJlx0

Bin Laden's neighbors noticed unusual things By NAHAL TOOSI and ZARAR KHAN, Associated Press http://bit.ly/mfZ64D

Lime Wire's day of reckoning is here by Greg Sandovalhttp://bit.ly/k17Uyt

President of the Living Faith Church (a.k.a Winners Chapel worldwide), Bishop David Olaniyi Oyedepo yesterday spoke on the efficacy of divine grace, saying it is what makes a person great, and not material possessions. The love of material things leads to corruption, he said.

Oyedepo said no one would ever be greater than the grace available to him, adding that every genuine worshipper of God always ends up "a celebrity."

The Bishop spoke in a sermon at the church’s week-long celebration to mark its 30th anniversary. The programme ends with a "liberation night" from 10pm today till 5:00am tomorrow. There will be two thanksgiving services on Sunday at 7am and 9.45 am.

Oyedepo attributed the height the church had attained to God’s "unmatchable grace". He described the past 30 years as those of "impact, ever-increasing growth, undeniable testimonies, begging-free adventure and absolute dependency on God who has never begged anybody."

Reading from Psalms 92: 1to3, 10 to15 on the need for gratitude for God’s blessings, Oyedepo said its benefits include supernatural strength (physically, emotionally and spiritually), access to divine presence where revelation flows, access to fresh anointing, victory over enemies, supernatural flourishing that culminate into fearful blessings, and access to supernatural lifting and fruitfulness that command results even at old age.

He added: "You don’t beg God for anything that will give him glory; when God is sure of all the glory, you’ve committed him to perform. Where you are today is by the grace of God.

"Acknowledge the grace, celebrate the source of the grace (God) and you are sure for more. Every time you complain, you complicate your case. Every complainer ends up a victim; it is gratitude that makes you a victor."

In a sermon yesterday titled: "Wonders of praise", the church’s Vice-President, Bishop David Abioye said a life of praise is a favoured life, adding: "God’s favour comes to see you only when you please God with your praise, (Psalm 64:30-31) and when God is pleased, he releases his pleasures and treasures."

He also noted that supernatural harvest answers to praise (Psalm 67:5-7), while qualitative praise results to great qualitative harvest, adding that revelation flows when praise is offered, as it is the key to physical and spiritual elevation.

Senior Pastor, Kingsway International Christian Centre, Mathew Ashimolowo, who was a guest minister, urged the worshippers to get set for a new phase of harvests

The London-based preacher said if God could prophetically empower an unbeliever called Cyrus 100 years before his birth and see to its fulfillment, God was more than disposed to committing his divine agenda into the able hands of faithful worshippers.

He urged believers to be alive to their God-given portion as only "a complete take-over" will guarantee the long awaited change in their finances, education and other needs.

The anniversary celebration was decentralised to give every Winners Chapel church the freedom to enjoy the season as they deem fit, unlike the previous ones where they all converged on Canaanland, the church’s headquarters in Ota, Ogun State.

There were musical and gospel artistes Asu Ekiye and Folake. Other clergymen in attendance were Bishop John Grace Daniel, Bishop John Osawumen, Pastor Sam Olubiyo, Apostle Mungare, Bishop Ebenezer Obey, among others.

An exhibition was earlier held at the Covenant University, Ota, showcasing an array of inventions by the Centre for Research and Development of the university, one of which is the E-election biometric system that can handle voter registration, accreditation, voting and compilation of election results.

Firewood smoke had affected the health of people in many households. Experts warn that prolonged exposure to firewood smoke is a significant cause of health problems, including respiratory infections, lung diseases such as asthma, and pregnancy-related problems, reports Sade Oguntola.

In many communities in Africa, cooking over an open firewood stove is common. With the women sometimes having their babies strapped to their backs or playing around the cooking area, family meals are prepared in sometimes stuffy kitchens filled with smoke.

Ironically, cooking over firewood, roasting of garri or smoking fish, because of the smoke and heat produced, have harmful health implications for women and the children strapped to their backs.

The burning of firewood in three-stone stoves is an inefficient process which results in the release of heavy smoke containing large amounts of toxic pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and fine particles that can get into the eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause health problems such as burning eyes, runny nose, and illnesses such as bronchitis.

Unfortunately, firewood is the most dominant fuel used for cooking by most households in the rural communities, thus making children and women more vulnerable to the bad effects of its smoke. Even limited exposure to smoke can be harmful to the elderly and those with chronic health conditions such as asthma.

Incidentally, a study by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, which assessed firewood demand and supply among rural dwellers, attributed the rise in the incidence of health problems such as coughing, chest pain and eye problems, among rural dwellers to smoke emitted by firewood.

The study, which collected data from 360 firewood collectors, sellers, buyers and users, showed that the frequency of cooking and the time taken to cook meals also compounded the gravity of these ailments.

Besides, a study reported at the 18th Africa Region Union Conference in Togo that women and their helpers who engaged in the trade of fish smoking were at high risk of developing chronic chest and respiratory infections/diseases from inhaling unhealthy smoke from the fire used for fish roasting.

Sadly, about 5 per cent of these women and their aides had already developed chronic respiratory problems and many frequently experienced respiratory problems because the environment was often enveloped in smoke. Usually, the women and their aids were there for long hours inhaling the smoke, sweating from the heat and experiencing burns from the fire.

Nevertheless, Sola Olapade, a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, United States of America, said a similar study carried out in Olorisa Oko and Ajibade, two rural communities in Oyo State, found that exposure to smoke from firewood was a problem in three out of every five homes where asthmatics lived.

No doubt, people are allergic to all kinds of things, including mango trees, grass, dust mites, cats, dogs and cockroaches. Exposure to these allergens might make their asthma to flare up or become worse. However, Professor Olapade stated that one surprising finding from the community study aimed at determining how common asthma was among Yorubas living in the South-western part of Nigeria was that 60 per cent of asthmatics lived in homes where firewood and other kinds of agricultural residues were used as fuel for cooking in poorly ventilated kitchens.

According to him, "when people cook in closed environment and get exposed to the smoke from burning firewood, it causes a lot of damage to their lungs."

Regrettably, on a global scale, cooking with firewood contributes about two million deaths each year and about 30 per cent of these deaths are in children who are less than five years of age because they get exposed to irritants from firewood smoke.

Usually, when a mother is cooking, her small child is on her back and if they are able to stand, they stand next to the mother. "You can imagine the extent of exposure of children to smoke during cooking. Their respiratory systems are still developing and they breathe in more air (and air pollution) per kilogramme of body weight than adults. Basically, the smoke causes damage in the lung by destroying the protective system and also causing lower respiratory infections such as pneumonia," he declared.

Howbeit, he remarked that the health impact of cooking with firewood was a double jeopardy in poor people. "What makes it alarming is that smoke from firewood affects poor people who have poor nutrition the more because they do not have good antioxidant defence against the oxidants in the smoke," he stated.

"If you look at women that cook using firewood, although they have never smoked, they could develop chronic obstructive lung disease. This is a disease that is commonly seen in people who smoke. In fact, some studies that looked at the degree of exposure to indoor smoke equate it to smoking one packet of cigarette a day for about 50 years. That is why you have women who have never smoked but because they cook with firewood everyday, end up developing emphysema and lung cancer just by being exposed to smoke in an enclosed place.

Certainly, smoke from any source is bad for the health of anyone, including babies still in their mother's womb. According to Professor Olapade, "exposure to biomass smoke is just like cigarette smoke. As such, it has the same negative effect on pregnancy outcomes. It could lead to premature delivery, low-weight weight babies and still births."

Unfortunately, many people are not aware of the dangers posed by smoke from firewood to their health. For instance, at Olorisa Oko and Ajibade, "most people were shocked that using firewood to cook was exposing their wives and children to danger and that some unanticipated deaths could actually be due to the pollutants present in smoke," Professor Olapade stated.

He explained that although the World Health Organisation's guideline on particulate matter in indoor air puts it at 50 microgrammes, "in some of these houses, the particulate matter in the indoor air was between 20 and 100 times higher than the average level. In addition, the carbon monoxide levels in some of these kitchens were as high as 200, although there should be none because carbon monoxide is poisonous."

Sadly, "when you look at the symptoms those children and mothers have, they range from headache, which is what you develop from exposure to carbon monoxide; chest tightness; shortness of breath; runny nose and burning eyes,"he remarked.

"Nonetheless, when we gave them improvised cooking stoves and educational pamphlets on bad effects of firewood smoke, the indoor air quality came closer to the level stipulated by the World Health Organisation's guideline. Also, incidences of headache, shortness of breath, chest tightness and burning eyes dramatically reduced."

Professor Olapade suggested that some precautions to take to prevent breathing in firewood smoke included cooking in spaces that are well ventilated and preventing children coming to cooking areas. He urged the government to enforce building policies that would ensure good ventilation of homes as well as provision of cleaner cooking fuels.

"Looking at the Millennium Development Goals, when you overlay the problem of indoor air pollution from biomass, reducing maternal mortality will actually be a lot easier to achieve with a two prong attack on improving access to prenatal care and eliminating exposure to indoor pollution," he concluded.

FinBank and First City Monument Bank have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) authorising them to exist as one business entity. The signing of the MoU is a major boost that will help FinBank achieve its recapitalization bid. The bank said in a statement that the exercise follows a transparent and competitive process under the supervision of Board of Directors of FinBank with a commitment to reposition the bank. "The Signing of the MoU follows a transparent and competitive process under the direction and guidance of the Board of Directors of FinBank which remains committed to the long-term future of the bank," a statement from FinBank Management said.

The merger of both institutions, it was learnt, will provide significant protection for shareholders and other stakeholders of both institutions as well as promote franchise value.

The bank said the exercise will guaranty its existence as a going concern, and reposition it as a leader in the industry. "The business combination of the two institutions will create a strong financial institution which will be a major player in the Nigerian financial services industry," the bank said.

It is also expected that such merger will enhance both institution’s liquidity, capital adequacy, strong corporate governance and a broader branch network to enable it compete effectively in the market.

The bank admitted that the exercise has to be approved by the FinBank’s shareholders, Central Bank of Nigeria, the Securities and Exchange Commission, The Nigerian Stock Exchange and the Federal High Court.

In recent months, three banks have taken steps crucial to their recapitalization.

Union Bank recently signed an agreement with African Capital Alliance Consortium (ACA Consortium) where the later is expected to invest $750 million into the former. This was followed with the signing of MoU between Access Bank and Intercontinental Bank in April. By that exercise, the new merging banks will become one of the top three players in Nigeria’s financial sector. The new bank will likely be ranked first in branch network, third in deposit volume, fourth in savings deposits, top four in total assets and market value among other indexes.

By Graham Dunbar, The Associated Press – 6 hours ago

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Banished from football for seeking bribes, former FIFA executive committee member Amos Adamu has appealed to sport's highest court to overturn his three-year suspension.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Thursday that Tongan official Ahongalu Fusimalohi has also challenged his two-year ban on separate corruption charges linked to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests.

"In both cases, the appellants request that they be found not guilty and the sanctions against them be annulled," the court said in a statement.

CAS has yet to fix dates for the two hearings, and more could follow.

FIFA's ethics court sanctioned Adamu, Fusimalohi and four other senior officials last November in a scandal that threw the World Cup bidding process into turmoil.

Instead of enjoying global attention on the blockbuster bid races, FIFA President Sepp Blatter was forced to defend its integrity and reputation.

Blatter insisted FIFA was not institutionally corrupt, and spoke of society being "full of devils and, these devils, you find them in football."

Adamu, a former Nigeria sports minister, was found guilty of seeking bribes from British undercover reporters posing as bid lobbyists.

The Sunday Times published edited video showing Adamu asking for $800,000 (€590,000) paid directly to him to build four artificial football fields in his homeland. He said this could influence how he voted in the Dec. 2 elections.

He was suspended before the vote and later lost his place representing Africa on FIFA's 24-member ruling panel.

Adamu denied wrongdoing but FIFA's appeals panel upheld his punishment in February.

Fusimalohi was among four past members of FIFA's high command who were suspended after advising the reporters how to bribe FIFA officials and to pay $1 million.

CAS did not say on Thursday if former Oceania football president Reynald Temarii, Adamu's former executive colleague, appealed his one-year ban for breaching FIFA loyalty rules.

Temarii also was secretly filmed by the newspaper, appearing to suggest he could receive money to fund a football academy in Auckland, New Zealand. FIFA's ethics court cleared the Tahitian official of acting corruptly.

Without Adamu and Temarii, FIFA's executive committee chose Russia to host the 2018 World Cup and awarded the 2022 event to Qatar.

Like Fusimalohi, Tunisian lawyer Slim Aloulou and Malian official Amadou Diakite were trapped by The Sunday Times' reporters.

Aloulou was banned for one year and lost his position chairing FIFA's disputes resolution panel. Diakite got a two-year ban and was removed from FIFA's referees committee.

Both are entitled to appeal to CAS.

A sixth official, Ismail Bhamjee of Botswana, accepted his four-year ban imposed by FIFA's ethics panel.

The Optimus 2X, also known as the T-Mobile G2X in the United States, will be the first dual core smartphone to make it to release. The high powered Android handset will mark a big leap forward for LG, a company which has traditionally lagged behind in the smartphone industry. The Optimus 2X comes with a gorgeous 4" capacitive touchscreen that includes multitouch input and a sharp resolution of 480 x 800.

While featuring an accelerometer for auto-rotation of the interface, now a fairly standard feature on most smartphones, the Optimus 2X will also come with a new gyro sensor. This sensor, made popular on the iPhone 4, allows for three axis controls which can be put to good use with many innovative apps and games. These apps and games can be downloaded from Android Market, which is easily accessible from LG's latest handset.

Aside from the dual core processor the LG Optimus 2X is pretty impressive in other areas too. While the 4" screen is ideal for viewing high quality 1080p videos, the phone's 8 megapixel camera also comes with 1080p video recording. You can also record 720p videos at a higher frame rate, and the Optimus 2X comes with an HDMI port and DLNA enabled Wi-Fi, both of which allow you to stream videos through your home TV.

The Optimus 2X also comes with YouTube and Adobe Flash support so that you can enjoy streaming videos online, as well as enjoying videos contained on the phone's 8GB storage. This is expandable with microSD cards and the Optimus 2X can support an impressive 32GB microSD. As well as the excellent 8 megapixel rear camera, the 2X also comes with a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera that can be used for making video calls on services such as Google Talk.

The Optimus 2X does not just come with a great deal of entertainment features but also has a lot of excellent messaging features present. Threaded SMS is supported, as well as various email and instant messaging clients. The 2X also comes with fantastic integration for social networks such as Facebook, so that you can easily update your status or post on someone's wall.

The Optimus 2X is an outstanding phone in all areas that count and, being the first dual core handset on offer, it should prove to be a benchmark for all future dual core smartphone. The Optimus 2X comes with an impressive array of features to keep you entertained, as well as myriad methods for keeping in touch with your most important people.

HTC Announces HTC Sense and the new HTC Hero

So today's highly anticipated launch revealed the HTC Hero Android phone as everyone suspected. That in itself would have been a bit of a let down since we've known and speculated about the Hero for some time. Hardware wise it's not a million miles away from previous HTC Android phones. Yes, it has a 5 megapixel camera and finally a 3.5mm stereo headset jack but that's not much to get excited about.

But the real news was the announcement of HTC Sense, a customisable UI for Android. Now that's something I can get excited about. Rather than try to explain it, I think the official press release does a pretty good job so here goes:

LONDON – June 24, 2009 – HTC Corporation, a global designer of mobile phones, today debuted HTC Sense™, an intuitive and seamless experience that will be introduced across a portfolio of phones beginning with the new HTC Hero™. With its distinct design and powerful capabilities fully integrated with HTC Sense, Hero introduces a unique blend of form and function that takes Android to new heights.

HTC Sense is focused on putting people at the centre, by making your phone work in a more simple and natural way. This experience revolves around three fundamental principles that were designed by quietly observing and listening to how people live and communicate.

'HTC Hero introduces a more natural way for reaching out to people and accessing your important information, not by following the status quo of today's phones, but by following how you communicate and live your life,' said Peter Chou, Chief Executive Officer, HTC Corporation. 'HTC Sense is a distinct experience created to make HTC phones more simple for people to use, leaving them saying, "it just makes sense."'

HTC Hero
HTC Hero continues HTC's leadership in cutting-edge design that focuses on introducing a variety of distinct devices to represent your own individuality. Boasting bevelled edges and an angled bottom, the HTC Hero is contoured to fit comfortably in your hand and against your face while you’re on a call. The HTC Hero is built to last, beginning with an anti-fingerprint screen coating for improved smudge-resistance and a longer-lasting, clearer display. The white HTC Hero includes an industry-first, Teflon coating, resulting in an improved, durable white surface that is soft to the touch.

With its 3.2-inch HVGA display, the HTC Hero is optimized for Web, multimedia and other content, while maintaining a small size and weight that fits comfortably in your hand. It also boasts a broad variety of hardware features including AGPS, digital compass, gravity-sensor, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, a five mega-pixel autofocus camera and expandable MicroSD memory. HTC Hero also includes a dedicated Search button that goes beyond basic search, providing you with a more natural, contextual search experience that enables you to search through Twitter, locate people in your contact list, find emails in your inbox or search in any other area in Hero.

HTC Sense
Built on a culture of innovation and a passion to enhance people's lives, HTC shapes the mobile experience around the individual. Debuting on the HTC Hero and available on all new HTC devices moving forward, Sense delivers on three basic principles: Make it Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected.

Make It Mine
Make It Mine is about feeling your HTC phone was created for and by you. To do this, HTC encourages you to dictate and organize how you want to access the people and content in your life in a way that fits best for you. For some, this means adding glance-view widgets that push content like twitter feeds, weather and other content to the surface while others may want quick access to business-focused information like email, calendar and world-times. HTC is also introducing a new profile feature called 'Scenes' that enables you to create different customized content profiles around specific functions or times in your life.

Stay Close
Today, staying in touch with the people in your life means managing a variety of communication channels and applications ranging from phone calls, emails, texts, photos, status updates and more. HTC Sense takes a different approach by integrating these communication channels and applications into one single view, enabling you to stay closer to your important people. With HTC Sense, friends' Facebook status updates and photos, along with their Flickr photos are included alongside their text messages, emails and call history in a single view.

Discover the Unexpected
Many of the most memorable moments in your life are experienced, not explained. HTC Sense is focused on providing a variety of these simple yet innovative experiences on your HTC phone that will sometimes bring you moments of joy and delight. It can be something as basic as turning the phone over to silence a ring or as simple as improving the smart dialler for making calls quicker. HTC Sense also includes 'Perspectives', a new way for viewing your content such as email, photos, Twitter, music and more in different ways.

Availability
The HTC Hero will be available to people across Europe in July and in Asia later in the summer. A distinct North American version will be available later in 2009.

------------------

I know that I haven't been too complimentary in the past about the look of HTC's Android phones and their chins and I also know that I really prefer to have a physical keyboard but you know what? I'd give up my G1 in a heartbeat for the Hero just to have HTC Sense.

Huawei Officially Announces U8230 Android Smartphone

It's been a long time coming (we first got wind of a Huawei Android phone at this years Mobile World Congress) but finally Huawei has confirmed its long-awaited Android phone in the form of the U8230. It looks very similar to the mockup they had on display at MWC but with a bit of extra bling thanks to some silver edging.

Specs wise there's not much to go on. According to the press release it will sport a 3.5 inch touchscreen, allow users to switch between full and half QWERTY keyboards and has a 1500 mAh which they claim has "the longest battery capacity of any Android-powered handsets currently available." True, but then it doesn't take much to beat the G1's measly 1150 mAh or even the Magic's 1340 mAh. But hang on, doesn't Samsung's Galaxy have a 1500 mAh battery as well? Let's hope that Huawei's Android offering has a little more to brag about than increased battery life.

The Samsung Jet That Wasn't

So, the highly anticipated new Samsung phone we've been waiting for (and hoping it would run Android) has been revealed as the Samsung Jet and guess what? It runs Samsung's proprietary OS. It's a stunning looking phone with some impressive specs but doesn't it look familiar?

Back in April I posted an entry (Samsung Reveals Its Android Phone Again – Or Does It?) which, at the time, many speculated was a reveal of a Samsung Android phone. Even then I had my doubts and it looks like I was right. Oh well, at least we've still got Samsung's Galaxy to look forward to.

Acer Finally Shows Us Some Android Love

I may have gotten a bit ahead of myself when back at the end of January I speculated that Acer may be the next manufacturer to join the Open Handset Alliance (OHA). Since then we've had all kinds of rumours and speculation about a 2009 release of an Android phone by the company, the most recent being that an announcement was expected in September.

This may well prove to be true as it seems that Acer is gearing up for something Android-related as they officially confirm their membership of the OHA. This comes as they issue a formal press releasein which they demonstrate their "support for Android as an open mobile platform and its commitment to Android's commercial success." Well it's about time. Now can we have an Acer Android phone please?

That said, I am in two minds about an Acer phone. I've always been a fan of Acer – good value for money kit (I'm actually typing this on an Acer laptop now) but I'm beginning to wonder if the 'value' approach is a bit of a false economy. My current laptop (my second Acer) seems to exhibit some rather strange behaviour, occasionally shutting down as a result of what I suspect is overheating. Until recently I also had an Acer LCD TV which mysteriously died in what seemed like seconds after the 1 year warranty had expired. Let's just hope their phones perform better.

Why Android's Three Flavours Are Good News For Carriers And Manufacturers

It seems that Google Mobile Platforms director Andy Rubin really generated some buzz with his prediction at Google IO that there could be as many as 20 Android phones available by the end of this year. While this was interesting (but not really that surprising given Android's success and growth to date), what I found of more interest were his comments regarding Google's commitment to Android as an "open" platform as well as clarification of the various Android flavours available to carriers and handset manufacturers.

Google has taken some flack from critics who see the strongly Google-branded G1 and HTC Magicphones as cause for concern regarding the openness of the Android platform. Even manufacturers have expressed some concern, most notably Samsung which blamed its delay in announcing an Android phone on the fact that "some operators were concerned about the vision Google has". In an effort to allay these concerns, Google has actually released three different versions of Android as follows:

Option 1: Obligation free – manufacturers can install Android on their devices and provide access to as many apps as they want but cannot preload Google applications like Gmail or Google Calendar.

Option 2: Same as option 1 but manufacturers must sign a distribution agreement to preload Google applications on the device.

Option 3: Google Experience phones – includes Google branding and Google applications which cannot be removed from the phone. This option also provides uncensored access to the Android Market.

By offering these three flavours of Android, manufacturers and carriers are able to choose to what degree the phones integrate with Google so in the case of Samsung's I7500 (a.k.a. Samsung Galaxy), it looks like they’ve gone the Option 2 route as opposed to producing another HTC-like Google Experience Phone. Hopefully we’ll start to see more customisation of the interface and applications as manufacturers embrace the openness of the Android platform. This can only help to increase the number of new Android phones released this year as well as the number of carriers that offer these phones.

Via: The New York Times

HTC Hero Tipped For Orange UK Launch

There's good news for Android fans in the UK following speculation that the HTC Hero will be launched by Orange UK. Although unconfirmed, this does seem likely as back in March there was a fairly credible report that the Hero was going to be picked up by Orange France.

As yet there is no official confirmation and nothing mentioned on Orange UK's website as far as I can tell so I guess we'll just have to wait and see if this one pans out.

Source: Mobile Today

AT&T's Lancaster Looks Good But May Disappoint

There's no denying that AT&T has been particularly quiet about its plans for an Android phone release. Last month I speculated that the carrier may have picked up the HTC Hero but now, thanks to engadget, we have fairly credible confirmation that AT&T's first Android phone will actually be the HTC Lancaster.

At first look it seems to be quite a nice handset, an amalgamation of the G1 and Magic and had it been around sooner I would have chosen it over my G1 – or would I? I personally prefer a physical keyboard to the a touchscreen so the Lancaster seems to have everything going for it apart from the display. I'm really impressed by the G1's 3.2 inch HVGA (320 x 480) display but the Lancaster is let down by a smaller 2.8 inch QVGA (240 x 320) display which is a bit of a disappointment.

I'm also not sure about the MSM7225 processor (which the leaked Lancaster datasheet shows incorrectly as an MSN7225). Although, like the G1's MSM7201 the 7225 is a 528 MHz ARM processor, rumour is that it lacks a GPU. I can't seem to find any details on this processor on the Qualcomm website – maybe someone can shed some light on the differences between the MSM7201 and the MSM7225?

Source: engadget

Panasonic To Join The Android Party In 2010?

Panasonic is already known for producing high-end phones exclusively for the Japanese market but now it seems that the promise of Android may just tempt them into the global market. That's according to Tech On which recently quoted a Panasonic director as saying "We are seriously considering developing an Android-based handset and entering overseas mobile phone markets in fiscal 2010."

It looks like the company has finally been swayed by the success of open source and is keen to grab a share of a market which they predict "will reach 100 million units in three years." At this stage the company has declined to offer any further details although an official announcement of their plans for global expansion seem imminent.

Archos' Android Media Tablet Release Ahead Of Schedule?

Back in February we first got word of Archos' plans to release an IMT (Internet Media Tablet) which combined a 5" media player with 3G voice support via Android's telephony stack. This speculation was confirmed again in March when the company's 2008 financial results were published, making mention of the IMT with a Q3 release date.

This month the French site ArchosLounge published details of an event to be held in Paris next month (June) which many have speculated hints at a possible release of the Android IMT based on the colour of the event invite, what you may call Android-green. The connection seems a bit tenuous, but may prove true. The real question however is does anyone care? Traditional smartphone users are not going to be tempted to move to the new Archos for its media player capabilities and it remains to be seen whether or not existing Archos users will buy into the idea. Archos obviously hopes that they will

An early technology adopter, I purchased the iPad on the first day it came out.  I also got the original iPhone on the day it came out, and the first Google Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, within a month of its release.  Google even sent me their first unlocked Android phone, the Nexus One, to review when it came out. I like new toys and am not tied to any specific company; the one with the coolest or best features is the one that wins me over.

Unfortunately, my iPad was stolen less than a month after I bought it.  Insurance covered the loss, but I did not rush out to buy a new one right away.  I got my chance to play with the iPad and while it was pretty cool, I found it to be more of an entertainment device than anything and it was lacking some key features – for example, a camera.  Apple will probably add some of those features with the upcoming release of the iPad 2, which some say is to be announced this week, but I’m sick of their game of intentionally leaving out features that consumers want and introducing it on a subsequent version so you’ll buy their product again. I want all the features I want right now.  Sure, I’ll probably buy another similar device in a year or two, but by that point I expected the features to once again be something new and cutting edge, not a feature that you opted not to include but most others did.

I am still in the market for a new tablet, and it’s a great time to be ready to acquire one.  The 2011 Consumer Electronics Show last month was dominated by a slew of tablets, the new must-have device.  Tablet computers have been around for some time, but they were never as sleek, pretty, functional, and in-demand as they are now.  The launch of the iPad last year can be credited with bringing the tablet mainstream, but one year later you’ve got a whole lot more choice.

The top competitor for the Apple iPad right now is any one of a number of Google Android-powered devices manufactured by the likes, of Motorola, Samsung, Dell and others.  HP Palm announced a new webOS powered tablet yesterday, but I think they still be a minor player in the -tablet arena.  I’ve done my research and played with a few of the new Android tablets and at this point have decided that an Android tablet is a better choice than the iPad.  Here are my top five reasons to choose an Android tablet over an iPad:

Dell Streak 7. Photo courtesy of Dell.

1. Choice of Size

The Apple iPad is closest in size to a 10×8 picture frame with its dimensions at 9.56 x 7.47 x .5 in.  There are no other size options for the iPad, unless you’re of the opinion that the iPad is merely a giant iPhone, and in that case the iPhone could count as a smaller version.

Unlike the iPad, the various Android tablets come in a range of sizes.  The sizes include 5-in. (Dell, Acer), 7-in. (Dell, Samsung, Acer), 9-in. (LG, Panidigital), and 10-in. (Motorola Xoom, Acer) tablets.  The 5-inch tablets are admittedly just slightly larger than popular touchscreen smartphones, which tend to top out in the 4-inch range. But if they make them, there’s obviously some kind of market for them. You can go bigger or smaller than the iPad with an Android. Personally, I’d like to go bigger and would love to see an 11-inch tablet come out in the near future.  It’d be the exact size of a piece of paper.

2. True Multitasking

Apple has avoided true multitasking on the iPad primarily due to battery life and performance concerns, the reason they always leave off features on their new iPhones as well.

There are already some Android tablets running off dual-core processors, which have more than enough power to handle true multitasking.  Android 3.0′s new multitasking panel is also easy to bring up with a single tap on the screen, and provides full previews of running applications.  The multitasking panel is also extremely easy to navigate.

Apple should have figured out how to deliver true multitasking.  Perhaps this will be a feature included in the second-generation iPad.

3. Cameras

Apple made a huge mistake in not including a camera on the iPad.  At the very least it should have included and outward facing camera, but if it really wanted to be a winner, it would have also had a second, front-facing camera that users could use for video chatting.

Most Android tablets have 2 cameras, an outward facing one and a inward one for video chatting.  Google’s native camera app also has some nice features that will let you alter your image, without having to download and edit it on your computer.

Apple iPad. Photo courtesy of Apple Inc.

4. No Syncing Required

Whether you own an iPod, iPhone, or an iPad, you must sync the device with iTunes using a computer to transfer downloads purchased on your computer to the device.  It’s a royal pain, but it’s Apple’s way of keeping their users coming back to iTunes.  It’s also a very slow process.

With the Android Market Web Store, you can buy apps on your computer and send them to your device without syncing. Brilliant!

5. Replaceable Batteries

One of the things that irked me most about the iPhone and the iPad was the battery.  It’s not removable, and if it goes, you have to get a whole new device.  If yours breaks and still happens to be under warranty, Apple will send you a new one — for a fee.  For the iPad, if the battery goes, you can send in your old one and they’ll send you a new one for $99.   Oh, and make sure you synced it before it died because when they send you out the new one it won’t have any of your apps or personal information on it.  If you forgot to sync, you’re S.O.L.

Android devices have their own batteries which are replaceable.  If the battery goes, you just buy a new one.  Or if you’re under warranty, the manufacturer can send you a new one without having to bother with taking your entire tablet.

 Gombe state, three boys died in an explosion Thursday apparently caused by a bomb left over from a bank robbery the day before. Police say the boys picked up the explosive while playing in a garbage dump without knowing what it was.

Meanwhile,Police say members of a radical Islamic sect likely killed a high-ranking police officer and a child in northeast Nigeria.

Borno state Assistant Police Commissioner Usman Baba said Thursday that the police superintendent assigned to guard the state government headquarters died in the morning attack, as well as a child opening a garage door.

Baba said the three gunmen likely belonged to a radical sect known locally as Boko Haram, which is blamed for a series of targeted assassinations.

In an interview with ABC News, Omar bin Laden, son of Osama, has warned that the next generation of Al Qaeda terrorists may be less disciplined and even more violent.

Claiming that his father was the 'most kind' of the jihadi terrorists he had known, Omar expresses difficulty with coming to terms with strained disapproval of his father. When asked if there is anything Osama likes about the United States, he replies "the weapons."

An screen grab taken from a video broadcast on Al Jazeera on December 20, 2006 shows Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. (AFP/Getty Images)

OR 

Jamal Ahmad Mohammad Al Badawi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other people named Al-Badawi, see Al-Badawi (disambiguation).

Jamal al-Bedawi

Jamal Ahmad Mohammad Ali Al Badawi aka Jamal Abu Abed Al Rahman Al Badawi (Arabic: جمال محمد البدوي‎) (born: July 22, 1960; or October 23, 1960; or 1963; or 1969) is a Yemeni who was convicted of helping plan the 2000 USS Cole bombing, which killed 17 American sailors on October 12, 2000 off the port coast ofAden, Yemen.^[1] He was captured in Yemen and sentenced to death on September 29, 2004. Al-Bedawi was also indicted on May 15, 2003 by the United States for the USS Cole bombing and the attempted attack on the USS The Sullivans. He is thought to have travelled to Saudi Arabia and purchased a small boat and then a truck and trailer to transport it. This boat sank from the weight of the explosives while preparing the USS The Sullivans plot. He is also thought to have leased the safehouses used in these endeavors. Fox News called Al-Badawi a "mastermind" of the Cole bombing.^[2]

Only two of the six charged by Yemen in the attack were sentenced to death; the other four were sentenced to 5–10 years imprisonment. After hearing his sentence, Al-Bedawi declared "This is an unjust verdict, this is an American verdict. There are no human rights in the world, except for the Americans. All the Muslims in the world are being used to serve American interests." His family announced they would appeal. Because he was being held by U.S. forces, the other defendant sentenced to death, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, was tried and sentenced in absentia.

Having twice escaped from Yemen prison, once since his death sentence was issued, al-Bedawi is currently at large, and is now being sought as an FBI Most Wanted Terrorist fugitive.

Murder and Conspiracy to Murder United States Nationals and United States Military Personnel; Conspiracy to Use and Using Weapon of Mass Destruction; Damaging and Destroying Government Properties and Defense Facilities; Providing Material Support to Terrorist Organization

JAMEL AHMED MOHAMMED ALI AL-BADAWI

Multimedia: Images

Aliases:

Jamal Muhsin Al-Tali, Abu Abdul Rahman Al-Badawi, Abu Abdul Rahman Al-Adani, Jamal Mohammad Ahmad Ali Al-Badawi, Jamal Mohammad Ahmad

DESCRIPTION

Date(s) of Birth Used: July 22, 1960; October 23, 1960; 1963 Place of Birth: Al-Shargian, Makiris, Yemen Height: Approximately 5'5" Weight: Approximately 175 pounds Build: Medium	Hair: Black Eyes: Black Complexion: Olive Sex: Male Citizenship: Yemeni Language: Arabic

Scars and Marks:	None known
Remarks:	Al-Badawi may have facial hair.

Ni.geria inches toward locally-made automobile

 Before Innoson Motors  There was Uniben Motor Literarily ! 

Nigeria's quest to become an automobile manufacturing country may be realised in the next 28 months, the project manager of the Skill Acquisition Centre for Internal Combustion Engine Parts Manufacture, Akaehomen Ibhadode, has said.

Mr Ibhadode, a world-renowned professor of manufacturing engineering, who spoke yesterday at the launch of the centre at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), said the World Bank-sponsored project, tagged Step-B, will be equipped with state-of-the-art research and production facilities to aid research and learning by staff and students of higher institutions in Nigeria.

The centre will also engage in the production of all components of diesel and petrol automobile engines.

An initiative of the federal government, Step-B is expected to support the development and growth of the science and technology industry and contribute to national development.

Mr Ibhadode, who is the 2010 laureate of the Nigeria prize for science, said the essence of the project is to empower local automobile manufacturers and to provide industrial training for engineering students as well as to generate funds. The centre, which is working in collaboration with National Automotive Council, Star Automotive Industries, Lagos, and the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom, will become fully operational within the next 28 months.

Turning point 

According to the national project coordinator of Step-B, Michael Adikwu, the project is aimed at producing better qualified students and researches, which he said will impact positively on the economic growth of the nation as defined by the millennium development goals.

Fidelis Achiv, who represented the director-general of the National Automotive Council, Aminu Jabal, said the project will ensure that students are trained in the use of modern equipment and help to determine the engineering competence of Nigerian students, as well as provide needed spare parts for the automotive industry.

The vice-chancellor of UNIBEN, Osayuki Oshodin, who was represented by the deputy vice- chancellor (academics) of the university, Emmanuel Onibere, described the occasion as a "milestone achievement by the university, considering the numerous hiccups that threatened the initial take-off of the project".

He said the project is devoted to skill acquisition in engine parts manufacture, which he said is a vital component of the nation's quest to address the problem of transportation and power generation.

"This indeed will be a turning point in Nigeria's march toward real industrialisation," he said.

Now Ask Does Innoson Employ Uniben Engineers ? 

 more photosfrom uniben website