5 Mistakes Women Make - By Ekene AgabuBefore I begin or rather let you into what I have written, I must confess that I had completed this article months ago but was a bit apprehensive in publishing it. I didn’t want to come across as being judgmental and if after reading this you feel judged or put down as a woman, please excuse my unskilled delivery, for that is not my intent. And if you feel that I have crossed the line as man sharing these with you, do not hesitate to express your disdain for my impetus.Having said that, I feel qualified to write this as a man because I stand as an unbiased observer and also one who has had the opportunity to take advantage of these mistakes. But I must confess, we as men have been @$$#*%*$ . Where we should have given, we took; where we should have loved, we lusted and where we should have preserved, we devoured. As a Man, I must call myself to higher standards. Before I touch you, I must respect you like my mother, protect you like my sister and look out for your best interest like my baby – after all, that’s what I call you when I want you! We’ve failed to realize that the significance of our masculinity does not lie in how many girls we can dis-virgin but rather the honor we can bestow upon one. We fail to understand that the purpose of our strength and dominance is to defend and protect not to attack and destroy.But the first mistake was not yours. You were born into a world that didn’t even give you the chance - the chance to be who you really are without any pressure or expectation. From day one you were unconsciously groomed from childhood to be an acceptable accessory to a man’s life. You were constantly made conscious of a false milestone that suggested your value was based upon a man finding you worthy to be his, instead of being made aware of who you are by virtue of your own unique existence. Your worth as a woman was reduced to two things; being a wife and your ability to bear a child – and in some cultures, you had to bear the right type of child. And if per chance you failed in one of these areas, you were nobody, no one – you were nothing.Unfortunately, along the way, you may have made some mistakes in trying to fulfill this false notion of who you are supposed to be. Bad relationship after bad relationship continually emphasized the lie that you were nothing without a man. Not only do you sit there as one with mental wounds from childhood, but also with hurts and wounds that are self inflicted as you sincerely tried to fulfill the so called destiny of the woman – being someone’s woman.As I share this with you, I do not come as one who claims to understand your plight, but rather I stand as one who has heard you. From my mother to my aunts to my cousins and my friends, I have heard you and will continue to listen whenever you speak.That being said, I do not believe we are responsible for the things that are done or said to us, but I do know that we are responsible for allowing those things continue in us. It’s in this light that I share with you the five common mistakes women make in relationships.Your Personal Standards! Don't leave home without them!By not setting your standard, you’ve just set the standard. The standards I speak of are not standards for the relationship; I speak of your personal standards irrespective of the relationship. What is your life’s moral compass? This could get a bit confusing, so let me explain. Often times, at a certain point in life, people turn to religion for some sort of moral guidance or law. It’s an acknowledgment of some sort that they have made numerous personal mistakes and are in probable search for a turn around. So you might have a young lady who’s been around the block and has now become a Christian, and professes that she will be celibate until she gets married thereby claiming this new belief to be her standard. This is a religious belief that she has now adopted and not a personal standard. Your personal standards are born and realized from within you and become your principles rather than a law. A principle is born out of understanding; an understanding of who you are and why you are here on this earth. If you are roaming the earth like a lost sheep in search of a man to give you relevance, you will always find yourself jumping from relationship to relationship with each one leaving you even more confused than you were in the beginning. But when you understand that you are not here by chance and your presence on this earth has significant relevance, the aura about you changes and the people and things you accept into your life will only be a reflection of your internal essence or your personal standard. A man can cause you to go against a belief because it was never yours in the first place, but he can never sway you away from your principle because you are one with your principle. A lady who lives from her principles takes personal responsibility for her own actions and responses. She takes charge and never leaves her fate to the opinions or actions of men. She doesn’t go on a date with every man that asks her out because she doesn’t need a man – she would want a man but she fully well understands that her worth is solely appraised on who she is and not who she’s with. She would not change her principle to have or keep a man. She’s doesn’t need to sleep with a man to have or keep him. She understands that whatever she can’t get by way of her principles will never be her own. That you are sleeping with a guy does not mean he’s yours. If you had to sleep with him to keep him, he was never yours in the first place. In the absence of your personal standards, you end up trying many things and many people, but you never experience the love that is already within you. Allow that love within to write your standards and begin to live from them. That love will never lead you astray, never ever!Why are you making excuses for him…..again?I have come to observe that ladies often see the man as the prize. So once it looks like they have him – especially if he appears to be a good one – they want to do everything in their power to keep him. I understand that, but I don’t accept that and neither should you. You are the Prize. We should fight over you and want to do things to get and keep you. We should want to make sure you are ok. A man who loves and respects a woman will never want her in doubt when it comes her knowing of his feelings towards her. When we are crazy about a woman, we are no longer the reserved and non emotional creatures you think we are. We become a mess - drooling internally when we think of you. We would never want you to feel you are on shaky ground concerning your status with us. We will publicly profess and show you to the whole world. We will put up a picture with you in it as the our profile pic, tag you in all photos you appear in and most importantly make sure that our status box shows that we are in a relationship with you. Yup, that’s what we do when we love you - we say it out LOUD! And when we are out and about with you, our professions are usually crystal clear: ‘Meet my girlfriend, Sandra’ or ‘Meet my fiance, Sandra.’ Not, ‘Meet Sandra’ who is Sandra??? When we love you, we want the world to know that we love you. But I get amazed when ladies see the writing on the wall and continually make excuses to justify a man’s blatant abuse towards them. What do I mean? Take for instance the introductions highlighted above; He introduces you as just ‘Sandra’: you know you don’t like it, but you make an excuse within yourself and say, ‘he’s a private kinda guy, he doesn’t like to publicly show stuff.’ Really? Ok, let me ask, “Are you enrolled in midnight gymnastics with him?” In other words has he bent your body in ways you didn’t think possible? Well, there is only one thing worse than a guy sleeping with a woman in secret; and that is, a woman allowing that to happen. Before you allow a man do to you privately what can affect you publicly, he must first of all acknowledge you publicly as the woman he respects and loves. If he can’t do that, you need to tell me why you are still sticking around. How can you allow a man to knock you up when you are just ‘Sandra’ to him? You know you deserve better, so stop the excuses. Instead of making excuses for him, take charge – not of him or the relationship, but of yourself. Never remain in an environment where your integrity is compromised. Remember, you are the prize and we should work hard to get and keep you. And after all our hard work, you still have a right to say NO.Why are you looking for ‘something’ in a bag of ‘nothings?’A few years ago, a friend who was engaged was getting ready for her wedding which was just a couple of months away at the time. She called me occasionally during the preparation process, but on this one phone call, things were pretty bad. She was mad, upset, disappointed and unhappy that she was marrying this guy. So I asked her why she was still going on with the wedding if she felt the marriage wouldn’t work out. She said to me that she did not want the last four years of her life spent with him to go to waste. Hmmm! When she said this, I looked at my phone because I couldn’t look at her (she was in a different city) and in that instant – if I had a private jet – I would have flown to her city to give her a knock on her head - not a hard one, just a gentle knock - to help tilt her brain back to the center of her skull, because obviously it seemed out of balance with what she had just said to me. Let’s think about this, You are willing to screw up the next 50 years of your life, create babies in a hostile environment with a man you despise thereby screwing up the next generation, raising kids that would need therapy for the rest of their lives based on the abuse they will experience in that home, all because you don’t want the last four years of your life - 1,2,3,4 - to mean nothing (I’m having a headache just rehashing the story). So you are trying to create a love marriage from a four year crappy relationship. Needless to say, this lady was a young beautiful 28yr old lawyer. With good life habits she could easily live another healthy 50 years (Have you seen Barbara Walters lately? She’s 80). And here you are, willing to mortgage a future on four years with this jerk? She was desperately trying to make something out of nothing. That you’ve been in a long term relationship does not mean you should continually stay in it. Unfortunately for some ladies, it takes a while to see the light and muster up courage to get out of a bad situation. But when you see the light; RUN, GO, your life deserves it. If you don’t make that change, you’ll never know what’s out there? And when I say out there, I don’t mean what’s out there in another relationship; I mean what’s out there in you that you are yet to discover. Some of you ladies are afraid – afraid that you might not be married by a certain time. You begin the calculations, ‘Ok, I’m 28 now, if I break this up, how long will it take to find another guy and get married? Oooh! It may take another 4 years and I’ll be 32. No! I can’t be single at 30.” You are killing yourself with this kind of dialogue. Like she later said to me, she always saw herself married by 29. Needless to say, she was divorced by 29. They got married alright, but their divorce was made final before a possible 1st wedding anniversary. Sometimes we allow fear to dictate what we should do. We will never get from fear what love has to give. Love is bold, confident and fearless. Why are you scared? Why are you letting fear keep you in a relationship that you know you don’t want? Why do you want to marry a guy who has already made you feel like trash? Why are you choosing to be with someone you are not crazy about? Ok, so you are more concerned about looking good and successful on the outside at the expense of how you truly feel on the inside. You are too special for that. Let people think what they think, you know what you know and that’s all that should matter. Sometimes, we don’t believe; we don’t believe in ourselves, so we settle and then try to make something out of nothing. You can’t change another human being, it’s impossible. You haven’t even changed some things about yourself; how then do you think it possible to change another?You’ve gotta think before you have his baby!Often times when I’m in conversation with one of my numerous lady friends, something always cracks me up. I know they been having sex for years in and out of relationships and that fact is not hidden between us. But on some occasions, when I ask them if they have been pregnant before, their voice takes on a new tone of ‘How dare you?’ And then there is a resounding NO, like, ‘how could I get pregnant?’ Wait a minute! Am I missing something here? If you are having sex – sexual intercourse, you are potentially making a baby. You are filing an application. As soon as he ejaculates into you, the application is submitted and the outcome of that process is no longer left to you or him but to the Department of Conception. And if they approve it, you become pregnant whether you want it or not. Sex is not just about the pleasure derived, neither is it an antidote for loneliness. Sex is Responsibility; meaning you will have to respond to the outcome of that sexual encounter and sometimes it could be a lifetime of responses especially when a child is conceived. And when that child is born, you will forever have a symbol representing your union with your ex. Once a child is conceived, there is no moving on from that relationship. It begins the strongest bond known between a man and a woman. That man holds a special place in your heart regardless of how you feel about him today. You may have an abortion in trying to cut any future ties to this man, but may I have you know that the power of conception outweighs the power of birth. For something to be born, it has to be conceived. We are all on this earth first because of conception then birth. Without conception they will be no birth but without birth there can be conception. A strong bond is created when you allow a man’s sperm to start life within you. It is a major privilege to give to someone and not everyone should have that kind of access to you. If a man is horny and wants to be relieved, tell him to use his hand. You are no object and certainly no substitute for a man’s hand. So if you don’t want to have his baby, don’t make his baby.I know there’s Pressure, but why are you under it?I have come to observe that whether she’s 21 or 29, she always feels she’s running out of time. One thing you must understand is that pressure is not real. You are real and when you give attention to or come under the dominance of something that is impotent, you give it potency – you give it power. That is why this thing we call ‘pressure’ has the effect it has. You give it the effect. You are the effect. Sometimes we are driven by those voices of ignorance that may have come from people we love, so we try hard to get into a relationship and make it work. “Oh! This one has to work cos I’m almost 30.” Screw him and screw 30. You are more valuable to yourself and to the world than the timeline of your eggs or your age. Your world will not come to an end if you are not married by 30; in fact, it may just be beginning!A few years ago, a lady friend of mine, who was 21 at the time called me up to talk about her ‘man' troubles. During our conversation, I observed that she had always been in a sexual relationship since she was 15. She confessed to me that she didn’t want to be alone; actually she didn’t know how to be alone. You see, you do yourself a huge injustice when you spend your formative years interrupted. Sex interrupts. It stops your creative and intellectual development and gives strength to your emotional cravings which should still be asleep. Your formative years are years you spend forming your person and your identity in readiness for your service to the world. Unfortunately, ladies give that time and space to some guy – a guy who may not even be in your life past your 30th birthday.Have we as men failed you? Oh yes we have! As fathers some of us weren’t present in your young life. As uncles, instead of being fond of you, we fondled you. As friends we were more focused on the benefits instead of the sacrifice. We used you when we should have added value. We took advantage instead giving the advantage. We failed you quite all right, but you don’t have to do to yourself what we did to you – You don’t have to fail yourself. You can’t afford to fail yourself. You are the door to humanity. Life has to go through you to enter this earth. Even God needed a woman to come back into the world.There’s no need to dumb yourself down or compromise your true integrity. We need the true you. We can’t exist without you and we will adjust to whatever standard you set for us – so why not make it high, why not make it YOU?
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Nigerian-born British woman, Samantha Orobator, 20, jailed for life in Laos, Vietnam, for smuggling drugs, has confessed that a fellow British prisoner, John Watson, 47, is the father of her unborn child.
This is coming against the backdrop of frantic diplomatic efforts by the British authorities to ensure quick transfer of pregnant Orobator to the UK, to serve her sentence, as she gets into the third trimester stage in her pregnancy.
Reliable sources have also confirmed that Watson, who is also serving a life sentence for drug smuggling and had agreed to father her baby to save her from death sentence, is also being transferred to serve his remaining sentence in UK jail.
Orobator, last Wednesday, pleaded guilty to trying to smuggle heroin out of the country, but her death sentence was commuted because she is pregnant.
Orobator had been held in Phonthong since she was arrested at Wattay International Airport on August 5, 2008, with 1.5lb (680g) of heroin, and reportedly conceived last December, claiming the father was a Buddhist monk, and later said she had inseminated herself using Watson's sperm. A syringe was found among her belongings.
There is, however, palpable fear that Orobator may not be transferred to the UK before her pregnancy reaches term.
Although the UK and Laos signed a prisoner transfer agreement last month, it does not come into effect immediately, so she may end up having the baby in Laotian jail. It is gathered however, that she is being visited by medical team to ascertain her state of health and fitness, preparatory to a possible flight home. She has been reported to have expressed her worries that the prison diet will harm her baby and had been described by her mother, Jane, as "very fragile."
Caroline Morten, of Human Rights group Reprieve, said: "she's just into her third trimester now and needs to be given a doctor's approval to fly, but we are hoping to get her back in a week. At the moment, we don't want to talk too much about what's going on, but we are optimistic."
Confirming the repatriation, a spokesman from the Foreign Office said, "we are working on the goodwill of the Laotian government to repatriate Ms Orobator as soon as possible and Mr Watson would of course benefit from that too, in making an application."
Watson was arrested in 2003 and given a life sentence in 2006. His health has deteriorated in jail and he is said to suffer from depression. He has been denied visits from anyone except officials from the Australian embassy, who are able to meet him once a month, and he is able to send occasional emails home. The UK has no consulate in Laos.
"I know it sounds like an old cliche," Watson said last year to the Foreign Prisoner Support Service, an online campaigning group based in Australia, "but honestly, being in here, I do truly believe now that you don't know what you've got till it's gone."
Meanwhile, following the new development, Watson is facing sanctions in prison as his mobile phone had been confiscated by officials at the squalid Phonthong prison in Vientiane, where the pair are being held He could face further sanctions from the authorities if he was proven to have helped Orobator.
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RegardsCONFESSION OF AN IJAW KIDLittle Diepriye came into the kitchen where his motherwas making dinner.His birthday was coming up and he thought this was agood time to tell his mother what he wanted."Mom, I want a bike for my birthday." Little Priye wasa bit of a troublemaker.He had gotten into trouble at school and at home.Priye's mother asked him if he thought he deserved to get a bike for his birthday. Little Priye, of course, thought he did.Priye's mother wanted Priye to reflect on his behaviorover the last year."Go to your room, Priye, and think about how you havebehaved this year.Then write a letter to God and tell him why youdeserve a bike for your birthday." Little Priye stomped up the steps to his room and sat down to write God a letter.Letter 1Dear God,I have been a very good boy this year and I would likea bike for my birthday. I want a red one.Your friend,PriyePriye knew that this wasn't true. He had not been avery good boy this year, so he tore up the letter and started over.Letter 2Dear God,This is your friend Priye. I have been a good boy thisyear and I would like a red bike for my birthday.Thank you.Your friend PriyePriye knew that this wasn't true either. So, he toreup the letter and started again.Letter 3Dear God,I have been an "OK "boy this year. I still wouldreally like a bike for my birthday.PriyePriye knew he could not send this letter to Godeither. So, Priye wrote a fourth letter.Letter 4God,I know I haven't been a good boy this year. I am verysorry. I will be a good boy if you just send me a bike for my birthday.Please!Thank you,PriyePriye knew, even if it was true, this letter was notgoing to get him a bike.Now, Priye was very upset. He went downstairs and toldhis mom that he wanted to go to church. Priye's mother thought herplan had worked, as Priye looked very sad."Just be home in time for dinner," Priye's mother toldhim.Priye walked down the street to the church on thecorner. Little Priye went into the church and up to the altar. He looked around to see if anyone was there. Priye bent down and picked up a statue of the Mary. He slipped the statue under his shirt and ran out of the church, down the street, into the house, and up to his room. He shut the door to his room and sat down with a piece of paper and a pen. Priye began to write his letter to God.Letter 5God,I'VE KIDNAPPED YOUR MAMA. IF YOU WANT TO SEE HERAGAIN, SEND THE BIKE!!!!!!!! !!The hit man.Diepriye
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SOLUTIONS FOR NEGATIVE THINKING:Try to find the lesson in every challenging situation; you will find there is always something wonderful to learn from it.Look for something good in every experience. There will always be something positive.If you have a negative thought, immediately replace that thought with a positive one. It's easier than you think.Compare yourself to someone worse off than you. That always puts things into perspective.Give all the negativity up to God to handle, because there is nothing too hard for God to handle
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Even the loquacious foot soldiers of Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’adua have accepted the fact that the past two years have been another locust years in the annals of Nigerian state. It has been two wasted years arguably comparable to the locust years of the Ibrahim Babangida military misrule the number one General of fortune in Nigeria. The PDP, Party of the deceptive people is the first foot soldier to acknowledge the fact that their Principal did not perform because he has been distracted by the Niger-Delta militant? I beg your pardon PDP. A lazy man will always quarrel with his tool and will always advance all the excuses he can muster.First and foremost, Alhaji Yar’adua was never prepared for this job, and therefore he had no idea of what leadership in such big capacity is all about. Running a state like Katsina where the level of literacy is 8% cannot be compared to a vibrant and ‘‘great’’ country like Naija. To make matters worse for himself, he surrounded himself with incompetent persons as his ministers. Tell me while Obasanjo was crude and probably intellectually deficient, he surrounded himself with intellectuals reputed worldwide for their positive contribution to making our world better.. This is attested to by the fact that virtually all of them have been employed by the World Bank and the IMF immediately they left the OBJ government. But you start asking me but who are they, where is Dr Oby Ezekwesili? Where are Dr Ngozi Iweala and many others? All at World Bank and IMF offices in America.President Yar`duaBut when you have people like Adamu Aliero, Shamasudeen Usman, Rilwanu Lukman, Abba Ruma and even Shettima Monguno as ministers, for God’s sake what do you expect? These are people who ruin Nigeria in various other capacities in the time past. School drop outs like Ibrahim Kazaure and Dasuki Nakande are ministers. Let me digress and tell you joke we use to crack about the late Sabo Bakin Zuwo while we were in the university. The story goes like this, during the short lived administration of Bakin Zuwo in Kano, his then Deputy I think his name is Sani has a diploma in sharia law from God knows where. As the story was told then, there was this proposal to build and allocate a low cost housing in Kano during Bakin Zuwo’s time. I know he was famous then for his Danta cola and Afri cola minerals in Kano. When the document was brought to Sabo Bakin Zuwo to sign as the Governor, it was reported then that he signed the document and minuted on it in Hausa language ‘’Na yarda nima a ajiye mani guda goma’’. Meaning, he has accented pleas allocate and keep ten for my person. I believe that may be what is happening in this Yar’adua circus.For this past two years there is nothing the Yar’adua government can point to as an achievement or accomplishment. It is simply good in blaming others for its woes. He is either blaming the Senate for lack of implementation of the budget or the Niger-Delta freedom fighters for his woes. There is rumours going round that he wants to appoint another Kano man as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria as if Nigeria belongs to Kano with their sharia despite the fact that they contribute nothing to Nigeria but trouble and unnecessary killing of patriotic and real peace loving Nigerians. In my article on Sharia Police in Kano state published in the Guardian newspaper of Friday 15 May, 2009, I had intimated readers of the key ministries being manned by Kano people in addition to the key Army positions. It was the same Hausa Muslims who accused OBJ of being anti-Muslims even when the Vice President was a Muslim. Chief of Defence Staff Ibrahim Ogohi was a Muslim. Inspectors General of Police Musulmi Smith and Tafa Balogun were all Muslims respectively. Even chief of Naval Staff was a Muslim from Kwara state. Obasanjo never appointed his tribesmen as Chief of Army Staff, Minister of Finance, Minister of National Planning, Minister of Agriculture. His chief of Staff, Central Bank Governor and the FCT minister like Yar’adua has done know. We only witnessed this abuse of power during Babangida’s military misrule apart from his dragging Nigeria into the OIC.A Hausa man is still the Director general of NTA, Group Managing Director of NNPC, MD of the almost dead PHCN which I prefer to call NEPA, because when it was NEPA it could still give us electricity for four hours every other day.In addition to the above anti federal character or anti quota system appointment which the Hausa Muslim will look up when it suits him, rascals like Ibn Na Allah and Kabiru Mato ‘PhD’ who grew up on the streets courtesy the almajiri system and therefore lack home training and have no value for human life is calling for the total annihilation of the over 30 million Niger-Delta people for simply asking for their rights in the Nigerian Federation. Do we still wonder why there is always incessant religious crises in Northern Nigeria? Sponsors and promoters are gradually showing their true colours even in the so called National Assembly. Otherwise how can people who are suppose to make laws for the good governance of the state vote to promote anarchy and the total extermination of a section of a country for the sake of possessing their fuel? Would Ibn Na Allah or Kabiru Mato support the total destruction of Kano state which is notoriously well known worldwide for religious riots and zero tolerance for other religions except Islam?Apart from the Key appointments mentioned earlier, Kano state and Katsina state have more local governments than all the oil producing states put together..While Kano state has 44 local governments, Bayelsa state has just Eight (8), while Cross River has just 18 local governments, Katsina state has 35. While Jigawa state has 27 local governments, Delta state which produces the wealth of the nation has just 25.We have all agreed that military regimes were an aberration especially the Babangida/Abacha regimes which were epitome of corruption, nepotism, fascism, self centeredness and aggrandizement. They just behaved true to the above characters in creation of states and local governments and they deliberately inserted those states and local governments in the constitution to look to make them sacrosanct. Thank God that we have equally all agreed that that constitution is deficient, one sided and undemocratic and a travesty of justice and need to be radically amended to suit all Nigerians if we still want to stay together as one Nigeria.The plausible and most reasonable way to resolving the Niger-Delta crisis is a sovereign national conference where we can define a new Nigeria through consensus and mutual agreement that will usher a new dawn in our Federalism.It is not by unnecessary blood bath as is being witnessed now. The Niger-Delta issue is a constitutional issue that can be sold by a sovereign national conference but certainly not by warring or ethnic cleansing.Isaac Boro was murdered in 1964 because of this issue. Ken Saro-wiwa was judicially murdered for the same reason, yet crop of young men and women still take it upon themselves to fight for their rights. Justice can only be delayed but surely it cannot be defined.Isn’t it time for somebody in the National Assembly to move a motion for convening of the much sought after sovereign national Conference and be a hero like George Washington? Is there no body there that will bell the cat? We have had two wasted years, do we still wait to have another two precious years wasted? By Ndiameeh Babrik
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Prof Charles Soludo did not after all make the type of history that, before May 2007, he appeared to be on his way to making. I don’t think anyone has ever had more than one spell at the helm at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Just three months into Yar’Adua’s administration, it became obvious that Soludo was going to be kicked out. Yes, Soludo was finally put out of his misery and put out to pasture last Monday 1 June 2009.In the USA, the long standing number one economy in the world, when it comes to fiscal policy, stability is the watchword: Alan Greenspan was the Chairman of that country’s Federal Reserve from 1987 – 2006 spanning the presidencies of Regan, Bush Snr, Clinton, and Bush Jnr. Across the pond in the UK, Sir Montagu Norman served as the Governor of the Bank of England from 1920 – 1944 covering the tenure of 10 Prime Ministers (must have been a rough political time for the Brits!) and Lord Cameron Cobbold served from 1949 – 1961. And since 1973, Governors of the Bank of England have served a minimum of 10 years in office. It is not that these countries did not have bosses of their apex banks who served short terms or just one term, the point is that proven successes were retained in the post for obvious reasons.In Nigeria, we reward success with aggravation, condescension and, sometimes, demotion. Na today? Is that not how we routinely pick the head of our Customs’ service? OBJ did it to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Yar’Adua did same to Ribadu not too long ago.Soludo was very easily the best, the most articulate, competent, relevantly qualified and the most productively active person to have occupied the chair of the Governor of CBN. Together with Okonjo-Iweala, he put a proper structure to Nigeria’s fiscal policy for perhaps the first time in her history. But when in 2007 he brought about a convergence between the official exchange rate and the unofficial market rates, he was immediately at daggers-drawn with the black market traders and their nefarious partners in the financial sector. Interestingly, this was when concerted stories about Soludo’s corrupt dealings began to hit the media. But Soludo never claimed to be perfect – I mean, he is a Nigerian official. He then compounded matters a few months later by announcing a positive initiative to re-denominate the Naira. That was it. He had gone too far to antagonise the un-antagonisables. Yar’Adua immediately removed him from his National Economic Management Team and Soludo has been in the cooler ever since. But what were his other sins?Well, the first time I think almost everyone took notice of the “governor of the central bank” in Nigeria was back in 2004 when he initiated the consolidation exercise of our banks. That exercise (which not a few people doubted, was lampooned and, in some very high quarters, declared as unworkable and dead on arrival) was successfully concluded by December 2005. This is what the bank consolidation programme has delivered as at September 2008 – just four years: All the banks in the country are robust with shareholders funds of about N2.7 trillion. This is some 822% higher than the N293 billion cumulative funds of the 89 existing banks pre consolidation. Furthermore, the number of bank branches nationwide rose from 3,247 in 2004 to 5,247 in 2008. Similarly, the number of the foreign branches of Nigerian banks increased from 7 in 2004 to 69 in 2008.Just as it had done with the commercial banks, the CBN in 2006 launched the Micro Finance Bank (MFB) scheme to replace Babaginda’s community banking system and fixed the capital base for operation at N20 million. Today, the country has more than 900 MFBs that are providing credit facilities to the poor without collateral. The CBN also backed up the MFBs with the establishment of entrepreneurial development centres to teach the poor how to manage finance profitably. Afterwards, CBN brought the MFBs under its direct supervision and the deposit cover of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Co-operation, NDIC.The enhanced banking supervision and enforcement of corporate governance by the CBN under Soludo reduced the percentage of non-performing loans in the banking sector from 21.6% in 2004 to 6.2% in 2008. The CBN also launched the electronic Financial Analysis and Surveillance System, e-FASS, which enables it to monitor transactions in the commercial banks without being physically there.All of these led to the increased professionalism of our banks and tremendous manpower growth. Concomitant with this was the introduction of more robust IT applications (including ATMs and internet banking) in the Nigerian banking sector.Under Soludo, the long ailing Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC) was acquired by the CBN in 2004 and by 2007, the NSPMC has been transformed into a profitable venture and also saved the country the dishonour and national security risk of perpetually relying on importation to meet its currency needs. Today, the NSPMC is not only satisfying the country’s currency needs, it also handles other security printing works for the government and the private sector. Other West African countries - like Ghana, for example - have similarly approached the NSPMC for business.Though the CBN tried to re-introduce the use of coins, that policy has so far been unsuccessful as Nigerians are still unable/unwilling to use the coins for business transactions.But predictably, since Soludo was stopped dead in his tracks by Yar’Adua as soon as the latter stole into office, things have been changing. When Soludo assumed the leadership of the CBN, inflation rate was 10%. It went up to 11% in 2005 before declining to 8.5% in 2006 and 6.4% in 2007. In 2008, inflation was up again hovering around 12%. GDP that achieved a steady growth between 2004 and 2007 and in fact grew at 6.2% in 2007 only grew by 0.8% in 2008. Our foreign reserve rose from $11.44 billion in June 2004 to $60.89 billion in August 2007. That reserve is currently near extinct. The Naira is falling again to a weak Dollar and to an even weaker Pound Sterling. Yar’Adua and his economic team have expended most of our foreign reserves trying to defend the Naira. In 2009 alone, the Naira has lost some 30% of its value.Once one of the world’s most profitable Stock Markets, foreign and local investors are now divesting from the Nigerian capital market. Two years in, you’ll have to ask: What is our economic policy?Soludo was very successful at his job and he was recognized accordingly. In November 2008 he was appointed to a high-level United Nations’ task force (the Commission of Experts on Reforms of the International Monetary and Financial System) to examine the reform of the global financial system, including the IMF and the World Bank, in the wake of the current economic turmoil. The seven member task force as announced by the United Nations General Assembly President Miguel Descoto, was chaired by Joseph Stiglitz, a former Chief Economist at the World Bank and winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics. Descoto said Soludo was appointed to the task force on the basis of the successful work he did in revamping the banking sector in Nigeria. He added that that market-induced consolidation exercise has helped save Nigerian banks from the current global financial crises that have seen the US and European governments pump several billions of Dollars into their economy to bail out their respective financial institutions.In London 2006, Soludo won the world's most prestigious banking award, ‘The Banker magazine's Global Central Banker of the Year’ award. This is the pinnacle in terms of achievement that the Governor of any Central Bank in the world can hope to achieve. It was a first for Nigeria.But a good man is not recognised in his home. After sacking Soludo, Yar’Adua asked the Senate to confirm the appointment of the CBN Deputy Governor for a second term and Sanusi Lamido was appointed the CBN Governor.Curiously, as Soludo was being prepped for removal, the following were the only seriously considered candidates as his replacement: Falalu Bello from Kaduna State who is Chief Executive of Unity Bank; Mohammed Hayatudeen from Bornu State who is the former chief executive of FSB International Bank; Obadiah Mailafia from Kaduna State who is currently head of Nigeria's Centre for Policy and Economic Research; Lamido Sanusi from Kano State who only took over as Managing Director of First Bank January this year after previously serving as Head of Risk Management; Yakubu Tanimu from Katsina State who has been Chief Economic Adviser to Yar'Adua since May 2007; Atedo Peterside from River State who is Chairman of Stanbic IBTC Plc, the Nigerian subsidiary of Standard Bank of South Africa; and Shamsuddeen Usman also from Kano State who was a failed Finance Minister but nevertheless is the current Planning Minister with the responsibility for making us a top twenty economy by the year 2020.Reading through Sanusi’s bio, it would appear that he obtained his BSc at the age of 19, and MSc at 21. Hhmm. Very impressive. At 39, the man headed to Sudan’s International University of Africa, where he took a diploma in Sharia and Islamic Studies. He was the Managing Director of First Bank for all of five months before being appointed to the governorship of CBN. I have read a couple of his articles on GAMJI, the online forum. Sanusi is very articulate and comes across as very intelligent – an intellectual of sort. However, the man is a deep, deep political animal with a revisionist bent. He is a rabid Islamist who has always insisted that his Islamic faith comes before everything else.It is now this man’s lot to formulate fiscal policies for ALL of us. I hope we are not entering an era where we have to be extra vigilant about the CBN or completely lose interest. Hopefully, the Naira would not revert to carrying exclusive Arabic inscriptions. Since Soludo got shackled, investors have put everything on hold to see what is going to happen at the CBN. Those of us who have some financial investments in Nigeria are holding our breaths and hoping for the best. We can only pray that we are not headed back to the era of three different exchange rates.Just last month, May 2009, First Bank donated N20million to Anne's Nursery and Primary School, Kaduna, at the celebration of that school’s 50th anniversary. St Anne’s is Sanusi’s alma mater.
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A NURSE has been suspended after allegedly chatting to a friend on a mobile phone while performing blood tests on a patient.
Calista Ukaegbu is being investigated after apparently using hand gestures to direct the female patient because she was so engrossed in her conversation.
When the patient a relative of former newspaper editor and radio station owner Kelvin Mackenzie made her displeasure clear, the nurse simply mouthed "sorry" and carried on chatting, it was claimed.
She only stopped the call when a colleague walked in and "shamed" her into hanging up.
It emerged today that bosses at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich had suspended the nurse.
The incident happened when the patient, in her thirties, visited the hospital to have a blood test before undergoing minor surgery at a later date.
She claimed she was greeted by Nurse Ukaegbu, talking on the phone in a foreign language, who indicated she should roll up her sleeve to have her blood pressure taken. Once the readings were taken she pointed to a wall chart indicating that she should measure herself, it was alleged.
Mr Mackenzie said his relative, who did not want to be named, had wanted to ask the nurse questions as she had suffered from high blood pressure, but was denied the opportunity because of the six-minute phone call.
He said: "Incredibly, for six minutes this nurse held a social conversation on her mobile phone while indicating to my relative through hand signals what to do.
"All this went on while this nurse continued with her conversation with a friend. It was quite clear it was a social conversation from the tone of her voice. It was nothing to do with work."
He said the call only ended when a second nurse came into the room and stared at Nurse Ukaegbu.
Nurse Ukaegbu, from Woolwich, is understood to have arrived in Britain from Nigeria in 2000 and qualified to work in British hospital in 2002.
A spokesman for the hospital said: "We have received a complaint and the actual allegations made are pretty appalling.
"We have taken immediate action to look into this case and should be able to report on our findings within 25 days.
"If proved the appropriate disciplinary action would be taken."
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NEW YORK -- Royal Dutch Shell agreed to a $15.5 million settlement Monday to end a lawsuit alleging that the oil giant was complicit in the executions of activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and other civilians by Nigeria's former military regime.
Shell, which continues to operate in Nigeria, said it agreed to settle the lawsuit in hopes of aiding the "process of reconciliation." But Europe's largest oil company acknowledged no wrongdoing in the 1995 hanging deaths of six people, including poet Saro-Wiwa.
"This gesture also acknowledges that, even though Shell had no part in the violence that took place, the plaintiffs and others have suffered," Malcolm Brinded, Shell's executive director of exploration and production, said in a statement.
The lawsuit in U.S. District Court in New York claimed Shell colluded with the country's former military government to silence environmental and human rights activists in the country's Ogoni region. The oil-rich district sits in the southern part of Nigeria and covers about 400 square miles. Shell started operating there in 1958.
The primary complaint against Shell focused on activities by the company's subsidiary, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited.
The lawsuit said in the 1990s, Shell officials helped furnish Nigerian police with weapons, participated in security sweeps of the area, and hired government troops that shot at villagers protesting the construction of a pipeline.
The plaintiffs also say Shell helped the government capture and hang Saro-Wiwa, John Kpuinen, Saturday Doobee, Felix Nuate, Daniel Gbokoo and Dr. Barinem Kiobel on Nov. 10, 1995.
Saro-Wiwa, leader of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, led rallies against Shell. He blamed the company for myriad oil spills and gas fires in the Ogoni region.
"I think he would be happy with this," Saro-Wiwa's 40-year-old son, Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr., said in a telephone interview from London. Though Shell denied any wrongdoing, "the fact that they would have to settle is a victory for us."
Besides compensating the families, the money from Shell will pay for years of legal fees. And a large chunk of the settlement - roughly a third - will create a trust that will invest in social programs in the country including educational endowments, agricultural development, support for small enterprise and adult literacy programs.
Altogether, the settlement will have a negligible effect on Shell's shareholders, amounting to less than one-hundredth of a percent of Shell's annual revenue. It's comparable to the annual cost of renting one of the supertankers that Shell uses to deliver Nigerian oil to other countries.
Shell has consistently maintained that it never advocated violence and that it lobbied Nigerian officials to grant Saro-Wiwa clemency.
Critics say that Shell did so because of the bad publicity the case had generated.
"Is it enough to bring back the lives of our clients? Obviously not," said Jenny Green, a lawyer for the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York who helped file the lawsuit in 1996.
But Green said it will send a message to Shell and other multinationals that operate in developing countries.
"You can't commit human rights violations as a part of doing business," she said. "A corporation can't act with impunity. And we think there is accountability in this settlement."
Ralph Steinhardt, a George Washington professor of international law, said he doesn't think Shell got off easy with the settlement.
"It's not the size of the company that's the right measure here," Steinhardt said. "At the end of the day, it's to get some acknowledgment of the plaintiffs and their suffering and the role of the company."
The Shell settlement ends one of several legal battles brought against energy companies by indigenous peoples where they operate.
Villagers in Indonesia are suing Exxon Mobil, claiming it employed guards who kidnapped, tortured and murdered civilians. Chevron is awaiting a verdict from a judge in Ecuador that could lead to a potential $27 billion judgment stemming from a dispute over the role of Texaco, which Chevron bought in 2001, in environmental damages in the Amazon rain forest.
The case against Shell was based on Alien Tort Claims Act. The 18th-century law was originally meant to combat piracy and allows foreigners to pursue corporations in U.S. courts.
At least one additional lawsuit alleging human rights abuses by Shell in Nigeria is pending in U.S. District Court in New York.
Fourteen years after the Nigerian activists were hanged, Saro-Wiwa said he thinks Shell has started to acknowledge that it needs a "social license" to operate in a foreign countries. For example, the company has agreed to pay for a study of environmental damage that drilling has caused the Ogoni region.
"They have a long way to go," he said. "But at least they realize some of their actions can come back to haunt them as we saw in New York."
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Husbands And Wives - “Husbands, Likewise, dwell with understanding, giving honour to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered, “(1Peter 3:7)”. Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Ephesians 5:33)If you look at our culture closely, you will discover that the main reasons for this high rate of divorce are not adultery or incompatibility, but selfishness and a lack of respect.Mutual respect between husband and wife is a must. Unless we respect each other, we cannot have the marriage God has in mind for us or love each other the way we should. According to Peter, disrespect for our spouse will hinder our prayers and drive a wedge between us. Husbands and Wives must learn to accept each other as they are, encourage each other to use the gifts God has given them, and build each other up. To do so requires respect.Ask yourself these questions:-Do I live in such a way as to earn respect?Am I showing respect to my spouse by my words and actions?And if you are dating, if not, that’s a big problem and you may need to look elsewhere.“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25, Read also 1Conrithians 13:1-7) In Ephesians 5 Paul tells husbands to love their wives “as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her” and to love their wives as they love themselves. When they do that, their marriages show it.Some men as a matter of fact need to spend less time with self and more time showing attention and care to their wives.“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the Church and he is the Saviour of the body. Therefore, just as the Church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word. That He might present her to Himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemishSo husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies, for he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own fresh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does to the Church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband “(Ephesians 5:15-33).The terms “submit” and being submissive” are fighting words to some. Yet terminology that sometimes makes us uncomfortable is part of the Bible’s message. A window of understanding opens when we recognize that the idea of submission has often been misunderstood by both husbands and wives. Some husbands have interpreted it to mean that the wife is to wait on him hand and foot, and some wives have thought that it means to be inferior.But such thinking is of-track. Submission does not mean a wife becomes her husband’s servant. Instead, submission is based on Christ’s giving of Himself for the Church. In Christ, husbands and wives give up themselves willingly out of love for one another. In such a relationship of mutual service, yielding is not a BURDEN but a BLESSINGLord, please help us to respect each other and accept each other. Forgive us for not always showing one another the respect you ask of us. Fill us with your love so that we can love others for your sake. Give us wisdom to be patient and kind in all our relationships.Help us understand our roles as husbands and wives in Christ. Fill us with Jesus’ love so that we may serve one another as He served us. AMEN.Marriage, home and family –How do you know who’s right for you?“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double – minded man unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8).Though marriages are pre-arranged in some cultures, most people make their own choice and it is one of the most important choices we can make. Our choice of marriage partner affects our children, our grandchildren, and the surrounding Christian Community.Sometimes the choice is made carelessly. Today’s divorce courts are filled with people who have decided they are incompatible. You hear someone say, “I should never have married him. It was a huge mistake” (what a bitter experience)If you are dating or have already set your wedding date, ask yourself whether you are right for each other.Ask the Lord whether you can build a marriage that is a true blessing to both partners. James says that if we ask for wisdom, God gives it. Listen carefully to your parents and to Christian counselors, and use the kind of pre-marriage counseling that will help you be sure you are making the right choice.In all, we need the Holy Spirit to lead us through. When you and I ask for the Spirit in our lives, we will be able to show the fruit of the Spirit in all our endeavours. (Galatians 5:22-23) . When the spiritual fruit matures, our marriages will become more and more what God intends them to be. Our homes will reflect the kind of relationship God has in mind for us.Ask God today for a personal Pentecost in your life, in your marriage, and in your family. Ask Him each day to fill you with His fullness, and when you do, you too will be able to show the fruit of the spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.Lord help those who are dating, and thinking about getting married to follow your guidance into marriages that truly bring honour to Christ. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us: Melt us, mold us, fill us, use us. In your strength help us to produce fruit that shows we are children of God.“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice, And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ Forgave you” (Ephesians 4:29-32)Many of us are much better at talking than at listening. Some of us struggle to listen because we have a habit of speaking too much. We listen impatiently, thinking only of what we want to say next. Some parents also never listen to their children and some children never listen to their parents.Marriages, homes and relationships have been destroyed because someone did not bother to tune their ears to what was said. That is why we need to develop the art of communication as described by James: Be quick to listen, and slow to speak. Ask the Holy Spirit to make you a better listener today.“Marriage is honourable among all and the bed undefiled, but fornicators and adulterers God will judge “(Hebrews 13:4) “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price, therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s (I Corinthians 6:18-20)..written byMOSES EVBUOMWAN
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HelloA Nursery 1 student in a danfo bus from school was reciting the day’s lesson at school, it went thus:If my father is a cock and my mother a hen, I will be a chick, if my father is a lion and my mother is a lioness, I will be a cub, if my father is a king and my mother a queen, I will be a prince etc, etc.The bus driver was irritated by the boys ‘noise’; he shouted at the boy asking him to shut up. But the boy continued.Then the driver shouted, "what if your father is an ‘armed robber’ (thief), and your mother an ‘ashawo’ (prostitute) what will you be?"The boy replied; I will be a ‘Danfo Driver’.Frankly speaking what will u do if u were the danfo driver?
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This writer’s meeting with Agomoh Paul, a former junior prophet in the Synagogue Church of All Nation, Lagos had to take place in a secret location because of several alleged attempts by Pastor T.B. Joshua’s to kill him. Paul, who was Joshua’s deputy for several years, was brought out of hiding by a Pentecostal pastor, who has been giving him refuge for several months.Paul was cool and calm when this writer met him. He did not show any sign of a man being hunted. He came for the appointment with his wife who was also a former devotee of Joshua’s Church, looking fulfilled. For years, he says he was part of the alleged torture, rape, hypnotism, murder, deceit and occultism in the church. But now, he says he has found Christ; He’s now a true born again and wants to fully expose Pastor Joshua, to put an end to the “deceit called Synagogue Church of all Nation.” Everything about Pastor Joshua is fake, he tells this writer, with so much venom.This decision must have influenced Paul’s key role in the home video, ‘The Rise of the Nigerian Antichrist’, which has been circulating for a couple of weeks. He was one of the ex-devotees who “exposed Joshua’s atrocities.” Paul wants the police to quickly arrest Joshua to save the lives of thousands of people in bondage in the church. In fact, he has sent a petition to the police, detailing Joshua’s alleged atrocities.“Joshua is involved in alarming and horrific activities that require the intervention of the police. Devotees are hypnotized, canned with horse whip and humiliated. Disciples are not allowed any contact with the outside world – no newspapers, radio or television. I lived with the prophet for more than ten years, rising from the position of a disciple before I was eventually made a prophet. We lived under dehumanising conditions before we are finally confirmed as prophets. We are dehumanised, threatened and incarcerated most of the time. In fact, Joshua is running a concentration camp and not a discipleship quarters.“We lived in fear and agony and afraid to leave because those who escaped were either brought back with mysterious sicknesses or end up with bizarre ailments outside the Synagogue. We were brainwashed to deny our parents and relatives and most of us changed our surnames to Joshua. Joshua has committed so much crime against God and humanity. In the beginning, he taught us how to arrange miracles through brainwashing people to accept what they are not.”Paul says Joshua is also responsible for the death of many HIV/AIDS patients who he allegedly stopped from taking medications, with the promise to heal them without the aid of any medication. “A footballer from Liberia who plays in Scotland once brought a sister who is HIV positive, but was on drugs which made her strong. Once in the Synagogue, she was asked to stop her drugs. Soon, her situation became worse and Joshua sent her back to die in her country. When she got home, she died. One prince came to the Synagogue HIV positive, but he was very strong. When Joshua asked the man to discontinue his drugs, his situation became worse and the man died. There are more than a thousand of such cases that I witnessed. I know if an advert is placed in newspapers, calling for the families of those who died through Joshua's spiritual advice to come forward, it will be amazing the number that will turn up,” Paul alleged.Paul is also worried about the Europeans and other foreigners who flock to Joshua’s church. “We enter their rooms with spare keys, search their bags and get their personal details and problems, while they are on tour of the church. We then pass this information to Joshua, which he uses during services to bemuse them. They think he gets these details about them because of his spiritual power. It’s all lies. We steal the information for him.”This ex-devotee also claimed that Joshua consistently abused women and even minors sexually in the church. “Most of the big girls you see around him today came as virgins. They have all been sexually abused by Joshua. None of these girls has been allowed to marry by Joshua and some of them are in their mid or late thirties.”Paul claimed that Joshua often kill disciples who rebel or try to leave the church. “Death means nothing to Joshua,” he alleged, as he (Joshua) “has the machinery to cover up deaths.” Joshua, Paul claimed, maintains a killer squad which he uses to eliminate enemies. “Apart from people who died mysteriously, there are others beaten to death by the squad on Joshua’s instruction. Even Chris Okotie was lucky to escape Joshua's hit men. When Okotie exposed him, I overheard Joshua complaining to some people. After that occasion, Okotie began to complain that Joshua was after his life. Now that I have finally decided to expose this antichrist who parades himself as a man of God, he has left no stone unturned to eliminate me.”Paul alleges that Joshua's philanthropic strides shown on television are deceptive and deliberately done “to court public goodwill and not necessarily as a humane gesture.” Marriage by disciples was also strictly prohibited by Joshua, so says Paul and “Joshua always ensures he stops any blossoming relationship amongst his disciples.” The ex-devotee alleged that Joshua poisoned one prophet Benson who informed Joshua of his proposed wedding. He said his own attempt to marry a Ghanaian lady and Joshua’s opposition eventually opened his eyes to the atrocities in the church and led to his departure. “After a lot of argument over my plans to marry after I had passed 40 years, Joshua eventually asked me to bring the lady to him. She died mysteriously two weeks after she returned to Ghana.”Another ex-devotee that featured in the “The Rise of the “Nigerian Antichrist,” was one Bisola Johnson, who did the voice over in Joshua’s television programmes. Bisola claimed she joined the church at 14 and that she was also sexually abused by Joshua. She also alleges that Joshua practices occultism and bizarre initiation. “We were made to drink strange water during initiation as disciples,” she claimed. She also accused Joshua of false miracles, deceit and fraud.A website, www.antichrist.com has also been opened by “concerned Christians” to “expose” the purported atrocities of Pastor Joshua. The website is flooded daily with confessions of Joshua’s ex-devotees. Comments and articles of other pastors, criticising Joshua abound on the website. The promoters of the website say they are out to destroy “the antichrist called Joshua.”Pastor Joshua has since responded to the allegations contained in the video and the antichrist website, describing them as false. In fact, he has done a counter-video, tilted’ “Beware of Blasphemers,” which is now being widely circulated free of charge, to douse the tension raised by the “The Rise of the Nigerian Antichrist” video. In it, Joshua accused Paul and Bisola of falsehood purportedly aimed at making money. “Don’t just sit down and come to hasty conclusions. What they have produced and packaged are all falsehood,” the synagogue pastor maintained.Joshua claimed Paul left the church because of his misconduct. “He’s another blasphemer. Paul abused his position by getting involved with one of the female members of the church in Ghana,” claimed Joshua. In Joshua’s video, (from the church’s video archive) Paul was shown in the church, in abject poverty and asking for Joshua’s help. He was also shown in another section, begging for forgiveness and apologising to Joshua after his recall from Ghana. In another section, Paul was shown in Ghana, confessing to Joshua’s healing power and claiming that the Synagogue pastor healed his sister. When confronted, Paul claimed he was hypnotized into doing all these. He also disputed allegations that he was a poor man when he joined the church.Bisola was also shown in a video from the church’s archive, claiming to be a witch and tormented by evil spirits. She desperately asked Joshua for help and deliverance. Bisola was shown confessing to all sorts of atrocities, including setting her husband’s home on fire. In another section, she was seen begging Joshua for forgiveness. “It was after this that she left and started spreading falsehood about the church,” said Joshua. Bisola also claims to have been hypnotized when she was made to confess to being evil at the church.However, Joshua’s video failed to answer many critical question raised by Paul and other former devotees concerning alleged occultism, murder, hypnotism, sexual abuse, torture, slavery and deceit. This is not the first time Joshua will be accused of being an antichrist by his former followers. A few years ago, Pastor Chris Okotie of the Household of God waged an all out war with him for several weeks over his deeds, calling him a phony man of God and a dupe.Okotie said: “Joshua is involved in satanic manipulation of adherents and has transferred the same evil power to Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, hence the similarities in their ministries and the emergence of a fake healing ministry for both pastors. Joshua is a practitioner of Shamanism.”Okotie continued: “Joshua is involved in Docetic Gnosticism. I have studied the Bible for over 14 years and I know what I am saying. Joshua is not qualified to talk about Jesus Christ and the Bible. The Bible is also very clear when it said that I should have nothing to do with a person like Joshua.“No one knows his (Joshua) past. All the stories he tells are not verifiable. Joshua claimed that his birth was prophesied, and that he quoted from the scriptures at a very tender age before knowing the Bible. The only way that can happen is by spiritual impartation. So, he is claiming equality with Jesus Christ. There is no way we are going to sit back and allow him to carry on. We don’t want what he is doing to this country. He is more dangerous than Abacha was.”Wale Adefarasin, another Pentecostal preacher said during Joshua’s crisis with Okotie: “On TB Joshua, the PFN makes it clear that any member who fraternises with TB Joshua will be suspended until they repent. We do not believe at this point in time that it is a Ministry of God. What we want people to know and find out is that when somebody says he is as Christian, pastor/minister, you ask him when he became born-again. Most people know when they get born again. But T B Joshua said he was converted from his mother’s womb. We know that is not possible.”Bishop Abraham Olaleye, President, Abraham Evangelistic World Outreach, Lagos also added to the controversy when he said: “I have taken time to watch many of Joshua’s TV programmes and came to the conclusion that there is something not clear, something about him is not clear. I kept watching, so that I can be sure before I make my opinion known. Having watched him over the years, I have no doubt, not even an iota of doubt left in me that this man called T.B. Joshua is not a man of God.”“Due to my personal encounter with T.B. Joshua and my involvement with Bayo Ajede (an ex-devotee) I knew without a shred of doubt that the ministry was diabolical but the actual magnitude of the deception far exceeded my thoughts. Joshua has successfully undermined the Nigerian Church,” said Ladi Thompson, another Pentecostal preacher.Clearly, Joshua has his hands full. Devotees are absconding by the day and “exposing” him. The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria thinks no genuine Christian should have anything to do with him. He would need more than videos to prove that he’s not an antichrist. He would need to show by his deeds that he’s a true Christian.
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A MELODRAMA was played out yesterday as a woman, who claims to be the wife of Gen. Shehu Yar'Adua, the late elder brother of President Umar Musa Yar'adual was arraigned along with one Linda Anyanwu over allegations of fraud and attempt to defraud the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
EFCC docks Yar’Adua’s "wife": Hajiya Asabe Shehu Musa Yar’Adua (right) with Linda Anyanwu (left) charge to court by EFCC for false pretence at Federal High Court, Abuja.
The woman identified as Asabe Willaims alias Asabe Shehu Musa Yar'Adua and Anyanwu pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge of fraud. They were remanded in Suleja Prisons by the trial Judge, Abubakar Talba till June 22, this year when their bail applications would be heard.
Asabe had told the court that she is the wife of the late former number two-man and rejected the alias 'Asabe Shehu Musa Yar'Adua' appellation attached to the charge sheet.
The prosecutor, Aso Larry-Peters had obtained the leave of the court for the charges against the accused persons to be read and for their pleas to be taken.
Counsel to Asabe, Adamu Williams had after the two accused persons had pleaded not guilty to the charges, urged the court to admit his client to bail. "May I respectfully apply for the bail of the 1st accused person, I recognise that this is a court of records and by the rules of the court, bail applications ought to be brought formally.
"It is in recognition of this that we have filed a written application for bail and we are prepared to move the said motion," he added.
But Larry-Peters told the court that "the learned defence counsel is familiar with the rules of the court, he has just served me the motion less than 10 minutes ago and has raised very serious averments that I have to study and respond to. We would be opposing his moving the application."
Ruling on the matter, Talba said the prosecution was entitled to the mandatory 48 hours within which to respond to the issues raised in the motion. He remarked that due to the court's congested programmes for next week, the matter could only be taken on June 22 and therefore adjourned the matter to that date.
The charges against the accused include:
That you, Joy Asabe Williams alias Hajia Asabe Shehu Musa Yar'Adua and Linda Anyanwu on May 13, 2009 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal High Court conspired among yourselves to collect money from the Comptroller-General of Customs under false pretence and thereby committed an Advance Fee Fraud contrary to section 1(3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Act;
That you Linda Anyanwu on May 13, 2009 in Abuja, attempted to collect money from the Comptroller-General of Customs under false pretence, an offence punishable under the EFCC Act.
That you Joy Asabe Williams alias Hajia Asabe Shehu Musa Yar'Adua on between January 1, and May 13, 2009 in Abuja falsely presented yourself as the wife of the late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, which you know to be false with the intention to collect money from the Comptroller-General of Customs and thereby an offence punishable under section 1(3) of the EFCC Act.
The accused persons were first arrested by operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) on May 13 and later transferred to the custody of the EFCC on May 22, 2009.
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Safe and covertly vicious, university campus pimps in the country have coolly wormed their ways into the social circuits nationwide.Parties hardly click until one or two of them “grace the occasion” with a bevy of pretty girls in their notebooks and on their payrolls.HighflyersAt LASU, a self effacing pimp simply called Ben “freights” and airlifts girls to Abuja.“Whenever there’s a big event, I get an order for 20 – upto 30 girls. So, I package them for the ‘pay masters’ who will, of course pay into my account. The money is for ticket and taxi, and small, small expenses. After the show, the pay master will pay the agreed amount and we fly back”, Ben explained.Mr Fix-itAccording to Ben, a night out for each of his girls attracts N10,000. A weekend in Lagos, the girls grudging charge between N50,000 and N30,000.For Ben, “Mr. fix-it”, for the deal to go through, you must stuff his pocket with N150,000. To prove his class, Ben rides a clean Toyota Camry lives in a tastefully furnished 3-bedroom apartment off campus. Though the dictionary defines a pimp as a man who engages women in prostitution in brothel and on the streets, but in the Nigerian context, women have a large share of the business.At University of Lagos, Akika Star is the toast of most social events in the city of Lagos. Though her real first name is Stella but her alias, Star, twinkles and winkles as brightly as her reputation.For four weeks our reporter traversed some campuses around the country, delving deep into the world of undergraduate sin city barons.WHO IS THIS GIRL ? WATCH VIDEO !For fun or material gains their “pawns” – fellow students blindly fall into their traps and clutches without knowing.A big ‘Gbedu’Most times it begins with an invitation to “a big Gbedu with the correct guys in town”. Linked by a source, pimpmynaija sources posed to ‘Star’ as a potential client and sneaked into her closely guarded world.Known around as “a happening babe”, when a client ‘places an order’, Star quickly sends text messages, connects and recruits the girls she wants for the outing and summons a meeting, and most times adds a few extras to the number of girls ordered.“I have some regular girls I go out with. They are up to 20 but if your demand is more, I can double the number. But I need time”, she said.Star preferred a week or at least four days notice. Hear her: “What I hate is someone rushing me. Imagine coming to me on Friday night for a Saturday night out. That’s too tight. I can only listen to you if I’m not booked”.Fair in complexion and friendly, Amina of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State bears an iconic first name. Like the legendary Queen of Zaria, she says “the girls have a choice to go out and play with whoever they like.“We’re all adults. Anybody can decide who to go out with. Here at Samaru, we don’t force anybody. If I call you and you don’t want to go out, no problem”.Patrons in high placesAt the University of Jos, Bulus holds sway. He forays with his tight network of girls to adjoining states like Bauchi, Kaduna, Gombe, Taraba and Nasarawa.His patrons – “my powerful friends”, as he prefers to call them, are mostly top government functionaries and businessmen.Coming from a humble background, Bulus over the years uses proceeds of his wheeling – dealing in women to pay his way through school.Smiling broadly, he told pimpmynaija sources pimping is not an easy job. “Hmm, to arrange girls on campus no dey easy-o. You have to spend and spend and prove you are capable before any girl will agree to follow you”.Depraved tasteAs pimpmynaija found out, it is a lot easier for pimps to hook up with girls. But the difficult part is in ensuring the girls “behave well” on outings and treat the clients well.“You must also make sure that the men you are giving the girls are good. Some men are wicked.They will use the girls and pay little money, Bulus revealed.Another worrisome part for pimps is that some men have a penchant for kinky stuff. Some have wild depraved tastes.“The men don’t care. These girls they carry are even young enough to be their daughters. A good organizer must make sure the men you give girls to, do not use them rough. If any thing happens to the girls, people will start to ask questions, “Akin of University of Ilorin said.Territorial controlCampus pimps imitate the viciousness of their counterparts in the cults of the ivory tower: they fiercely fight and scramble for girls and clients.As pimpmynaija sources’s investigation reveals, they start vying for girls at the beginning of every academic session.“When Jambites (new students) come, you have to rush after them, target the pretty, classy ones. If you try hard, before the end of the first semester, they will become your friend and play along with you”, Mike, a popular undergraduate at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said.Tatoo brandingSome campus pimps brand their girls with tattoo. As a badge of pride and social class, some girls willingly get branded with floral, butterfly or a heart pierced with arrow on their biceps, ankle, tigh, hip or on other private, intimate parts.To ensure loyalty of the girls in their “notebooks”, the pimps keep them under their thumb with “pecks” (gifts) and “red eyes” (threats).“You don’t understand, we invest in those girls. It’s like trading and buying a product. For this, you must not fail to sell for profit”.Ade, Lagos State University (LASU) undergraduate said.Cult ConnectionThe pimpmynaija sources investigation reveals that some campus pimps have links with cult groups ravaging campuses across the country. These boys use the money generated to fund cult activities. It’s really a dangerous trend.When they graduate, they become bigger and menacing”, a lecturer at the University of Calabar, Cross River State, who craves anonymity said.Punishable offenceThe campus pimps are obviously aware of the legal implications of their illicit, exploitative, morally bankrupt business. This explains why they shy away from publicity and scrutiny.A lawyer with Adekunle Ojo and Associates Barrister Godwin Ewa says the nation’s Penal Code (for the north) stipulates 10 years imprisonment without option of fine for any offender.The Criminal Code (for the south) states that first offenders risk two years imprisonment with caning.“Our law book is adequate. Sections 216 – 227 of the criminal code make ample provision against lacuna. The courts are ever ready.But the problem is the ever compromising law enforcement agencies especially the police,” he said.
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Genevieve Nnaji has paid her dues as a top-rated actress in Nollywood. She has also delved into music, modelling and fashion. Despite attaining the age 30, the single mother of one says she is not under any pressure to get married. She spoke with Senior Correspondent, Temitope David-Adegboye, on her absence from the screen and the things that have been taken her time.What does hitting 30 feel like?I feel as always. Age is just a number.You've been acting for close to 11 years. What have you gained from your exposure?It has open doors and given me a sense of fulfilment. I'm glad I've been able to do what I have done so far. It has kept me grounded and I must say it's been fun. I'm grateful for it.You started with acting; then, moved to music, and then modelling. Now, another creative part of you is about to be brought to the fore in fashion. How does all these come together? Where do you get your inspiration from, or is it a case of doing what others are doing?No, not at all. I'll say it's always been there. What happens is that I unveil them one at a time. I believe there is time for everything. There is still more I am capable of that you are unaware of, but with time, you'd probably know or you may never know.Acting came first. It's not really my major talent, but it was the first thing that I did. I love music too. Well, the album came, but that's not my stuff. That's not the best I can do. Fashion, I love. I've been designing since I was in primary school. For me, fashion is fun. It's a way of relaxing for me. I enjoy it. And it's more of a hobby than work. I'm taking my time doing it. I'm relaxed doing my own design for my clients and people who have similar taste and mindset with me.About a year ago you collaborated with a well-known designer to launch St. Genevieve clothing line. Now, you and another very famous designer are collaborating and coming up with another thing. What is it all about?It's the same thing. St Genevieve is a brand. The brand is just about my designs and me. Anybody can make my outfits as long as you have the talents for sewing and I believe I've worked with the best so far, and I'm sure I'm going to work with a lot more people. All I'm doing here is selling my creative designs.Yes, I'm coming out with Zizi Cardow now. Apart from the fact that I love her as a person, she is a very creative person. I love her finishing as well, and I must also add that Iconola, whom I worked with last year, also has finishing. I'm glad to be collaborating with Zizi this year and we are moving on.Is that the end of your relationship with Iconola then?For now yes. If anything is to come up in the future, you'll know. Now, I'm with Zizi. It's refreshing to be doing this with Zizi because she is extremely creative. The way she grasps everything is amazing.What inspires your designs?They come to me. I sit and come up with something and then I give it to her to sew. I can't sew a button to save my life.Lets go back to acting, what's responsible for your absence from the screen?I'm still in the industry. I'm just a bit stricter in the selection of scripts. I think everybody needs to grow to that point where they have to make up their mind what they want, especially from their job.What I want is creativity and professionalism. I think that should reflect in the kind of movies I appear in. I'm very selective; I'm now into so many things that a script must be really good for me to take part in it?Are you working on any movie now?I'm not working now. I've been reading some scripts, trying to settle for something. If I don't see any one that I like, then I won't work.When was the last time you did a job?That was April last year. It's called Bursting Lose.What will get you working like before?Creativity. It doesn't have to stress me. It could be a simple story, simple character. Creativity from the person that is writing is key. I like a complete work, something that has a beginning, middle and end. Even if it's been done before, the thing is how differently can you make it your own.One of the major complaints of Nollywood viewers is lack of content and sometimes, unprofessionalism on the part of the artistes. Now that Ghanaians are gradually taking over the industry, what are you and your colleagues doing to improve your movies?I don't think Ghana is moving in. We are the ones inviting them to be a part of what we are doing here. I see actors as contractors. If I'm here and Ghana calls me to come and do a movie, I don't see that as anybody's business. It is the business of the producer and me. And I think actors should have the right to work wherever they choose to, whether Nollywood, Bollywood, Hollywood or whatever wood. It's an open market. We all have one thing in common, and that is acting.Actors from other African countries cornered this year's AMAA. How do you feel about this?It's not about me as a practitioner; we have to be practical here. I haven't seen some of those movies that were awarded, and so I am not in the best position to judge. I don't see anything wrong in bringing in other markets as long as they are within Africa. This is my own take. Being a nominee is already an award. You are already recognised for your good works. When it comes to who takes the cake, I think we have to be professional, honest and truthful and give honour to whom it is due. Bias shouldn't come to play here. I'm not saying it did at AMAA, but that is how it should be treated. I have no qualms with AMAA inviting other peopleWhat about the issue of interference of marketers?I don't know what they are doing. I'm not a marketer or producer. I'm an actor. My own is to be called when the whole production has been put together, but still, I still try to give my honest advice wherever necessary. I also pray that all works well. There is nothing more I can do until I am ready to go behind the scene, which I am not ready to do for now.People believe being a producer is where the money is.I didn't come into this profession for the money in the first place. The money came to me. I'm here for the passion and that is still what drives me. For me, when I'm bored with the passion, maybe I'll move in for the money.Can you name one actor or actress that have the same passion with you?I can't name any now. I don't really know these people.How would you describe a professional?A professional is someone who puts his/her job first. Every other thing is then negotiated. I think if you love your job, it will love you back in some way without you losing a finger.Last year, there were rumours about you collecting money from a Ghanaian movie producer and not going for the job.I don't even want to talk about it because I think just having my name attached to that production has given it enough publicity. So, I will not want to honour it more, by speaking about it again. It's in the past. It's like every other business. There is nothing to resolve. There was no deal or contract. It's like every other script. It's either I like it or not. And if I don't like it, I drop it. Whatever you go to tell the world is your business. The point is if you couldn't get me on your job you are the loser.You are 30, but looks younger. What's the secret?I guess its good genes?Good genes from dad or mum?From both of them.Did your parents support your acting from the outset?Well, I won't say it was immediately. With time, they realised that it was something I really loved and was passionate about. Right now, they are my best fans.Being someone from the Eastern part of the country, it is common knowledge that once you are 30, there will be pressure that you should get married. Has the pressure been mounting up yet?No. My parents have other children to focus on. I'm only one out of eight. For me if marriage comes, fine. It's not a priority. It's never been, but it a good thing every woman wants. So, I'm not shying away from it. But then, I'm going to go in with my head straight. I will go into marriage for the right reasons. Not for money, not for fame, not for name and not to satisfy the world. I don't want any sort of peer pressure getting involved in my settling down, or trying to prove a point that I can settle down. I don't need that. I'm here to please my God and myself, and as long as my parents have no issues with it, I'm fine. When I find the right person, I'm sure I'll settle down.What's that fashion accessory that you can do anything to get?Diamond and handbags.How many handbags do you have?I can't count them.How much is the most expensive one you own?I won't tell you that. But I can tell you the cheapest, which is the one I got from Zara. There are other cheap ones that are unique that I also have. I just love handbags.
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We didn't expect Yori Yori to be a bang -BracketEzioko Nwachukwu and Obumneme Ali, who go by the stage name 'Bracket' are easily known for their 'Yori Yori' hit track that is currently making waves within the entertainment circles. The duo, from Enugu State and students of the same school, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, spoke to REPORTER, Ifeoma Meze, on how they started, the philosophy behind the track 'Yori yori,' among other issues. Excerpts: You guys suddenly took the music world by the storm. Even then not much is known by many about your personal details.My name is Ezioko Nwachukwu. I am from Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State. My stage name is Vast. I am still in school. I am studying Mass Communication in University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I am hoping to graduate anytime from next two years.I am Obumneme Ali. I am from Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State. I am known on the stage as Smash. I am also in the same school with him but studying Psychology.How did you guys meet?Vast: We met in university school show. Though we had not gotten into the university then but because we are gifted in the sense that we used to miming other people's songs like R. Kelly, Tupac and other American artistes just for entertainment. Then they used to call us; paid us small amount of money for us to come to mime. That was how we got to meet. We were three before. I met the third guy, Amobi Clement popularly known as Bisstog, who is no longer with the group due to some reasons, before I met Obumneme. When we, Amobi and I, met Obumneme, we asked him to rap for us and we liked his pattern of raping because then the kind of music we did mostly was rap songs but because of Nigerian market we had to switch to singing. So that was how we met.What happened to the third guy?The third guy left. He said that he didn't want to combine education and music. He is in Electrical Electronics Engineering in the same school, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.Is he likely to come back to the group?That is what I don't know for now.How has the group been since he left?As you can see, God has been on our side.Did it ever occur to you guys that 'Yori Yori' track would take you this far?Smash: We have always hoped that we would get to the top one day, starting from the day that we did our first song Happy day. Though it did not go that far, when we went to the studio to do another job we were hopeful that at least we would get to a certain level. But we never expected that Yori Yori will go this far but we had that feeling that it was a bright and good job and that it would sell but not really up to what we are getting now.Is there another track in the album that you think that would be better than Yori Yori?The one that is picking up seriously now is No time. That is the number two track in the album that we did with P-Square. Number four, Ada Owerri, is receiving enough airplay in Lagos. We have other slow songs like wrong thing and leaders of tomorrow. People fall in love with them when they play.What inspired you guys to do the track? Yori Yori?Yori Yori was born out of the love we have for everybody who has been there for us starting from the days of Happy Day. It does not really mean that we sang it for a particular girl or a particular person. The media, which have always been there for us, are involved. It was inspired by anybody who at least contributed in one way or the other during the days of Happy Day. That is why we did that song to appreciate them for all the good things they did for us and also for the support. We had to do it as a love song pattern so that Nigerians would appreciate it easily. A guy can play the song for his girlfriend and likewise a girl too. That was the market that we were looking at but the story behind the song is that it is for everybody that has made us come this far.You guys were once rappers, are you likely to do some rap music?Maybe in our old age after making our money. What we are based on now is singing and making hit tracks that can move the world, fetch us money, shows and endorsements.So, for now, rap is sleeping?Yes, for now rap is sleeping. It is not that rap is bad or that it does not sell in our country but I don't think the kind of rap we do would sell. I believe singing is what we can do better.How did you guys find out that singing is what you can do better?Because of Happy Day, our first single. It was strictly singing with a little rap of eight lines.Why do you think Happy Day did not really sell?It is not that it did not sell but it did not fetch us shows, money. It did not fetch us enough fame but look at Yori Yori just within two months it blew up everywhere.What challenge have you been facing in this career?It has not been very easy especially in the aspect of our education. It is very difficult to combine music and education. For example, you might have an exam to write in Nsukka and a show to attend at Abuja. It is quite tasking and challenging because you cannot be in those two places at the same time. But we still cope well.So aside education, you don't have any challenges again?Smash: I don't think so. Other challenges like getting a sponsor, we sure passed through that when we were starting. But by God's grace, we have passed that stage now. We are very thankful to our sponsor, A-Planet, today he is happy for what he helped us for.So there are no challenges coming from the female fans?For female fans, that one is certain but being the king of people we are, we are in control. We control ourselves when it comes to that side. They are not really a problem because we have back up and that back up is God.What would you say about the kind of music we have these days?Vast: I can give it 70 percent. We are trying though we have a lot of artistes in Nigeria that are not really there. Generally to entertainment in Nigeria, I will give them 70 percent because we have really grown from what we used to be.What about the morals of our younger generation, do you think the kinds of music we have these days are music that can corrupt kid?I don't think so, because any song or video goes through a censor's board and if they are not really good for public consumption, it will be banned from viewing on TV stations. Nigeria is really trying but the only thing I think they cannot control is piracy.Piracy is uncontrollable. Everyday it grows worse. As days pass by, we see new kind of piracy. Once a marketer gets hold of your work, he bargains with the piracy people a huge amount of money. And that is why it is uncontrollable. If only marketers will stand on their feet and say no to piracy then we have taken one step to fighting it.Is there any form of advice or what you think that should be done to help cub piracy?There is one truth that people hide that as a musician, you have to do a tight song, a song that can touch every nooks and crannies of this country. After that, wait for your endorsements and shows. Don't depend on what marketer will give you. But you must give the album to a marketer at any amount of money. In a way, piracy helps to spread your music to places you never imagine your songs can go but the problem is that someone else reaps the fruit of your sweat.This is a kind of advice to up and coming artiste. If you do a very good music, relax, go to any station that you feel can accept you, drop it there for it to be played, before you know it, people will start asking of you. People will give you endorsements, shows and even sponsors. By the time you do your second album, you can sell it any amount you want. They should not look at the faces of D'Banj, P-Square or 9ice. Just focus on doing a masterpiece as a song that would bring you out and you are already there.If your song is not good, they cannot pirate it because they will loose their money. But if it's good they will push your work to any level and in a way it boosts your profile and recognition.Do you guys miss the third guy in your group?Yes. But we have moved on now.What if he comes back to join the group?He will definitely come back to face his music, but I don't think he will come back to join the group. He will be doing his own thing.
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Sixty Six Participants were enrolled into the Senior Executive Course 31 in February, 2009. The following table shows the names, designations and sponsors of the Participants.
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most are Army or Military personell .What really is the NIPSS ?
About NIPSS
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The National institute serves as a high level centre for reflection, research and dialogue. Here academics of excellence, seasoned policy initiators and other citizens of mature experience and wisdom, drawn from all walks of life, meet to reflect and exchange ideas on the great issues of society, particularly as they relate to Nigeria and Africa in the context of a constantly changing world. The Institute aims to be a model institution for inculcating the highest national ideals and achieving the best results from a rational deployment and utilization of resources. Towards this overriding objective, the Institute, among other things:
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The National Institute is located in a beautiful environment by a lake in Kuru, near Jos, the Plateau State capital, which is accessible by air and a good network of roads from all parts of the Federation. Its postal address is Private Mail Bag 2024, Bukuru, Plateau State, Nigeria.
Other notable intitutions within the vicinity of the National Intitute include the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom; the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Jos; and the University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria.
The rural environs of the National Institute provide a remarkable serene atmosphere for reflection and relaxation for participants and staff. Nevertheless, the Institute is hooked up with the rest of the world via Internet and satellite. Staff and participants enjoy a wide range of national and International TV broadcasts. Sports and leisure facilities are being developed. It is envisaged that the Institute will have a bar and facilities for table and lawn tennis, golf, basketball, volley ball and indoor games.
1.
Dr. (Mrs.) Anthonia Ngozi Njepuome Consultant Special HOSF
2.
Mr. Itua Aikhoje Deputy Director HOSF
3.
Gp. Capt BM Saleh Group Captain Nigerian Air Force
4.
Col GAR Dogo Colonel Nigerian Army
5.
Col BT Ndiomu Colonel Nigerian Army
6.
Dr. Greenwell Ernest Deputy Director State Security Service
7.
Gp. Capt DO Bolaji Group Captain Nigerian Air Force
8.
Col MN Idris Colonel Nigerian Army
9.
Mr. Omari Onos Onoja Director State Security Service
10.
Col. Mohammed Tasiu Ibrahim Colonel Nigerian Army
11.
Navy Capt ML Barau Navy Captain Nigerian Navy
12.
Dr. Musa Balat Chief Medical Officer Defence Intelligence Agency
13.
Mrs. Susan Leks Director NASS
14.
Capt. Idris Edino Usman Navy Captain Nigerian Navy
15.
CP Gana Peter Yisa Commissioner Nigeria Police
16.
CP Abba Suleiman Commissioner Nigeria Police
17.
CP Musa A. Daura Commissioner Nigeria Police
18.
Gp. Capt MB Maiyafe Group Captain Nigerian Air Force
19.
Mrs. Comfort Eyitayo Director ICAN
20.
CP Azuogu O.F Commissioner Nigeria Police
21.
Barrister John L. Yahaya Perm. Sec. Adamawa State Govt.
22.
Mal. Hamza Umar Director NDLEA
23.
Mrs. Josephine N. Anenih President NCWS
24.
Col Joseph N. Nimyel Colonel Nigerian Army
25.
Mr. Esien Ita Kooffreh Director Federal Judiciary
26.
Sen. Abubakar H Gireh Senator NACCIMA
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Mr. Katyen C. Jackden Deputy Director Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Mr. Adeshina L. Sanni Deputy President TUCN
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Mal. Muhammad I. Tahir Perm Sec Jigawa State Govt.
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Mrs. Adaeze Idigo-Izundu Perm Sec Anambra State Govt
31.
Mal. Aminu Baba Nabegu Managing Director Manufacturers Association of Nigeria
32.
Comrade P.A.K. Adewusi Deputy President NLC
33.
Col Austin Kalu Egwuagu Colonel Nigerian Army
34.
Gp. Capt Kingsley O. George Group Captain Nigerian Air Force
35.
Mal. Abubakar Mustapha Head of Service Kaduna State Govt.
36.
CP Katso C. Kakwe Commissioner Nigeria Police
37.
Elder Onnadepo Michael A. Controller Nigeria Prisons Service
38.
Mrs. Rebecca N. Ayuba Comptroller Nigeria Immigration Service
39.
Mr. Abdul-Ganiyu Obatoyinbo Director HOSF
40.
Mal. Danjuma Aliyu Garba Commander FRSC
41.
Mal. Abduljalil Sulaiman A. Deputy Director Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Mrs. Yabawa L. Wabi Perm Sec Borno State Govt.
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Mal. Suleiman Bello 1st Chairman CONSCCIMA
44.
Mal. Sani Abubakar M. Perm Sec Sokoto State Govt.
45.
Mal. Haroon Umar Director National Intelligence Agency
46.
Mal. Mohammed H. Akan Director National Intelligence Agency
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Col Geofrey Ovuakporie Colonel Nigerian Army
48.
Mr. Charles Omeire Registrar NUC
49.
Mrs. Olatunji Olayinka Director HOSF
50.
Capt. JO Oluwole Navy Captain Nigerian Navy
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Barr. Sola Ephraim Oluwanuga Principal Partner Institute of Directors
52.
Engr. MK Abubakar Director General HOSF
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Barr. JA Ibanga Director DIA
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Col Augustine Odidi Colonel Nigerian Army
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Capt. Emmanuel G. Ofik Navy Captain Nigerian Navy
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Mr. Izam Atang Azi Perm Sec Plateau State Govt.
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Mr. Christopher Obinna Perm Sec Rivers State Govt.
58.
Col GN Ahmed Colonel Nigerian Army
59.
Arc. Mohammed A Idris Director Presidency
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Dr. Aderemi Desalu Perm Sec Lagos State Govt.
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Amb. BL Toro Executive Director Presidency
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Alhaji Tajudeen O. Aremu Perm Sec Oyo State Govt.
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Dr. Kabir I. Matazu Rector NBTE
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Dr. Chris Odu Agbor Perm Sec Cross River State
65.
Muhammad Abu Rimi Perm Sec Presidency
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Mr. David Afolabi Adesina Director Kwara State Govt.
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What is the difference between a liar, a hypocrite and a thief? You wouldn’t know how difficult a question this is until you try to answer it.
Where for instance would you place House of Representatives member Ndudi Elumelu, Chairman House Committee on Power; or his Senate counterpart Nicholas Ugbane?
Most Nigerians were actually beginning to come to terms with the fact that the only thing we have to worry about nowadays is bad governance; that the era of impunity and bare-faced lies is over. But representative Elumelu is presenting a very special challenge to all our suppositions. Is our country really, truly this hopeless?
Is Elumelu the same young man who was spitting fire and swearing to expose corruption in the power sector only a few months ago even if that would cost him his life? It is nearly impossible to marry that other Elumelu with the present pathetic, tragic figure; at the EFCC headquarters last week he looked every inch like a lizard that narrowly escaped drowning.
If the ugly facts of this disgusting development were not so glaring, many Nigerians would have been satisfied with the theory that the young man is a victim of political pacification between President Umaru Musa Yar’adua and his mentor, tormentor and benefactor, former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
That rather attractive theory goes like this. That following Yar’Adua’s damaging observation that the Obasanjo regime had spent $10 billion on power sector “without commensurate result”, Obasanjo read that as a frontal attack on his person and his regime. It was a correct diagnosis because no sooner had Yar’adua pronounced those words than they became the defining phrase of the Obasanjo legacy. As a result relations between the two degenerated to a dangerous nadir. Inevitably Obasanjo’s moment came when a combination of self-propelled factors came together to make Yar’Adua a very unpopular president among virtually every sector of the Nigerian society, including his party the PDP. He was loosing grip and he desperately needed a lifeline.
According to this theory, a contrite Yar’adua then turned to OBJ; OBJ was willing to help, but his price was a reversal of the damage that Yar’Adua’s comments and the power sector probe which the Elumelu committee sensationalized had done to his pride and legacy, such as it was. Thus began the process of rubbishing the Elumelu report and the setting up of an Ad Hoc committee which eventually cleared the former president and naturally indicted Elumelu himself. Insiders say that without the need to placate Obasanjo, Elumelu would have gotten away lightly with the N6 billion Rural Electrification Agency (REA) contract scam because it was a common practice between the members of the NASS to scratch each others’ back at the expense of Nigerians.
Whether this outlandish theory is true or not, two facts are as clear as daylight: one, all those that have been so far indicted in the REA scam deserved to be where they are, including, unfortunately, the very popular and amiable permanent secretary of the ministry for power Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyu. The second fact is that Yar’Adua is out for blood like he’s never been before; (according to one account he rejected an intervention from Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar and refused to pick former president Shagari’s call on the same issue).
The case against Elumelu and his conspirators is compelling enough. First there was this huge amount of money at the disposal of the REA waiting to be spent; the only problem was time because they had only two weeks within which to spend about N7bn otherwise it would have to be returned to the government coffers.
So between the leadership of the House and Senate committees on power; the management of REA and the officials of the ministry for power, they quickly cooked up a plan.
Elumelu and fellow legislators kicked aside all due process, submitted or caused to be submitted nine companies and asked the MD of REA to award those rural electrification contracts to them. The MD naturally added his own companies and wrote a letter to the permanent secretary of the power ministry for approval. The permanent secretary who was the Acting Minister at the time because the substantive minister Hajiya Balaraba Ibrahim had been removed by the president on the instigation of some of those same conspirators, inexplicably overlooked the flagrant disregard for due process and granted approval for the contracts and the payment of 15 per cent of the fee. The balance of 85 per cent was equally withdrawn from the REA account and lodged in the banks where those contractors have their accounts.
Thus for all practical purposes, the contracts have been fully paid for. Never mind that in all probability none of those constituent communities that were supposed to enjoy those projects have seen one day of electricity since the contracts were awarded.
All this those people were able to do within an incredible 14 days! You see, who said that government or bureaucracy is slow? (To be continued).
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She's rich. She's talented. She's beautiful. And now Angelina Jolie is the most powerful celebrity in the world.Thanks to the release of several blockbuster movies and an endless sea of media buzz, Jolie has dethroned Oprah Winfrey to top this year's Celebrity 100 list, Forbes' annual ranking of the world's ultra famous.Jolie raked in $27 million in the past 12 months thanks to a movie schedule that included "Kung Fu Panda," "Wanted" and the not-yet-released spy thriller "Salt." Even more impressive: The publicity she garnered following the birth of her twins, as well as the consistent headlines she grabs for her philanthropic efforts and her relationship with actor Brad Pitt, who ranks No. 9 on the list.Winfrey drops to No. 2 on the list. The media maven has pocketed $275 million in the last year, making her the list's top earner. Though viewership for her daily chat fest, "The Oprah Winfrey Show," continues to erode, her earnings remain unchanged from a year ago. In addition to Winfrey's monthly magazine, she has a three-year, $55 million deal with XM Satellite Radio. Early next year, the self-made billionaire will roll out the lifestyle-themed Oprah Winfrey Network in partnership with Discovery Communications.In a year filled with humbling bank failures and violent stock market swings, the earning power of the 2009 Celebrity 100 remained remarkably resilient. The cumulative earnings of the 2009 list totaled $4.1 billion, up slightly from last year's $4 billion haul.The primary reason celebrities are still making big money: Many stars are locked into long-term performance and endorsement contracts. If the economy does not improve, expect the downturn to catch up to the A-list next year.The Celebrity 100, which includes film and television actors, models, chefs, athletes, authors, and musicians, is a measure of entertainment-related earnings and media visibility (exposure in print, television, radio and online). The earnings estimates consist of pre-tax income between June 2008 and June 2009. Management, agent, and attorney fees are not deducted.Rounding out the top five on the list are pop icon Madonna ($110 million), singer Beyonce Knowles ($87 million), and golfer Tiger Woods ($110 million).The Material Girl banked the majority of her millions on the road. Her "Hard Candy" tour rounded out 2008 as the year's top-grossing international tour, raking in $280 million across 17 countries.Knowles' haul came from album sales, tour performances, films, a fashion collection, and a lengthy list of endorsement deals.Woods' pile of cash came mostly from endorsements, appearance fees, and a lucrative gig designing golf courses. He spent most of the year sidelined with a knee injury.Among the newcomers on this year's list: "Twilight" scribe Stephanie Meyer (No. 26) and country crooner Taylor Swift (No. 69). Meyer, who sold 29 million books and created a vampire frenzy, earned $50 million during the year-long period. Swift was the top-selling U.S. artist of 2008, banking $18 million off of a tour, album sales and endorsement deals.Barack Obama joins the list as the first sitting head of state to land on the Celebrity 100. The President's historic election last year helped him sell millions of books. He debuts on this year's list at No. 49, with book earnings of $2.5 million for the 12-month period.To make room for the new entries to the list, 37 bold-faced stars fell off. Among them: J.K. Rowling and Johnny Depp. Rowling lacked a new "Harry Potter" book, while Depp failed to release or collect on an installment of "Pirates of the Caribbean."
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Ghana, which will pump its first oil for export next year, has issued 11 exploration licenses and the prospects of more finds are “extremely high,” the state-owned Ghana National Petroleum Corp. said.“It’s looking very exciting and there’s a lot of potential,” said Michael Aryeetey, senior geologist at the GNPC, which oversees the industry.In 2007, Tullow Oil Plc made its Jubilee oil find offshore Ghana. The discovery, which will start production in 2010, could contain reserves of as much as 1.8 billion barrels, Aryeetey said today at a conference in Takoradi, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) west of the capital, Accra.Vanco Energy Co., based in Houston, Texas, has recently started drilling at a block off the country’s western coast, while Vitol Group, a closely held Geneva-based energy company, plans to begin exploration at a block south-east of Jubilee later this year, Aryeetey said in a separate interview on the sidelines of the conference. “If Vanco finds oil it could be bigger than Jubilee.”While most exploration has taken place off Ghana’s western coast, near its border with the Ivory Coast, GNPC expects the eastern region to yield finds too.Afren Plc, a London-based explorer, has been awarded an exploration license on the eastern coast near Togo. “We are very sure that we will make a find there, the geography is similar to Nigeria,” Aryeetey said. Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer.Central RegionOff Ghana’s central coast, Nigeria’s Oranto Petroleum Ltd. has been given permission to explore around Saltpond, where Ghana’s sole oil rig currently produces about 700 barrels a day for domestic use, Aryeetey said. “We believe that there is potential all around that area.”The corporation, which keeps a minimum of 10 percent of each exploration block, eventually plans to begin searching for oil by itself, Aryeetey said. “Once we begin to receive funds from our stake in Jubilee and other discoveries, we’ll have money to take a block and explore,” he said.Ghana, the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, hopes increased oil revenue will help shore up a faltering economy, which has seen a depreciating domestic currency boost annual inflation to 20.5 percent in March.
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Mali head coach Stephen Keshi has stressed that he does not fear the Black Stars ahead of their 2010 joint Nations Cup/World Cup qualifier in Bamako on 7 June.The 47-year-old is counting on home support to put the Black Stars to flight and admits the tie will be a difficult.Keshi who masterminded Togo's qualification to the last world cup in Germany is upbeat of toppling Ghana on top of Group."As you all know Ghana is always a good team and we have a lot of respect for them but we are not scared of them," Keshi told Ghanasoccernet.com"As a footballer and as a coach Ghana is a great team but we will face them squarely on Sunday."I am just working with my team and will see what happens on the day and the level of confidence of my team is high," he added."I am just working on the confidence of my team and face Ghana on the day."I am not God and I am but a magician am just a football coach and so I will not be in a position to know what will happen because in football you never know."
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