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BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhuanet) -- The Spanish recipient of the world's first full face transplant has appeared in public to thank surgeons, and his donor's family, according to media reports Tuesday.

Photo:Oscar, the world first full-face transplant patient, poses for the photographers as he attends a news conference at the Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona July 26, 2010. Oscar, who underwent the transplant in April by a 30-member medical team led by Spanish doctor Juan Barret, accidentally shot himself in the face five years ago.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)

The patient, who is known as Oscar, appeared at a press conference at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona where he underwent surgery. He spoke with difficulty just two months after regaining his voice, "I am very happy and I want to thank the surgeons and the donors especially the man who gave me the new tissues I received."

He added that he was looking forward to tasting his favorite lamb dish and going for a beer with friends..

In the last four months Oscar has had to overcome two rejections of his new face following a process that saw him receive a transplant that included skin, facial muscles, nose, upper jaw and cheekbones.

At the moment Oscar is still unable to eat solid food and has problems speaking as he is still unable to control the central area of his lips..

The surgeon who carried out the operation, Joan Pere Barret, explained that his faces does, however, have feeling and that although he will still need many hours of rehabilitation, he should be able to talk and eat normally in the future.

Oscar is also unable to fully close his eyes, but once again the surgeon assured that he will be able to do so in the future.

"He will do that soon. He has recovered the movement in his eyebrows and he is also able to smile. There are two Oscars: one before and one after the operation," conformed Dr Barret.

It took a few weeks for Chioma Akachi to accept that her money was truly gone. She had saved N2,000 daily for 22 days with the local ‘ajo’ man popularly called Mr. Matthew, who made rounds every week day at shops and homes in Fola-Agoro and Akoka areas of Lagos. ‘Ajo’ is a Yoruba term that refers to contributory savings, usually by workers, petty traders and small scale business owners, and managed by an individual who gets a percentage of the money gathered at a time as his or her benefit.

Operating under the business name ‘Matt Daily Savings’, he collected an agreed amount from interested savers for 31 days and deducted one day’s savings before returning the customers’ money. However, sometime last month, after collecting over two weeks savings from a number of his customers, he disappeared without giving them any notice and has not been seen since then.

It was not her first time of saving with Mr Matthew, she said. She had been his customer for six months and had some amount of trust in him.

“I have been doing ‘ajo’ with Mr Matthew since I got this shop in January. When I started, I was saving N500 every day. Then later I increased it to N1,000, and then to N2,000. I have been seeing him every weekday for the past six months, until he disappeared last month with a lot of people’s money.”

Even after rumors of his disappearance spread, Mrs Akachi said she still believed that he would show up but had recently given up hope. She said she was introduced to him by a friend who has been his customer for more than two years. The friend, a certain Beatrice Nnaji who sold food stuff and drinks, had a shop two blocks away from hers. Mrs Nnaji recounted a sorry tale. “Because of Mr Matthew, a lot of people are now fighting with me. I introduced him to more than 10 people and he ran away with all our money. They have reported me to my pastor and my husband. Some of them even wanted to take me to the police because they thought I was working with him. He has just spoilt my name.”

No trace.

The only insurance Mr Matthew’s customers had was the fact that he was well known in the area and had most likely been introduced by a loyal customer. However, it proved useless when the only thing most people knew about him upon his disappearance was that he used to ride a bicycle, wore a black cap always and wrote the details of his customer’s savings in a big, hardcover note book.

His Somolu address which was printed on the small booklet he gave to his customers was a dead end as it revealed a recently vacated one room apartment which the landlord had already put up for rent. His phone number was expectedly switched off. One of Mr Matthew’s customers, Ugochi, confirmed that he changed the savings booklet in April, a move which she and most other people did not count as suspicious.

“That Somolu address is different from the one he was using before. He changed the books we were using in April and brought new ones. It was after he ran away that I remembered that the address on the former book was in Palmgrove, and I can’t remember that one.”

It’s a risky affair

Lanre Sofowora, a member of a taxi drivers’ cooperative group in Somolu says that cooperatives are more credible for such daily savings. “People should learn to form co-operatives,” he said. “This way, their money is safer and they can even get loans for their business. The age of doing daily ‘ajo’ with an unknown person is over. This is not the first time I’m hearing about this sort of thing and I’m surprised people still patronise them.”

Nike Bankole, a marketer with a bank says that people should save their money in banks rather than with people who aren’t trustworthy.

“There are banks everywhere now - in markets, in commercial areas. People don’t need to do ‘ajo’ anymore. It is not safe to trust one person with your money like that.” But Mrs Akachi said that her reason for patronising Mr Matthew’s services is not because of an ignorance of banks.

“It’s not that I don’t have a bank account. I do. But when someone comes like that every day to collect money from you, it makes you save more. This ‘ajo’ has really helped me before. I just don’t know why Mr Matthew disappointed us.”

Speaking anonymously, a police officer at Somolu Police Station, where the case was reported admitted that he had heard about the incident but that investigations were hampered by the fact that those reporting the case had no photograph of Mr Matthew and very little information about him.

The PDP in Osun East senatorial district declared on Monday in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, that it had disqualified governorship aspirants in the area who had less than N500 million in their bank accounts. Duro Famojuro, the party’s deputy leader of Ijesa Elders’ Caucus, said this at a news a conference in Ilesa, organised to present the party’s aspirant from the area.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Gbenga Onigbogi, a House of Representatives member, who was adopted by the group, formally declared his intention for the 2011 governorship election. Mr. Famojuro said the caucus investigated the background of about 14 aspirants, to determine their legibility and financial strength through their bank accounts. He said the scrutiny was necessary to avoid the mistake of the past when the party sponsored campaigns for aspirants.

“Anybody who has less than N500 million can’t go for the governorship race. It is the caucus’ decision that nobody will give aspirants the money to campaign.”

Mr. Famojuro said Mr. Onigbogi met the criteria and had been adopted as the only aspirant qualified to run the race in Ijesaland for the governorship seat..

He also said that many young aspirants were eliminated because they had not contested for even a councillorship position before aspiring to become governor.

Paupers are not welcome

Ebenezer Babatope, a PDP chieftain and a member of the caucus, said the race was not for paupers. On complaints by some aspirants that the group was exploiting them, Mr. Babatope said they failed to meet the requirements.

The former minister of transport said a committee was set up to scrutinise aspirants who were required to pay money for the exercise. He said that though many of the aspirants failed to pay the levies, the caucus did not stop anyone from pursuing his governorship ambition.

“If the party at the state level conducts free, fair, and open primaries, we, the elders here, are ready to embrace whoever emerges as the PDP candidate for the election,” he declared.

Onigbogi, who represents Ijesa South federal constituency, pledged to embark on an agrarian revolution to turn around the agricultural fortune of the state, if elected.

450.4kg of cocaine with a street value of over N4 billion has been seized by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)..

Announcing the seizure of the hard drugs, Mitchell Ofoyeju, spokesperson for the agency disclosed that the cocaine was discovered by the anti-narcotics organisation after it figured out the major drug syndicate that specialises in the unlawful smuggling of cocaine from South American countries to West Africa.Photo:chinese Drug Gangs

Ahmadu Giade, chief executive of the agency said that the cocaine was imported from Chile, and that some barons in the cartel including two Chinese nationals have been arrested alongside their clearing agent who is a Nigerian.

He described the seizure as a major breakthrough in the country’s counter narcotics efforts, adding that this is the second largest cocaine discovery at the Tin Can Island Ports in Lagos State.

“The entire operation was intelligence-based and professionally executed. This is the second largest seizure of cocaine next to the 14.2 tons made at the same port in 2006,” he said. “The quantity is frightening and the street value paints a horrendous picture of the illicit drug trade. Apart from the estimated street value in the country the value would have doubled in Europe. The seizure is exciting to us. It is also a wakeup call for all hands to be on deck.” The agency’s boss, however, assured that investigations are ongoing to get other members of the syndicate arrested, and that it had kept tab on the consignment which originated from Chile and passed through Peru, Bolivia and Antwerpen in Belgium before getting to Tin Can Island Port.

“The drug was neatly concealed in customized floor wood inside a container which was cleared and taken to a private warehouse at Iganmu, Lagos,” he said.

“The agency is determined to send all drug barons out of circulation to prevent criminal acts capable of disrupting peace and stability in the country. I have therefore called for total security alertness in all entry and exit points. State Commanders have also been placed on red alert to ensure effective surveillance and prompt arrests and seizures of any illicit drug shipment.” Meanwhile, the agency’s spokesperson said that the clearing agent of the consignment and other people closely linked to the seizure were also arrested to ascertain their level of involvement as all the clearing documents had fake addresses on them.

“Drug seizures at the ports are usually very large because of the relative ease of transporting containerised goods in vessels and the volume of imported containers,” said Mr. Ofoyeju.

For My Generation, to Work Hard is to Suffer

By Emma Anyagwa/Lagos

Scene 1

Uncle Ukeje may be referred to as a very successful Lawyer in the modern sense, politician of great repute and also a successful family head. He strongly believes that his success was built from his past knowledge, experience and determination. As a model, he recalled with nostalgia how they sat under the trees and were taught by teachers who were strict disciplinarians. According to him, for you to be in elementary one, your right hand must touch the left ear crossing over your head. This showed you were of school age.

Teacher, apart from teaching, were also models. They took their work as a vocation and were respected for it. They were disciplined and even parents could not equate their powers when it came to disciplinary training. At that period, parents reported recalcitrant children to teachers for disciplinary measures. At that period, flogging people for coming late to school, trekking to school, repeating a class when one failed, sending bigger boys to go and lift those who absent themselves from school from their parents’ homes and kneeling down facing the wall for offences were not seen as punishments but punitive measures necessary for child formation.

Uncle Ukeje said that they had different religious groups then. On Sundays, everybody was made to attend churches after which they would rest. Apart from the teachers, the catechists and Reverends were also disciplinarians and were respected. They would send back home from the church those that were not properly dressed but not before giving them some lashes. Late comers were asked to kneel outside the church for some time as a corrective measure. Whenever a child was being punished, parents would scold such a child and in some cases add their own punishment.

Children were sent to Sunday schools and religious societies where they were taught ethics, morals and social values. All religious groups despite their affiliations related at home and attended one another’s events in friendship and happiness. Since they believed in one God, the fear of this God was instilled in the people and influenced their lives positively.

Our Uncle remembers with nostalgia the male-female relationship which led to marriages. According to him, to be a virgin was a virtue and was held in high esteem. The opposite was looked at with disdain. Youth relationship was built on pure and natural love and grew till it ended in marriage. Sex before marriage was unheard of and divorce was quite rare and strange. Young men when they came of age used their initiatives to choose partners and when this happened, received blessings from the parents.

However, before the nuptial knot, investigations were conducted to ascertain the kind of family each of the partners came from. Young girls were nurtured and trained to manage prospective homes while young men learnt early enough how to love and take care of their family and meet his responsibilities. Usually at the age of eighteen, the boys had grown into manhood and may leave their parents’ homes to build theirs.

All the above process were never seen as punishment or suffering by both parents and children, according to my uncle, but as a solid foundation laid not only for a stronger family but also a stronger society. In the process of this growth into manhood, all pick their choice of career through the direction of the parents and teachers. Those who acquired trade skills and those who went to school to acquire western education harmonized their careers to build the society. Through competitive growth, parents prepared their children to outlive, succeed and be more prominent than they were. They left such responsibilities of training at a certain age when the children would take over and subsequently pass it onto the next generation. When this was done, they retire happily. This relaxation in retirement made them live longer and happier.

Uncle Ukeje reiterated that for the generation, wealth was good but was usually appreciated if it came from a genuine source. There were processes of acquiring wealth. In most cases, it was through hard work which usually took time. It was strange to see someone who was a pauper today become overwhelmingly rich without people raising eyebrows. To that generation, wealth was not luck neither was it picked from the trees. As a result of this, all wealthy men and women were models and symbols of hard work, dedication and honesty.

However, there were also criminals who through foul means acquired wealth. They were known and were usually identified in the society. They were not given responsible positions of authority. Sometimes they used their money to intimidate people and were feared but they were not respected. They did not enjoy cordial relationship with the people and were avoided by members of the society. Those who stole and were caught in the process were openly disgraced and in most cases excommunicated.

On the other hand, the poor had honour, the rich had prestige and honour and both had an instrument of monitoring and checking each other in the society. For one to be respected in the society therefore, one must fall into any of these categories. These were such vocations as Teachers, Doctors and the Clergy; the skilled labourers, honest wealthy men, educated men and women, traditional rulers, elders and men and women of honour and respect.

This generation was said to have collectively built the society they comfortably lived in. They were also very patriotic and this attracted strangers to their land instead of fleeing to strange land themselves. People of this generation did not take asylum outside the country. In fact, my uncle said that they preferred working in the country than outside it.

At any rate, this generation that had what looked like primitive education, underdeveloped environment, ancient and archaic laws and out-of-date societies produced all the fathers of this modern generation. They were conservative, economical, selfless and patriotic. All consumable products produced by them at that period were genuine and the roads built at the period sturdy. Their houses were old fashioned but strong. You can still identify them today among successful educationists and academics, clergies, professionals, politicians and statesmen and women.

Scene 2

Arthur Ken is of the modern generation and he narrates his story as follows. “I was born in the late eighties into what I refer to as a middle family. We lived in a house, though in an estate, in which I hardly interacted with other children. Even in school, we hardly played because we had no arena. At the age of six, I was already in primary 3 and my school was a distance away. My daddy’s driver dropped me and my siblings off at school every morning and picked us up in the evening. When we got home, the domestic servant employed by my parents would put on the generator for us to watch movies while we waited for dinner.”

“We communicated with our parents on phone. I hardly saw my parents as they left for work before I woke up and came back when I must have slept every weekday. I didn’t have to work or engage in any domestic affairs because our servants did everything: washing our clothes, bathing us, cooking for us and all other domestic duties.”

“On weekends, when we barely met our parents, they took us to exotic areas on sightseeing. During the holidays, we travelled abroad where we lived in comfort and pleasure. We were exposed to computer games, TV games and all forms of electronics. I remember the day we went late to school because we watched late night movies. The teacher was very angry because we told him that we came late as a result of watching movies till the early hours of the morning. He flogged us on our palms and we cried. I had not actually been flogged before. When I got home, I reported to my daddy. My daddy was very angry at the teacher’s action. The next day, quite unlike him, he did not go to work but took me personally to school to meet the teacher who had the effrontery to flog me.”

“On getting to school, he took me straight to the Proprietor’s office and soon the teacher was summoned to the man’s office. The teacher was questioned on why he had to flog me. He said it was a mark of indiscipline for me to watch late night movies and come late to school. He told the proprietor that the flogging was a corrective measure to teach me a lesson. The proprietor was not comfortable with the teacher’s explanation and sternly warned him never to flog any of the students as they were no animals. As a measure too, I was asked to flog the teacher on the buttocks which I did gleefully and was satisfied. I also saw satisfaction on the face of my dad and the proprietor. I grew six feet taller and walked proudly out of the office. I remember hearing my dad say, “I suffered to get where I am today and will not let my kids suffer anymore. They are to enjoy themselves.” To the Proprietor, he said, “If I get such a report again, I will withdraw my kids from your school and put them where they will be properly trained and taken care of.” The message was clear to the proprietor.”

“After the incident, I and several other kids were never flogged in school again. We were actually pampered. Most importantly, we never failed in tests and examinations. We were given excellent grades to the pleasure of our parents. In fact, most of us from such backgrounds did not sit for our School Certificates and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board examinations. Special centres were arranged for us and people were hired by our parents to sit for the examinations for us. It was all that easy as we strolled into the best universities in the world. Our parents got choice courses for us too!

“As we graduated, most of us were awarded First Class and some Second Class Upper Division. It depended on how much you could pay anyway. Many other students hassled and suffered reading to pass their examinations. I had a car while even in secondary school. My daddy trekked to school in his days, but I drove to school. It was great fun.

“I did not search for any employment. As soon as I graduated, my dad employed me in his company. Most of us who come from this easy background socialize and network together. We also have a lot of friends who appreciate our lifestyle and desire to be like us. Since we were not given the opportunity to do any domestic work, academic work and employment, we needed to create a way of catching our fun. We formed gangs and cults. Our group was highly connected and we got whatever we needed without sweat and got away with any action no matter how serious. It was such an easy going life, no sweat, no hassles. That was how I was brought up.”

“Even in the office, daddy never gave me the opportunity to carry out any official assignment. I reported to work in the morning, chauffeur-driven, played around the office, signed some contract papers some of which I didn’t even understand and went home early to prepare for one form of party or another.”

“At this age, I had millions of naira paid into my account weekly. I changed different brands of cars without knowing the value. I didn’t even know what to spend the money on as I had everything I needed. I had people doing whatever I commanded because I had the money. So I used them for all sorts of things and in all sorts of ways.”

“On my 20^th birthday, my daddy gave me a house and employed servants to take care of my needs. I also employed bodyguards to protect me wherever I went. I had it in mind that my dad suffered to get where he was so why do I need to suffer before I enjoy myself? The rigours of education is suffering, to work is to suffer, to receive punishment for wrong doing is to suffer. To wash clothes, sweep the house and all other domestic chores is to suffer. To trek to school or even enter public transport is to suffer. To sleep or use a car without air conditioner is to suffer. And dear God, I wasn’t cut out for all these. I must not do them at all.”

“My dad chose for me to study law, even though I wanted to study Journalism. He said Law is for the elite and is a noble profession. He told me journalism is for the poor and they are usually not well paid. He made me a Director in his company even when I suggested working in a multinational to get experience. He bought cars for me and built a modern house for me too. Now he picked a wife for me. He decided on the family my wife came from without consulting me. He said I could not afford to marry those gold-diggers who roam the streets without a good means of livelihood.

“On my wedding day, he invited his friends and associates. He decided the hall for the reception, the date and the church where we wedded. I didn’t have to bother as everything was done for me. I hardly knew my wife but did it really matter? Due to lack of experience, I consulted my dad on how I would take care of my family now that we are going to be on our own. He said, “As long as I live, I have acquired enough for you to live on. You do not need to work, so also your brothers and sisters. I have done the suffering for you.”

“As a lawyer, I delved into politics. My dad was impressed. He told me politics in Nigeria is for the elite. It is for those who have made it. He said politics will give me more power and connect me to the world. Being a politician himself, he said he would employ people to prepare me for any position I wished to vie for. But meanwhile, I cannot come in right away. When I asked why, he said, I needed to understudy him for some time so that when I take over, I won’t suffer what he suffered. He said political position is not for the youth as they lack ideas. I believed him as I knew I had never been allowed to generate my own ideas and initiatives since I was born. He had been in politics for over thirty years, held different positions and recycled himself. He promised to install me later in the years when he retires. And that time would come when I do not need to work. He gave me instances of his mates who were still there. He promised to cater for me and my family.”

“We are Christians and on Sundays sat in front pews reserved for us. The Pastor usually prayed for our success and assured us of God’s kingdom. According to him, the kingdom of God is for the rich. He said Christ suffered for man to inherit the kingdom. So we do not need to suffer again to be rich. My dad said so too. I believed them.”

“I was a model among my peers. They saw how I grew up effortlessly and how my parents ensured my siblings and I became millionaires without any effort of our own. They wanted to be like me. In fact, they prayed that every parent should be like mine. I mentioned to them how my parents did it for us. Those whose parents could do it went ahead and followed our path. Those whose parents could not make it devised a means of acquiring wealth, power and comfort by all means. Some went into fraud and robbery to achieve this goal. They developed quick ways of making money.”

“The civil servants among them learnt the art of inflating contracts. The manufacturers began to produce and import fake drugs to make quick money. The teachers collected money from students in order to pass them. Pastors among them became miracle workers who turned people to millionaires overnight without working for it. Journalists charged for stories they wrote and sometimes swapped stories for political appointments.”

“In the process, our generation now has the best exotic cars, builds expensive houses, wears expensive dresses and has big bank accounts. Our generation is not producing anything and has everything being produced in other countries for its usage. We also have more than enough money to acquire all the things produced by other people whose parents allowed to suffer by working. Let my colleagues in other countries suffer to go into inventions in the areas of automobile, energy, computer, research, medicine and science, while we wait to buy from them.”

“To cut my long story short, I waited for my father to outlive his generation and mine which he did, not quite a long time ago. His death opened my eyes to the truth of life. My dad inherited a rich culture, tradition and legacy and hoarded it from me. The legacy made him rich and famous. He worked hard to acquire such legacy which he referred to as suffering. Now he did not pass the culture that made him who he was to me. He rather left me empty with nothing to sustain me in my own generation neither do I have anything to pass on to the next generation. This is because mine is a wasted generation.”

Barring any last minute changes, Lt. Gen. Aliyu Gusau rtd, will soon resign his position as National Security Adviser. His exit is to allow him prepare for his presidential campaign. His replacement is not yet known, but presidency sources reveals

that it will certainly not be Sunday Are, the deputy National Security Adviser.

Gasau, one of the most celebrated spymaster, is relying on no other requisite skill to rule Nigeria other than a prophecy given to him and three other friends about two decades ago by an Islamic cleric that all of them would rule country one after the other.

Sources close to the general revealed that an imam had told Gasau that himself, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, Gen Sani Abacha and Gen Ibrahim Babangida would head the Nigeria government in succession. For his three friends the prophecy came true as predicted. But the presidency thus far has eluded the spymaster.

His last attempt at the presidency was in 2007, when President Obasanjo sent Nuhu Ribadu led EFCC after major contender thus paving way for only pretenders..

In a bizarre move, the National Assembly which previously criticised the budget for the celebration of Nigeria's 50th independence anniversary, calling it excessive, has turned round to approve a figure that is N7 billion more than the Presidency had requested..

The President had initially asked for N16.4 billion for the anniversary but later reviewed it downwards to N9.48 billion following severe criticisms from the public, civil society groups and even the lawmakers.

When the request for N16.4billion was turned down on July 7 and returned to the Presidency, President Goodluck Jonathan scaled down the request to N9.48 billion in a revised supplementary budget. However, the lawmakers have now approved N17.195 billion, an excess of about N7.715 billion for the anniversary.

Assembly bonanza

In approving the new revised budget, the national assembly accommodated the additions under the capital expenditure budgeted for the ministry of the Federal Capital Territory and the ministry of aviation.

For instance, the president had requested only N97 million for the ministry of Federal Capital Territory for the replacement of the carpets in the International Conference Centre, but the lawmakers ended up approving N3.8 billion for the ministry. This is N2.83 billion above what was requested.

Also, the Aviation ministry which had tendered a N2.25 billion request, out of which N1 billion will be used for the renovation of the Abuja airport, N1 billion for the provision of additional parking and N250 million to buy equipment for safe aircraft parking at five airports, it got an approval of N7.135 billion from the lawmakers.

The addition to the ministry's request was in excess of N4.885 billion.

Tight-lips

Unlike the original budget proposal sent to the national assembly by the executive, which had detailed explanation for each allocation, the budget as approved by the lawmakers had no details, and was arranged in lump sums for subheads only.

Both secretariats of the House and Senate committees on appropriation which handled the computation of the budget denied any knowledge of the details saying they believe details of the approvals will be made available in future.

Also, Ayo Adeseun, chairman of the House of Representatives committee on appropriation, said he will offer explanations on a future date. Mr. Adeseun who was reacting to questions said he will need to consult the records before offering the needed explanation.

However, Iyiola Omisore, the chairman of senate committee on appropriation did not reply to enquiries nor returned calls.

In addition to the N7.715 billion excess made to the revised anniversary budget, every other fund requested by the president for the anniversary was approved as requested.

The designing and hosting of the Nigeria @ 50 website for 2 years will still cost N6 million, anniversary Logo- N30 million, and anniversary parade including march past, fleet review, aerial display - N950 million.

The ministry of foreign affairs plans to use N600 million to organise celebrations for Nigerian missions abroad and the information and communication ministry's plan to use N1 billion to insert special reports on Nigeria in local and international media were also approved.

The women affairs ministry budget of N105 million for seminars for women and children and 50th anniversary party for 1000 children were also approved as requested.

Frivolous and extravagant

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had in criticising the anniversary budget described it as "wasteful and insensitive."

The NLC spokesperson, Onah Iduh, said considering that the mass misery and poverty in the country has been made worse with the prevailing cash squeeze due to the global economic crisis, the over N10 billion budgeted for the anniversary was "very frivolous and extravagant.''

He said, "As far as the NLC is concerned our leaders must realise that the logic, essence and philosophy of nationhood is purely the welfare and security of citizens through humanitarian, progressive and egalitarian ideals enforced through the instrumentality of government. These are fundamental obligations that the Nigerian political leadership has abdicated in the past 50 years."

However, the Minister of Finance, Olusegun Aganga, while defending the budget said the public perception that the money was wasteful amid pressing economic problems, was wrong because it was tied to capital expenditure.

He had said, "We just tied them to the anniversary budget to make things faster. We are renovating Lagos and Abuja airports, for example. Both airports should measure up to international standards normally. We are doing that and putting in place standard security systems so that the airports will be up to standard. These are places people will visit first. There are many other beneficial projects tied to this budget.

"Rather than fault the budget, people should ask, what the money is being spent on?''

Jesus knew He couldn’t remain in Galilee; He had to promote the Kingdom of God in the other neighboring cities of His day. This was why in Luke 4:43-44, He said; ” I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent“

Today, we are the promoters of God’s Kingdom on the face of the earth. This is our mission, to promote Jesus every day, everywhere. Just as Jesus was sent of God, we also have been sent. This means that we can also make the kind of impact He made on earth! This is important because it’s only this kind of impact that can change the world.

Promoting God’s kingdom is our responsibility on earth; the governments of nations will not do it for us. God did not send Jesus to become a politician, musician, etc; He sent Jesus into the world to do His will, which was to seek and save the lost. Likewise, we are in the world, but we’ve been called to save the world with the Gospel. However, some Christians neglect this responsibility and have stopped doing the things of God. They’ve stopped promoting the kingdom of God, and as a result, their lives to have stopped moving forward.

Don’t be found doing nothing for God. Don’t let your profession be a hindrance to your work for God. Some would rather please their boss or their spouse than please God. No, we’ve been called differently. Each one of us will give account to God of our responsibility to the Gospel. Don’t wait. Don’t stop. Don’t be distracted. Don’t lose the vision of Jesus. Don’t lose the message that God has given you. Let’s keep the work going; let’s promote the kingdom of God on earth. If you realize that you’ve stopped promoting the Kingdom as you ought to, it’s to make the necessary readjustments and let the zeal of God consume you once again.

In a petition to NAPTIP, the director general of the organisation, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume, alleged that the girl's abductors tried to sell her in Afikpo, Ebonyi State. He called for a stronger security network to protect the weak and vulnerable in society.

On July 14th, 2010, 10-year-old Kelechi Alamezi, who was living with her cousin and guardian, Kingsley Uzusu, disappeared in front of her school, Supreme Academy Nursery & Primary School in Mararaba. According to eyewitnesses, the girl said she was waiting for her "Auntie Chichi," a neighbour in their compound, to take her to an unknown destination.

Mr. Uzusu reported the child missing on July 17th, after two days of searching.

Chinyere Vivian Ewua, caught by the police in Afikpo while trying to escape with the little girl, was arrested in connection with the kidnapping. She has been moved from Mararaba Police Station to Lafia Police Command, Nasarawa State, for further questioning.

about 100 policemen and civilians. At the end of her brief perilous visit, my Special Assistant, Mr. Rasheed Adnenaya was left bleeding from his mouth, leg
and head from injuries inflicted upon him by policemen in the convoy,
on the instruction of the governor’s wife.

Around 10.00 a.m.this morning , the former Chief Press Secretary to Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD), Wale Adedayo (alias Babalawo) sent a text informing me as
follows: “I got a call this morning, and I am certain they want to take
me out between now and next week. I’ll soon get another sim card. We
will talk properly then, because I will soon move out of Lagos again. Wale Adedayo”

Well, I said to myself that, the text message from Babalawo was a confirmation of the alarm I have raised over one week now (which I
posted on Facebook and which the Governor and his men have not denied
till date). Then, ten minutes later, a voice that I immediately
recognised as Wale’s came on as I picked a call on my phone, but the
line was not his regular line. In a very hasty, cautious and coded
manner he told me my life was at stake and wherever I was, I should
relocate out of Ogun State and that my line has been bugged (of course,
I am aware of my bugged line since early last year); I should buy
another line and call his new line.

Few minutes after that, a call came from a top government source and all the voice said was: “leave town, leave the state now”. About five
minutes after, the king of my town, Oba (Engr) Muftau Kasali called to
say he had an information from authoritative source that the Governor’s
wife was on her way to my house. I told, Moyegeso that I was not
expecting the governor’s wife and that actually, I was not at home.

Around 10 50 a.m., a friend of mine called to say that it seems the Governor of Ogun State had sneaked into Ijebu East LGA through Ijebu Imusin and
now driving towards Itele. I informed the caller that it was the
governor’s wife and probably heding towards my house in Itele. I asked
him to monitor and informed others.

Alas, moments after, the Governor’s wife was at my gate life and direct! She forced herself into my compound along with the people following her,
including the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Gbemi Onakoya,
Governor’s Liason Officer, Mr. Safiriyu Awobadejo, the illegal
Caretaker Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, Mr. Michael
Agbolade, several policemen and plaint-cloth security operatives and
her press crew.

These intruders met my Special Assistant, Mr. Rasheed Odunaya, who was on his way out. Mrs. Daniel, fuming with anger, asked him what he was doing in
the compound, and Rasheed replied that he came to fetch water. Mr.
Awobadejo (who claims to be Otunba Atunluse of Itele Ijebu) came
forward and told Mrs Daniel that Rasheed was actually my SA. Mrs.
Daniel then asked the young man, why he told her he came to fetch water
in my coumpound.

The youngman replied that he was only asked what he was doing and not who he was, so he did not feel there was need for introduction. At this
point, two gun-totting policemen decended on my SA, beating and kicking
him in the presence of Mrs. Daniel. She then turned to Mr. Kester
Olaifa, a veteran journalist and media consultant and asked him who he
was and what he was looking for in my compound. Mr. Olaifa introduced
himself as a journalist and Mrs. Daniel retorted: so you are writing
this rubish together? She flung a copy of today’s editon of National
Life tabloid towards Mr. Olaifa and told him that she had no business
with him but with me. Mr. Olaifa was not touched, obviously because of
his old age. The vexed governor’s wife then left a message that she had
declared war with me and that what she was going to do to me would make
whatever her husband has done to me, a child’s play.

The content of National Life she was complaining about was an advertorial published on page four of the tabloid, in which the pictures of Daniel
children at a lavish party abroad were shown (and one of them carrying
a gun) were displayed. The OMO ILU’s position in the advert was that
the first family of Ogun State
cannot be displaying stupendous wealth when state civil servants are
being owed several months’ salaries, allowances and benefits. I share
and stand by that position.

One furstrating thing was that, those who did not witness the act of infamy in Itele this morning, initially said he cannot be true of a first
lady, only to realise that they were dead wrong.

My faith in God remain ubshaking, my believe in the rule of law remain steadfast, but my worry is that, why will a ‘first lady’ take laws into
her hands. Why the attempt in jungle justice? If I was at home, won’t I
have been ‘dealth with’ for beating-up the wife of the governor?

The furious woman also threatened to turn my town, Itele to ashes. It was one Alhaji Zadious who called to inform our king, Moyegeso of this
threeat. When Zadious said he was beside Mrs. Daniel, Kabiyesi asked
that the phone be passsed on to her. Moyegeso tongue-lashed Mrs. Daniel
on her threat on Itele town and for the attempt on my life.

He then informed the first lady that he was at his palace waiting for the worst. Information reaching me as I type this, is that Moyegeso would
be arrested any moment from now. The king and Governor Daniel have not
been good friends, since Oba Moyegeso turned out to be the only Oba in Ogun State who took his staff of office to the wake-keeping and burial ceremonies of the assasinated politician, late Otunba Dipo Dina.

Between April 2, 2009 and now, about eight attempts have been made on my life by Governor Gbenga Daniel. When I escaped from gunmen at Itele on April 2, 2009 around 9.00 a.m.the governor sent a text to his SSG, Mr. Gbemi Onakoya, who is from my local government, to persuade me not to make it a media affair. The SSG
forwarded the text to me unedited and I keep a copy till date.

After the attempt on my life on December 6, 2009 in Abeokuta following my refusal at a security meeting to implicate the Speaker of House of
Reps, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole, Senator Martins Kuye and the Omoilu
Group over the unfortunate incident of December 5, 2009 at Ijebu Ife,
the Inspector General of police on two occasions approved police
protection for me. Till date, Governor Daniel has successfully
prevailed on the Ogun Commissioner of Police not to implement the order
of the IGP.
I cannot underate how far Daniel and his family can go to ‘deal’ with me. What I know is that people need not look further if
I am assassinated today. I have said it severally that Daniel is after
my life. The uncivil act of his wife earlier today, right inside my
compound, is the biggest confirmation.

If I die today, I would have died a noble death on the path of truth and justice. I am not afraid of death because I know that those planning to
kill me can only harm my body; my soul is beyond their reach.
Furthermore, killing me as an act in itself, will not postpone their
day of judgement.

The Falconets class of 2010 have made history by beating the USA and qualifying for a first ever semi-final in any FIFA organised women's competition.

The team trailed from a USA goal in the 9th minute but equalised spectacularly through Helen Ukaonu in the 79th minute to drag the match into extra time which did not produce any more goals.

In the ensuing penalty kicks, USA captain, Christine Nairn lost the USA's first kick and Sydney Leroux blazed their fourth kick over the bar to hand the Nigerian girls' victory 5-3. They will meet Colombia in the semi-finals on Thursday, July 29, 2010..

Steps

Tips

Warnings

People can be creepy. Stepping out side of your box does not mean ignoring your gut. If a person or a situation doesn't feel right, trust your instinct and move on.