Who do you think will win ?
VS
Only for one brief moment did he appear overcome – when he testified about how the US had forced him out of office and how former Liberian allies turned against him. Olusegun Obasanjo, the former Nigerian president who offered him exile in 2003 before allowing his arrest in 2006, was singled out with venom. Asked what he would do, if he found himself in a closed room with him now, Mr Taylor said: "You would see two presidents in a little tussle... I'm damned angry."
Two years after the trial opened, and after sitting through harrowing testimony from the prosecution's 91 witnesses, Mr Taylor seemed pleased to finally have the stand. "This whole case has been about 'Let's get Taylor'. Haven't they had their pound of flesh yet? I am not guilty of all these charges," he said, "not even a minute part of these charges".
Mr Taylor denied arming the Sierra Leonean rebel group, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), when he was president in return for vast quantities of diamonds.
"Never, ever did I receive – whether [in a] mayonnaise or coffee or whatever jar – any diamonds from the RUF," he said. "It is a lie, a diabolical lie."
The defence does not contest the signature amputations, the beheadings and the sexual violence to which the people of Sierra Leone were subjected during the 1991-2002 war. Indeed Mr Taylor's own lawyer, Courtenay Griffiths, this week described the parade of prosecution witnesses as a "procession of hurt human beings reliving the most grotesque trauma".
But the British lawyer will argue that it had nothing to do with Mr Taylor and that far from being an "African Napoleon" as the prosecution contends, the Liberian president was too busy trying to protect democracy and make peace in his own country to have time to micro-manage the conflict next door.
It was a point that Mr Taylor, who introduced himself to the court as the 21st president of Liberia and the reigning chief of all the country's tribes, was keen to hammer home yesterday. "Charles Taylor is supposed to be out there like some little common street thug involving himself in the acquiescence of rape and murder," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he adjusted his gold-rimmed tinted spectacles.
Aside from his opening remarks, which directly addressed the charges against him, Mr Taylor's first day on the stand offered up a bizarre mix of childhood reminiscences and African history lessons.
He stressed his humble origins, the child of a sugar cane farmer who grew up in a mud house without running water, waking up with the crow of the rooster and running barefoot to school. Educating himself was his main goal, he said. He won scholarships to schools in Liberia and then decided to go to university in the US.
"I was dating a girl and this old friend of mine came back from the US, and took my girl from me. And I said 'Oh my God'... That really pushed me," he recounted.
There were rants against Washington for not doing enough for Liberia in the 150 years since the country was founded by freed slaves shipped back to west Africa from the US.
But he contradicted that later when he passionately argued that Africans should solve their own problems and not be subjected to Westerners telling people what to do.
With the defendant having to spell out many of the Liberian names, the courtroom felt like a spelling bee at times – "I'm not sure I got that one right," Mr Taylor said. Keeping a handle on the cast of characters included in his lengthy narrative also proved difficult on occasion: he drew a blank on the name of his paternal grandmother.
Only for one brief moment did he appear overcome – when he testified about how the US had forced him out of office and how former Liberian allies turned against him. Olusegun Obasanjo, the former Nigerian president who offered him exile in 2003 before allowing his arrest in 2006, was singled out with venom. Asked what he would do, if he found himself in a closed room with him now, Mr Taylor said: "You would see two presidents in a little tussle... I'm damned angry."
A verdict in the case is not expected until next year. But campaigners hope the trial will send a powerful message to other leaders around the world that they cannot act with impunity.
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Pulling the microphone toward him, the dapper 61-year-old man in sunglasses creased his forehead, cleared his throat emphatically and introduced himself to the war-crimes court in the Hague: "My name is Dakpenah Dr. Charles Ghankay Taylor, the 21st President of the Republic of Liberia."Thus began the testimony of Charles Taylor, the reviled warlord and ousted Liberian President, at his landmark trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He is facing 11 charges relating to the murder, rape, sexual slavery and mutilation of civilians by rebels in neighboring Sierra Leone — or, as the prosecution put it, he's charged with being "everything from terrorist to rapist." Asked to respond to the charges, Taylor issued a forceful denial. "It is very, very, very unfortunate that the prosecution's disinformation, misinformation, lies and rumors would associate me with such titles," he said. (See pictures of Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.)
Taylor took the stand on July 14 at the U.N.-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone for the first time since his trial began 18 months ago. He is accused of arming, training and controlling Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels, who rampaged across the country during its brutal 1991-2001 civil war. Prosecutors allege that Taylor targeted Sierra Leone so he could strip it of its vast mineral wealth, in particular its diamonds. Earlier in the trial, chief prosecutor Stephen Rapp insisted that Taylor was "an exceptional violator of human rights" who steadily provided weapons and support to the RUF in exchange for blood diamonds. Witnesses testified about arms smuggled from Liberia to Sierra Leone in sacks of rice and diamonds sent back in a mayonnaise jar. But Taylor rebutted the claims. "Never, ever did I receive — whether it is [in] mayonnaise or coffee or whatever jar — any diamonds from the RUF," he said. "It is a lie, a diabolical lie."However, it is the stories of Taylor's sheer brutality that are likely to be the most damning testimony. As many as 250,000 people were killed in the blood-soaked conflict that embroiled Sierra Leone and Liberia, even spreading into Ivory Coast and Guinea. During the course of the trial, the court — sitting in the Hague for fear of stirring up fresh unrest in Sierra Leone and Liberia — was told about how RUF rebels enslaved and mutilated thousands of civilians, who had their hands and arms severed. Some of the worst crimes were carried out by gangs of child soldiers, who were fed drugs to desensitize them to the horror of their actions.The slang Short sleeve or long sleeve used in the movie Blood Diamond with Leonardo Di Capri and Djimon housou graphically and literally puns the amputation of arms either below the elbow (short sleeve) or above the wrist (long Sleeve) The blood, is plentiful. People about to lose limbs are asked if they want "short sleeve" or "long sleeve." Child soldiers carrying automatic weapons, fire into crowds. There is death, and then more death. All of those interviewed agreed that the film was an accurate portrayal of the violence.And there were tales of even more grotesque violence, including how opponents and peacekeeping forces were killed, cooked and eaten by Taylor's militia. Last year, the alleged head of Taylor's "Death Squad," Joseph (Zigzag) Marzah, told the court that cannibalism was practiced "to set an example for people to be afraid" and that nothing was done without Taylor's approval. Marzah also revealed that he and Taylor belonged to the same secret religious society and had together eaten human hearts.As the charges were laid before him on Tuesday, Taylor, the first African leader to be tried before an international tribunal for war crimes, responded with indignant protestations. "I am a father of 14 children, grandchildren, have fought all my life to do what I thought was right in the interests of justice and fair play," he said. "I resent that characterization of me. It is false, it is malicious."His lawyer, Courtenay Griffiths, had earlier denied that Taylor was an "African Napoleon bent on taking over the subregion," saying instead that he was a "broker of peace." Griffiths does not dispute the horrors of the war but says Taylor was not the heart of darkness directing it. "The case is all about linking the crimes to Mr. Taylor, but the evidence has been riddled with inconsistencies," he said. (Read "Charles Taylor Trial Starts.")Taylor launched a Libyan-funded armed uprising in Liberia in 1989. The ensuing civil war lasted until 1996, and Taylor was elected President the following year. He ruled for six years before heading into exile in Calabar Cross river State, where he was eventually arrested. Taylor was sent to the Hague in June 2006, but the trial covers only his role in Sierra Leone.Taylor's testimony is expected to last six to eight weeks, and a final verdict in the case is likely a year off. If convicted, he would serve his jail sentence — he's facing life imprisonment — in Britain. But even if he is acquitted, it doesn't mean his worries are over. Last week, the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission released a report on the 1989-2003 civil wars. It has a list of eight warlords whom it wants brought to trial for crimes against humanity — and Taylor is on that list.
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Light Up Nigeria: Enough Is EnoughJOIN GROUP NOW !Despite being a country rich in oil, Nigeria’s electricity supply situation is insufficient. “In most parts of the country, darkness pervades and generators have taken over as the source of power”, says Adebayo’s blog. “When the power shuts down – which it does all the time – people sit in the dark or, if they’re lucky, fire up generators that cost the country $140 billion to fuel (add a chunk more for capital and maintenance costs)”, says David Steven at Global Dashboard. Adebayo adds:
But to explain or fathom the reasons why it is so complex. From the cartels who import generators, the contractors who fail to complete power projects, citizens who vandalize power lines and installations, languid attitude of government up to the manufacturers of the generators (in developed countries); all these have a vested interest in the continued failure of power
provision in Nigeria.
Now Nigerians have started a massive online demonstration against this frustrating situation on social media sites, especially on Twitter with the hashtag #lightupnigeria. There’s also a Facebook group, with the following description:
Are you tired of the constant excuses being given for the incompetence of PHCN, we are forming this group as a voice for our generation. It is time for something to be done,the 7th oil producing nation is one of the world’s worst electicity providers. The time has come, Nigeria belongs to all of us and if we do not speak out now,its the same burden we will all have to bear. So join,tell your friends, family andybody you can, enough is enough. Our voice may be small now but as the group grows and the word is spread, the government will hear our words and something will be done. LIGHT UP NIGERIA so progress in all the other sectors can advance also.
Energy is the engine that drives industrialization, which improves communication, helps innovation in science and Technology, provides sound healthcare delivery system and improves citizens’ standard of living. Since energy is the engine that drives industrialization, a sound energy policy would indirectly create jobs even in unexpected sectors.
Archiwiz at To fit or not to fit? commented on the campaign:
The hashtag itself will not do much if the responsible parties don’t take notice and do the right thing, but this is a good first step. Awareness is always important when it comes to movements of change […]
So you ask, what is #lightupnigeria? The words that make up the tag are self explanatory to any Nigerian, or anyone that has spent a good two weeks in Nigeria and has experienced firsthand the impact of lack of electricity in Nigeria. I can give you a long laundry list of what we lose because of lack of electricity, but several things surface: money, time & productivity.
[…] This movement needs to get to get to the media and to the ears of our Nigerian leaders. We cannot continue to wink at our lack of electricity.
lightupnigeria
Here’s a selection of some of the things people have been saying on Twitter as part of the #lightupnigeria campaign:
Olufunmike
Nigeria’s economy can’t change until we #lightupnigeria
imab
#lightupnigeria so that her 140million nigerians can say goodnight and really look forward to having one
Naijanews
the only thing to known to be stable in nigeria is darkness #lightupnigeria
edeanijames
the money we use to buy diesel for a year can pay 10 years light bills, so pls #lightupnigeria
aliceronke
#LightUpNigeria so that people don’t go to work on weekends to iron!
drdammie
#lightupNigeria Nigerians leaders love darkness, cos the works of their hands are so dark, it cant stand no light
ricdizzle
#lightupnigeria cos wen there is no light at nite & i need to pee… aiming for that bowl has to be intuitive!! damn!
pheonixforever
have not had power for 4days now… #lightupnigeria pls
Naijanews
i’m planning to relocate to nigeria soon but plans to visit london every week just to charge my phone #lightupnigeria
Ebukalashnikov
It’s 11pm, which means it’s another night without electricity. Hopefully we can #lightupNigeria so that ‘Goodnights’ can actually be good!
ohdichi
#lightupnigeria because that’s my country & my country deserves light
lowla360
As we fight 4 dis to work,i know u r all tired, but think about your kids, how much u want them 2 grow in a good environment/nation #lightupnigeria
abiolaalabi
i would be mighty ashamed if in future my kids called me d generator generation & i did nothing #lightupnigeria
edeanijames
it ain’t right that at this time and age we dont’ have regular power supply #lightupnigeria
damilola
#lightupnigeria cos constant power supply should NOT be a luxury in 2009
archiwiz
The pollution from generators is stunting the brains of Nigeria’s youth. Now many of us are no longer imaginative. Please #lightupnigeria!
Olufunmike
Obama’s campaign didn’t stop until a day before elections. Our #lightupnigeria campaign won’t stop until 24/7 electricity. Tell ‘em
Ezeani
#lightupnigeria because we have the resources – both natural & man-made..what are we waiting for??
zpixel
Nobody will listen to #lightupnigeria by just twittering,u hve 2 kill somebody&tell d police u mistaken stabbed the fellow cz it was dark…
bubusn
Our greatest challenge isn’t in Abuja. It is in ourselves. It is that voice that says: “This will all amount to nothing” #lightupnigeria
So what are we waiting for lets light up Nigeria !
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The movie What the Bleep Do We Know!? challenges us with the question: “How far down the rabbit hole would you like to go?” In the safety of a movie theater seat, it’s tempting to confuse the invitation to experience a glimpse of another dimension with a ticket to a virtual A-ride at Disneyland. Rabbit holes seem such benign things — artifacts of Alice’s grand adventure in Wonderland where one might satisfy one’s curiosity by following a tardy furry little animal. What a delightful way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon!
It would be wise not to confuse the storybook version with the slippery kaleidoscopic vignettes one encounters in the quirky world of quantum metaphysics. It’s one thing to read about doorways into other dimensions or see them depicted on a movie screen, and quite another to actually risk entering their depths.
I don’t mean to sound foreboding — quite the opposite. Nor do I wish to make the process of descent appear overly difficult — it isn’t. All that’s required to dive into the rabbit hole is the release of all personal identity and the belief systems that hold it in place. That’s like saying the path through the illusion is simple — provided one has no preferences.
Unfortunately, there are many hucksters — including your own inner voices — who tout all manner of shortcuts into the rabbit hole. Laced sugar cubes, magic ‘shrooms, sacred plant concoctions, and a host of other mind-altering substances are generally available to those not ready to do the serious work. In the age of instant gratification, these seem such simple ways to separate from the portion of oneself that still believes it is living within the illusion.
The question, then, is: Why would you want to go anywhere near a rabbit hole? Before you answer, consider this: Who is the you that would make the journey, and who is the you making the decision? What do you really know about yourself that doesn’t come from your lifetime resume? You can make a list a mile long describing every aspect of your life, your physical attributes, your likes and dislikes, your thoughts, your beliefs, and you wouldn’t begin to depict who you really are. Each item on your list is little more than the way you choose to project yourself into the illusion. None of these can make the journey.
Surprisingly, religious beliefs are the largest single obstacle to ascension (the lightness of being required to explore the deeper regions of rabbit holes) — not because people have them but because they cling to them as truth. Yet most people have not chosen their religions. Rather, the religion they claim as their own chose them, usually through circumstances of birth or enculturation. Feeling lost and abandoned at the edge of a vast galaxy in an incomprehensibly large universe, we understandably cry out for a mommy or daddy to comfort us. Religions give us community, and they give answers that, for many, make the challenges of their lives more bearable.
People are more readily attracted to a religious concept if it is presented as the word of a deity. Imagine the priesthood saying that what they teach might be an interesting theory for the congregation to explore for a while. Any good marketer knows it’s easier to fill the seats if what they offer is advertised as the only true path to God’s heavenly mansion, and that whoever doesn’t follow it is doomed to an eternity of unspeakable damnation. Fear, it turns out, is an excellent motivator.
But fear will not allow you into the rabbit hole. Nor will a tenacious hold on a belief system. Rabbit holes are only for the passionately curious, for those who are not so overburdened with someone else’s answer that they long ago forgot the question. Arguably, the greatest damage wrought by a belief system is the blunting of the desire to seek beyond the boundaries of dogma. The essential nature of a rabbit hole is to unravel. What you experience upon entering one will not only blow your mind, it will strip you of all sense of personal identity.
Rabbit holes are definitely not for the faint of heart. Don’t let the cleverness of the question fool you into thinking you can stick your toe into the hole to get a preview. What black hole ever asked “How far into me would you like to go?”
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Up to10, 000 militants in the troubled Niger Delta could benefit from the amnesty offered by the federal government aimed at ending the crisis in the region, which has almost crippled the oil industry.
The chief coordinator of the Amnesty Implemen-tation Committee, Air Vice Marshal Lucky Ararile, announced this yesterday in Abuja at a special media dialogue on the status of the amnesty deal.
Ararile also announced that the federal government has budgeted N200 million to feed the targeted 10,000 militants that will turn up to lay down their arms at the 50 to 60 camps spread across the six Niger Delta states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Rivers.
"We are working on about 10,000 militants. Each militant will receive an allowance of N20, 000 per month in addition to N1, 500 per day for food while at a reintegration centre, translating to N65,000 a month.
“Disarmament and demobilisation part of the programme will last 60 days. Thereafter, the reintegration programme is indeterminate," Ararile said.
He said a few militants have already surrendered their arms but declined to give a specific figure.
Ararile continued: “If you compute 20,000 per month by 10,000 ex-militants, we will be talking of billions of naira. This is for the disarmament and demobilization part of the programme, which is for 60 days.
“Their duration at the camps will depend on the things they want to do. Some of skills will be acquired at home while others will be sent to relevant institutions to learn a trade, or back to school for those who want an education.
“For the re-integration centres, we are thinking of either building new ones or renovating structures that are available. But because of time constraint, we may be forced to renovate.
“So in certain cases, we are renovating and in others we will build. The degree of renovation varies from facility to facility but there is no fixed figure on that.”
He called on more militants to take advantage of the amnesty offer and commended the level of enthusiasm so far expressed by those who have already surrendered their weapons.
“I think is in the interest of everybody to end this right now. Most Niger Deltans are tired.
“They are now the victims of this whole struggle. It is virtually impossible for development to take place in the Niger Delta today with the level of violence that we have.
“It is not just development that is affected, even our individual social lives have been completely affected.”
The Media Coordinator of the committee, Dr. Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, added that the consequences of this crisis “as we have seen in Gbaramatu Kingdom, is that it is the women and children that have been displaced.
“This is the reason we think the militants should accept this amnesty and save their parents, their mothers, even their grandparents the pain they are going through.
“If you should visit this camp, you will see a very sorry sight. The activity that led to this displacement shouldn’t have happened.”
Asked if the committee is in touch with Government Tompolo, a key militant, Ararile said there has been no direct contact with him.
It would be recalled that President Umaru Yar'Adua had announced the offer of amnesty from August 6 to October 4, 2009 for all those directly and indirectly engaged in militant activities in the Niger Delta.
Henry Okah, the leader for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta had all charges against him dropped as part of the amnesty deal. He was released from jail last Monday.
In response, MEND declared a 60-day ceasefire on its "oil war" which has seen oil production cut by 50 percent.
FRAUD is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual. It is a crime and is also a civil law violation.
Many fraud cases involve complicated financial transactions conducted mostly by business professionals with specialised knowledge and criminal intent.
Fraud can be committed through many methods, including mail, wire, phone, and the internet. Many scams use telephone calls to convince the victim that the person on the other end of the deal is a real, truthful person.
Many Nigerians have fallen victim of fraud one time or the other. Perhaps the version of the story differs from one victim to the other. The strange thing is that the victims are being defrauded by fellow Nigerians who take the advantage of the respect people have for their kith and kins living in foreign countries.
In the past, the trend was that Nigerians living abroad would send money for a specific project back home. Such people had been swindled many times. They were taught hard lessons, but they became wiser. They now know the “safe hands” to put their money in for any investments back home.
Sometime ago, a man was reported to be sending money home to his brother, who diverted the money, meant for a building construction for personal gain. Pictures of the ‘progress’ made on the work were continuously sent to the trusting fellow abroad until the lid was blown open. He was duped by his own brother!
However, with Nigerians abroad now exercising caution in their dealings with those they are supposed to trust, even relatives, those at home are being duped by people living in their present surroundings, but who claim to be relatives living in faraway countries.
According to a source, a middle-aged man recounted how he woke up on a fateful day to a call from abroad. The caller, using an international number, told him that his son, who was living abroad, had longed to speak with him.
“Your son (names withheld) had been trying your number before he left for office. Since he could not reach you on phone, he asked me to deliver his message,” the man quoted the caller to have said.
Asked how the caller got the details about his son, the man said, “the caller did not mention my son’s name. I gave him the details – his name, country and everything. I was so curious; has anything happened to my son?”
And the message: The son wanted the father to help him acquire a property in a choice area. A friend was arranged to take the man to see the property. The parent was careless. He did not call the son to confirm the development. He took the bait. The next day, he parted with about N500,000 (he was rich and he would do anything for his son) to acquire the so-called property.
On how he got to know he had been duped, the man said his son called later in the day. “I was expecting him to ask me about the latest development, but he did not say anything. I told him all that had happened, but my son said he had no knowledge of it,” the man said.
He decided to check on the ‘property’ the next day, but the number with which he was contacted was no more available.
Another reported case of such fraud involved a man who believed he was being contacted by a neighbour who had relocated abroad. The caller told him that he decided to partner with him based on his record of honesty and transparency and he would also transact a business on his behalf.
The neighbour was so eloquent that the victim did not suspect any foul play. The ‘neighbour’ had left a message also that the man should contact his business associates who had just arrived in Nigeria. The offer was juicy. The man was ready to parter with his former neighbour, but he was entering into a trap. He got involved in the deal. He filled forms and made bookings for the ‘products.’
For certain ‘goods’ the man was to deliver for his ‘neighbour,’ he was to part with about N2 million and pay a non-refundable fee of N150,000 to register for the business. But before the deal could be concluded, he got a call from the real neighbour, who told him to ‘play along’ so the syndicate could be arrested. However, the fraudsters could read the writing on the wall and so they quickly backed out, but not until their victim had parted with about N200,000.
With the latest Internet communication, fraudsters have updated their skills. Pictures of relatives and friends abroad are usually manipulated to perform their dastardly act. Chatting fora like Facebook and others also make their work much easier.
For men who love ‘anything in skirt,’ pictures of beautiful girls are being used to get at them. ‘The girls’ surf the net for addresses of men and then send them mails expressing an interest to begin a relationship with them.
How do the fraudsters get people’s phone numbers? How do they get accurate information about their victims before initiating any communication. Are ‘insiders’ (relatives or other people close to the victim) involved in their work? Like it was stated earlier in this writing, the fraudsters are mostly business professionals with specialised knowledge.
A Nigerian living in London, Kunmi, said the trend was not a new thing.“I have alerted everyone closer to me. I have means of communicating with them and if the need be for anyone to take action on my behalf, they will get across to me first. I don’t know what the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is doing to check the situation,” he said.
Another Nigerian living in the Netherlands said it was the crave for quick wealth that made Nigerians to fall victim of such tricks.
When asked whether any of his relatives in Nigeria had fallen victim of such, he was quick to answer in the affirmative. He said he had warned members of his family to cross-check with him, any information supposedly coming from him before acting on it.
As copied from the Western Austrialia Ministry of Fair Trade’s e-zine Fair Bytes, here is a story of a fraud: “When I received an unsolicited e-mail from a son of a prominent Nigerian, asking for my assistance in retrieving $500 million for a 25 per cent reward, excitement raced through me. I requested more information. A second e-mail provided me with a Nigerian phone number. A purported Nigerian attorney told me that I would receive 20 installments of $25 million deposited into my bank account bi-weekly. All I needed to do was pay $25,000 in expenses and up-front fees.”
According to him, he believed he would soon be on the list of the richest people in the world! All he had to do was send money to these contacts, allowing them to pay for hotels, airfares, gifts, and processing fees.
For the $1,200 sent, he received a faxed copy of a Certificate of Ownership to $25 million. All faxes proudly displayed official signatures, stamps and seals.
A deposit of $32 million within 72 hours into his bank account would take place after he paid a membership fee of $75,000 to join the "Secret Bank." He could have an immediate release of up to $1 million within 24 hours after he had paid the fee and filed the application.
According to the victim, “I asked them to take a cheque, telling them that it will mature in 10 days, but they insisted they preferred cash. So, I travelled to meet them in London.
“There, they communicated by cell phones, and never provided a physical address for contact. We met in my hotel’s bar. They showed me 10 stacks of $100 bills. Each bill had a smudge on its face that I was told would prevent detection by a scanning device as it passed through customs. This money, plus two million more that was waiting in a security company's vault, would be mine within 24 hours if I would buy the special chemical needed to remove the smudges and pay the release fee for the other two million dollars.
“I asked to cut open one of the plastic-wrapped stacks of money so I could fan through it. I believed I saw 10 stacks of copy paper with a $100 bill topping each stack. They did not allow me a hands-on inspection!
“As I stalled for time, trying to find a suitable end to my investigation, a cellphone rang. The conversation was not for my ears, but due to the loud, panicky voice of the caller, I could not miss her words: ‘Where’s my money!”
This was the voice of a woman who was recently duped and was threatening to have her money back from the contacts, and as such, the man knew it was a game and he sought ways of escape for himself.
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The next time you get calls from abroad supposedly from families and friends, be sure you are talking with the right person, otherwise, you might be on the way to getting duped.
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281x211.jpgDome Project’ reportedly featured elaborate sets, including a ‘Thriller’-like cemetery.In addition to overseeing the over-the-top, effects-heavy stage show for his comeback shows at the O2 Arena in London, Michael Jackson completed a mysterious video production known as the “Dome Project” two weeks before his death on Thursday, according to The Associated Press.The production could be the last video piece from the singer known for creating some of the most acclaimed, elaborate music videos in history. While details on the project are hard to come by due to confidentiality agreements signed by those who worked on it, two unnamed sources with knowledge of its existence spoke to the AP.According to these sources, the five-week project was housed at Culver Studios in Los Angeles — the same set used for “Gone With the Wind” production 70 years ago. Jackson was said to be on set for most of the days it was shot, from June 1-9. Four sets were constructed for the video, including a cemetery similar to the one from the singer’s famous 1983 “Thriller” video. Other sets included one draped in black with an oversized portrait of Jackson in his “Thriller” werewolf costume, a simulated lush jungle and a fake construction site.The project is now in post-production and is slated for completion next month. Michael Roth, a spokesperson for concert promoter AEG Live, told the AP that he had not heard about the “Dome” shoot, but it could have been part of the company’s contract with the entertainer, which reportedly had provisions for the release of musical recordings and videos. MTV News could not reach Roth for further comment at press time.An anonymous source said a very thin, pale Jackson left a strong impression on the crew during the production, arriving in a caravan of SUVs with “hulking security guards in tow” and introducing himself to workers on the set. The singer was described as having a “spring in his step,” but it was noted that at one point he needed help while walking down a set of stairs on the stage.The shoot reportedly included one scene on the construction site set featuring scantily clad male dancers wearing construction belts.In addition to the “Dome” project, AEG Live is reported to have filmed 100 hours of rehearsals for the London shows, including last Wednesday’s final rehearsal, which wrapped up just hours before Jackson’s death. That footage could be used to create what would be Jackson’s first-ever live CD and DVD.Video of Rehearsals Just Days Before His Death
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Dear All.This is recommended for immediate implementationWhere and/if applicable.Happy weekend.CheerssssssssssssssssssssssHOME INTERNAL MEMOFROM: DADTO: ALL DEPENDANTS AND RELATIVESCC: MOTHERDATE: JUNE, 2009SUBJECT: FINANCIAL MELTDOWN/COST CUTTING MEASURES FOR YOUR URGENT ATTENTIONDue to the current economic situation, all domestic rules andregulations have been revised as below and under no circumstance isany violation going to be accepted.1. The Kitchen and all pantries are declared Restricted Zones. Entryand/or passage shall require express permission from me uponsubmission of written request.2. Breakfast is banned. This matter cannot be discussed!3. Such food items as rice, chicken, butter, jam, eggs, bread andmilk are restricted. Anyone intending to eat any of such foodstuffsmust write to me in triplicate, with three days notice, givingjustifications backed by a qualified dietician report as supportivedocumentation.4. Watering with hoses is banned. Further, only food-giving plantsshall be watered. No lawns or flowers shall receive water. Forinternal decoration, only plastic and dry-flower arrangements shall bepermitted.5. Bathing in the morning is limited to 5 litres of water per day perperson while bathing in the evening is banned unless there are medicalreasons.6. All security lights should be removed with immediate effect. Alldependants shall abide by an all-night guard-duty roster I shall makeavailable shortly.7. No dependant shall entertain friends indoors, far less attempt tooffer food, drinks or even music. Those who want their guests tolisten to music shall sing for them.8. No one is allowed to talk to officials from police, Council orCourt Bailiffs; doing so shall carry an instantaneous penalty ofejection from the House.9. Anybody who breaks a glass, furniture or any other property in theHouse, shall immediately have to seek temporary employment somewhereto earn money to replace such broken item(s).10. All visitors intending to spend a night/week or more shall applyin triplicate and give two months notice, with an endorsement fromtheir town Mayor, Village Headman or Church Priest, giving convincingreasons why they can't stay at their homes. Failure to do this shallresult in their being turned away, at the gate, upon arrivalTHESE RULES ARE BINDING AND NOT SUBJECT TO ANY DISCUSSION WHATSOEVER!!!Signed:DAD (Domestic Affairs Director)
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I think when the world (or even Nigerian federal officials) talk about Nollywood, they are not thinking about the Hausa film industry, a.k.a. Kannywood. Nollywood is simply the Nigerian movie industry WITHOUT its Hausa component. Surprisingly, Nollywood includes the Igbo and Yoruba productions. The question is: why are Hausa movies not included? In my view, it has to do with the fact that federal officials working in the culture sector - Ministry of Information and its parastatals such as the National Film and Videos Censors Board and the Nigerian Film Corporation - hardly remember Kannywood when they are designing policies. Until in recent years, they scarcely included Kannywood stakeholders in their programmes.Of course, things have been changing in recent years. Kannywood stakeholders have been making an in-road into the federal culture sector - participating in film festivals, awards and meetings. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go before we get THERE, largely due to the dominance of non-Northerners in the sector and in the mainstream mass media. If you take a look at the entertainment pages of Nigerian newspapers where news and gossip about the Nigerian movie world are told, you will hardly see anything being said about Kannywood. That is, with the exception of northern papers like Leadership, Trust, New Nigerian and Triumph.The senseless attacks on Kannywood operators by officials of the Kano State Censorship Board in the bogus name of sanitising the industry appears to have taken Kannywood back in reckoning. That's the actual target of the censors. But theirs is a futile exercise because only a dimwit will presuppose that a censorship regime can destroy the progress of the new information technologies, of which movies are a significant part.This is more so in a democracy, which has a preset tenure. As the Hausa say, "Zalunci ba ya karewa!"Posted by Bahaushe Mai Ban Haushi! at 14:01
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Now I need y’all to help me out here. I really don’t understand what it is with these actors that make them decide they want to go into music. What exactly is wrong with the world today? Why can’t folks just be content with the amount of talent they have been allocated with in life… why do they want to force themselves into different aspects that they are CLEARLY not supposed to be in? When are you guys gonna get it into your brains that it is not gonna work, except… of course, you are Nkem Owoh or Patience Ozorkwo a.k.a Mama G (yea… I know, I was also shocked when I found out that she too had an album) whose albums were more comical than they were professional- totally understandable for their age. I even heard that they are giving Akanchawa a run for his money in the East.drama to Rap RnB could be better
comedians to highlife musicians doing well !hit song I GO CHOP YOUR DOLLAR Nkem Owoh aka Osuoffia
Mama G iyo gwo gwo
omotolas Dance feat rugged man
Jim iyke feat 2Face&Micheal blakson Who am I
Oh… don’t get me wrong; there are a few good eggs whose venture into music was not a wasted effort. I am talking about the likes of Stella Damasus Nzeribe who has a relatively good voice and a fairly good stage presence… nothing to make you go WOW but something to make you get that warm fuzzy feeling on the inside of you. Oh yea… that’s right! Some of y’all don’t know that she has remarried. Well, just keep logging on and I promise to give you an inside scoop on that gist. And of course there are the wanna bes like Omotola Jalade Ekeinde and Genevive Nnaji, both extremely gorgeous women with absolutely NO talent in music. All well and good, they are fantastic when it comes to acting but someone needs to tell them not to quit their day job to go into singing. It is a dead end… period!
9JABOOKSHAKARA TODAY Special Focus (JI) aka Jim Ikechukwu Jim Iyke .He can he become the P-diddy of Naijana wa o where was I going to with all this… (Scratch my head ) Ah yes! Reports have reached us that the talented and handsome actor, James Ikechukwu popularly known as Jim Iyke has been as busy as a bee lately. Why…? Well… apparently, he has put finishing touches to his (eyes rolling) album… yea! You heard me right… HIS ALBUM! Now before some of you ladies get all excited about your favorite actor venturing into music, I think it’s only fair that I remind you that others (actors) have tried and come up with nothing… NADA! ZILCH! Folks like Genevieve, Desmond Elliot, Omotola and the rest of them actors who tried… failed. So I wouldn’t be counting my chickens before they hatch if I were you. I mean, I could be wrong but I rarely am. Now the gist is that our boy Iyke has released his musical video which he spent quite a load of cheddar to shoot in South Africa. It is a video he features Two Face and Micheal Blakson the US based Standup comedian from Ghana. It is really amazing how everyone… and by everyone I mean actors, seems to have hopped onto this band wagon hoping to be the next 9ice or D’banj or Asa out of Nollywood. Yea… like that’s gonna happen. Pff! Iyke seems optimistic though and who could blame him?Now the boy is said to have golden fingers… who said it? I haven’t the foggiest but IT has been said on a few occasions. The boy is currently shuttling between the U.S where he is shooting a new home video. Reports call it a movie but we all know that it is actually a home video. You all know the difference right? Home videos are those really awful stories being played by absolutely untalented actors shot with the same kind of cameras folks use at funerals and oh… lets not forget the ridiculous dialogues and stupid soundtracks… (Head shake) (sigh) Sources say that Iyke’s new movie will have a lot of Hollywood stars… (eyes rolling) in it. Pa..leaseeee… they ought to say that the film has plenty oyinbo waka pass. Hollywood stars? Haba! Yea… I’ll believe that when akamu gets sold in Tesco UK and my man Osita aka Jadon the gangster grows 7feet tall and Nepa functions 24/7 non stop.Anyways, asides his successful career in acting and the non-existent but ‘here’s hoping’ one in music, Iyke is doing extraordinarily well for himself; having recently moved from his 3 bedroom apartment in Ikeja to a palatial mansion in lekki area, near Alpha Beach. The former model and proud owner of a car dealership who hails from Enugu state is showing that he has all it takes to be a typical Ibo man… Nna meeeen! All that’s missing are those trousers they all wear that reach their chests.Iyke has been voted one of ‘the most sought after five’ in Nollywood, as a matter of fact, he has occupied the all important A-list of male actors since the last four years. Yet, the process, rather than tire him out, has seen him rejuvenated and even better in the interpretation of his roles…. Now I stole this paragraph word for word from a local newspaper… you’ll forgive me if I don’t believe a word of it.I do have to say that Jim Iyke has fared better than most of his peers, as a matter of fact; he is, to an extent, a better actor that a good number of the male folks in the industry, even though he is fond of scaring the kids when he enlarges those massive eyes of his when he is in character. Between his and Segun Arinze’s, I don’t know who is better (pls your comment ). He has made a fortune from the acting. That’s right, movies have paid off so well that jim has transported himself from that role seeking, broke dude who just dropped in from Jos in the mid 1990s, to the super star he is today who is completely swimming in cash.Now, Iyke place in Lekki is said to have cost the Nollywood star a whopping N50 million; land, building and all. The duplex is also said to have 10 rooms with imported furnishings and marble works from Italy. Oh… and for all of y’all who have that little devil on your shoulder telling you to plan some kain strong thing for the brother, you will be wasting your time. Iyke’s security gadgets are one of a kind. What do you expect? He is Ibo, dem no dey play with dem money o!The house boasts of a swimming pool to impress the ladies, a well stocked bar for all his drunkard friends, a kitchen that ought to be in vogue homes, a private lounge and den and we must not forget to hype the bedroom. Careful ladies… try not to get a crease in your knickers okay? You know what…? on second thoughts, I am gonna skip this part before some of you ladies get any bright ideas.There is no doubt that lyke has it all. His taste in clothes and cars are impeccable. His wardrobe boasts of different brands of designers and I am not talking about the cheap ones. I mean the really big labels. From shirts to shoes to belts to sunglasses… you would think you were in the best fashion house for men in Naija. Not only does the dark handsome actor have an eye for clothes and cars, he is also a huge collector of accessories- bangles, rings, chains, wristwatches… name it. Bros dey rock jewelry pass woman. At least the lucky lady ought not to be scared about her man picking out her engagement and wedding rings but she should be worried that he wouldn’t rock the engagement ring as part of fashion… if you know what I mean.
Iyke is also an auto freak! He buys them, he drives them and he sells them. His garage looks like a freaking car dealership. Folks barge in, see his cars and make him an offer he can’t refuse. He takes it and then gets a better and more expensive model for himself, all for another friend to come pick it up. Ha! Ibo sense. But this is just like his second habitat because this original ibo boy has an auto sales business which his father manages for him.
Specially adapted and rewritten from various sources contact me for more details or if you have more details.
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akeem's real name is with held .
I am a 34 year old hapily married man with a fantastic wife and 2 kids.
My wife is the greatest, but last night I got tempted into going to a brothel to see what it's like after many of my friends told me that as long as you wear a condom you wont get hiv .
My firends normally call me woman wrapper and We went out clubbing one night i normally go out with my wife but this time she went for one owambe party/
I ended up going with this nice girl and she gave oral sex (unprotected) and then we had full sex. i was quite drunk too.
However the condom broke, I realised this after about 30 seconds and tried to withdraw but she held me back until ejaculation. She got a new condom, I put it on and then I finished.
She says that she has an AIDS test every 3 months and she has not had a test in 4months and must have had sex with over 60 men including students. But I was not sure until A friend of mine got tested positive recently and he flew out of the country for treatment. Rumours are he has slept with all the girls we had met at the party we went .All from Lasu (Lagos state university.) All the guys in my click have run tio take tests but no one is saying anything !
I am a very sad man, I do not understand why I did it and I WISH I could turn back the clock. I am sorry for myself today. I feel guilty as sin and pray to be forgiven.
What are my chances? I want to tell my wife to protect her but she may leave me and if not probably NEVER forgive and trust me again.
We have sex quite regular (without protection) and will know something is wrong if I don't want sex. I really do love her very much. I will NEVER ever do this again! What do I do?
it has been like 2months since and i am afraid to take a test !
Please help this foolish foolish man.
akeem
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PEP is a NGO Public Emlightment Program body
Story Adapted and rewritten from Sunnews online by Cosy Eko and Akin Osunlaja
Prostitution as family business
We have an interesting situation in a place called Amansea where it is family-based business; where you see a man, his wife and children. The husband is the pimp that collects the money and the customer goes in to sleep with the wife or daughters.
We have some of the situations there, in Amansea where they have daughters, 14, 15 years old who ought to be in school, but they engage in sex work. Now, apart from the Amansea situation, to also explain the reality that all of the girls don’t know about sexuality, how to protect themselves, you see some of them getting pregnant, you see some with pregnancy and when they give birth, they keep the children there with them.
So, you can imagine such children, we have another programme for such children. We call them orphans and vulnerable children, so for such children, we are looking for resources to get them out of those environments and put them in school. You can imagine a child watching, growing in such an environment, what kind of adult will that child be tomorrow in the society? So, if government is talking about holistic development in all its ramifications, then we need to target this segment of the society which nobody is talking about. You hear people talking about people with disabilities, widows, orphans, but what about commercial sex workers? So, we need to engage with them, engage with the brothel owners themselves who also can have other sources of income because it is their own source of livelihood and they will not be very happy to lose it.
Worried by the waste promising young girls have become by engaging in commercial sex work due to lack of jobs and financial bankruptcy, a non-governmental organization (NGO), Public Enlightenment Projects (PEP-Nigeria) has called on governments to put commercial sex workers in their development programmes.
PEP which is presently working in some local governments in Anambra State said over 73 of such sex workers spread across five council areas in the state have indicated interest to quit the job if they are offered alternative jobs to do.
Executive Director of PEP, Mrs. Lilian Ezenwa who spoke to Daily Sun in an interview explained that the intervention job her organisation has been doing for sex workers has revealed that they really need help.
One of such revelations was their stumbling into a family where the father of the house was the pimp that collects money from customers before they go in to sleep with his wife or daughters.
She also gave details of the intervention they were able to carry out and areas where they need help from the government and individuals.
Our organisation
Public Enlightenment Projects (PEP) is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1998, but we started working in 2000. We work in areas of HIV/AIDS education, children programme and participation and governance. Our head office is in Owerri, while we have our field office here in Awka. We also have zonal offices in the South-South and North West geo-political zones.
Activities in Anambra
In Anambra, we have been implementing a project called the AIDS Impact Mitigation Project (AIMP). This is a HIV intervention project that focuses directly on commercial sex workers.
What we do is that we go to brothels, we pay advocacy visit to the brothel owners or their managers and the chairladies of the girls themselves. We explain to them about this project on HIV and how we want to be of assistance to them, give them correct information about HIV, how it can be contracted, how they can prevent themselves from contracting it and if any of them is positive, what next to do; that is not the end of life because there are other intervention programmes from which people can get anti-retroviral drugs.
Our findings
Now in Anambra State, we’ve been working in six brothels across some local governments and we have quite some interesting findings. One of it is that most of these girls got to the brothels on a short time measure; either they had pressures, lack of resources, and poverty. Challenges of paying for school fees, continuing education or setting up a trade after learning and somehow, maybe somebody lured them or somebody informed them that oh, come and take up this trade, you will make quick money, good money easily and fast.
But interestingly, from our findings, because we conducted several business surveys with the girls, we asked them questions; how did you get here, everybody tells you their individual stories. From the analysis of the findings we discovered that although it may be easy to move into a brothel, it is not easy to move out.
The brothel system is designed in such a way that when you move in, you don’t move out or you find it difficult to move out. For example, these girls pay their rents on a daily basis; therefore, everyday your first thought is how to raise your rent for the day. And often, most of them are not allowed to cook, they have to buy food from the restaurant in the hotel, they have to put money together for their drugs, they have to put money together for ancillary services, like settling law enforcement agents from harassing them and things like that.
So, you find out that on a daily basis, before they have to make their own money, they must have saved enough to meet these basic services that they get. We also discovered that most of these are young girls in the ages of 18 to 20, 24. Some of them you know came to Awka because they want to go to school, they found out that they don’t get admission somebody promised them. As a half way measure, they tell their parents they are in school, but they are here.
Also, we discovered that if you claim that you are a student and you engage in commercial sex work it increases your economic value. People tend to respect you more, customers have this funny feeling that oh, undergraduates don’t carry HIV or sexually transmitted infections, that they are safe, whereas it’s not the truth
Another interesting finding we had from the field was also the fact that these girls also have dreams and aspirations like most of us. Many of them also want to marry; many of them also want to raise children, good children. If you ask them do they want their children to engage in this work, all of them will say no, they all want better life and a lot of them showed the zeal that if they are assisted, they will leave the trade.
Then another challenge we had was the challenge of information about HIV. Although HIV has been here for a long time and a lot of people know about HIV, we discovered that these girls don’t have the correct information about HIV. Many of them could not differentiate between HIV and AIDS. Many of them cannot even interpret what HIV really is and what AIDS really is, they’ll tell you, oh, they’ve been hearing about it. And you find out that some of their clients go to them, believing that oh, these are professional sex workers, they know about all these issues, they protect themselves very well; whereas in the field, you find out that it is not so.
We also discovered, I think I have said that before that many of them want to leave this trade because it is a very tasking profession, health-wise, emotional-wise, they get abused by the pimps, they get abused by their customers, sometimes, they are raided by the police and their monies are taken away, so it is a dangerous work.
We also asked them a particular question, is there anybody you know who has been in this trade, who went out and has not returned. Quite a lot of them said yes, because they know they also face the risk of even kidnappers or ritual murderers, especially as elections are around the corner. These are girls that if they miss nobody will ask questions, parents don’t know where they are, brothers don’t know where they are, so it is a very risky profession; it’s not the kind of profession that any state that claims to have good plans for its citizens should allow thriving.
Assistance for sex workers
In spite of this, we find out that the short term measures that some of our governments take is not the best, for example, demolition of brothels. Sometimes, you hear that oh, you go to your center where you normally work, the girls have been chased away, the brothel has been demolished, but that doesn’t solve the problem because the girls just go underground and relocate to other brothels.
The answer is not in demolishing of brothels, the answer is in discussing with these girls as human beings who have human rights just as we are doing. Finding out their stories, each of them has a compelling story because they are not the only one that has problems, but how do they get there? And what can be done to get them out if they are interested in moving out.
So, these are the issues that we are raising and we wanted to support 20 per cent of them with equipment grant. Right now, we have 97 per cent signifying interest to leave the sex trade, which means, our equipment grant could not go round. That’s one reason we want to raise additional resources, we want to create awareness about this group. The government has been focusing a lot about women, widows, they are not the only ones who have challenges, these are young girls, they are able-bodied young girls, but because many of them are not well educated, they can’t get good jobs.
Because of also the stigma the society has on them, they can’t come out and tell you to help them. Even for us to work with them, it takes a lot of time for them to build trust on us because initially, they will give you fake names, fake phone numbers because they too are investigating you to know whether we are law enforcement agents, whether we want to arrest them. So, it takes time to build trust between the organization and them and now that we know them and they know us and we know their issues, we are calling on government and other public spirited individuals to come and assist.
The girls we saw
They are not bad girls, most of them didn’t set out to become bad girls, many of them are not enjoying what they are doing. For those who understand Igbo, there is a particular brothel we went to, the second day we got there, one of the girls rushed out of her room, I think she wasn’t around the first time we were there, the second time we were there, she just ran out of her room while we were interviewing others, we were having a focus discussion, she just started shouting, I want to repeat her cry in Igbo,
Desperate CRY FOR HELP“ashawo awuhu oru, onye ga enyere m aka, nyerenu m aka na ashawo awuhu oru” meaning prostitution is no job, anybody that wants to help me should come and help me. You can imagine, she was saying this and she was weeping.
All of us stopped, that is one thing that is pushing me on in looking for resources for these girls. Today, that girl is one of our peer educators because in each brothel, we raise peer educators, we train them on HIV, and we train them on essential life skills.
Essential life skills are things that everybody knows, you don’t need to be a commercial sex worker to know them. Skills like negotiation, communication, self-esteem, because a lot of them, it’s low self-esteem that got them there, conflict management. Today, that lady is one of our peer educators, educating her colleagues about correct and consistent condom use and about the need to migrate from the sex trade to other trades.
Equipment grant
Each time we go to them, we train them every week on different topics around HIV, reproductive health, what is HIV and how you can get it. Condom use, how to put on the condom, why people shouldn’t use condom more than once, they tell you different stories that some of their customers use condom twice, some lubricate condoms with groundnut oil. You may shake your head, but I am telling you real issues and then the condom will burst; the risk on the man if the man is positive. It may not just be HIV, what if he has sexually transmitted infections, or what if the girl has any of the infections, pain relief drugs because of the nature of their job.
Now for those of them who want to migrate from the sex trade, we plan to give 20 per cent of them equipment grant. Because when we were designing the project, of course, we didn’t know how they will receive us, so in our plan, we have 20 per cent to get equipment grant. The equipment grants are not more than N50, 000 each; which means if somebody say she wants to do hair dressing that can get her one dryer and maybe one small generator, the one they call “I pass my neighbour.”
There are a lot of them, but we are not working everywhere, in the areas where we are working is what I can talk about; we don’t have the resources to go to all the brothels in the state. We are working in six brothels in five local governments and in these brothels, we have over 800 people.
The girls who want to quit
We have 73 girls in this state who have signified interest to leave the sex work as soon as they can have alternative sources of income and we don’t have enough resources to go round these 73, so, we are calling on the government, we are calling on public spirited individuals, corporate organizations, religious bodies to come and join hands with us, let’s assist these girls and reintegrate them back into the larger society.
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Ehi Buckler Isibor is a graduate of the University of Benin. Her stroll into limelight was like a miracle as she describes it. She is thankful to mother luck for allowing top Nollywood director, Lancelot Imasuen discover her at the time he did. An opportunity at her first ever movie audition landed a lead role on her laps and thereafter she emerged the star of the movie. She played the role of “Ebuwa”, a Edo language film that exposes the dangers of prostitution, AIDS and the evils of child trafficking.Excerpts.Please introduce yourselfMy name is Ehi Buckler Isibor, I hail from Benin City, Edo State of Nigeria. I graduated from the University of Benin. I am presently plying my trade as an actress.For how long have you been acting?Two years now.Your first cut in acting was the lead role in Lancelot Imasuen's film; “Ebuwa”YesBy your estimation, do you think you did justice to the role?Yes I did.How was that possible, being your first time taking an acting job.I think acting came naturally with me. It is something I was born with. With some perfect tips from the director of the film, it was not difficult for me to deliver.Tell me, what do you think made it possible for you to grab the role, giving the fact that Nollywood is replete with stars that would have fitted better.All I can say is that it was a divine intervention, because in the first place I did not prepare to go for the auditions to select the cast for the film. I and the director ran into ourselves on the streets of Benin and he told me I fitted fine into a role he plans to showcase in his new film. Initially I laughed over it and did not take him serious, because I had never acted before. But coincidentally we met at another place, where my elder sister formerly introduced me to him. He repeated his offer and invited me to come for the auditions and I did. I was surprised that I emerged his choice for the role eventually.What were you doing at the time you met him?I was doing my final year project at the University.What year was that?Last year?Ebuwa was shot last year, was it not?It was.How were you able to cope with the project and at the same time going on location for shooting?The shooting of the film did not disturb the project, because by the time production commenced I had concluded the project.“Ebuwa” is an Edo language film, isn't it?Yes.Would you say that the reason you adapted to the role easily was because it was done in vernacular language.No. The medium of language adopted did not make any difference to me.How many other girls showed up to audition for the role.I did not count, but they were many.Would it be right to say, he merely favoured you by giving you the role?No, I don't think so, besides there was no reasons for me to be given preferential treatment.Maybe you have not observed, I think you are a head turner.(Laughter)Describe your experience during the auditions.When I got to the venue, I was shocked on seeing many people there. Initially I wanted to run away, especially when I realized that everybody present would be expected to read out loud from scripts. I am usually a shy type. But a lady who I met there encouraged me.
Are you still a shy person?Not anymoreWhat has playing the lead role in the film done for you?It personally exposed to me, the dangers of prostitution and the evil of human trafficking. Secondly the film instantly shot me to limelight.Describe your life on campus.I was very friendly, yet some saw me as a difficult person.Were you giving the guys who approached you difficult times?No. But I remember as a young girl, I resisted any attempt by people, especially men to be friendly with me.Did you get the impression they were afraid to approach you?I never thought about it. But why should they be afraid?How do you relate to persons of the opposite sex?I grew up with a lot of boys. I have five brothers and so many cousins. I enjoy good relationship with men. I have a lot of men as friends, but the moment they start saying I love you I get scared.Why?If you start talking love, it becomes difficult for me to be free with you. If I consider you just a friend and you start talking love to me you kill the relationship automatically.excerpted and adpated from citytracker by azuka mordi
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Lawmakers are going for the jugular of Education Minister, Sam Egwu, 48 hours after the Trade Union Congress (TUC) demanded his sack for the shoddy way he has handled the strike by university lecturers.
Members of the House of Representatives crafted a motion on Monday, to be tabled at plenary this week, to probe his alleged spending of N120 million to celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary.
All the heads of tertiary institutions who participated in the lavish gig will also be investigated.
The motion, sponsored by Halims Agoda, wants a mandate for the Education Committee to inquire into the sources of the N120 million.
It also wants the Committee to probe the sources of funds "used by university administrators, Provosts of colleges of education, Rectors of polytechnics and heads of parastatals of the ministry of education who attended the wedding anniversary in terms of expenses on transportation, travelling basic allowances, and other logistics, including media coverage, and recommend appropriate action to the House of Representatives."
The motion demands "an immediate and an unconditional public apology from Egwu to university students and their parents and guardians for conducting himself in a manner suggestive of disregard for the current plight of students."
It asked lawmakers to call on President Umaru Yar'Adua to "re-engineer his cabinet in order to give purposeful leadership to the country by cautioning his appointees whose conduct, actions or inactions portend a frontal onslaught on the sensibilities of the Nigerian people."
The motion noted that Egwu ought to proffer immediate and workable solutions to the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) now threatening the survival of the university system.
It lamented that "without due regard to this basic fundamental of (his) responsibility, (Egwu), in a brazen show of contempt, insensitivity and a breach of acceptable social values, rather than get himself concerned with and involved in getting our universities re-opened, felt that it would serve greater public interest to tell Nigerians that his marriage is 25 years old with lavish celebrations."
Egwu had argued at the weekend that take it or leave it, the government has conceded enough, and shot down further demands by university lecturers who have been on strike since June 22.
Both TUC President General, Peter Esele, and General Secretary, John Kolawole, reacted on Sunday by saying that "the latest utterances from Egwu are a pointer that he is not capable to lead the education sector. We therefore call on the government for his immediate removal or face the wrath of Labour."
The ASUU itself on Monday accused the Federal Government of insincerity, despite its offer of 40 per cent increase in the salary of lecturers.
ASUU National President, Ukachukwu Awuzie, told journalists in Abuja that the lecturers are not in a hurry to end the strike, saying the government has abandoned agreements reached in negotiations.
His words: "You must have also heard the Minister of Labour, Hassan Mohammed Lawal, unilaterally pronouncing dead the ASUU-FG negotiation process that had reached its conclusion stage.
"(Lawal) declared strangely that those academics who left Nigeria for foreign countries did so, not because of lack of attractive conditions of service, but because they did not love their country."
ASUU Chairman at the University of Ibadan (UI), Abiodun Aremu, also accused the government of insincerity, and urged the public not to take Abuja seriously.
''ASUU has only one demand, which is for the government to sign an agreement we both freely reached as far back as last year. It is just engaging in mere propaganda and we are not moved," he said.
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A NEW dimension was added to the armed struggle of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) last Sunday night extended its theatre of battle to Lagos, Nigeria's commercial nerve centre, with an attack on an offloading jetty gantry and Naval base that left about nine people dead and property damaged.Destroyed Receptor pipeline for refined petroleum products at the Atlas Cove Jetty which is responsible for 35% of the nations daily consumption of petroleum products by MENDAn unconfirmed report said three three Naval personnel-an officer and two ratings- as well as six civilians lost their lives.The Guardian gathered that MEND used dynamite in the operation which also left Naval offices shattered and windows smashed.It was also learnt that the incident which occurred at about 8.00 p.m. affected the main manifold of the Atlas Cove jetty gantry used for offloading of imported petroleum products as well as vessel onsite.The militants were said to have come in three speed boats and after about an hour gun battle, they wreaked the havoc on the oil receptor facilities as well as the Naval office at Lagos Naval dockyard.A statement by MEND's spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, said: "A boardroom or creek battle of epic proportion which will either emancipate the Niger Delta from over 50 years of tyranny or subject her to perpetual slavery was flagged off tonight by Hurricane Moses with a plague of warning attacks."Led by a pillar of fire, heavily armed MEND fighters today, Sunday, July 12, 2009 at about 2230 Hrs carried out an unprecedented attack on the Atlas Cove Jetty in Lagos State. The depot and loading tankers moored at the facility are currently on fire."The two-pronged approach of combining dialogue and intensifying attacks throughout the course of negotiations, will be the unique characteristics of Moses."The Aaron team that will be put together after due consultations with stake holders from around the globe, militant commanders and Henry Okah, will present the time framed demands of the Niger Delta region to the President through the Timi Alaibe-led Federal Government of Nigeria delegation."MEND will as usual update the public on the progress being made as well as plagues being delivered."We want to assure our people and well wishers that we will not sell our birth right for a bowl of porridge because we are not committed to anyone but the people of the Niger Delta"The mother of all plagues will be used as a last resort if the Nigerian Pharaohs show stubbornness over reasoning just as Moses did with the plague on the firstborn in ancient Egypt and the Americans with the plague of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki."We sincerely hope for the sake of avoiding a total calamity that Egypt will not harden its heart and the exodus of our people to the promised land can commence as soon as possible."God save Nigeria. God bless the Niger Delta. God bless our Freedom Fighters."Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) officials who visited the scene of the incident yesterday morning told The Guardian that oil operations have been suspended at the Atlas Cove Jetty/Depot as activities for receiving petroleum products have been shifted to Apapa depot."We cannot pump fuel to our other depot now; it is also not possible to receive fuel through Atlas Cove jetty because of destruction to the main mani-fold... we have directed other import vessels to Apapa jetty," an NNPC source said.
The Guardian learnt that one of the security men at the jetty is missing.The NNPC official who spoke on the basis of anonymity said a vessel was discharging fuel into the Atlas Cove Depot when the incident occurred.Speaking with reporters at the scene yesterday, the NNPC's Group Managing Director, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, said that it was unfortunate that militant groups have shifted their activities to the onshore sector of the nation's petroleum industry.He explained that the attack on the NNPC facility would not stall the distribution of petroleum products nationwide, assuring that the corporation has enough stock of products.He said that this was the first time in the history of Atlas Cove that an attack of such a magnitude occurred.He said that the workers of the corporation were moved to Bonny Camp for safety.His words: "Last night at about 11.50 pm, we were contacted in Calabar, where we have converged with our management staff in the management's retreat on the way forward with the industry reforms. And shortly after dinner, we got an alarm call from our colleagues here in Atlas Cove that some unfortunate incident was going on at that time. And of course, we immediately began to get in touch with authorities including the Chief of Naval Staff, the NPA, Lagos State Government and other agencies for them to arrange for a rapid response, first of all, to save lives of our staff who are on duty and other military personnel particularly the Navy, and the security of this facility which is more or less one of the key sources of supply and distribution of petroleum products in the country."Reports reaching us up to the wee hours of this morning were that the staff of NNPC who were on duty were safely evacuated to Bonny Camp Military Mess. No live was lost; we thank God for that. And the fire itself at the facility was finally put off around 4:10 am."Fellow comrades and countrymen, as far as we are concerned, this is the first time that this type of incident has happened in Atlas Cove and its environment. Therefore, literally, almost everybody concerned was taken by a big surprise, because this facility has been secured on 24 hours basis, seven days a week, we have never had any incident. We have had excellent relations with the surrounding community here who have been extremely helpful to us as a corporation. But it is unfortunate that this incident has happened. I therefore would like to use this opportunity to condole (with) our Chief of Naval Staff for the loss of his gallant personnel."In his own remarks, the Chief of Naval Staff, Ishaya Ibrahim, said that the attack was a surprise to him, pledging that security at the jetty would be strengthened to protect the facility.He noted that the oil and gas sector was the economic energy of the nation, stressing that the militants should graciously receive the amnesty offered to them by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.Ibrahim, however, said the Navy lost two men.The leader of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc Vessel team that put out the fire yesterday, Captain Geofrey Boukoru, told The Guardian that five burnt bodies were found at the scene.He explained that the attackers may have over-powered the securitymen at the depot and gained access to the place adding that his team were able to control the fire.The captain said his men arrived at the scene at 10pm about two hours after the attack.Also commenting after assessing the damage yesterday, the Executive Secretary, Major Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr.Obafemi Lawore, described the development has several implications for the petroleum downstream activities and the economy as a whole.According to him, with this attack getting foreign vessel to bring fuel imported by either the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and MOMAN will be difficult adding that this may also affect adequate fuel supply to domestic markets saying he would not be surprise if Nigeria would not go through lingering scarcity before the situation is stabilised.Lawore disclosed that MOMAN will seek a meeting of key stakeholders in fuel distribution including NNPC,depot owners and the government to design measures aimed at safe guarding oil/depot facilities in Apapa area of Lagos.Also speaking yesterday,Managing Director and Chief Executive of Capital Oil and Gas company limited Mr.Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah said the development does not augur well for private depot owners operation in the area.Ubah said there will be urgent need for the private depot owners and other stakeholders to meet and adopt security measures to check unforseen incidents around their depots or oil facilities.Atlas Cove located on Takwa Bay area of Lagos hosts the foremost oil receptor and depot for all imported fuel into the country as well as products from the refineries meant for South West market including parts of North Central of the country.The Atlas Cove jetty is the hub of NNPC distribution network tagged system 2E which supplies products through pipeline network to NNPC's depots in Ejigbo, Mosimi in Ogun , Ibadan in Oyo State and Ilorin in Kwara State.The 2E distribution network also connects Ore depot in Ondo State."We are aware of the attack on the Atlas Cove Jetty but the details are still sketchy. But we must say that the MEND has exaggerated in its statement," a naval spokesman, Captain Henry Babalola, told AFP."We have heard of the attack but we are trying to get facts surrounding it," Lagos State police spokesman, Frank Mba was quoted to have said.The violence has forced Royal Dutch Shell, U.S. oil company Chevron and Italy's Agip to shut in crude oil production estimated at over 1.3million barrels per day.Within Shell operations alone,MEND attacked the EA field in February 2006 which has capacity for 115,000 barrels per day. In June 2008 Bonga offshore facility was attacked ,the Offshore vessel has capacity for 225,000 barrels production and can store two million barrels of oil.Other attacks on Shell operations include Utorogu-Ups trunk line in January 2009,Amukpe-Rapele manifold also in January,Trans-Escravos-Forcados River manifold in February,Trans-Forcados Pipeline(Chanomi Creek) manifold and Trans Ramos Pipeline both in June 2009.Chevron and Agip have also had their own share of the attacks.President Umaru Yar'Adua has offered a 60-day amnesty programme to militants and criminals in hope of restoring peace to the region.
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He is the Ramsey Nouah of Ghana movie industry. In fact it is being said that he has displaced our dear Ramsey on marketers’ most-sought-after list since he made incursion into Nollywood.He is the face of Ghana movie industry and unarguably the most recognized world wide. So, if Van Vicker is in the news, Ghana movie is.Van was in the news penultimate week. He was reported to have fainted on a movie location, but in response to Sunday Sun enquiries, the fair-skinned actor cried out that the report was false. “I think it’s necessary I make this public statement because ever since the paper went to town with the unsubstantiated news I’ve been receiving numerous texts and calls from fans wishing me well. I do appreciate all that, but I want to make it clear that the report is false. I did not faint on location. I am hale and hearty. My fans should not worry”Van just returned from the United States of America and would be heading to South Africa with other Glo Ambassadors to shoot series of commercials.After that, Van will be attending a film school and would be away from Nollywood for a month. “my goal is to improve my acting and film making skills, and network in the film industry in America.”Fans of Van can catch up with him on What’s New magazine on Dana airplane.Dark-skinned and sultry Nollywood actress, Uche Elendu, has changed her name. She will now be known as Uche Elendu-Igweanyiba."I'm Mrs. Uche Elendu-Igweanyiba and please don't even call the Miss when my husband is around because he would not like it," she giggled when Klieglights approached her for an interview.For a young lady who has had so many male and female fans in the last eight years, after the father of her friend, actor Larry Koldsweat, introduced her to the world of make-believe, how has she been able to cope as a married actress?"Well, when I'm on set, I'm an actress and when I return home I become a mother of an eight-month-old and a wife to my darling husband. I've been able to distinguish the two so as to be able to fulfil my obligations adequately."So, when I'm on set, I sincerely do all I can and forget that I'm a mother or wife but when I'm at home, I'm the wife and mother," she quipped.Unknown to many, Uche had met and fallen in love with her businessman hubby while at the top of her career. So how are the male fans behaving?"My hubby was actually a fan and he understands what it takes for fans to pester you. I'm a celebrated actress and I expect fans, men and ladies, to want to talk to me but I know how to draw the line because I'm married and I don't engage in extra marital affairs."The man I married is my number one fan and he knew me through my movies and started talking to me and after sometime, I decided to give him a chance and that was it. He is my kind of man and till date he watches my films," Uche said.But some films, which Uche starred in as a lead act might have warranted questions and bad blood from her husband as a result of the kissing and romance on set. So, how does her he react to this?
>>whosonline<<"My husband understands my job because he knows what I do and as such, he loves me unconditionally. And since I got married to him, I don't think I have noticed anything different in his reaction when he is watching my movies, he's just cool and okay. Even if he doesn't like it, he has never for once shown it in words or actions. So, I believe he understands my job and flows with it," was her response.Known to have distinctively made her mark despite the crowded movie industry-with female stars rising every now and then-Uche strongly believes that her breakthrough was as a result of God's love and her ability to interpret roles efficiently.In her words: "Well, I would say God and my ability to interpret, roles gave me the break. If you know my story into Nollywood, you would know that I only went to drop something for my friend when her father and a colleague asked me to try out a role and because I was not camera shy and just myself, I was able to do what they required and that was it. I stopped along the line because I had to complete my education and then my father wasn't in full support. I came back fully after I finished my education in 2004 and since then, it's been a sweet story all the way."Speaking further on her ability to interpret roles and win the heart of fans worldwide, the mother of one, who readily boasts that she's back to reclaim her fame called to mind some of the toughest roles she has had to play."When it comes to interpretation of roles, I'm always able to be as diligent as possible because I know this is what I love doing and what I have always craved for, so, I do my films very well."The one I would say was tough was on the location, which took us through the bushes.It was so tough adapting to the bush and the village setting but I was able to interpret my role to the best of my knowledge and delight of the director. Another was when I had to play the role of a witch goddess in Last Occultic, it was quite tough," Uche reminisced.Uche, whose luscious lips have stood her out on the set of many a movie, once had a crush on a dashing young man and family friend."I once had a crush when I was still very little, it was on a neighbour and family friend. He's now grown though and all that is gone."But then he never really got to know about the crush because I was just crazy over him and anytime he walked pass, I went crazy."We are friends now but when I see him, I wonder why I was so crazy about him then. It's so crazy back then and even now, he doesn't know," she recalledCharles Novia is a movie producer and acclaimed scriptwriter. His name, at different times, conjurs brilliance, controversies and achievements in Nollywood.In his kitty are Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) - sponsored blockbuster, Covenant Church, Missing Angel and Caught in the Middle among others.A usually cool and unassuming but very professional producer, who is responsible for the success of some players in the Nigerian movie industry like Desmond Elliot, Empress Njamah and Grace Amah, is doing new things.In this interview with Gbenga Bada, he spoke on issues ranging from his reality TV show Majek Fashek, who is on his music label, November Records, here in Nigeria.Is it true that you have struck a bond with Majek Fashek despite all that is going on in his life?He is the most misunderstood person. People think he is crazy and that he is on drugs. I want to get the story of Majek Fashek out to the people. Many people don't know that Majek Fashek is just one man that never dies and has so much to give. He's like our own hero, who has placed Nigeria on the world map and those things I see in him can never be discouraged by what people say about him. People don't just understand who and what that man stands for. Majek should be celebrated and treated as a hero, somebody somewhere has to be there for him and that is why I have taken it upon myself to do this. He might have his own downfalls but for me, he is a magnificent musician, who would continue to serenade people with good music if given the opportunities. He would always fall like a human and rise again unlike some of the people we have around. All he needs is love from everyone. We are going to show all that in a movie, which will be shot on celluloid.Why have you decided to be on the sidewalk of Nollywood?I take my time these days. I'm an advocate of Nollywood's achievement but I think we have lost direction because we've allowed stupid interest, especially from the marketers to override genuine business intentions. These so-called marketers started the industry, invested in the industry but they are also killing the industry. The reputation of storylines and the over usage of actors have made people less enthusiastic about us. The buying public is weary; they are tired of seeing the same storyline and the same faces. I don't have anything against these actors, but I think the so-called big actors are overused. No Nigerian actor can stand to say I've done 500 movies that are outstanding. It is only two to three movies they've done that are outstanding. Now, several people who belong to the middle class are now in the league of millions of people who go to Silverbird Galleria to get the worth for their money.Is this the reason for your venture into reality TV show?Yes, because these are the ones who will take over the industry because their taste is high. These people need to see new and fresh ideas, new storylines, new faces, new talents, and new breakthroughs in cinematography. It is not about shooting the movie in 10 days but it's about getting the right distribution outlet and getting people to appreciate those talents. For me, we are on the look out for new faces, new talents, fresh and talented people who are hungry to do what they are passionate about and love. We need new people, new faces, new movies.You are known to have always gotten new stars from your movies, why trying to make a reality TV show instead of making a movie?Over the years I have always been hardworking and I bring out talents. I could remember when I was young, I had so much talent but there was no one to encourage me the way I wanted it to be. When I grew up, I found out that those opportunities are still there and I decided to take them up as a challenge. I see a lot of people out there everyday and they just don't know how to get into the pool where their talents can be refined to something that could attract the public. I thought of a way of helping these people, and that has given birth to this reality TV show, which is tagged Charles Novia Screen Test.How would you describe your reality TV show?Well, it's another one coming from Charles Novia. It's not an easy thing and I know ideas are all over the world with no particular one original. But this is needed to help resuscitate the dying state of Nollywood. The reality TV show would have people that have natural dramatic instincts in them coming out and showing themselves in a dramatic forms and a realistic series and that is why I call it a 'dramality' show. It would not be right at this point to compare or say why it is going to be different but one thing that I'm certain about is the ability and competence of my production outfit to do something different. In this state, you would be seeing Charles Novia in all forms of nomenclature. I would be giving these young lads a platform, training and opportunity, which they would remember and cherish in several years to come. I want to look at myself and be confident to say that guy or lady signing an endorsement came to professionalism as a result of my help and push or that the person is my protËgË.Is it all about doing a show or what really is the essence for you?Without being fictitious, we might have like two million Nigerians or less, who are willing and are aspiring to become the next big thing in Nollywood but they don't have the chance, so if I can get just 25 people to train, I know in the next two or three years, those 25 would also impact directly or indirectly on the ambition of some other people. I have found out that the Nollywood we have today is all comedy, there is no more arts in the profession and what I'm trying to do is bring back the art into the job. The public is already complaining about the videos and now people have to go back and get their acts together in order to help them give the people worth for their money. Now everyone is waiting for the next blockbuster; this would not be possible without good production and getting their art right. The actors and actresses have to be new on the scene. That's what I'm looking out for. They must also be talented; that's a factor. At the end of the day, we should all look forward to a fresh generation of talents, who will be box office hits in Nollywood in a matter of time.How are you planning to fund the project yourself because there are speculations that you don't have any sponsor at the moment?What is actually required to stage such a reality TV show involves $1 million and that is equivalent to over N100 million, and, at the moment I've not got a dime. We've got no sponsors and if I tell you that what we need to actualise this project is several millions of naira, you would wonder what I'm talking about, but this is just what it is. For those who have always known me, whatever I set my mind to, I do and I'm set to ensure that I do this and impact on the lives of those that would be affected and also make the dreams of some people come true. This is because they truly have the talent and over the years, with the talents I have been able to discover, I can tell you that this would reveal more talents who would make blockbusters in Nigeria.How do you distinguish those with the love of the art from those who are just in it for the fun?Training is what separates the men from the boys. I've heard some of them say, 'I am talented, I don't need to go to acting school.' That is all crap. Even in Hollywood people still go for drama lessons. But here, everybody thinks he can act. To see more of these, let's see people who would go to the National Theatre and do a stage play, which has all the intrigues and tricks of who really is a good actor or actress.Why do you think people always write you off and sometimes think you are nuts?People always write me off saying I have nothing to offer again but each time I come out with something they can't stop talking about it. God is the one that dictates what I do. I'm an entertainment entrepreneur right now. I'm involved in a school on movie making, it is known as Novia Academy for Cinematography and Dramatic Acts. The students are some people that would emerge from the reality TV show and together make a good movie with all the 25 budding actors and actresses.Next week the FULL expose on Barbara Okojie aka barbara machel Actress turned " London club girl !"Read more…
The NHS is telling school pupils they have a 'right' to an enjoyable sex life and that it is good for their health.
A Health Service leaflet says experts concentrate too much on the need for safe sex and loving relationships, and not enough on the pleasure it can bring.
But family campaigners last night condemned the guidance, saying it encouraged underage sex and could increase rates of sexually-transmitted diseases.
Under the heading 'an orgasm a day keeps the doctor away', the leaflet says: 'Health promotion experts advocate five portions of fruit and veg a day and 30 minutes physical activity three times a week. What about sex or masturbation twice a week?'
The advice, which also claims regular sex is good for cardiovascular health, has been circulated to parents, teachers and youth workers.
It came to light just a week after it emerged that teenagers who took part in a £6million Government initiative to reduce teenage pregnancies were more than twice as likely to fall pregnant as other girls.
The scheme tried to persuade girls not to get pregnant by handing out condoms and teaching them about sex.
The NHS leaflet has been drawn up by Sheffield primary care trust and is entitled Pleasure.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1199132/NHS-recommends-pupils-orgasm-day-reduce-risk-heart-attack-stroke.html#ixzz0LAP6ylMx&D
Its author, Steve Slack, director of the Centre for HIV and Sexual Health at NHS Sheffield, defended it by saying the advice could encourage young people to delay losing their virginity until they are sure they will enjoy the experience.
He added that as long as teenagers are fully informed about sex and making decisions free of peer pressure as part of a caring relationship, they have as much right as an adult to a good sex life.
Anthony Seldon
Anthony Seldon, master of Wellington College, said the NHS's approach was 'deplorable'
But Anthony Seldon, master of Wellington College, Berkshire, who introduced classes in emotional well-being at the public school, described the approach as 'deplorable'.
Dr Trevor Stammers, of the pressure group Family and Youth Concern, said the leaflet would encourage 'risky' behaviour and an increase in sexually transmitted diseases.
'It is unbelievable that this is being sent to schools', he said.
'I'd like to know what scientific evidence there is to back this up. There are an awful lot of overpaid and under-occupied health promotion officers around who are obsessed with sex.'
He added that inciting underage sex was 'nothing less than encouraging child abuse'.
'If the NHS wants to promote a healthy heart, as it says it does in this leaflet, it should put the money into reducing smoking and alcohol,' he said. 'Underage sex is as dangerous as underage drink and usually leads to sexual ill-health.'
About 40,000 teenagers become pregnant every year in the UK - the highest level in western Europe. More than half end in abortion.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1199132/NHS-recommends-pupils-orgasm-day-reduce-risk-heart-attack-stroke.html#ixzz0LAOx9sLD&D
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In Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State, the situation is becoming one day one trouble. In the city, bad tales are everywhere and people are living in fear: The fear of kidnappers and armed robbers. Also, there is the fear of the vigilance group in the city, the Bakassi Boys, which is now the terror in the city.Governor OrjiIndeed, in Aba, the fear of Bakassi Boys is now the beginning of wisdom.People are arrested by supposed operatives of the vigilance group, tortured and even killed. People who are going home in the night are at the risk of being killed. And dead bodies now litter the streets.sources gathered that Bakassi Boys, who claim to be ridding the city of criminals, are on the prowl again. Like in the time past, when Bakassi Boys terrorized Abia, to the extent that the police high command took action against the group, terror has returned. Criminals are being killed by Bakassi Boys as well as innocent people.One commercial driver painted the picture of what is going on in Aba. He said that the bodies of victims of Bakassi Boys assaulted the sensibilities of residents.He said: “Last week, we came to work to see the bodies of two young men whose throats were slashed like goats and their bodies dumped near the road at York Street. We later heard that the boys were caught by Bakassi Boys smoking Indian hemp and killed. They were killed in the most cruel and barbaric way. Their throats were slit as goats and their bodies dumped in the street.”Indeed, some residents say they can no longer differentiate between the real and fake Bakassi Boys as well as other killers. These days, people are abducted in broad day light by men who claim to be Bakassi Boys only to be found the following day stone dead in a street corner. Others are also snatched by criminals.Recently, in the Ogbor Hill area of Aba, a child was abducted from a church, during service, by unknown persons and the little boy’s body was found two days later with all his vital organs gone.Residents told sources that people are now using Bakassi Boys to settle scores. It was gathered that when people have squabbles, they invite operatives of the group. Also, people now use the vigilance group operatives to collect debts, wherein the debtor is arrested, tortured and stands the risk of being killed.However, there is also the fear of kidnappers and sundry criminals in Aba. It is common, in Aba, for kidnappers to abduct their victims in the day and at night and thereafter demand ransom. In the city, kidnapping is big business. The big time kidnappers go after rich and influential people and draw huge ransom. The small or local kidnappers go for children of their neighbours and demand ransom as little as N10,000.The police in Abia State police, with all their efforts, seem to be scratching the back of the problem. Bakassi Boys and criminals do not fear the police. They operate freely without resistance. In the last couple of days, the police suffered several casualties in the hands of unknown killers in Aba.The Abia State Commander of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mrs. Florence Dan Archibong, brought a new angle to the menace. She said that the use of drugs had led to upsurge in violent crimes, such as armed robbery and kidnapping.“Cocaine and heroin have become common drugs of abuse with arrests and seizure recorded everywhere in and outside the metropolis. New drug joints are springing up, where criminal activities are planned, perfected and executed. Some streets in Aba, such as York and Park roads have become a no-go area for decent law abiding residents of Aba, as unscrupulous miscreants have turned them into ghettos and haven for hard drugs,” she said.Mrs. Archibong said that criminals take these drugs in whatever form only to go out and unleash terror on innocent people.Incidentally, this is not what it used to be in Aba. In the time past, Aba and its residents were known for courage. Then residents of Aba would rise up in unison to end anything they consider bad. It was the days of men of valour.Now, times have changed. Fear now rules the commercial city and its residents. Gone are the days when men walk the streets of Aba, with safety in mind. Gone are the days when men leave their homes and tell their families to expect them. Insecurity has taken over the town, to the extent that anyone who goes out and comes back safely offers special prayers to God.In Aba, gun shots boom day and night. It’s either that dare-devils are striking or that security agents and vigilance groups are responding. Whichever one it is, there are always casualties. Dead bodies litter the streets and nobody explains what happens.This life of fear was not there in Aba until 2000. Decades ago, Aba was a place of fun. It was a city where people enjoyed themselves. Then Aba residents followed fashion, they wore clothes that were in vogue and attended disco parties. Such hotels as Ambassador and Unicoco, among many others, hosted live bands, which played till dawn and fun seekers paraded the streets in the night without fear. In these hotels, The Apostle, Sweet Breeze, Cloud 7, The Wings, entertained people.
At that time, Aba never tolerated crimes and evil. Criminals got instant justice. And the mob did not forgive.Today, things have changed. Aba is now the centre of crimes. Residents have been cowed by criminals that nobody dares say anything about an obvious wrong. Indeed, the fear that has enveloped Aba residents is like a thick darkness and it makes men and women jittery. It is the type of fear that made shoe makers of Aba to form a vigilance group called Bakassi Boys, to flush out those who were molesting their customers, especially those from neighbouring West African countries. It is the type of fear that made Onitsha people of the 1970s to rise up in an operation tagged boys oye, which enabled them to flush out bad eggs among them.
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A man walks into the front door of a bar. He is obviously drunk. he staggers up to the bar, seats himself on a stool, and with a belch, asks the bartender for a drink.The bartender politely informs the man that it appears that he has already had plenty to drink--he could not be served additional liquor at this bar but could get a cab called for him.The drunk is briefly surprised then softly scoffs, grumbles, climbs down off the bar stool, and staggers out the front door.A few minutes later, the same drunk stumbles in the side door of the bar. He wobbles up to the bar and hollers for a drink. The bartender comes over, and still politely--but more firmly refuses service to the man due to his inebriation. Again, the bartender offers to call a cab for him.The drunk looks at the bartender for a moment angrily, curses, and shows himself out the side door, all the while grumbling and shaking his head.A few minutes later, the same drunk bursts in through the back door of the bar. He plops himself up on a bar stool, gathers his wits, and belligerently orders a drink.The bartender comes over and emphatically reminds the man that he is clearly drunk, will be served no drinks, and either a cab or the police will be called immediately.The surprised drunk looks at the bartender and in hopeless anguish, cries "Man! How many bars do you work at?"
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You are in love with Tommy,Because his last name is Hilfiger,But behind closed doors, Tommy,Is calling you a n*gger,But you could care less,Because you have been taught to dress to impress,If I ask you about your true history,You would have to look on the back of your jeans and Guess,You come up in the club wearing Versace,Clothes made by a homosexual male,So even when you say you are straight,It is very hard to tell,And for footwear, you wear Timberlands,Even under the sun,That same tree that's the symbol for them,Could have been the same one your ancestors were hung from,I cannot forget Nautica,When was the last memory you have of ships,Coming to North America in s hackles, Being beaten over the back with whips,And to my beautiful black queens,Whose creative womb has become barren,I am confused because your face says Nefertiti,But your sweater reads Donna Karen,When was the last time you saw Liz Claiborne,Conversing with black women,But as soon as her name is printed on a purse,To Macy's you quickly go, running,Ralph Lauren doesn't even look at black men,Unless they are driving him around town,But as soon as that slave master appears on the back of a horse,You put whatever you have picked up down,My people reclaim your status in this world and in your life,F.U.B...U. in case you didn't know, stands for ( For Us By Us),Buying black will someday suffice,Do you k now who owns Timberland fashion?Well, Timberland is owned by the president of the KKK,Surprised ? Don't be.Read more books black people,Always hope for the best and prepare for the worst,You may not get what you pay for,But you'll surely pay for what you get.~ Maya Angelou ~
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