A group of armed supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Techiman, a town in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana on May 28, 2009 besieged the premises of privately-owned Classic FM physically attacked three persons and vandalised the station.A group of armed supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Techiman, a town in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana on May 28, 2009besieged the premises of privately-owned Classic FM physically attackedthree persons and vandalised the station.Kofi Doe Lawson, a producer, Michael Amankwah, marketing manager of the station and a food vendor were violently attacked by the angry supporters wielding machetes. Amankwah was hospitalised, treated and later discharged.Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)'s correspondent reported that theattack was as a result of an alleged voice recording of Simon Addai, a member of parliament (MP) of Techiman South constituency, who during a meeting with NDC members allegedly threatened to 'deal' with some members of the opposition, including prosecuting his immediate predecessor, for an acts of corruption.The correspondent said but for the vigilance of the station security, the youth, who destroyed the entrance of the station would have also vandalised the studio. It took the intervention of the patrol team of military and police to bring the situation under control.When MFWA contacted the MP, he denied making the statements attributed to him by the station. He accused the station of bias and unprofessionalism. The MP said the attack had not been officially reported to him.
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She may not have made it to the semi-finals of the 2009 National Spelling Bee at the Grand Hyatt Washington, but with a total score of nineteen (19) points, Ghana’s Nana Adjoa Baiden-Amissah was among the best performers on the night of the preliminary rounds.13-year old Kavya Shivashankar, sponsored by ‘The Olathe News’ and from the California Trail Junior High School emerged the 82nd Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion, spelling the championship word ‘laodicean’ which means "lukewarm or indifferent in religion or politics."The spelling competition began Tuesday with 293 competitors who qualified to compete in the Bee by winning locally sponsored bees in their home communities and countries. The 2009 competition marked the largest field of competitors in the history of the event.After an initial round one of computer based spelling tests, the two hundred and ninety-three (293) spellers from across the world gathered for two rounds of spelling on stage. 13 year old 8th grader, Nana Adjoa from the Crown Prince Academy in Accra correctly spelt both words.With the cut-off point for the semi-finals fixed at a minimum 28 points and only fifty (50) spellers targeted, Nana Adjoa and two hundred and forty-nine (249) others were eliminated.“Well, I did very well... with my six maximum points from main preliminary round I could easily have made it if my score from the round one test was higher” Nana Adjoa said with a shy smile, adding very quickly “I don’t have any reason to be disappointed. I spelt both words correctly and not everybody did on the day... and oh they couldn’t even get the fifty (50) people for the semi-finals.”While organisers were expecting fifty (50) semi-finalists, only forty-two (42) made the qualifying pass mark, and according to the Country Manager of Spelling Bee Ghana, Eugenia Appiah, Nana Adjoa’s performance was a good one and an improvement on their representative of last year.Ghana is the only African country represented at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, making its second consecutive appearance at the finals. The country made history in 2008 when Maria Isabel Kubabom joined others spellers for a fun-filled one week.Nana Adjoa who was coached by Evangeline Bortey, an English Teacher from the SOS Herman Gmeiner School, was the toast of many spellers and parents here, mainly because she was holding high the flag of Africa and also because of her dressing and bags which were all adorned with the colours of the Ghanaian flag.Though disappointed she did not make it to the semis, Nana, who represented the dailyEXPRESS Newspaper in Accra, was excited about the opportunity the participation offered- the fun, the joy of meeting other children to share experiences, learning many more new words and the fact that she scored 19 points far ahead of over a hundred other spellers.Finishing second in this year's competition was Tim Ruiter, a 12-year-old seventh grader representing Times Community Newspapers of Reston, Va. 13-year old Aishwarya Pastapur, representing the State Journal-Register of Springfield, Illinois was third.Cash prizes for competitors ranged from $100 to the National Champion’s $30,000 in addition to an engraved loving cup; a $5,000 scholarship from Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation; a $2,500 U.S. Savings Bond and complete reference library from Merriam-Webster; and reference materials valued at more than $2,800 and the Britannica Test Prep Precocious Package valued at $799 from Encyclopaedia Britannica.All the finalists received the 51-volume "Britannica Discover America" and the 2008 "Encyclopaedia Britannica Student Edition" DVD-ROM.All spellers receive a commemorative watch; the Samuel Louis Sugarman Award, which consists of a $100 EE U.S. Savings bond; and Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, on CD-ROM from Merriam-Webster.About the Scripps National Spelling BeeThe Scripps National Spelling Bee is America’s largest and longest-running educational promotion, administered on a not-for-profit basis by The E.W. Scripps Company and 287 local spelling bee sponsors in the United States, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Department of Defense Schools in Europe; also, the Bahamas, Canada, China, Ghana, Jamaica, New Zealand, and South Korea. The purpose of the Scripps National Spelling Bee is to help students improve spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all of their lives.The local newspaper sponsor of the Spelling Bee in Ghana is the dailyEXPRESS, Ghana’s first and only FREE newspaper and the competition managed by Essence Communications.The 2009 Spelling Bee Ghana Competition headline sponsored by Indomie Instant Noodles and supported by Cowbell. The media partners for the competition were JoyFM, Junior Graphic, Radio Universe and Tv3.
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A policeman in uniform and wielding an AK47 rifle was caught in the web of ’sakawa’ last Wednesday, when he and two civilians were arrested for allegedly defrauding a Namibian of $7,900.The policeman and his civilian accomplices were in the process of collecting another $29,000 from the victim to be used to pay taxes on a so-called $30-million facility which they claimed he could access after the payment of the “taxes”, when the police arrested them.The three suspects managed to lure their victim to Ghana with the intention of defrauding him in a ’sakawa’ scam that has become notorious in the country.The victim possessed documents, including letterheads bearing the Ghana Coat of Arms, indicating correspondence between him and the suspects through the Internet.After the victim had arrived in the country, the suspects collected his passport from him but he declined a hotel accommodation offered by his hosts and arranged for an alternative accommodation.Later at a meeting with the Namibian, the suspects succeeded in collecting $7,900 from him as part of the tax obligation needed to redeem the $30-million facility.Subsequently, they attempted to relocate the victim to another hotel, while trying to collect another $29,000 from him, but he became worried when they refused to give his passport back to him.The Namibian then discussed the issue with the hotel manager who, smelling something fraudulent, asked the victim to feign interest, while they contacted the police.Following the discussion with the hotel manager the Namibian informed his hosts that he needed his passport to enable him to check out of the hotel.So on Wednesday, while the suspects had gone to the hotel to evacuate their guest, police officers in plain clothes swooped on them and effected their arrest.At the time of their arrest, the policeman involved was waiting in a vehicle they had brought to convey the victim and according to sources, there was a struggle between the plain clothed policemen and the police suspect as he attempted to resist arrest.Sources at the Criminal Investigation Department of the police have confirmed the arrest of the three suspects but would not give further details, particularly their identities.
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Yar’Adua supporters attack Barack Obama for planned meeting coup plotters in Ghana
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said the United States government and its embassy in 9geria of conspiracy and plotting with opposition groups to destabilise the country.
Specifically, the party said that part of the plot is for the US Embassy to organise a meeting between the pro-democracy groups in 9geria and President Barack Obama in Ghana, where the groups would seek to persuade the US President that the administration of President Umaru Yar’Adua is “illegitimate“.
President Obama is expected in Ghana on July 11.
The statement also said the masterminds of the “conspiracy and plot” include a “failed” presidential candidate, two former Speakers, a former Senate President and “a sprinkling of political hangers-on”.
In a statement signed by the Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Bello Harilu Mohammed, the party said: “Incontrovertible information available to us also revealed that after their meeting in Kaduna, they approached the American Embassy to facilitate their plans to meet with President Obama in Ghana but they were advised to include civil society organisations in their proposed diabolical delegation as a way of portraying themselves as credible elder statesmen.”
PDP also said the aim of the visit to see Obama is to disrupt the existing trade relations between the United States and 9geria, thereby worsening the already precarious state of the economy in the face of dwindling oil revenue and the global financial meltdown.
PDP urged the US “not to, by any acts of omission or commission, promote the evil plans of these unpatriotic politicians against a democratically elected government :D as such would raise questions about its respect for the sovereignty of other countries and the international doctrine of non-interference in the internal affairs of other sovereign nations.”
The party said President Obama knows that due process and the rule of law are cardinal tenets of democracy and acceptable political behaviour anywhere in the world.
“President Obama is a product of an electoral process that evolved over time just as our President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has kick-started enduring electoral reforms in 9geria, a process which his Administration is fully committed to fulfil (fulifilling) in the shortest possible time. The advent of the Obama era is therefore a necessary tonic to our on-going electoral reforms and the development of strong democracies in 9geria, Africa and other developing countries,” PDP said.
The party also said the attempt by 9geria’s political leaders to cause “incalculable damage” to the 9gerian economy and its peace-loving people at this critical time is “a disservice” to a country from which most of them who have held one political office or another in the immediate past and have immensely benefited.
“It is indeed shameful that these dishonourable politicians did not realise that the advice given to them by the American Embassy to include civil society organisations in their team was actually exposing their irrelevance to the political process as such views are only worthy of consideration if expressed through a respectable forum as a civil society organisation,” the statement stated.
PDP described as disturbing that “the American Embassy in 9geria has chosen to lend itself to such a high-level political conspiracy against the Government and people of 9geria while at the same time enjoying the hospitality of its host.
“This, to us, is hair-raising and we urge the relevant authorities in the United States to commence investigations although we are mindful that the Embassy may have been misguided by the calibre of the people involved in this plot. But we hasten to note that we do not expect the Embassy to be involved willy-nilly in such an organised conspiracy against the political and economic well-being of the 9gerian nation.”
PDP also appealed to organisers of the meeting with President Obama to shun acts capable of undermining the nation’s democracy which could endanger the collective destiny of 9gerians.
According to the statement, “this time in our history calls for total dedication to the growth and development of our nation. All divisive tendencies should be discouraged. Promoters of chaos and violence should be taken from our midst and handed over to security agencies. This is the only way to go.”
PDP called on security agencies in the country to wade in immediately and commence necessary investigation into the matter and several others “which we have exposed in the past”.
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Armed policemen and men of the Kick Against Indiscipline squad, under the auspices of Lagos State Special Task Force (Environmental Unit) on Wednesday raided the Computer Village, Ikeja, and arrested traders selling on the streets.The task force also impounded the traders' goods and took them to their office at Alausa.Our correspondent learnt that as at 3p.m. on Wednesday, the task force members were still patrolling every part of the market to ensure compliance.A shop owner, Mr. Chinonso Valentine, said that the cost of acquiring shops in the market was very expensive, as landlords had allegedly given their shops to developers who charged them exorbitantly.According to him, a shop at the computer village costs nothing less than N2.5m to acquire, stressing that the amount is for only two years.He said because of the high cost of procuring shops at the market, many people who could not do so resorted to selling on the street.He also said that it was not easy to get land space on the street as miscreants, landlords and council officials cashed in on their predicament to exploit them.He said that each trader paid about N80,000 to mount a show-glass.Another trader, who did not want his name in print, appealed to the government to provide a place for them, saying that displacing them without rehabilitating them would do more harm than good.He asked, "Now that they don't want us to sell here, what else do they want us to do? Does the government want us to steal? How do they want us to survive? The earlier they address our problem, the better."The Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Environmental Task Force, Tayo Afagba, confirmed the raid, saying that the traders had been warned many times to stop selling on the streets.Afagba said that in December 2008, the market was shut down because of the same incident, yet the traders had refused to learn.The PRO, who said that the raiding started on Tuesday, stressed that government was against street trading in Lagos, as it obstructed vehicular and human traffic as well as engendering social vices.
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A female bank manager with a new generation bank in Onitsha (names withheld) has committed suicide following her alleged involvement in the defrauding of her bank of over N30 million.advertisementSources close to the bank told Daily Champion that the lady who was said to be in her late 40s was until her death, the operations manager of the bank in Onitsha. She allegedly removed the money from the bank’s vault about a fortnight ago.But the fraud was discovered when a team of auditors from the bank found out that what was in the paper did not tally with the amount in the vault and started to raise questions on what actually happened.The lady from Abia State was absent from the office when the fraud was discovered.When she came to work the following Friday, she was confronted with the missing money, but the lady was said to have excused herself from the other senior staff around and went up the supper floor of the office.While her colleagues were discussing, the lady had plunged from an air conditioner opening on the third floor and landed on the ground outside the bank.The source said it was the shout and cry of people outside the bank that attracted the bank staff, but by then her two legs had broken and she was unconscious.The lady was immediately rushed to New Hope Hospital, Onitsha where she died.Contacted, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka, an Assistant Superintendent (ASP), confirmed the incident but said they are still investigating the matter.Daily Champion, however, learnt that the marketing manager and the auditor of the bank who were detained by the police after the incident, have been granted bail.Sources said that the lady must have been swindled by some con-men who promised to use the money to invest in the lifting of crude oil, but when the game was up and they were not forthcoming, she could not bear it, especially after putting many years of service to the bank.
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A Manchester United fan in 9geria has allegedly killed four people when he drove into a crowd of Barcelona supporters after his team's Champions League defeat.
Police said the crowd in the town of Ogbo were celebrating Barcelona's victory when the minibus drove into them.
A police spokeswoman said ten people were injured and the driver was arrested.
She said: "The driver had passed the crowd then made a U-turn and ran into them."
Barcelona beat Manchester United 2-0 in what has been hailed as a "dream final" between two of Europe's best clubs.
Both teams have large fan bases in 9geria, Africa's most populous nation.
http://9jakids.ning.com
Naija children now have a social network
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Published on: Friday, 29 May 2009To ensure that a seat is available for you please send an email directly or a text to confirm attendance or participation.nlibertyforum@googlemail.comSTATE OF THE Ni.ge.r.iaN NATIONLondon Metropolitan UniversityStapleton HouseHolloway Road London N7 8HNConfirmed SpeakersProf Wole SoyinkaMallam Nuhru RibaduBarrister Femi FalanaProf Sola AdeyeyeSowore OmoyeleSister Affiong AffiongOkey NdibeKayode OgundamisiThis event is organised by Ni.ge.r.ia Liberty Forum with the support of London Metropolitan UniversityNig.er.ia Liberty ForumMr Kayode Ogundamisi or Dr Abraham Dalang email: nlibertyforum@googlemail.comTel: 07951402986Media Enquiries for NLF Event.E-mail: nlibertyforum@googlemail.com Phone + 447984212553 Media Contact Only.THE STATE OF THE Ni.ge.r.iaN NATION SYMPOSIUMEvent Date: Friday, 29 May 2009 Event Time: 09:00:am - 05:00mEvent Location: London Metropolitan University Stapleton House Holloway Road London N7 8HNPROFILE OF SPEAKERSKey SpeakerProfessor Oluwole "Wole" SoyinkaProfessor Oluwole "Wole" Soyinka is a Ni.ge.r.ian writer, poet and playwright. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, the first African to be so honoured. In 1994, he was designated United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Goodwill Ambassador for the promotion of African culture, human rights, freedom of expression, media and communication.Mallam Nuhu RibaduMallam Nuhu Ribadu former Executive Chairman of Nig.eria'sEconomic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the government commission tasked with countering corruption and fraud. Under Ribadu's administration, the EFCC has charged prominent bankers, former ministers, Senate presidents, high-ranking political party members and large-scale 419 gang operators.Sister Affiong L. AffiongSister Affiong L. Affiong is Secretary General of Moyo wa Taifa, a Pan Afrikan Women's Solidarity Network based in the UK and Ghana . Her political life began as a student activist in the Ni.ge.r.ian student union movement in 1983 at the University of Ibadan and at the University of Lagos in 1987. In 1990, she relocated to the UK where she is active within the Black community where she has worked as a political organiser, campaigner and community advocate on race, immigration, employment and other anti discrimination issues in the community.Barrister Femi FalanaBarrister Femi Falana. President of the West African bar Association. Femi Falana is acknowledged as a credible and consistent voice in the ongoing campaign for a just rule of law in Nige.ria. He is highly regarded as a strong and effective pillar against rights abuses and tyrannical rule as well as an advocate of good governance in Ni.ge.r.ia and across Africa.Sowore OmoyeleSowore Omoyele.Omoyele Sowore is a Ni.ge.r.ian who has spent the last years working to promote human rights and democracy in Ni.ge.r.ia, and to stop the militarization and violence that multinational oil companies have brought to his country. He is the publisher of the anti fraud on line magazine Sahara Reporters New York.Okey NdibeOkey Ndibe is a novelist, poet, political activist from Yola, Ni.ge.r.ia. He is the author of Arrows of Rain, a critically reviewed novel published in 2000. Ndibe relocated to the USA in 1988, where he founded African Commentary, an award-winning and widely acclaimed a magazine. He is a published poet, and a former associate professor of English at Bard College at Simon's Rock.Event Moderator:Professor Sola AdeyeyeProfessor Sola Adeyeye former Ni.ge.r.ian law maker, scientist, pro democracy activist, social justice campaigner and renowned for Human Rights Campaigns.Other invited speakers:Representatives of the Ni.ge.r.ian High CommissionLondon Metropolitan University Bussiness SchoolNLF Convenor Kayode Ogundamisi
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IN line with the vision to improve the transport system in Lagos State, Governor Babatunde Fashola has commissioned 1,255 modern taxi cabs for the second phase of his administration' s Modern Taxi Scheme.Commissioning the cabs yesterday at the State House, Alausa, Ikeja, Fashola noted that the feat, which was in partnership with the private sector, is the actualisation of one of the many campaign promises made by him during his pre-governorship election campaign to boost employment and change the face of the state.He said: "Our strategic partnership with the private sector has yielded yet another positive result. It is evident in our waste management, our security management, road transportation and construction, among other sectors of the economy that the success of the private partnership has recorded."This partnership has brought about 1,255 taxi cabs and by immediate consequence, 1,255 direct jobs. It also confirms that the private sector is the engine of growth and that government policies and actions are the fuel that are necessary to guide this engine of growth."The occasion, the governor said, afforded the state government opportunity to open a new sector of democratic development and dividend, applauding the involvement of I-Trans Logistics and other taxi cab operators as encouraging.Managing Director of I-Trans Logistics, Adebayo Ajakaye, who disclosed that his company was the second to be licensed in the state, took up the challenge to support the state government's development projects "because we see the genuine desire by the governor and his team to move the state forward by laying the beautiful future foundation for Lagosians now and those unborn."The management of the I-Trans Logistics further explained that the feat would boost and repackage taxi operations in the state.Noting that I-Trans' 200 black I-Tec Honda cabs were sponsored by the South African-based GROFIN, the Executive Director, Corporate Service, Segun Omoworare, stated that the 200 cars in the taxi fleet cost about N500 million, adding that "they were duly insured by the state Assurance Company (LASACO)."In another development, Fashola has reiterated the commitment of his administration to making a difference by improving the wellbeing of the largest number of people in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).He spoke at the South-West Zonal Conference on Deepening Women's Understanding and Participation in the Implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)/African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) - National Programme of Action (NPOA) organised by the Office of the Secretary to the State Government in conjunction with Equity Advocates and NEPAD - Nigeria held at Eko FM Hall, LTV 8, Agidingbi.Fashola, whose speech was delivered by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs, Mr. Rotimi Agunloye, emphasised his desire to ensure eradication of extreme poverty and inequality, empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, as well as other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and develop the global partnership for development.
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Nollywood actor Segun Arinze on Monday sought leave of an Ikeja High Court, Lagos, to dissolve his 13-year-old marriage to Annette Aina-Padonou.Your Advertisement Here !The marriage is blessed with a 12-year-old daughter.Arinze told Justice Sybil Nwaka that the marriage had broken down irreparably and irreconcilably, after the couple had stayed apart for 11 years, since May 29, 1998.He said he was seeking the leave of the court to legally separate them to allow him go on with his life, promising to be responsible for their daughter’s upkeep.Arinze said they both found out after about a year into the marriage that they could not live together as husband and wife.The marriage was contracted at the Ikorodu Local Government Registry on May 10, 1996.Under cross examination by his counsel, Mr Henry Efere, the actor said their marital differences culminated in his wife packing out of their Surulere residence, 11 years ago.Arinze said he was not opposed to Annette taking custody of their daughter, Morenike Padonou, and assured the court that he would continue to be responsible for her upkeep.Nwaka adjourned the case to June 24 for further hearing.
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Tragedy struck Naija football on Tuesday morning when Warri Wolves first-choice goalkeeper, Adun Orobosa, slumped and died during a training session at the Oleh Township Stadium in Delta State.
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Spokesman of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) club, Azuka Chiemeka, confirmed the death too our correspondent on Tuesday afternoon in a telephone interview.
Chiemeka disclosed that the goalkeeper was one of the three players that was attacked by soccer hooligans during the fracas that broke out at the Beverly Hills Hotel Mini Stadium in Nnewi, before the kick off of a Premier League match between Wolves and Enugu Rangers last Sunday.
Before Tuesday morning's tragedy, Chiemeka explained that Orobosa was certified okay by doctors at the Oleh Central Hospital on arrival from Nnewi after the botched Premier League encounter with Enugu Rangers.
"The death of our goalkeeper, Adun Orobosa, is a big shock to all of us at the club because he is a very jovial person, who loves to crack jokes. I should just refresh your mind about the whole situation. Orobosa was one of the players that were attacked and injured before the game against Enugu Rangers on Sunday by hooligans. When we returned to Oleh, he was taken to the Oleh Central Hospital, where the doctors certified him okay. Before the team's training session this (Tuesday) morning, he was asked if he was okay and he answered in the affirmative. He didn't complain of any pain. The training in question was just a light workout to condition the players for our next match.
"Unfortunately during the training session, this (Tuesday) morning Orobosa slumped and all attempts by our team doctor and physiotherapist to revive him yielded no fruits. So he was rushed to the Central Hospital in Oleh, where he was confirmed dead later," he said.
As at the time of writing this report, Chiemeka also confirmed that doctors at the Central Hospital in Oleh, who certified Orobosa dead, were carrying out an autopsy on his remains to ascertain the cause of his death.
The Wolves' image-maker said attempts are underway to notify the family of the deceased goalkeeper.
"There is no way we can keep this from his family. As I speak to you, the management is making attempts to reach out to his family to inform them of his death, which is a great loss not only to them but to us and football in general in this country," he remarked.
However, the cause of the player's death may not be unconnected with internal injuries he may have sustained in the wake of the melee that broke out in Nnewi before the Premier League encounter with Enugu Rangers.
In spite of the player being certified fit by the Central Hospital in Oleh, the judgment of the Warri Wolves' management and officials may be called to question for allowing Orobosa to take part in Tuesday's ill-fated training session.
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Yenagoa —The Ijaw in Washington DC the United States capital are planning to stage a demonstration march to the White House in protest against what they described as the ongoing genocide being unleashed on Ijaw communities by the JTF.
The essence of the demonstration it was learnt is to draw global attention to the intractable and ever-intensifying crisis and genocide in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
Several Ijaw communities in the Gbaramatu Kingdom in the Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State have been destroyed by the nation’s security forces in search of militants.
President of the Ijaw Foundation Board of Director, Ebipamone N. Nanakumo who disclosed this to Vanguard in a telephone interview from his base in the United States said the protest march is slated for next Monday June 1, 2009.
His words, “This is to inform all of us that arrangements are being made for an Ijaw Demonstration March in Washington DC next Monday, June 1, 2009 from 12:30 PM to 4:30PM.”
The protest march he said would commence at the Capitol Reflecting Pool, along the sidewalk and terminate at the White House.
According to him, “the Ijaw Foundation’s application for the permit for the demonstration was sent by FEDEX on Friday May 22, 2009, to the National Park Service in Washington DC . We expect the application to be approved.”
JTF offensive on Gbaramatu, intentional—Ijaw communities
THE Olero Ijaw Federated Communities in Delta State says the current carnage on Ijaw communities of Gbaramtu kingdom by the Joint Task Force is designed by the Nigerian state.
In a statement, yesterday, signed by the national secretary, Mr. Adanse Felix, the communities said, “we wish to state categorically that the recent onslaught against the Ijaw communities by the JTF is pre-planned by the Nigerian state”.
On the support for military action in the Niger-Delta by the House of Representatives, they said, “we detest the statement credited to the Speaker of House Representatives supporting military option and backing of the JTF”, it said, adding “it is barbaric and uncalled-for for the entire House to support the current carnage in d Niger Delta”.
According to them: “We want to call on Mr .President to order cessation of the hostilities that have claimed over 1,000 innocent lives in the creeks”.
“We also want to call on the International Community and the United Nations to set up an independent enquiry to probe the remote cause of the recent attacks against civil Ijaw communities.
“The UN and the International Community should not shy away from telling the truth and sanction the Nigerian government for the destruction of innocent civilians in their communities.
“We want to call on well-meaning individuals to help the displaced persons who are still trapped in the creeks without foodstuff and shelters. We sincerely pray for the repose of the souls that died as a result of the carnage”, they asserted.
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I always knew it would happen; that the bubble of delusion would burst. But I never imagined that it would happen in such dramatic fashion and right on our doorstep.But then, when you refuse to face reality, reality, like the mountain, will come face to face with you; when you prefer to engage in hallucinatory delusion, the chances are always that someone who is less inclined to massage your ego will shiver your timber. That is precisely what happed at the recent African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) ceremonies.Nigeria's galaxy of Nollywood stars trapezed and sashayed down the Yenagoa Red Carpet (complete with bodyguards, would you believe it?!) probably pinching themselves that this is Hollywood and the Oscars, and not Yenagoa and AMAA. Delusion often does that to people; fantasy becomes fact and wishes become horses. But unknown to the overdressed and over-confident Nigerian contingent, reality was lurking in the city's Cultural Centre.Delusion has characterized Nollywood over the 17 years of its existence. Like all self-indulgent acts of delusion, we convinced ourselves that we now have a film industry and not the amateur video enterprise that it really is. Sometimes we even believe that Nollywood can now be mentioned in the same breath as Hollywood and Bollywood. I recall Frank Nweke, then Information Minister, in 2005 threatening to take Cannes Film Festival by storm with Nollywood films the next time around!I pictured the movie moguls who heard him chuckling into their glasses of champagne, and wondering what dreamland this Rip Van Winkle came out from. So why did Nigerian “films” not sweep the board as expected, but instead were swept away by entries from countries who do not boast anything near the output of Nollywood? Some critics have quite rightly described the failure as the triumph of quality over quantity. True. But it goes beyond the home video industry and right to the core of our national values and aspirations as a people.First is that we tend to equate growth with development; quantity with quality. We have the “fastest growing” mobile telephony in the world, yet we need three handsets to make one successful call. But Somalia without a government in 17 years has a more efficient mobile service. So the primary lesson of AMAA 2009 is that the awards are about CREATIVITY, not commerce. Nollywood must take note of this or remain an amateur home video enterprise, catering to idle women in hair dressing salons, and populated by pretentious actors and directors who see themselves as the peers of the Hollywood elite.When home video made its debut in 1992 with “Living in Bondage”, its success promised so much. So why did the enterprise quickly relapse into classic Nigerian complacency, bereft of creative dynamism? Why has it remained a home video, instead of graduating to the celluloid culture that a film industry should thrive on? Some of the reasons for this are germane to Nollywood itself; others derive from the character and values of our nation.But first, let us recognize that Nollywood is a misnomer; a conjecture, an imitation. Hollywood is a physical entity. Bollywood derives from Bombay, home of the Indian films (now renamed Mumbai - perhaps we should call it Mollywood!). But where would one find Nollywood? The N is, of course, from Nigeria. Beyond that Nollywood is a notion, a delusion. Nigerian home videos came at a time of cultural famine, when there were no cinemas, no theatres and very little avenues for creative outlet and enjoyment; a welcome respite from boredom and an over-bearing military. But the first mistake by Nollywood was that it was lured into a premature sense of greatness by the initial acclaim from a people starved of popular entertainment and lacking in today's pleasures of satellite TV. But like most things Nigerian, proliferation and mass production overtook the infant industry. Every Tomesi, Dike and Haruna became an actor, a director and a producer. Along came the marketers who had the capital but not the creative or artistic talent that drive a real film industry. They began to call the shots. They usurped the functions of the producers and casting directors, and reduced the directors, the creative soul of films, to nothing more than directors of photography. The marketers decided who to cast and how many episodes a film should run. On one occasion, they blacklisted a host of actors and actresses and nearly brought the business to its knees.The rest of us were too busy basking in the euphoria of the “third largest movie industry in the world,” to pause and ask the necessary question: Are we making movies or simply producing amateurish home videos that catered only to an uncritical mass? Those crowing over the recent UNESCO report should note that the organization restricted itself to quantity of films produced around the world, not quality.Ideally, the initial success of Nollywood was a signal to take stock and begin to grow the industry, professionalizing it into a viable film industry. But we were busy riding on the crest of popular euphoria. Soon we were showering accolades on mediocre actors and directors. Best actor, best director – by what standard? We judged them by our Naija standards, and forgot that their “films” had little artistic and creative merit. We chose to be patriotic rather than artistic.We also ignored another very important handicap: Nigeria does not have a tradition of theatre, drama and repertory, in spite of the pioneer efforts of the Ogundes, Soyinkas, Osofisans, and the Sonny Otis. Our decrepit National Theatre in Lagos bears testimony to that. British and American films grew and excelled because they had the West End and Shakespearean tradition, and Broadway respectively. These were the proving grounds for actors, writers and technicians who later made the transition to the big and small screens. In addition, while in the US, UK and India, the industry provides essential practical training at film academies, acting and drama schools, in typical Nigerian fashion, anyone can consider him or herself eminently qualified to act, write or direct.Secondly, a close look shows that Nollywood represents nearly all that is wrong with Nigerian society, beginning with a premature sense of greatness. I recall when my first novel was published in 1981. A reporter said to me: “You must be feeling on top of the world?” I was aghast: on top of the world with just one novel?Twenty-eight years and five novels later, I still do not feel on top of the world. It would appear that in the case of Nollywood, the initial success of “Living in Bondage”, the first home video, created an exaggerated sense of greatness. Also Bondage dealt with a cultural theme which resonated with ordinary Nigerians and has remained a dominant feature till today, while the consumers remained the uncritical mass. The incentive to innovate and develop was sacrificed, and pioneer film-makers such as Eddie Ugboma and Ola Balogun found no room or role in the mass market of Nollywood.In 17 years, Nollywood movies have remained grossly predictable, characterized by shallow storylines, poor scriptwriting, one dimensional acting, atrocious dialogue, and abysmally inept directing. There are more Igwes and red cap chiefs in a Nollywood film than in the whole of Igbo land. You can watch someone for 15 minutes examining a flat tyre, and another 20 minutes changing it.When Nollywood ventured into action movies, we found that they were exactly at the stage Indian films were 50 years ago. In an age of pyrotechnics and high-tech, Nigerian movies still feature plastic pistols and fake machine guns that shoot before the trigger is pulled, and villains that die in a pool of tomato juice before we hear the sound of gunshot. Violence is gratuitous, language is vulgar and nearly every Nigerian film carries a Violence and Language (VL) warning.Another delusion is the belief that Nigerian movies have global appeal. The truth is that Nigerian movies are only popular with Nigerians in Diaspora whose nostalgia and home-sickness find solace in Nollywood videos. Other countries find the obsession with witchcraft and fetish rituals quite laughable. No one can tell you that he went to a cinema to watch a Nollywood film; not even here in Nigeria. Indeed but for DSTv, Nigerian movies would have had no relevance. For this reason, the producers are only too glad to have their films shown on satellite television for peanuts and they have no control over exploitation and other rights, or how soon after their release TV can transmit them.But the final responsibility for the state of Nollywood rests with us as a people. Nigeria and Nollywood will be great when we begin to give and demand nothing but the best; when we are no longer content with how-for-do ; when we stop extolling mediocrity and hyping up mediocre achievements, and when we stop comparing ourselves with only ourselves, instead of the best.• Dr. Iroh, OON, wrote from Abuja
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Launching the childrens social network at http://9jakids.ning.com !
Tell your kids Tell your nieces,nephews,cousins etc !
"I would Die for my child ! " Screamed a woman at the Bus Stop ! i listened, intially thinking she was mad but as my bus drove off i understood that statement and I agreed.It is one of those unconditional Statements.Not yet a mother but already I understand the selflessness my own mother showers upon me even at her old age and i know the privelege of being someone's child.
What would you do for your child ? Would you die for your child if you had to ?
May 27th Childrens Day . A fun Day for the kids, no school ! fun at the parade with a march past for some !
What today means to the ones blessed with rich parents or guardians is fun.For others, it means just another day of poverty,poor health and low class education.
what does today mean to you ? What kind of Future are we preparing for our kids ? We cant all leave and go abroad .think about it . we say our kids are the future but what future are we leaving behind for them.
Obasanjo once said 30years ago " the kids are the leaders of tomorrow".That tomorrow is here and OBJ and his gang are still leading our nation astray.
In this article the primary UN childkeeping force UNICEF has spoken a lot about the status of the Ni.ger.ian Child but they have not spoken about what is in store for them in the Future.A future filled with Education and Technological Advancement.A future where Engineering and Computers will play a massive role for our Nation .I wonder why Technological Education was omitted in their Press Release for today ?Their focus was the disparity between girls and boys within the educational system.
Think Well about May 27 2009 .It is Childrens day 1979 + 30years .
Noelene Joshua works for a london child care Charity fund.Thanks noel.
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N.i.g.er.i.a’s Children’s Day: UNICEF calls for accelerating progress on girls’ education
ABUJA, 27 May 2005. Today millions of children across the nation are celebrating N.i.g.er.i.a’s Children’s Day on the theme: “Educate the girl child, educate the nation”. UNICEF welcomes the choice of this theme and joins all N.i.g.er.i.an children in calling on policy makers, local authorities, religious and traditional leaders, school authorities, the media and all N.i.g.er.i.an parents to accelerate progress on educating girls.
“Providing quality education for all children is a must”, said Barbara Reynolds, UNICEF Deputy Representative. “However, because girls are participating in much fewer numbers and for shorter periods, particular attention to girls is essential, not only for the development of the country, but to fulfill the right of every child to education.” “We need to ensure that as many girls as boys attend school throughout the country, if we are to achieve universal primary education,” she added.
A recent UNICEF publication, “Progress for Children”, reporting on progress made on primary education, shows that the current rate of progress in N.i.g.er.i.a is too slow to achieve gender parity by end 2005 and universal primary education by 2015, the target dates for N.i.g.er.i.a’s achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals. In N.i.g.er.i.a, about 7.3 million children do not go to school, of whom 62% are girls.
Last January, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child*, in its observations of the second report submitted by N.i.g.er.i.a, expressed concerns that universal education has not been realized in N.i.g.er.i.a, partially because it is neither free, nor compulsory, despite the Constitutional guarantee. They also underlined the high illiteracy among girls and women and the gender and regional disparities in school enrolment. Recommendation was made to prioritize equal accessibility to educational opportunities for girls and boys from urban and rural areas.
N.i.g.er.i.an girls are still disadvantaged in their access to education. As a result, all do not register for school and those who register do not attend regularly, and eventually drop out or learn very little. The gender gap favoring boys has remained consistently wide in N.i.g.er.i.a over the last ten years. In the Northern part of the country, the number of children out of school is particularly high and the proportion of girls to boys in school ranges from 1 girl to 2 boys and even 1 to 3 in some States.
To address this issue, UNICEF supported the “25 by 2005” global initiative for the acceleration of girls’ education in order to achieve gender parity in 25 countries by 2005. N.i.g.er.i.a is one of the 25 countries selected for this fast track action. In 2003, the Ministry of Education adopted the Strategy for Accelerating Girls Education in N.i.g.er.i.a. In 2004, the Ministry also launched the Girls’ Education Project, supported by UNICEF and DFID, in order to focus interventions on States with lowest enrolment rate for girls.
The collaborative efforts made by government, civil society and development partners have yielded results especially in the southern part of the country as well as in pilot projects in northern States. It has demonstrated also that boys benefit from programs that are developed to improve education for girls, as boys face many of the same problems.
The Universal Basic Education (UBE) Commission has been implementing projects that provide more schools, better qualified teachers and gender sensitive textbooks and curriculum. However, to create the policy environment at the State levels were the bulk of these interventions are most required, the UBE Act needs to be urgently domesticated by all States and translated in very concrete programmes.
Educating girls is a national priority. Each year a girl is in school is a progressive step toward eliminating poverty, advancing sustainable human development and controlling preventable illnesses. Providing education, especially to girls, is also an adequate strategy for stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS. All children must have the chance to attend school. As N.i.g.er.i.a celebrates children, let’s listen to their voice asking for an equitable access to education.
Launching the childrens social network at http://9jakids.ning.com !
Tell your kids Tell your nieces,nephews,cousins etc !
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When some moviemakers used her father's hotel in Ibadan as a location in 1998, little did many realise that Olaide Bakare was catching a glimpse of life vocation as she inquisitively followed actions of the actors and their directors. Mistakenly considered the daughter of veteran actor, Olumide Bakare, Olaide got hooked on the thrills of the make-believe world and decided to cut her teeth in the entertainment industry.That one chance encounter with film making by the mother of one completely changed her life, and engendered in her, the desire to be a screen siren. "It all started when I had a chance meeting with some moviemakers who came to shoot a film in my father's hotel in Ibadan. That day was coincidentally my father's birthday and house warming ceremony. And since that day, I desired and longed to be like them. "Meanwhile, I had already gained admission to study Theatre Arts at the University of Ibadan, which was really an anti-climax," she said.Having her first incursion 2001, Laide starred in a flick entitled Eru Ju Omi later 11:45. For the young lady, her desire to be recognised in her chosen field was responsible for her rapid rise to recognition. "I think my desire to be recognised in whatever I find myself doing is responsible for my achievements. I want to succeed in whatever I do. I never liked to fail even while I was a child, so I put all I had into it and I thank God for the result," Laide said.Laide's experience in Nollywood has become a success story, as she has been able to rise through the ranks, which to her, "is a thing of joy to see myself where I am today, because it is not everyone who started with me that is still relevant in the industry. Some fell by the wayside, while some are still trying to find their feet. So, I would say that it has been fun, as you tend to meet a lot of people everyday. "I can't really say this moment is the most challenging in my career! Perhaps it was while I was in school. It wasn't easy combining schooling with acting. You had to juggle being on location with several other things, but I am grateful to God that I was able to pull through."However, the sultry actress maintained that despite her love for the art, she has never been desperate over it. "Yes I love acting and the art, but for me, it wasn't a do-or-die affair. I could remember when I was in school; I rejected lot of roles that clashed with important school activities. So, when people say some actress use sex to get roles, I wonder why anybody would want to, and since it hasn't happened to me, I can't say much. "The fact that I am an actress does not mean that I have to play all the roles that are thrown at me and I have the right to say yes or no to any role."For an actress whose first fee was quite small, Laide believes making a name was of paramount importance, and as such, placed little or no relevance on the monetary gains, believing this might quickly stymie her future. "I think my level of understanding of what it takes to be an actress and a moviemaker is my unique selling point. You see, capacity building is very important in whatever we do in Nollywood, and I'm not ignorant of the happenings in the industry, so, that is why I make my productions stand out from the various movies that are being churned out on a monthly basis. "My personality is something I always believe I can improve upon. I'm not deceived that I am the best or one of the best, I believe I can always improve on whatever I have been able to achieve. "I am a very simple person, level headed, intelligent, and appreciative of my friends and easy going," Laide said on her uniqueness and personality in the make-believe world.With the regular challenges that many married actresses face whenever they remain on the spotlight, how has she been able to withstand the heat? "When you are always busy and do not have time for your loved ones, there are bound to be complaints from them. It's even very bad when the person concerned is not as understanding as you would have wanted or expected. "I am glad that I have someone that is very understanding and loves me for who I am, and he is coping because he knew what he was doing when he proposed to me. "He understands me so well and the kind of job I do is not a problem to him. I strongly believe he saw in me someone he wanted and not the regular actress or Laide the actress!" In describing herself, Laide said, "You might find this quite unbelievable, but outside the screen, I'm a very shy person; I don't talk too much and I am still hoping to be a better actress and moviemaker. This is because the future holds so much for those who dare dream and believe in themselves, and I believe I want to be part of that special people." Said to be very respectful and polite, Laide, whose hubby lives in far away United States of America, where he works with the U.S. Customs, maintains that she is involved in other things like selling cars and running a boutique, apart from acting.
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The Federal Government said yesterday that the protracted conflict in the troubled Niger Delta region is the handiwork of some aggrieved repatriated Nigerians, in concert with militants.Speaking at a one-day national sensitisation workshop on issues relating to internal security, Minister of Interior, Maj. General Godwin Abbe (rtd), assured that the Nigerian state is however, developing new dimensions to security strategies to match its level of development.According to Abbe, the situation arose from the gory and unimaginable suffering, exploitation, punishment and death experienced by those deported from all parts of the globe, having been lured out of the country by human traffickers “I am concerned about these Nigerians brought in from various countries of the world; Europe, America, South East Asia and indeed other African countries.A number of them come with various habits and attitudes, they come in defeated, they come back aggrieved and armed with all sorts of ideas that are anti-social in nature," he said.Abbe said the rampant cases of kidnapping which has assumed a dangerous dimension in terms of its frequency and intensity was a grave national security challenge that government must tackle headlong.He said though government is putting into consideration those who are weak and helpless, “nobody should take the magnanimous approach of government for a ride or for incompetence or inability to do what must be done to bring law and order to every part of the country."He urged states to synergize, cross-fertilize ideas and come up with recommendations to assist the Federal Government to address this common national problem and find a common solution.
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The four-year-old daughter of boxing legend Mike Tyson died last night when she accidentally strangled herself with an electrical cord.
Little Exodus was found hanging from the flex which was attached to a treadmill in an exercise room at her mum's home.
Her distraught dad was at her bedside as she struggled for life on a hospital respirator. But she died hours later.
Exodus was discovered at the house in Phoenix, Arizona, by seven-year-old brother Miguel who alerted their mum Monica Turner.
Police Sergeant Andy Hill, who answered Monica's panicked emergency call, said: "It's so tragic. Exodus was playing by herself when she got tangled in the cord which was attached to an exercise treadmill.
"It acted like a noose and she was obviously unable to get herself out of it.
"We don't know how long she was hanging, but it could have been a couple of minutes."
Former heavyweight champion Tyson, 42, who had been filming a documentary in Las Vegas, immediately flew to Phoenix to be beside his daughter. Paediatrician Monica, who is his ex-wife, was also at the hospital.
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A spokesman for the boxer said: "The Tyson family would like to extend our deepest, most heartfelt thanks for all your prayers and support, and we ask that we be allowed our privacy at this difficult time."
James Toback, director of the new documentary Tyson, said the accident had devastated Exodus's "adoring" parents.
He said: "This is horrendous. There is no more careful a mother."
Neighbour Dinka Radic said that Tyson did not live at the house but regularly visited his children. She last saw him a month ago at Miguel's birthday party.
Dinka added: "I'd see Exodus and her brother playing together. She always asks me for chocolate. When I give it to her, she kisses me.
"She's such a cute girl. A real sweetie. I pray to God she pulls through."
Another neighbour, Ben Brodhurst, said: "She's a lively girl, you see her riding a bicycle from house to house." Tyson, who was jailed for rape and drug offences and banned from boxing for biting off part of rival Evander Holyfield's ear, recently said he had turned his life around because of his children.
He added: "I've been sober for two-anda-half years and I'm working hard to keep out of trouble.
"If there's a transformation it's because of my children. I want to be a proper father."
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I love our staple food, and I am lucky enough to eat it on a daily basis. How healthy are they though?In Nigeria, our staple food consists of a variety of yam, cassava and brown rice. These can be prepared in any number of ways. They however, all have one thing in common. Since it makes sense to classify foods based on their highest nutritional content, the one thing they have in common is that Cassava, Yam and Brown rice are all carbohydrates.Carbohydrates however, are the main culprit where weight gain is concerned. This is because; the final break down of carbohydrate in the body is simple sugar. I want to point out that when the supply of ingested glucose (glucose is the only usable form of simple sugar) is too high, the blood sugar level gets too high and the excess glucose must be eliminated from the bloodstream. This increased level of blood sugar triggers the release of insulin (the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels) to transport or make the excess glucose available to the body tissues.Especially after exercise, when energy stores are low, the muscle tissue is the first point of call of the insulin-carried glucose. Glucose however can only be taken up by the muscle tissues at a gradual rate. If too much insulin-carried glucose is present at one time, the liver is the next stop.The liver like the muscle tissue, also takes up glucose at a gradual rate and when the liver stores are full and there is still an excess supply of insulin-carried glucose in the bloodstream, the next stop is the adipose tissue where it is stored as fat. Unlike the muscle and liver, the adipose tissues take up glucose quite rapidly.The rate at which glucose is released into the blood is an important issue as, if the ingested carbohydrates are already simple sugars or low in fibre, the digestion process will be shorter and they will be absorbed too quickly. This causes the pancreatic tissue to release an excess amount of insulin into the blood. Since the liver and muscle tissues only take up glucose gradually, the excess insulin-carried-glucose will by-pass the muscle and liver and be deposited in the adipose tissue where it is rapidly stored as fat.This is where the quality and quantity of carbohydrates we eat comes in. I believe that by now you can see the danger in eating too much simple sugars or food low in fibre. The flip side to the coin is to eat complex carbohydrates as this will result in an intermittent release of glucose into the bloodstream which means that the pancreas will not release excess insulin into the bloodstream; which also means that most of the glucose will be stored in the liver and muscle tissues as opposed to being deposited as fat in the adipose tissue.Our staple foods tend to be complex carbohydrates and that is great news but we definitely do not eat them on their own. Irrespective of how healthy they are, we cannot survive on carbohydrates alone. There are a number of ways in which we eat our staple food. For example, yam can be boiled and eaten with palm oil and pepper soup or yam when cooked, will be beaten to a paste to make pounded yam and eaten with ogbono soup (my favourite) or egusi soup, etc. Cassava can be used to make garri and eaten in a similar way. Brown rice can be eaten with stew, or made into jollof rice, or fried rice.I mentioned above that the glucose we get from complex carbohydrates is slowly released into our blood stream. This is because it takes longer for our body to fully digest them (up to an hour). Well, it takes even longer when these complex carbohydrates are mixed with proteins and fat. In fact, when you eat carbohydrates with proteins, it takes about 3 to 4 hours for digestion to be completed.The Nigerian staple food is clearly healthy to eat as they are complex carbohydrates. However, what we eat them with and how much we eat at any given time, also plays an important role in our weight management and overall well-being.Look out for my future article on THE RIGHT WAY TO EAT TO BURN FAT! Until then, here are a few tips to follow:• Eat moderately, not like there is no tomorrow. It does not matter how healthy the food is, if you eat too much, you will gain weight.• When using Palm oil, choose that with little or no cholesterol and use it sparingly. Avoid palm oil or any other oil that is solid at room temperature.• Eat at regular intervals – 3 to 4 hours and do not skip meals.• Engage in a regular sporting routine so that you can balance out your input versus your output (depending on what your goal is).Tejiri OrugboCertified Fitness NutritionistCertified Personal TrainerFounder - http://www.gymhawk.com
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Imagine for one second what 9gerians and other Illegal immigrants go through because of the "fear of Immigration is the beginning of Wisdom mentality"
Worried Daulat Irani kept her mum’s body hidden in a freezer for 20 years because she was scared of an immigration inquiry.
Neighbour believe Mrs Irani, now 83, feared the authorities would discover her elderly mum had been living here illegally if she made her death public.
So instead of having a funeral, the body was wrapped up in a black bin bag and then put in a chest freezer in the garage.
Alex Bennett, 24, yesterday said he had been a neighbour of Mrs Irani’s ever since he was a baby – and had never seen her mother. Trainee chef Alex added: “She’s a lovely old lady and always sends a Christmas card to us.
“She used to look after a white-haired gentleman known as ‘the doctor’ when he became poorly. But I think he passed away a couple of years ago. I’ve lived here all my life and I never saw her mum.”
Another neighbour added: “She’s a very private person. I normally see her taking out her rubbish or going shopping by minicab.
“She’s very clean and tidy and keeps her garden in good condition. Obviously it was shocking when the police came and told me what had happened.
“They said they believed the body had been in the freezer for more than 20 years. I think it was an immigration thing because her mum was illegal and they didn’t want anyone to know.
“You just wouldn’t expect it on such a quiet suburban road.” Ray Dyson, 77, a retired warehouse worker who also lives near Mrs Irani in Sidcup, South East London, said: “She’s a nice old lady who goes about her own business quietly. We always
nod and say hello. This has all come as a bit of a shock.
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“The first we knew was when two police cars and an officer in a full forensic bodysuit turned up.
“They taped-off the garage and have now put a padlock on it. It was obviously more serious than a burglary so I asked if she was OK and the police said she was fine.”
It is believed that Mrs Irani confided her secret to a horrified friend, who then alerted police.
A neighbour said: “I think she just needed to tell someone and whoever she spoke to passed it on to the police.
“I saw her after the police visited and she told me they questioned her for hours. I told her it wasn’t surprising considering what they’d found. She
said the police were going to contact her again soon.”
Officers questioned Mrs Irani under caution but yesterday said they are not treating the death as suspicious.
A source said: “She said the body had been in the freezer for at least 20 years. We are awaiting the postmortem results for confirmation of this.”
Mrs Irani answered the door of her smart semi last night but refused to comment. Her green garage door was secured with a police padlock.
A Metropolitan police spokeswoman said: “We can confirm we went to a residential address in Sidcup.
“Officers found the body of a woman. We believe we know the identity but await formal identification. The death is being treated as unexplained. An 83-year-old woman has been interviewed under caution but there have been no arrests.”
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