This pretty star actress is single and searching for the man who will make her his forever.friends of Funke however swear that this actress has no time for married men''she knows her worth and she wont pitch tent with someone who already has pitched tent with someone else.Shes looking for a God fearing,hardworking,trustworthy,faithful man who will cherish her and take her home to mama''.no pun intended but does any man in nigeria possess this quality? I am afraid i will have to add my two cents and ask ms Akindele to settle for mr-make-i-manage-am becuase A NIGERIAN mr right only exists in novels and movies!(also hear Funke is on to another blockbuster movie.her audition holds march and shes off to shoot two dance movies titled 'Dasofunjo and my choice')
Lord of AjasaHe joins the list of Artist that defy the laws of using a condom. The gist is that he has Impregnated a student of the Lagos State University(L.A.S.U) Funmi Kasali. The Crooner has vowed to do the right thing and take her to the Altar when the baby is born. He says there is nothing new in what he has done and that Funmi means alot to him.
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D'banjDapo Oyebanjo popularly known as D'banj is currently having problem with Port Harcourt top comedian,David A Sikpa.it was gathered that david's company,SIDAVECO ventures met with d'banj and his manager Sunday Are for D'banj to perform at Bayelsa state World AIDS Day at Yenegoa. SIDAVECO Ventures met all the terms stipulated by D'banj and was subsequently paid in full.In the contract agreement,all artists were to arrive Yenegoa a day to the event,which was slated for 1st December,2008, to enable them have a road show. D'BANJ did not only fail to show up for the event,he came on the day of the event after the entire event had ended. The consultant, SIDAVECO Ventures met with Sunday Are and D'Banj who promised a refund but up till now, all emissaries to D'Banj and Sunday Are has proved abortive.
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Rita DominicPopular screen goddess, Rita Nwaturiocha Dominic, has hit back at those criticising her for being a heavy smoker.Rita, who had hitherto denied her love for the cancer sticks, has boldly said that it is nobody’s business, even if she is addicted to the destructively addictive tobacco sticks.She emphatically stated that those spreading the information that she is an addicted cigarette smoker are idle people, who do not have anything important to do.“After all, I’m not a kid and I’m free to do whatever suits me. So, I just wonder why some people are busy with what does not actually concern them.“If I smoke, is it anybody’s business? People should just find something reasonable to do rather than concern themselves with Rita Dominic’s mannerisms,” she stated.Although Rita had been smoking cigarette (White London brand) for the past few years, she does not want the public to know this fact about her.It is also a question that elicits a frown whenever the actress grants press interviews.
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Leading pentecostal churches in Nigeria have explained why TB Joshua cannot be granted permission to join their fold, The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, (PFN).One of them, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, voted one of Newsweeks 50 Most Powerful People in the World went further to say that he will not even worship in Joshua’s Church.Asked whether he could worship in Joshua’s church, Adeboye retorted,“No! Definitely not! If he wants me tocome and minister in his church, we will sit down; we will discuss the issue of salvation the way I understand it, according to the scriptures. If we agree on that and he now wants me to come and preach the same message of salvation in his church, then I will go.”For President of the PFN, Rev. Ayo Oritsejafor of the Word of Life Church, before Joshua could even qualify to be a PFN member, he should show who tutored him as a pastor in the first place. Joshua is reputed to have said that he was converted in his mother’s womb.But the PFN president replied that, “Jesus did not say by their words you will know them; he said by the fruit you shall know them. If T.B. Joshua can show me his pastor who pastored him before he said he was called into the ministry; if T.B. Joshua can tell me when he got converted and how he got converted, then we would consider him. Anybody who is a Christian is a Christian because he received Jesus Christ at a point.I gather he said he was converted in his mother’s womb and I don’t see anybody like that in the Bible. It is a conscious decision you make and it doesn’t happen in your mother’s womb.”Secretary General of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev Moses Iloh in his response to the controversy, asked the government to leave Christian leaders out of their national awards.Recently, some of religious leaders in Nigeria were given national honours by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua based on their humanitarian services.The awards were criticized by some religious leaders who said some of them, such as Pastor TB Joshua did not deserve the award. In the ensuing the controversy, General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God has declared that he will never worship in TB Joshua’s church for any reason whatsoever.Reverend Ayo Oritsejafor, President Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, lashed out that TB Joshua’s healing and miracles are not yardsticks to admitting him into any of the religious group, CAN or PFN, just as Reverend Moses Iloh , scribe of Christian Association of Nigeria,(CAN), a body responsible for regulating the affairs of Christianity in Nigeria added his voice to the controversy. Excerpts:Why has the Fellowship refused to grant T.B. Joshua’s application for membership?I will love to leave that one to the president because when the president speaks, it will be PFN that speaks. It will not be the personal opinion of Pastor Adeboye; but I can assure you the PFN has spoken before on that issue and if you raise it with the president once more, he will tell you exactly what we said.As a matter of fact, I remember there was a publication in several newspapers, where the leaders of PFN signed to reiterate the body’s decision on this particular person. If you ask the president again, he will elaborate on that.Is it a foreclosed issue? Is it that the man cannot repent? Why is the Church dancing round the issue of T.B Joshua?The Church is not dancing round the issue of Joshua. We said what we said categorically and by the time you make a publication in newspapers, you are sticking out your neck.You are saying that if I am sued on this issue, it is okay by me. So, by the time you go as far as putting your signature down in a publication, you have made your stand absolutely known. There is no issue of dancing round it here.Now, on the issue of repentance, anybody can repent. I mean why are we preaching the gospel? We are preaching the gospel because we believe that even those who say there is no God today can change their minds and say there is God tomorrow. You needed to know who I was before the Lord saved me. So, if He could change my life and turned me into a preacher, He can change anybody.But if he invites you, will you minister in his church?No! Definitely not! If he wants me to come and minister in his church, we will sit down; we will discuss the issue of salvation the way I understand it, according to the scriptures. If we agree on that and he now wants me to come and preach the same message of salvation in his church, then I will go.Ayo Oritsejafor: Tell TB Joshua to show us who pastored him before he was called into the ministryWhat is happening to some memberson suspension and those who have not been allowed to join the body?Let me start with those that have been suspended. All of them are back in the body, with the exception of one or two. And I think things have been smoothened out. Nearly of them had come and written to apologise to us.They have all gone through that. It is only one person that I have not written to inform of the lifting of suspension and that is because of one technicality or the other. On those that have not been allowed to join, you have to take each case on personal merit.On Ayorinde, honestly I don’t know much about him and his case. I have seen him in some of our gatherings but honestly I don’t know much about him.And if that is anything wrong, it will be brought to my notice, and if he feels he is not accepted, he has to come and talk to me so that we can sort it out. But those that we think are doing offensive things, we will accept them when they take care of these things.Why are you not taking TB Joshua?We are not taking T.B Joshua but like I said, he too can repent and be converted tomorrow. T.B Joshua can say I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal saviour; I repent of my sins. Then he can say, come check me out and see what I am doing then we can consider accepting him. PFN is for all; nobody is really excluded.But he too preaches the gospel with miracles?Jesus did not say by their words you will know them; he said by the fruit you shall know them. If T.B. Joshua can show me his pastor who pastored him before he said he was called into the ministry; if T.B. Joshua can tell me when he got converted and how he got converted, then we would consider him.Anybody who is a Christian is a Christian because he received Jesus Christ at a point. I gather he said he was converted in his mother’s womb and I don’t see anybody like that in the Bible. It is a conscious decision you make and it doesn’t happen in your mother’s womb.Govt should leave Christians out of awards, says IlohHow would you describe the national honours given to some religious leaders by President Yar’Adua?It’s a Federal Government palaver, and as long as it is PDP that is in power, it is in the best position to honour any Nigerian with whatever honour. And it is the right of any honoured Nigerian to either accept or refuse.And if you look at those who were given the honours, they were a mixture of different persons including those who called themselves nominal Christians, Pentecostal Christians and even unbelievers.First of all, it is expedient to look at the yardstick on which these particular persons were honoured.One should not also forget that the Federal Government is not a Christian government, so its yardstick might not be based on the Bible.And so if one should look at it from that perceptive, it (FG) is at liberty to do what it wants but the important thing is the decision of the individual to accept the national honour.But, personally, I do not agree with various kinds of honours given by whatever government, not only now but even in the past.Isn’t Prophet T.B. Joshua qualified for such honour?That someone is picking beggars on the street does not mean he should be honoured. If a robber steals from the nation’s treasury and comes back tomorrow with all kinds of gifts for the poor, it does not make him a saint.Would you close your eye from the fact that he is a robber? I would rather look at the source of his wealth than what he offers. It only interprets that he is a crook, a liar, a cheat and he must not be honoured.It doesn’t matter what he does. The one who gives the final honour is Jehovah. I’m not against giving to charity but let us look at this so-called charitable fellow or organisation.I would rather say religious people should not be included in such honour. As a child of God, it is always good to give glory to God. Every religious leader should learn how to say no to such award. They can only thank the government and reject the honour. That is my sincere advice to the so-called pastors who belong to my constituency.Government should try and leave Christians out of awards or honours because they are not working for perishable reward.. They can be honoured for other things but not for doing the work of God. Let government stop tempting Christians.What’s CAN position on this issue?If you want my opinion, CAN should be dismantled now because it is not actually a Christian dominated organisation as it should. CAN should be dismantled so that what is called church in Nigeria could be restored.Let every church leader come together and have a standard and well structured constitution based on the word of God that would better the church and the country.It will interest you to know that there is what we called chosen in CAN which is contrary to the word of God. There is everything in CAN both Christians and non-Christians and as much as you want to know anybody can belong to CAN.The fact remains that CAN was not founded on Christianity and so it would be difficult to start debating that now.It was founded during a military regime and that makes it an emergency organisation. It is better if Christian leaders can come together and put up a visible church that would represent the invisible body of Christ which is called the Church and the only head of that church is Jesus Christ.CAN should resolve to put up a body capable of ruling the nation. I belong to CAN but I have always wished and prayed that one day, it will be pushed apart so that we can have a church in Nigeria.
Controversial actress, Cossy Orjiakor is known for her big boobs and crazy dress sense.Hardly would Cossy attend a public function without wearing killer dresses that would expose three-quarters of her boobs and thighs.But at a recent event held in Lagos, Cossy wore a new look.Oh yes, her boobs are still larger than life, but she was so decently dressed that many people who knew her couldn’t help but express surprise.He skirt, perfectly cut, wasn’t split up her thighs. Her top wasn’t really a show-stopper as she chose to dump her usual cleavage revealing tops for a more decent wear.In all, her ‘packaging’ was very ‘tight’ and she got enough glances from admirers.As usual, Cossy didn’t care if anybody was looking at her. All through the event, the pretty
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The ex-beauty queen, Ibinabo Fiberesima, who has been convicted for the murder of a Lagos medical doctor through reckless driving, appeared in court today as directed by the presiding judge, Justice Deborah Oluwayemi, and was sent to Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison.
The judge further ordered that the Medical Director of the prison should attend to her medical needs to ascertain her ailment.
Ibinabo broke down and wept as she was being led out of the court after the judge ordered that she should be sent to Kirikiri.
The lawyer, who appeared for her today, Mr. Fred Agbaje, withdrew the application for stay of execution of the judgement of the court and applied for bail pending the determination of the appeal at the appellate court.
The prosecution counsel, Mr. Lawal Pedro, did not oppose the application, rather, he said he will contest the appeal at the appellate court.
Justice Oluwayemi adjourned the case till 2 April 2009 for ruling.
A Lagos High Court judge had last Tuesday ordered that Ibinabo be brought before her irrespective of her health status, as she once again failed to appear before the court to defend her application for stay of execution she had filed.
The court had earlier sentenced Ibinabo to five years imprisonment without an option of fine, having found her guilty of murder through reckless and dangerous driving.
The convict, who was given an option of N100,000 fine at the trial magistrate’s court, was sentenced by Justice Deborah Oluwayemi, after the Lagos State government had appealed the lower court’s judgment.
But at the mention of her application for stay of execution of the judgment on Thursday, 19 March, her lawyer informed the court that Ibinabo was hospitalised in a Port Harcourt hospital. The counsel brought a sick report to buttress his claim.
However, Justice Oluwayemi rejected the medical report and ordered the ex-beauty queen to appear before her. She said her application for stay of execution would not be considered until she personally appeared before her.
Her lawyer, Mr. Ijebu Ode Agbarawu, told the court last Tuesday that the convict was still receiving treatment in the Port Harcourt hospital.
Delivering her ruling on Tuesday, Justice Oluwayemi ordered that a subpoena be issued on Dr. G. Harris of Braithwaite Hospital, Port Harcourt, who signed the medical report sent to the court on Thursday, 19 March.
She ordered that Ibinabo must be produced in court at the next adjournment date.
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Lagos State, Mrs. Ayo Odugbesan, aligned herself with the court.
Thereafter, Justice Oluwayemi adjourned till 30 April for further hearing.
Ibinabo had gone underground and certainly not on admission at the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital, BMH, Port Harcourt, when P.M.News visited the BMH female medical ward where she was said to be receiving treatment.
A source said: “it sounds strange that Ibinabo Fiberesima, a popular personality, a former beauty queen and a Nollywood star can be on admission in a hospital such as this and it would be hidden.”
Interestingly, our contact who knows her very well called her mobile line and she answered her call but refused to disclose where she was answering the call.
Our contact said he wanted to pretend to be sympathizing with her over her recent travails and to prove that Ibinabo had merely gone underground and “not critically ill” and also not on admission at BMH as widely circulated.
Ibinabo played active role during the Rivers State Cultural festival tagged RIVIFEST and ECOWAS beauty pageant as consultant to the Rivers State.
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I argue very well. Ask any of my remaining friends. I can win an argument on any topic, against any opponent. People know this and steer clear of me at parties. Often, as a sign of their great respect, they don't even invite me. You too can win arguments. Simply follow these rules:
# Drink liquor.
Suppose you are at a party and some hotshot intellectual is expounding on the economy of Peru, a subject you know nothing about.
If you're drinking some health-fanatic drink like grapefruit juice, you'll hang back, afraid to display your ignorance, while the hotshot enthralls your date.
But if you drink several large martinis, you'll discover you have STRONG VIEWS about the Peruvian economy. You'll be a WEALTH of information. You'll argue forcefully, offering searing insights and possibly upsetting furniture. People will be impressed. Some may leave the room.
# Make things up.
Suppose, in the Peruvian economy argument, you are trying to prove that Peruvians are underpaid, a position you base solely on the fact that YOU are underpaid, and you'll be damned if you're going to let a bunch of Peruvians be better off. DON'T say: "I think Peruvians are underpaid." Say instead: "The average Peruvian's salary in 1981 dollars adjusted for the revised tax base is $1,452.81 per annum, which is $836.07 before the mean gross poverty level."
NOTE: Always make up exact figures.
If an opponent asks you where you got your information, make THAT up too. Say: "This information comes from Dr. Hovel T. Moon's study for the Buford Commission published on May 9, 1982. Didn't you read it?" Say this in the same tone of voice you would use to say, "You left your soiled underwear in my bathroom."
Use meaningless but weighty-sounding words and phrases.
Memorize this list:
* Let me put it this way
* In terms of
* Vis-a-vis
* Per se
* As it were
* Qua
* So to speak
You should also memorize some Latin abbreviations such as "Q.E.D.", "e.g.", and "i.e." These are all short for "I speak Latin, and you don't."
Here's how to use these words and phrases. Suppose you want to say, "Peruvians would like to order appetizers more often, but they don't have enough money." You never win arguments talking like that. But you WILL win if you say, "Let me put it this way. In terms of appetizers vis-a-vis Peruvians qua Peruvians, they would like to order them more often, so to speak, but they do not have enough money per se, as it were. Q.E.D."
Only a fool would challenge that statement.
# Use snappy and irrelevant comebacks.
You need an arsenal of all-purpose irrelevant phrases to fire back at your opponents when they make valid points. The best are:
* You're begging the question.
* You're being defensive.
* Don't compare apples to oranges.
* What are your parameters?
This last one is especially valuable. Nobody (other than engineers and policy wonks) has the vaguest idea what "parameters" means. Don't forget the classic: YOU'RE SO LINEAR.
Here's how to use your comebacks:
You say: As Abraham Lincoln said in 1873...
Your opponent says: Lincoln died in 1865.
You say: You're begging the question.
You say: Liberians, like most Asians...
Your opponent says: Liberia is in Africa.
You say: You're being defensive.
# Compare your opponent to Adolf Hitler.
This is your heavy artillery, for when your opponent is obviously right and you are spectacularly wrong. Bring Hitler up subtly. Say, "That sounds suspiciously like something Adolf Hitler might say," or "You certainly do remind me of Adolf Hitler."
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By Chris Chase
Last month, Dan Leone was fired from his part-time job with the Philadelphia Eagles after criticizing the team for letting veteran Brian Dawkins leave via free agency. Leone was a seasonal game day employee, which meant he worked during the Eagles' 10 home dates each season. His termination meant he would have been unlikely to attend any of those games in 2009. But now help is coming from an unexpected source.
Dawkins signed with the Denver Broncos, who happen to be playing in Philly this season. Since each visiting player gets two tickets to away games, the 35-year-old defensive back decided to give his allotment for the contest in Philadephia to Leone. Dawkins told the Philadelphia Daily News:
"I thought it'd be a good gesture. Had I not ... signed with Denver, that guy would still have his job. Obviously, he made a decision and out of emotion said something. He was one of probably thousands and thousands of Eagles fans who felt that way. That didn't surprise me, that someone said that on their Facebook. It did surprise me that he was let go, though ... I felt it would be a good thing, to reach out to that individual and just let him know how much I appreciate it.''
Well played, Brian Dawkins. It's becoming clear to see why most people in Philly didn't want to see a class act like Dawkins leave town.
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By WILLIAM KATES, Associated Press Writer William Kates, Associated Press Writer 28 mins ago
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – A gunman barricaded the back door of a community center with his car and then opened fire on a room full of immigrants taking a citizenship class Friday, killing 13 people before apparently committing suicide, officials said.
Investigators said they had yet to establish a motive for the massacre, which was at least the fifth deadly mass shooting in the U.S. in the past month alone.
The attack came just after 10 a.m. at the American Civic Association, an organization that helps immigrants settle in this country. Police Chief Joseph Zikuski said the gunman parked his car against the back door, "making sure nobody could escape," then stormed through the front, shooting two receptionists, apparently without a word.
The killer, believed to be a Vietnamese immigrant, then entered a room just off the reception area and fired on a citizenship class.
"The people were trying to better themselves, trying to become citizens," the police chief said.
One receptionist was killed, while the other, shot in the abdomen, pretended to be dead and then crawled under a desk and called 911, he said.
Police said they arrived within two minutes.
The rest of those killed were shot in the classroom. Four people were critically wounded.
The man believed to have carried out the attack was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in an office, a satchel containing ammunition slung around his neck, authorities said. Police found two handguns — a 9 mm and a .45-caliber — and a hunting knife.
Thirty-seven people in all made it out of the building, including 26 who hid in the boiler room in the basement, cowering there for three hours while police methodically searched the building and tried to determine whether the gunman was still alive and whether he was holding any hostages, Zikuski said.
Those in the basement stayed in contact with police by cell phone, switching from one phone to another when their batteries ran out, Zikuski said. Others hid in closets and under desks.
Police heard no gunfire after they arrived but waited for about an hour before entering the building to make sure it was safe for officers. They then spent two hours searching the building.
They led a number of men out of the building in plastic handcuffs while they tried to sort out the victims from the killer or killers.
Most of the people brought out couldn't speak English, the chief said.
Alex Galkin, an immigrant from Uzbekistan, said he was taking English classes when he heard a shot and quickly went to the basement with about 20 other people.
"It was just panic," Galkin said.
Zhanar Tokhtabayeva, a 30-year-old from Kazakhstan, said she was in an English class when she heard a shot and her teacher screamed for everyone to go to the storage room.
"I heard the shots, every shot. I heard no screams, just silence, shooting," she said. "I heard shooting, very long time, and I was thinking, when will this stop? I was thinking that my life was finished."
Dr. Jeffrey King, speaking at a Catholic Charities office where counseling was being offered Friday night, said he was certain his mother, 72-year-old Roberta King, who taught English at the community center, was among the dead.
Authorities read a list of survivors and his mother's name wasn't on it, he said.
King, one of 10 children, described his mother as a woman brimming with interests ranging from the opera to the preservation society to collecting thousands of dolls. He recollected a recent conversation in which he told her to enjoy her retirement.
"I said, 'Mom you're in your 70s,'" King said. "She said, 'What? You don't think I enjoy working?'"
President Barack Obama, who was traveling in Europe, said he was shocked and saddened by the shooting, which he called an "act of senseless violence." He said he and his wife, Michelle Obama, were praying for the victims, their families and the people of Binghamton, about 140 miles northwest of New York City.
Gov. David Paterson said the massacre was probably "the worst tragedy and senseless crime in the history of this city." Noting mass killings in Alabama and Oakland, Calif., last month, he said: "When are we going to be able to curb the kind of violence that is so fraught and so rapid that we can't even keep track of the incidents?"
The community center was holding class "for those who want to become citizens of the United States of America, who wanted to be part of the American Dream, and so tragically may have had that hope thwarted today," the governor said. "But there still is an American dream, and all of us who are Americans will try to heal this very, very deep wound in the city of Binghamton."
Center officials issued a statement Friday night saying they were "stricken with grief about today's horrific assault and share this grief with the victims' families, our community and the entire nation."
The suspected gunman carried ID with the name of 42-year-old Jiverly Voong, of nearby Johnson City, N.Y., but that was believed to be an alias, said a law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A second law enforcement official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the two handguns were registered to Jiverly Wong, another name the man used. Both officials were not authorized to speak publicly.
Initial reports suggested Voong had recently been let go from IBM. But a person at IBM said there was no record of a Jiverly Voong ever working there.
The police chief would not confirm the name of the dead man with the ammunition satchel, saying authorities were still trying to establish with certainty that he was the gunman.
"We have no idea what the motive is," Zikuski said.
He said the suspected gunman "was no stranger" to the community center and may have gone there to take a class.
A woman who answered the phone at a listing for Henry D. Voong said she was Jiverly Voong's sister but would not give her name. She said her brother had been in the country for 28 years and had citizenship.
"I think there's a misunderstanding over here because I want to know, too," she said.
Friday evening, police searched Voong's house and carried out three computer hard drives, a brown canvas rifle case, a briefcase, a small suitcase and several paper bags.
Police left the Voong home shortly before 8 p.m., soon after four people arrived by car and went into the house. It wasn't clear who they were, but they promptly turned out the lights.
Crime scene tape was stretched across the street about 20 yards from the house, and a steady rain fell as two state troopers stood guard to keep anyone but neighborhood residents from entering the dead-end street.
Waiting outside a Catholic Charities office where counselors were tending to relatives of victims, Omri Yigal said his wife, Delores, was taking English lessons when the gunman attacked. He had no word on what happened to her.
He finally left the center feeling sullen shortly before 8 p.m.
"They told me they don't have much hope for me," the Filipino immigrant said before going home to wait for a telephone call.
The American Civic Association helps immigrants in the Binghamton area with citizenship, resettlement and family reunification. The shootings took place in a neighborhood of homes and small businesses in downtown Binghamton, a city of about 47,000 residents.
The Binghamton area was the home to Endicott-Johnson shoe company and the birthplace of IBM, which between them employed tens of thousands of workers before the shoe company closed a decade ago and IBM downsized in recent years.
A string of attacks in the U.S. in the last month left 44 people dead in all.
A gunman killed 10 people and himself in Samson, Ala.; shootings that began with a traffic stop in Oakland, Calif., left four police officers and the gunman dead; an apparent murder-suicide in Santa Clara, Calif., left six dead; and a gunman went on a rampage at a nursing home Sunday, killing seven elderly residents and a nurse who cared for them.
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For the RecordWe, the Leaders of the Group of Twenty, met in London on 2 April 2009.•We face the greatest challenge (see huge smiles showing how they want to conquer this challenge) to the world economy in modern times; acrisis which has deepened since we last met, which affects the lives ofwomen, men, and children in every country, and which all countries mustjoin together to resolve. A global crisis requires a global solution.•We start from the belief that prosperity is indivisible; that growth,to be sustained, has to be shared; and that our global plan forrecovery must have at its heart the needs and jobs of hard-workingfamilies, not just in developed countries but in emerging markets andthe poorest countries of the world too; and must reflect the interests,not just of today's population, but of future generations too. Webelieve that the only sure foundation for sustainable globalisation andrising prosperity for all is an open world economy based on marketprinciples, effective regulation, and strong global institutions.• We have today therefore pledged to do whatever is necessary to:* restore confidence, growth, and jobs;* repair the financial system to restore lending;* strengthen financial regulation to rebuild trust;* fund and reform our international financial institutions to overcome this crisis and prevent future ones;* promote global trade and investment and reject protectionism, to underpin prosperity; and* build an inclusive, green, and sustainable recovery.Byacting together to fulfill these pledges we will bring the worldeconomy out of recession and prevent a crisis like this from recurringin the future.• The agreements we have reached today, to trebleresources available to the IMF to $750 billion, to support a new SDR[IMF special drawing rights] allocation of $250 billion, to support atleast $100 billion of additional lending by the MDBs [MultilateralDevelopment Banks], to ensure $250 billion of support for tradefinance, and to use the additional resources from agreed IMF gold salesfor concessional finance for the poorest countries, constitute anadditional $1.1 trillion programme of support to restore credit, growthand jobs in the world economy. Together with the measures we have eachtaken nationally, this constitutes a global plan for recovery on anunprecedented scale.Restoring growth and jobs• Weare undertaking an unprecedented and concerted fiscal expansion, whichwill save or create millions of jobs which would otherwise have beendestroyed, and that will, by the end of next year, amount to $5trillion, raise output by 4 per cent, and accelerate the transition toa green economy. We are committed to deliver the scale of sustainedfiscal effort necessary to restore growth.• Our central banks havealso taken exceptional action. Interest rates have been cutaggressively in most countries, and our central banks have pledged tomaintain expansionary policies for as long as needed and to use thefull range of monetary policy instruments, including unconventionalinstruments, consistent with price stability.• Our actions torestore growth cannot be effective until we restore domestic lendingand international capital flows. We have provided significant andcomprehensive support to our banking systems to provide liquidity,recapitalise financial institutions, and address decisively the problemof impaired assets. We are committed to take all necessary actions torestore the normal flow of credit through the financial system andensure the soundness of systemically important institutions,implementing our policies in line with the agreed G20 framework forrestoring lending and repairing the financial sector.• Takentogether, these actions will constitute the largest fiscal and monetarystimulus and the most comprehensive support programme for the financialsector in modern times. Acting together strengthens the impact and theexceptional policy actions announced so far must be implemented withoutdelay. Today, we have further agreed over $1 trillion of additionalresources for the world economy through our international financialinstitutions and trade finance.• Last month the IMF estimated thatworld growth in real terms would resume and rise to over 2 percent bythe end of 2010. We are confident that the actions we have agreedtoday, and our unshakeable commitment to work together to restoregrowth and jobs, while preserving long-term fiscal sustainability, willaccelerate the return to trend growth. We commit today to takingwhatever action is necessary to secure that outcome, and we call on theIMF to assess regularly the actions taken and the global actionsrequired.• We are resolved to ensure long-term fiscalsustainability and price stability and will put in place credible exitstrategies from the measures that need to be taken now to support thefinancial sector and restore global demand. We are convinced that byimplementing our agreed policies we will limit the longer-term costs toour economies, thereby reducing the scale of the fiscal consolidationnecessary over the longer term.• We will conduct all our economicpolicies cooperatively and responsibly with regard to the impact onother countries and will refrain from competitive devaluation of ourcurrencies and promote a stable and well-functioning internationalmonetary system. We will support, now and in the future, to candid,even-handed, and independent IMF surveillance of our economies andfinancial sectors, of the impact of our policies on others, and ofrisks facing the global economy.Strengthening financial supervision and regulation•Major failures in the financial sector and in financial regulation andsupervision were fundamental causes of the crisis. Confidence will notbe restored until we rebuild trust in our financial system. We willtake action to build a stronger, more globally consistent, supervisoryand regulatory framework for the future financial sector, which willsupport sustainable global growth and serve the needs of business andcitizens.• We each agree to ensure our domestic regulatory systemsare strong. But we also agree to establish the much greater consistencyand systematic cooperation between countries, and the framework ofinternationally agreed high standards, that a global financial systemrequires. Strengthened regulation and supervision must promotepropriety, integrity and transparency; guard against risk across thefinancial system; dampen rather than amplify the financial and economiccycle; reduce reliance on inappropriately risky sources of financing;and discourage excessive risk-taking. Regulators and supervisors mustprotect consumers and investors, support market discipline, avoidadverse impacts on other countries, reduce the scope for regulatoryarbitrage, support competition and dynamism, and keep pace withinnovation in the marketplace.• To this end we are implementing theAction Plan agreed at our last meeting, as set out in the attachedprogress report. We have today also issued a Declaration, Strengtheningthe Financial System. In particular we agree:* to establish a newFinancial Stability Board (FSB) with a strengthened mandate, as asuccessor to the Financial Stability Forum (FSF), including all G20countries, FSF members, Spain, and the European Commission;* thatthe FSB should collaborate with the IMF to provide early warning ofmacroeconomic and financial risks and the actions needed to addressthem;* to reshape our regulatory systems so that our authorities are able to identify and take account of macro-prudential risks;*to extend regulation and oversight to all systemically importantfinancial institutions, instruments and markets. This will include, forthe first time, systemically important hedge funds;* to endorse andimplement the FSF's tough new principles on pay and compensation and tosupport sustainable compensation schemes and the corporate socialresponsibility of all firms;* to take action, once recovery isassured, to improve the quality, quantity, and internationalconsistency of capital in the banking system. In future, regulationmust prevent excessive leverage and require buffers of resources to bebuilt up in good times;* to take action against non-cooperativejurisdictions, including tax havens. We stand ready to deploy sanctionsto protect our public finances and financial systems. The era ofbanking secrecy is over. We note that the OECD has today published alist of countries assessed by the Global Forum against theinternational standard for exchange of tax information;* to call onthe accounting standard setters to work urgently with supervisors andregulators to improve standards on valuation and provisioning andachieve a single set of high-quality global accounting standards; and*to extend regulatory oversight and registration to Credit RatingAgencies to ensure they meet the international code of good practice,particularly to prevent unacceptable conflicts of interest.• Weinstruct our Finance Ministers to complete the implementation of thesedecisions in line with the timetable set out in the Action Plan. Wehave asked the FSB and the IMF to monitor progress, working with theFinancial Action Taskforce and other relevant bodies, and to provide areport to the next meeting of our Finance Ministers in Scotland inNovember.Strengthening our global financial institutions•Emerging markets and developing countries, which have been the engineof recent world growth, are also now facing challenges which are addingto the current downturn in the global economy. It is imperative forglobal confidence and economic recovery that capital continues to flowto them. This will require a substantial strengthening of theinternational financial institutions, particularly the IMF. We havetherefore agreed today to make available an additional $850 billion ofresources through the global financial institutions to support growthin emerging market and developing countries by helping to financecounter-cyclical spending, bank recapitalisation, infrastructure, tradefinance, balance of payments support, debt rollover, and socialsupport. To this end:* we have agreed to increase the resourcesavailable to the IMF through immediate financing from members of $250billion, subsequently incorporated into an expanded and more flexibleNew Arrangements to Borrow, increased by up to $500 billion, and toconsider market borrowing if necessary; and* we support asubstantial increase in lending of at least $100 billion by theMultilateral Development Banks (MDBs), including to low incomecountries, and ensure that all MDBs, including have the appropriatecapital.• It is essential that these resources can be usedeffectively and flexibly to support growth. We welcome in this respectthe progress made by the IMF with its new Flexible Credit Line (FCL)and its reformed lending and conditionality framework which will enablethe IMF to ensure that its facilities address effectively theunderlying causes of countries' balance of payments financing needs,particularly the withdrawal of external capital flows to the bankingand corporate sectors. We support Mexico 's decision to seek an FCLarrangement.
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By Emeka MadunaguPublished: Saturday, 4 Apr 2009A United States federal court in Brooklyn, New York has sentenced three Nigerians to varying jail terms totaling about 17 years for defrauding American victims of over $1.2 million (N177m) in an advance-fee fraud scam.An email statement sent to our correspondent by the US Department of Justice on Friday quoted Acting Assistant Attorney General Rita M. Glavin of the Criminal Division and US Attorney Benton J. Campbell of the Eastern District of New York as saying that the Nigerians, Nnamdi Chizuba Anisiobi, Anthony Friday Ehis and Kesandu Egwuonwu, pleaded guilty in January 2008 to one count of conspiracy, eight counts of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud.The statement said the suspects were extradited to the US from Holland on February 21, 2006 after they had been arrested for defrauding their victims of various amounts. They had sent spam mails to their victims, claiming that they controlled millions of dollars. Also, the joint investigation by the US Postal Service and Dutch authorities found that they used various aliases, phone numbers and e-mail addresses.In one instance, they sent e-mails purporting to be from an individual suffering from terminal throat cancer who needed assistance distributing approximately $55m to charity. In exchange for a victim‘s help, the defendants offered to give a 20 per cent commission to the victim or a charity of his or her choice but the American victims ended up with substantial losses.The statement said that in delivering judgment on Thursday, US District Judge Dora L. Irizarry sentenced Anisiobi to 87 months in prison, while Ehis and Egwuonwu received 57 months apiece.
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By SAM ANOKAMFriday, April 3, 2009•DeleAbiodunPhoto: Sun News PublishingThe last may not have been heard on the court ruling a fortnightago, declaring Admiral Dele Abiodun president of the PerformingMusician of Nigeria (PMAN). Immediately after the ruling,his opponent and incumbent PMAN president, Tee Mac Itselisaid he would appeal against the judgment based on reasonshe highlighted at a press conference he earlier adressed.Meanwhile, Daily Sun learnt from Teemac who confirmed theappeal, saying that there was a pending court case beforethe judgment was delivered.He said he can not immediatelyvacate office as his own executive has decided to appeal againstthe judgement.Meanwhile, Abiodun spoke extensively to Daily Sun, narratingwhat went wrong and the way forward among other issues.The way forwardHonestly, I am a lover of peace. Throughout my career, I havenever been a violent person and nobody could come out andsay that I have exchanged blows with him or her before.The way forward in PMAN is that I want to address my membersnow, there is no victor, no vanquished. We should come inwith that spirit because as a leader of men one should havehonour and integrity. I am telling my fellow musicians overthere on the other camp to come and join me. There is no roomfor intimidation or distraction.We don’t have time to start apportioning blames becausewe have a lot of work to do. PMAN is now grounded to zero.We need to move fast so that we are not left behind in thescheme of things. If it is about ego, whoever has it shouldgo and drop it. I beg them in the spirit of music becauseif you don’t drop that ego, there is no way we wouldmove forward. This is the time for us to begin to have somestructures on ground. My mission is to leave a legacy thatcannot be eroded, that is what I want to do and that is theway forward.Interpretation of court’s rulingIt is not for you and I as laymen to interpret the court’sruling. My opponents have a lawyer, just as we too have ourown. They should go to appeal court and argue that. But whyis it that it was after the judgment was delivered that someonethought of raising many allegations? Who will listen to youbecause you have a lawyer that has been on this case for threeand a half years.What has been his job? Why are they paying him? The only thingI saw there is that he tried to delay this case by using alltactics. You took me to court and you are writing lettersfor excuses that you would not be coming to court.This is all about the law. It is not about propaganda, ithas nothing to do with it. All I know is that a judgment hasbeen given. If any question is going to be asked on this,it should be directed to the lawyers and better still, theycan go to appeal court or we could decide to reconcile.SecretariatWe are in a democracy, if my opponents want to appeal, theycan go ahead and do that. As for the secretariat, when weget to the bridge, we would cross it.The other day we went there and they said we came there toexecute court order on our own which to me was right. Butthen so if they said so, that we were wrong, we accepted wewent wrong, so we withdrew. After this, I don’t knowwhat would happen. All I know is that we have a judgementin our favour and the law would take its course.It is not about me, it is about the union, the musician andthe industry.PMAN ConstitutionWe would start with a big step by reversing the constitutionto the old format. What they are supposed to do is not whatthey did. What they did was to satisfy somebody. I can’timagine somebody calling himself a governor, senator whenin the constitution you have chairmen of state chapters, ex-officiomembers, treasurers, first and second vice presidents as wellas the president. I have never seen a portion in that constitutionwhere anybody is being referred to as an ambassador. Thatmeans that someone tinkered with the constitution to pleasehimself and cause chaos in this union. It is too bad.Tee Mac and PMANTee Mac is a musician and a flutist and I am a singer andguitarist. If it is legal the law will tell and if it is notlegal the law will also tell us. Tee Mac should be very carefulbefore he sends himself to jail. Whatever action he takesafter this date honestly is contemptuous. I am not a lawyerbut I know that as a layman that if you go contrary to whatthe court has said, you are committing contempt of court andby so doing, it is also tantamount to impersonation.SuspensionThe constitution of PMAN says, if you are calling for an emergencyNEC meeting, written and printed, you needed not less thanfour people to sign and it did not even say officials, itsaid members. The letters they wrote to all the state chapterswas signed by just three people as ignorant as they were.That would tell you that they have not acted according theconstitution one day. Charley Boy Oputa, Orits Wiliki andBaby Barrister signed the letter and they sent it to all thestate chapters. We saw it and we picked it up. So it has beenpart of our evidences in court. Why would you now tell peoplethat somebody was suspended when he knew that whatever hedid then was illegal?.What went wrong?Sometimes ago, we initiated a peace move at a hotel closeto my house. I don’t want meetings to hold any longerin my house because I want to be neutral so tomorrow I wouldbe free to talk. We sat down there, Tee Mac, Mike Pam, Zimakoy,myself as well as others. We now said if we wanted peace,we should work out the modalities but we got to a dead end.We decided to bring two people each from the two camps, letthem continue to meet to sort out grey areas so that theyreport back to their principals - TeeMac and myself. You cansee how sincere I was.They started holding meetings, one two, three four up to fivemeetings, the next thing I heard was that on Tuesday, therewould be a press conference. You are holding meetings, wehave not finalized and the two principals have not met withthe peace committee members, then the next thing was to summonus, sit across the table and tell us what you have arrivedat so that we can agree. We can now say let us put hand onpaper for a Memorandum Of Understanding. If we signed that,and you asked me what we agreed on, I would then be able toshow the paper we signed on.But, I would not be stupid before the press, my followers,my family members and the public to sign what we haven’tboth agreed upon. The press conference should be the lastthing but they the cat before the horse. When they decidedthey must go ahead with that press conference, somebody saidit doesn’t matter if we didn’t sign the MOU now,it would be signed later. I then sent text messages to journaliststhat I was not against any peace initiative but that I willnot be part of a press conference that did not agree on anything,that I didn’t have anything to hold on to, they justwanted me to show my face, hug Charley Boy and hug everybody.
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Published: Saturday, 4 Apr 2009The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta on Friday dismissed an amnesty offer from the Federal Government of Nigeria as ”unrealistic” and charged that the military was being put on warpath in the Niger Delta.Skip to next paragraphclick to expand imageFileSome suspected members of MENDAFP reported that MEND said it would only agree to a peace process in which the United Nations and ”reputable international mediators” played an active role.It also repeated its call for the government of President Umaru Yar‘Adua to release one of the group‘s leaders, Henry Okah, who is on trial for treason.“MEND considers the amnesty for surrender of arms offer by Yar‘Adua as unrealistic. Such an offer by a government known for its insincerity must first be given to those who are being held captive by the Nigerian state for the rest of us to take seriously,” MEND said in an e-mail to the media, referring to Okah.“Ironically, it should be the people of the Niger Delta considering amnesty to the military and the past and present leadership of a corrupt Nigeria for the evil perpetrated in the region,” it further said.President Yar‘Adua said on Thursday that his government was ”working on terms for the granting of amnesty for those who are prepared to lay down their arms.” He gave no further details.At a meeting of the national executive of his ruling People‘s Democratic Party, he also said the government was buying new equipment for its special military force in the Niger Delta to better fight militants in the region.MEND said, ”As the government prepares its military for war against the peace loving people of the Niger Delta, we wish to warn that the freedom fighters are ready. Our differences have been put aside to face a common enemy.”The past three years have seen an upsurge in militant activities in the region with frequent attacks on foreign oil companies and a wave of kidnappings of expatriate employees and relatives of prominent Nigerians.The unrest has drastically reduced Nigeria‘s oil output, with daily production currently standing at around 1.78 million barrels, according to the International Energy Agency, compared to 2.6 million barrels in 2006.
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Friday, April 3, 2009Fashion & Beauty IndexOn the 30th of April 2009, Mrs. Joan Okorodudu, originatorof Nigeria’s Next Super Model, her sponsors and teamwill be previewing the making of The next super model: theNigeria’s Next Super Model story. The 56-episode realityshow will be aired on Quest TV and AIT The same day will alsobe the screening for this year’s Nigeria’s NextSuper Model.“Going by the success so far of the past girls,”says Okorodudu, “ it is no wonder every young girl wantsto become Nigeria’s next super model. Eunice Eyo, BunmiAdemokoya Cynthia Omorodion, Marcia Okhai, Amaka Chira WunmiOgumodede, Isi Atagamen and all the other girls are workingin Johannesburg.The last New York fashion week, both couture and MercedesBenz, saw three models, Bunmi, Isi and Bryan Okwara from IsisModels debut for the first time outside Africa. Bunmi whowas interviewed on fashion TV as Fresh Face also opened forDany Atrache French Lebanese designer who has invited herto Paris during the summer. These models are not only modelingin South Africa they are also in school. Bunmi transferredfrom Obafemi Awolowo University to University of South Africa,where she is still studying law. Isi Atagamen is in Lisofthe prestigious fashion-designing institute”.She said their streak of good fortune began immediately theyarrived in Johannesburg after the show.“No sooner did they get in to South Africa that theywere picked for Johannesburg fashion week. Cynthia also waspicked for the Aglo gold, which she did few days after shearrived Johannesburg. Bryan Okwara has been seen all overon various TV ads for Guinness for Zain. Also, Tony Azimiis the strong man of the Olympic ad for Bank PHB. They areall from Isis models.”She added that Elle magazine delivered on their promise anddid a photo with last year’s winner, Cynthia Omorodion.She believes that This Year’s edition of the show wouldbe the best ever.“Last year Der Spiegel, the largest circulating paperin Europe flew down to Nigeria to do a special on the Edogirls. Out of 16 finalists, there were 6 Edo girls, the winnerand runner-up being from Edo. The standard set at the lastNigeria’s next super model promises to be surpassedthis year.”
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Obama's Interview with Al-Arabiya Obama's Interview with Al-ArabiyaWritten by HISHAM MELHEM, AL ARABIYAJan 28, 2009 at 12:59 AMQ Mr. President, thank you for this opportunity, we really appreciate it.THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much.Q Sir, you just met with your personal envoy to theMiddle East, Senator Mitchell. Obviously, his first task is to consolidate the cease-fire. But beyond that you've been saying that you want to pursue actively and aggressively peacemaking between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Tell us a little bit about how do you see your personal role, because, you know, if the President of the United States is not involved, nothing happens -- as the history of peacemaking shows. Will you be proposing ideas, pitching proposals, parameters, as one of your predecessors did? Or just urging the parties to come up with their own resolutions, as your immediate predecessor did?THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think the most important thing is for the United States to get engaged right away. And George Mitchell is somebody of enormous stature. He is one of the few people who have international experience brokering peace deals.And so what I told him is start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating -- in the past on some of these issues -- and we don't always know all the factors that are involved. So let's listen. He's going to be speaking to all the major parties involved. And he will then report back to me. From there we will formulate a specific response.Ultimately, we cannot tell either the Israelis or the Palestinians what's best for them. They're going to have to make some decisions. But I do believe that the moment is ripe for both sides to realize that the path that they are on is one that is not going to result in prosperity and security for their people. And that instead, it's time to return to the negotiating table.And it's going to be difficult, it's going to take time. I don't want to prejudge many of these issues, and I want to make sure that expectations are not raised so that we think that this is going to be resolved in a few months. But if we start the steady progress on these issues, I'm absolutely confident that the United States -- working in tandem with the European Union, with Russia, with all the Arab states in the region -- I'm absolutely certain that we can make significant progress.Q You've been saying essentially that we should not look at these issues -- like the Palestinian-Israeli track and separation from the border region -- you've been talking about a kind of holistic approach to the region. Are we expecting a different paradigm in the sense that in the past one of the critiques -- at least from the Arab side, the Muslim side -- is that everything the Americans always tested with the Israelis, if it works. Now there is an Arab peace plan, there is a regional aspect to it. And you've indicated that. Would there be any shift, a paradigm shift?THE PRESIDENT: Well, here's what I think is important. Look at the proposal that was put forth by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia --Q Right.THE PRESIDENT: I might not agree with every aspect of the proposal, but it took great courage --Q Absolutely.THE PRESIDENT: -- to put forward something that is as significant as that. I think that there are ideas across the region of how we might pursue peace.I do think that it is impossible for us to think only in terms of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and not think in terms of what's happening with Syria or Iran or Lebanon or Afghanistan and Pakistan. These things are interrelated. And what I've said, and I think Hillary Clinton has expressed this in her confirmation, is that if we are looking at the region as a whole and communicating a message to the Arab world and the Muslim world, that we are ready to initiate a new partnership based on mutual respect and mutual interest, then I think that we can make significant progress.Now, Israel is a strong ally of the United States. They will not stop being a strong ally of the United States. And I will continue to believe that Israel's security is paramount. But I also believe that there are Israelis who recognize that it is important to achieve peace. They will be willing to make sacrifices if the time is appropriate and if there is serious partnership on the other side.And so what we want to do is to listen, set aside some of the preconceptions that have existed and have built up over the last several years. And I think if we do that, then there's a possibility at least of achieving some breakthroughs.Q I want to ask you about the broader Muslim world, but let me -- one final thing about the Palestinian-Israeli theater. There are many Palestinians and Israelis who are very frustrated now with the current conditions and they are losing hope, they are disillusioned, and they believe that time is running out on the two-state solution because -- mainly because of the settlement activities in Palestinian-occupied territories. Will it still be possible to see a Palestinian state -- and you know the contours of it -- within the first Obama administration?THE PRESIDENT: I think it is possible for us to see a Palestinian state -- I'm not going to put a time frame on it -- that is contiguous, that allows freedom of movement for its people, that allows for trade with other countries, that allows the creation of businesses and commerce so that people have a better life.And, look, I think anybody who has studied the region recognizes that the situation for the ordinary Palestinian in many cases has not improved. And the bottom line in all these talks and all these conversations is, is a child in the Palestinian Territories going to be better off? Do they have a future for themselves? And is the child in Israel going to feel confident about his or her safety and security? And if we can keep our focus on making their lives better and look forward, and not simply think about all the conflicts and tragedies of the past, then I think that we have an opportunity to make real progress.But it is not going to be easy, and that's why we've got George Mitchell going there. This is somebody with extraordinary patience as well as extraordinary skill, and that's what's going to be necessary.Q Absolutely. Let me take a broader look at the whole region. You are planning to address the Muslim world in your first 100 days from a Muslim capital. And everybody is speculating about the capital. (Laughter.) If you have anything further, that would be great.How concerned are you -- because, let me tell you, honestly, when I see certain things about America -- in some parts, I don't want to exaggerate -- there is a demonization of America.THE PRESIDENT: Absolutely.Q It's become like a new religion, and like a new religion it has new converts -- like a new religion has its own high priests.THE PRESIDENT: Right.Q It's only a religious text.THE PRESIDENT: Right.Q And in the last -- since 9/11 and because of Iraq, that alienation is wider between the Americans and -- and in generations past, the United States was held high. It was the only Western power with no colonial legacy.THE PRESIDENT: Right.Q How concerned are you and -- because people sense that you have a different political discourse. And I think, judging by (inaudible) and Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden and all these, you know -- a chorus --THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I noticed this. They seem nervous.Q They seem very nervous, exactly. Now, tell me why they should be more nervous?THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think that when you look at the rhetoric that they've been using against me before I even took office --Q I know, I know.THE PRESIDENT: -- what that tells me is that their ideas are bankrupt. There's no actions that they've taken that say a child in the Muslim world is getting a better education because of them, or has better health care because of them.In my inauguration speech, I spoke about: You will be judged on what you've built, not what you've destroyed. And what they've been doing is destroying things. And over time, I think the Muslim world has recognized that that path is leading no place, except more death and destruction.Now, my job is to communicate the fact that the United States has a stake in the well-being of the Muslim world, that the language we use has to be a language of respect. I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries.Q The largest one.THE PRESIDENT: The largest one, Indonesia. And so what I want to communicate is the fact that in all my travels throughout the Muslim world, what I've come to understand is that regardless of your faith -- and America is a country of Muslims, Jews, Christians, non-believers -- regardless of your faith, people all have certain common hopes and common dreams.And my job is to communicate to the American people that the Muslim world is filled with extraordinary people who simply want to live their lives and see their children live better lives. My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy. We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect. But if you look at the track record, as you say, America was not born as a colonial power, and that the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago, there's no reason why we can't restore that. And that I think is going to be an important task.But ultimately, people are going to judge me not by my words but by my actions and my administration's actions. And I think that what you will see over the next several years is that I'm not going to agree with everything that some Muslim leader may say, or what's on a television station in the Arab world -- but I think that what you'll see is somebody who is listening, who is respectful, and who is trying to promote the interests not just of the United States, but also ordinary people who right now are suffering from poverty and a lack of opportunity. I want to make sure that I'm speaking to them, as well.Q Tell me, time is running out, any decision on from where you will be visiting the Muslim world?THE PRESIDENT: Well, I'm not going to break the news right here.Q Afghanistan?THE PRESIDENT: But maybe next time. But it is something that is going to be important. I want people to recognize, though, that we are going to be making a series of initiatives. Sending George Mitchell to the Middle East is fulfilling my campaign promise that we're not going to wait until the end of my administration to deal with Palestinian and Israeli peace, we're going to start now. It may take a long time to do, but we're going to do it now. We're going to follow through on our commitment for me to address the Muslim world from a Muslim capital. We are going to follow through on many of my commitments to do a more effective job of reaching out, listening, as well as speaking to the Muslim world.And you're going to see me following through with dealing with a drawdown of troops in Iraq, so that Iraqis can start taking more responsibility. And finally, I think you've already seen a commitment, in terms of closing Guantanamo, and making clear that even as we are decisive in going after terrorist organizations that would kill innocent civilians, that we're going to do so on our terms, and we're going to do so respecting the rule of law that I think makes America great.Q President Bush framed the war on terror conceptually in a way that was very broad, "war on terror," and used sometimes certain terminology that the many people -- Islamic fascism. You've always framed it in a different way, specifically against one group called al Qaeda and their collaborators. And is this one way of --THE PRESIDENT: I think that you're making a very important point. And that is that the language we use matters. And what we need to understand is, is that there are extremist organizations -- whether Muslim or any other faith in the past -- that will use faith as a justification for violence. We cannot paint with a broad brush a faith as a consequence of the violence that is done in that faith's name.And so you will I think see our administration be very clear in distinguishing between organizations like al Qaeda -- that espouse violence, espouse terror and act on it -- and people who may disagree with my administration and certain actions, or may have a particular viewpoint in terms of how their countries should develop. We can have legitimate disagreements but still be respectful. I cannot respect terrorist organizations that would kill innocent civilians and we will hunt them down.But to the broader Muslim world what we are going to be offering is a hand of friendship.Q Can I end with a question on Iran and Iraq then quickly?THE PRESIDENT: It's up to the team --MR. GIBBS: You have 30 seconds. (Laughter.)Q Will the United States ever live with a nuclear Iran? And if not, how far are you going in the direction of preventing it?THE PRESIDENT: You know, I said during the campaign that it is very important for us to make sure that we are using all the tools of U.S. power, including diplomacy, in our relationship with Iran.Now, the Iranian people are a great people, and Persian civilization is a great civilization. Iran has acted in ways that's not conducive to peace and prosperity in the region: their threats against Israel; their pursuit of a nuclear weapon which could potentially set off an arms race in the region that would make everybody less safe; their support of terrorist organizations in the past -- none of these things have been helpful.But I do think that it is important for us to be willing to talk to Iran, to express very clearly where our differences are, but where there are potential avenues for progress. And we will over the next several months be laying out our general framework and approach. And as I said during my inauguration speech, if countries like Iran are willing to unclench their fist, they will find an extended hand from us.Q Shall we leave Iraq next interview, or just --MR. GIBBS: Yes, let's -- we're past, and I got to get him back to dinner with his wife.Q Sir, I really appreciate it.THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much.Q Thanks a lot.THE PRESIDENT: I appreciate it.Q Thank you.THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.END 6:03 P.M. ESTBarack Obama is the President of the United States of America.
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The pop star will not be allowed to adopt three-year-old Mercy James, ruled the High Court in the capital, Lilongwe.
Court registrar Ken Manda said the singer's bid to adopt the girl - previously believed to be aged four - had been rejected because Madonna is not a resident of Malawi.
The case has stirred up controversy in the tiny, impoverished African nation where some human rights campaigners have accused the 50-year-old of child "kidnapping".
They claim she has used her fame and money to by-pass the official adoption procedures.
Madonna, who has spent the past six days in the country touring her charity projects, has refused to comment but her spokeswoman issued a statement denying any rules had been broken.
On Monday, the US singer attended an hour-long hearing in the chambers of Mrs Justice Chomba.
"She is not skirting any legal issues in her application to adopt this child and is looking to provide a loving family environment and the best education and healthcare possible for a child who has been in an orphanage since her birth," Liz Rosenburg said.
Malawi's government has expressed its support for the star, who was subjected to similar criticism two years ago when she began her adoption of another Malawian child, David Banda.
The boy, now three, is accompanying Madonna on her visit to Malawi, along with her other children Lourdes, 12, and eight-year-old Rocco.
The country's Information Minister Patricia Kaliati praised the singer for her charity work in Malawi and said she had proved she was a good mother to David.
"Very few rich and famous people can take time to fly all the way to Malawi to support our children. We support her adoption process," Ms Kaliati said.
The court ruling had been expected to go Madonna's way after Mercy James was allowed to stay with her at a luxury lodge in Lilongwe.
She had been expected to take the child with her when she flies home to New York at the weekend.
Malawi has a million orphans, as a result of Aids, poor healthcare and poverty. Several charities, including Save the Children, have accused Madonna of setting a bad example.
They said efforts to help orphaned children should focus on keeping the children in their own communities and supporting extended families so they can care for them.
Read more…
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF ECONOMIC ADVISER TO THE PRESIDENT
STATE HOUSE ABUJA
YARADUA’S 7-POINT AGENDA AND VISION 2020:
POLITICAL SLOGANS OR ECONOMIC GROWTH MECHANISMS?
by
TANIMU YAKUBU
Chief Economic Adviser to the President
PROTOCOLS
1.0 I wish to commence by thanking the Nigerian Guild of Editors for affording me, as representative of the Yar’Adua Administration, this opportunity and others in the past to communicate to the Nigerian populace the vision and philosophy behind the Administration’s actions and the rationale for reliance on Mr. President’s 7-Point Agenda to bring succour to our National economy. I feel extremely delighted to be invited to this conference today, as there can hardly be a richer gathering of media personalities, and therefore the opportunity for communicating our message more effectively.
2.0 Today’s discussion comes less than a month after Mr. President signed the 2009 Appropriation Act into law, an Act we in the Administration feel marks the actual commencement of the implementation of the 7-Point Agenda. It is heart-warming to note, therefore, that the Nigerian Guild of Editors who have the capacity to explain Government action, or lack of it in a manner that no propaganda campaign can do, are pro-actively leading the effort to educate the Nigerian people on the Administration’s actions.
3.0 It is not lost on Government that the multitude of slogans describing government policy intentions can be confusing. But while the Nigeria Vision 2020 remains what its name connotes: a vision, an aspiration and a long term view of where we intend to be by the year 2020, the Administration’s ongoing development agenda is defined by the 7-Point Agenda. It is important to note that the 2009 Budget, as conceived, is a clear demonstration of the Government’s determination to achieve its long-term vision objective through faithful implementation of the 7-Point Agenda, which itself is a medium term development strategy. In attempting to rationalise if the slogans, Vision 2020 and 7-Point Agenda are mere political sloganeering or are, in fact economic growth mechanisms, there is need to briefly describe the nature and structure of the 2009 Federal Government Budget.
4.0 The Budget this time around was premised on the need to, partly, address the historical bottleneck to budget implementation and performance in the country, and also, to achieve the well defined deliverables that constitute the 7-Point Agenda. The preparatory process in the budget followed a more focused approach, emphasising the need for a people-centred budget, the outcome of which is a bold step in the introduction to Nigeria of a comprehensive result-oriented, performance-based budgeting system, backed by appropriate monitoring and evaluation structures and strategies. Because the budget was based on the vision of Mr President, it necessarily means that the various items of the 7-Point Agenda provide the focal points for assessing the success or failure of the 2009 budget.
5.0 Let me quickly highlight some of the measurable targets and outputs envisaged in the 2009 budget.
5.1 CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
5.1.1 Power
i) The Budget envisages the goal of attaining 6000MW of power generation in 2009, setting aside over N200 billion for implementing gas projects, aimed at acquiring capacity to deliver 1.2bn scf of gas to domestic market. The projects associated with the above allocation include:
• National Domestic Gas Projects
• Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline Project
• Calabar-Umuahia-Ajaokuta Gas Pipeline
• Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kano Gas Pipeline
• Gas Supply Pipeline to PHCN Delta IV
• Gas pipelines to power plants including: Omotosho, Papalanto and Alaoji
• Mambilla hydro-electric power generation project
• Other Generation projects
• Transmission Projects
• Distribution Projects
5.1.2 Under the transportation sector, allocations have been made to achieve the following sub-sectoral projects:
i) Rail Transport
• Modernisation of locomotives, coaches and wagons; rehabilitation works on tracks, stations, bridges, signalling equipment and culverts; procurement of tools, cranes & other railway equipment; etc.
ii) Marine and Inland Waterways Transport
• Completion of Ajaokuta-Warri Line to Delta Steel Jetty
• Dredging of Lower River Niger
iii) Road Transportation
Nationwide Works
• Maintaining 30,000km of roads (for completion in 3 years)
• Construction and rehabilitation of 3,293km of roads
• Engineering design of 699.05km of roads
• Completion of 2,821m length of bridges
• Rehabilitation of 262m length of bridges
• Zonal intervention in road projects to cover about 2,400km of roads
• Access Roads to 6 NNPC refineries and ports
• Highways rehabilitation and construction
• Construction of 2nd Niger Bridge at Onitsha (on PPP basis)
• Guto/Bagana Bridge (on PPP basis)
• Emergency rehabilitation road works in all 6 geopolitical zones
Zonal Intervention Road Projects across all 6 Geopolitical Zones as follows:
North-Central
• 140km Length Realignment and Construction of dangerous curves along Akwanga-Lafia Road
• 120km Length Otuoacha-Ibaji-Odolu-Ajegwu Road
• 68km Length 9th Mile-Otukpo-Makurdi Road Lafia
• 100km Length Otukpo-Ayangba-Ajaokuta-Okene Road
• 70km Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa
North-East
• 239km Length Maiduguri-Bama-Gwoza-Mubi with spur to Banki
• 190km Length Gombe-Numan-Yola Road Section II
• 100km Length Nafada-Gombe Abba Road
• 100km Length Wukari-Mutum Biu-Jalingo-Numan Road
North-West
• 125km Length Kano-Katsina-Jibia Road Gusau
• 90km Length Mararaba-Panbeguwa-Saminaka-Jos
• 150km Length Kano-Dutse-Kazaure-Daura-Mai-adua-Hui
• 120km Length Zaria-Funtua-Gusau-Sokoto-Birnin Kebbi
South-East
• 90km Length 9th Mile-Enugu-Port-Harcourt with spur to Okpanku and Nkomoro
• 140km Length Oba-Nnewi-Okigwe Road with spur to Alor
• 100km Length Nsukka-Obollo-Afor-Eheamufu-Nkalagu
• 122km Length Enugu-Onitsha with a spur to Inyi
• 60km Length Abakaliki-Afikpo Road with spur to Itigidi
South-South
• 92km Length Yenegwe-Okaki-Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road
• 70km Length Calabar-Ugep-Ogoja-Katsina Ala with spur to Abakaliki Road
• 50km Length Calabar-Itu-Ikot Ekpene-Aba Owerri Road
South-West
• 140km Length Kabba-Omuo-Ifaki-Ado Ekiti-Aramoko-Itawure-Erinmo-Oshogbo Road
• 60km Length Shagamu-Ajebandele-Ore-Benin Road
• 36km Length Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomosho Road
• Dualisation of Abeokuta-Ota-Owode Road (Ota-Owode Section with spur to Igboora Bridge at Lafenwa)
Federal Capital Territory
In the Federal Capital territory, the budget covered the completion of three key headquarters structures, namely the Foreign Affairs Headquarters, the Shehu Shagari Complex and the Federal Secretariat Building Phase II (Bullet House) so that MDAs can relocate to these premises instead of embarking on multiple headquarters projects.
5.2 FOOD SECURITY AND AGRIBUSINESS
5.2.1 The recent growth of the economy has been largely attributable to the non-oil sectors, especially agriculture. As well as guaranteeing national food security, the Agriculture sector offers the best opportunity for achieving rapid economic growth, greatly increased employment opportunities and industrialisation. The Federal Government’s proposed expenditures in the agriculture sector is aimed at raising the sector’s contribution to GDP to higher levels through on-going projects and targets over the next 3 years including:
• Counterpart funding for FADAMA III, IFAD and AfDB projects etc.
• Assistance to States’ production initiatives through 40% contribution to financing production infrastructure in the State to attract agribusiness investments
• Completion of ongoing silos projects and construction of new ones to bolster food security by upgrading national strategic storage capacity to 1 million tonnes
• Rehabilitation and construction of dams to increase irrigated lands and acquire power generation capabilities at some of the dams
• Rehabilitation and expansion of irrigation infrastructure to add 150,000 hectares in addition to optimisation of currently 220,000 hectares of irrigation infrastructure
• Increasing land under cultivation by 5% in the next season and 15% over a period of 3 years
• Increase in yields by 50-250% of different crops, and 20% increase in production of targeted commodity crops
• Provision of N200 billion credit for commercial agriculture development
• 35% increase in domestic agribusiness and 15% increase in export of selected commodities
• Increase in fish production by 230% from 650,000 metric tonnes to 1.5m metric tonnes p.a.
• 40% increase in availability of rural infrastructure (road, energy, water and housing)
• Increase in the agriculture sector’s contribution to GDP by at least 5%
5.2.2 Related to this also is the fact that Government has embarked on the amendment of the Land Use Act, in order to remove the obstacles and inconveniences of transacting in land for housing and agriculture and bring out the inherent capital in landed assets.
5.3 WEALTH CREATION AND HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT
5.3.1 Government is aware that productivity growth, equity, poverty eradication and security can all reinforce one another. And for that to happen, requires widespread access to wealth-creating assets, especially through education, the basis for acquiring skills and grasping opportunities. The 2009 budget has adequate and measurable provisions to address the issue of wealth creation, human capital development and guarantee of security to life and property.
5.3.2 Under the health sector, government made provisions in the 2009 Budget for:
• Completion of ongoing projects for modernisation of 7 Specialist Hospitals in Kaduna, Maiduguri, Kano, Calabar, Enugu, Abeokuta & Lagos
• Completing of ongoing projects for modernisation of 3 Teaching Hospitals in Calabar, Awka and Ife
5.4 INTERNAL SECURITY
5.4.1 Under internal security Government’s prioritization has been reflected in the 2009 budget including allocations for security and community policing in 7 cities (Abuja, Kano, Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Maiduguri & Onitsha) identified as having the highest incidences of criminal activity, with the view to reducing this by 40% in 2009.
5.5 NIGER DELTA
5.5.1 Toward implementation of the Administration’s Niger Delta Agendum, provisions have been made in the 2009 Budget for:
• New road projects such as the Warri-Kaima Road,
• East-West Road (Section I) Warri-Kaima
• East-West Road (Section II) Warri-Port Harcourt
• East-West Road (Section III) Port Harcourt-Eket
• East-West Road (Section IV) Eket-Oron
• Erosion Control Projects
• Idumuje Unor Erosion Control Project, Delta State
• Forestry Projects
• Conservation and Development of Coastal Ecosystem (Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem) G-clime (Rivers & Bayelsa State)
• Youth Training/Development Centres in the Niger Delta
• Digital security surveillance
• Acquisition of Marine boats and equipment
• Provision of observation posts along major highways in the country
6.0 POLICY THRUST OF THE BUDGET
6.1 There is a determination to shift focus from resource commitment to MDAs, to considering what was actually delivered by the various MDAs. To ensure improved efficiency, effectiveness and productivity of government’s expenditure, the Budget Office of the Federation, working with the National Planning Commission, Office of the Chief Economic Adviser and the MDG office, has designed a framework to monitor and evaluate the budget performance. Quarterly budget monitoring and evaluation reports will be published in line with the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007.
6.2 One of the challenges of the past had been the slow passage of the Appropriation Bill, which has been reversed this year as the President has already assented to the 2009 Budget Act. In like manner, there is now no constriction on funds releases with a new flexibility in the approval process. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved upward revisions to the approval thresholds for procurement of goods and services, combined with enhanced monitoring. As a result of the upward review of thresholds and the fact that a handful of MDAs established in-house branches of the Due Process Mechanism (DPM) outfit, the DPM has now been made easier. Most MDAs are now also more aware of the Public Procurement Act (PPA), which, no doubt, would hasten the issuance of “no objections” in contract execution.
6.3 Closing the critical infrastructure gap is a major policy thrust of this Administration. Targeted, measurable and verifiable critical infrastructural projects under the 2009 budget have been prioritized to ensure their implementation. In the medium to long term, the changed infrastructural environment will make the Nigerian economy grow at an accelerated rate and lead to enhanced competitiveness.
6.4 It is equally important to recognize that new strategies of domestic borrowing, privatization, PPP and the use of unspent capital votes have been adopted in place of the inefficient traditional ways and means of utilisation and abuse of cash calls on capital projects implementation in the oil & gas sector. The whole process is now aimed at improving cash-backing in budget implementation and making necessary provisions to finance the development strategy in the sector and attain the highest quality of spending to increase economic growth.
6.5 Finally, a Cash Management Committee shall be established to ensure effective implementation of the 2009 budget by, among others, managing and controlling cash available to Government at any point in time and ensuring that budgetary revenues are realised and that adequate machineries are put in place for prompt collection, accounting and remittance to the relevant revenue accounts on a real-time basis. This is to be set in the context of changing international environment and the challenges that this could pose for the implementation of the budget.
7.0 CONCLUSION
7.1 I have tried in the last few paragraphs to highlight the features and contents of the 2009 Budget, and attempted to explain that, while the Administration’s visionis enshrined in the Vision 2020 document, the 7-Point Agenda contains definite development targets and strategies for their achievement with well defined deliverables.
7.2 Strict pursuit of the 7-Point Agenda will widen opportunities through provision of functional infrastructure, enhanced human capacity, wealth creation and increased emphasis on food security and affordable housing. Realisation of the key Agenda items in the short and medium-term, namely: addressing the challenges of the critical infrastructure gap, bringing succour to the chronic socio-economic crises in the Niger Delta, achieving enhanced human capital development, ameliorating the inadequacies of our Food sector, implementing land tenure and home ownership reforms aimed at freeing the wealth in our land resources, addressing the challenges of National security and creating a conducive environment for wealth creation, would deliver on the 2020 vision.
8.0 Thank you for listening to me.
TANIMU YAKUBU
Chief Economic Adviser to the President
Federal Republic of Nigeria
ALL NIGERIAN EDITORS CONFERENCE (ANEC )2ND APRIL, 2009
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The New York Times
Just Medicine
By PHILIP K. HOWARD
WASTE in the health care system costs America upwards of $1 trillion per year. Much of this waste is generated or justified by the fear of legal consequences that infects almost every health care encounter. The good news is that it would be relatively easy to create a new system of reliable justice, one that could support broader reforms to contain costs.
The legal system terrorizes doctors. Fear of possible claims leads medical professionals to squander billions in unnecessary tests and procedures. “Defensive medicine” is so prevalent that it has become part of standard protocol — for example, mandatory pre-operative exams even where the patient record is current, and even for minor procedures.
Like a cancer, this legal anxiety corrodes relationships with patients. Doctors and nurses don’t want to speak up for fear of assuming legal liability, and this causes unnecessary errors. Under instructions from lawyers, they don’t apologize or offer explanations when things go wrong. They sometimes conceal errors in an effort to avoid a legal ordeal. Even in ordinary daily encounters, an invisible wall separates doctors from their patients. As one pediatrician told me, “You wouldn’t want to say something off the cuff that might be used against you.”
As the culture of health care disintegrates, costs rise further. In hospitals, self-protective bureaucracy multiplies. Patient encounters require witnesses, wasting professional time. Patients, sensing distrust, demand second opinions even on minor ailments. There are psychological costs as well: doctors no longer find professional fulfillment and drop out in their prime. Forget productivity — sometimes doctors avoid using e-mail so they don’t have to put things in writing.
Restoring a foundation of trust requires a new system of medical justice. Medical cases are now decided jury by jury, without consistent application of medical standards. According to a 2006 study in the New England Journal of Medicine, around 25 percent of cases where there was no identifiable error resulted in malpractice payments. Nor is the system effective for injured patients — according to the same study, 54 cents of every dollar paid in malpractice cases goes to administrative expenses like lawyers, experts and courts.
America needs special health courts aimed not at stopping lawsuits but at delivering fair and reliable decisions. A special court would provide expedited proceedings with knowledgeable staff that would work to settle claims quickly. Trials would be conducted before a judge who is advised by a neutral expert, with written rulings on standards of care.
With a special health court, damages would consist of all lost income and medical costs, plus “pain and suffering” based on a set schedule depending on the severity of the injury. All information about each incident, including details learned in settlements, would be compiled and disseminated so that doctors and hospitals could learn from their errors. Proponents of special health courts have estimated that the total cost of such a new liability system would be about the same as the existing system — less than 2 percent of America’s total health care costs. One benefit would be that the quicker, streamlined system would compensate far more people, with drastically lower legal costs. Most important, it would restore faith in the reliability of medical justice.
A court that freed doctors from worries about unnecessary and unreasonable malpractice claims would transform the culture of health care. Doctors could finally emerge from their defensive cocoons and start focusing on the health of the patient. Hospitals would concentrate on productivity and safety. Doctors could be more candid about decisions for terminally ill patients, and offer more guidance about high-risk procedures.
This country has a long tradition of courts and tribunals to deal with issues like bankruptcy that require special expertise. Nowhere is that expertise, along with the stability and trust it would bring, more needed than in health care.
Several prominent hospitals, including New York Presbyterian, have said they are interested in being part of a health court pilot project. Some large consumer and patient safety groups support the idea. The fastest way to do this would be for Congress to authorize and finance pilot courts around the country. These ideas already have some bipartisan support: Bills for alternative medical justice systems have been introduced in Congress.
Cutting back on the notorious inefficiency of American health care is essential to achieve universal care, as well as make the American economy more competitive. Part of the solution — overhauling the reimbursement model so that doctors get paid only for what is needed — is unavoidably complex. But restoring trust in law, the other essential reform, can be accomplished with the creation of reliable courts.
Philip K. Howard, a lawyer, is the chairman of Common Good, a legal reform coalition, and the author of “Life Without Lawyers: Liberating Americans From Too Much Law.”
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UMUAHIA—THE Abia State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, has arrested a 29-year-old man, Domunachi Osu, for allegedly raping and infecting an 8-year-old girl, (names withheld) with HIV.The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Soji Alabi who briefed newsmen on behalf of the Commandant, Alhaji Dauda Mungadi, said the suspect, said to have been on the run since last year was arrested following a tip-off from the victim’s mother.Alabi said the suspect, a married man and trader from Delta State, was living in the same area with victim, who was staying with her grandmother in Ikwuano Local Government Area of the state.Osu was said to have committed the offence when everybody in the compound had gone to the farm and threatened to kill the girl if she told anyone of the heinous act.Alabi said that the suspect would be taken to court immediately investigations were concluded.In her account, the victim’s mother, Mrs. Amarachi Uche, said she had gone back to school in Abuja when her daughter’s series of illnesses were reported to her and that it took the intervention of a family friend before her daughter could open up on what happened.The victim who narrated her ordeal in Igbo language said she was raped. The suspect also admitted that he was guilty of the offence, saying he had been living with HIV for over three years.
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The judge further ordered that the Medical Director of the prison should attend to her medical needs to ascertain her ailment.
Ibinabo broke down and wept as she was being led out of the court after the judge ordered that she should be sent to Kirikiri.
The lawyer, who appeared for her today, Mr. Fred Agbaje, withdrew the application for stay of execution of the judgement of the court and applied for bail pending the determination of the appeal at the appellate court.
The prosecution counsel, Mr. Lawal Pedro, did not oppose the application, rather, he said he will contest the appeal at the appellate court.
Justice Oluwayemi adjourned the case till 2 April 2009 for ruling.
A Lagos High Court judge had last Tuesday ordered that Ibinabo be brought before her irrespective of her health status, as she once again failed to appear before the court to defend her application for stay of execution she had filed.
The court had earlier sentenced Ibinabo to five years imprisonment without an option of fine, having found her guilty of murder through reckless and dangerous driving.
The convict, who was given an option of N100,000 fine at the trial magistrate’s court, was sentenced by Justice Deborah Oluwayemi, after the Lagos State government had appealed the lower court’s judgment.
But at the mention of her application for stay of execution of the judgment on Thursday, 19 March, her lawyer informed the court that Ibinabo was hospitalised in a Port Harcourt hospital. The counsel brought a sick report to buttress his claim.
However, Justice Oluwayemi rejected the medical report and ordered the ex-beauty queen to appear before her. She said her application for stay of execution would not be considered until she personally appeared before her.
Her lawyer, Mr. Ijebu Ode Agbarawu, told the court last Tuesday that the convict was still receiving treatment in the Port Harcourt hospital.
Delivering her ruling on Tuesday, Justice Oluwayemi ordered that a subpoena be issued on Dr. G. Harris of Braithwaite Hospital, Port Harcourt, who signed the medical report sent to the court on Thursday, 19 March.
She ordered that Ibinabo must be produced in court at the next adjournment date.
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Lagos State, Mrs. Ayo Odugbesan, aligned herself with the court.
Thereafter, Justice Oluwayemi adjourned till 30 April for further hearing.
Ibinabo had gone underground and certainly not on admission at the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital, BMH, Port Harcourt, when P.M.News visited the BMH female medical ward where she was said to be receiving treatment.
A source said: “it sounds strange that Ibinabo Fiberesima, a popular personality, a former beauty queen and a Nollywood star can be on admission in a hospital such as this and it would be hidden.”
Interestingly, our contact who knows her very well called her mobile line and she answered her call but refused to disclose where she was answering the call.
Our contact said he wanted to pretend to be sympathizing with her over her recent travails and to prove that Ibinabo had merely gone underground and “not critically ill” and also not on admission at BMH as widely circulated.
Ibinabo played active role during the Rivers State Cultural festival tagged RIVIFEST and ECOWAS beauty pageant as consultant to the Rivers State.
By Chris Chase
Last month, Dan Leone was fired from his part-time job with the Philadelphia Eagles after criticizing the team for letting veteran Brian Dawkins leave via free agency. Leone was a seasonal game day employee, which meant he worked during the Eagles' 10 home dates each season. His termination meant he would have been unlikely to attend any of those games in 2009. But now help is coming from an unexpected source.
Dawkins signed with the Denver Broncos, who happen to be playing in Philly this season. Since each visiting player gets two tickets to away games, the 35-year-old defensive back decided to give his allotment for the contest in Philadephia to Leone. Dawkins told the Philadelphia Daily News:
"I thought it'd be a good gesture. Had I not ... signed with Denver, that guy would still have his job. Obviously, he made a decision and out of emotion said something. He was one of probably thousands and thousands of Eagles fans who felt that way. That didn't surprise me, that someone said that on their Facebook. It did surprise me that he was let go, though ... I felt it would be a good thing, to reach out to that individual and just let him know how much I appreciate it.''
Well played, Brian Dawkins. It's becoming clear to see why most people in Philly didn't want to see a class act like Dawkins leave town.
By WILLIAM KATES, Associated Press Writer William Kates, Associated Press Writer 28 mins ago
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – A gunman barricaded the back door of a community center with his car and then opened fire on a room full of immigrants taking a citizenship class Friday, killing 13 people before apparently committing suicide, officials said.
Investigators said they had yet to establish a motive for the massacre, which was at least the fifth deadly mass shooting in the U.S. in the past month alone.
The attack came just after 10 a.m. at the American Civic Association, an organization that helps immigrants settle in this country. Police Chief Joseph Zikuski said the gunman parked his car against the back door, "making sure nobody could escape," then stormed through the front, shooting two receptionists, apparently without a word.
The killer, believed to be a Vietnamese immigrant, then entered a room just off the reception area and fired on a citizenship class.
"The people were trying to better themselves, trying to become citizens," the police chief said.
One receptionist was killed, while the other, shot in the abdomen, pretended to be dead and then crawled under a desk and called 911, he said.
Police said they arrived within two minutes.
The rest of those killed were shot in the classroom. Four people were critically wounded.
The man believed to have carried out the attack was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in an office, a satchel containing ammunition slung around his neck, authorities said. Police found two handguns — a 9 mm and a .45-caliber — and a hunting knife.
Thirty-seven people in all made it out of the building, including 26 who hid in the boiler room in the basement, cowering there for three hours while police methodically searched the building and tried to determine whether the gunman was still alive and whether he was holding any hostages, Zikuski said.
Those in the basement stayed in contact with police by cell phone, switching from one phone to another when their batteries ran out, Zikuski said. Others hid in closets and under desks.
Police heard no gunfire after they arrived but waited for about an hour before entering the building to make sure it was safe for officers. They then spent two hours searching the building.
They led a number of men out of the building in plastic handcuffs while they tried to sort out the victims from the killer or killers.
Most of the people brought out couldn't speak English, the chief said.
Alex Galkin, an immigrant from Uzbekistan, said he was taking English classes when he heard a shot and quickly went to the basement with about 20 other people.
"It was just panic," Galkin said.
Zhanar Tokhtabayeva, a 30-year-old from Kazakhstan, said she was in an English class when she heard a shot and her teacher screamed for everyone to go to the storage room.
"I heard the shots, every shot. I heard no screams, just silence, shooting," she said. "I heard shooting, very long time, and I was thinking, when will this stop? I was thinking that my life was finished."
Dr. Jeffrey King, speaking at a Catholic Charities office where counseling was being offered Friday night, said he was certain his mother, 72-year-old Roberta King, who taught English at the community center, was among the dead.
Authorities read a list of survivors and his mother's name wasn't on it, he said.
King, one of 10 children, described his mother as a woman brimming with interests ranging from the opera to the preservation society to collecting thousands of dolls. He recollected a recent conversation in which he told her to enjoy her retirement.
"I said, 'Mom you're in your 70s,'" King said. "She said, 'What? You don't think I enjoy working?'"
President Barack Obama, who was traveling in Europe, said he was shocked and saddened by the shooting, which he called an "act of senseless violence." He said he and his wife, Michelle Obama, were praying for the victims, their families and the people of Binghamton, about 140 miles northwest of New York City.
Gov. David Paterson said the massacre was probably "the worst tragedy and senseless crime in the history of this city." Noting mass killings in Alabama and Oakland, Calif., last month, he said: "When are we going to be able to curb the kind of violence that is so fraught and so rapid that we can't even keep track of the incidents?"
The community center was holding class "for those who want to become citizens of the United States of America, who wanted to be part of the American Dream, and so tragically may have had that hope thwarted today," the governor said. "But there still is an American dream, and all of us who are Americans will try to heal this very, very deep wound in the city of Binghamton."
Center officials issued a statement Friday night saying they were "stricken with grief about today's horrific assault and share this grief with the victims' families, our community and the entire nation."
The suspected gunman carried ID with the name of 42-year-old Jiverly Voong, of nearby Johnson City, N.Y., but that was believed to be an alias, said a law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A second law enforcement official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the two handguns were registered to Jiverly Wong, another name the man used. Both officials were not authorized to speak publicly.
Initial reports suggested Voong had recently been let go from IBM. But a person at IBM said there was no record of a Jiverly Voong ever working there.
The police chief would not confirm the name of the dead man with the ammunition satchel, saying authorities were still trying to establish with certainty that he was the gunman.
"We have no idea what the motive is," Zikuski said.
He said the suspected gunman "was no stranger" to the community center and may have gone there to take a class.
A woman who answered the phone at a listing for Henry D. Voong said she was Jiverly Voong's sister but would not give her name. She said her brother had been in the country for 28 years and had citizenship.
"I think there's a misunderstanding over here because I want to know, too," she said.
Friday evening, police searched Voong's house and carried out three computer hard drives, a brown canvas rifle case, a briefcase, a small suitcase and several paper bags.
Police left the Voong home shortly before 8 p.m., soon after four people arrived by car and went into the house. It wasn't clear who they were, but they promptly turned out the lights.
Crime scene tape was stretched across the street about 20 yards from the house, and a steady rain fell as two state troopers stood guard to keep anyone but neighborhood residents from entering the dead-end street.
Waiting outside a Catholic Charities office where counselors were tending to relatives of victims, Omri Yigal said his wife, Delores, was taking English lessons when the gunman attacked. He had no word on what happened to her.
He finally left the center feeling sullen shortly before 8 p.m.
"They told me they don't have much hope for me," the Filipino immigrant said before going home to wait for a telephone call.
The American Civic Association helps immigrants in the Binghamton area with citizenship, resettlement and family reunification. The shootings took place in a neighborhood of homes and small businesses in downtown Binghamton, a city of about 47,000 residents.
The Binghamton area was the home to Endicott-Johnson shoe company and the birthplace of IBM, which between them employed tens of thousands of workers before the shoe company closed a decade ago and IBM downsized in recent years.
A string of attacks in the U.S. in the last month left 44 people dead in all.
A gunman killed 10 people and himself in Samson, Ala.; shootings that began with a traffic stop in Oakland, Calif., left four police officers and the gunman dead; an apparent murder-suicide in Santa Clara, Calif., left six dead; and a gunman went on a rampage at a nursing home Sunday, killing seven elderly residents and a nurse who cared for them.
