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King David
"This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the Earth may know that there is a God in Israel."
- 1 Samuel 17:46
In the late 11th century BCE, young David of Bethlehem wasn't exactly on the fast track to babes, riches, and using the skulls of his enemies as ornamental wine goblets adorning a table filled with messing badass lemon meringue pies, ostrich burgers, and other delicious stuff along those lines. No, instead the man who would become King David of Israel was stuck tending sheep on his father's crappy farm in the middle of nowhere, kind of like Luke Skywalker messing tooling around Tatooine when he should have been out there slicing the faces off of weird disgusting aliens and crushing peoples' colons with his mind. This kind of work didn't really give David an opportunity to showcase his powers of Yahweh-powered, Philistine-smashing badassitude, but he did develop a reputation for being kind, charismatic, strong, and brave enough to fight off rabid, sheep-eating wolves with little more than a giant messing stick and a disregard for the slavering fangs of nature's most perfect predators.
Pretty much everybody who met him realized that there was something special about this kid, even if they didn't exactly realize that the Jehovah Force was strong with this one.In addition to being able to smash coyotes and other lupine/canine sheepavores over the head with a stick until they started convulsing, David also had a reputation for being a pretty ultra-bitchin' lyre player. One day King Saul of Judah was bumming hard about some stupid crap that was pissing him off, so he called David in to wail out a couple of flaming solos and cheer up the depressed monarch. David busted out some insane Van Halen shit, and Saul was so pumped up by this kid's sick chops that he hired him on as his personal house musician.
David hung out for a while, learning the ways of war and impressing hot babes with his awesome and inspirational power ballads, until one day Israel went to war with a group of people known as the Phlistines.In case you're not down with the Old Testament, the Philistines were basically a bunch of jackasses who spent the better part of the Bible messing with the Israelites, killing their people, and exerting their will over the Chosen People of God for no reason at all. The toughest and most hardcore of these guys was a dude named Goliath of Geth - a gargantuan, scrotum-crushing maniac who was like a Biblical mix between Chewbacca and a planet-eating robot.
Basically, Goliath was a messing dickhead who thought he was the baddest shit ever created. Before the war even got started, this monster of a man stepped forward wearing a full suit of spiked metal armor and carrying a sword large enough to slice open the space-time continuum, thumped his chest, and dared anybody in Israel to heck with him Even though nobody really wanted a piece of this roid-raging psycho, David was not impressed. He called Goliath's bluff, walked out to meet the bastard, and prepared to give this guy the righteous assbeating he was obviously asking for. This kid probably looked like Adam Sandler going up against Ivan Drago when he stepped out onto the battlefield, but David didn't even give a shit.
He took two steps forward, pulled out his messing sling, and winged a goddamned rock into Goliath's face with enough force to explode the giant's brains out the back of his head. After watching this heinous shit go down, the Philistines quickly decided that they didn't want anything to do with a guy who could use a messing rock to generate the same force as a twelve-gauge shotgun, so they dropped their spears and ran for it like a bunch of bitches. David hacked the giant's head off with his own sword and carried his hard-earned trophy around to impress the ladies and show his friends who the toughest motherheck er in the Middle East really was.
David pawns Goliath by stepping on his face St. Michael-style.
David's improbable, badass, "Appalachian State defeats Michigan"-style victory earned him the respect of his people, and he soon became incredibly popular and universally recognized as an ultimate Israelite badass. Dudes dug the fact that he went on to become a General and lead Israel's armies to victory on numerous occasions, while chicks were all about his movie star good looks.
Even King Saul's daughter was all about David - when she basically threw herself at the Hero of Israel, he asked for the chick's hand in marriage. King Saul told David that he could only marry his daughter if he killed 100 Philistines. David went out, killed them all, cut off their junk, and brought a huge sack of severed dongs back to Saul. Saul, for his part, had a tough time turning down the request when presented with such compelling evidence.
Eventually Saul got jealous and drunk and pissed and tried to assassinate David, but our hero escaped and fled into the Wilderness. He went on some RPG video game-style adventures out there, championing the underprivileged, defending Jewish settlements from desert raiders, and plundering the camps of marauding Dark Elf tribesmen, and became so popular with the people that when King Saul was killed in battle with the Philistines the Hero returned home and was placed on the throne of Judea.As the totally righteous King of Israel (and I use the term "righteous" to mean both "holy" and "bitchin"), David did a bunch of awesome shit like conquer/build Jerusalem, bring the Ark of the Covenant into town, and marry a shitload of hot Jewish bikini babes. When he wasn't overthrowing the Philistines, conquering any neighboring civilization stupid enough to alert him to their presence and forging a massive empire from the blood of his enemies, he also found time to write pretty much all the Psalms in the Bible.
Psalms is like the hugest section of the entire Good Book (there are like a thousand of them or some shit), so you know this guy was so face-meltingly eloquent it made Shakespeare look like an off-the-boat New York cabbie with a speech impediment and a very rudimentary understanding of the English language. David kind of pissed God off when he banged some guy's wife and then sent the dude off to die on the front lines of a war, but eventually it was all good in the hood - David married the chick, knocked her up, and their second kid went on to become King Solomon, the dude who built the Temple and apparently some mines or something as well. Solomon was kind of a big deal.
King David ruled Israel for 40 years, brought his people to prominence as a force to be reckoned with in the Middle East, and is now remembered as a kind, just, and respected ruler who administered his court with honor and crushed his enemies by smashing them repeatedly in the face with a Medieval cattle prod cranked up to ten billion jiggawatts. He established the first Jewish Kingdom in Israel, died peacefully of old age on a gold-encrusted bed surrounded by thousands of hot women, and is now considered a total badass by all three Abrahamic Traditions.Shit, even the Mormon's think he's cool.
From the New Testament through the church Fathers (including Tertullian, Jerome, Ambrose, Augustine, Hilary) to interpreters of recent centuries (Luther, Spurgeon, Bonhoeffer), Christians have seen Jesus as one of the chief subjects of the Psalms. Jesus has also been seen as the one who sings the Psalms: he experienced the full range of human emotions and the full, intimate, honest relationship with God depicted in the Psalms. In a sense, Jesus even knew guilt, as he experienced the crushing weight of our sin and God’s judgment on rebels (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24).The incredible variety of emotions and situations in the Psalms reflects Jesus’ own experience as God in human form, walking and living among us, experiencing what we experience. We also see Jesus in the Psalms as we remember his role as God Incarnate, the God who stoops to be with his people in their sojourn, their trials, their disappointments, their disasters. He is the shepherd who will not take us where he himself has not gone, and having trusted God as he went through the valley of death himself, he will not fail to take us through to the other side with him (Psalm 23).
We see Jesus as the lover of God’s Law who delighted in it and obeyed it perfectly (Psalm 1; 40:6-8; 119). We see Jesus mourning for those who suffer. We see him concerned for and identifying with the poor, the oppressed, and the lost (Psalm 41:1-3; 112:5, 9; 113:5-9; compare Matthew 25:31-46). And we see Jesus proclaiming God’s salvation and faithfulness to the congregation (Psalm 40:9-10).
We see Jesus as the suffering servant of God who laments his fate. He is persecuted, condemned, and killed unjustly (Psalm 22, 69) in order to wipe away sin (Psalm 51). He is rejected by Israel, abandoned by his followers, and betrayed by his friend, Judas (Psalm 41:9, cited in John 13:18; Psalm 109:8 cited in Acts 1).
We see Jesus raised from the dead (Psalm 16:9-10, cited in Acts 2), a rejected stone chosen by God for the foundation of his family (Psalm 118). This risen one is the victorious Son of David who rules over the nations, establishes justice, and extends mercy to those who do not deserve it. He will execute judgment over all nations (Psalm 2; 45; 110). In the exaltation and enthronement of David’s son, all the nations will learn to praise the one true God (Psalm 18:49; Romans 15:7). Jesus also proves himself to be the True Human, the Second and Better Adam who fulfills our original destiny by restoring humanity to rule with God over all things (Psalm 8).
As Bruce Waltke sums it up, “The Psalms are ultimatelythe prayers of Jesus Christ, Son of God. He alone is worthy to pray the ideal vision of a king suffering for righteousness and emerging victorious over the hosts of evil.” Waltke goes on to note that “Christians, as sons of God, can rightly pray these prayers along with their representative Head.” Seeing Christ in the Psalms means that we can also see ourselves, as those who are recipients of his redeeming work and as those who follow Christ, being changed even now into his likeness by the work of his Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:16-18).
While Jesus alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, Paul says that we ourselves are like “sheep to be slaughtered” (Psalm 44:22 in Romans 8:38), and that we must “suffer with him.” (Romans 8:17)
Just as Jesus suffered at the hands of his enemies and had to wage war against the Enemy, so we must see ourselves as warriors engaged in resistance against a great Enemy: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Romans 16:20; “your” is plural, the Christians in Rome; Revelation 2-3; Ephesians 6:10-20) Those who resist Satan and conquer sin are reigning with Jesus (Psalm 2 in Revelation 3:21; Ephesians 2:6).
The nations will praise the King (Psalm 68:2) as we lead them to bow the knee to him in obedience (Matthew 28:16-20). Because of Jesus’ great victory, he pours out spiritual gifts on his people in order to make more Christians and bring his people to maturity, making them more Christ-like (Psalm 68:18; Ephesians 4:7-16).
Jesus commands us to love him and others; as we obey, we walk in light, not darkness (1 John 2:4-10; Psalm 119:105). Walking that path of love and life produces delight, so that we can say, “Oh, how I love your Law, oh, Lord; I meditate on it all day long” (Psalm 119:97; John 15; 1 John 3:16-24). Paul teaches us that we fulfill God’s law as we walk in the Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus himself sent to guide us (Romans 8:4). He even says that “our righteousness lasts forever” as we extend ourselves to those in need (Psalm 112:9, 2 Corinthians 8:9).
Finally, we have the promise that we who learn meekness from the perfectly Meek One will inherit the earth, an inheritance Jesus himself earned (Psalm 37:11; Matthew 5:5, 11:29).
We can find Jesus all over the Psalms, because the Psalms are his prayer book that points to him. And when we find Jesus in the Psalms, we also find ourselves.
Digestion funny enough is a high tech procedure. That is why this android is writing about it
But would you chew your amala,eba,tuwo and santana to improve it .
Read on and tell me
Food digestion varies depending upon the type of food. I will break down the process into its steps and provide a timeline for each step.
First we see the food. This stimulates our brain to ready our stomach to receive food, by increasing gastric secretions. Then, we eat the food. Amylase is a digestive enzyme in our saliva that helps to break down carbohydrates. Mechanical manipulation by chewing breaks the food into smaller pieces which provide more surface area. This increased surface area helps the enzymes in the small intestine absorb the nutrients in our food better. This is why it is important to chew your food well. Next, we swallow and food arrives at the stomach.
The stomach is responsible for further mechanical breakdown of food and some chemical breakdown. Proteins are broken down by pepsinogen into peptide chains and fat is broken by gastric lipase (to help you navigate through these terms, any word with “ase” at the end generally denotes an enzyme responsible for some kind of digestion). When food has been through the stomach, it becomes chyme; an acidic mixture of hydrochloric acid from our stomach, pepsinogen, lipase and amylase. The entrance to the small intestine from the stomach is controlled by the pyloric sphincter; a controlled doorway that prevents too much chyme from entering the small intestine at once.
The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine. The duodenum’s job is to neutralize the acidic chyme before allowing it to continue through the rest of the small intestine by way of bicarbonate from pancreatic juice. The food then enters the jejunum, the part of the small intestine that is responsible for the majority of nutrient absorption. Fat, peptides and carbohydrates are further broken down by enzymes into units that are small enough to be transferred in the bloodstream to the target organs. The primary fuel the body needs to run properly is glucose; so much of the food is broken down and recombined into glucose.
At this point, the food has spent between 30 minutes and 2 hours in the stomach and between 2 and 6 hours in the small intestine and 90% of the nutrients have been extracted. The left over material has lots of water and sodium left in it. The body wants to reclaim these substances before defecation; food takes 72 hours to be processed in the large intestine. The jobs of the large intestine are to reclaim the water from the food, reclaim the sodium from the food, and provide healthy bacteria to ferment fiber that has not been digested. This fermentation provides nutrients to keep the cells in the large intestines healthy. Fiber that has not been digested adds bulk to the waste products to facilitate elimination.
In summary, at the short end, digestion takes about 75 hours, but it can take up to 80 hours from the time it enters the mouth to the time it leaves the body in the form of stool.
The figure was contained in an address presented on Thursday by the state finance commissioner, Rotimi Oyekan, during the ministerial press briefing held to commemorate the fourth anniversary of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration.
The breakdown of the debt profile showed that the state government has a multilateral debt loan of N62,426,899,007.40 (calculated using an exchange rate of N156.50) and domestic loans of N61,761,172,731.97.
Multilateral loans are debts owed by developing countries to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Mr Oyekan, in his speech, said such loans are “structured as long-term loans with a moratorium and at significantly lower rates than commercial loans”, and his presentation on the multilateral loans showed that $200million was obtained for the Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project.
This loan which was described as “the largest World Bank direct funding for a sub-national government to date”, was obtained to “increase sustainable access to basic urban services through investments in critical infrastructure”.
The commissioner also said another $100million loan has been obtained from the French Development Agency for the expansion of the Ikorodu road into six-lanes including the BRT route.
Borrowing for the budget
Though, the state government has always maintained a policy of borrowing for the specific purpose of financing public projects, the third multilateral loan is a detour from this policy. For three consecutive years, a loan of up to $200million annually will be provided by the World Bank “to support the state’s budget directly rather than specific projects”.
“This is another indication of the level of confidence reposed in the State Government by the Multilateral Agency. It is worthy to note that the State has successfully secured the Federal Government’s guarantee and also obtained the approval of the National Assembly during the Public Hearing sessions of 6th December, 2010 and 2nd February, 2011 to incur external loans for its Developmental Policy Operations,” Mr Oyekan said, adding that the borrowings were necessitated by “huge infrastructural deficit which would require an estimated sum of $50 billion to address in the next few decades”.
He assured that the state deficit budget was nothing to worry about because less than 30 percent of the state’s total revenue “is used to manage its debt. It is not a crime to operate deficit budgeting. It is a reflection of present needs.”
Mr Oyekan’s statement is coming after the state’s commissioner for the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget (MEPB), Ben Akabueze said last month that Lagos’s budget will run on deficit until 2013.
“There is no way we will run deficit budget in perpetuity,” he said, when asked whether there would ever be a year the state would not administer a deficit budget.
Borrow, but!
A Lagos-based economist, Henry Boyo, reacted to Mr Akabueze’s comments that State government be careful about its borrowings.
Mr Boyo agreed that “borrowing is not bad in itself”.
“If the borrowed fund will be used for infrastructure projects, it will be like an investment which will pay off later,” he said.
However, Mr Boyo warned that the cost of servicing the deficit is as important, if not more, than the purpose of borrowing.
Though, he commended the state government’s use of the bond market, he said the interest should be lower than 10 percent. However, the state government’s bond has a guaranteed 13 percent interest rate.
In addition, he said it is important that the state government find a way to reduce its recurrent expenditure, reduce the cost of hiring consultants, and develop other sources of income, if the dream of ending perpetual deficit budget is to be feasible.
“The state government seems fixated on personal income tax alone. But there are other means of revenue that could be developed,” he said. “For instance, the Land Use Charge alone, considering the number of houses in Lagos, can give the state more than income tax can generate.”
Mr Boyo however said he believed that “the state government is headed in the right direction to economic freedom but is only tied down by political strings”.
Making more
While putting the monthly revenue base of the State Government at N15billion, Mr Oyekan said the Lands Records Company (LRC), the company charged with the responsibilities of administering the collection of Land Use Charges, generated N3.02billion in 2010.
He added that 95 percent of properties in Lagos State have been valued and all properties will get the Land Use Charge bill in 2011.
A small but devout group of people believes May 21 (yes, TODAY) will be the beginning of the end of the world. Confused ? Fear not, this article answers all of your Atheistically inclined questions and some Left Behind ones if you dont get Taken !
So the world is ending on Saturday?
Well, not quite.Some Believers say that what's actually going to happen is the Judgment Day, when the chosen who will be saved are taken away. For everyone else, it's really just the beginning of a new phase. It'll be followed by a time of tumult. You may also hear Saturday referred to as Doomsday or the Rapture; not to worry, it's all the same thing.
Photos:
I think I heard about this somewhere...
That's probably true-especially if you live in New York, where you've probably been accosted by people with handbills on the street and aggressive ads on the subway. If you're outside of the Big Apple, that is in lagos, Nigeria you might have met Reporters on the streets interviewing folks you might have encountered billboards as well as cars with megaphones broadcasting the news. I doubt that though Lagosians hate the End of Anything except Traffic minus the hawkers who wont mind if we sleep eat and bathe while they sell everything from toothpaste to meat and socks ! . Lagosians were Recently told if they give alms to beggars they may go to jail ! You've been warned. You may even have a friend, relative or neighbor desperately trying to convince you it's true !
What time and Date is the world supposed to end ? I want to catch the Nigerian Argentina Friendly !
Egbon, You're out of luck . There's no consensus on what time exactly the Rapture will occur-and time zones, international date lines, daylight savings time, etc., only makes it more complicated-but the word is that it's likely to be 11 p.m Nigerian Time .
Who is behind this?
The whole thing has been set off by a gentleman named Harold Camping. Camping's a spry 89 years old and runs Family Radio, a network of Christian radio stations. He started broadcasting in 1958 and has been at it ever since, with the flagship being his own daily "Open Forum" program, during which he takes questions. But he's also very into calendars and biblical chronology, and has been publishing works on numerology and the Bible for decades now, although he's not ordained himself. His views tend toward the esoteric: instead of hell, for example, he believes that life just ends for those who aren't saved. Not surprisingly, he's not especially fond of existing Christian churches, which he believes have lost the way. Some 9ja pastors are not fond either even of Paul the apostle .A certain Pastor Aribisala on 234next.com says Paul is the Antichrist . quite interesting debate ..
How did he come up with May 21, 2011?
It's pretty elaborate. Basically, the Bible states that one day for God is a thousand years for mankind. Camping reasons, based on a verse in Genesis, that the world will end seven God-days, or 7,000 years, after the end of Noah's flood. And he's calculated that date as being tomorrow. The math is pretty impressive-he's got a variety of different ways of reaching the number, buttressed with biblical quotations and numerology. It's pretty difficult for us to grasp, but then again Camping was a civil engineer before he turned to religion, whereas we are reporters who can't do math.
How many people believe the end is tomorrow?
It's tough to say. Family Radio appears to have a pretty large audience, but who knows if all of them are convinced? There's been no census or survey, either, and the true numbers have perhaps been obscured by a flurry ofbemused (and perhaps voyeuristic) press coverage. The thousands of billboards and handbill distributors suggest it's not just buzz, though.
All round N.igeria there have been people debating this phenomenom
Are they Christians or what?
Sure-but they're not your average mainline Protestant, Catholic, or evangelical Christians. As we've said, Camping's views tend toward the esoteric. Most of the believers say they aren't affiliated with a specific church: they believe in Jesus Christ and the Bible, and they've come to be convinced by Camping's math.
Uh-oh. How can I be saved?
You better watch out, there's no sure-fire solution to that. Your best bet is to turn to Christ and repent: throw yourself at his mercy, confess your wickedness, and pray. Don't bother with your current pastor, Camping warns: what matters is God's mercy, so you'll want to be praying directly to him. Time's running short, though. Still, that might not do it: not every believer, or even all members of the penitent, will be taken. FYI tithes & offerings will nit help even if you donate your murano jeep
nothing for you .God's mercy rules !
How many people will be saved?
Camping says the Bible indicates that about 200 million people will be saved-an indication of God's manifest but not infinite mercy. "Sadly, the Holy Bible tells us that only a small percentage of today's world will turn from their evil ways, and with great humility and fear will cry to God for mercy. Nevertheless, the Bible assures us that many of the people who do beg God for His mercy will not be destroyed," Family Radio's website says. 9ja has a population of a 150 million so we are estimating about maybe 5000 9gerians totally emm well it could be less . Lagosians are not very very nice people lol !
What if I'm not taken?!
You've got a long few months ahead of you. The whole thing's going to start with a massive earthquake-a temblor that Camping will be so fierce that "the Tokyo earthquake was like a Sunday-school picnic in comparison." The dead will be thrown from their graves, and those who are saved will be bodily resurrected and taken to heaven. If you survive that, there will be
a time of tribulation lasting five months (derived from a Genesis verse stating that "the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days." On October 21, 2011, the world will actually end, vaporized in flame.What about my dog?
Good news on that front. If you're worried that you'll be taken up in the rapture but Bingo won't, you can pay Eternal Earth-Bound Pets just 20thousand naira to take care of him (additional animals are just 3k apiece). The proprietors say they're a group of atheists out to help their believing friends. According to the company's site, "Our representatives have been screened to ensure that they are atheists, animal lovers, are moral / ethical with no criminal background, have the ability and desire to rescue your pet and the means to retrieve them and ensure their care for your pet's natural life." Unfortunately, it seems hard to imagine the service will help after October 21. inbox me for more details .
Where's the best place to weather this sucker?
Avoid low-lying areas, buildings, and fault lines. The Great Plains are probably a good bet. Basically, you're going to want to stay away from anywhere that'd be dangerous in a normal earthquake. One believer, Robert Fitzpatrick,described the great flood that's likely to swamp New York pretty quickly, so avoid-or leave-the Big Apple. If you are in the Lagos Bar beach Area Leave Now ! Lekki & Environs head for Epe or Ijebu Ode .Dont be an Ode . Mainland people avoid 3rd mainland bridge ..
Seriously, though, should I be worried?
Oh, fine: Probably not. It's not just that Camping's formulas are nearly incomprehensible to anyone without an advanced degree in Biblical codebreaking. It's the fact that he's made this prediction before. In 1992, he announced that September 6, 1994 would be the end of the world. Then, as now, a group of believers gathered and prepared and then... nothing happened. Camping writes this off as a rookie mistake-he was just getting into reading the codes in the Bible. He's confident this time: "Beyond the shadow of a doubt, May 21 will be the date of the Rapture and the day of judgment," he told the Associated Press.
Just got married no fear Heaven gaurantees no marriages . Just got that Oil Job then well It is left to you to wait for the mother of all oil spills . But Shell Nigeria will not help out . The whole of Nigeria might become one heck of an oil slick region with shell smiling all the way to the bank still .
Someone must be making money off this, right ?
One would think. But it's not clear that Camping is the one. He's been open about his teachings, posting them online and also distributing them in a free book. One religion professor told the CBC that Camping was particularly unusual and maybe dangerous because he isn't asking for money up front. And Family Radio is a nonprofit organization, although it's also worth an estimated tens of millions of dollars. Some people are surely profiting: you can buy T-shirts, for example, and there are the dog-walkers, too. We wish we sold advertising on billboards, though: believers have shelled out lots of money-sometimes their entire life-savings-on advertisements to warn the populace.
If you want to get to heaven poor kindly request for our bank account .
How dumb are you going to feel if they're right ?
Pretty silly. But it'll be the least of my worries, right?
Good point! I guess I can just relax and not worry about it then.
What?! Haven't you heard about the Mayan prophecy? The world is ending in 2012.
David Graham is a reporter for Newsweek covering politics, national affairs, and business. His writing has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal and The National in Abu Dhabi.
Cossy Eko is a gossip columnist & blogger for 9jabook.com !
We did not kidnap him, we only demanded N70m ransom – Suspect
If you are a patron of a night club and a lady approaches you around the vicinity of the club asking you to pay her gate fee, you need to be wary. The lady may be a member of a gang that specialises in kidnapping patrons of night club.
This was the experience of 48-year-old Emmanuel Sackey last Friday at a night club on Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. What gave him out was that he arrived at the club in his boss’ Hummer Jeep. So, the kidnappers thought that he was a rich guy.
Sackey said, “On Friday night, I went to Adetokunbo Ademola Street to check a new club out. While trying to find a place to park, a lady asked me to assist her gain entry into the club. I told her to go on her own. And when I was about to enter, she started shouting, accusing me of owing her money.
“Immediately, from nowhere, some men came to meet us and claimed to be policemen. They asked me to follow them. Immediately I got to where they parked, they stabbed me in the arm, pointed a gun at my head, took N12,000 from my pocket and forced me into their car.”
Sackey, who added that the men covered his face so he would not know where he was being taken to, insisted that the lady was part of the plot.
“I was taken to a room where they told me that my family must provide N70m and failure to comply, they would kill me the following week. They even took my ATM cards and demanded my pin numbers. Luckily, there was no money in the account,” Sackey, who was held for two days, added.
Sackey told PUNCH METRO that two days after he was kidnapped, he escaped while the kidnappers were sleeping. He added that he jumped over the fence of the compound and raised the alarm, which attracted people from the neighbourhood. “It was some residents in the community that helped to apprehend two of the kidnappers and called the police,” he stated.
Police Public Relations Officer, Samuel Jinadu, said the police at Oke-Odo received information that some hoodlums were hiding at 11 Calvary Street, Off Ekoro Road, Abule Egba.
He said, “The police went to the crime scene while two of the suspects: namely Emmanuel Andrew (28), and Mbet Obong (27) were arrested for the kidnap of Emmanuel Sackey. Police later searched the house and two locally-made pistols with 12 rounds of .38mm live ammunition were recovered.
“The gang leader, Benjamin Odudu, was arrested on Ekoro Road, Abule-Egba. The remaining two suspects are still at large. Also, Hillary Nwankwoala, whom the victim also identified, was apprehended on Monday.”
But a member of the gang, Obong, who claimed to be innocent, said they neither kidnapped nor assaulted Sackey but only helped him.
Asked why they demanded N70m ransom, Obong, who said a prostitute inflicted injuries on Sackey, added that they only demanded N70m ransom after they took him to their house for treatment.”
Onwuka accused Pastor Elijah Ayodele of having a hand in the drowning of his only three children. “I want the government to ask Ayodele why he should dig a shallow pit inside a compound where children are and failed to cover it. That simply means he had an ulterior motive. All I want is justice. “My wife and I are dead already. These boys were the only children we had. They ate with me, cleaned my shoes and prayed for me, which made me happy. Somebody called me and said my three boys were dead, just like that. How do I ever begin to think of it?” he lamented.
The deceased children whose names were given as, Emmanuel, 7, Bob-Martins 5 and Patrick 3 years, are suspected to have been pushed into a pit, believed to be a well allegedly dug by Pastor Elijah Ayodele of the Redeemed Christian Church of God while playing with his children.
Weekly Trust gathered that when the mother of the children, Mrs. Stella Onwuka arrived the scene after she was alerted of the incident, she called for help but the pastor refused to come to her aid and was said to have remained indoors despite repeated calls for help, only to come out 30 minutes later when the children had died. The Rivers state Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Ben Uwuebulem, has assured that the police will get to the root of the matter.
Professional wrestling great "Macho Man" Randy Savage died after a car crash on Friday near his home in Seminole, Florida, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
The colorful champion -- known for his husky voice, gaudy costumes and "oooh, yeah!" catch phrase -- appeared to have lost control of his 2009 Jeep Wrangler on Friday morning, crash investigators said.
Savage, 58, drove over a concrete barrier into oncoming traffic lanes before crashing head-on into a tree. He died of his injuries at a nearby hospital, a crash report said.
Though some media outlets quoted his brother as saying the former wrestler suffered a heart attack while driving, the Florida Highway Patrol said that could not be confirmed until an autopsy is performed.
The crash was not alcohol-related, authorities said.
The wrestler, whose legal name was Randy Mario Poffo, and his wife Barbara, who was a passenger in the car, were both wearing seat belts. His wife suffered minor injuries.
Once a minor league baseball player, the wrestler rose to fame as "Macho Man" in the 1980s.
He was "an iconic figure," said hall of fame professional wrestler Dusty "The American Dream" Rhodes on Friday.
Under contract with the WWE from 1985 to 1993, he sparred against Hulk Hogan and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. He clinched two WWE Championships, two World Heavyweight Championships and held a 14-month reign as Intercontinental Champion.
His entrance music was "Pomp and Circumstance" and his signature accessories were sunglasses, bandannas and cowboy hats.
"WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the greatest Superstars of his time," read a statement posted on the WWE site on Friday. "Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends."
REUTERS
Insightful talk by Dimitris Achlioptas from the world's reputable TEDX conferences.
After all these years, there's still nothing quite like a new project from Kirk Franklin. It's hard to believe that he's been on the scene since 1993. Since Kirk Franklin and the Family debuted, Gospel and music in general have been turning their heads to see what this self-proclaimed church boy is all about.
True to previous projects, this new one, Hello Fear, isn't just about the soulful music and innovative beats. Rather, it's the combination of his melodies and grooves with his transparency, his honesty, and his accessible story that draws us in to Franklin's world.
The project title references the fact that we all deal with fears of various sorts, and that for Kirk Franklin, the time for turning and facing fears is now. The transparency is palpable.
Joining Franklin on production is longtime collaborator and keys man,Shaun "Harold" Martin. VocalistsIsaac Carree, Anaysha Figueroa, Nikki Ross, Charmaine Swimpson and Eric Moore add their harmonies to nearly every cut.
Joining Franklin on the project are guests that include Marvin Sapp and Beverly Crawford (on the traditional, organ-infused slow burner, "The Altar").
Then there's a whole slew of names on the long time coming reprise of "Something About The Name Jesus Part 2". The original, appear on Franklin's Nu Nation Project from 1998, has been in repeat play mode for many since that it first came out. Back again for the reprise are Rance Allen and Isaac Carree (whose group Men of Standard was featured on the original), with Marvin Winans andJohn P. Kee also in the mix. 
Newcomer and fast riser Mali Music is tapped to join Franklin on "Give Me", adding his distinctive delivery to this soundtrack to prayer for God's strength and wisdom. Insistent snare percussion overlays high register keyboard stylings, making the sound stick.
Not many will sleep on the inspirational "Today", an infectious contemporary cut that combines beat with melody. Raise your hands in the air everybody!!
The mid tempo urban radio single "I Smile" is typical Kirk Franklin, his compositional imprint all over it. The song is "a declarative statement that I'm not going to live my life based on how I feel. I will live my life based on God's Word", says Franklin.
"I Give" is the other song making the radio rounds. The laid back ballad puts the focus on soft harmonies, with Franklin intoning declarations and promises from God's Word. "'I Am' is about exchanging all of my weaknesses for God's strength. This song is also about declaring what God says about me and not my situation. As we daily transform to God's image, we no longer identify with who we were, but who we are becoming", says Franklin.
Hello Fear is another step in the spiritual and musical journey of Kirk Franklin; it succeeds on both levels.
Extracted from 
The Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board has identified financial and manpower constraints as some of the challenges facing its clampdown on the over 5,000 illegal traditional medical centres estimated to be operating in the state.
Bodunrin Oluwa, the Board Registrar, stated this at the graduation ceremony for 26 traditional medical practitioners, who had concluded a six-week periodic training programme for the certification of their practice. The Board is the only regulatory body for unorthodox medical practice in the state.
5,000 illegal operators
According to Mr. Oluwa, there are less than 1,000 legal traditional medical centres currently operating in the state. He said ongoing efforts to sanitise the system and prevent the proliferation of illegal traditional treatment centres have been hampered by “financial, mobility, and manpower constraints.” Appealing for more government and public support, he said that the board has “one and a half vehicles because one is almost off the road and shortage of manpower to effectively monitor the activities of the practitioners.”
With a mandate to sanction illegal traditional medical centres, Mr Oluwa said there are over 5,000 of traditional medical practitioners operating illegally in the state, with about 4,000 registered ones. “However, we have less than 1,000 operating legally out of the 4,000 because many of them have not been coming for license renewal yearly, and so they are categorised as illegal,” he said.
Dealing with fake drugs
In recent times, drugs produced by traditional medical practitioners and made from local herbs have flooded the market. However many of them are still in the board’s bad books, in spite of claims of having the endorsement of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. Mr Oluwa said it is the board’s duty to “verify” the value of the drugs produced by the traditional medical practitioners. “But it seems NAFDAC has been playing the role,” he said. “NAFDAC only checks that it is not poisonous or harmful to human consumption. We have been doing the job, but only for the few that come to us; however, most of the drugs in the market have not passed through the board.”
Training the legit
Traditional medical practitioners are registered after a successful completion of the board’s periodic training programme, covering general healing, faith healing/spiritualism, traditional birth attending, bone setting, among others. According to Mr Oluwa, the training programme also includes the inspection of students’ facilities and presentation of seminars, all aimed at sanitising the traditional medical practice and sensitising the public. “We try to reduce the level of mortality by improving their knowledge and also allay public fear that traditional medicine is fetish and that the practitioners are all ‘babalawo’ (occultists),” he said.
Sarah Ajuwon, a traditional birth attendant, who said she had so far relied on “blessed water, prayer, and routine drugs like Folic Acid and Ferrous”, said she has learnt improved methods to deliver babies. “I’ve learnt how to arrange the labour room and produce herbs for safe delivery,” she said. “We’ve also been told not to give injection, and such cases should be referred to a general hospital.”
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SALT LAKE CITY – When Josh Ferrin closed on his family's first home, he never thought he'd make the discovery of a lifetime — then give it back.
Ferrin picked up the keys earlier this week and decided to check out the house in the Salt Lake City suburb of Bountiful. He was excited to finally have a place his family could call their own.
As he walked into the garage, a piece of cloth that clung to an attic door caught his eye. He opened the hatch and climbed up the ladder, then pulled out a metal box that looked like a World War II ammunition case.
"I freaked out, locked it my car, and called my wife to tell her she wouldn't believe what I had found," said Ferrin, who works as an artist for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City.
Then he found seven more boxes, all stuffed full with tightly wound rolls of cash bundled together with twine — more than $40,000.
Ferrin quickly took the boxes to his parent's house to count. Along with his wife and children, they spread out thousands of bills on a table, separating the bundles one by one.
They stopped counting at $40,000, but estimated there was at least $5,000 more on the table.
Ferrin thought about how such a large sum of money could go a long way, pay bills, buy things he never thought he could afford.
"I'm not perfect, and I wish I could say there was never any doubt in my mind. We knew we had to give it back, but it doesn't mean I didn't think about our car in need of repairs, how we would love to adopt a child and aren't able to do that right now, or fix up our outdated house that we just bought," Ferrin said. "But the money wasn't ours to keep and I don't believe you get a chance very often to do something radically honest, to do something ridiculously awesome for someone else and that is a lesson I hope to teach to my children."
He thought about the home's previous owner, Arnold Bangerter, who died in November and left the house to his children.
"I could imagine him in his workshop. From time to time, he would carefully bundle up $100 with twine, climb up into his attic and put it into a box to save. And he didn't do that for me," Ferrin said of the man who had worked as a biologist for the Utah Department of Fish and Game.
Bangerter purchased the home in 1966 and lived there with his wife, who died in 2005.
After most of the money was counted, Ferrin called one of Bangerter's sons with the news.
Kay Bangerter said he knew his father hid away money because he once found a bundle of cash taped beneath a drawer in their home, but he never considered his dad had stuffed away so much over the years.
"He grew up in hard times and people that survived that era didn't have anything when they came out of it unless they saved it themselves," Kay Bangerter, the oldest of the six children, told the Deseret News. "He was a saver, not a spender."
Bangerter called the money's return "a story that will outlast our generation and probably yours as well."
"I'm a father, and I worry about the future for my kids," Ferrin said. "I can see him putting that money away for a rainy day and it would have been wrong of me to deny him that thing he worked on for years. I felt like I got to write a chapter in his life, a chapter he wasn't able to finish and see it through to its conclusion."
Extracted from 
in bad faith.
In his judgement delivered to a packed courtroom, he remarked that “Nigeria is a country of rule of law and not of rulers”. Justice Idris said the purported removal is therefore null and void, and of no effect whatsoever and howsoever.
He thereafter awarded Ndi Okereke-Onyuike the sum of N500m for the embarrassment arising from the action.
It was gathered that the building known as the Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship (NCCF) lodge accommodates about 40 youth corps members.
Following the incident, many of the victims yesterday trooped out into the streets in Abeokuta, the state capital to register their protest, accusing the police of not promptly rescuing them in the hands of the night marauders.
Corps members protest
The victims, who did not want their names in print, lamented to journalists that they would not have lost their property if the police had heeded to their distressed calls on time.
“When we called the police to come and rescue us during the attack, they did not come to our rescue on time, until after we had been robbed and wounded by the robbers,” said one of the victims.
A female victim while narrating her experience said she was almost raped by the robbers but for the intervention of the gang leader who stopped one of the robbers from the attempt.
Contacted on the incident, the Ogun State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi confirmed the incident but quickly exonerated his men from allegation of not responding on time.
“The NYSC could not point accusing finger to the police because if they had told the police, we would have given them some policemen,” the police image-maker said while urging corps members to always participate in community policing.
On the corps members’ reaction, Mr Adejobi said “the protest was uncalled for. The police in Adigbe did not know the lodge. Nobody knows the place as corpers’ lodge. The DPO could not locate the place. They should have let the police know the place and they would have been given special security.” He said.
It was gathered that the building known as the Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship (NCCF) lodge accommodates about 40 youth corps members.
Following the incident, many of the victims yesterday trooped out into the streets in Abeokuta, the state capital to register their protest, accusing the police of not promptly rescuing them in the hands of the night marauders.
Corps members protest
The victims, who did not want their names in print, lamented to journalists that they would not have lost their property if the police had heeded to their distressed calls on time.
“When we called the police to come and rescue us during the attack, they did not come to our rescue on time, until after we had been robbed and wounded by the robbers,” said one of the victims.
A female victim while narrating her experience said she was almost raped by the robbers but for the intervention of the gang leader who stopped one of the robbers from the attempt.
Contacted on the incident, the Ogun State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi confirmed the incident but quickly exonerated his men from allegation of not responding on time.
“The NYSC could not point accusing finger to the police because if they had told the police, we would have given them some policemen,” the police image-maker said while urging corps members to always participate in community policing.
On the corps members’ reaction, Mr Adejobi said “the protest was uncalled for. The police in Adigbe did not know the lodge. Nobody knows the place as corpers’ lodge. The DPO could not locate the place. They should have let the police know the place and they would have been given special security.” He said.
Businessman stabs female student in the eye …Victim risks blindness, cries for justice
By
Miss Goodness Moses has just finished the Ordinary National Diploma (OND) at the Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Enugu and came to Lagos for her one year Industrial Training (IT). The 26-year-old lady had actually approached Nestle Foods Plc for the training and was hopeful of being given the opportunity to serve in the multinational company, for her practical experience, before going back for her Higher National Diploma (HND).
Miss Goodness Moses
Miss Goodness Moses has just finished the Ordinary National Diploma (OND) at the Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Enugu and came to Lagos for her one year Industrial Training (IT). The 26-year-old lady had actually approached Nestle Foods Plc for the training and was hopeful of being given the opportunity to serve in the multinational company, for her practical experience, before going back for her Higher National Diploma (HND). ![Goodness[1].gif?width=234](http://odili.net/news/source/2011/may/19/sun/Goodness%5B1%5D.gif?width=234)
Miss Goodness Moses
Presently, verifications are going on in the school to know those who qualify for the HND. But the Marketing student may not have the opportunity again, at least, not for now. She is battling to ensure she doesn’t go blind, after she was allegedly hit and stabbed in the eyes by a businessman, Uzoma Nwezie. The incident occurred on Sunday, March 13, 2011, at 6, Ajayi Street, Catholic Road, Ipaye, Iba Town, Ojo, Lagos.
Trouble started for Goodness, when she was trekking to Ipaye bus-stop that fateful day alongside one of her sisters. According to her, Nwezie, who was driving, almost ran over her if not that she ran into the bush where she fell flat.
The victim, who said it was the fall inside the bush that saved her from being crushed by Nwezie’s car told Daily Sun how she got up, cleaned herself and they continued their journey, only for him to reverse and challenged her for allegedly calling him devil.
“I didn’t call him devil, I only said, ‘it would not be well with the devil’. I even apologized to him and he still used sharp object to hit me in the jaw and I started seeing stars. My eyes later went blank and I started screaming for help. People tried to stop him from further torturing me but he refused. He tore my clothes and bra. The incident occurred between 7.30 and 8 pm. I lost my purse, money and the torn dress,” she said.
According to her, the businessman, his wife and group of boys stormed their compound, fuming with rage.
“He resumed the attack on me and even extended it to my father. That was the time he stabbed me in one of my eyes. Because of the hitting and the stab, I started vomiting blood and was quickly rushed to the El-Shaddai Hospital, Iba Town, but the doctors referred me to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). At LUTH, I was referred to St. Edmund Clinic and Eye Hospital, which later referred me to Eye Foundation, Ikeja, where they performed Rectinal detachment.”
After the operation, Goodness said she couldn’t see with one of the eyes, while the other one is getting worse.
“Pus is also gushing out from one of my ears,” she lamented. She was supposed to be going for medical check-ups and further treatment, but her alleged attackers have refused to take responsibility for that and refuse to show up.
“The condition of my eyes are deteriorating daily, and my parents do not have money to treat me. We have tried to compel Nwezie to take me to the hospitals, but he said the money he spent so far, was all he could spend and that the court would decide the case.”
After the incident, Nwezie was arrested by the Ojo police division and detained, before charging the matter to Ojo Magistrate’s Court. The accused is facing on a three-count charge. The first count charge reads: “That you Uzoma Nwezie ‘M’, Ogwuchukwu Okoye ‘M’ and others at large, on the 13th day of March, 2011 at about 7 pm, at No 6, Ajayi Street, Catholic Road, Ipaye Iba Town, in Ojo Magistrate District, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit assault occasional harm and thereby, committed an offence punishable under section 54(a) of the Criminal Code Cap. C. 17 Vol. II Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.
The second charge reads: “That you Uzoma Nwezie ‘M’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did unlawfully assaulted one Goodness Moses ‘F’, Aged 26, by giving her first blow on her eyes, which caused her harm and thereby, committed an offence punishable under section 355 of the Criminal Code Cap C. 17 Vol. II Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.
The third and last count charge reads: :That you Uzoma Nwezie ‘M’, Ogwuchukwu Okoye ‘M’ and others at large, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did unlawfully assaulted one Goodness Moses ‘F’ by giving her first blows all over her body, dragging her on the ground and in the process strip her naked and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 351 of the Criminal Code Cap. C. 17 Vol. II Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.
The embittered father of the victim, Moses Onyike, who spoke to Daily Sun is worried that his daughter might go blind, if she is not given adequate treatment. The man, who worked in the National Theatre before he retired, said Goodness is his only child in higher institution, adding that her condition now is capable of discouraging him from training others.
The case has been adjourned till June 1, 2011.
Presently, verifications are going on in the school to know those who qualify for the HND. But the Marketing student may not have the
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A source, who maintained that the militant leader was dead contrary to the claim of the NDLF spokesman, ‘Captain’ Mark Anthony, that he was alive and hearty, said, "only the boys who took him to the secret place for burial can identify the location."
He said most of John Togo's boys, who also sustained gunshot wounds ran to Efanna, Ezebiri and Ogodobiri communities for treatment but they usually disappear once they hear that the JTF had come to any of the communities.
According to the source "I was told that some of the boys have been arrested by soldiers, so they should interrogate them to know where they buried John Togo. Anybody telling you he is alive is not telling you the truth. I challenge them to bring him out to speak to the world if he is still alive."
He commended the soldiers, saying, "it was not easy but they were able to cut off the boys with the way they cordoned Ogodobiri, Ezebiri and Efanna. With more hard work, they will get at the truth because I believe some of the boys know where John Togo was buried."
Following recent reports in the media, JTF said, "the claim of "surrender" by John Togo, the allegation by Ekpein Appah that John Togo is a guest of the Bayelsa state government and the purported death and secret burial of John Togo, are all intricate web of lies engineered by John Togo and his managers to deceive the public, attract sympathy and escape justice".
"The JTF as a professional military outfit cannot fall victim of this elaborate deception plan, consequently, the JTF warns media and public to be mindful of the new tricks by Togo", he stated.
he Congress for Progressive Change [CPC] had expelled its members from the south-south, south east, and south-west zones who oppose the party’s decision to petition the conduct of the presidential election.
A press release issued by the CPC national public secretary, Mr Torimi Fashakin says its Kano north-west chairman, the Sokoto state north-west chairman, the Sokoto state, north-west secretary have been placed on indefinite suspension.
The statement adds that this is part of its on-going exercise geared at ensuring that the party’s authority is respected.
The statement listed the affected individuals as:
Sylvester Igwillo – Anambra South-East
Emeka Okafor – Enugu South-East
Nnoli Amaechi – South-East
Azunna Obiegis – South-East
Edward E. Ofomona – Delta South-South
Austin Asuquo – Cross River South-South
Williams Bareji- Bayelsa South-South
Ben Anuebunwa – Imo South-East
Effiong B. Obotynyah – Akwa Ibom South-South
Adewale Adeleke- Oyo South-West
The party also revealed that Graceman Iheanacho contended that his name was added by the core renegades without his knowledge, and stated that a committee has been set up to authenticate his culpability or otherwise.
Also, the party said that in its bid to enforce discipline as lucidly enshrined in the party’s constitution, the National Executive Committee (NEC) has also decided to place the following party men on indefinite suspension pending the investigation of their cases by the empanelled disciplinary committee.
Alhaji Danazumi Gwarzo, State Chairman Kano North-West
Alhaji Kasim Chika-Ainu State, Chairman Sokoto North-West
Alhaji Mohammed Mustafa, State Secretary Sokoto North-West
Extracted from Niger Delta Standard.
The women, some of whom were visibly angry, were not happy with what they said was the tardiness of the lawmakers over the passage of the Bill with days to the end of the session of the assembly, but they were stopped at the gates of the national assembly by police officers.
The women, though armed with only placards, were only let into the premises of the national assembly to use the protest ground after they threatened to go nude.
The protesting women, mostly members of the Federal Capital Territory Market Women Association and several other health pressure groups, said the lawmakers were dilly-dallying over the bill, whose passage would strengthen the primary healthcare system and reduce cost of medical care for rural dwellers.
Delay on variables
The protesters were later addressed at the protest ground by the Senate chairman on Health, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello (PDP Ogun State) and Gyan Dantong (PDP Plateau State). They soothed the protesters with an assurance that work on the bill was in progress.
Mrs Obasanjo-Bello said the delay in passing the National Health Bill was due to the need to ensure that all necessary variables that will make it people oriented and especially beneficial to women and children, were added.
“We have worked on this bill night and day so that healthcare in Nigeria can be adequately funded; the conference committee of the National Assembly has met over the bill and by tomorrow the work would have been done, leaving the rest for bureaucracy and executive,” Mrs Obasanjo-Bello said.
Felicia Sani, chairperson of the FCT Market Women Association, however, rejected Mrs Obasanjo-Bello’s assurances.
In her response on behalf of the protesters, she threatened they would stage a repeat protest if, by next week, the harmonised bill has not been passed.
Mrs Sani told the senators that the National Health Bill confers key benefits on the weak Nigerian Health System and will contribute towards accelerating the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
She added that the bill will be most beneficial to women and children who cannot afford to travel overseas for medical checkups and treatment, unlike the families of the lawmakers.
