Thursday 12 February 2015

Campaign Manager Of A PDP Candidate In Enugu Dies In Auto Crash

The campaign manager of Mrs. Stella Ngwu, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for Uzo-Uwani/Igbo-Ekiti Federal Consistency, has died in a road mishap along Aku-Nkpologu Road, while on campaign in the area.



The deceased, whose name was given as Austin Ejili, was a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Management and Technology, IMT, Enugu.



Meanwhile, a Toyota Hilux truck believed to be in the campaign train of Enugu State chapter of PDP suffered brake failure and rammed into an industrial building along Akpugo-Amagunze Road in Nkanu East Local Government Area of the state.



Although no life was lost, an eyewitness revealed that the vehicle lost control due to speed. The witness said the driver made frantic efforts to stop the vehicle to no avail, as it somersaulted several times before crashing.



The incident occurred during PDP’s campaign rally at Amagunze, council headquarters of Nkanu East Local Government Area.



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The Woes Of A Frustrated Graduate

Its of general knowledge that evri1 has different ways of dissipating their pains when life tends 2 be unfair. Some lights dia marijuanas, some,pray, some head 2 d brothel while majority hits d bottle. But as for me, I love 2 write it out. So dnt mind any form of grammatical blunder or aberration in dix text cos a frustrated and half-sane graduate is currently on the keyboard. Just about a year ago wen I finished my nysc (just clocked 24 then), d hopes were extremely high.



Tho its no news dat jobs aint readily available bt I was unpertubed cos I bliv am exceptionally different (I still am) and my chances are high due my being intelligent, smart, young, innovative only 2 mention few and above all armed wt a good 2-1.D job hunt started d day after my passing out(13th feb 2014) and till dz moment I haven't gotten a job and dia z no sign of one forth-coming. I can read ur mind @ dz junction! U are actually tinkin wats wrong wt dz one? He has just spent a year for job-hunting and he is complaining already? I'm sure I guessed right!



I think I sud be more explanatory, btw d feb last year and 2day, av written 21 aptitude tests (all of d big fours, almost half of d banks and can't just start listing),I passed 15 of dem wc means av attended 15 interviews. Some of the recruitment are so rigorous such that its up 2 5stages bt minimum is 3.out of d 15 interviews, I made 9 2 d last stage only 2 get a regret mail afterwards.



The interviews has made me a regular figure @ d motorparks as I travel 4rm ib 2 lag @ least once a week all 4 job-hunting.D qstn is hw many pple has gotten d privilege of such stages of intrvw and is still w/o a job?i I'm always concious of telling pple d no of tests av passed,interviews av attended and still without a job because most pple will resort 2 d conclusion dat I av a spiritual problem (wc I dnt bliv I have).



Tho no one z righteous 100percent bt I bliv am trying my best as a xtian, I av a well-preserved moral,I work hard and pray hard (real fasting and prayer) bt hasn't really Gotten any conviction God listens. Am really confused ,frustrated and weighed down presently. I knw some pple will be tinkin y can't sum1 dat z dz smart use his brain 4 himself? That is my ultimate target if u'd like 2 hear bt dia isn't any capital 2 drive dat( d main reason am job-hunting).



Sometimes I wonder y God choose 2 be unfair 2 doz trying 2 be loyal 2 him yl doz dat are recalcitrant often get tinz done easily. The sight of seeing our ageing mum fasting 4days in a week steadily because of her 5children who are all graduates (wc she single-handedly made-happen wt her primary school teacher salary and pension) but w/o a good job makes me tink God is wicked or non-existent and make me starts envying the atheist. The well-planned idea of landing dat good job and gettin her a cool car 2 compensate 4 her un quantifiable strive has suddenly become a mirage.



It has even gotten 2 d stage dat dia are certain call I dnt pick again cos I knw d first qstn dat wii cum is "wia r u working".dats seems 2 be d qstn I most dread nw.I can't just go on and on bou wat av bn thru. So am kinda wondering is it hw it gonna continue 4 sum1 dat doesn't knw any1 but claims 2 knw God? Is there any chance 4 sum1 dat doesn't have connections in this country? Is it reasonable 2 be doin one tin d same way and be expecting a different result?



...Anyways, am ever optimistic cos I bliv "d future is not wat happens bt what we make happen".What exactly we make happen makes d diference.He who laughs last tinks slowest..#Still believing in GoD, he makes tinz perfect @ his own time



# To all others in my shoes or even worse, God will gv d right contact in earnest.."Let's kip working and believing".



Yours Sincerely,

A presently confused and frustrated Graduate



#Sorry 4 d inarticulate and unexpressive write-up, no thanks 2 d mood#


Tension As Police Stops APC Rally In Okrika, Rivers State

Tension heightened in Okrika, Rivers State yesterday as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Chief Dakuku Peterside was allegedly told not to hold a rally today. The exercise had been postponed thrice due to security concern.



This is even as the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan arrived in Okrika, her hometown yesterday. There was a security meeting between APC leaders and the police yesterday.



Briefing journalists yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Campaign Manager of Dakuku Peterside Campaign Organisation in Okrika, Tamuno Williams, stated that the inability of the police to provide security for their mem­bers in Okrika had led to the postponement of the rally thrice. Williams said: “We could not hold the first rally on Saturday, January 24, because unknown hoodlums blew up our podium and sound systems with dynamite. Cars were burnt and our canopies and chairs destroyed. The police then asked us to reschedule the rally for Tues­day, February 3. Again, it was postponed on the instruc­tions of the police.”



According to him, the leadership of the party was surprised when the representatives of the commissioner of police said the rally had to be postponed indefinitely.



“We were shocked. It is clear to us that the APC can­not hold a rally in Okrika when the President’s wife is in town. We are also indigenes of Okrika”.



He accused the police of being partisan, stressing that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Nyesom Wike, was addressing a rally at Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, with heavy presence of armed security, while they were holding the meeting with the security chiefs at the state police com­mand.



“If members and supporters of the APC cannot hold rallies in Okrika, how are we sure they will be allowed to freely cast their votes on the day of the election? If the police cannot allow the APC to hold its rally at Okrika for security reasons, how are we sure the police can protect those who will vote for the APC at the polls?”, he asked.





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APC Will Slash Tariffs On Imported Cars - Osinbajo

Vice Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has assured that the General Muhammadu Buhari government will slash tariffs on imported vehicles.



He also said that the APC government would tackle the power problem by decentralising power generation across the country.



While addressing a town hall meeting of political stakeholders in Ondo State on Tuesday, Osinbajo said Buhari will not Islamise Nigeria contrary to the campaign smear of the Peoples Democratic Party.



He said, “We do not agree that there should be high tariffs on imported cars whether new or old ones because Nigeria is not producing cars for now.



“What we will do first is to fix power and encourage local production of cars. But before then we will reduce the high tariffs that Nigerians are paying to import vehicles into the country.”



Prof. Osinbajo argued that Nigerians should not find it difficult to purchase cars for their soci0-economic activities, and the APC government would ensure lower tariffs when voted into power.



On power, the vice presidential candidate said the problem in Nigeria was traceable to the lack of supply of gas to the power plants.



He promised that module power plants would be situated in neighborhoods where power is needed and gas supplied to it using trucks and other means besides pipelines.



According to him, the model has already been put to use in Lagos State where such plants supply power to designated neighborhoods.



Osinbajo also denied that the APC government would ban commercial motor cycles across the country, saying okada would be allowed provided riders obey laws and keep to the rules in the states where they operate.



He lamented the unemployment situation in the country, saying that as an emergency measure, the APC government would cooperate with states in creating 20,000 jobs annually in the country.



He said corruption would be stopped so that resources would be available for development projects.



He said under APC government, it would be criminal not to pay pensions, saying the law that would be put in place would compel employers to ensure pensioners got their entitlements as soon as they retire.



Osinbajo added that the job creation strategy would involve making loans available to small businesses with little or no interest.



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Leaked Ekiti Tape: I Dare Obanikoro To Go To Court — Falana

Popular lawyer, Femi Falana, has attributed the shift in the dates of the general elections to the leaked tape alleging the rigging of the Ekiti State gubernatorial election last year.



Speaking at the Black History Month and Dr. Beko Ransom Kuti Memorial Program in Lagos, Wednesday, Mr. Falana said some of those implicated in the plot, who were threatening legal action, should think otherwise.



An audio recording revealing how some Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, chieftains connived with security agencies to rig the Ekiti State election was released by an army officer last week.



At the meeting, as evidenced by the recording, prominent officials of the PDP were heard discussing strategies for rigging the 2014 Ekiti governorship election, a poll in which the party eventually won by a landslide.



But some of the actors, including Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Defence Minister, and Ayo Fayose, who defeated the incumbent governor, denied being a party to the plot to rig the election and questioned the authenticity of the recording.



Mr. Obanikoro had also threatened a court action against news organizations who had published the conversations in the audio tape.

Despite their denials, the Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan, who also attended the meeting, confirmed Sunday that the tape was authentic. He however disagreed with the context of the discussion, saying the meeting was never about plans to rig the Ekiti State election.

Speaking Wednesday, Mr. Falana said that none of the participants in the recording had successfully challenged the army officer’s account of the incident.



“I understand that Mr. Obanikoro (whom he described as a ‘thug’) says he will go to court. I can assure you here, I dare him to go to court. He can’t. It’s not possible,” said Mr. Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.



“One of the reasons they postponed the election last week is that disturbing revelation by that Captain. That is what they wanted to do for the entire country. That revelation has sent them back to the drawing table. They now have to re-strategize.”



Mr. Falana criticised President Goodluck Jonathan for “embarrassing” the country with his repeated trips to the Holy Land, instead of channelling such funds to job creation.



Since he became the President in 2011, Mr. Jonathan has travelled for pilgrimage twice.



“I was reading the papers yesterday, the president said in violation of the peace accord, that governors in the north have not been sending Christians to Jerusalem. In other words, they have been sponsoring Muslims to Mecca,” said Mr. Falana.



“Please tell the president that there is no provision in our law for sponsoring anybody to Jerusalem or Mecca.

“Section 10 of the Constitution provides that the Nigerian State shall not proclaim any religion as an official religion. Therefore, appropriating billions of Naira every year, wasting money to send people to Jerusalem or Mecca is illegal.



“If you must know, less than seven per cent of Israelis are Christians, so they make jest of us. When you descend on them, that you are there to worship Jesus Christ, they’ll be like ‘are these people Ok?'”



Mr. Falana also insisted that the general election must hold and whoever emerges winner should be allowed to govern the country.

“And I’m challenging Edwin Clark and others, all those old men with expired ideas. Femi Okurounmu and others,” he said.

“We never saw them when we went to the streets of Lagos and Abuja to proclaim Goodluck as acting President. You were in the streets of Lagos, where were these characters? They were nowhere to be found.



“In fact, quote me. Baba Clark called me in one of our protests, ‘Femi, my son. Please keep it up. We from the Niger Delta cannot join this struggle now.’ I said why sir? He said ‘because he’s our son.’ I said what has your son got to do with the quest for justice?

“Professor Wole Soyinka, at the age of 71 (he was actually 76 then) led us in the protest. Please tell them this country belongs to all of us.”

On the issue of deployment of soldiers during election periods, Mr. Falana noted that nowhere in the Nigerian Constitution, Electoral Act, or the Armed Forces Act was a provision made for soldiers in election.



“So when they told Jega that they are going to be busy in the north east and they will not be able to secure the election. Please there is no provision for those Service Chiefs to police our election,” said Mr. Falana.



“Under Section 76, Section 116, Section 132, and 117, it is the exclusive responsibility of the INEC to fix dates for election. Only INEC. Not the president, not the NSA, not the security chiefs.



Knowing that, they then came in fraudulently by saying that they cannot guarantee your security.

“They have not been able to crush Boko Haram in six years, what magic are you going to perform in six weeks? Please we reject their fraudulent claim.”



Mr. Falana maintained that it is the duty of the police to maintain law and order in peace time.

“Soldiers have no business in town in peace time. Their duty is to defend the territorial integrity of our country, not to police election,” he said.

“That is the business of the Police. As a matter of fact, even Boys Scouts can police elections in Nigeria. You know why? On the day of election, there is restriction of movement. It is illegal for you to leave your ward for another ward. Only journalists, observers, and election workers can move round.



“So if everybody is restricted, why do you need soldiers to come and help you? To do what? But I will tell you why they need soldiers. You know why they need soldiers? To rig the election. To manipulate the process.”





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South-South Got Lion’s Share Of PTF Projects Under Buhari

Contrary to the perceived lopsided siting of the intervention projects executed by the defunct Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF) in certain geo-political zones, the South-South zone got the lion’s share of the projects under the leadership of the former head of state and presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Gen Muhammadu Buhari.



This development and other disclosures were contained in a document obtained by LEADERSHIP last night.



The PTF was an intervention initiative put in place by the late Gen Sani Abacha regime which was operated between 1995 and 1999 to invest in socio-economic infrastructure – including in road transportation and waterways, water supply, food supply, health and education – the gains that would accrue from a new pricing regime for petroleum products introduced in October 1994, from N3.25 to N11 per litre, an increase of N7.75 per litre.



During the four years of its operation, the resources available to the PTF, according to findings, represented less than 10 percent of the nation’s budget.



From its inception in May 1995, and more particularly from January 1996 when it received its first disbursement, the PTF worked diligently in the execution of its mandate through its programmes, with an objective of resuscitating the nation’s collapsing social services and deteriorating infrastructure.



According to findings, a working formula was adopted by the Fund that recognized three categories of projects and allocated funds available to them: federal projects, 48.5%; state projects, 50% and FCT direct allocation, 1.5%. The state project funds in turn were allocated to respective states/zones using a set of criteria that gave consideration to equity, population, land/water mass, terrain difficulties and needs assessment. The location and coverage of the



PTF programmes and projects were designed to carefully fulfill these criteria.



In terms of allocations made to fund PTF projects as at May 1999, out of an estimated total of 187 billion Naira to all projects and programmes, about 56.5% was committed on projects in Zones 1 (South West), 2 (South East) and 6 (South South), i.e. the zones in the south of the country. Zones 3 (North West), 4 (North East) and 5 (North Central) had a combined allocation of about 43.5%. Indeed, in terms of difficulties in natural terrain, the projects in Zone 6 (the South South), such as road construction, were the most capital intensive. The highest zonal commitment was on capital projects in this zone, with 26.2%.



In terms of actual disbursements to projects by May 1999, 52% of all disbursement was made in respect of projects in Zones 1 (South West), 2 (South East) and 6 (South South).



Shortly before the inauguration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, Buhari submitted his resignation from the Board of the Fund. The rest of the Board of Trustees effectively became dissolved at the point of scrapping the body, in late June 1999.





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30-Year Old Man Impregnates 18-Year-Old Lunatic In Jigawa State.




He is also a lunatic.



Operatives of Jigawa State Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, have arrested 30-year-old Bello Muhammed for allegedly impregnating mentally-ill Daharatu Isyaku, aged 18, according to Vanguard Newspaper.



Parading the suspect to newsmen in Dutse, yesterday, state Commandant of the Corps, Dr. Muhammad Gidado, said the suspect admitted committing the crime.



He said the agency was still investigating the matter to ascertain if the offence was committed for ritual purposes.



He also disclosed that the suspect had named some accomplices during the investigation, stressing that they would be fished out, investigated and arraigned for prosecution.



Muhammed, however, disclosed that the girl was currently in the custody of the agency because of her condition.



Muhammed, who disclosed that the agency was also trying to contact her family, enjoined parents and guardians to take their mentally-imbalanced children to psychiatric hospitals for medical attention to avoid abuse.


‘I Can Act in A Porn Movie But Only if the Offer is Dope’ – Rapper Vector Says.




Rapper, Vector has revealed he is so open to acting not even pornography is off limits for him.



Speaking with NET in a recent interview, when asked

if he considers taking up an acting role after putting

up an impressive role in his recently released video

for the song, ‘Shiga,’ Vector said he can partake in porn if the offer is attractive and huge enough.



‘Yes, people actually think I’m funny after that display

in my video, which is very odd, but definitely I’m

working towards that and I’m open to any movie role,

even porn but that is if the money is dope,’ he submitted amidst laughter.



Vector, who parted ways with his former record label, YSG in 2014, won the Headies’ Lyricist On The Roll award alongside Best Rap Single back in 2012


Senator Obanikoro Sues Sahara Reporters, Premium Times, Punch.




Ministerial nominee, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has gone to court to seek redress over a case of defamation of character by online newspapers, Sahara Reporters and Premium Times.



Continue below to read the full report from Tribune, plus you can’t guess the top New York firm that will be battling it with Sahara Reporters in New York.



Joined in the suit are Punch Newspapers Ltd., Omoyele Sowore, Publisher of Sahara Reporters and Festus Owete, General Editor at Premium Times.



The defendants had published an audio recording of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, purportedly in a conversation with other individuals to rig the Ekiti State gubernatorial election, an allegation Senator Obanikoro and the others had since disclaimed.



In a suit filed at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, on Tuesday, February 10, 2015, Senator Obanikoro is suing the defendants for damages to the tune of N1 billion.



According to the suit filed on his behalf by Dr Yemi Oke of MJS Partners, Senator Obanikoro is seeking “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from publishing or causing to be published, either directly or indirectly, defamatory, damaging, offensive or degrading statements, articles and/or materials against the claimant.



“An order directing the defendant to jointly or severally pay to the claimant the sum of N1 billion, being damages for harm caused to his political, professional, business, social and institutional reputation, as a result of the defamation, by willful and scandalous publication of false statements by the defendants.



“An order directing the defendants to retract the false and damaging publication by a letter of apology directed to the claimant and published on the same media through which the defamatory publication was circulated and

“An order of court for the cost of this suit against the defendants.”



In a similar development, Senator Obanikoro has hired Tacopina & Seigel, one of New York’s top law firms reputed for their groundbreaking defence of celebrity baseball player, Alex Rodriguez, in his case against the 211-game doping suspension slammed on him by Major League Baseball (MLB).



Tacopina & Seigel is handling Senator Obanikoro’s case against Sahara Reporters in New York, United States.



The defendants have 42 days to prepare their defence and make an appearance in court to defend themselves in the Lagos suit.


5 Words To Make The Girl Of Your Dreams Fall Madly In Love With You.




1. “I’m So Happy That You’re In My Life.”

Hehe.. I wonder who wouldn’t love to hear that. It’s really a great word that can diffuse any doubt or dispute in your relationship.



2. “I’m Very Sorry.”

Just swallow your pride and say it’s all your fault. You have better things to do and more important rules to stand on.



3. “You’re Great At That.”

Boosting her confidence is always a good thing. Make her feel elevated by you.



4. “Please, Tell Me All About It.”

Even if she talks for 30 minutes, all you need to do is nod along and she will label you a great listener.



5. “You’re So Beautiful.”

Most men get lazy with this one the longer the relationship goes, but you should try to say it at least once a week. I say mine 3-4 times in a week..



How many times do you say yours?


Rescuing Nigerian Children From Witchcraft Accusations

GROWING up is never an easy task for the Nigerian child as his road is strewn with thorns and briers. This savage reality is stamped in the mind of Usen Okon, 10, after he was accused of witchcraft by his paternal aunt in his native Esit Eket Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, last month. According to a report in this newspaper, the aunt, in whose care he had been entrusted, eventually threw him into the Imo River, hoping that he would drown. Although he was rescued, Okon is now a candidate for nightmares for the rest of his life.



But Okon is not the only victim of this criminal practice of sorcery-related attacks and killings. He is just one of an increasing number of children accused of witchcraft by their families, local spiritualists and worship places and are then tortured or killed by their accusers. Many of these minors are sentenced to a life of suffering in silence after being branded as witches. The ordeal could twist a child’s personality for ever.



Okon’s travails had all the ingredients of jungle justice. A non-governmental organisation, the Humanist Association for Peace and Social Tolerance Advancement and its partner, Child’s Rights and Rehabilitation Network, which took up his case, said the poor orphan was roused from sleep by his guardian, who was looking for a scapegoat for her misfortune. She took Okon to her husband and asked him to confess to being a wizard. Though the boy rejected the witchcraft label, his aunt still went ahead to throw him into the river.



Such is the nature of witchcraft trial – heads you lose, tails you lose. Once the accusers have made up their minds that the minor is a witch, possessed by spirits that have brought evil on them, the punishments that usually follow include physical violence, mistreatment, abuse, infanticide and abandonment. When such accusations and the resulting trial-by-ordeal don’t result in death, the survivors are scarred and stigmatised by their peers, cruelty that is so crude for children to bear. While some of the cases are reported, it is particularly disturbing that many of such horrendous cruelties largely escape public attention.



Campaigners against the inhuman practice reported that around 15,000 children have been labelled as witches in two of the 36 states of the federation over the past decade and around 1,000 have been killed. Between July and October 2009, three kids accused of witchcraft were killed and another three were set on fire. Just last September, three children of the same parents in Unyenge, Mbo LGA, Akwa Ibom State, suffered physical attacks after being accused of witchcraft. They are aged 14, 10 and seven. Although they were rescued by officials of African Aid Education and Development Foundation – an NGO – the trio had been orphaned shortly before the attack because some villagers had murdered their father on similarly spurious and unproven allegations that he wanted to use witchcraft to kill a resident of the area. Their attackers were not brought to book.



Relying on unsubstantiated reports, some Nigerian fringe churches are aiding the practice of labelling and stigmatising children as witches, wizards and sorcerers. In Ibadan, Oyo State, a little girl, Bose, had a six inches nail driven down her skull by her own father in 1994, but managed to cheat death by a whisker after being rescued by some good Samaritans and later adopted by the state military administrator, Col. Ike Nwosu. Bose’s life changed immediately.



After a damning report of witchcraft stigmatisation in Akwa Ibom went global in 2008, the state government filed charges against one Okon William, a self-styled bishop, who allegedly confessed to the killing of 110 children accused of witchcraft. But the case assumed a bizarre turn when one of the witnesses, an NGO official, was charged as an offender by the government. The church is meant to be a place of succour to people, not a centre to inflict pain on members of the society, and exploit gullible parents seeking help.



These barbaric acts have no place in our society in the 21st century. State governments should stop playing politics with the issue of child development, and collaborate with relevant NGOs and other international agencies to rescue our children from ignorant and wicked adults.



Define as the use of magical spells that aggregate evil spirits to produce supernatural effects in human life, witchcraft is practised all over the world, but it is widespread in Africa, where modern trappings of civilisation have yet to reach the recesses of many villages and local communities. In the past, witchcraft accusations were levelled mainly against adults, but Africa’s vulnerable children are now at the receiving end.



Not so ready to bear responsibility for their economic and other misfortunes, children are often accused of being harbingers of bad luck by many families. In ‘Children Accused of Witchcraft’, a report authored by UNICEF in 2009, says, “Many social and economic pressures, including conflict, poverty, urbanisation and the weakening of communities, or HIV/AIDS, seem to have contributed to the recent increase in witchcraft accusations against children … they are part of deeper social problems affecting society.”



We cannot agree more. Also tormented by squalor and hopelessness, many parents send their children to their relatives to raise them. These relatives often turn out to be their albatross, maltreating the kids and labelling them witches and wizards at the slightest opportunity. The government should be sensitive to this evil trend, and bring those who perpetrate such savagery against children to justice. Our parliaments at the state level need to review and reform existing laws to protect children from ignorant, vicious adults.



Children are special and represent the future. But Nigerian children face an uncertain future arising from outdated practices and failure of governance in the country. Despite repeated assurances by the federal and state governments that they would achieve the goal of education for all by 2015, Nigeria has a high number of children roaming the streets. According to UNICEF, 10.5 million Nigerian children are out of school. This is said to be the highest in the world. Sixty-two per cent of them are estimated to be girls and reside predominantly in the northern part of the country. When we add the problem of witchcraft in the South, it is obvious that as a country, we are headed for a shaky future because of the neglect and cruelty we inflict on our children.



Any form of cruelty against minors should be treated as a serious crime. There should be a national programme that will decrease the vulnerability of children to abuse and exploitation; develop a nationwide capacity to provide a rapid, effective, and measured investigative response to crimes against them; and enhance the capabilities of law enforcement agencies to bring child abusers to justice. The setting up of a family court to tackle the increasing cases of child witchcraft by Akwa Ibom State should be emulated by other states. States that have not adopted or implemented the Child Rights Act need to speed up the process of adoption and implementation, a global convention that was adopted by the Federal Government in 2003. UNICEF says only 16 out of the 36 states have domesticated the law meant to protect children from abuse, give them education and protect them from drug abuse, among other provisions.



Governments should also create awareness about the rights of children in our communities in order to stop the abuse and the jungle justice against the nation’s greatest asset – our children.



Source: http://ift.tt/1zZnqY1


Supermodels, Oluchi, Iman, And Naomi Campbell In Rare Pose (Photo)

Oluchi Orlandi represented Nigeria at the amfAR Gala in New York, an annual Gala which is usually attended by A-list celebrities to benefit Aids Research. The Gala event took place on the 11th of February, 2015.

Oluchi Orlandi looked stunning and also took a photo with other famous supermodels in the modelling industry, Naomi Campbell and Iman.



source: http://ift.tt/1MfCvei


APC VP Aspirant Prof. Osinbajo Blast Jonathan After Presidential Media Chat.




Corruption is defined as “dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery”.



The definition is simple and we all know what it is, yet Mr. President has spent the last several minutes of his media chat explaining to Nigerians what it is, suggesting we are all somehow confused about this.



The GEJ presidency has failed Nigerians.




The facts are undeniable. ‪#‎ChangeWillCome‬


Arsenal Striker, Olivier Giroud Named Hottest Player In The Premier League.




Arsenal and France international, Olivier Giroud has been named the ‘Hottest Premier League Player’ by Paddy Power inaugural.



According to the Paddy Power’s inaugural poll which gathered results from 250 American women asked to rank 300 players from the English premier league, the Frenchman came out tops.



After accepting his award, the football star thanked his parents for making him look this way and also gave props to his team-mates, barber, make-up artist, tailor and his selfie assistant, Gunners right-back, Mathieu Debuchy.



See another picture below:





I Will Happily Return To Bayelsa If I Lose 2015 Elections – Pres. Jonathan Says.




President Goodluck Jonathan is dismissing insinuations being made that he will not accept defeat if he loses the 2015 presidential elections.



He addressed the issue during a media chat held in Abuja on Wednesday, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.



“In 2011, I said that I will conduct a free and fair elections and if I lose I will happily go home and it should be recorded.



As of that time no African sitting president had lost an election, but within this period a number of African sitting Presidents had lost elections.



But, I said that I wanted to create history to be the first African President that will lose election. But, let the world know that the election was a free and fair.Then, I just concluded the late President’s tenure; I was just a President for about a year, acting for some months then.

But, I said that I will be happy to go home.



That this nation is more important than any human being and I still maintain.



Anybody who wants to hold this office of the president or any office at all and feels that he is more important than the nation, then, he it is not quite right.



So, if as of that time I said that I was ready to conduct a free and fair election and if I lose I will go not to talk about now that Nigerians had given me the opportunity to be here for four full years.



So if the elections are conducted and I lose, of course, I will inaugurate a new government. There is no way I will say if I lose I will not hand over,”he said



The President said a lot of misinformation was being circulated by the media about the 2015 elections and urged Nigerians to shun such propaganda for the progress of the country.


30-Year-Old Man Impregnates 18-Year-Old Mad Girl

Dutse—Operatives of Jigawa State Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, have arrested 30-year-old Bello Muhammed for allegedly impregnating mentally-ill Daharatu Isyaku, aged 18.

Parading the suspect to newsmen in Dutse, yesterday, state Commandant of the Corps, Dr. Muhammad Gidado, said the suspect admitted committing the crime.

He said the agency was still investigating the matter to ascertain if the offence was committed for ritual purposes.

He also disclosed that the suspect had named some accomplices during the investigation, stressing that they would be fished out, investigated and arraigned for prosecution.

Muhammed, however, disclosed that the girl was currently in the custody of the agency because of her condition.

Muhammed, who disclosed that the agency was also trying to contact her family, enjoined parents and guardians to take their mentally-imbalanced children to psychiatric hospitals for medical attention to avoid abuse.



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1.4m Nigerian Youths To Be Recruited As Traffic Wardens

Over 1.4million Nigerians may be recruited into traffic warden service across the nation, in line with President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda on job creation.



The initiator of the project and chairman of VANCTRAWACT, a Human Right and Non Governmental Organization, NGO, Mr JK Johnsonapla who disclosed this in Nnewi, Anambra State yesterday while explaining the new initiative, noted that the project had received the approval of President Jonathan after a recent visit of the group at the Aso Rock.



Johnsonapla further disclosed that the project would be handled by the Transitional Management Committee, TMC and the co-ordinating NGO, on behalf of the federal government.



He explained that the aim of the project was to redefine the road traffic control function as a veritable sub-sector for social, economic, human and urban development, adding that the project would introduce a pragmatic and proactive change in the road traffic control subsector to a world-class standard away from the current “agonizing” system of road traffic control.



“The NGO, fighting the cause of the traffic warden service and a sense of belonging of traffic wardens in the public service, is fervently committed to the enforcement of the Court of Appeal judgement that recently granted autonomy to the traffic warden service”, he stated.

He said the NGO has proactively put in place a methodology through which the traffic warden service has to be repositioned back to her statutory function on the road.



According to the co-ordinating secretary of the NGO, Evangelist Emeka Ekenonu, the project would be handled with utmost vigor and transparency. He said in distribiting the 1.4 million jobs, emphasis would be laid on percentage of personnel cadre, pointing out that the project would absorb 980,000 into the rank and file, 280,000 into inspectors cadre and 140,000 into officers cadre.



Explaining further the new road traffic deal, Evangelist Ekenonu said: “President Jonathan has said that employment is the inalianable right of fellow Nigerians, to enable them work, earn salary, to improve their standard of living, improve their social being and contribute their quota towards the nation building”.



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Obasanjo: It’s An Insult To Question Buhari’s Credentials

Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday said it is insulting and ridiculous to question the academic credentials of APC presidential candidate, retired Gen. Muhammad Buhari.



Speaking at the launch of his book, My Watch, in London, Obasanjo said when he joined the army, it was mandatory that one must have WASC or GCE before enlisting in the armed forces.

He said the requirements were the same when Gen. Buhari joined the army in 1961, adding that even if Buhari did not have the required qualifications then, he had gone through the staff college which is equivalent to a first degree and the U.S. War College which is equivalent to a master’s degree.



“If anybody thinks that I’m illiterate or uneducated after attending many military institutions in the UK, India and the US, they should read my books”, he said, and urged those engaged in Buhari’s qualification debacle to “focus on real issues and stop degenerating into trivialities”.



Obasanjo, who answered questions from the audience on various socio-political issues affecting Nigeria, said he would assess the candidates in the election and “vote for one with the best record”.



The former president remarked that God would not have forgiven him if he had allowed vice-president Atiku Abubakar to succeed him, noting that with his experience, he knew what the job of running Nigeria entailed and who could do it well.



On whether he was overheating the Nigerian polity with his comments, Obasanjo said: “I am not heating anything. When things are going bad and you can’t say anything, you are an accomplice. If anybody can prove that what I am saying is wrong, I will apologise”.



On the Chibok girls, Obasanjo berated the federal government for taking long to acknowledge the incident, but not doing enough to bring back the girls, stressing that though the girls may never come together again, “we must not forget them”.



He said in spite of the problems bedeviling Nigeria, the country’s future is “rosy” and bright, emphasizing that the country faced similar problems in the past, including the civil war but came out stronger.



“God will see Nigeria through. Nigeria will emerge successfully and move up and forward”, he said.



The book launch which was attended by mainly Nigerians in Diaspora, was anchored by Richard Dowden of the Royal African Society, London, and Zeinab Badawi, a renowned television broadcaster.



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Prof Osinbajo calls out GEJ over his comment about corruption


When asked to clarify his statement "Stealing is not corruption" during the presidential media chat yesterday evening, president Jonathan said he made the statement quoting the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Dahiru Mustafa, who explained to him that his analysis of corruption cases in Nigeria showed that most of the cases tagged as corruption were theft. President Jonathan said that referring to stealing as corruption minimizes the crime. "Ole (thief in Yoruba) should be called Ole and given that treatment. Let us communicate properly. The word corruption, we have abused it." GEJ said. .



Not satisfied with President Jonathan's response, Prof Osinbajo took to his Facebook wall to react.


Armed Security Operatives Surround APC Campaign Spokesman’s Residence In Abuja

A combined team of security operatives have surrounded the residence of the Director of Media of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organization, Mallam Garba Shehu.



The operatives who were armed to the teeth, took positions around ‎the house located at area 11, Garki Abuja, as early as 5:35am on Thursday morning.



One of Shehu’s colleagues at the Atiku Media 0ffice, who pleaded anonymity, called The PUNCH at about 6am.

He said, “Security men have surrounded the residence of our director, Mallam Garba Shehu in Area 11. They came in several vehicles. I cannot make out which of the security services because it is still dark here.



“None of them has said anything about why they are laying siege at his house.”



It was gathered that the security operatives were miffed by the audacity of the APC campaign.



The APC campaign which Garba heads, organised a prime time interview for Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) ‎on CNN.

It was aired minutes after President Goodluck Jonathan held a media chat on national television.



Analysts say the CNN interview gave Buhari the advantage of responding to some of the allegations against him as well as some of the issues raised by Jonathan.



Some of the issues include the shift in the 2015 elections, the Boko Haram insurgency and the anti-corruption fight.

Garba could not be reached for comments as of the time of filing this report.





source...http://ift.tt/19blO4K




The Dumbest Lie Ever Liveth !!!!




We have all been lied to at one point or another but some lies are just so dumb that they make you marvel. I remember one notoriously randy guy called Marvin way back in school who claimed that he was a virgin just to impress me.



Guys, Ever heard a lame dumb lie from an ex?


I Have Not Endorsed Buhari - Obasanjo

General Obasanjo has just debunked rumour that he has endorsed Buhari. Speaking with Channels correspondent in london where the general was launching his controversial book "my watch" debunked the news making the round that he has endorsed buhari.



He said he is still making assesment of the two candidates and will make his position known after conviction on who between Buhari and Jonathan will perfom better.



Source: Channels tv


Gani Adams Reveals That 85% Of Lagosians Want Jonathan

OTUNBA Gani Adams is the National Coordinator of the Odua People’s Congress, OPC. In this interview, Adams explains why leaders of South West zone are divided over the choice of presidential candidates to support in the forthcoming elections.

He also bares his mind on the postponement of the general elections among other issues. Excerpts:

By Dapo Akinrefon



How will you react to the INEC’s shift of the elections dates by six weeks?



Well, the shift in dates is as a result of necessities for cogent reasons such as the issues of security and adequate logistics for the exercise. Let me explain these by reminding you of the fact that the shared Permanent Voters’ Card (PVCs) was just 66 per cent while the remaining 34 per cent were still to be given out and that is about 24 million eligible Nigerians. I was so sad with the way the opposition handled the development. I just can’t imagine how comfortable they are that about 24 million Nigerians were to be disenfranchised; as a matter of fact, I won’t even be comfortable with 10,000 Nigerians not to talk of 24 million.



Secondly, the security chiefs declared they couldn’t guarantee security of INEC’s ad-hoc staff. How then will any sane person push for the exercise without the support of security chiefs? For these two cogent reasons, I don’t see us going for free, fair and credible elections. We still have more than three months for the handover of government; there is no need for them to be too anxious more than the umpire.

Moreover, we have 27 political parties and 17 of them have declared that the election should be postponed and eight insisted that it be held, in as much as 17 has indicated interest in the shifting, it simply means majority of Nigerians have spoken.



Security challenges

The opposition has always been hiding behind security issue to condemn Jonathan, now the president wanted to tackle security challenges before the election, the opposition is again shouting foul. What they are criticizing Jonathan for is what the gentleman wanted to face in six weeks. Come to think of it, with or without the necessary amend, he has insisted on May 29 as handover date.



But some people alleged that President Jonathan is working towards interim government, what is your view of this?



Jonathan cannot propose an interim government and at the end of the day be the head of such arrangement, such move won’t be in the interest of Jonathan.



But most Yoruba are not supporting Jonathan’s re-election bid, how do you see this development?

Jonathan or Buhari who will you pick ?



We don’t need to deceive ourselves. The main group in Yorubaland, Afenifere has spoken; Afenifere the political arrowhead of Yoruba people has declared support for Jonathan. Even Dr. Frederick Fasehun, the owner of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) has endorsed Jonathan, even before Afenifere. I don’t have problem with Buhari, but I have serious problem with the people that surround him. So in conclusion, 85 per cent of Lagosians want Jonathan.



What is your assessment of the campaign?



They should stop blackmailing or discrediting each other. They should come out with facts to convince people, stop calling people who have sacrificed for the nation different names. In my own opinion there is no difference between the two major political parties, the APC and the PDP



They are calling for personality change but they are not calling for institutional change. When you said the present structure should not change and you are saying the president should change. If you say Buhari should be the president what of the institutions that have not changed. We went to the national conference to restructure Nigeria, to change the institutions. And the institutions are always more powerful than any individual.



I am not saying Jonathan is a saint because if those people around him are corrupt and he cannot deal with them, then it means he also has some skeletons in his cupboard. But Jonathan is quite different from the caliber of people we have in APC. You know what is happening in Ogun State when somebody was building bridges where there is no water. When you are having a billion naira bridges and there is no free education. People of Oyo State are crying because the government of the state shut its door against the masses.



But despite Afenifere’s endorsement of Jonathan, prominent Yoruba leaders are supporting Buhari. What do you have to say to this?


I think you are having the mindset that some Yoruba leaders are supporting Jonathan. How many of them were in the struggle except for General Alani Akinrinade and Hon. Wale Oshun? Oshun is very close to APC. And there is no way you can separate Akinrinade and Tinubu. Yes they are always together. Akinrinade may not be partisan but you can separate him from Tinubu, they have close relationship.

I got to know that when we were in the national conference. When you are however talking about the core people who always fight for the course of the Yoruba and those whose voice you hear about regionalism and introduction of parliamentary system, you talk of myself as the leader of the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC leader at the conference and the Afeniferes who believe that no matter the situation, the course of Yoruba must be championed at the conference.



Enough education

In Yorubaland I remember when I became leader of OPC, people say I did not have enough education to be a leader. Therefore, I went to school, I trained myself and I went to school. I went to even write WAEC, I went to write NECO, I wrote WAEC again. I went to Ghana to get a diploma, I got a diploma in Lagos State University onward to receiving a degree, but now Buhari is being alleged of not having a School Certificate.

The opposition said the election was postponed because Jonathan was afraid to lose the election.

That is propaganda, many things you hear from them, about 50 per cent of them is propaganda. Sultan of Sokoto said he has not got his PVC, I just got my PVC on Friday and in my house almost all the 35 people that registered, it is only me and two others that got theirs, 32 other are yet to receive theirs, and you now say the election should hold, and you are blaming Jonathan.

If there is crisis after the election, they will now say Jonathan has caused crisis. The Service Chiefs said they were not ready for the election.







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