Nude photo model, Ama Richest, says if she ever falls victim to rape, she would have no one but herself to blame.

There was a frenzy on social media earlier last week with pictures of the model, with colourful inscriptions detailing the issues that dominated the headlines last year, on her bare body.

The pictures, taken by a photographer by name Kwesi Nikon, who describes himself as a nudist, stirred a lot of conversations on social media.

As some expressed horror over the images, others admired it simply as art.

Ama Richest, however, believes that if ever her nude pictures cause any man to commit the crime of rape, “well I’m going to blame myself,” she admitted.


She, however, added that “there is no way someone is going to rape me because I take very good care of myself.”


The model, who also owns and operates a pub, told Ady Dosty on Daybreak Hitz on Hitz FM that, despite the attempts to ridicule her, she is not ready to give up her career as a nude model.

She says she “will do more”.

According to her, it is the only job she knows, and she admits the income is good.

http://www.newshelmng.com/2018/01/i-woul...es-me.html

For some residents in Benin city, Edo state, the first rainfall of the year has done more harm than good to them. A man had his car partially submerged by the heavy flood after rainfall on Saturday, January 20 along Saint Saviour road in Benin city. Facebook user Micheal Junior who shared the photos online is joining other residents to call on the government for help in containing such floods.

Source; https://www.nationalhelm.co/2018/01/mans...hotos.html
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An Instagram user, Yusuf Adegoke took to her page to call out Tony Idisi, 40, who he alleged raped his 12-year-old neighbor.

Narrating what happened, Yusuf said that the Child's mother who is her aunt, left her daughter at home while she took her last child to the hospital for a surgery. She later noticed blood on her daughter panties and took her for series of test where it was discovered that she was sexually abused. She also found out that her daughter is allegedly not the only victim of the man as he has allegedly also raped a 4-year-old girl in their neighborhood.

Read the full story below

Good Morning Everyone
Kindly Read through the letter Above for the full information.

RAPE CASE
One of my big Aunty visited us on Saturday and before she could narrate what had happend, tears was rolling down her eyes.We gave her a break to get hold of herself and she narrated the whole story to us.
The first word she altered was " i want JUSTICE. Her daugher of 12 years was raped by her Neighbour of 40 years plus.
You are wondering how it happend?
Her last child Abdullai was at "Randle Hospital" getting ready for his Surgery hence the hospital has been her home for that period.Seeing blood on her daughter's pant to questioning her daughter, to doing test and finding out he penetrated her. THIS IS SO SAD
And she also found out this same man did the same thing to a 4 year old within her neighborhood.

This whole Rape case happend in November this Rapist is still feeling fly around the Neighborhood when he is supposed to be in jail asking God for Forgiveness.You are wondering why right ? He seems to know his way around the police involved in this case,the police are claiming they have not received yhe test result from the Hospital But my Aunty found out the test result was sent to the police three days after. SO WE KNOW NOW SOMETHING IS FISHY

His case has been adjourned to Jan 25, 2018 and My Aunty just want Justice for her little girl. This man raped a little girl before and he would rape again if he goes UNPUNISHED.

The RAPIST name on facebook : Tony Idisi.


My Aunty phone Number if you need to ask her Anything regarding this Rape Case :08137308717
I told her there is Power in Using " Social Media". Tony Idisi whoever he is bribing would be brought to Shame
Please tag every one who needs to see this. JUSTICE IS WHAT SHE WANTS.
Please Repost and tag friends also. "SOCIAL MEDIA IS POWER". The rapist is on facebook. Please help repost on facebook also.

http://www.metronaija.ng/lady-posts-phot...-neighbor/

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

TUESDAY, 23RD JANUARY.

Pastor Chris

TOPIC ✨ SEE THAT YOU’VE BEEN GLORIFIED✨

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the Bible says “…the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked...” (Genesis 3:7). Their fall made them “see” that they were naked, and they became ashamed and afraid. When God called out to Adam in the Garden, he replied, “…I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10). The Lord’s response to him was, “…Who told thee that thou wast naked?...” (Genesis 3:11).

It matters what you see and how you see. Adam saw his guilt and his shame, but that’s not what God wants you to see. Isaiah 33:20 says, “LOOK upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall SEE Jerusalem a quiet habitation….” The Hebrew word for “look” is “châzâh,” and it means to look and see from the realm of the spirit; to see the unseen. It was this ability to see from the spirit-realm that Adam and Eve lost, and couldn’t see the glory anymore.

Now, our theme scripture says, “…if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” The word “behold” is the Greek “idou,” which is akin to the Hebrew word, “châzâh.” It means to become spiritually aware, to see, and come alive to what you see. God wants you to see, become spiritually aware, that you’re clothed with glory. The glory that was lost is now restored and realized in Christ.

That’s the meaning of Colossians 1:27. “Christ in you the hope of glory” means glory has been realized; it has come! Jesus said, “And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them…” (John 17:22). Therefore, see that you’ve been glorified! Romans 8:30 declares, “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also…glorified.”

There’s no reason to be afraid or run from God; He’s taken away all the guilt, reproach and shame from your life and wants you to see that you’re now His righteousness in Christ Jesus. See that you’ve been justified by faith and have peace with God! See that you’re a success and a victor forever. Hallelujah!

PRAYER
Dear Father, I love you; I thank you for granting me insight into realities, to see and walk in your glory. My life is the expression of your beauty, excellence, and wisdom, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY: 2 Corinthians 3:18* But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Isaiah 60:1-2 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING

1-Year Bible Reading Plan: Matthew 15:29-16:1-12, Exodus 3-5

2-Year Bible Reading Plan: Acts 11:15-30,
Job 17
Affirmationtrain
# AFFIRMATIONTRAIN 23RD JANUARY.
I affirm that I have passed from death unto life. I am the glory of God, a life-giver, and dispenser of eternal verities! Eternal life is at work in me. I am full of life; my entire being is inundated with divine life and energy. I am alive to God—spirit, soul, and body. Therefore, sickness and disease have no place in my body, because the Spirit of God lives in me, and He rids my system of everything inconsistent with the divine life. My path is illuminated with the light of God’s Word; I do not lack direction. I am an answer from God. Everywhere I go, I am relevant because I am loaded with supernatural wisdom and insight to provide the right answers to questions, and solutions to problems. I am indeed an answer to the cries of millions all over the world because I function in the wisdom of God. Hallelujah! The Lord is my source and my sufficiency; I do not lack or suffer want for any good thing; I have all things that pertain to life and godliness. I am an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ; the world belongs to me. I am enjoying my inheritance of financial abundance and supernatural prosperity in Christ. Glory to God. Hallelujah!
(NEW YEAR http://bit.ly/2dZqtLQ )
This is something to shout about. Keep saying it, don't stop talking it. Remember, your mouth is the edge of a weapon. Refuse to be quiet
You can now reach us on:
• Info@affirmation-train.org
• http://www.affirmation-train.org
God bless you.

THERE seems to be no end to the alleged mind-boggling financial misappropriation in the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

In the centre of it all is, according to records unearthed by investigators, former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detectives have just uncovered the withdrawal of $1.3billion from the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), ostensibly to fight kidnapping and other security threats in the Niger Delta.

The withdrawal was neither authorised by the National Assembly nor the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

The former Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is also believed to be unaware of the deductions from the NNPC accounts.

The ex-Minister only relied on a memo from ex-President Goodluck Jonathan without recourse to the board of the NNPC.

A former Group Executive Director, Finance and Accounts of NNPC, Mr. Bernard Otti, has been quizzed by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detectives.

Otti is said to have also made available to the EFCC some documents, including approvals to withdraw the $1.3billion by Mrs Alison-Madueke.

In two other instances, Jonathan wrote on two other requests mandating the former minister to take part of the cash from either NNPC Security Vote Account or from the “Gas Fund”.

According to sources, EFCC operatives were almost closing up the probe of the ex-Minister when the withdrawal of the $1.3billion was uncovered.

About $1.4billion was requested by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) via three memos, for “Intervention for Urgent National Security Projects.”

About $1.3billion was released from NNPC accounts but it was unclear what became of the $100million balance as at press time.

ONSA had requested for $1.4billion between March 27, 2014 and May 5, 2014 when approval was given and cash backed.

About three memos were sent to ex-President Jonathan on March 27, 2014, 31st March 2014 and May 5, 2014.

In the first memo, of March 27th, 2014, the former National Security Adviser, Mr. Sambo Dasuki, requested for $1billion to fight kidnapping, crude oil theft and petroleum pipeline vandalism.

The memo to Jonathan, which was titled “Request for intervention for urgent National Security Projects”, said: “Your Excellency, apart from the insurgency in the Northeast, the country is also contending with some other security challenges, such as crude oil theft, sea piracy, kidnapping as well as petroleum pipeline vandalism.

“These challenges have greatly affected revenue profile of the nation and our international image.

“Our gas pipeline network has also come under serious threat as the scourge of vandalism has spread to the gas sector. Apart from the volatility of gas and its potential for collateral damage, especially environmental degradation, shortage of gas will constitute a serious setback to Government’s power generation efforts.

“Additionally, Mr. President had promised during the 30th meeting of NEPAD Heads of State and Governments Orientation Committee that the Trans-Saharan Pipeline Project from Nigeria to Algeria will be completed in 2015. The security of the Nigerian end of this pipeline network is critical to the success and smooth running of this gas project.

“Further to Mr. President’s support so far in our fight against terrorism, there is urgent need to raise our intelligence gathering efforts to more strategic levels.

“It is therefore pertinent that a holistic approach is applied to solving these challenges highlighted above. To ameliorate the above mentioned challenges, some reputable companies have been identified to provide the following:

(a) An integrated maritime domain awareness platform that can be integrated into enforcement platform of the Navy and other agencies to help check crude oil theft, sea piracy and kidnapping as well as Offshore pipeline vandalism.

(b) An Onshore petroleum and gas pipeline surveillance and monitoring solution.

© Unmanned aerial platforms for strategic intelligence gathering.

(d) Mobile radars for aerial coverage by the Nigerian Air Force

(5) In view of the foregoing, Mr. President is kindly requested to approve the provision of $1billion intervention funds to enable the urgent provision of the above-mentioned services. Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest esteem.”

Commenting on the ONSA memo, ex-President Jonathan on March 31, 2014 approved the release of $1billion. He said: “HMPR, NSA, Paragraph approved.”

A follow-up memo on March 31, 2014 to Mrs. Alison-Madueke and the ex-NSA conveyed the approval.

The memo, signed by a former Senior Special Assistant (Admin) Matt Aikhionbare, said: “RE: Request for intervention projects for urgent National Security Projects.” Reference: (A) Letter NSA/SH/600/A dated 27th March 2014 on the above subject matter. I am directed to forward Reference A to you and to convey to you Mr. President’s approval of Paragraph (5). Humbly submitted for your further action sir.”

In spite of the initial approval, ONSA on April 9, 2014, via a memo NSA/SH/600/A asked for a fresh $200million.

The second memo said: “Your Excellency, please refer to your letter PRES/88-3/MPR/716/149/NSA/ 634 of 31st March 2014 on the above subject. During our review of the process, we realised a few gaps in the assessment of the protection of the gas pipelines, which will likely render the entire protection plan incomplete as the inland gas network was not considered.

“In view of this, I crave the indulgence of Mr. President to please approve an additional $200million only to enable a thorough security of the pipelines. Please, accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest esteem.”

Following the receipt of a second memo, the ex-President wrote: “Approved. Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources to release funds from the “Gas Fund”.

In a third memo of May 5,2014(NSA/SH/ 600/A), the ex-NSA applied for additional $250million to be sourced from the account of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), which is a subsidiary of NNPC.

The memo states: “Your Excellency, in our efforts to continue building capacity for our counter-terrorism efforts, it is pertinent we appropriately and speedily respond to challenges thrown up by the insurgents. This is in addition to several proactive measures already in place by government through the security forces. In view of the above, there is need for urgent intervention in the following areas:

(a) Provision of at least 15,000 ballistic vests and helmets to be issued to all troops in the operations

(b) Provision of 15 mobile scanners to cover entrances to Abuja and strategic cities in the North.

© Purchase of urgently needed ammunition for the Nigerian Air Force.

(d) Purchase of ammunition for the Nigeria Police

(e) Purchase of Night Vision Goggles for both the Army and the Air Force.

“To achieve the above-listed objectives, it is estimated that the sum of $250million only will be required. The money could be released from the security funds held by the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS).

“In view of the above, Mr. President is kindly requested to direct the release of $250million only for the above-mentioned subject. Please accept the assurances of my highest esteem.”

In his response, the ex-President directed as follows: “Please, release US$200m only from NNPC Security Vote.”

A highly-placed source in EFCC, who spoke in confidence, said: “Investigation so far confirmed the withdrawal of the $1.3billion from some accounts of the NNPC abroad. But there are sufficient clues of suspected money laundering by the ex-Ministers of Petroleum Resources and some government agencies who used ONSA as a platform.

“There is no evidence of projects executed with the cash. Instead, some of the cash were wired into a few banks by these individuals.

“We have also grilled a former Group Executive Director, Finance and Accounts of NNPC, Mr. Bernard Otti who has cooperated with our investigators by making necessary documents available. We will keep you posted on this case.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/diezani-trouble-withdrawal-1-3b-nnpc-accounts

Quote:The account of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is increasingly over-burdened as the landing cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol, has risen following the recent surge in global oil price, analysts have said.

 The price of crude oil  hit more than three-year high at the beginning of last week rising to $70 per barrel for the first time since December 2014.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had in December 2017 hinted that Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) price of PMS was $620 per metric tonne, and that at N305 to a dollar, PMS landing cost translated to N171 per litre. At that time, oil price traded below $65 per barrel. 

But analysts estimate that with the recent rise in oil price and based on the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Authority (PPPRA) template, the cost of imported petrol now hovers at between N175-N180/per litre.

 “You will agree with me that today, based on my own estimate, the naira landing cost of petrol in Nigeria is actually somewhere between N175-N180/per litre which means that if the government should fully deregulate the oil sector, there would be higher price for petroleum product,” the Head, Investor Relations at United Bank for Africa (UBA) Mr. Abiola Razaq, said.

 “If you look at the PPPRA template and where crude oil prices are in addition to shipping cost and using the official CBN exchange rate, you would have an idea of what the cost of refined products is,” Razaq also said.

 He said that anytime oil price went up, the naira landing cost of petroleum products also increased.

  “It is a fact that PMS prices will go up and the fact that our refineries are not functioning means we are vulnerable to shocks,” the Head of Energy Research at Ecobank, Mr. Dolapo Oni, said about the impact of a jump in oil price on petroleum products.

 The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the International Institute for Petroleum, Energy Law and Policy (IIPELP), Dr. Timothy Okon, said it was not unusual for PMS prices to escalate when oil prices rise.

 “Of course, 80 per cent of PMS price is crude price. If prices go up product prices must reflect the price of crude,” Dr. Okon a former head of Corporate Planning and Strategy at the NNPC, said.

 Daily Trust reports that at the landing cost of N171 per litre, NNPC recorded under-recovery of N26 on a litre of the commodity. However, with prices hovering between N175-N180, according to industry experts’ prediction, N33 is being spent on every litre of petrol by the corporation to keep the pump price at N145. 

The NNPC while clarifying a statement wrongly attributed to Managing Director of Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr. Umar Ajiya at the weekend explained that there was under-recovery in the importation and sale of PMS by NNPC, but the burden is categorized as business losses which the Act establishing NNPC recognizes. 

Mr. Ajiya, according to NNPC, had made it explicitly clear that the losses from the PMS imports by NNPC could not be classified as subsidy since it was not appropriated for by the National Assembly.

More than half of the N17.5 trillion total budgets of federal and state governments will be spent on salaries and overheads this year, according to Daily Trust investigations.

Analysis of the budgets revealed that of the N17.5 trillion, N9.35 trillion will go for recurrent expenses, leaving only N8.17trillion for power, roads, rail and other development projects. 

This year’s figures are higher than last year’s with about N4 trillion. In 2017, states and federal budgets were N13.5 trillion, with N5.9 trillion (41 percent) voted for salaries and the remaining N7.6 trillion for development projects.

The two tiers voted N12.5 trillion in 2016 with N5.3 trillion going for salaries and overheads and N7.2 trillion for capital projects.

Breakdown of the 2018 estimates shows that the federal government is spending N8.61 trillion, with personnel salaries, overheads, statutory transfers and debt servicing guzzling N5.96 trillion, leaving N2.65 trillion for capital projects. 

All the states, except Kebbi which has not yet presented its budget, have a total budget of N8.95 trillion. The sum of N5.52 trillion is for capital and the N3.39 trillion for recurrent.

The 19 northern states (minus Kebbi) have a combined estimate of N2.85 trillion; of which N1.18 trillion was for salaries and overheads and the N1.65 trillion for developmental projects.

In 2018, the 17 southern states have a cumulative budget of N6.12 trillion, voting N3.86 trillion for capital projects and the N2.21 trillion for recurrent.

In 2017, the northern states had a total budget of N2.38 trillion, witnessing a reduction of over N100 billion from 2016’s N2.5 trillion.

Last year, the total budget of the southern states was N3.83 trillion against previous year’s N3.5 trillion. 

Of this, N2.15 trillion was capital and N1.67 trillion recurrent, against N1.9 trillion and N1.5 trillion in 2016. 

Regional breakdown 

The northwest total estimates in 2018 are N1.15 trillion, comprising N747 billion capital votes and N405 billion recurrent.

In 2017, the zone (minus Kebbi) had a total budget of N1.01 trillion slightly lower than 2016’s N1.12 trillion. 

The budget had capital and recurrent components of N635.2 billion and N376.5 billion when compared to the previous year’s N698 billion and N479 billion irrespectively.

The northeast budgets for this year is N796 billion with N435.3 billion for capital projects, and the remaining N358.3 billion for recurrent expenses.

Last year’s total budget for the northeast zone was N593.1 billion, about N80 billion lower than 2016’s N676 billion, with capital expenditure consuming N298 billion against previous year’s N347 billion. 

The six states of the north-central budgets are N904 billion for this year. Of this figure, N475.3 billion will be spent on capital projects, and N421.3 billion going for salaries and overheads.

In 2017, the north-central figures were N781.5 billion, a rise of about N100 billion from previous year’s N684 billion. N439 billion was for capital and N342.4 billion for recurrent spending, compared to N385 billion and N343 billion in 2016.

The 2018 combined estimates for the southwest is N2.1 trillion, comprising N1.2 trillion capital votes, and N819.9 billion for recurrent.

Last year, the southwest zone’s budget was N1.47 trillion, slightly higher than 2016’s N1.36 trillion, with capital spending consuming N805.7 billion, leaving N668 for the recurrent component. The zone had a recurrent vote of N695 billion and N671 billion capital in 2016.

The five states of the southeast budgeted N805 trillion this year. Capital votes will gulp N503.8 billion, and recurrent expenses N293.5 billion.

The southeast’s total budget last year was N581.2 billion, about N90 billion increase from the 2016’s N490 billion. It was made up of N324 billion capital and N257.3 billion recurrent votes; which was slightly higher than 2016’s N242 billion and N248 billion respectively. 

The south south region has a total budget of N3.2 trillion, N2.1 trillion for capital and N1.1 trillion for recurrent in 2018.

In 2017, the oil-producing zone had a total budget of N1.77 trillion against N1.6 trillion of the previous year, comprising N1.03 trillion capital, and N750.6 billion recurrent expenditure. The oil-rich region spent N949 billion on capital projects and N579 billion on recurrent in 2016.

State with high recurrent votes

Of the 35 states that presented their budgets, only eight have swollen recurrent expenditure higher than their capital votes.

Bayelsa State Governor Henry Seriake Dickson budgeted N295.2 billion for the year. He is spending N148.3 billion on recurrent, leaving N146.9 billion as capital votes. In 2017, the governor budgeted N221 billion but spent N137 billion on salaries and overheads, and N84.3 billion on capital projects

In Yobe, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam budgeted N92 billion for the year, N44.6 billion for capital and N47.4 billion for recurrent. The state voted N69 billion for 2017 with N42 billion for recurrent spending and N27 billion for capital projects.

Governor Ayodele Fayose’s Ekiti State budgeted N98.6 billion for 2018. He is spending N66.4 billion recurrent, and N32.1 billion on capital. Last year, the state had a higher recurrent vote of N55.6 billion out of the N94 billion budget, leaving N38.4 billion for capital expenditure.

Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku budgeted N51.2 for recurrent and N45.5 billion for capital in 2018. 

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State budgeted N182 billion this year, and he’s spending N106.7 billion on salaries and overheads, leaving the remaining N75.2 billion for capital projects.

Another governor in this league is Plateau’s Samuel Lalong, who is spending N75.8 billion of the state’s N145.4 billion on recurrent expenses leaving N69.6 billion for developmental projects. Last year, Governor Lalong budgeted N68.5 billion for recurrent and N64.3 billion for capital. 

Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwanyi budgeted N98.5 billion for the state in 2018. He is spending only N30.8 billion on capital projects, channelling the huge balance of N60.7 billion to salaries and overheads. 

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo is also spending N81.5 billion of his 2018 annual budget of N171.2 billion on recurrent expenses. He has only N68 billion in capital spending.

States with small expenditure

Some of the states with small estimates this year include Yobe (N92 billion), whose budget rose from N69 billion in 2017. Others are Ekiti (N98.6) billion. The state budgeted N94 billion in 2017. 

Niger’s proposed budget is N128 billion, about N20 billion higher than its 2017 budget of N108 billion. Nasarawa budgeted N122.8 billion for 2018, which is almost double the N67 billion, it spent in 2017. 

Other states with relatively low annual expenditure are Taraba (N96.6 billion), Enugu (N98.5 billion), Gombe (N105 billion), Zamfara (N130.7 billion), Jigawa (N134.2 billion), Abia (N141 billion), Edo (N146.6 billion), Plateau (N145.4 billion), Kogi (N147.8 billion).

States with above N150 billion but less than N200 billion estimates are Adamawa (N162.7 billion), Anambra (N166.9 billion), Bauchi (N168 billion), Ondo (N171.2 billion), Borno (N172.2 billion), Osun (N173.9 billion), Benue (N178.4 billion), Kwara (N182 billion), and Imo (N190.9 billion).

States with big expenditure 

For the first time, Cross River state is leading states with higher budgets this year, with a record budget of N1.3 trillion. Its budget skyrocketed from a modest N301 billion in 2017 and N305 billion in 2016, making it the first state to hit the 12-figure benchmark. 

The business rich- Lagos spent N813 billion in 2017, and N662 billion in 2016, but now planning to spend N1.04 trillion next year, trailing the former oil-rich state of Cross River. 

Other states with huge expenditure this year are Akwa Ibom, which budget rose from N424 billion in 2016 and N365 billion in 2017 to N651 billion in 2018. Delta state is planning to spend N298 billion this year, having spent N271 billion in 2017 and N268 billion in 2016. 

Ogun spent N221 billion in 2017, and it is proposing to spend N345 billion in 2018. Kano is planning to spend N234 billion this year, having spent N210 billion in 2017 and N274 billion in 2016. 

Kaduna’s 2018 approved budget is N216.5 billion this year. It spent N215 billion in 2017. Katsina state is proposing N211 billion in 2018. 

Other states expenditures this year are Rivers (N510 billion), Bayelsa (N295.2 billion), Oyo (N267 billion), Ebonyi (N208 billion), and Sokoto (N220 billion).

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/fg-states-to-spend-53-of-n17-5tr-budgets-on-salaries.html

Quote:The presidency has reacted to reports that the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi had been appointed as Director-General for President Buhari’s campaign for 2019.

Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, described the reports as mere rumour.
Adesina told State House correspondents in Abuja on Sunday that the president had not decided to run for re-election

He said: “I believe that things like Director-General will come when you have become a candidate. If the president steps into the fray now, he’s an aspirant just like any other aspirant.

“Having a Director-General comes when you become a candidate of the party.’’

On whether Buhari will embrace the Nelson Mandela option of four-year single term, Adesina said it was the constitutional right of the President to run or not to run.
“Of course, this is a democracy. People will always have a right to their opinion. You know one thing about democracy is that there is multiplicity of opinion.

“So, those who believe in the Mandela option, it is their right. And it is also the right of the president to run or not to run. So, you don’t abridge the right of anybody under a democracy.

“You cannot start a race until the whistle is blown. So, when he blows the whistle and say ‘yes, this is my ambition,’ then, the race starts”. 

Quote:SUSPECTED Fulani Herdsmen have stormed the farm of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, located at Ilado near Akure, the Ondo state capital, setting it on fire.

Falae’s personal assistant, Captain Moshood Raji (rtd.) confirmed the incident to newsmen.
He said the herdsmen destroyed five hectares of oil palm plantations worth millions of Naira

It will be recalled that Falae’s farm had, before now, been invaded by the Fulani herdsmen destroying crops worth millions of Naira as the invaders grazed their cattle.

Quote:Fulani terrorists have just set Chief Olu Falae's entire farm in Ondo state on fire. The place is ablaze right now. Baba Falae is one of the most respected and reverred leaders of Afenifere and the Yoruba nation. I ask Buhari and Miyetti Allah,does he deserve this? Is this fair?

AVIATION INDUSTRY RECORDS 4.1BN PASSENGER TRAFFIC IN 2017
source: http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2018/01/aviat...-41bn.html

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has released the 2017 Preliminary Report of the global civil aviation activities. This comes as a new record of 4.1 billion passengers were carried by the aviation industry on scheduled services in 2017. According to ICAO in the report obtained by Eyes Of Lagos, “this indicates a 7.1 per cent increase over 2016. The number of departures rose to approximately 37 million globally, and world passenger traffic expressed in terms of total scheduled revenue passenger-kilometres (RPKs), posted an increase of 7.6 per cent with approximately 7.7 trillion RPKs performed. This growth is a slight improvement from the 7.4 per cent achieved in 2016.” ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu in his remarks, attributed the upward performance of the civil air transportation to some factors. He said, “The sustainability of the tremendous growth in international civil air traffic is demonstrated by the continuous improvements to its safety, security, efficiency and environmental footprint. “This sustainability is the result of concerted efforts and cooperation at the national, regional, and global levels, particularly in terms of ICAO compliancy, which is key to accessing the global network. “As a UN agency, ICAO is deeply committed to ensuring that all countries have an opportunity to benefit from the doubling in flight and passenger volumes forecast for the next 15 years”, Aliu added. ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu said, “Air traffic growth is making key contributions towards the achievement of United Nations Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, offering an opportunity to lift a generation out of poverty, figuratively and literally.” This is illustrated by the fact that over half of the world’s 1.2 billion tourists who travelled across international borders last year were transported by air, and that air transport now carries some 35 per cent of world trade by value. Indeed, more than 90 per cent of cross border Business-to-Consumer (B2C) e-commerce was carried by air transport. ICAO Explains in the Preliminary Report some key components that played major roles in the 2017 performance which included air travel growth supported by improving global economic conditions. Another factor according to ICAO was that international scheduled passenger traffic expressed in terms of RPKs grew by 8.0 per cent in 2017, up from the 7.8 per cent recorded in 2016.

Gali Umar Na’Abba, former speaker of the house of representatives, says in November 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari told members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) board of trustees that he would seek re-election in 2019.

Na’Abba, who is a member of the board, has vowed not to support Buhari’s re-election bid because the president “has not added even an inch of value to democracy”.

In an interview with Osasu Igbinedion, the former speaker accused the president of running a “one-man” government.

He said Buhari does not consult party members before taking decisions because he “considers them to be evil”.

“I had the occasion to sit down with the president and tell him this is what is wrong. And all he told me was that things were wrong before but now, with his election, everything is right now. And I was very very disappointed,” Na’Abbah said.

“A lot of people campaigned, supported him and elected him for one reason or the other. I decided to move back to APC from PDP to support him because from his utterances, I believed he wanted to add value to democracy.

“And this is three years into his administration, he doesn’t work with the party, he regards party members as evil, he doesn’t consult with anybody in the party and I am a member of the board of trustees, even though we don’t have it officially.

“The last time we had a meeting with such a board was in February 2016. Such meeting was called again in November 2017 when he decided he wanted to get re-elected and he needed us.

“He promised to reconstitute the board. Before, he refused to do that because he thought politicians are responsible for all the evils in this country. He also promised to increase the number of ministers.

“In a nutshell, the president has not added value to democracy by an inch.”

Asked if there was a chance that the APC would field another presidential candidate other that Buhari, Na’Abba said some party members have hijacked and pocketed the party.

He distanced himself from those endorsing the president for a second term.

“Nigerians have chosen democracy as the system within which and with which they produce their leaders, and that any president who comes must ensure that the democratic architecture is improved substantially because it has been weak, it is still weak and will continue to be weak,” he said.

“After I tell you that I am not going to support him or not, I want you to understand my reason. Today, we have no internal democracy in the country and the quality of leadership has been failing.

“Democracy, economy and society has not grown since 1999 and this is as a result of this tendency. And I have children, grandchildren and it is only when there is democracy that every Nigerian can be able to make it in life.

“There is no way I can support him.

“They said they have endorsed him to contest. I am sure they did not ask the opinion of anybody since they have put the party in their pocket.”

 
http://www.alexreports.info/2018/01/naab...o.html?m=0
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A group rooting for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's election as President on the platform of the PDP in 2019, has said that they are ready to dump the party in the event their principal failed to secure the ticket and decided to leave the party.

Responding to questions ‎from newsmen at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, the National Coordinator of 'IamAtikulated2019' Ike Bishop Okoronkwo appealed to PDP governors, National Working Committee (NWC) and other critical stakeholders to give the ex-VP the ticket.

"We are protégés of Atiku. Wherever he goes, we will go. Whatever he ask us to do, we will do.‎ We are campaigning for transformation of Nigeria’s economy and employment of youths. "And having looked at the profiles of those currently aspiring to contest for President on the platform of PDP for 2019, we have identified Atiku as the only one with the character and content, political will and capacity required to bring the needed transformation that Nigerians are yearning for.

"The majority of the members of this platform, came from the various support groups that vigorously campaigned for General Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 general elections," he said. ‎


https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/amplite/20...ssion=true

A 21-year-old Canadian woman, Cheyenne Rose Antoine of Saskatchewan pleaded guilty to manslaughter. She was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison on Monday, after admitting to killing her best friend, 18-year-old Brittney Gargol in 2015.
Antoine accepted responsibility for strangling Gargol after getting into an argument with her during a night of drinking but added that she did not remember the incident that led to the strangulation or even her friend's death.
Gargol, was discovered fatally injured on a road near the Saskatoon landfill in 2015. She was found unresponsive on the side of Valley Road, on the southern outskirts of Saskatoon. The man who
found her said she was cold to the touch, had no shoes on and was lying on her back. Crown prosecutor Robin Ritter said:
There were never any signs of life detected. She was far too young when she was killed."
according to CBC News; The police found a black belt next to Gargol's body, which had been dumped on the side of a road. She was taken to hospital where she later died.
Once they identified the victim as Gargol, the police went through her social-media accounts and came across a photo of Gargol and Antoine posted to Facebook six hours before Gargol's body was found. In the photo, Antoine was wearing what appeared to be the same black belt that was found at the crime scene.
"It's quite remarkable how the police developed this information," the crown prosecutor Robin Ritter told the court.
The police said Antoine initially tried to cover her tracks. Hours after Gargol was killed, Antoine posted to her friend's Facebook page:
Where are you? Haven't heard from you. Hope you made it home safe."
She also lied about her whereabouts that night to the police. She told them that she had partied with Gargol the night of Gargol's death but had left early to see her uncle and that Gargol had left with an unknown man. The police also reviewed security footage of the bars Antoine said she went to that night and found no trace of her there.
Ultimately, a tip led police to a witness, who said Antoine confessed to the killing that night.  
After getting drunk, Antoine allegedly told the friend that she hit Gargol and strangled her. She showed up at her friend's house, and hysterically confessed to how she had hurt her friend.
"No doubt this young women has issues...and because of those issues she is dangerous," said Ritter.
Antoine was charged with second-degree murder and was due for a preliminary hearing but instead pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter in court Monday afternoon.
The victim's aunt, Jennifer Gargol, told the court how her niece's death had affected the family. "Most days we can't stop thinking about Brittney, what happened that night, what she must have felt fighting for her life," she said. "You feel darkened in your own dark world … You robbed this world of someone who had a special gift."
Kristi Wickenhauser, Gargol's stepmother, said her young daughter, Gargol's sister, feels guilty if a day goes by that she doesn't think of Brittney.
She was five years old at the time of the killing.
"She knows the family would like an explanation, a reason, but unfortunately she can't provide that," said Lisa Watson, Antoine's lawyer.
Though she did not address the court directly, Antoine did issue a statement through her lawyer. 
"I will never forgive myself. Nothing I say or do will ever bring her back. I am very, very sorry...It shouldn't have ever happened," she said.
Gargol was a student at Nutana Collegiate and was studying to obtain her Grade 12 diploma.

Source: CBC News

Amara Kanu is not happy with her husband’s younger brother, Ogbonna and she is not ashamed to admit it publicly on social media as she ranted about him using a ticket meant for her son to accompany his dad to a Leeds game. She accused him of persecuting her all these years thinking she'll die but that she didn't die and will not sit and watch
Ogbonna mess with her kids.

“Not happy” isn’t the word, But Aamara is beyond pissed with Ogbonna, as she’s called him out on Social media, and called him several unprintable names. 
Ogbonna had posted a photo of a ticket to the Leeds United game going down today, and revealed he’d be there live… He wrote as caption on the photo: “Leeds united game today. am there live.” All was going well, until Amara, wife to Ogbonna’s elder brother, Kanu dropped a “brutal comment”. Amara accused Ogbonna of taking advantage of his elder brother, and sabotaging her family.
Here’s what she wrote; “You are a coward and liar. That’s my sons ticket. He was supposed to follow his dad to the Leeds game today but no. You have never allowed Kanu to be in peace with his family. You tried that with me all these years thinking I will die and now you want to come near my children. You can’t. You won’t. Oloshi oloriburuku. Borrow pose. @ogbobekee1, don’t mess with my children’s things or their dad.” Below is a screenshot as obtained by IB9ja.

Simi's mum wedded today and the singer was her Maid-of -Honour. It was reported earlier this year that Ms. Jedidiah Ogunleye will be getting married this January after divorcing her husband 20 years ago.
Ms. Jedidiah Ogunleye and her estranged husband got separated in 1997 and she’s been single ever since. Simi’s mum, who shared the testimony of her engagement at church on the eve of the New Year, said: “I joined this church for over 20 years as a sinner. I will like to say a big thank you to Pastor Sam. My desire has always been to get married. Every Sunday, I’m always ushering couples to their seat and I love to see these couples ushered into the church because marriage is something I so much desire. Getting married has always been a particular goal I rewrite every
year. My daughter Simi once told me that “mummy, this church you are going, it’s just young boys and youths that attend this church, you may never find a man of your age in that church.” But I trusted God too much.
Just this year a man walked into my life and as you can see, I am now engaged and would be getting married in January 2018.”
It was reported that  just before the singer’s mom began sharing her testimony in the church, the congregation was already screaming like they all knew what she was about to say.
Ms Jedidiah, Simi’s mum had to keep the congregation quiet so she could be heard and also share her testimony to the already excited congregation.

She was full of great excitement as she showed off her ring to the whole church. It was just the best time of the year to share such a lovely testimony.
Well today, the singer’s mum walked down the aisle and Simi played Chief Bridesmaid role at the event.
http://www.wivestownhallconnection.com/2...after.html

Sean Donis will be spending 15 years in jail after he has been convicted of burgling and assault. He actually caught his wife cheating with her boss.
In 2016, Nancy Donis, 38 who was Sean Donis’s wife, had told him she was going out to dinner. Donis was at home to look after their 5-year-old son. When he couldn’t find his iPad, he turned on
the Find My iPhone app to locate it. The software showed the electronic device moving toward an unknown location; he knew that his wife must have taken it so he decided to follow her. After trailing the movement of the iPhone, he arrived at a house and opened the unlocked door.
On the second floor, he found his wife in bed with her boss, Albert Lopez, 58. He grabbed his iPhone and then recorded two brief videos of them in bed.
The New Jersey man got a letter last July informing him that a grand jury had indicted him on charges of felony burglary and unlawful surveillance for the April 2016 incident.
 “I feel like it’s unjust what they’re doing to me,” said Donis, 37, to the New York Post in September. “It’s like I’m being punished twice.” He appeared in court in September, where he pleaded not guilty. His second appearance happened on Friday. “I was in fear,” Lopez testified of the moment when Sean Donis caught him in bed with his wife. “I kept telling him, you need to get out of here,” Lopez told the jury hearing Donis’s felony burglary case.
The incident left Lopez traumatized.
I couldn’t go to sleep. I had repeated memories of what occurred. I started to go through the house and check all the doors and make sure they were locked,” he said.
Lopez also testified  that Sean Donis’s wife had told him they were separated and he had the thought that Donis was entirely out of the scene.
The husband’s lawyer, Howard Greenberg, told jurors that the husband actually “deserves a medal,” not a jail sentence, for uncovering his wife’s unfaithfulness without physically harming his rival.
http://www.wivestownhallconnection.com/2...l-for.html

DEAD WOMAN 'GIVES BIRTH' TO STILLBORN BABY TEN DAYS AFTER SHE DIED

Ladies In Borno State Runs After A Handsome Nigerian Soldier For Selfie (Photos)

This Nigerian soldier pictured above is a ladies man in Ngala community in Borno state, he can't dare pass by the community or any of the #IDP camp without the ladies wanting to have a selfie with him.

According to twitter user @danborno, I learnt that he is not just only handsome but a good Nigerian Soldier

He wrote: this soldier serves in #Ngala of #Borno and he can't dare pass by the community or any of the #IDP camp without the ladies wanting to have a selfie with him. I learnt that he is not just only handsome but a good Nigerian Soldier.
http://www.thomasloaded.com/2018/01/ladi...after.html

Another Nigerian Lady Is Looking For A God Fearing And A Virgin Husband

His Joystick Is A Dot, I Almost Cried": Kenyan Lady Calls Out Man After Sex

A Kenyan lady who is identified as Makeri Wangu, has taken disappointment to Facebook to expose a man who boasted about having sex but shockingly to her, his private part was the size of a dot.
Makeri wrote;
Who know ths idiot,I went to a room wit him in Nairobi aninyandue after hyping me tht he wil f*ck me until I scream but when he removed his clothes I cud not see his d*ck.his d*ck is a dot.i almost cried n the way i was horny!what a coakroach.

Cristiano Ronaldo Suffered A Nasty Cut Near His Eye, Uses iPhone Camera To Check His Injury

Real Madrid forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, was left seriously injured and bloodied near his eye during Real Madrid‘s 7-1 victory over Deportivo La Coruna, he had a novel way of checking the extent of his injury. 

As Cristiano Ronaldo netted Madrid’s sixth goal of the game with a header, his face collided with Fabian Schar’s boot and the Portugal international was left on the floor with blood pouring out of his face.

After the 32-year-old was patched up by Madrid’s medical team, Ronaldo asked to use the doctor’s iPhone so that he could get a better look for himself. Ronaldo who scored twice to extend Madrid’s lead did not look happy as he noticed the cut to the side of his right eye.
More photos below;

Lady Totally Goes Nude As Artist Covers Her Body With Paint ( Photos18+)

A Nigerian make up artist and hair stylist (beatbyace) took to his social media page to share pictures of a model who went totally unclad just for body work of art. 

The allegedly model stripped herself off as the artist covered her body in paint (from head to toe).

See another photo below;

CAN Is Deliberately Covering Up By Using The Herdsmen To Perpetrate Evil - Muslim Group

In a statement on Sunday on behalf of  Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) by Khalid Aliyu, the group led by Sa’ad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, says the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is unnecessarily overheating the polity because 2019 is around the corner

According to the Muslim group, CAN is deliberately covering up by using the ‘herdsmen’ debacle as a franchise to perpetrate evil as witnessed in the ‘Boko Haram’ tale.

The herdsmen debacle – it must be understood that this is a coinage mischievously invented by CAN over time and its biased errand boys among media practitioners to stereotype an ethnic group so as to achieve a pre-planned agenda.

Why is the whole herdsmen issue heightened now i.e. 2018? Simply CAN is unnecessarily overheating the polity because 2019 is around the corner. Our take is that CAN should better go and register as a political party and contest election if they want to test their popularity! .

We, nonetheless, make bold to say that CAN is deliberately covering up by using the ‘herdsmen’ debacle as a franchise to perpetrate evil as witnessed in the ‘Boko Haram’ tale. As cases of Christians dressed in Muslims’ garb to bomb churches is still fresh in our memories,” the statement by Aliyu read.

U.S. Stock Index Futures Dip After Government Shutdown Continues

Stock investors gave a muted reaction to the second day of a U.S. government shutdown on Sunday, with U.S. stock index futures dipping only slightly on expectations that the political impasse will not hurt the U.S. economy.

Democrats and Republicans, locked in a bitter dispute over immigration, failed to agree on a last-minute deal to fund government operations, causing a shutdown at midnight on Friday. Moderate senators from both parties held talks on Sunday to try to broker a deal.

Wall Street, which had been resilient to the threat of a shutdown, rose on Friday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq notching record closing highs. Investors shrugged off the threat last week, saying they were not worried about a major pullback in shares if U.S. lawmakers failed to strike a deal.

“These things have no near-term or midterm economic impact whatsoever,” said Michael Purves, chief global strategist and head of derivatives strategy for Weeden & Co in New York.

“They are kind of embarrassing for the United States, but it’s not really going to alter business or consumer confidence,” he said.

Purves said investors should continue to favor stocks given the relative resilience of the U.S. and global economy, and avoid buying U.S. bonds as Treasury yields are likely to climb.

Futures snapshot at 7:13 p.m. EST (0013 GMT):

* S&P 500 e-minis EScv1 were down 4.75 points, or 0.17 percent, with 17,910 contracts changing hands.

* Nasdaq 100 e-minis NQcv1 were down 13.25 points, or 0.19 percent, in volume of 4,519 contracts.

* Dow e-minis 1YMcv1 were down 51 points, or 0.2 percent, with 3,972 contracts changing hands.

* Benchmark 10-year note futures TYv1 last fell 5/32 in price.

(Reuters)

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL (JANUARY PDF => http://bit.ly/2cuJG6M

*DOMINION OVER THIS PRESENT WORLD .*

Monday, January 22nd .
Pastor Chris

_*Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father (Galatians 1:3-4).*_

As new creations in Christ Jesus, we’re engaged in three different worlds at the same time. The first one is what our theme scripture calls “this present evil world.” Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from “this present evil world.” It’s a world of evil, because it’s being dominated from another world.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 calls Satan the god of this world; this present evil world. The Greek word is “aion,” meaning this age, this present system. He became the god of this world as a result of Adam’s high treason against God in the Garden of Eden. Adam forfeited his authority over the earth to Satan, because he (Adam) disobeyed God. Sadly, the unregenerate man lives today, under Satan’s dominion and servitude in this world.

Ephesians 6:12 gives us some further insight. It says, _*“…we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”*_ This shows there’s another world of darkness in this world; it’s called the kingdom of darkness. This present evil world has a spiritual kingdom of darkness that’s dominating it. This kingdom of darkness harbours all the spiritual forces of evil that contend with men in the world.

But thanks be unto God! Colossians 1:13 informs us that God _*“…hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”*_ Thus, in Christ Jesus, we’ve been delivered from the powers of this present evil world, and transferred into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. We live in, and operate from that kingdom NOW.

This should help you further understand what Jesus meant when He said, you’re in the world, but not of this world, because we belong to another realm. We’re only in this world to dominate it, and rule over the powers of darkness, in the same way that Jesus dominated the world in the days of His earth walk. Hallelujah!

*PRAYER*

*Dear Father, I thank you for showing me beautiful realities in your Word. I’m not of this world; I dominate, live above and beyond its systems, economies and economics. I operate by the higher principles of your Kingdom, for greater is He that’s in me than he that’s in the world. Amen.*

*FURTHER STUDY:* *||* *1 Peter 2:9* But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: *||*

*||* *1 John 4:4* Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. *||*

*DAILY SCRIPTURE READING*

*1-Year Bible Reading Plan:* Matthew 15:1-28,
Exodus 1-2

*2-Year Bible Reading Plan:* Acts 11:4-14,
Job 15-16

*EXTRACT FROM:* http://app.rhapsodyofrealities.org/reader/34

*Act Now!!! Give someone the chance for a new start and fresh hope for tomorrow. Follow this link to Donate at least One Copy:* http://bit.ly/ror_sponsor

*Be A Partner Of Rhapsody Of Realities Today!*
Affirmationtrain
# AFFIRMATIONTRAIN 22ND JANUARY.
I affirm that the Father is leading me in the paths of success, victory, and rest by the Holy Spirit, who is my all. I am completely yielded to Him as He leads me to make accurate decisions, and walk in the center of His perfect will, always. I am God’s extension in the earth, and He has vested His power and ability in me to run this world. I reign and rule over circumstances as I chart my course in success and prosperity, and create my victorious path, with my wholesome tongue. The wisdom of God is available to guide and lead me in the right paths to fulfil the dreams and visions that the Father has given unto me. I have wisdom for ministry, for my job, my business, my relationship, finances, health, and family! Hallelujah! I am on top, in charge and in control of circumstances, because Christ lives and reigns gloriously in the earth through me. Blessed be God!
(NEW YEAR http://bit.ly/2dZqtLQ )
This is something to shout about. Keep saying it, don't stop talking it. Remember, your mouth is the edge of a weapon. Refuse to be quiet
You can now reach us on:
• Info@affirmation-train.org
• http://www.affirmation-train.org
God bless you.

The federal government has revealed that work will commence on establishing cattle colonies across the country next week.

Minister of agriculture and rural development, Audu Ogbeh, who disclosed this when he visited the agriculture and veterinary complex of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, however explained that states which are not interested in the idea would be exempted.

He said that the committee working on the matter had decided that activities in this regard would begin by next week.

The government had proposed the establishment of cattle colonies as a way to avert the recurring bloody clashes between herders and farmers that has left hundreds dead and property destroyed.

LEADERSHIP Sunday reports that there is tension in the land following the killings perpetrated by herdsmen in various parts of the country of late, the most prominent being the attacks on Benue communities in the New Year which left 73 people dead and hundreds of houses destroyed.

But some states, including Benue, where Ogbeh hails from, stoutly rejected the establishment of colonies, saying they do not have land for such.

However, defending the concept, Ogbeh said it was part part of the resolutions by the committee set up to resolve the conflict.

“One of the most topical issues we have today is that of farmers and herdsmen clashes,” he said.

“If we do not deal with it quickly, we run the risk of damaging the harmony and the co-existence of Nigeria as a country. The killings are getting too many.

“In our attempt to solve the problem, we have proffered certain solutions, but perhaps we were not sensitive enough to Nigeria’s fragile sensitivities and suspicions.

“When we spoke of colonies, we were immediately greeted with reactions that this was an attempt to seize Nigeria’s land and give to the Fulanis to colonise.

“The intention is not for Fulanis or anyone to colonise any territory.

It is to provide a haven for cattle to graze in peace under controlled environments to prevent the conflicts between farmers and herdsmen.

“Only yesterday, a committee was set up by the vice-president with members, most of them state governors, discussing this matter and resolving that states that are interested will begin work on this matter as soon as next week.’’

Source

NIYI ODEBODE, CHUKWUDI AKASIKE, ENIOLA AKINKUOTU, IHUOMA CHIEDOZIE, ADELANI ADEPEGBA and JUSTIN TYOPUUSU

The North-East zonal Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Alhaji Mafindi Danburam, has said the Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo-led committee on killings by herdsmen would not produce the desired result with the inclusion of Ishaku and Samuel Ortom of Benue.

He told SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday that the two governors, who have promulgated “military decrees” in their states, would make attempt to influence other members of the committee. He said the ban on open grazing was anti-Fulani.

Danburam said, “The committee would not produce the desired result with the inclusion of Governors Darius Ishaku and Samuel Ortom of Benue.

“The two governors, who have promulgated military decrees in their states, will make attempt to influence other members of the committee. The ban on open grazing is anti-Fulani.

“I want to tell you that I am disappointed completely in this present administration because this crisis has been happening for the past three years and the Federal Government did nothing to stop it.”

Also the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, dismissed the Osinbajo panel as diversionary and unnecessary.

It said the committee demonstrated the lack of leadership in the country.

Spokesperson for the group, Yinka Odumakin, said the President should have deployed the necessary security apparatus to apprehend the perpetrators of the killings and put an end to the bloodshed instead of setting up “a nonsensical committee.”

He said, “The President has set up a committee to go and look for what is not lost; Some people are killing others like chickens, the laws are there, the President is keeping quiet and you are now setting up an Osinbajo committee, to go and do what?

“It is like sending the IG to Benue, to go and do what? The committee is diversionary, it is unnecessary and it shows the absence of leadership in the country. The committee is nonsensical,” he stated.

In his submissions, the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prince Uche Achi-Okpaga, accused the President of double standards.

He said instead of setting up a committee to stop herdsmen killings, the government should have deployed the military to check the activities of the cattle breeders.

Speaking with one of our correspondents in Enugu, the Ohanaeze spokesman noted that the Federal Government did not set up any committee before deploying the army against the Indigenous People of Biafra.

Rather than setting up a committee, Achi-Okpaga said, “Buhari should have ordered the army to put a stop to the murderous activities of the herdsmen.”

Similarly, the Taraba State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Yusufu Akirikwen, expressed doubt over the sincerity of the Federal Government in ending the crisis.

“Notwithstanding that my principal is a member, that committee is a deceit; because the Federal Government knows what to do, but is not willing to do it,” he said.

Factional President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Mr. Eric Omare, urged the committee not to work only towards dousing the tension in Benue and other areas affected by herdsmen attacks, but to also go beyond political considerations in ensuring that the nation moved forward.

However, the General Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Bala Ngelzerma, urged the committee to be fair.

Ngelzerma, in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, said the committee should focus on the root cause of the crisis and not just the symptoms.

He said, “We said some days ago that the government should arrest all those found to have killed people in Benue and Taraba. Now that a committee has been set up, our expectation is that justice will be done.”

The party also referred his case to the Governor Seriake Dickson-led Reconciliation Committee.

http://punchng.com/herdsmen-miyetti-allah-afenifere-ohanaeze-reject-osinbajo-panel/

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, his health counterpart, Isaac Adewole, former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, a former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu and some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday launched the South-West campaign office for President Muhammadu Buhari.

The campaign office is located at Mokola, Ibadan. 

However, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, other South-West governors, the leadership of APC in the region and members of the executive council of the state were absent at the event.

The Minister of Communication noted that what Buhari has done in two and half years, the past administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not able to do it in 16 years, adding that Buhari has created jobs for over 200,000 people in Nigeria.

The Minister of Health emphasised unity and the need for eligible voters to ensure that they have their permanent voters’ cards.

Nnamani said the party needed to maintain internal decorum which is the only way to win the forthcoming general elections.

A former governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, warned that the lingering rift between Oyo State governor and Minister of Communication may spell doom for the APC in the state during the 2019 general elections if the party’s national body fails to broker peace.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/2019-ministers-nnamani-kalu-launch-buhari-s-s-west-campaign-office.html

PENDULUM | Letter of Appreciation to Mrs Aisha Buhari – By DeleMomodu


Your Excellency, let me start by telling you that this letter is not intended to flatter you but to show my profound appreciation, and that of so many like minds, for your uncommon sagacity at a time it seems wisdom has taken leave from most people in our dear beloved country and they are more engaged in flights of fancy. You are a classic example of that adage that says “behind every successful man is a woman.” Let me assure you that you are in a class of your own. And I thank God for blessing Nigeria with your kind.

I decided to write this letter only yesterday when I came across your tweets, or retweets, of the Oak Television videos that have since gone viral. I have never seen any wife of a Nigerian President who would openly criticise a government in which she is a major beneficiary. I’m even more surprised that you would voluntarily endorse and promote videos that criticised your government on social media. You may not know it but you’re setting new standards in our country. You shall be called a quintessential pacesetter, when tomorrow comes. I have no doubt that no matter what, when all is said and done, and the present administration is long gone, you would have left behind a positive enduring legacy, an epitome of womanhood and wifely rectitude. My prayer continues to be that we will be able to say the same of your husband, our dear President Muhammadu Buhari, notwithstanding the fact that he now has little time to address and redress so many shortcomings.

I’m certain that if your husband had listened to your wise counsel much earlier he would have, probably, averted the mess in which he is currently enmeshed. Your husband rode to power with so much love and goodwill, the type we’ve not experienced since June 12, 1993, when Chief Moshood Abiola won the Presidential election, fair and square. The expectations were very high, in a similar fashion, in 2015, when majority of the voters, including former critics of your husband chose to support or vote for him. His was a miraculous resurrection. No one expected him to waste such humongous goodwill at all and, nevertheless, not so soon after his return to power. But before we blinked our eyes, things had started falling apart. It took forever to assemble his team. And when he finally did, many wondered why they could not have been selected much earlier, given the nature and calibre of people selected. Indeed, it was as if Nigerians expected that your choices were going to descend from heaven and some angels were going to be appointed. The government started losing steam and stamina from that moment.

Not just that. Your husband’s ruling Party, APC, started a war of attrition in the National Assembly. Some of his biggest supporters were suddenly pounced upon and humiliated publicly while your husband kept a straight poker face, as if he knew nothing or it was not any of his business. This fierce battle inadvertently united and aligned some of his own party faithful with the opposition and they even succeeded in sharing very powerful positions with them. I’m sure your husband had been misled into thinking he still had the power of life and death like he did as a military Head of State after the overthrow of the Shagari regime in 1983. He also forgot an important characteristic of Nigerians, our ability to forgive and forget easily. The same Nigerians who would shout “crucify him” today are the same people who would scream “don’t kill him” for various reasons, ranging from ethnicity to religion or even pecuniary gains. There is also the quotalisation of corruption, a situation where stealing enjoys Federal Character.

As if that was not bad enough, the Nigerian economy suffered its worst cataclysmic fall in decades, perhaps, because of the ill-informed decision of your husband’s government to ban people from depositing United States Dollars into their accounts. As interpreted by laymen like me, a country that desperately needed an injection of foreign exchange into its Central Bank was actually rejecting the medicine it badly needed. Maybe this was the beginning of the end. All manner of freaky controls followed. Kids who were schooling abroad began to suffer untold hardships. Those with scholarships from home were being dishonoured. I remember writing a memo to the President begging him not to offend those kids. Education had always been a major investment in Nigerians and any attempt to deprive our youths the best education at home and abroad was an invitation to trouble. Before the decision was properly sorted, many young people had given up on this government to protect their future. In a country that found easy money for pilgrimages, it was very unfortunate that education was never a priority.

You blew me apart when you found your voice and spoke up openly and candidly and lamented the way your husband’s government was shattering into smithereens. You were in a position to know, and very right to tell the whole world, that your husband was not in charge and that if the situation continued unabated, you were not likely to support his second term bid. Though you were told to mind your own business at the time, the point had been made so eloquently and poignantly. Today, and looking back, it seems, you’re indeed a prophet without honour at home. Everything you said has become gospel truth.

One more example of your admonition to our President. Why would he abandon the key figures who made his winning the election possible? Those Party Chieftains who ensured his electoral victory were either studiously ignored or conveniently abandoned. It was as if the President had laboured alone on what had been a remarkable collaborative effort. As you rightly noted, Ma, the people you started seeing in the Presidential villa were strange faces that you didn’t see in the heat of the battle. I’m aware of the personal efforts you made reaching out to some of such people to appease them and assuage their sore feelings. That is what every good woman and supportive wife should do in the face of wanton disregard and disrespect of the gallant warriors who fought to demolish the PDP behemoth when it was least expected.

Today, the chickens have come home to roost. It appears the President has suddenly woken up from his slumber or maybe the mask of the evildoers has suddenly been lifted and the President we all voted for has come back from the deep. Our President is now under pressure to reach out frantically, and desperately, to the same people who were used and dumped after that landmark election in 2015. The same people you pleaded for and urged should be absorbed and assimilated into an all-inclusive government of patriots who worked to enthrone democratic principles and the change philosophy you became known as the apostle of.

Now, the President is working extra hard, using extra time and effort, to bring back some of those who have been ostracized for no justifiable reason. Suddenly, he is now making appointments which were penciled in almost 3 years ago, leading to an understandably botched exercise. The flaws notwithstanding, key national institutions will be properly administered for the first time in your husband’s tenure. We hope that the necessary refinement of this list of appointees will not take forever again. Time is fast spent and your husband will do well to quickly confirm the authentic list and let those appointed get to work. Others may see it as largesse to the Party Faithful but why not? However, as discerning administrators and observers will know, the essence of these appointments is not just in rewarding Party members but in your husband fulfilling his statutory and constitutional responsibilities and not being seen as running an autocratic, exclusive government. Every government that observes the rule of law and not merely pays lip service to it is on the path of righteousness.

More recently and commendably, Mr President is digging deep. He is now interacting with the people that he needs to move the country forward and ensure that he himself has a lasting legacy. It is gratifying to see the President having meetings and dinners with members of his Party, principal officers of the National Assembly and other key stakeholders. God is indeed wonderful. Those who felt you were seeking relevance, and personal comfort, have now realised your level of patriotism and love for Nigeria, as those things that you yearned for and spoke out about at great peril to your personal comfort and safety are now beginning to happen. It is my prayer that you will yet have the last laugh over the ignominious cabal that seemed to have held your husband hostage and attempted to strangulate our nation in the process. You are a woman of virtue and honour and Nigerians can’t appreciate you enough. So this weekend, on behalf of my fellow citizens I say bravo and doff my heart to a gentle Amazon, beautiful soul, visionary woman and invite my fellow Nigerians to do the same!

May God continue to bless and protect you and your family.

http://www.signalng.com/pendulum-letter-appreciation-mrs-aisha-buhari-delemomodu/

This is getting out of hands.. The government has got to WAKE UP in order to contain this series of unwarranted attacks and killings. According to a political analyst, Pwavidon Ezekiel, scores were killed again today following attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen on Bachama people in Kikon village, Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa.

The villagers were gruesomely murdered in the attack which is said to have occurred around 1:15 am to 2:am today with no security agents in sight. Houses and properties were also set ablaze by the attackers. They also reportedly carted away cattle belonging to the farmers. 

This attack is the latest, following raids by herdsmen on Mbang and Baga villages of Numan Local Government Area in the last two weeks.

Source; https://www.nationalhelm.co/2018/01/fulani-herdsmen-attack-adamawa-community-kill-scores-villagers-photos.html





Re: Fulani Herdsmen Kill Adamawa Villagers, Burn Houses (Graphic Photos) https://www.nationalhelm.co/2018/01/fulani-herdsmen-attack-adamawa-community-kill-scores-villagers-photos.html

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

SUNDAY, 21ST JANUARY.

Pastor Chris

TOPIC ✨ IT’S DESIGNED JUST FOR YOU✨

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Just as there’re bespoke clothes, bags, and shoes, etc., there’re also “bespoke problems,” customized just for you. The challenges you face in life aren’t planned for anybody else, but you. So, make up your mind to be excited for the peculiar challenges that come your way, for they’re yours to overcome.

It’s the reason the Word says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations” (James 1:2). You’re destined to prevail. Problems gravitate only towards their solution. So, welcome trouble. Your attitude towards life’s challenges should be that of absolute success and total victory, irrespective of the situation.

The problem you have in your life isn’t the issue, and it’s not how you feel about it that gets God’s attention. What gets His attention is what you do about it. He’s not “troubled” by the severity of the problems you face, because He knows you’re born of Him; you’re more than a conqueror. All He wants you to do is to learn His Word, and get the wisdom of the Kingdom working in your spirit, so that you’ll always respond the right way. When you face every challenge with Kingdom-response, you’ll never lose.

2 Corinthians 4:17 says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” The quality and potential of the troubles that come your way determine the quality of your personality, your promotion, and the place that God has set for you. The smaller your troubles, the smaller your rank will be.

Be inspired by people who have faced tough times and prevailed; not by lily-livered individuals who chickened out in the day of adversity. The Bible says if you give up in the day of adversity, you’re of a poor specimen (Proverbs 24:10 TLB). Confront challenges and win. If you think your challenges are great, happy are you, for that means you’re great; it’s your opportunity to prove the Word. Face that problem head on! Your faith is all that you need. Your faith in the Word will always prevail and put you over.

PRAYER
I thank you, blessed Father, for the power of your Word, and its ability to produce results in my life. My faith is increased and strengthened to rule over circumstances, and overcome any challenge that may come my way today, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:
2 Corinthians 4:7-9 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 [We are] troubled on every side, yet not distressed; [we are] perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

1 Corinthians 10:13 AMPC For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not [a]adjusted and [b]adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to [c]a landing place), that you may be capable andstrong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.

1-Year Bible Reading Plan: Matthew 14:13-36, Genesis 49-50
2-Year Bible Reading Plan: Acts 10:44-11:1-3, Job 1
Affirmationtrain
# AFFIRMATIONTRAIN 21ST JANUARY.
I affirm that the Name of Jesus has been given unto me to live by, and that Name is working mightily for me. It is producing great results in every area of my life! In the Name of Jesus, I am the head and not the tail. Though I live in this world, I am conscious that I am not of this world. I am from above: and he that is from above is above all. I am above the negative and corruptive systems of this world. Hallelujah! The Name of Jesus is named upon me and there's no devil or demons that can successfully stand against me. Life situations and circumstances bows at the mention of that Name Jesus. All authority in heaven and on earth, and even beneath the earth has been given unto me because I function in the Name and in the place of Jesus here on earth. I am an ambassador of the Kingdom of God and a member of the body of Christ here on earth. Whatever I do or say here on earth is backed up by heaven. Hallelujah! Even as I speak now, Angels are dispatched on my behalf for my favour. Glory to God!
(NEW YEAR http://bit.ly/2dZqtLQ )
This is something to shout about. Keep saying it, don't stop talking it. Remember, your mouth is the edge of a weapon. Refuse to be quiet
You can now reach us on:
• Info@affirmation-train.org
• http://www.affirmation-train.org
God bless you.

President Muhammadu Buhari has again commended the role played by immediate-past President Goodluck Jonathan in ensuring smooth transition of power in 2015.

He said he went into temporary coma on receiving Jonathan’s call in which he conceded defeat even before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially declared the result.

Buhari made this known when some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) paid him a courtesy call at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.


He said, “The PVCs worked well in 2015. That was why when the former President rang me, I went temporarily into a coma. I will never forget the time. It was quarter after 5:00 p.m. and he said he called to congratulate me and that he has conceded defeat. He asked if I heard him and I said yes and I thanked him for his statesmanship.

“The truth is after being a deputy governor, a governor, Vice-president and President for six years, and he took that decision is great. He could have caused some problems. He had stayed long enough to cause problems.”

Buhari also recalled some interesting circumstances preceding his victory in 2015.

He said, “I am the only politician that ended up three times in the Supreme Court and still virtually refused to give up.

“There is one thing that disabused my mind in a dispassionate way about ethnicity and religion across the country. You know that tribunal for presidential election started at High Court of Appeal. The President was my classmate. I missed only four of the court sittings.

“For that first phase in 2003, we were in court for 30 months. My legal leader was Chief Ahamba (SAN), an Igbo man. He asked the panel of judges to direct INEC to produce the voters register to prove to you that the election was done underground.

“When they came to write the judgment, they completely omitted that. Another Igbo man, a Roman Catholic, in the panel of judges wrote a minority report.

“I went to the Supreme Court. Who was the Chief Justice? An Hausa Fulani, a Muslim from Zaria. After 27 months, Ahamba presented our case for two hours and 45 minutes. The Chief Justice got up and said they were going on break and when they return the following day, they will deliver the judgment. They went away for three months. That was what made it 30 months.

“And when they came back, they discussed my case within 45 minutes. In 2007, who was the Chief Justice? A Muslim from Niger State.

“The third one, who was the Chief Justice? My neighbour from Jigawa State. The same religion and the same tribe.
“Finally, the determination of our people and technology: the Permanent Voters Cards made it possible for us to be here.

“Voters’ education is important. Let people be educated that it is their right to choose leaders of their choice.

“There is something that hit me very hard and I am happy I hit it back at somebody. Seven states of the North are only represented in my cabinet by junior ministers, ministers of state. In South East, I got 198,000 votes but I have four substantive ministers and seven junior ministers from there.

“You are closer to the people than myself, now that I have been locked up here, don’t allow anybody to talk of ethnicity. It is not true.

“I felt I should invite you and eat together and to tell you that as I am sitting here, I am very much aware of the problems in this country and that I will always reflect on the historical antecedents before I arrived here.

“I keep telling people that while I was in uniform, quite reckless and young, I got all the ministers and governors, and put them in Kirikiri. I said they were guilty until they could prove their innocence. I was also detained too.

“I decided to drop the uniform and come back. Eventually, I am here. So really, I have gone through it over and over again. This is why I am not in a hurry virtually to do anything. I will sit and reflect and continue with my clear conscience.

“I thank you for honouring my invitation and I am telling you that if I don’t ring you or call you, it is not because I ever forgot how you supported me at one stage or the other over the years from 2003 till now.”

Source: http://www.herald.ng/2015-i-went-into-co...ll-buhari/
3

Wife of President Buhari, Aisha Buhari, yesterday shared videos of Senator Ben Murray Bruce and Senator Isah Misau, on her social media handles, criticising her husband, President Buhari's government. Both Senators during plenary, called out President Buhari for his inactions towards many national issues. Senator Misau went on to say that the cabal was in charge of the government, a point Aisha Buhari had also raised sometime last year. watch the video below

Ben Bruce took to his twitter page to commend her for speaking out in her own way. See his tweet below

http://www.metronaija.ng/ben-bruce-commends-aisha-buhari/

The Senator who represents Kaduna Central in the Senate, said this when he spoke at a national conference organized by the Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria (FIBAN) in Abeokuta, Ogun state on Thursday January 18th.

All is not well with this country. This is the wrong time to shed blood in Nigeria. If you think that people in power will stop the problem in the country, you are in for a fool’s ride. The attention of people is how to win elections and not how they can end senseless killings and bloodshed. It would require a mass, peaceful march in the streets from Nigerians to recharge the conscience of people in power. Nigerians are dying in hundreds and in thousands and some people felt what is important is INEC timetable, when is elections and when is primaries. It is difficult to hear any public office holder speak the truth because of political calculations. Anybody who says we are not in crisis now is deceiving himself. We are only differentiated by names. The PDP came into existence because there is a need to have a national party that will take over from the military. The APC came into power to de-establish the PDP and drive Jonathan out of power and in the process, we have all sorts of people. When I see some of my colleagues trying to come into our party, I ask them: have you found out how those of us in the party are fairing? Most of you will end up from Syria to Afghanistan. All is not well with this country,” he said

http://www.metronaija.ng/moving-pdp-apc-like-moving-syria-afghanistansenator-shehu-sani/

A farmer has been killed by Fulani herdsmen in Onicha Olona, Delta.According to an online user who shared the story,a young vibrant Ebonyi state born farmer named Ifeanyi who resides in Agba and farms in Ogbe-Obi was shot dead yesterday evening by Fulani herdsmen.

According to report, he was working in his farm when 3 Fulani herdsmen set a nearby bush ablaze. Having done this, Ifeanyi confronted and asked them why they did it. An argument ensued and the young man was shot at the chest at close range. 

The police and some youths brought and deposited the dead body in the Onicha Olona hospital morgue.  


Source: http://www.trezzyhelm.com/2018/01/fulani-herdsmen-shoot-farmer-dead-in.html?m=1

Rear Adm. Victor Adedipe, the outgone Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Calabar, says the command destroyed no fewer than 150 illegal refineries between June 2017 and January 2018.

Adedipe said that the illegal refineries destroyed within the Command’s area of operation included those within the maritime domain of Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.

Adedipe said this during the handing over of the command to his successor, Rear Adm. Matthew Emuekpere in Calabar.

Adedipe said that since his resumption on June 29, 2017, the command had witnessed drastic reduction of crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and piracy.

According to him, the successes were achieved by the constant patrol by naval personnel at sea, adding that the command also repelled the hijack of several ships on the sea.

“During my time in the command, myself and my team were able to make our contributions principally in two key areas which are operations and welfare.

“Within the period, we were able to shut down 150 illegal refineries within the command’s area of operations. This was due to our aggressive anti-crude and illegal bunkering patrol.



“In the area of welfare, with very strong support from the Naval Headquarters, the command was able to add value to its entire barracks,’’ he said.

He also commended other security agencies, the host community and the governments of Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States for their support and solicits the same support for his successor.

“I also acknowledge the contributions of the Naval personnel and civilian staff that served in the command under my leadership and urge them to continue to give the same level of loyalty, commitment and support to the new FOC,’’ he said.

Emuekpere in his response after receiving the flag of command and leadership commended Adedipe for his dynamic leadership in the command.

He thanked all those that helped Adedipe to succeed and urged that the same level of support be given to him to enable the command achieve its set objectives.

“I have formally served in this command as a young officer. I wish to solicit the support of all personnel within the command to help us move the Nigerian Navy to greater heights,’’ he said.

>>> https://groovenaija360.com.ng/nigerian-navy-destroys-150-illegal-refineries/

Quote:

ALL hell was let loose on Sunday January 14, 2018 as hoodlums unleashed terror on residents of Ipaja, a Lagos suburb, during a fracas at an event organised by a white garment church.

The pandemonium broke out between 7pm and 9.30 pm, following a fight between some youths during a ceremony organised by Fogofoluwa Cherubim and Seraphim Church on Gbadamosi Close, Pako area of Baruwa, Ipaja.

Witnesses disclosed that the church was celebrating one of their members who had just returned from trance, when a disagreement between two youths over a girl led to a scuffle.

One of the youths at the event was said to have attacked a boy for dancing suggestively with his girlfriend.

The altercation led to a fight during which the girl’s boyfriend was brutalised and he left the event only for him to return with over 100 hoodlums. They attacked everyone in sight as people scampered into safety.

Scores of residents were brutalised and stabbed as the warring youths freely used dangerous weapons including cutlass and broken bottles to attack themselves and innocent bystanders.

The hoodlums allegedly moved from house to house, attacking residents and dispossessing them of their valuables.

It took the intervention of men of the Ipaja Police Division to restore normalcy in the neighbourhood, while some of the perpetrators were arrested.

The police were said to have rushed some of the victims to a nearby private hospital where they are still receiving treatment for machete cuts.

It was learnt that some of the perpetrators were arrested and detained at the Ipaja Police Station, but they were later released on bail following the intervention of some community leaders.

One of the victims, Sheriff Aremo, a bricklayer cum commercial motorcycle operator popularly called okada, had barely returned home from a visit to his pastor when the hoodlums swooped on him.

He was stabbed in the head and robbed of N40, 000 while the hoodlums searched his room for valuables.

Recalling his ordeal, Aremo said:”I had just returned from the residence of my pastor around 9.30 pm on my motorbike, when those who were beaten up at the event returned with some hoodlums. 

They stormed my residence and beat me to a pulp. They hacked me with machete on several parts of my head. They also stole my handset and stole N40, 000 from my room, money I saved up to start a small business later this year.

“The hoodlums also attacked other people especially those who were taking fresh air outside their homes. We were later brought to the hospital by policemen attached to Ipaja Police Division who arrived the scene to disperse the mob and arrest some of the perpetrators.

“There was a young man like me who was also brutalised and stabbed in the head.

The wound on the man’s head was so deep that two fingers could be slotted into it without being seen at all.”

The 25-year-old native of Abeokuta, Ogun State, claimed he had been abandoned in the hospital as the police has refused to compel the perpetrators to pay for his treatment at the hospital.

“I am one of those brought to this

Quote:
Felix Ojirike on the hospital bed



It was double tragedy for a young man, Felix Ojirike who was brutally attacked by his neighbour as he lost his eye after the attack by one Chidera Eze who was accused of sleeping with Ojirike’s wife in Lagos.

The incident happened at Sanni Dauda Street in Ejigbo, Lagos where they resided.

P.M.EXPRESS scooped that one of the Ojirike’s eyes was badly damaged, he cannot see with it as he was still lying critical ill at West Care Hospital in Ejigbo, Lagos.

It was gathered that trouble started after the neighbours informed Ojirike that Eze who was an Okada rider used to sleep with his wife whenever Ojirike went to work. 

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that after the neighbours had informed Ojirike that Eze usually left early for work but comes back after he had gone to his own work to stay with his wife, an embattled Ojirike then decided to find out if what their neighbours told him was true. He reportedly prepared and informed the wife that he had gone to work but later came back and met his wife on top of Eze’s bed.

P.M.EXPRESS learnt that it became an issue in the neighbourhood which led to exchange of bitter words that eventually resulted into a public fight between Ojirike and Eze in the compound. 

During the fight, Eze reportedly took a sharp object and stabbed Ojirike’s eye. He was rushed to the hospital where he was being treated.

The incident was reported to the police at Ejigbo Division; Eze was arrested and detained at the police station.

When our correspondent visited Ojirike in the hospital, he confirmed the incident and narrated how he caught Eze with his wife.

However, Eze denied that he had sleeping with Ojirike’s wife and explained that it was their neighbours that caused the whole trouble between him and Ojirike by lying against him. 

But he was unable to explain what Ojirike’s wife was doing in his room apartment when her husband was not around.

At the police station where Eze was detained, the police source confirmed the assault and detention of Eze and said he will soon be charged to court.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that Eze was brought before Ejigbo Magistrates court on Friday and was remanded in prison custody for the alleged offence.

An Abuja based lawyer, Onyemobi Chucks has been accused of raping a 17-year-old girl identified as Esther Monday after allegedly tying her down and assaulting her. It has been gathered that the lawyer has been detained in Gwarimpa police station and will be there throughout the weekend.....

Read what a reporter with Independent Nigeria, Nicholas Uwerunonye shared online;

I bring before you a matter concerning Esther Monday, 17, allegedly assaulted, gagged, tied down and raped by a certain Onyemobi Ochiagha Chucks, a lawyer based in Abuja. I was at the Gwarimpa Police Station where I monitored the proceedings for more than six hours.

According to Monday, she began working for Chucks barely a week ago after she replaced a relative of hers at his house when she had to go back to Kafanchan, Kaduna State. Monday is one of thousands of young vulnerable girls who come to urban areas in search of menial jobs. Chucks had specifically requested Monday's Guardian to provide an alternative for the relative who wanted to take a break.

Chucks initially engaged Monday to clean his house and water the garden in his home in Gwarimpa. But on Thursday, the lawyer curiously asked her to move to his office, also, in Gwarimpa to help in cleaning and office work. Unsuspecting, the poor girl went along. After working and cleaning the place, Chucks allegedly began making overtures to her; complementing her on her beauty...

As she further narrated, her boss suddenly stood up, went to the door, bolted it; headed to the windows and sealed them. Monday was too petrified to act initially. Then the lawyer pounced on her, tied her up, gagged and blindfolded her. Chucks, according to her, went ahead to strip her Unclad. He forcefully had canal knowledge of her, she alleged. It was Monday's first sexual encounter, she claimed at the police station. Rather than release the girl, the lawyer still kept her detained.

He further seized her phone from her, extracted the sim card. After some hours, he ordered the girl to go back to his house warning her not to say a word. To ensure compliance, he took the girl to the road and put her in a commercial tricycle giving direction to the driver to take the girl to his own house. It was at this point the girl took the initiatives that have probably saved her life.

Explaining in Hausa, she narrated her ordeal to the driver and begged him to give her his phone because hers had had its sim card removed by the lawyer. The driver obliged her.

With the phone, she called her guardian who rushed over to the lawyers house to rescue her.

I got all this details from the girl and her guardians at the police station. I got to the police at about 5.pm and began further enquiry. At face value, the police appeared to have been professional. After listening to her , they took the girl to a hospital for medical confirmation of her claim. They summoned the lawyer who delayed coming to the station. I called his number, too, but he simply said he doesn't know me and wouldn't speak to me. At about 8 pm the lawyer came to the police station.

After making initial conversation with the DPO, the girl and the lawyer were again taken to the hospital. Some hours later, they returned. I gathered that the lawyer refused to submit himself for test. But I was reliably informed that the doctors said he could perceive the smell of sperm in her Vagina. Curiously, I noticed that some police officers began to be apprehensive at my presence at the station, one of them, a tall dark complexioned youngman with drooping eyelids.

He summoned me after he saw that I had closely been watching his movements with the lawyer. He first attempted to throw the relatives of the girl out of the station but failed. Then he came over to me asking what I was doing at the station. After calmly showing him my ID, he then asked me how I got to know about the case. "Who told you that the man has been indicted, " he asked.

After calmly explaining to him that I am at no liberty to disclose my source, I further went ahead to tell him that story writing for a good reporter doesn't begin after indictment. He reluctantly gave it rest.

Colleagues, I am headed back to the station to speak with the DPO to get a clearer perspective on the matter. While not indicting the lawyer of any crime, I believe that the man has some explaining to do, especially given the maneuvers I personally saw him pull. Chucks, the lawyer, is Igbo, like me, and so is the police officer who tried to intimidate me and the girl's relative. Esther Monday is from Kafanchan and I do not know her. This is about justice and it knows no tribe. I am sending out this message because I understand how things are done in this country, no matter how we pretend otherwise.

Source; https://www.nationalhelm.co/2018/01/abuja-based-lawyer-arrested-rapping-17-year-old-girl-house-photos.html

Lagos based lawyer and activist, Barrister Festus Keyamo (SAN) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris over his alleged illegal arrest, detention and trial of two brothers, Daniel and Tim Elombah.
In the open letter, Keyamo who is the solicitor to the two brothers accused the IGP of display of high handedness in their arrest over a publication allegedly published against him.
The petition, dated Monday, January 15, 2018 and signed by Festus Keyamo, SAN, was titled ‘Open Petition Against The Inspector-General Of Police, Ibrahim Idris, In Respect Of High-Handedness And Abuse Of Office In Ordering The Illegal Arrest, Detention And Trial Of Online Journalists (The Elombah Brothers).
The lawyer accused the IGP Idris of sending men and officers of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad to invade the family compound of the Elombah brothers in Edoji, Uruagu Nnewi, Anambra State without telling them the offence they have committed.
See The Petition Below:
We are solicitors to Daniel and Tim Elombah and we have been briefed as follows: Our clients are the Publisher and Editor respectively of the UK-based online news website called Elombah.com.
Daniel Elombah is also a lawyer by profession. On or about the 1st day of January, 2018, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, caused the men and officers of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad to invade the family compound of our clients in Edoji, Uruagu Nnewi, Anambra State.
Six persons (including our clients) were arrested, handcuffed like common criminals and driven to the SARS office in Nnewi.
They were subsequently taken to the SARS headquarters in Awkuzu, near Awka. Up till this point, our clients were not informed of the reason(s) for their arrests.
It was at SARS headquarters in Awkuzu that our clients were handed over to other armed officers who identified themselves as being from Special Tactical Squad, S.T.S, a team that works directly in the office of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris. Our clients and one Izuchukwu Elombah were then taken all the way by road (and in handcuffs) to Abuja.
It was in Abuja that the officers then subjected our clients to hours of grueling interrogation regarding an article published in another blog called opinionnigeria.com, titled ‘IGP Ibrahim Idris’s Unending Baggage of Controversies”.
The article in question was not published by our clients’ blog, Elombah.com, and our clients denied any link to the author, one Ebiowei Dickson. Daniel and Izuchukwu Elombah were eventually released on bail, but have been made to report constantly since then.
However, the Police got a Remand Order to detain Tim for seven days which expired more than a week ago and the Police are still holding Tim illegally. We now understand that the Police have prepared a Charge against our clients and they would soon be arraigned.
Your Excellency, it is shocking and alarming, to say the least, that the Inspector-General of Police deployed the officers and men of special police squads like SARS and STS, which are established to fight serious and violent crimes, to settle a purely private grievance with on-line journalists.
If at all an offence was committed by the said published article (which is not conceded) a simple civil invitation to our clients would have sufficed. But to use such strong-arm tactics to reign in our clients was a gross abuse of his office and an employment of stone-age tactics in pursuing his personal grievance.
He has further displayed his personal vendetta by refusing to release Tim Elombah long after the detention order has expired. This is one of the worst forms of abuse of human rights.
Your Excellency, such practices should be clearly unacceptable under your watch. A situation where your appointees ride rough shod over innocent citizens or use the positions to which you appointed them to settle personal scores should, ordinarily, rankle you and cause you to intervene.
It should be more so as the substance of the matter has to do with the criticism of the personal life of a public officer by the Fourth Estate of the Realm, a practice that has come to be recognized as one of the components of a thriving democracy.
If a public officer cannot tolerate or stomach harsh criticisms, he has no business occupying public office.
It is in the light of the above we urge you to use your good offices to order an investigation into this crass display of power and indiscretion by the Inspector-General of Police and mete out appropriate sanctions against him, which may include the extreme step of relieving him of his position.
http://www.metronaija.ng/elombah-brother...ction-igp/

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL (JANUARY PDF => http://bit.ly/2cuJG6M

*WORDS OF FAITH .*

Saturday, January 20th .
Pastor Chris

_*For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith (Mark 11:23).*_

2 Corinthians 4:13 says, _*“We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak”*_; we speak words of faith. Our faith is the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4). We tame and rule the world, and reign over circumstances through our faith proclamations.

As a child of God, you’re not a loser; you’ve already been declared a victor. You’re more than a conqueror. Maintain your victory by speaking faith-filled words. Faith is expressed primarily through your words; you’re not different from your words. The things that happen with you, and to you in life, are the result of your words; the reason you must talk right and vocalize your faith always.

Understand this: Satan can’t stop your success; he’s been defeated. In Luke 10:18-19, Jesus said, _*“…I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”*_ Colossians 2:15 presents a more vivid imagery of the victory of Jesus over Satan and his cohorts of hell: _*“And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”*_

Therefore, if the circumstances of your life aren’t in sync with the life of victory and dominion that Christ has obtained for you, it’s your responsibility to effect a change. Don’t cry about it; don’t gripe over it; speak words of faith. Perhaps you’ve been experiencing challenges in your health, speak and effect a change! Jesus said you shall have what you say; therefore, speak the Word. It may be in your job, finances, or family; refuse to accept defeat. Declare victory.

Your blessing is in your mouth. Don’t complain about the predicament; talk to it. Command a change in the Name of Jesus, and it shall be so. Glory to God!

*CONFESSION*

*I have the overcoming, indestructible, unconquerable life of God, and I walk in this consciousness always. I live perpetually in victory, health, dominion, and righteousness. The Word of faith is in my heart and in my mouth so strong, prevailing over circumstances, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.*

*FURTHER STUDY:* *||* *Job 22:28* Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. *||*

*||* *Ecclesiastes 8:4* Where the word of a king [is, there is] power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou? *||*

*||* *1 Timothy 6:12* Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. *||*

*DAILY SCRIPTURE READING*

*1-Year Bible Reading Plan:* Matthew 13:44-14:1-12,
Genesis 46-48

*2-Year Bible Reading Plan:* Acts 10:34-43,
Job 11-12

*EXTRACT FROM:* http://app.rhapsodyofrealities.org/reader/34

*Act Now!!! Give someone the chance for a new start and fresh hope for tomorrow. Follow this link to Donate at least One Copy:* http://bit.ly/ror_sponsor

*Be A Partner Of Rhapsody Of Realities Today!*
Affirmationtrain
# AFFIRMATIONTRAIN 20TH JANUARY.
I affirm that I am great, and I have a destiny of greatness in Christ. I was born into greatness and honour; therefore, I am made forever. Christ dwells in my heart by faith; I am rooted and grounded in love, and able to comprehend the boundless, immeasurable, intimately infinite, and unconditional love of God. Thus, I am filled with all the fulness of God. Christ is my excellent wisdom. I have an excellent mind; everything I do turns out right, because I live in the will of God, guided, guarded, and propelled by wisdom. Hallelujah! I reign in life, for I've received an overflowing of grace and the gift of righteousness. Today and always, I relish this supernatural grace that God has lavishly bestowed upon me to excel, prosper, succeed, and make progress in every area of my life. The greater One lives in me, and He has made me bigger, greater, and superior to inflation, insecurity, sickness, disease, and the devil. I am a victor in Christ Jesus! God's divine blessings and promotions are evident in my life. Glory to God. Hallelujah!
(NEW YEAR http://bit.ly/2dZqtLQ )
This is something to shout about. Keep saying it, don't stop talking it. Remember, your mouth is the edge of a weapon. Refuse to be quiet
You can now reach us on:
• Info@affirmation-train.org
• http://www.affirmation-train.org
God bless you.

A 12-Year old identified as Ojonugwa was reportedly set ablaze by criminals in Ogugu, Olamaboro Local Government Area of the Kogi State because of a mobile phone. According to reports, the young boy knew the criminals who stole the phone and for the fear of testifying against them, they grabbed the boy, rode on their motorcycle to a distant place, dropped the boy, asked him to lie flat and cover his eyes.

The boy obliged, the three thieves drew gasoline from their motorcycle poured on Ojonugwa and lit him up just to kill the evidence.

It was gathered that Ojonugwa then dragged himself and dived into a drum of water after the assailants thought it was the end for him and abandoned him.

Kogi state Chief of Staff, Mr. Edward Onoja paid the young boy a visit in the hospital to show support.

Ojonugwa who has been transferred from a hospital in Lokoja to Abuja - is been handled by team of foreign and indigenous doctors and his situation is said to be improving fast...

Source; https://www.nationalhelm.co/2018/01/thieves-set-12-year-old-boy-fire-order-not-identify-photos.html

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has explained why it pays ‘subsidy’ on petrol without appropriation from the National Assembly.

Managing Director of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company, PPMC, an NNPC arm, Umar Ajiya, said the NNPC Act is a law on its own which the corporation implements with or without the National Assembly.

Ajiya told Channels Television on Friday that the NNPC has the right to run its finances independently.

He admitted that the corporation has been paying N26 due to differentials in land landing cost and approved selling price but declined to tag it subsidy.

“For us, it’s not a question of subsidy, we don’t know about subsidy. It was not budgeted for but the act establishing us, the National Assembly knows clearly that in that same act, there is a provision that we can run our operation and recover our cost fully.

“There is a difference between the landing cost and the price we are selling but what we are saying is that is part of our core structure.

“The NNPC act is a law on itself and the National Assembly is the one responsible for enacting laws, so, if there is any remedy or solution; as one of the senators, the issue is look into the Act establishing these entities; NNPC,CBN etc.”

The PPMC boss attributed the recent fuel queues to poor transportation system in the country, which has hampered smooth circulation of products, and dubious purchase in major cities.

He said, “For the last one week, there is no blessed day that trucks do not fall off the road between Jebba and Mokwa and this is the link way where these products are brought from the depot especially from the south to the north, especially Abuja.

“We had to mobilise to do palliative repairs and pull off the trucks to ensure that trucks move. On top of that, the channels from which we transport these products from the ships offshore Lagos to Warri was blocked by another vessel. We equally have to mobilise together with the owner of the vessel to try to remove that ship. That channel has not been dredged for a long time.

“Two, there is an issue of capacity to regulate effectively the price cap. DPR is trying its best but what is happening is that in the major cities of this country where you have the major marketers, and also the mega stations of NNPC, people get the fuel for N145 but when you go to the outskirts of the city, it is sold beyond that price and as such, motorists come into the city early morning to queue up and late in the evening, refuel their gas and go back. It reached a stage that the taxi drivers have now found a very lucrative job of buying the fuel in the city and going back to the outskirts to sell at high price.”

He was, however, quick to add that these problems were inherited from previous administrations.

“These are consequences of inherited state of infrastructure we are living with. The administration also inherited an empty treasury. So, we couldn’t overnight repair all these roads.”


http://dailypost.ng/2018/01/19/pay-subsidy-without-national-assemblys-permission-nnpc/

Quote:Lies, propaganda defined 2015 elections —Lamido

Lamido, who accused the APC administration of lying itself to power, also took a swipe at the President, describing him as “intolerant and vengeful.”

Speaking directly to the President, Lamido said: “If you destroy too much, one day you will also lead. Mr President, I am sure when you were coming here, you saw fuel queues everywhere. You are the Minister of Petroleum. When are you going to demonstrate and go on strike?

“Typical of you, APC, you have not been able to metamorphose from an opposition party to a party in government. Same old rhetorics. More blame games, more problems. Telling lies, that is what you are, your party, not you as a person.

“The election in 2007 was among three northerners who are Fulani. Gen. Buhari, Atiku Abubakar and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. We are talking about tolerance and making sacrifices, which you (Buhari) tried to allude to.

‘’After the elections, PDP with about 27 governors and a number of local governments in Nigeria won the elections. The two other northerners went to the tribunal and lost; went up to the Supreme Court and lost.

“If you go by their pedigree, and again I mean no offence, Yar’Adua was the most qualified democrat among them. He was a northerner, a Fulani like them. He was not Ijaw. He was not Jonathan, but even at that, they never forgave Yar’Adua up till when he died.

Council of State meeting

‘’For the over two years that Yar’Adua was president, Gen. Buhari never attended the Council of State meeting. When Yar’Adua became sick, the pressure and harassment he went through in the National Assembly, some of us stood by him but we were not being seen as northerners or PDP.

‘’When God took him, the first (Council of State) meeting that the then President Jonathan called, the first to be there was Gen. Buhari. It says so much about tolerance. It says so much about vendetta. It says so much about hate.

“Thereafter in the PDP, somehow, Jonathan ran in 2011 and those who are now preaching tolerance were not tolerant. He (Buhari) refused to concede and in the north, people like us were villified and blackmailed. I was called a ‘pastor’, a preacher because I had a contrary opinion.

“APC is telling us what government should do after three years in power. APC should tell us what they have failed to do.”

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday approved a television licence for the University of Lagos (UNILAG TV).

This was disclosed after a meeting with the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, and the Senior Special Assistant, Garba Shehu, at the Presidential Villa.

Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said the approval of the TV station was a confirmation of the president’s position on promoting free press and unhindered access to information.

Ogundipe said the TV station would enhance research-oriented education and ease communication within and outside the university campus.

“It is now on record that the present administration signed the first campus TV licence and we remain deeply grateful to the president.

“The university is a brand. We want the university to be the research hub in Africa, and we are working towards being among the best three in the entire continent,’’ he said.

Adesina, while congratulating the vice chancellor on the new development, said President Buhari was fully committed to improving the standard of education in the country.

http://fabinfos.com/buhari-approves-unilag-tv-license/

Quote:ABUJA—The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, declined to set-aside the order that designated the Indigeniuos People of Biafra, IPOB, as a terrorist organisation.

The court, in a ruling that was delivered by the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdul Abdu-Kafarati, dismissed the application IPOB filed to challenge the September 20, 2017, order that outlawed its activities in Nigeria.

Justice Kafarati said he was persuaded by an affidavit evidence and exhibits the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, adduced before the court, which he said showed that existence of the IPOB constituted a threat to national security.

Though he acknowledged that every Nigerian citizen has the right to assemble freely and to form or belong to any association for the protection of his interests, Justice Kafarati however stressed that under section 45 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, such right could be curtailed “in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health”, as well as “for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom of other persons”.

He further dismissed the argument of counsel to the IPOB, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, that the group, not being a registered entity in Nigeria, could not be validly sued by the Federal Government.

The court maintained that the fact that IPOB claimed that it was registered in so many countries outside Nigeria, did not exculpate it from legal liabilities if it was found to have by its activities, violated any law in Nigeria

“The question is whether a foreigner in Nigeria is subject to Nigerian law? Can that foreigner be arrested and prosecuted in Nigeria? The answer is yes.

“It is therefore my considered view that the argument of Ejiofor has no basis. I hold that the applicant is subject to Nigerian law and courts”, the Judge added.

More so, he held that the proscription order he issued against IPOB in chambers was proper in law since it was based on an ex-parte motion that was anchored on provisions of the Terrorism Prevention Act, adding that the motion was backed with “Presidential approval.”

Consequently, it resolved all three issues that were formulated against the proscription order against the IPOB, and also awarded a cost of N500, 000 against the outlawed group.

Meanwhile, shortly after the judgment, IPOB’s lawyer, Ejiofor, vowed to take the case before the Court of Appeal.

Ejiofor decried that the Judge failed to consider fundamental issues that IPOB raised in its application.

IPOB had asked the court to vacate the proscription order which it said was surreptitiously obtained by the AGF.

The court had in the ruling last year, declared as illegal, all activities of the IPOB, particularly in the South-east and South-South regions of the country.

It specifically restrained “any person or group of persons from participating in any of the group’s activities”.

However, the IPOB, in a motion it filed pursuant to Section 6(6) (1) of the 1999 constitution, as amended, maintained that the proscription order “was made without jurisdiction”, adding that it was “granted against an entity unknown to law.”

IPOB queried the legal validity of the order, saying there was “clear suppression and misrepresentation of facts,” in the affidavit evidence the AGF submitted, upon which the order was granted.

It argued that the proscription order was tantamount to declaring over 30 million Nigerians of Igbo extraction as terrorists.

Ruling, denigration of judiciary—Ohanaeze

In a related develpoment, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo in his reaction said: “It is unfortunate that our courts are allowing themselves to be used for unlawful and political ends. IPOB has done nothing to qualify, as defined by international standards, to be called a terrorist organisation.

“Sadly, the Federal Attorney General in his parochialism, unmitigated bias and calumny has not found it necessary to classify Fulani herdsmen as terrorists inspite of their classification by the Global Terrorist Index as the fourth deadliest terrorist organization in the world.

“Ohanaeze frowns at this nepotism, this denigration of our judiciary and this stigmatization of our children.”

Similarly, another Igbo group, Aligbo Development Foundation, ADF, said the court decision sounded like a political statement.

President of ADF, Prof. Timothy Nwala said: “the declaration sounds like a political statement. Legal declarations are born out of sound logic. I doubt if there is any rational thought in this case.

“There was no rational basis for the court verdict. The world knows what they are doing. If Fulani Marauders are not terrorists, I wonder what the world would say.”

IPOB not terorist group—Survey

However, an air of disbelief and shock enveloped parts of Imo State yesterday, following the court judgment that confirmed Federal Government’s position that the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, is a terrorist group.

People were seen in groups, discussing the development in hushed tones, as soon as the outcome of the judgment filtered into Owerri municipality.

Efforts made to get some government officials to speak on the issue failed, as they reasoned that “it is a very delicate national issue”.

However, some people who claimed to be IPOB loyalists said they were not surprised by the judgment of the court.

“What did you expect from the court controlled by the same government that called us a terrorist group? It is sheer irony that those who don’t carry firearms and don’t believe in wasting precious human lives are branded terrorists. This is Nigeria for you”, Ikechukwu Okam said.

According to Ikechukwu, “everything about Ndigbo must be treated like our views and aspirations don’t count”.

In her own opinion, Florence, a mother of three queried why the rampaging herdsmen that have killed several people, are still treated with kid gloves, while IPOB loyalists are branded terrorists.

“Go and tell government that they can kill the flesh but definitely not the spirit. Many souls may still be killed by the security agencies, but generations after us will continue from where we stopped”, Florence said.

Quote:Ahead of the forthcoming general elections, former Jigawa State governor and Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) presidential hopeful, Sule Lamido have urged former Lagos state governor and national leader of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to review his membership of the ruling party.



Lamido gave the admonition on Thursday in Abuja, while speaking at the 15th Daily Trust Dialogue with the theme, ‘’Nigeria and the Challenges of 2019.’’

The former Jigawa state governor who noted that Asiwaju Tinubu had since been sidelined by the Presidency further claimed that the former Lagos state is being integrated by Buhari ahead of a fresh election.

Turning to former Lagos state governor Commissioner for Finance, Wale Edun, who represented Bola Tinubu, the former Jigawa state governor said: “Tell Asiwaju that his brother and friend says he is in a wrong party. He will only recover and reintegrate himself as a democrat if he leaves the APC.

‘’Asiwaju has only integrated six months ago. They were using his governors and ministers from south-west to fight him! We know all these, he should leave APC for them.’’

In his appraisal of the Buhari administration, the PDP presidential aspirant said he was not surprised by what he called APC incapacity to deliver on its electoral promises as he dismissed the ruling party as a platform created out of desperation for power.

“APC is telling us what government should do after three years in power. APC should tell us what they failed to do. They call Nigerians wailing wailers for complaining. Thankfully, wailing will be over in 2019.

“APC members have joined the wailing wailers. Buhari is wailing, when he complained that there was no viable hospital here to attend to his ailment; his wife was wailing when she said there was no syringe at State House Clinic. Sagay is wailing, Akande is wailing, everybody is wailing.”

The former Jigawa governor also offered a hint of a coalition of forces across parties divide to unseat President Buhari in 2019, as he revealed that 2019 will be defined by borderless politicking. Those in APC and PDP will come together to save Nigeria.’’

Tinubu, however, said remarkable achievements have been made by the present administration despite efforts by members of the main opposition party, the PDP too cast aspersion on the ruling party.

He said:’’The past 3 years have captured the essence of our collective challenge. Progress has been made in part. However, advocates of the old ways have rebelled in full against even these partial blossoms of improvement.

‘’Yet, I maintain the unshakeable belief that smart, progressive governance can bring prosperity, tranquility, and justice.

‘’During the past three years, this government has beaten Boko Haram into retreat. None of us should forget the looming threat Boko Haram posed and the fear it instilled in the general public just a brief time ago. It had planted its flag over Nigerian land, claiming territory bigger than several nations. It had kidnapped and killed at will, decimating towns and villages in its wake.

‘’The dreaded terrorist flag is nowhere to be seen and steadily people are returning to their homes, rebuilding their towns and villages in the process. Boko Haram may not be completely defeated but it shall never rise again to be the existential threat it once was. Because of this government’s policy, countless lives have been saved from the grasp of terror.

‘’In addition, this government has progressed in the fight against corruption through the recovery of stolen public funds and bringing wrong-doers to justice. As progress is being made on these fronts, Nigeria also must face its biggest structural problem: our imbalanced economy and the poverty and misery it has caused.

‘’If a prophet, I would begin to prophesy at this point about all the good economic things that shall visit Nigeria and its people if we stay the proper course; in taking further bold action to reform and improve our political economy.’’

Speaking on the menace created by nomadic Fulani herdsmen and its attendant violence which has led to the loss of lives in Benue, Kaduna and Taraba states, the APC national leader demanded agro-economic policy initiatives to address the problem.

‘’The crux of the matter is that the nomadic way of life is fast becoming obsolete. Large-scale nomadic practice does not belong in this day and age. This is reality and it is inescapable.

‘’Thus, herders have no right to cling to this way of life by killing others. The government must stop their violence but also offer them a viable new way of life by moving them toward more modern, non-nomadic cattle rearing.

‘’Additionally, the government should establish a relief and a rehabilitation programme for those families and communities that have been so grievously harmed. In short, to resolve this lethal problem, the government must implement a multi-dimensional policy that encompasses security, agro-economic, educational and emergency relief elements.

This is the art and mastery of governance that our nation and its complex problems require.

‘’In addition to mending this rupture of peace, I believe those who seek to enshrine good governance must boldly act to improve the quality of life of the people.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, who represented President Buhari assured the gathering that the federal the government was committed to free, fair election devoid of turbulence next year.

‘’’For President Muhammadu Buhari, as the nation prepares for another round of elections in 2019, there was a need to sustain efforts at building confidence in the country’s democratic institutions, especially judiciary and INEC.

“I also call on politicians and political parties to pledge their commitment to the peaceful democratic process by urging their supporters to respect the electoral process and refrain from violence. All aggrieved parties should seek redress through constitutional means and respect for the rules of law.

“On our part, I want to assure Nigerians that my administration will not condone any action, support any individual or group that undermine citizens confidence in the country’s political institutions to conduct peaceful and successful elections.”

Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw said Nigerians must ensure that their votes count and further advocated institutional reforms.

In his opening remarks, Chairman of the Daily Trust Media Limited Kabiru Yusuf, said the publishing outfit decided to start the yearly dialogue ahead of the forthcoming general election ‘’because politics is too important to be left for politicians alone.”

Aero Contractors recalls 69 sacked staff
— 19th January 2018
Louis Iba,
Aero Contractors Airline has recalled  69 of its staff laid-off in 2017.
A  breakdown of the recalled staff according to a source in the airline indicated that 19 of them were pilots and engineers, while 41 were administrative staff and nine others  cabin crew members. The source explained that some of the workers were recalled late December 2017, while others were recalled in January 2018.
The General Secretary of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Mr. Frances Akinjola, yesterday confirmed the recall of the affected staff to aviation correspondents.

Akinjola commended the management of Aero Contractors for fulfilling its promise of recalling some of the workers who were declared redundant in 2017, saying the various  unions in the industry were carried along throughout the recall period.
About a week ago, the airline had successfully carried out a C-check on a Boeing 737-500 aircraft at its Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos. The feat performed by a team of local engineers in partnership with a foreign technical partner sets the airline on the path of profitability as it would now earn greater income fixing spoilt aircraft for local airlines and those from neighbouring countries. It also means the airline is now able to repair its own aircraft at a much reduced cost. It cost an average of $1.8 to $2million to carry out a C-check on an aircraft abroad.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/01/aero...t-workers/

The ongoing political war in Akwa Ibom State between the Governor, Udom Emmanuel and his estranged political godfather, Godswill Akpabio, is a reminder of the dictum, “No permanent enemy, no permanent friend, but permanent interests”.
The feud has one again brought to the front burner, the debate over political gladiators who installed their successors but later fell out of favour with them.
Examples of both current and former governors in this category include: Orji Kalu versus Theodore Orji (Abia), Rabiu Kwankwaso and Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Donald Duke and his successor Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Peter Obi and Willie Obiano (Anambra) among others.
Of the aforementioned political wars, none has been as fierce and highly contentious as that of Kwankwaso and Ganduje.
In Akwa Ibom, trouble started after Akpabio who is now the Senate Minority Leader in the National Assembly, threatened to withdraw his support for the re-election of his successor, Governor Emmanuel, in 2019, on the grounds that his senatorial district, Akwa Ibom North West, had been marginalised by the present government.
Speaking at the annual get-together organised by the Deputy Governor, Moses Ekpo, to fete the people of Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District, Akpabio announced that he would only endorse Emmanuel’s re-election if the policies and programmes of the administration were not discriminatory against his senatorial district. He lamented that some of the projects his administration started like the multi-million naira Four Points by Sheraton Hotel at Ikot Ekpene and the dualisation of the Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road, had been abandoned by Emmanuel, adding that the completion of the projects would form part of the conditions for Emmanuel’s re-election in 2019.
In a swift reaction, Emmanuel sacked Akpabio’s loyalist and Secretary to the State Government, (SSG) Etekamba Umoren.
Political analysts say as the 2019 elections draw near, more of these relationships that have gone sour will surface.
What then is responsible for these political conflicts? A political commentator, Koye Akintelure attributes it to insistence of most successors to stamp their authority, against the whims and caprices of their godfather.
This, he revealed, becomes more evident when the successor has built his own political structure in the state.
“Events have shown in Nigeria that most that governors who play the role of political godfathers by installing their successors end up being disgraced.
“Initially, such successors may be naive but with time they assert their authority and deviate from whatever agreement they had with their predecessors. This is where conflicts start,” he said.
It will be interesting to see how the political drama will turn out in Akwa Ibom State, considering the fact that incumbent governors usually control structures in Congresses that lead to the conduct of primary elections in their respective parties. Coincidentally, both political actors are seeking reelection in 2019.
 

http://www.businessdayonline.com/akpabio...s-messier/

  [url=http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/buharis-failure-to-visit-benue-pdp-blasts-apc-govs-ministers/#][/url]
THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Thursday blasted the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and some serving federal ministers over their silence on the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to visit Benue state where tens of people have been killed by suspected herdsmen.
In a statement issued by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja, the leading opposition party said it was a tragic failure of character and an act of hypocrisy that the same APC governors who, in 2013, unleashed insults on the PDP and its Federal Government for allegedly delaying in visiting the fronts of Borno at the heat of insurgency attacks, have lost their voices now that President Buhari has refused to visit Benue, Taraba or Kaduna to condole the people.
The party invited Nigerians to note that neither the APC governors nor any federal delegation had visited Benue, Taraba or Kaduna since the unabating killings and the traumatizing mass burial of victims.
The statement added: “It is unfortunate that the same APC leaders, who heavily criticized the PDP and wrongly accused it of staying away from troubled parts of the country, have become dumb under President Buhari in spite of his daily failures in governance and heartrending indifference to the plight of Nigerians.
“Today, Nigerians are heartbroken to realize that those they thought were patriots and messiahs never had any iota of goodwill towards them.
“The questions are: why have the APC governors and ministers suddenly lost their voices now that President Buhari has refused to visit Benue or show any form of empathy to the plight of Nigerians? Have Benue and Taraba now become ‘no-go areas’ for President Buhari? Indeed, this indifference calls for deeper reflection by Nigerians.”
The PDP challengeD the APC governors to have a change of attitude towards Nigerians and at least show that they also are human, especially at this trying time,  which the inept APC government has plunged the nation into.
Stating that it will continue to be on the side of Nigerians against the unfeeling and inept APC government, the PDP urged Nigerians not to despair as the APC misrule will soon come to an end with the return of the PDP in 2019.

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

FRIDAY, 19TH JANUARY.

Pastor Chris

TOPIC ✨ Perfected In Him✨

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:9-10).

In Christ Jesus, you’ve been perfected in all things; you’re complete; nothing missing, nothing broken. The life that you’ve received of Him is a balanced life of glory and excellence; it has no ups and downs; no downsides. Hallelujah!

There’re people who, for example, are doing very well in their jobs, but with ailing health. Some others may have good health and doing very well in their jobs, but battling several inner conflicts. God doesn’t want your life to be that way; He doesn’t want you lacking in any area. He’s given you wholeness in Christ; it’s part of what it means to be “complete in Christ.”

Everyone who has received the message of salvation ought to experience this completeness in Christ, where you prosper in all areas: in your spirit, soul, and body. But if that hasn’t been your experience, chances are, you’re not yet applying the mirror principle of the Word of God. That principle is simply to see yourself to be what God says you are in His Word, and then act accordingly. It simply means acting the Word.

We read in our opening scripture that you’re complete in Christ; see yourself that way. Affirm it always. Christ is in you in all His fullness; there’s nothing more that needs to be done in you to enhance your divine nature. 2 Peter 1:4 says, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature (associate of the God-kind), having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

God has done everything that He needed to do in you to make you all He ordained you to be. There’s nothing excellent that’s lacking in your life, just as there’s nothing bad that shouldn’t be in you that’s in you. You’re complete and perfected in Him, for as He is, so are you in this world (1 John 4:17).

Confession
Dear Father, I thank you for the life of Christ in me. I affirm the truth of who I am in Christ; perfect, whole, excellent and full of glory! Christ has been made unto me righteousness, wisdom, and sanctification; and as He is, so am I, in this world. I’m the effulgence of His beauty and grace! Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY:

|| 2 Peter 1:3 AMPC For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [[a]full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). ||

|| 1 John 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. ||

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING

1-Year Bible Reading Plan:
Matthew 13:24-43,
Genesis 44-45

2-Year Bible Reading Plan:
Acts 10:21-33,
Affirmationtrain
# AFFIRMATIONTRAIN 19TH JANUARY.
I affirm that I am God’s workmanship, recreated in Christ Jesus unto good works. I acknowledge my origin, heritage, and personality in Christ; therefore, my faith is operative and effective in the Name of Jesus! I am God’s best, His cream and beauty, and my life is for His glory, now and forever. Hallelujah! The Father has granted me insight into the mysteries and secrets of all that He did for me in Christ, with the full understanding of my place in Him, the position of authority I occupy in Him, and my oneness with Him. I am seated with Christ in the place of authority, over and above every government, authority, power, lordship and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. I am over and above all circumstances of life. Hallelujah! The Lord has perfected all that concerns me; for I am the expression of His glory, grace, wisdom, and righteousness. I walk in preordained pathways today, and I make progress by the Word, living triumphantly to the glory of His Name. Blessed be God. Hallelujah!
(NEW YEAR http://bit.ly/2dZqtLQ )
This is something to shout about. Keep saying it, don't stop talking it. Remember, your mouth is the edge of a weapon. Refuse to be quiet
You can now reach us on:
• Info@affirmation-train.org
• http://www.affirmation-train.org
God bless you.

Quote:Former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, has advised the Buhari government to be more proactive to ensure Nigerians feel its impact.

Tinubu said this in a paper he delivered at the Daily Trust dialogue.

Represented by a former ‎Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, Olawale Edun, Tinubu highlighted 8 things the current administration must do to foster growth and development.

He said: “1. We are a populous nation with large, ever-growing cities. We need to provide jobs for this expanding urban population.

This means we must press forward with a national industrial policy by fostering strategic industries that will provide employment into the foreseeable future.

2. We need a national infrastructure plan that envisions a coherent and integrated infrastructural grid, as no national economy may grow beyond the capacity of the infrastructure that serves it. This particularly is true of electrical power.

3. We must reject the notion of orthodox economics that governmental balancing of budgets or surpluses are always good. In our case, following this mainstream approach may lead to perpetual stagnation and deter us from the brave steps required to promote true development.

In this regard, an immediate opportunity to provide stimulus to the economy while simultaneously alleviating the hardship of retirees and old-age pensioners presents itself, through the comprehensive tackling of outstanding pension payments. While what is needed is a holistic review and reform of the disjointed social security and welfare apparatus, a good place to start would be the clearing up of existing pension arrears and the establishment of a framework for averting their future build-up.

The wider task of comprehensive social security reform would inevitably require a high-level body to review and advise on the harmonization of various initiatives and deductions from workers’ payrolls in the name of welfare, such as pension contributions, national housing fund, national health insurance etc

4. Monetary policy should move toward lower interest rates to make credit is more accessible to business and the consumer. This will spur industrial investment and help us reach more conducive levels of consumer demand. It also will dissuade people from corrupt temptations.

The need to pay for homes and other costly items in one lump sum payment is a strong invitation to corruption. For example, if mortgages and credit instruments are more available to the judiciary, jurists would be able to purchase homes, decent care and other items considered the basic amenities of modern life via long-term installment payments that can be met through their salaries. Able to purchase these things properly and thus afforded a comfortable life, jurists would be less vulnerable to improper inducements.

5. The government-backed home mortgage system must be re-structured and land conveyance more streamlined make mortgages and all forms of landed transactions are easier and less bureaucratic. This will increase the wealth of the nation and improve the efficiency of land use. It also opens the door to affordable housing for millions of families now beyond the reach of owning their own homes.

6. Agriculture remains the backbone of the nation. We must help the common farmer by improving rural output and incomes. Here, we must revive an old policy that served us well. We must return to commodity exchange boards which will allow farmers to secure good prices and hedge against loss. An agricultural mortgage loan corporation should be inaugurated to further promote these goals.

7. To achieve better levels of overall governance, we need to re-balance the duties between federal and state governments by giving states more power, authority and resources.

8. Last, Government must be sufficiently bold to begin a process that will ultimately result in a government-backed pension plan for all elderly Nigerians, this is something akin to Social Security which all great nations provide for those of advanced age.”

SENATOR representing Bauchi Central Senatorial district, Isah Misau, has said that all the appointments being made by President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration are the handiwork of the cabals.



Misau who stated this on Thursday at the Senate plenary, pointedly told his colleagues that Mr. Buhari was not the one running the affairs of this nation.

He was speaking on the menace of alleged Fulani herdsmen and the need to reform the Nigeria Police Force, citing that the police was doing nothing to arrest the situation of killings across the country which has increased even after the chamber gave the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, an ultimatum to arrest the culprits so they could face the wrath of the law.

The senator said over fifty percent of those appointed by this government were incompetent as their portfolio were assigned to them by the cabals who determines those to be appointed.

“Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, President Buhari is not in charge, but the cabals. They determine who and who to be appointed,” he said.

The lawmaker also said a minister was fronting the removal of the red chamber’s president, Bukola Saraki, while they went for the Christmas and New year holiday stating that their reason was that Saraki may leave the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Misau who urged Saraki to call the executive to order said it was time to jettison ethnicity, tribe, and religion to work for the betterment of the country.

Calling names, he said: “The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, was almost a nuisance.”

He also faulted the recent appointment of a Director General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA) pointing out that his appointment was the handiwork of the cabals.

HEADLINE recalls that this is not the first time a lawmaker in the senate was attacking the president insisting that he is not in charge of the government.

Last year, a senator representing Ekiti-south senatorial district, Mrs Biodun Olujimi, had made the same allegation as Misau.

Mrs. Olujimi said President Buhari had lost his authority as ‘nobody’ was in charge of the current administration.

She was reacting to the face-off which would have turned bloody between two agencies which are under the control of the president.

“Right now, we have a situation whereby nobody is in charge of anything and we cannot honestly blame anyone for what is happening. The truth is that you cannot go to the house of a security agent, a man who had kept the secrets of Nigeria for so long, and just try to arrest him like chicken.

“Mr. President, there has to be someone that we can hold responsible when two brothers are fighting. The person that is supposed to be held responsible has not done anything, is not doing his work.

“This is the first time we’ll see gross irresponsibility in government whereby there is no arbiter. No one to come in between two agencies that belong to only one person. The two agencies report to one person, the presidency and now we find them fighting on the pages of the newspapers, it’s a shame. We are calling on the President, he has to sit up, he should be up and doing. Call these people to order,” she said.

As at press time, effort to get to get the reaction of the presidency on Misau allegation proved abortive as calls placed to the president’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, repeatedly rang unanswered.

Source: https://www.headlineng.com/cabals-appoin...t-senator/

Quote:Former Lagos state Governor, Bola Tinubu, has finally spoken on herdsmen killings nationwide.

Tinubu, in a paper he delivered at the Daily Trust dialogue, urged government to establish a relief and rehabilitation program for families and communities that have been so grievously harmed.

Represented by a former Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, Olawale Edun, Tinubu specifically lamented the “terrible killings” that have occurred in Benue and Taraba states.

He said “It is important that we place the current crisis in proper context. No one should pretend that this evil just suddenly appeared from nowhere. We have been living and dying with this lethal situation for many years.

In years past, there have been herdsmen attacks smaller than this. There also have been attacks larger than this.

The current hue and cry against these killings is hopefully a sign that we are maturing as a nation. That we shall no longer countenance the wanton destruction of human lives no matter the religion, ethnicity or origin of the victims or the villains. If so, maybe this nation is coming of age and none too soon.

As such, this outcry is as welcome as it is overdue. We should have been agitating in this manner 5, 10, 15 years ago. Lives would have been saved. For reasons I cannot completely fathom we have come late to the point of strong, collective outrage at this bloodletting. Yet, all in all, late is better than never in this regard.

This spirit of compassion and care must be enshrined in our political culture because it is integral to national greatness and democratic progress. True patriotism requires that you love more than the concept of Nigeria. You must love the people who comprise this nation, whether they worship in a church, mosque, and shrine or not at all.

Over the course of history, nations have faced crises more crimson than this. Through wise policy, many nations emerged from the thicket better situated to realize their better destiny.

These nations and their people are no better than us. We can and we must do the same thing.

Against this backdrop we must take prudent action. It is incumbent on the federal government to do what past governments neglected to do. We must forget our age-old prejudices in order to resolve this problem. What we need is serious committed action.

At its essence, this crisis was not born of religious or ethnic hatred. It is about a shrinking amount of grass and water.

In recent years the desert has expanded, consuming land once used to graze livestock. This pushed cattle herders farther and farther south to collide with the farmers who were there.

Ecological peril spawned economic conflict which descended into violence.

This violence has taken on religious, ethnic and regional consequences because of the identities of the parties involved. This tragic episode tolls a caution to us all.

Left to fester, this problem expanded to assume dimensions that now tremors the body politic.

This is what too often happens when dire problems are left unattended. Now, the current administration is moving to arrest the lethal situation.

I welcome the deployment of more law enforcement and military into the troubled areasThese security measures will stem the immediate violence and loss of life.

As we commend these security measures, we must not lose sight of the fact that the problem bears an economic origin. Thus, agro-economic policy initiatives must help shape the lasting solution.

The crux of the matter is that the nomadic way of life is fast becoming obsolete. Large scale nomadic practice does not belong in this day and age. This is reality and it is inescapable.

Thus, herders have no right to cling to this way of life by killing others. Government must stop their violence but also offer them a viable new way of life by moving them toward more modern, non-nomadic cattle rearing.

To resolve this lethal problem, government must implement a multi-dimensional policy that encompasses security, agro-economic, educational and emergency relief elements. This is the art and mastery of governance that our nation and its complex problems require.

In addition to mending this rupture of peace, I believe those who seek to enshrine good governance must boldly act to improve the quality of life of the people.”

Quote:Works ministry executed no capital project in 2017, says Fashola


Minister of Power , Works and Housing , Babatunde Fashola (SAN ), has said the works ministry was not able to implement capital projects in 2017.



Fashola said this on Wednesday when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Works to defend 2018 budget proposed by his ministry.



A member of the committee , Senator Barnabas Gemade had asked why the ministry (Works ) had zero performance of capital projects in 2017.


The minister , however , blamed it on the late passage of the 2017 budget .



Fashola said , “ The 2017 budget was passed in June. The procurement law requires a procurement plan which took till September. In following this law, the first release was in August. Most of the projects were going through procurement formalities such as tax identity , contract terms , even construction companies went on holidays . So , there were so many things.”



Chairman of the committee , Senator Kabiru Gaya , then asked about the amount of projects that were not procured in 2017 since there was a rollover of projects from 2016.



Fashola was unable to respond to the question , stating that even the Director of Planning in the ministry could not give a definite answer. He , however , pleaded with the committee to bring a detailed report later .



The minister said , “ It is a tough task . We may be allowed to submit those details . The ending solution , which has not been found favourable , is that once you appropriate for a project in a particular budget , it should not be lined up in another year .”



Fashola said the country could not finance new projects every year due to its enormous nature.



He added , “ Most of these roads are between 50km and 100 km . In your states , 5 km (road ) takes 24 months . Then if we have more in a budget , we cannot finish them . It is not what we want. Our resources are not increasing in an exponential manner, compared to our projects.”



The committee then resolved that the projects in 2017, which were not procured, should be rolled over into the 2018 budget and re - presented in the report in a week .

The founder of  Behind Bars Initiative Prince Harrison took to Facebook to share the story of how police brutalised a corper named Famous Joshua at Uronigbe along Agbor- Abraka  Delta State. According to him,the policemen maltreated him after wrongly accusing him of snapping them. Read his story below

"Police stopped our vehicle at Urhonigbe along Agbor Road Delta State. We came down and a friend of mine called me on phone to ask where I was. As i was making the call, next thing I heard was you are a criminal and a terrorist that is why you making calls and snapping us. They left the driver, rushed towards me and started hitting me with wood, stick and also with their gun. I brought out my ID card but couldn't save me. After beating me they drove off leaving us behind"

Source: http://www.trezzyhelm.com/2018/01/police-brutalise-corper-in-delta.html?m=1

Dr. Sij Hemal, 27, a second-year urology resident at Cleveland Clinic’s Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, helped a 41-year-old Nigerian banker, Toyin Ogundipe, deliver her baby on December, 17, 2017.

Ogundipe, who resides in both the United Kingdom and Nigeria – went into labor about midway into her flight from Paris-to-New York, as the jet skirted the southern coast of Greenland, 35,000 feet below. .

An emergency landing would require a two-hour diversion to a U.S. military base in the Azores Islands, so Dr. Hemal – who volunteered to assist Toyin – recommended to the pilot that they continue to JFK International Airport, still four hours away. .

“Her contractions were about 10 minutes apart, so a pediatrician (Dr. Stefanie Ortolan, of Senlis, France) and I began to monitor her vital signs and keep her comfortable,” explains Dr. Hemal. .

They also suggested Toyin be moved to the roomier first-class section, which had very few passengers. While the flight’s air hostesses tended to Toyin’s traveling companion, her 4-year-old daughter, Amy, the doctors helped her mom deliver her baby boy.

Toyin recalls being rather composed throughout the delivery, thanks to the calm manner of the two doctors and the professional treatment they provided: “I was relaxed because I knew I was in safe hands. They did everything a doctor or midwife would have done if I was in the labor room in the hospital. Even better, if you ask me.” .

After about 30 minutes of pushing, Toyin gave birth to a boy, whom she named Jake. Upon arrival at JFK, Toyin, Jake and Amy were whisked away by ambulance to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Toyin was released later that day, and is recovering – with her children – at the home of friends in New Jersey.

BY VIVIAN GIST : http://www.viviangist.ng/toyin-ogundipe-gives-birth-inside-plane/

Quote:The Kogi State Chairman of Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop John Ibenu and a former minister from the state, Chief Gabriel Aduku, have escaped assassination attempts on them.



The clergy narrowly escaped death as unknown gunmen attacked him and riddled his car with bullets.

Narrating his ordeal to newsmen in Lokoja, the state capital on Thursday, Ibenu said he was returning from his village in the eastern part of the state at about 5.30 pm on Sunday when he was attacked.

According to him, about seven suspected Fulani men along Ojodu in Ofu local government area rushed out of the bush and open fire on his vehicle.

He explained that the assailants were on both sides of the road as four of the Fulani men rushed out from the bush and while attempting to make a u-turn, another three appeared from the bush and open gunfire on his vehicle.

Ibenu added that people were fully armed with AK47 rifles, but he was only able to escape from the scene to a nearby village with God grace.

He called on the state governor to intensify more effort in curbing criminal activities in the state.

According to him within a space of one week series of kidnapping incident were recorded along Lokoja-Ajaokuta road and other places in the state.

In the same vein, Aduku, a former Minister of state, Health was allegedly attacked by some gunmen men at his country home in Anyigba, Dekina local government area of the state.

According to a statement issued yesterday by the Secretary-General, Kogi East Elders’ Council (KEEC), Alphonsus Alhassan, which a copy was made available to THISDAY in Lokoja alleged that Aduku, who is the Deputy Chairman KEEC was accosted and man-handled at his residence in Anyigba, Kogi State.

The statement read, “The hoodlums in their twenties were six in number and were uninformed. Three stayed outside while three while two of them masked entered his sitting room through his kitchen.

“One of them carried a pump action rifle while the other two had pistols which they pointed at his head and informed him they were sent from Abuja to pick him for questioning.

“He refused to accompany them despite their physically trying to bundle him out as he insisted he would rather die within his compound if need be.”

He noted that they broke down two bedroom doors, seized his telephone sets, those of his aides and other valuables to make it appear like a robbery attack.

“We want to state that the signature of the perpetrators of this crime is not unambiguous.

“We have a very good idea of those behind the shameless and cowardly act. That the attack came a few weeks after the Kogi East Elders’ Council addressed a press conference in Abuja which was replied by a group who were so cowardly that they neither included their names and addresses in the rejoinder which they published in three national newspapers is
a pointer.

“It is obvious that since the hoodlums and their paymasters could not controvert the facts and kernel of our press conference which centred on the unmitigated misgovernance of Kogi State, rather than tow the path of moral rectitude, they have resorted to crude intimidation of elders old enough to be their fathers and grandfathers,” the statement added.

He added that no member of the Kogi East Elders’ Council appointed himself or herself. They did not even come together on their own will to form the Council, stressing that every single member was appointed in recognition of his or her antecedents and have been discharging this task sacrificially for the good of Kogi East Senatorial District.

“We will therefore not be intimidated or cowered by mannerless hoodlums whose stock-in-trade is gangsterism and terrorism,” he noted.

A pregnant woman was on Thursday killed in Orin Ekiti, in Ido-Osi local government area of Ekiti State by yet to be identified armed persons. The woman, who was said to be of Tiv ethnicity, was reportedly shot before she was hacked.

Eyewitnesses said the woman, whose name was not given, was shot in the head, and her eyes were plucked out as a result of the attack.

It was learnt that the assailants also injured one other person who is receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

The death of the Tiv woman came four days after a Fulani herdsman was killed in a similar situation by persons said to be from the Tiv community in Ekiti State.

This attack is happening barely 24 hours after Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State summoned a peace meeting between the Fulani and Benue people in Ekiti State, where he warned against retaliatory attacks which may result in deaths in Ekiti.

Source; https://www.nationalhelm.co/2018/01/pregnant-woman-killed-fulani-herdsmen-attack-ekiti-state-viewers-discretion.html

Quote:Ninety five ex-Boko Haram terrorists that have been rehabilitated under the Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) programme are now set to be reintegrated into the society.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonisakin, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja when he declared open a stakeholders meeting to work out modalities for the reintegration of rehabilitated ex-Boko Haram fighters.

Mr. Olonisakin recalled that in January 2017, six cleared suspected terrorists successfully underwent the programme and were reunited with their families in Borno, Kaduna and Kogi states.

He also recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had at a National Security Council meeting in September 2015, directed the establishment of “Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC)”.

The corridor was to create opportunity for willingly surrendered and repentant Boko Haram fighters to undergo a deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration programme.
The programme was to facilitate their return to normal life.
The CDS said that following the directive of the president, a committee comprising the governors of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, the service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police was constituted under his chairmanship.

Other members of the committee, he said, were: the Director General of NEMA, Chief of Intelligence Agency and a Director from the Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA.

Mr. Olonisakin said that the 95 ex-fighters had undergone a 16-week DRR programme involving various social and spiritual counselling, introductory elementary formation education and vocational training, among others.


He said that he was satisfied they were fit to be reintegrated into the society.

“I have followed keenly activities in the camp since the ex-fighters arrived therein and I believe that they are different from who they were six months ago.

“The ex-fighters have been transformed, made to imbibe good characters and habits, and have also learnt vocational trades to empower them.

“The next stage of the programme, re-integration is the most important and complex aspect of the DRR programme.
“It requires painstaking planning and careful execution.

“Hence the need for our gathering here today to work out modalities for the smooth transfer of the ex-fighters to their respective state authorities and eventually to their relations,’’ he said.

The CDS advised the stakeholders to “carefully examine all issues and come up with workable recommendations’’ to facilitate their hitch-free re-integration, resettlement and empowerment.

Giving the breakdown of the 95 ex-fighters, Adegoke Adetuyi, the Commandant of the DRR, said 91 of them hailed from Borno, two from Yobe and one each from Adamawa and Bauchi states.

Bamidele Shafa, the Coordinator of the OPSC, said that so far the body had facilitated the rehabilitation of 750 cleared men, women and children, who had been released to their states.
According to him, the operation formally began its activities at its camp in Gombe state on April 22, 2016.

According to him, at the moment, there are 254 ex-fighters in the camp undergoing the DRR programme among which the first set of 95, who have completed their programme are due to be transferred to their respective state authorities for reintegration into the society.

A woman, said to be a Tiv from Benue State, has been shot dead in a farm settlement at Orin community in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
Community sources claimed that the attack which took the life of the woman, was retaliatory, after a Fulani man was murdered in Oke-Ako, recently allegedly by Tivs.
This is happening barely 24 hours after Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State summoned a peace meeting between the Fulani and Benue people in Ekiti State, where he warned against retaliatory attacks which may result in deaths in Ekiti.
Governor Ayodele Fayose, had on Tuesday, met with representatives of the Fulani and Tiv communities in the state, where he warned against reprisal, which he preached at the meeting.
Fayose had called for peace among the citizenry of the state, whereas the meeting had agreed that more stakeholders would be invited to ensure peace.
But reports from the community claimed that the alleged Fulani attackers had attacked the farm settlement at night and had shot the woman, said to be eight-months pregnant.
http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/breaking-...e-meeting/

Richard Babatunde, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart in Kwara State has said that the party is set to receive stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and their supporters in Kwara South Senatorial District.

He said the APC stalwarts had been the target of the PDP to swell its ranks in the area, adding that the official day for their defection would soon be announced.


He said the APC had derailed from its promise of providing democratic dividends for the citizenry, adding that the people of Kwara were the worst hit.

Babatunde called on the people of Kwara South to take their destiny in their hand and vote those who truly had their interest at heart, adding that that was the only way they could enjoy democratic dividends.
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/pdp-set-to...kwara.html

In the last few days there has been fierce debate as the Federal Government, which earlier promoted the idea of cattle ranch, opted for ‘cattle colonies’ leaving many people to ask what cattle colony is.

The introduction of cattle colonies came following the recent harvest of deaths in rural communities across Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States blamed on suspected herdsmen.


The minister of agriculture and rural development, Chief Audu Ogbeh took his time on Thursday to explain to Nigerians his concept of ‘cattle colonies’ and how that defers from cattle ranch.

 “Colonies and ranches are the same thing in many ways except that a colony is bigger that a ranch; a colony is a biological expression for any species of animals whether by nature or by human design that are found in a large community sharing the same terrain, such as bee colonies in certain areas. 

“In Colony   20, 30 ranchers can share the same colony, a ranch is usually owned by an individual or company with few numbers of cows, in a cattle colony you could find 100, 200, 300 cows owned by different individuals,” Chief Ogbeh stated.

He added “The reason for designing colony was that we want to prepare on a large scale, a place where many owners of cattle can co-exist there, they feed well because we can make their feeds from agro waste, get good water to drink as cows drink a lot of water, we can give them green fodder; we grow it on a large scale harvest and feed the cow; give them veterinary services and protect the cows against rustlers”. 

However, since declaring the policy last week, there have been outrage and overt opposition by some section of the society that government has hidden agenda to forcefully amass communal land nationwide for prowling herdsmen -a charge chief Ogbeh denies.

 Audu Ogbeh, while explaining the concept said that there was no truth in the speculation that government was conspiring to grant supremacy over communal land to Fulani herdsmen. 

“Cattle colony is not using Fulani herdsmen to colonize any state. It is going to be done in partnerships with state governments that would like to volunteer land for it. Federal government will fund the project and those wishing to benefit from it will pay some fees,” the minister reiterated.

He declared that the idea of the cattle colony was envisaged as a measure to tackle the herdsmen-farmers conflicts and a platform for government to make more commitments to the development of the livestock subsector.

According to the Minister, while cattle ranching is more of an individual venture for the herdsmen and those wishing to invest in the livestock sector, cattle colonies is a larger project where up to 40 ranchers can share same facility that will be provided by the government at a reduced rate.

Speaking further “ranching is more of individual venture for those who want to invest, but cattle colony is bigger in scope and size. It is going to be done in partnership with states government who wish to be part of it. Already 16 states have volunteered land. Nobody is going to seize land from any community for the project”, he noted.

Ogbeh said once the colony begins, the Federal Government would embark on a large scale artificial insemination to improve the breed of cattle so that the yield of milk can increase.

 He observed that while a cow in Nigeria delivers about a litre of milk per day, in East Africa, a cow gives 15 litres of milk and in Europe they do averagely 50 litres of milk per day,, saying that Nigeria is still  a long way from  achieving the target which other countries have achieved.

He sought for supports from states in area of extension officers who will be recruited within the locality so that they can be in contact with rural farmers, they will be taught on what to do as well as train the farmers on planting operations which will go side by side with the programme on cattle colonies.

The Minister also   announced that the Federal Government would soon hold a stakeholders’ forum with the herdsmen and other stakeholders on the implementation of the new policy.

In 2016, the Federal Government promised to grass-up 50,000 hectares of land across the federation with improved grass seed imported from Brazil in land provided by state governments and some of the grazing reserves.

That programme did not happen and the ministry blamed it on lack of funds and the opposition and criticism it received by many stakeholders including the herdsmen.  

Dr Ochinya Ojiji, a Peace Conflict Resolution expert, who has worked extensively in solving the problem between herders and farmers in some states in the past said the herders/farmers clashes have been going on for a long time but the country has failed to find lasting solutions to it.

The expert noted that places like Kenya in East Africa where animal rearing is part of their lifestyle also experienced similar problems because of cattle movement due to dry weather and climatic conditions.

He however opined that the country needs to employ an early warning mechanism which will track the movement of animals from one region to the other, affirming that with this, such conflict has been managed in East Africa because they have been able to contain the animals.

Dr Ojiji stressed that “What we need to bear in mind is that this is a practice that has been going on for a very long time, in other words the seasonal movement of animals in other parts which is the northern to southern part is ongoing and is as a result of change in the climatic condition; and anytime it becomes dry in the north you should know that they are due to move so why don’t we learn something from what is been going on from East Africa.”

He explained that the purpose of early warning mechanism is to track the movement of animals so that people will be at alert including the security agencies that this is the period where animals begins to move from one region to the other.

“The issue of ranches being discussed is a very delicate one. The infrastructure needed is not there at the moment so if you put in place the law of banning cattle grazing then what happens since there are no infrastructures? even the politicians who were accumulating animals through gifts or donations given to them, they have  large number of cows now, they are the ones that have these animals and they have given them to Fulani’s to  help rear them on their behalf have not even be able to put in place the ranches people are suggesting.

“How can we begin to say the small scale cattle rearers should go into ranches, how do they do it? So for me, banning open grazing is an unworkable solution because the real cattle rearers will not have the resources to put in place the ranches,” he said

On colony he stated that if government can do that, it would be wonderful however noted that “it’s also a cultural practice of the people and the whole idea of moving is like a way of life of the people. So in the immediate time it may be difficult to  contain them in one  particular colony as suggested, but maybe in the  long run it  will work out but they have to be patient seek understanding from both parties because the reality is that the cattle rearing business is an important component of our economy life.”

A think Tank group led by Professor Ibrahim Gambari, General Martin Luther Agwai (Rtd), Professor Jibrin Ibrahim, Professor Attahiru Jega and others in a Memorandum published last week noted that “the Nigerian livestock industry is largely dependent on natural vegetation. Although there is a vast hectare of natural vegetation in the country they are not maximally utilized due to poor planning and conflicting government policies. It was estimated that there are over 40 million hectares of grazing land in Nigeria, out of which only 3 million hectares are specifically tagged as grazing reserves.”

They stressed and suggested that “the idea to encourage nomads to settle was first made in 1942 but never implemented. A clear policy of land grant to pastoralists should be developed and implemented by state governments.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/ogbeh-defi...risis.html

 Fire has destroyed 10 hectares of a palm oil plantation after rat hunters set bush to fire to smoke out rats.

Daje Palm Oil Farm, located at Sabon-Gida, Langtang South Local Government Area, Plateau State lost more than 4,000 palm trees, 4,000 seedlings for planting this month, as well as 500 cashew and 200 mango trees.


Nandul Durfa, owner of the farm, called the fire “devastating” and blamed rat hunters.

“I have lost hundreds of millions of naira to the inferno.

“Palm trees are resilient; if you water the burnt trees consistently, they could come back to life, but this year’s proceeds are gone.

“There are also new seedlings that we have been treating for the past five years which have been consumed. Each seedling was purchased at N350 and we bought more than 4,000.

“We spend an average of N40,000 every month to treat and maintain the new seedlings. It is very devastating. It is difficult to quantity the financial loss and the psychological trauma,” he said.

“Rat hunters set the bush on fire and it strayed to the farm. Unfortunately, the security guards were not there to put it out.

“The fire was vicious and raged on for hours, aided by the dry leaves and the wind; by the time it was noticed, it had destroyed every part of the farm,” he said.

Durfa appealed to the government to support him to acquire new palm oil seedlings.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/fire-destr...ateau.html

'Pregnant' Kylie Jenner gets large baby crib delivered to her home



On Tuesday, the 20-year-old reality star had a large baby crib delivered to her home,  with just weeks left to go before her due date. Three workers were pictured putting together the crib in front of her garage while two
men from her security team stood nearby.


 


Kylie who refused to make public appearances since the news of her pregnancy broke is said to be expecting a baby girl in March with her rapper boyfriend, Travis Scott, 25.



http://www.wivestownhallconnection.com/2018/01/pregnant-kylie-jenner-gets-large-baby.html

10 Things You’re Doing That Are Killing Your Kidneys – Avoid Them




The kidneys are an integral part of our body, but we usually take them for granted until they stop functioning properly. It could be kidney infection, development of kidney stones, or other problems.

Whatever it is, our kidneys are very important as they are responsible for detoxifying the blood and filtering out toxins and waste products. These two bean-shaped organs have plenty of duties, making it crucial that we keep them in top health.

Unfortunately, most of us don’t know that some of our daily habits can harm our kidneys. Stop doing the following bad habits before it’s too late:

1. You don’t empty your bladder right away.
There are times when you really have to hold your pee and it’s not that harmful to your health. But if you do this habitually, it can cause kidney damage.

2. You don’t drink enough water.
Your kidneys, just like all the parts of the body, need enough water. Insufficient water can lead to less blood flow to your kidneys. As a result, your blood becomes thick, hampering the ability of the kidneys to remove toxins from the body.

3. You eat too much salt.
Consuming too much salt on a regular basis is bad for your kidneys and your overall health. Our kidneys break down 95% of sodium from the food we eat. This means that high salt intake prompts the kidneys to work harder just to remove the salt. This can lead to poor kidney functioning and increased water retention.

4. You take painkillers regularly.
While we need painkillers from time to time, some people turn this into a habit to reduce swelling, fever, and control pain. Unfortunately, painkillers or analgesics are bad for the kidneys.

5. You consume too much protein.
We need protein, but too much of it can increase the risk of kidney disease.

6. You’re an alcoholic.
If you’re an excessive drinker, you will eventually kill your kidneys and cause harm to your health.

7. You eat too much sugar.
Aside from salt, sugar can also contribute to decreased kidney functioning. Start by avoiding sugary drinks to keep your kidneys healthy.

8. You’re a smoker.
Smoking is bad for your health, including your organs such as your kidneys. One reason is that smoking can cause hypertension that leads to reduced blood flow to the kidneys.

9. You drink too much coffee.
You should limit your caffeine consumption to three cups daily if you want to maintain the health of your kidneys.

10. You don’t sleep enough.
Sleep is important to our health as well as to our kidneys as it allows the organs to renew or refresh themselves.

It’s not too late to stop these bad habits, which do not only harm your kidneys but can also hinder you from living a healthy life.
http://www.thomasloaded.com/2018/01/10-t...lling.html

Nigerian Oil Scammer Jailed In The UK For Money Laundering





Walter Wagbatsoma, chairman, Ontario Oil & Gas Limited who was sentenced to 10 years following his prosecution by EFCC for N754 million oil subsidy fraud, has been convicted by Leicester Crown Court in UK for money laundering.

Following a trial at Leicester Crown Court a thirteenth defendant has been convicted of conspiracy to launder money in an international fraud and money laundering investigation.

This investigation was conducted by Lincolnshire Police Economic Crime Unit under Operation Tarlac, in which over £12m was defrauded from public bodies including hospital trusts, housing associations and councils around the UK.

Walter Wagbatsoma, 47, was originally detained on a European Arrest Warrant in June 2016 whilst travelling through Germany. He was extradited soon afterwards and charged with conspiring with others to launder the proceeds of fraud through his business interests in the UK.

The Nigerian businessman was yesterday sentenced to 3 years and 6 months imprisonment for his part in the crime, he was also disqualified from being a company director for 6 years.

Fraudulently obtained funds in the UK were laundered through an account in Dubai under the control of a co-conspirator Oluwatoyin Allison, a Nigerian who was convicted in his absence at an earlier trial in April 2017 and sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

The funds were then transferred to Wagbatsoma’s account in the UK. Wagbatsoma, an oil and gas businessman, was on trial in Nigeria at the time of his arrest for his part in a £1.9 billion oil subsidy fraud for which he was convicted and sentenced in his absence to 10-years imprisonment in January 2017.

Recall that in December, a Nigerian man was jailed in the UK for possession of firearm.

27-year-old Yusuf Ademola was on Thursday 7 December, jailed for 12 years after police found a shotgun with two rounds of ammunition at a residential address.

Ademola, of Claremont Road, E7, was found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life after a four day trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court which concluded on 19, October 2017.

Ademola was sentenced at the same court for 12 years imprisonment.




Walter Wagbatsoma, chairman, Ontario Oil & Gas Limited who was sentenced to 10 years following his prosecution by EFCC for N754 million oil subsidy fraud, has been convicted by Leicester Crown Court in UK for money laundering.

Following a trial at Leicester Crown Court a thirteenth defendant has been convicted of conspiracy to launder money in an international fraud and money laundering investigation.

This investigation was conducted by Lincolnshire Police Economic Crime Unit under Operation Tarlac, in which over £12m was defrauded from public bodies including hospital trusts, housing associations and councils around the UK.

Walter Wagbatsoma, 47, was originally detained on a European Arrest Warrant in June 2016 whilst travelling through Germany. He was extradited soon afterwards and charged with conspiring with others to launder the proceeds of fraud through his business interests in the UK.

The Nigerian businessman was yesterday sentenced to 3 years and 6 months imprisonment for his part in the crime, he was also disqualified from being a company director for 6 years.

Fraudulently obtained funds in the UK were laundered through an account in Dubai under the control of a co-conspirator Oluwatoyin Allison, a Nigerian who was convicted in his absence at an earlier trial in April 2017 and sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

The funds were then transferred to Wagbatsoma’s account in the UK. Wagbatsoma, an oil and gas businessman, was on trial in Nigeria at the time of his arrest for his part in a £1.9 billion oil subsidy fraud for which he was convicted and sentenced in his absence to 10-years imprisonment in January 2017.

Recall that in December, a Nigerian man was jailed in the UK for possession of firearm.

27-year-old Yusuf Ademola was on Thursday 7 December, jailed for 12 years after police found a shotgun with two rounds of ammunition at a residential address.

Ademola, of Claremont Road, E7, was found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life after a four day trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court which concluded on 19, October 2017.

Ademola was sentenced at the same court for 12 years imprisonment.
http://www.thomasloaded.com/2018/01/nige...k-for.html

UK Appoints Minister For Loneliness To Battle Isolation, Dementia And High Blood Pressure




Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in the UK.

Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role, in addition to her existing job, and develop a strategy to address the problem, which research has linked with dementia, early mortality and high blood pressure.

“We should all do everything we can to see that, in Jo’s memory, we bring an end to the acceptance of loneliness for good,” British Prime Minister Theresa May said in a statement.

“For far too many people, loneliness is the sad reality of modern life.”

Cox was murdered by a right-wing extremist in 2016, after being in parliament for little more than a year.

The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200,000 older people in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month, according to government data.

Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a day who have come mainly because they are lonely, according to the Campaign to End Loneliness, a network tackling the health threat isolation poses to the elderly.

The Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness, which the 41-year-old lawmaker set up shortly before her death, had called for a minister to be appointed to lead action on the issue.

“Jo would be over the moon,” her husband, Brendan Cox tweeted.
http://www.thomasloaded.com/2018/01/uk-a...ss-to.html

Rohr Officially Signs New Super Eagles Deal




Super Eagles head coach, Gernot Rohr, has officially put pen to paper on a two-year contract extension with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Rohr was appointed Super Eagles head Coach in August 2016 and has steered the team to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, winning four games and drawing one in a qualifying group that also had Zambia, African champions Cameroon and Algeria. His previous deal will run out in July 2018.

He signed the new deal during the announcement of the NFF’s new partnership with Coca Cola in Lagos on Wednesday.

Since Rohr took charge of the Super Eagles, he has recorded seven wins, drawn four and lost one game.

NFF 1st Vice President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, explained why Rohr deserved the extension.

“He has done a very good job and when someone does a good job, he gets a reward. We are proud to have taken Mr. Rohr on board and we are delighted to be signing this contract extension with him,” Akinwunmi said.
http://www.thomasloaded.com/2018/01/rohr...agles.html