FBI: Stowaway slips onto cross-country flight

(CNN) -- Authorities have charged a man with being a stowaway after he allegedly took a flight from New York to Los Angeles, even though he didn't have a proper boarding pass and was not on the flight manifest.
It wasn't until after Virgin America Flight 415 took off from John F. Kennedy International Airport on Friday that the airline discovered the man, identified as Olajide Oluwaseun Noibi, wasn't supposed to be on the flight, according to an FBI affidavit.
The flight crew became aware of him when two passengers complained about his odor, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.
He was seated toward the front of the plane, in seat 3E, according to the affidavit.
But authorities did not arrest Noibi on Friday. They arrested him this week, on Wednesday, when he returned to LAX airport in Los Angeles and tried to fraudulently board a Delta flight bound for Atlanta, according to the FBI. Officials found he was carrying numerous boarding passes, none in his name, the FBI said.

2010: Pilot reveals security flaws

Eimiller said the FBI did detain Noibi when the flight from New York landed in Los Angeles. Agents investigated to see if he or his luggage posed any immediate threat. They then released him, Eimiller said.
The FBI is not saying what investigate steps it may have taken in the following days nor whether it knew Noibi would appear for the Delta flight. The FBI affidavit says an agent was at the Delta departure gate when Noibi arrived.
"We are investigating his motivation, and whether it was anything beyond not wanting to pay for a ticket," Eimiller said.
Authorities are also looking to see whether Noibi has used aliases or multiple addresses, she said.
Noibi appeared in court Wednesday, where his case was continued. He is expected back in U.S. District Court on Friday, Eimiller said.
The incident has raised questions about airline security and how someone could get through security and board a plane without a valid ticket and proper documentation.
A Virgin America spokeswoman said the airline "maintains security and other screening systems in place to prevent such an occurrence; however, in this case it appears staff may have missed an alert when the passenger presented a boarding pass from a prior flight."
After discovering that Noibi should not have been on the flight, the crew kept him "under surveillance, but at no time felt there was any threat to the security of the flight," the statement said, adding that the man slept for most of the flight.
"We take security matters very seriously and are reviewing our training to ensure that this anomaly does not occur again," spokeswoman Patricia Condon said.
Noibi is from Nigeria and is a U.S. citizen, Eimiller said.
Public records show he is 24 years old.
When flying to Los Angeles last week, Noibi was questioned by a flight attendant. He produced a boarding pass from a different date that was not in his name, FBI Special Agent Kevin Hogg said in the affidavit.
The man whose name was on the boarding pass told Hogg that his boarding pass had disappeared from his back pocket after he took the subway to the airport last Thursday, the day before the flight Noibi was on, according to the affidavit.
A law enforcement official told CNN there is nothing at this point to indicate terrorism in the case.
Transportation Security Administration spokesman Greg Soule issued a statement saying, "Every passenger that passes through security checkpoints is subject to many layers of security including thorough physical screening at the checkpoint. TSA's review of this matter indicates that the passenger went through screening. It is important to note that this passenger was subject to the same physical screening at the checkpoint as other passengers."
Disciplinary action for the TSA officers involved is under review and at a minimum, the officers will receive remedial training, a TSA official speaking on the condition of anonymity told CNN.
In an updated statement Thursday, the agency said its "initial review of this matter indicates the officer reviewing the passenger's travel documents did not identify that the passenger was traveling with improper travel documents."
It was not clear how Noibi got to the gate for the flight at JFK.
Noibi said he has a U.S. passport that had been stolen and that he had his Nigerian passport at home, Hogg wrote in the affidavit.
Federal law states that being a stowaway on board a flight is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
A flight attendant noticed that Noibi was "occupying a seat that the other attendants said was supposed to be empty," the affidavit says. When the attendant, Satoshi Saito, asked to see his boarding pass, Noibi responded that it was in his bag in an overhead bin, the affidavit said.
After the bag was retrieved, Noibi reached in and handed Saito a boarding pass, which had a different date. Noibi said he had missed the flight the day before.
Saito then brought the boarding pass to the captain, who instructed Saito to request further ID.
"At that point, Noibi did not want to talk with Saito and was hesitant. Eventually Noibi produced a University of Michigan identification card with his photo and his full name. Saito took the identification card to the captain, who observed that the names did not match and the date was wrong on the boarding pass. The flight crew noted that Noibi was not on the flight manifest."
It is not clear what Noibi did for several days in Los Angeles, but he later told authorities he was recruiting people for his software business.
The University of Michigan website lists someone by that name as affiliated with an electrical engineering program. University spokeswoman Kelly Cunningham said Noibi was enrolled at the College of Engineering from 2004 through the fall of 2006, but is not a current student, and there is no record of his graduation.
Cunningham said she could not comment on the circumstances of his leaving the university, nor whether he had ever had problems while at the university.
The university lists an e-mail address for Noibi. A message from CNN to that address Thursday morning was not immediately returned.
A page on the website LinkedIn for someone with Noibi's name lists him as "president, CEO and co-founder" of a company and links to its website. The site says the company is in Lagos, Nigeria.
A man who answered the phone listed for the company and gave his name only as "Timi" said Noibi does some consulting for the company.
The LinkedIn page also links to his Facebook account. A message sent to that account was not immediately returned.
On Wednesday, Hogg wrote in his affidavit, he was with an officer from Customs and Border Protection when Noibi approached the Delta departure gate counter at LAX for a flight to Atlanta. Noibi showed a Delta agent "a portion of a green boarding pass," but the agent told him the ticket was for the previous day and was not a valid boarding pass for the flight.
Noibi insisted that he had been told he could go to the gate for the flight, the affidavit said.
When Hogg approached Noibi and read him his Miranda rights, Noibi acknowledged that he had not paid for his flight to Los Angeles.
He also said he spent the night at LAX in the secure portion of the airport, the affidavit said. "Noibi claimed he was able to go through passenger screening by obtaining a seat pass and displaying his University of Michigan identification and a police report that his passport had been stolen."
Authorities found he had two boarding passes in his pocket and more than 10 in his two bags. "Noibi did not have any boarding passes in his own name," the affidavit said.

FBI spokeswoman Eimiller said the FBI has not determined how he came into possession of the boarding passes.

FIFA slams Nigeria's Uche for homophobia

Nigerian women's coach Eucharia Uche has been criticised by FIFA after she branded homosexuality as 'dirty' and admitted she forced lesbians out of her team.

GettyImagesEucharia Uche: Under fire for her comments

Uche, whose side lost 1-0 to France in their opening game and now take on hosts Germany as they try to seal a quarter-final place, sparked controversy in a New York Times interview in which she claimed being gay was 'spiritually and morally very wrong'.
"Yes, the lesbians in our team were really a big problem," Uche, who took over as Nigeria's coach in 2009, said. ''But since I'm coach of the Super Falcons, that has been cleared up. There are no more lesbian players on my team. I cannot tolerate this dirty life."
However, with FIFA's mission statement saying it wants to use the sport in ''overcoming social and cultural obstacles for women with the ultimate aim of improving women's standing in society'', Tatjana Haenni, FIFA's head of women's competitions, told German television channel ARD: "FIFA is against all forms of discrimination. We are here at a FIFA event and will point out that it would be best to express oneself neutrally."

She added that FIFA will be talking to Uche about her comments and reminding the coach of the governing body's statutes.
But the Nigerians' next match against Germany will now have added bite as reserve goalkeeper Ursula Holl is married to a woman and first-choice shot-stopper Nadine Angerer is openly bisexual.

Walmart In Nigeria

WALMART, America’s foremost low-price merchandise retail store, is planning to open two stores in Nigeria soon.


Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Prof. Ade Adefuye, told the Empowered Newswire on Wednesday that representatives from the famous retail store had visited him at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC as regards the plan to open the retail store in Nigeria.


“It is an indication of the growing confidence in Nigeria’s economy,” Adefuye stated, adding that he was currently engaging with the leading US store on the conditions and requirements that would have to be met to do business in Nigeria.


WalMart currently employs about 2.1million employees and the CNN ranked it as the biggest global company last year, saying that, despite the global recession, the discount retailer’s bargain prices continued to lure consumers worldwide.


The company’s plan to open stores in Nigeria is part of the strategy of its leadership team, led by its new President/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Michael Duke.


At the company’s AGM last year, Duke was reported as saying that global markets were “becoming an even bigger and more important part of our company.”

Akume Is Senate Minority Leader

Senator George Akume of the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN) has been appointed Senate Minority Leader. His appointment was announced Tuesday by Senate President David Mark, who also unveiled the names of the other principal officers of the 7th Senate.

Mark had shortly after the Senate reconvened after a three-week recess Tuesday announced the names of the new principal officers, including Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (PDP, Cross River), Senate Leader; Senator Bello Gwarzo (PDP, Kano), Senate Chief Whip; Senator Hosea Agboola (PDP, Oyo), Deputy Whip; Akume, Senate Minority Leader; Senator Ganiyu Solomon (ACN, Lagos), Minority Whip; Senator Ahmed Rufai  (ANPP), Deputy Minority Leader;  and Senator Abu Ibrahim (CPC), Deputy Minority Whip.

The position of Deputy Senate Leader, which has been zoned to the North-east by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is yet to be filled, as there appears to be no agreement yet on who should take the slot between Senators Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi) and Ali Ndume (PDP, Borno).

However, a fellow member in the Senate and former governor of Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige, has protested Akume’s emergence.

In a letter to the Senate President, Ngige said the appointment of Akume, who hails from the same Benue State as Mark, negates the principle of federal character.

He said: “His choice is against the principle of federal character,” as it would mean that Benue State would be having two slots in the body of 10 principal officers in the upper legislative chamber.

Ngige had complained that the Senate had marginalised the South-east in the appointment of the principal officers and advocated that the office of Senate Minority Leader should be ceded to the region for any other senator, other than him to take.

THISDAY, however, gathered that the leadership of the Senate had told Ngige that the South-east was not neglected in the composition of the principal officers as it holds the office of deputy Senate presidency.

Although no action was taken on Ngige’s letter Tuesday, it was learnt that there was nothing the Senate leadership could do about it because, according to a source, “the selection of minority leadership is strictly the internal affair of the main minority party and whoever is put forward would just be ratified by the whole house.”

Meanwhile, the Senate standing committees will soon be announced following the constitution of the Selection Committee whose duty is to appoint chairmen and members of the various committees.

Daniel ‘sold' Olumo Rock Before Leaving Office (lol)

Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun yesterday told an audience of shocked traditional rulers that his predecessor, Gbenga Daniel had "sold" the famous Olumo rock to a private manager under a concession arrangement that would last fifteen years.

Mr Amosun dropped the bombshell while addressing the state's traditional rulers at the Oba's Complex located at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, which is a stone throw to the governor's office. He also informed the gathering that due to the debt inherited by his administration, his government might not be able to pay the N18,000 minimum wage.

"The number one tourist centre in the state, ‘Olumo Rock' was concessioned for 15 years," Mr Amosun told the royal fathers "Other state resources are concessioned for between 25 and 60 years. I begin to wonder why somebody will sign all our patrimony. To make matters worse, all of them were made without the laid-down procedure. It did not go through the State Executive Council, not even the Assembly." He, however, said his government was resolved to look into all of these and review them.

"If it affects any of you our Kabiyesi, it is nothing personal, it is about the state. I am not here to witch-hunt anybody," he said.

Lamenting the financial position of the state, the governor added that the legacies of the founding fathers of the state had been handed out by the last administration, saying the state government's property on Victoria Island was leased out for 60 years.

He, however, disclosed that he was not interested in probing his successor.

"I am not interested in any probe. I don't want to use my good time to chase what I know is bad. They said they left N50 billion. They are looking into our debt. But at the appropriate time, we will tell you what we met on ground," Mr Amosun said. "I will even be happy if what we met on ground is N50 billion. Ogun is the most indebted state in Nigeria. Lagos borrowed N250 billion and Rivers is N150 billion. Lagos generates N30 billion per month. Rivers generates between N12 and N15 billion. What we generate is N900 million to N1 billion and you have a loan of N50 billion."

Mr Amosun said the financial position of the state is bad and that the state needs to borrow about N4 billion to pay its salaries.

"If civil servants wants N18,000 minimum wage, we will have to borrow about N6 billion. All our assets have been concessioned," he said.

Ready for correction

He also dismissed the power plant project embarked upon by the Daniel administration, saying the technology behind the power project is 1970s.

"A totality of N15.9 billion has been expended on it. The state has paid 50 percent to contractors and the percentage of work is just 20 percent. They are refurbished and to think that those are the asset that put us in debt. I know it is bad, I never imagined it is this bad."

He said he decided to address the traditional rulers to carry them along in the business of governance. He said his administration would renew the urban areas, which will affect some buildings.

"We will be stepping on toes in trying to rebuild the state, but we have to," he said. "In all we do, we will not allow our people to suffer. We will provide alternative. It is not to demolish for demolishing sake, our people have suffered a lot, we will not add to their problems. We will take briefing from you. When we veer off the track, feel free to correct us."

Fifa is looking for Nigerien referee Ibrahim Chaibou

Fifa's security chief is trying to locate Nigerien referee Ibrahim Chaibou, who officiated a friendly international that is being investigated for match-fixing claims.

Chaibou has disappeared since it was revealed that Fifa are looking into suspicious betting patterns surrounding Nigeria's 4-1 win over Argentina on 1 June.
"We are trying hard to track down the referee and we are confident that we will succeed," Fifa's head of security Chris Eaton said.
Nigeria were leading the game 4-0 until Chaibou awarded Argentina, who fielded a second-string side, a penalty for handball in the eighth minute of injury time.
This was despite the fourth official having indicated just five minutes of injury time.
Television replays showed the ball had hit a Nigerian player's shin.
While the score was 4-0 to Nigeria, a huge amount of money in the Asian gambling markets was bet on a fifth goal being scored in the match.
Chaibou has been involved in controversial games before.
He was in charge of the match last September where Bahrain beat a fake Togo team 3-0, which is also being investigated for possible match-fixing.
In May 2010, Chaibou awarded three controversial penalties for handballs as South Africa beat Guatemala 5-0 in a World Cup warm-up match.
On Tuesday the South Africa Football Association said it hoped that game was not affected by match-fixing but added it would help Fifa if the latter decided to investigate it.
Chaibou has been on the Fifa international referees list since 1996 but must stand down this year after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 45.

Tambuwal Cuts Reps’ Pay By 40%

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday told members of the Lower Chamber that the days of ‘free money’ were gone.


Reading the riot act on how he would run the House, he declared that he would separate allowances of members from monies meant to run committee activities.

With this action, the salaries and allowances for the Representatives would be cut by 40 per cent.

The Speaker maintained that the House would be more transparent regarding all public funds spent for the purpose of paying the salaries and allowances of legislators and assure that distinction is sufficently made between what a legislator actually earns and what is spent to run and implement legislative business and committee activities.

Under running costs, salaries and allowances of members, Tambuwal explained that the seventh session of the House “recognises the concerns raised by Nigerians about the jumbo pay of lawmakers. The watchword in financial issues will be fiscal conservatism”

Former Speaker Dimeji Bankole, ran a ‘collapse system’, merging all monies meant for the running of the House with the running of committee activities, leading to jumbo pay for the lawmakers.

But Tambuwal stated that all monies meant for specifics would be used for that purpose and Nigerians would be given opportunity to know what the House members were earning as salaries and what they earn as allowances.

He assured that the promotion of a viable and robust national economy would form the focus of the House as it works to support the emergence of a strong economy.

He said: “The seventh session of the House of Representatives will put in place legislative measures to achieve the best development outcome from government spending, including promotion of economic growth and social welfare.

“The thrust of the national budget should be effective prioritisation of spending on programmes within the national budget ensuring that adequate resources are available for spending on priority capital projects adoption of an effective Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and also effective monitoring of spending and of outcomes achieved-value for money”.

The Speaker maintained that the House would emphasise compliance with the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, including requirements that the executive shall seek input from the National Assembly in the preparation of MTEF.

He said: “MTEF shall be the basis for the preparation of the estimates of the annual national budget laid before the National Assembly, the executive shall at least 30 days before the deadline of the submission of its budget proposals place at the disposal of the National Assembly, including the net current revenue and the respective memorandum”.

While confirming the reduction in the allowances of members, it was revealed that at the executive session, the leadership resolved to yield to public outcry by reducing the salaries and allowances of the members by 40 per cent.

Peter Akpatason, representing Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency, Edo State, confirmed that the salaries and allowances of the members of the House do not reflect the jumbo pay.

Akpatason, a former President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), said “I’m not aware of any leakages but all I know is that we have just started. We are aware that the budget has been cut down by 40 per cent. What is responsible for that, I don’t know. But I’m aware that there is public outcry about the quantum of monies received by our predecessors. We have actually seen the breakdown for our own dispensation and one will rather think that certain elements are inadequate. I don’t see what people called bumper pay in what we have been offered here today. But, I don’t have access to what the breakdown of what our predecessors were paid, that is the situation.”

Different Between Civil Right And Civil Liberties.

Civil Rights vs Civil Liberties

Civil rights and civil liberties are granted to the people as per the Constitution. They are well defined in the Constitution.

Civil rights are those that are granted by a government for the protection of its citizens in respect to guaranteeing fairness and checking discrimination. Civil liberties are the basic rights guaranteed to all citizens in a country without any further speciality.
Civil liberties include right to privacy, freedom of speech, freedom from slavery and forced labour, right to a fair trial, right to marry, right to vote, right to life, freedom from torture, right to liberty, freedom of conscience, freedom of assembly, and freedom of expression.
‘Civil rights’ means an individual’s right to get equal treatment in cases of education, housing, employment, and a lot more. ‘Civil rights’ means free from discrimination or unfair treatment.

Civil rights pertain to equal treatment of an individual irrespective of age, gender, race, and disability. On the other hand, ‘civil liberties’ are broader rights guaranteed in the Constitution.
Civil rights pertain to the concept of how an individual is treated by others. Civil liberties pertain to the actual freedoms that an individual enjoys under a Constitution.
Unlike the civil rights, the civil liberties are protective in character.

The concept of civil liberties can be traced to Magna Carta, an English legal charter. The term ‘civil rights’ come from Latin ‘Ius civis,’ which means ‘the rights of citizens.’ The Englishmen also enjoyed civil rights based on Magna Carta. In recent times, the civil rights movements worldwide have had a great impact in stressing the rights of individuals.

Summary
1.Civil rights are those that are granted by a government for the protection of its citizens in respect to guaranteeing fairness and checking discrimination.
2.Civil liberties are the basic rights guaranteed to all citizens in a country without any further speciality.
3.’Civil rights’ means an individual’s right to get equal treatment in cases of education, housing, employment, and a lot more. ‘Civil rights’ means ‘free from discrimination or unfair treatment.’ On the other hand, ‘civil liberties’ are broader rights guaranteed in the Constitution.
4.Unlike civil rights, civil liberties are protective in character.
5.Civil rights pertain to the concept of how an individual is treated by others. Civil liberties pertain to the actual freedoms that an individual enjoys under a Constitution.

Super Falcons Vs Germany On Thursday 30th June @ 7:45p

FIFA Women’s World Cup holders Germany meet African champions Nigeria in Frankfurt on Thursday evening, and although it is only the second match for both nations, there is already plenty at stake. The hosts are hoping to continue riding the euphoria currently sweeping the nation, but the Super Falcons urgently need a good result to make up for their poor start to the tournament. Last year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup provided an appetiser for Thursday evening’s clash, as the German juniors beat their Nigerian counterparts 2-0 in the final. The meeting between the seniors could be well decisive in determining the final Group A outcome.

The Stakes
The teams approach Thursday’s clash in contrasting moods. Heartened by their 2-1 opening day victory over Canada, and guaranteed the support of another huge and partisan home crowd, the Germans will be brimming with confidence as they pursue a second victory and top spot in the group.

_{Germany Women's Team}

On the other hand, the Nigerians 0-1 defeat to France in their first match means they must go in search of points against the favourites for the trophy. That should make for an exciting game, as Uche Eucharia’s team cannot afford simply to defend and hope to come away with a draw.

_{Super Falcons of Nigeria}

Brigitz Prinz and company beat the Nigerians 8-0 on a bitterly cold November evening in Leverkusen last year, on a night pretty much everything went right for the home team. Nevertheless, Silvia Neid and her players know they will face far more motivated opponents this week. The Super Falcons are a robust, dynamic team always capable of putting their opponents under pressure, whereas the Germans will be looking to improve on their display in the opening match, after Neid expressed dissatisfaction with her team’s passing in the meeting with Canada.

The Words
‘’I think we’ll see a different Germany against Nigeria. We’ll imposer our authority on the match from the start until the end, and that’ll give us a good chance of the three points,’’ – Germany defender Saskia Bartusiak

We certainly have a chance of making the World Cup Final, and maybe even winning it,’’ – Nigeria Keeper Precious Dede.

Commercializing The Nigerian Premier League Like The Spanish La Liga

Okay folks, so yeah we know corruption and administrative inefficiency is a bane in Nigeria football. However, I believe we can improve commercial revenue by doing just one thing right.

Here are the facts, in the 2010/11 Nigeria Premier League season there is NO team from Lagos State, the biggest commercial market in Nigeria and the most populous state.

In Spain, the biggest/commercialized cities guess what Madrid and Barcelona , you know the most successful clubs

In Mexico, the biggest/commercialized cities Mexico city and Guadalajara, most successful clubs Americas (Mexico City) & Guadalajara FC

If the NFF wants to make the NPL lucrative, self sustaining and attractive to sponsors then a club has to be "supported" in Lagos to become a continental champion. That will go a long way to change the league's fortune. The NPL needs a cash cow, like Barcelona and Real Madrid carries the Spanish league

Why Lagos?
Lagos has the population, meaning great talent pool from all works of life.

Lagos is the biggest commercial market in Nigeria, growing everyday

Stadium is already available.

Biggest companies are based in Lagos

Imagine if Enyimba were in Lagos, the fortunes would have being different, Great club but in a small market.

This is purely a marketing issue and has nothing to do with tribe or religion

Nigeria’s Economy May Overtake South Africa By 2025 - Morgan Stanley

Nigeria’s economy may overtake South Africa’s by 2025 to become the biggest on the continent as oil prices climb and consumer spending in Africa’s most populous nation expands, Morgan Stanley said.

Gross domestic product, which will probably reach $400 billion by the end of the decade, is forecast to increase 8.4 percent in 2011 and 8.5 percent in 2012, Andrea Masia and Michael Kafe, economists at Morgan Stanley in Johannesburg, wrote in an e-mailed report today.

Crude output in Africa’s biggest oil producer is estimated to climb 9.5 percent to 2.3 million barrels a day by 2012 from last year, while oil prices may average $113 a barrel over the next year, Morgan Stanley (MS) said. Rising wages and an increase in borrowing is also helping to boost consumer spending in a country of 150 million people, the bank said.

“The sources of output growth are broadening and accelerating, retail trade is vibrant and its financial markets are deepening,” Masia and Kafe wrote. “The economy is on a growth charge.”

Nigeria’s economy is forecast to climb to about $400 billion by 2016 from $268 billion this year, while South Africa’s is expected to reach more than $500 billion from $383 billion in the same period, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Economic Boom

South Africa’s central bank expects economic growth of 3.6 percent in 2011 and 3.9 percent in 2012.

Nigeria’s economic boom may push the market value of the equity index to $1 trillion in five years time from $74 billion currently, Oscar Onyema, chief executive officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, said today. South Africa’s bourse has a market value of $494 billion.

Minimum wages in Nigeria more than doubled to 18,000 naira ($114.69) a month before elections in April after remaining unchanged at about 7,500 naira since 2000, Morgan Stanley said. Public-sector wages are budgeted to rise 20 percent in 2011 and 10 percent in 2012, helping to spur consumer spending, it said.

The naira, which may strengthen to 153 against the dollar by year-end and 150 by the end of 2012, “should help to lift consumer confidence and support the retail sector,” Morgan Stanley said. The wholesale and retail trade industry accounted for 19 percent of GDP in 2010, higher than oil, which makes up 15 percent, the bank said.

Morgan Stanley recommends investors buy shares in Guinness Nigeria Plc (GUINNESS), Nestle Foods Nigeria Plc (NESTLE), Diamond Bank Plc (DIAMONDB) and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. (GUARANTY)

33m Nigerians Defecate 1.7 M Tonnes Of Feaces In Open Spaces Annually - Unicef

Abuja – The UNICEF says an estimated 33 million Nigerians still practice open defecation in different parts of the country.

Dr Suomi Sakai, UNICEF’s Country Representative and Chief Ambassador, said this at the commemoration of the World Sanitation Day on Tuesday in Abuja.

“The most worrisome of all the unsanitary practices is the high rate of open defecation practice in the country.

“It is estimated that about 33 million Nigerians defecate in the open, depositing about 1.7m tonnes of faeces   into the environment annually,’’ she said.

Sakai said that the development had resulted in a high level of contamination of the environment in which garbage and faeces often find their way into water resources.

She stressed the need for awareness creation among the populace and the imperative of imbibing sanitary practices for improved health and socio-economic well-being of the citizenry.

The Chief Ambassador, however, commended the Federal Ministry of Environment for providing a viable platform for discussing and analysing environmental sanitation issues for sustainable development.

According to her, the occasion provides an opportunity for the review of commitment and support to improve the status of environmental sanitation in the country.

She said that the theme of the celebration which is “Cleanliness: Gateway to Healthy Living,’’ was timely and appropriate, considering the present poor environmental sanitation practices and its consequences on the life of the people.

She maintained that high morbidity and mortality rates in the country, prompted by cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery and typhoid, all sanitation-related diseases, were consequences of poor sanitation and hygiene practice.

“Children under five are the most vulnerable to the effects of poor sanitation and hygiene in the country.

“ It is estimated that that nearly 200,000 children under five years die annually due to diarrhoea while respiratory infections kill another 240,000 young children every year,’’ she added.

Sakai explained that improving the disposal of human excreta and stopping open defecation could reduce illnesses by 34 per cent, stressing that when combined with hand washing, the impact could be doubled.

The Country Representative recalled that the UN General Assembly had passed a resolution urging member countries to redouble efforts to close the sanitation gap.

She said that the resolution tagged, “Sustainable Sanitation: The Five-Year-Drive to 2015’’, would focus on mobilising political will as well as financial and technical resources for achieving the MDG sanitation target.

She said the resolution had also called for an end to open defecation.

Sakai called on the Federal Government to invest in the sanitation sector to improve the economic development of the country. (NAN)

Funmi Iyanda turns down being a presenter on CNN

She explains why “Surely, that would have taken my career backward. Why would I want to be a presenter on CNN when I make shows that CNN would happily commission and buy? I have been offered several shows to produce and host for a number of international platforms. Two are in development, both are continental and audacious. If CNN offered me my own Piers Morgan type of gig, then yes! You know what would be great? If I am able to do the same for a coalition of NTA, AIT and Channels. Right now the policies and economies that are against it are daunting but time will tell.”

How Security Concious Are You - Ladies Especially

10 CRUCIAL TIPS,  IT MAY SAVE LIFE.

Happy reading.

A police officer wrote this! Please read coz may save your life!
Sometimes the little things we do, can make the biggest difference!

Crucial…

Because of recent abductions in daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situation,


This is for you & for you to share with your wife, your children & everyone you know.

After reading these 10 crucial tips,forward them to someone you care about.

It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do:

The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!
2. Learned this from a tourist guide.
If a robber asks for your wallet or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM,Toss it away from you,
Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet or purse than you & he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole & start waving like crazy.The driver won't see you, but everybody else will.
This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., & just sit (doing their cheque book, or making a list, etc.(DON'T DO THIS!).The predator may be watching you, & this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head,and tell you where to go.
AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR,LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE, 
If someone is in the car with a gun to your head, DO NOT DRIVE OFF,
Repeat:
DO NOT DRIVE OFF!
Instead run the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car.Your Air Bag will save you.If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it.As soon as the car crashes bail out and run.
It is better than having your body found in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot or parking garage:
A.)   Be Aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat
B.)   If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door.
Most serial killers attack their female victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
C.)   Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, & on the passenger side,  if a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work & get a
guard/policeman to walk you back out.
IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY.(And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs.Stairwalls are horrible places to be alone,& the perfect crime spot.This is especially true at NIGHT!

7. If the predator has a gun & you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times, & even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, preferably in a zig -zag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP!!! It may get you violated, or killed.
Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, & often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last & she called the police because it was late& she thought it was weird,  The police told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door, ' The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window & she was worried that it would crawl to the street & get run over.The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded & uses it to coax women out of their homes, thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it,but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.


10. Water Scam!!! If you wake up in the middle of the night to hear all your taps outside running,or what you think is a burst pipe,DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your outside taps full bore so that you will go out to investigate & then they attack.

Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbours!


Please pass this on.


This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because


the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on


America 's Most Wanted when they profiled


the serial killer in  Louisiana 


It may save a life.

Juju Scare In Aso Rock!

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan is ill at ease at the moment. Inside sources in the country's seat of power the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja confided in National Daily that the number one citizen does not know whom to trust any longer. Reports indicated that the President is suspecting the possibility of some 'unexpectedly' highly influential guests using charms better known as Juju or native African fetish spell on him.

The President, aides disclosed, began to be suspicious when he noticed that he always become drained of physical strength, in other words he gets tired or exhausted unnecessarily after visits from certain guests. President Jonathan, they ventured, often experience body weakness, which he himself has found very strange.

Unexpected guests
What makes the matter worse is that most of these visitors were not the ones on schedule list; they are people whom his close associates and aides smuggled into the daily visitors' roster to have a word or two with him, most bordering on favours. These important people were ones who had already wormed their ways into the President's men's heart through monetary or juicy gifts.

The thinking is that these people must have come prepared with charms in form of incantations or totems which they believed are needed to swing the President's decision in their favour. So the drain of physical strength from the President is seen as the aftermath effect of the charm used on him.
A sad twist to the unwholesome development is that some close aides and officials working in Aso Rock or in the government are believed to be neck deep in the act.

Sources revealed that on several occasions, the President might have suddenly grown suspicious of an official's attitude to work and might have even deemed it fit to query or replace the person, but once it leaks out and the person hears, such a person will go home to reinforce using traditional means and before long, there is a sudden turn of event.

The President forgets his earlier observations, and even discovered later to his chagrin that a cozy relationship has developed between the person and himself. At present, officials in Aso Rock Villa have resorted to prayers every morning the get to work in order to cleanse their offices and rid the whole place of undue influence of the occult.
African malaise?

The use of charms, juju or African talisman was once part of the culture of the tribes that make up Nigeria; it is often associated with the country's traditional culture. Two religions, Christianity and Islam have however eroded dependence on this aspect of the people of this country's culture to an extent but the fact is that belief and the use of charms is still much prevalent remains.

It is widely acknowledged that most African elites use religion as smokescreen to hide their deep-seated juju dabbling, they use Christianity or Islam as a smokescreen while engaged in occultism and diabolical acts.
Nigerian leaders such as military President, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and Late Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Abacha were reported to have resorted to inviting Juju-men or Marabout into Aso Rock Villa for special spiritual sessions. Late President Umaru Musa Yra'Adua at the height of his illness was reported to have engaged in some consultations too.

The most recent public outburst of such an occurrence from the country's seat of power was the verbal exchange of accusations between, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Vice-President Atiku Abubakar towards the twilight of their administration.
Obasanjo accused his estranged deputy of wishing him dead and consulting Islamic holy men on the date of his demise.

Obasanjo said the vice president had told a former minister: "Don't worry, the president will be dead soon."
Atiku Abubakar denied the charges, saying Obasanjo's mind was full of "the cobwebs of juju or occult".
The pair fell out when Abubakar opposed the president's efforts to stay in office for a third term.
Speaking about the feud between him and his deputy on national television, Obasanjo said Abubakar had told a minister that he had been consulting a marabout (holy man).
Obasanjo who was forced to standing down after two terms, revealed that Abubakar told the minister: "So the same marabout has told me that I will be President when this man (Obasanjo) dies and had given me a month that he will die, you better prepare."

Obasanjo said the alleged comments showed his rival's "bankruptcy of ideas, bankruptcy of knowledge and lack of knowledge in God and the affairs of God on the lives of human beings".
He added: "If I will live for another 20 years, it is in the hands of God. I am not afraid of such stupidity. Of course, I know that you can be poisoned but if God wants to save you, you will be saved."
The then vice-president dismissed the president's accusations as "bizarre and ludicrous".
"Unlike Obasanjo who uses Christianity as a smokescreen while engaged in occultism and diabolical acts, I am a devout Muslim who has always striven to live in accordance with the teachings of Islam,” Atiku fired back in a statement.

"The next occupant of the State House (presidential villa) will need to spiritually cleanse the presidential lodge to make it habitable for normal people.

"I don't believe in resorting to marabout and have never wished the president dead. Rather, it is the president who has been hell-bent on eliminating me politically and physically.
"By making public accusations of fetish acts against me, the president has exposed his own mindset as one that is covered in the cobwebs of juju or occult.
"It is on record that the president had never in the past denied his association with deadly secret societies." Abubakar declared.

Analysts informed National Daily regarding the matter that in Africa's cultural and development context, it is not strange that Nigerian former President Olusegun Obasanjo should accuse his deputy, Atiku Abubakar, of craving to kill him through the dreaded juju spell. Obasanjo's claims that Atiku has been “consulting Islamic holy men on the date of his demise,” reflects the unrefined elements within the African culture that wait to be polished for progress.
"Don't worry, the president will be dead soon," a juju medium was said to have told Atiku.

Dabbling in juju weakens the rulers' ability to totally rationalize developmental problems on the ground. As the Obasanjo and Atiku row demonstrates, juju and other such practices not only weaken trust, a key ingredient in national development, but  also undermine "national morality, because they are based on irrational spirit power," they opined.

They noted that for the sustainable development of Africa, it is healthy that African elites re-think the relationship between their culture and progress, especially how to refine the inhibitions within their culture to facilitate progress, as the Europeans did during their enlightenment struggles in their development process.

Nigeria federation apologises to Safa

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has apologised to the South African Football Association (Safa) following their withdrawal from an international friendly match against Bafana Bafana scheduled for 10 August.
In a letter to Safa, the secretary general of the NFF, Musa Amadu, says a fixture between South Africa and Nigeria will always be a fitting occasion to cement co-operation and mutually beneficial bilateral relations between the two countries.
He apologised for Nigeria’s withdrawal after having signed the contract with Safa.
“Our technical department, technical team and some of our senior players have expressed their preference to play a match in London, considering that it was close to the start of the European season and such long hours of travel might affect some players’ chances in their respective clubs,” explained Amadu.
Acting Safa CEO Pinky Lehoko says plans are under way to find Nigeria’s replacement for the August international friendly match.
“We are disappointed that we have to restart the process when the agreement was signed and sealed, we have already commenced the process of securing another opponent and we are optimistic that we will get opponents that will help prepare our team adequately for the crucial 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Niger in September,” said Lehoko.

Colombian keeper tests positive

Yineth Varon © Action Images

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28 June 2011, 17:16

Colombian goalkeeper Yineth Varon has provisionally been banned from the women's World Cup in Germany after testing positive for banned substances, world soccer's governing body Fifa said on Tuesday.
Varon tested positive during a doping control three days ago.
She was suspended because of "the adverse analytical finding of her A sample", but has the right to demand a test of her B sample, Fifa said in a statement.
Colombia, in Group C of the 16-team tournmanent running to July 17, were playing Sweden in their opening match later on Tuesday.

New lawmakers to receive one billion naira for accommodation

With the National Assembly quarters in Abuja retained by their outgoing counterparts, the 343 new lawmakers at the National Assembly are to draw between N3 million and N5 million for new houses as they resume work this week.

The Assembly leaders said the amount is to cover annual rental cost for new accommodation for each legislator, after a controversial government monetisation policy transferred titles for the Abuja Apo legislative quarters to former lawmakers who were not reelected.

The ownership rule has drawn the condemnation of some legislators as they face a raft of uncertainties, as the Senate and the House of Representatives resume legislative duties. Each new Senator is receiving N5 million for a new place in the federal capital territory after an initial demand for N7 million (and an upward rental fee for three years) were reportedly rejected by the senate leadership.

The 264 new members of the House of Representatives are getting between N3.5 million and N4.5 million, sources say. But the new entrants into the hunt for houses have already caused a surge in real estate value in choice areas within Abuja, complicating the accommodation controversy, with some legislators urging a reversal.

Within the city centre, for instance, houses that went for N1.5 million a year ago, are reportedly now being let out at N3 million.

“The major problem we are facing now is the problem of accommodation for the new senators. Many of them may not be able to concentrate in legislative proceedings because for now they do not have a place to stay,” Smart Adeyemi, a returning senator from Kogi state, said.

Mr Adeyemi spoke last week as both chambers faced the prospect of a tardy resumption with many of the new members without houses ahead of Tuesday’s reopening.

“We cannot even talk about hotels because where is the money for that. That is why the Apo legislative quarters should not have been sold in the first place. If the houses were to be there now, they will just pack in and start work, even if with ordinary mattress.

“Those behind the monetisation policies should have known that new senators are elected every four years, so there should be provision for that so that the new senators can move in. I think the proper thing to do is for government to reverse the sale of Apo and return monies back to those that bought the houses,” Mr Adeyemi added.

The three-week break was announced by both chambers shortly after inauguration to allow for the provision of home and office accommodation for the members.

The House has said office spaces for members will not be ready until August ending as contractors had announced a longer delivery time than expected. The deputy dpeaker, Emeka Ihedioha, said the House would however proceed with the June 28 resumption while improvised arrangements were made for the members as they resume.

Nigerian varsity to buy electricity from Cameroun

In an unprecedented move by any Nigerian institution, the American University of Nigeria, Yola, is to receive 30 megawatts of electricity from neighbouring Cameroun. This, the institution said, was aimed at alleviating the acute shortage of electricity in the AUN community and environs.



The Camerounian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Salahuddeen Ibrahim-Abbas, said his country was willing to assist Nigeria in whichever way it could. Ibrahim-Abbas, who led a team of 10 Cameroonian officials to the university on Tuesday June 6, was said to have visited Adamawa State for a diplomatic meeting on the interconnection of power within Nigeria and Cameroun.
This was contained in a statement sent to our correspondent via electronic mail, on Monday.
The statement quoted the ambassador as commending what he called the remarkable progress recorded by the AUN in the last couple of years.
The statement added that the ambassador took time off the meeting to visit AUN in order to update his country on progress made by the institution. It added, “With a population of over 180 million and the growth in the industry and agriculture of Nigeria, it has become imperative to explore alternative power supply.
“Power evacuation from the Camerounian dam will serve as a tool for the enhancement of the diplomatic relations and as the watershed for the electricity sufficiency and success of bilateral activities between Nigeria and Cameroun.” While receiving the delegates, Vice-President Byron Bullock, expressed the institution’s pleasure and pride at Cameroun’s continued interest in and friendship with the university.

A woman sprays police with her breast milk

A lactating U.S. woman was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after she sprayed sheriff's deputies with breast milk as they tried to remove her from a vehicle, police said on Monday.

Ohio-resident Stephanie Robinette, 30, was arrested and charged with domestic violence and assault linked to a domestic dispute, as well as resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, according to the Delaware County Sheriff's Office.
It said Robinette's husband told authorities the pair had been attending a wedding when his wife got drunk and started a dispute. He said that she hit him multiple times before locking herself in her car outside a banquet facility on Saturday.
Sheriff Walter L. Davis III said that when police approached the car to speak to her, she yelled profanities and refused to get out.
"When deputies attempted to remove Robinette from the vehicle she advised the deputies that she was a breastfeeding mother and proceeded to remove her right breast from her dress and began spraying deputies and the vehicle with her breast milk," Davis said.
Robinette was later removed from the car and arrested after more deputies arrived on the scene.

‘15 million Nigerian children are child labourers'

With some 15 million children working in Nigeria, often in dangerous jobs, the International Trade Union Confederation has decried the alarming level of child labour in the country and anti-trade union violence in a report to the World Trade Organisation.

The Brussels-based International Trade Union Confederation, represents some 175 million workers in 151 countries, including Nigeria. In the report submitted to the 153-member World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, the group said that "Some 15 million children are at work, many in dangerous jobs."

Analysing the effect on the Trade Unions, the reports say that the children "frequently experience violent attacks and there is little protection from anti-union discrimination." The ILO study also revealed a regular breach of the rules and widespread discrimination against women and minority groups in the country's labour market.

According to the report, "In rural areas, children can be found performing hazardous work in mines, fisheries and agriculture, particularly tobacco and cassava, dealing with pesticides and dangerous tools. In urban settings, children are most often street vendors, scavengers and beggars. It is estimated that most children in rural areas and many children in urban areas have experienced work accidents and injuries. Girls mainly work as domestic servants and many have been forced into commercial sexual exploitation in houses, port cities and refugee camps."

The group, however, states the minimum age for employment in Nigeria as 12 years of age, and that the 23 states in Nigeria that have ratified the Federal Child Rights Act have effectively raised this limit to 14 years of age, but advised that, "the national minimum age for employment should be consistent with the ILO Convention 138 and should not be below the age for finishing compulsory schooling, which is 15 years of age," in order to reduce the child labour trend.

The Labour Act establishes an exception to the minimum age, which permits children of any age to perform light work alongside a family member in agriculture or home-based activity. Children younger than 15 years can only be employed in home-based agricultural or domestic work, but not in commerce and industrial work, and they are not allowed to work more than eight hours per day.

Poverty is responsible

Citing reasons for the high rate of child labour, the group states that, "Parents cannot always afford the education of their children, and children often work in order to pay their fees, or do not attend school at all and work instead to pay for their siblings' education or the household's budget. Many rural children are sent to the cities in order to study in Koranic schools; however, it is reported that many children, called ‘almajiri', end up in beggary and child labour in order to pay their teachers, or are not provided with shelter and food by their schools and are eventually homeless."

Nigeria, with a population of some 155 million and extensive oil resources, has ratified all eight of the core International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions protecting workers' rights including freedom of unions to organise and ending child labour.

In his statement with the report, detailing attacks on workers and union offices, ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow said, "Nigeria has failed to live up to this. Many Nigerian workers live in fear of employer and police violence.

"This failure not only hurts Nigerians, it also undermines efforts by other governments to uphold decent employments standards in the globalised economy," Mr Burrow declared

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Expect tough economic policies, Jonathan tells Nigerians

•Plans incentives for local firms •Nigerians expect privatisation of refinery and power sector
Specific industry focused incentives and waivers will soon be unfolded in support of local firms engaged in the production of indigenous goods and products, as government is set to take some determined measures which may appear painful but will turn out to be very rewarding.
Announcing this at the commissioning of the N4 billion May and Baker Pharma Centre in Ota, Ogun State on Monday, President Goodluck Jonathan said government is set to roll out policies, including waivers, that will ensure that local manufacturing firms that are in critical areas of need have an edge over foreign firms operating in the country through product importation.
“Nigeria is no longer going to be a dumping ground for fake and substandard products. I plead with Nigerians to cooperate with government, as hard decisions are going to be taken that will move the nation forward. It may be painful at the beginning, but will be very rewarding at the end. Nigeria can no longer be a sleeping giant we have to wake up to move the nation forward,” the president said.
Muda Yusuf, director general, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry told BusinessDay that he sees the president banning the dumping of importation of substandard products which is the greatest problem facing the nation’s industrial sector. He said he also expects to see, in line with the government’s tough policy stance, waivers that should be industry or sector wise in application and not company specific.
An analyst who wants anonymity, explained to BusinessDay, that these decisions, will certainly deny some people their sources of income, though illegal, but there is the need for government to carry everyone along for the policy to succeed.
“I’m excited that the president is taking a wholistic approach to solving the problems of the manufacturing sector on the short, medium and long terms.”
“We expect to see reforms in dawn  stream oil sector, privatisation of refineries,  removal of oil subsidies, privatisation of power and port reforms.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State also speaking said government will continue to support investors with incentives to make industrial land available to companies willing to establish or expand their investment in the state.
President Jonathan, meanwhile, added that the government is taking time to get a strong economic team with focus on power and other infrastructure, without which Nigeria will be going nowhere.
He said government needed to protect local firms, despite the globalisation mode, for Nigeria to really emerge a strong economy by 2020.
According to him, waivers and government patronage are two of the best mechanisms to support and protect indigenous manufacturing firms.
The chairman, May and Baker, Theophilous .Y. Danjuma, said the N4 billion plant has the capacity to produce over 4.5 billion tablets and 37.5 million bottles of liquid preparation annually.
He said the building of this plant was the management’s decision to support the government’s vision 20-2020. Through this, he said, there is going to be more employment opportunities, reduction in the circulation of fake drugs and a general positive boost to the Nigerian economy.
Speaking further, President Jonathan assured that, “The Federal Government will protect local industry, although no country is an island. However, at the same time, for us to claim leadership in Africa, we must be able to produce certain percentage of what we need locally.”
This new focus, Jonathan noted, underscored the government’s efforts at revamping the power sector and other infrastructural facilities.
President Jonathan warned foreign countries and firms to desist from dumping substandard products on the country, threatening that if the practice continued, the government will be forced to take strong and stern measures.
“Such measures may be tough and painful. These measures, which are definitely necessary, may appear painful to the ordinary people, but they are needed if we are to grow the economy,” he said.
He, however, promised that such decisions and policies would not be taken without consultation with the private sector.
The May and Baker factory, which construction commenced in 2008 was designed as an ultra-modern plant and built with modern facilities to meet the standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO), United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and other globally recognised regulatory bodies.
“Both local and international medicine procuring companies currently buying from western and Asian suppliers will now begin to look towards the pharmacentre for their medicines,” Danjuma said.

Emeka Offor Donates Some Of His Billions To The Poor

Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator Anyim Pius Anyim,  Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State and his Imo State counterpart inability to pay Rochas Okorocha have hailed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Sir Emeka Offor’s concern for the needy.

Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SOEF),in collaboration with Books for Africa (BFA),USA distributed over one million books and educational materials to 30 universities in the country.

Over 100 secondary schools and 100 primary schools were given laptops and desktops worth over N900 million by the Foundation.

The distribution was done according to the six geo-political zones, with each benefiting school fully represented on the occasion at the Oraifite Town Hall in Ekwusigo Local Government of Anambra State at the weekend.

Director- General of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Paul Orhii; former Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Ernest Ndukwe; Primate of the Anglican Communion, Rev. Peter Akinola, among others,  attended the event.

Anyim said the distribution of the books would afford the children the opportunity of imbibing a reading culture.

Okorocha said that life is useless without providing for the needy.

He said: “Any rich man, whose wealth does not go round is a poor man and this is the reason why I am here today.”

Obi hailed Offor’s gesture and urged the people to support the less privileged in the society.

Illicit drug consumption on the rise in Ekiti State

About three out of five psychiatric cases reported at the University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti are linked to use of illicit drugs. The Ekiti State commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Bamidele Akingbade, has said. Mr Akingbade, who disclosed this during the International Day Against Drug Abuse and illicit drug trafficking celebration at the weekend, said the rise in cases of mentally retarded people in the state is a source of worry to the agency.

“If the trend continues, there would be more lunatics on the streets of Ado-Ekiti,” he said, adding that it would affect the future of youths who are the leaders of tomorrow.

The NDLEA official said no fewer than 34 persons have been arrested for dealing in hard drugs in the last one year, while 24 persons are being prosecuted for drug related offences within the same period of time.

Lucrative business

The NDLEA boss lamented that often times when those jailed for drug-related offences are released from prison, they go back to it because of its lucrative nature.

Mr Akingbade, who said there is an upsurge in the cultivation of cannabis in the state, blamed this on the high price of the commodity attracts in the market. He said a bag of Indian hemp which has the same weight as that of a bag of cement attracts N28, 000 in the market.

“Ekiti is fast becoming one of the states noted for the cultivation of cannabis.

Between last year when I assumed duty as the commander of the agency and now, over 400 acres of land has been destroyed by us for cannabis cultivation. “Also, the agency has just discovered another 100 acres of Indian hemp cultivation.

Apart from corruption, every other offence, such as armed robbery and rape have their roots in drug consumption. It is highly worrisome that anywhere cannabis is planted, it takes another 10 years to grow another plant there. So, we appeal to our people, especially those in charge of land, to stop giving out their land to people to grow Indian hemp.”

Pictured: Mohammed Manga, Nigeria's first suicide bomber

Mohammed moments before he embarked on the suicide trip

The man who bombed the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja on June 16 was a fairly well-to-do businessman who was actually on a suicide mission on behalf of the Islamic sect the Boko Haram. Mohammed Manga was a 35-year-old married man with five children who drove overnight from Maiduguri to Abuja in order to carry out the morning attack which left about five people dead and many cars incinerated in the blast.



He had left N4 million in his will for his five children – two girls and three boys – before embarking on the fateful journey to the nation’s capital.

There was proof also that Manga was accompanied on the deadly mission by at least a collaborator in the plot, who took his last photograph alive as he drove through the streets of Abuja. The collaborator(s) might have disembarked from the car before Manga reached the Louis Edet House headquarters of the Nigerian Police.

Are Rich Nigerian Parents Over-pampering Their Children?

The first thing that I (not me) discovered about UK-born, white, English undergraduates was that all of them did holiday  or weekend job to support themselves - including the children of millionaires amongst them. It is the norm over there - regardless how wealthy their parents are. And I soon discovered that virtually all other foreign students did the same - the exception being those of us status-conscious Nigerians.

I also watched
Richard Branson (owner of Virgin Airline)speaking on the Biography Channel and, to my amazement, he said that his young children travel in the economy class -even when the parents (he and his wife) are in upper class.  Richard Branson is a billionaire in Pound Sterling. A quick survey would show you that only children from Nigeria fly business or upper class to commence their studies in the UK. No other foreign students do this.

There is no aircraft attached to the office of the prime minister in the UK - he travels on BA. And the same goes for the Royals. The Queen does not have an aircraft for her exclusive use. These practices simply become the culture which the next generation carries forward. Have you seen the car that Kate Middleton(the lady soon to marry Prince William) drives?
VW Golf or something close to it.  But there's one core difference between them and us(generally speaking). They (even the billionaires among them) work for their money, we steal ours!

If we want our children to bring about the desired change we have been praying for on behalf of our dear country, then please, please let's begin now and teach them to work hard so they can stand alone and most importantly be content, and not having to "steal", which seem to be the norm these days.

"30 is the new 18", which seem to be the new age for testing out the world in Nigeria now.  That seems to be an unspoken but widely accepted mindset among the last 2 generations of parents in Nigeria. At age 18 years, a typical young adult in the UK leaves the clutches of his/her parents for the University, chances are, that's the last time those parents will ever play "landlord" to their son or daughter except of course the occasional home visits during the academic year.

At 21 years and above or below, the now fully grown and independent minded adult graduates from University, searches for employment, gets a job (could be in another city from the parents) and shares a flat with other young people on a journey into becoming fully fledged adults. I can hear the echo of parents saying, well, that is because the UK economy is thriving, safe, well structured and jobs are everywhere? I beg to differ and I ask that you kindly hear me out.  I am a UK trained Recruitment Consultant and I have been practicing for the past 10 years in Nigeria.  I have a broad range of experience from recruiting new graduates to executive director level of large corporations.  In addition, I talk from the point of view of someone with relatively privileged upbringing. Driven to school every day, had my clothes washed for me, was barred from taking any part-time job during my A-levels so that I could concentrate on studying for my exams?! BUT, I got the opportunity to live apart from my parents from age 18 and the only time I came back home to stay was for 3 months every summer, before I got married!

Am I saying that every parent should wash their hands off their children at age 18? No, not at all, of course, I enjoyed the savings that I made from living on and off at my parent's house in London - indeed that is the primary reason for my being able to buy myself a 3 bedroom flat in London at age 25 with absolutely no direct financial help from my parents!

For me,
pocket money stopped at age 22, not that it was ever enough for my lifestyle to compete with Paris Hilton's or Victoria Beckham's. Meanwhile today, we have Nigerian children who have never worked for 5 minutes in their lives insisting on flying "only" first or business class, carrying the latest Louis Vuitton ensemble, Victoria 's Secret underwear and  wearing Jimmy Choo's, fully paid for by their "loving" parents.

I often get calls from anxious parents, my son graduated 2 years ago and is still looking for a job, can you please assist! Oh really! So where exactly is this "child" is my usual question. Why are you the one making this call dad/mum? I am yet to get a satisfactory answer, but between you and I, chances are that big boy is cruising around Lagos with a babe  dressed to the nines, in his dad's spanking new SUV with enough "pocket money" to put your salary to shame.  It is not at all strange to have a 28 year old who has NEVER worked a day in his or her life in Nigeria but "earns" a six figure "salary" from parents for doing absolutely nothing. I see them in my office once in a while, 26 years old with absolutely no skills to sell, apart from a shiny CV, written by his dad's secretary in the office. Of course, he has a driver at his beck and call and he is driven to the job interview. We have a fairly decent conversation and we get to the inevitable question - so, what salary are you looking to earn? Answer comes straight out - N250,000.00. I ask if that is per month or per annum. Of course it is per month. Oh, why do you think you should be earning that much on your first job? Well, because my current pocket money is N200,000.00 and I feel that an employer should be able to pay me more than my parents. I try very hard to compose myself, over parenting is in my opinion the greatest evil handicapping the Nigerian youth. It is at the root of our national malaise.

We have a youth population of tens of millions of who are being "breastfed and diapered" well into their 30s.  Even though the examples I have given above are from parents of considerable affluence, similar patterns can be observed from Abeokuta to Adamawa! Wake up mum! Wake up dad! You are practically loving your children to death! No wonder corruption continues to thrive. We have a society of young people who have been brought up  to expect something for nothing, as if it were a birth right.

I want to encourage you to send your young men and women (anyone over 20 can hardly be called a child!) out into the world, may be even consider reducing or stopping the pocket money to encourage them to think, explore and strive. Let them know that it is possible for them to succeed without your "help".

Take a moment to think back to your own time as a young man/woman, what if someone had kept spoon feeding you, would you be where you are today? NO TREE GROWS WELL UNDER ANOTHER TREE, children that are not exposed to challenges, don't cook well. That is why you see adults complaining, "my parents didn't buy clothes for me this Christmas", ask him/her how old - 30+. Because of the challenges we faced in our youth, we are where and what we are today, this syndrome - my children will not suffer what I suffered - is destroying our tomorrow. Deliberately reduce their allowance.

I learnt the children of a former Nigerian head of state with all the stolen (billions) monies in their custody, still go about with security escort as wrecks. They are on drugs, several times because of the drug, they collapse in public places. The escort will quickly pack them and off they go, what a life. No one wants to marry them. Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. - Henry Ford.
Hard work does not kill, everything in Nigeria is going down, including family settings. It is time to cook our children, preparing them for tomorrow. We are approaching the season in Nigeria where only the RUGGED, will survive. How will your ward fare?

If the present generation of Nigerian pilots retire, will you fly a plane flown by a young Nigerian pilot, If trained in Nigeria? People now have first class, who cannot spell GRADUATE. This has nothing to do with Goodluck or Buhari and unfortunately we cannot blame the political class this time but ourselves. Which Way Nigeria!, Which Way Nigerians!!
Is this how we will ALL sit and watch this country SINK in our hands?

Have a beautiful day

SIMPLE CAR CARE TIPS FOR THERAINY SEASON!!!

The rainy season is here andmost of us are probably gritting our teeth, imagining the havoc it would wreckon our cars. Well, since we can’t pray the rain away (not that we want to)there are certain measures we can take to make sure, when it’s harvest time,our cars are in tiptop condition for the celebration.

Wash often

It's quite basic, this applies to EVERYTHING that gets dirty, doesn't it? Sowhy don’t people treat their expensive cars the same way.

The justification of "bah, it'll get dirty again" is rather silly andshort-sighted.

Cleaning the car often prevents contaminants, dirt, and residues frompermeating the paint causing damage that requires drastic restoration.

Also, if you clean the car, always use a good car shampoo. Washing the carwithout any form of lubricating surfactant will just scratch your paint sincethere's no buffer between the dirt you are scrubbing and the soft paint.

Get your car protected by a wax or sealant.

It really doesn't matter whether you use the most expensive stuff oroff-the-shelf cheapo stuff, as long as you have a protective, sacrificial layeron top of the paint.

Better brands and products will protect better and last longer while cheapstuff won't. But at the end of the day, even the worse of waxes can last atleast 2-5 days of torture.

In general, polymers and acrylics are much less affected by heat and moisture.

Protect Flat Surfaces More

Water pools on flat surfaces more than vertical surfaces, nothing new here. Thehood, roof, trunk (if available) will pool water blobs more than the doors,fenders and quarterpanels.

These flat surfaces also will absorb more direct heat when the sun is outtherefore contributing to rapid water evaporation, causing water to spot andacid etches to form.

So as much as you can, wax the flat panels more often than the vertical if allyou're after is surface protection.

The hood receives double heat source (engine and sun) so expect wax to wear offsooner on this surface.

Neutralize acidity immediately

If you have just arrived home and it just rained, you'd need to neutralize theacidity of rain water as soon as possible by hosing down the car if you don'tplan to wash the car.

NOTE: If you live in a place where water is especially hard and leaves a lotof residue, this is counter-productive, wash the car with shampoo and dry it.

Displace Moisture

As mentioned above, flat surfaces has the tendency to pool liquids and slowevaporation allows the acids and contaminants to slowly damage the paint.

Large water droplets also act as a magnifying glass when the sun hits itcausing the paint to burn quicker on that spot (hence the etch).

Reduce this phenomenon by simply leaving the hood and trunk open for severalminutes (assuming you have a somewhat covered parking or if it has stoppedraining) to allow water to drip off and the heat from the engine bay to escape.This also prevents sunlight from hitting the panels directly)

If you have a smooth paint, utilize the hose-drying technique, you'll end upwith less than a cup of water or so to dry off from the body panels.

Clean the wheels often

Brake dust + water + days of non-cleaning = corrosion of wheels.

Now that you know what to do, you can sayto the rain “BRING IT ON” but if you don’t want to be that challenging, you canjoin the Famous Majek Fashek in singing “Papa Papa Papa Yo Send Down the Rain”