Apple holding more cash than USA

Apple now has more cash to spend than the United States government.

Latest figures from the US Treasury Department show that the country has an operating cash balance of $73.7bn (£45.3bn).
Apple's most recent financial results put its reserves at $76.4bn.
The US House of Representatives is due to vote on a bill to raise the country's debt ceiling, allowing it to borrow more money to cover spending commitments.
If it fails to extend the current limit of $14.3 trillion dollars, the federal government could find itself struggling to make payments, and risks the loss of its AAA credit rating.
The United States is currently spending around $200bn more than it collects in revenue every month.
Apple, on the other hand, is making money hand over fist, according to its financial results.
In the three months ending 25 June, net income was 125% higher than a year earlier at $7.31bn.
Spending spree With more than $75bn either sitting in the bank or in easily accessible assets, there has been enormous speculation about what the company will do with the money.
"Apple keeps its cards close to its chest," said Daniel Ashdown, an analyst at Juniper Research.
Industry watchers believe that it is building up a war chest to be used for strategic acquisitions of other businesses, and to secure technology patents.
Bookstore Barnes and Noble and the online movie site Netflix have both been tipped as possible targets, said Mr Ashdown.
The company may also have its eye on smaller firms that develop systems Apple might want to add to its devices, such as voice recognition.
Apple dipped into some of its reserves recently when it teamed-up with Microsoft to buy a batch of patents from defunct Canadian firm Nortel

Danger! Russia To Build Nigeria’s First Nuclear Power Plant!

ABUJA — As part of efforts  to boost Nigeria’s electricity generation capacity, the Federal Government is set to sign an agreement with the Russian Federation that will culminate in the building of the nation’s first nuclear power plant.

Consequently, Minister of Science and Technology, Prof Ita Oko-Bassey Ewa, yesterday in Abuja, received a 7-man delegation from the Russian Federation, preparatory to the signing of a draft project implementation agreement between the two nations for the proposed nuclear power plant.

Ewa disclosed that the proposed power plant was a major component of the agreement between the two countries in 2009, saying” a draft project implementation agreement has been prepared and ready for signing”.

The Minister, who regretted the delay in the consummation of the agreement since 2009, assured that “follow up meetings are now being initiated to discuss modalities for its implementation.”

He noted that Nigeria was in dire need of diversifying its energy generation base as part of the overall goal of making the nation’s energy sufficient, adding that “government activated the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, NAEC, as the pivotal promotional agency to achieve the objective.

Speaking earlier, Director-General of the Russian State Corporation, RUSATOM, and leader of the delegation, Mr Nikolay Spassy, stressed that nuclear power plants were a safe method of generating electricity, assuring that the Russian Federation had an enviable record in the building of such plants.

Adamawa Speaker Wants Child Rights Act To Lower Maturity Age Below 18

SPEAKER of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Sadiq Ibrahim, has called for a holistic review of the Child’s Rights Act to remove provisions that contravenes some religious principles.

He urged the Federal Government to forward the Act to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Muslim bodies to enable them scrutinise the Act and address areas of conflict.

The lawmaker spoke when he received the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Zainab Maina, who was on advocacy visit to the state. Ibrahim noted that the Child Rights Act, which had gone through second reading at the state’s Assembly suffered a setback during the third reading when members discovered that some of its provisions contradicted Islamic laws.

He cited a section of the Act which stipulates that “it is a criminal offence for any father to give out his daughter for marriage before the age of 18,” adding that the Islamic principle on the matter provides that a women would be eligible for marriage as soon as she attains maturity.

The Speaker contended that issues of maturity are not determined by law but questions of fact that could be established from the physical attributes of a woman.

Ibrahim insisted that for any provision of the ACT that contravenes the principles of Islamic, the controversy would be resolved in favour of Islamic law.”

He said: “A woman may be matured before the age of 18, there is also an issue of choice. A woman may decide to get married before the age of 18; can you prevent her from making a choice of marrying the husband of her wish before she reaches the age of 18? These are fundamental issues we need resolve.

The Assembly has agreed that there are certain misdeeds in the Nigerian society that can be tackled by the Act such as the Almajarai (street kids) syndrome, begging and hawking by children, which are un-Islamic.

“We will not watch our children being destroyed with tribal marks, undergo Cores mutilation; these are unacceptable to our society.   There are so many provisions of the Act which are good for our society but there are also certain grey areas which we do not agree with and need to be reviewed. This is not about religion but about cultural values that we hold with respect. There is need for a holistic review of the Act.”

The Speaker noted that the state Assembly is already working on the domestication of Convention for Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) adding the women deserve to be respected.

Earlier, Maina appealed to the House to put in place appropriate legislations that would guarantee the rights of women and promote the welfare of children.

Edo Deputy Governor's Wife To Pay 12 Million For Army Officer's Beating

SIRENS can be expensive as Mrs. Endurance Odubu, wife of the Deputy Governor of Edo State has discovered. A Federal High Court in Benin City ordered her to pay N12 million as damages to Captain Olorunduyilemi Stephen, an officer with the 4th Brigade of the Nigerian Army.

In a role reversal of the military molesting civilians, security operatives attached to Mrs. Odubu, dragged Captain Stephen out of his car, beat him, and detained him at Mrs. Odubu’s residence. The incident took place in January last year.

Stephen sought the following from the court – N502 million as damages, an unreserved apology from the defendant to be published in five national dailies and broadcast on three electronic media.

Justice Adamu Hobon, in his judgment, ordered Mrs. Odubu to tender an apology to the army officer in three electronic media and two national dailies.

He stated that sirens were for emergency. Approved users were fire fighters, ambulances and top government officials.

Mrs. Odubu did not qualify under any of the categories. Justice Hobon wondered why the defendant took the law into her hands. If Stephen had committed an offence, the judge noted, he should have been charged to a competent court.

The judge ruled that the beating of the army officer was unlawful. He awarded N2 million as special damages to cover medical expenses and his damaged car. For illegal detention and infringing on his fundamental human rights, the court awarded Stephen N10 million.

Team Nigeria Makes History, Wins Bronze In International Physics Olympiad

A FORMER student of Oyemekun Grammar School, Akure, Ondo State, Jesuoluwajoba Ebenezer Ademehin, made history in far away Bangkok, Thailand last week, when he clinched one of the  bronze medals at the 42nd  International Physics Olympiad (IPhO).

Ademehin’s feat makes it the first time ever that an African country would win a medal in any category in the Physics Olympiad, since it was first organized in Warsaw, Poland, in 1967.

About 390 students from 84 countries participated in the yearly event, held between July 10 and 18. A total of 54 gold, 68 silver and 93 bronze medals were distributed among the respective winners. Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya were the only African countries at the event, but the last two left, leaving Nigeria’s five contestants as the continent’s only representatives. Three of the five contestants: Ayodeji Bode-Oke, Musa Damina and Ayomide Bamidele are students of the Nigeria-Turkish International College, Abuja.
In this year’s contest, the best nine countries were from the Asian continent. They include Taiwan, China, Korea and Singapore, which clinched five gold medals each. Others were India, Kazakhstan, Japan, Thailand and Hong Kong. Each of them won three gold medals.

It was hardly surprising that the best countries were from the same region, Asia, because their respective governments are known to pay serious attention to all Olympiads, especially those related to the sciences. Malaysia, another Asian country, is also popularly known for Mental Arithmetic, which Dr Haroun Adamu, the founder of Zaria Academy, Kaduna has now introduced in the country.

The contestants collaborated with and used the facilities of the Nigeria –Turkish International College (NTIC), Abuja under the supervsion of Mr Ayhan Yaman, the college’s Head of Physics Department.

Ademehin told The Guardian that God made it possible for him to achieve his feat. His words: “For this achievement, I thank my God and Father ultimately. I appreciate the support I received from my family: nuclear, extended, and spiritual. I appreciate the Ministry of Education in Nigeria and the National Mathematical Centre (NMC). I appreciate the support I received from the Nigerian Turkish International College (NTIC), and Yamanlar Koleji in Izmir, Turkey for housing, feeding and their interest in me and the science olympiads.

“Specifically, I appreciate the support I received from Mr. Yaman Ayhan of NTIC and my Mr. Omer of Yamanlar Koleji. Lastly, I appreciate the support I received from my friends, other members of the 2011 IPhO physics team for Nigeria, and everyone else.

“I believe Nigeria can do better in the IPhO if sufficient support is given to the Olympiads and the students. I advise that the Olympiads (in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Informatics) be taken more seriously and given a high priority.”

Bamidele said: “The competition lasted for 10 days, with two days in-between several outings, dedicated for the theoretical and experimental examinations.

“The first examination was the theoretical, which consisted of three questions that was to be written for five hours and the second was the experimental part, with two experiments which equally lasted for five hours. The questions in each exam had their difficulties and proved to be hard for some contestants.

“The last day of the event was the closing ceremony where the contestants were awarded gold, silver and bronze medals. Below bronze was the honorable mention certificate, which was also awarded to some contestants. It was also during this event that the first medal (bronze) for Africa at IPhO was awarded to a Nigerian contestant- Jesuoluwajoba Ebenezer Ademehin.”

Another contestant, Folami Samson Oluwaseun said: “This year’s competition commenced with the opening ceremony, although the Nigerian Team missed the ceremony because one of our flights was cancelled. The competition had two parts; the theoretical and experimental competition which were held on separate days. Many students had a tough time with the theoretical competition because it had more of calculus than the physics problems itself, while the experimental competition was a bit easier for me.

“We all tried our best to get the ultimate goal, which is to win a gold medal, but it was only a member of the team that was able to get a bronze medal which is one of its kind in Africa.

“Glory be to Almighty God for crowning our efforts this year by raising the flag of Nigeria through Jesuoluwajoba Ademehin. I also thank God for granting us safe trips to and from the venue, even though we encountered a lot of difficulties during the journey.

“My sincere appreciation goes to the National Mathematical Centre, Abuja for their support, the Nigerian Turkish International College, Abuja for training and accomodating me, my school, Agbonran School of Science, Ede for their contribution and above all, my parents and siblings for their support.

The last contestant, Musa Damina could not be reached for comments at press time.

After first competition, the second IPhO was organised by Prof. Rudolf Kunfalvi in Budapest, Hungary, in 1968. The third was arranged by Prof. Rostislav Kostial in Brno, Czechoslovakia, in 1969, while the fourth took place in Moscow, the former Soviet Union, in 1970.

Saudi Arabia Players Want Church Built Near Hotel Demolished

I find this absurd!

Reports from Colombia, venue of this year’s FIFA U-20 World Youth Championship, WYC, say Nigeria’s first round foes, Saudi Arabia, have demanded that a church at their hotel in Armenia be pulled down because they are putting up in the premises.

Media Officer of the Flying Eagles, Sam Audu, told P.M.Sports from the team’s camp early today that a news report by one of Colombia’s leading television stations, Caracol, says that the Saudis, who are Muslims, have asked that the church built inside the sprawling Las Camelias Hotel Campestre be brought down.

The church is directly behind the hotel, which is nestled in a thick forest. “Everyone was dazed when the Saudis ordered that the House of God be demolished,” Audu said.

It was gathered that the manager of the hotel has reacted by saying there is nothing they can do about the church, adding that FIFA saw it before it approved the hotel to host the teams for the WYC.
According to Audu, the Saudis reluctantly checked into the hotel yesterday evening.
“Colombia is predominantly Catholic and in both private and public places symbols of that faith are proudly displayed,” the Flying Eagles Media Officer stated.
FIFA is yet to react to the development as at the time of filing this report, but Nigerian players and those of the other teams are not comfortable with Saudis’ stand on the church.
The four teams in Group D, Croatia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Guatemala will stay at the 101-room hotel.
Just as Nigeria, Saudi Arabia will play two games in Armenia. They take on Croatia on Sunday, after the clash between Nigeria and Guatemala on 3 August, and will tackle Guatemala also at the venue.
The 21,000-capacity Estadio Centenario will also stage a second round match.
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles are one of the country’s most successful sides having won the African Youth Championship a record six times.
At the World Cup stage, the Nigeria U-20 squad have twice lost in the final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup and were third at the 1985 edition in the former Soviet Union.
Their last AYC triumph was in May this year, when the current team beat Cameroon 3-2 in a thrilling final in Soweto, South Africa.

To reach the 2011 AYC they had to beat both Mauritius and Guinea in the qualifying series.
The core of this team is from the Golden Eaglets Class of 2009, who were beaten by Switzerland in the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup on home soil.
They prepared for the World Cup with residential training first in the southern Nigerian city of Port Harcourt before they left for a more concentrated training in Faro, Portugal.
They rounded off their World Cup build-up before featuring in a four-nation invitational tournament in Panama, where they played goaless draw with Panama and lost two games, 2-0 to Portugal and 4-1 to Mexico.
They are solid in defence and with the right service from midfield, they can run up the scores against the other teams.

Ancestral DNA Results of Nigerians.

Hi Palies,lol. Ok here is the gist. A few of my nigerian friends brought their african american friends to get tested to find out where they are from. So my five nigerian friends and 5 african Amerians and a jamaican  did the dna test.
 Now my five nigerian friends said they were each 100% igbo, yoruba, edo and hausa, all verified by their parents and languages,etc. So out of the five nigerians 2 were yoruba, one igbo, one edo and one hausa, so when the result came back   last week, the results were as followed,

Igbo before dna=  68% igbo, 32 percent efik after dna
Yoruba 1 before dna=60 percent yoruba, 20 percent fulani, 20 percent igbo
Yoruba 2 before dna= 90 percent igbo, 10 percent efik
edo before=59 percent ishan,21 percent yoruba,20 percent igbo
hausa before=75 percent hausa, 10 percent fulani,15percent yoruba

-------------------------------------------------------
Now this dna test is believed to be very accurate due to the fact that is based on mitochondrial dna, which unlike any other dna is the strongest,  So with these results on people who thought they knew what they were by tribe, were wrong, so  it  begs the question whether our tribal identities are just false security, because as we found out a lot of us were not 100 percent what we claim. So  my friend, yoruba 2 went back to his parents with the results, and in the midst discovered that  his mother  and father are not his biological, so after growing up a yoruba boy and now  at 25 years of age finding out that you belong to another tribe, should that change anything?


What do you folks think, because Personally I think over time our tribal identities will start to fade. And also why must we always claim our fathers' tribe and not recognize our mothers' when asked what tribe we come from, after all the mother's dna is the strongest of the two.

President Goodluck Is In Danger! - Prophet

Apostle Babatunde Joel Oyidi - the seer who warned MKO Abiola not to vie for presidency, and predicted former President Umaru Yar’Adua’s death six days after swearing-in, has said that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will be killed in office by his aide-de-camp (ADC) if urgent measures are not taken now to forestall it.

Apostle Oyidi said that some of the President’s men are Boko Haram plants who may later arrange the bombing of the Presidential Villa thus causing the death of not only President Jonathan but also hundreds of innocent citizens.

In a signed statement titled, ‘My vision to the nation’, which he made available to Saturday Champion, the cleric said that certain powerful politicians who failed in the last general elections have fiercely employed themselves in recruiting revolutionary forces to destablise the federation, adding that because of this landestine moves by people in high places the Judgment Day will certainly come upon some members of the political class before the end of this year.

His words: "My revelation to this nation is about the gross insecurity in the land today. God says my people are afraid; they no longer can move freely in their own land, their voices are not heard even in matters that concern them. But the cries of my people have reached my dwelling place.

"The Lord God Almighty has revealed that President Jonathan has surrounded himself with enemies in form of friends. He must, therefore be careful of his aides. Once more the President must check and cross-check all those who hang around him because there is a leakage within the ranks.

"There is going to be an attempt to kill the President and if he is not careful and very close to God now he will be killed by those who work for him".

Prophet Oyidi said that the attacks by Boko Haram Islamic group are orchestrated by politicians who think it is their unalienable right to occupy certain positions of authority in the land.

"Boko Haram is within the government itself; it is orchestrated by the politicians who think they must occupy certain positions of authority in the land by all means. When they failed to get what they wanted they have now resorted to heating up the system. Of course, there is no smoke without fire. It is a shame that all these man-made disasters can be happening to people in this country. It is, therefore, a woeful shame on government", he said.

Oyidi who is the General-Overseer of Elyon International All Christian Praying Ministry said that President Jonathan is not the political messiah of this country but only a forerunner to the president who would salvage the nation by initiating workable policies and programmes to the glory of God.

The cleric, however, advised President Jonathan to stand firm and focus and not be afraid, adding that he should not allow the so-called god-fathers of the present system to sway him.

He also urged Dr. Jonathan to always abide by the injunctions of God Most High in whatever he does while ruling country, noting that whatever the President does now, he would be held accountable for it.

He said, "It is written that whatever a man sows that he will surely reap. Though, President Jonathan is a product of the corrupt system that produced him, yet God wants to use him to fulfill his purpose for this nation. His job in this country is only to prepare the way for the right president.

Police To Employ Graduates, Change Uniform.

Police will soon embark on the
recruitment of graduates of
higher institutions for better
policing system, the Minister of
Police Affairs, Navy Capt. Omoniyi
Olubolade (rtd), has promised.
Speaking at the weekend at the
palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti,
Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe,
the minister also said police
uniform would soon be changed
as part of a general overhaul of
the force.
Olubolade, who described the
Nigerian policing system as
defective, said he would embark
on litany of restructurings to
reposition the force and make it
a pride to Nigeria.
Apart from being holistic, the
restructuring would be to
change the face of the Nigerian
police, which would include
overseas training, to make the
policeman proud.
He said the image of the police
would be redeemed under his
watch by ensuring that the men
of the force keep to the tenets of
best practices obtainable in
advanced climes.
The minister said the police
needed serious restructuring at
this crucial time when the Boko
Haram was posing a serious
threat to the security of Nigeria.
He expressed regret over the
damage the sect had done to the
corporate image of the country,
promising that all hands would
be on deck to nip the situation in
the bud.
He said it was now a sin for the
police to disclose the identities of
informants to the public,
admitting that this had been
hindering the performance of
the force.
He appealed to members of the
public to always volunteer useful
information in the interest of
peace.
Responding, Oba Adejugbe
hinged the rot in the police to
long years of military
interregnum in the country.
He accused past military regimes
of deliberately marginalising the
force due to perceived rivalry
between the police and the
military.
The monarch said: “The military
deliberately marginalised the
police for 25 years to suffer and
this I think caused the rot in the
police force. The military thought
if they should empower the
police, it would be a potent force
that can challenge them and this
they didn’t want.”

Amosun Leads Squad To Demolish Babalakin’s N1 Billion Plant - Is He Okay?

Government gave Bi-Courtney Highway Services Limited a 60-day ultimatum to complete palliative works on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State Government at the weekend threatened to dismantle a $6.5 million (about N1 billion) asphalt plant the company bought for the project.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who personally led the team, comprising gun-totting, anti-riot policemen and some state government officials, ordered his men to dismantle the plant.

Besides, Amosun directed his government’s bulldozers to demolish the structure erected for the project by Bi-Courtney Highway Services, because he wanted to use the site for a trailer park and market.

The action came after the site had been approved by Amosun for Bi-Courtney “and we don’t know why he suddenly changed his mind,” said one of the workers.

But, for the resistance put by the Chief Security Officer of the concessionaire, Colonel Adeola Olabiyi (rtd), and his team, the governor would have pulled down the multi-million naira structure.

Despite this, the governor ordered the mobile policemen to lead one of the bulldozers to demolish the structure but when they saw the resistance of Olabiyi and his team, “they could not move and the governor felt disappointed that his order was not carried out”.

An eyewitness said: “We were really afraid. The governor told his policemen to draw their guns and the Bi-Courtney people also drew their guns. We thought they were going to start exchanging fire and for the fact that the governor was there, people started running. Can you imagine what could have happened if the two teams started shooting? I don’t know why the governor should personally lead the demolition squad. Is that the work of a governor? Why should he be going all over the place with policemen to terrorise people working legitimately?

“This is not the first time he would do this. The other time, he led policemen to a particular structure in Lagos and he was eventually embarrassed because the owner called the Inspector-General who ordered that all the policemen should leave the place. Why should the governor be embarrassing himself this way? Even military administrators didn’t behave this way. Thousands of motorists go through hell everyday on this road and now that they think that the road will be fixed, he has come again with his policy somersault. This action is shameful”.

In a statement issued yesterday, Bi-Courtney’s spokesman, Dipo Kehinde, described the action as a wrong move.

He said: “Since the grant of the concession, Ogun State Government was taken as a major partner, given that 80 per cent of the highway falls within the state.

“Ogun State was to give us land as its own contribution to the project. The former RCC yard was identified, visited and allocated to us by the Ogun State Government. The process entailed joint visit and assessment before allocation, following all due process.

“To buttress this fact, we duly settled the land owners, promptly, to demonstrate our commitment to the site. The payment to the landowners was done after due consultation with the state government and confirmation of the landowners at a joint stakeholders meeting with officials of the Bureau of Land. The state government actually brokered the meeting with the family land owners.

“A search was also conducted at the Ogun State Survey Directorate, and the search report revealed that the property is unencumbered.”

The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, had, on Sunday, issued a statement confirming that the state government had approved the site for Bi-Courtney, after the company submitted application for the use of the site on April 20, this year.

The Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, had, on Saturday, visited the RCC yard as part of his assessment tour, to see what Bi-Courtney has been doing and how the government could assist the company in making an early delivery of the project.

During the inspection tour, which began from the Old Toll-Gate office of Bi-Courtney at 9a.m., the minister pledged to give all necessary support to hasten work on the reconstruction of the road.

He mentioned the idea of involving army engineers in some aspects of the project, saying: “We shouldn’t saddle Bi-Courtney with the task of securing the Right of Way (ROW). We are going to bring in army engineers to assist.”

When asked if the ministry is considering the review of the concession with Bi-Courtney, Onolememen said: “No. There’s nothing like that. Bi-Courtney has been on track. There are processes in the execution of this project and the company has followed due process. The final design was approved on May 10.”

He said that the involvement of army engineers would help to secure the ROW, which is one of the major constraints in the execution of the project.

The Chairman of Bi-Courtney, Dr. Olawale Babalakin, had earlier raised the alarm, during a visit to the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, that some powerful interest groups are trying to frustrate the company’s efforts to deliver the project on time.

Said Babalakin: “Most people in Nigeria don’t know what concession is all about. There’s no road that has been done through concession in Nigeria before, apart from the Lekki-Epe Expressway, a 45-kilometre road that took the concessionaire five years to start the construction.

“Many people don’t want us to build that road. There have been several stumbling blocks. We’ve been having problems with many powerful mediocres. Many people, whose structures will be affected have gone to court. There are 55 illegal petrol stations on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.”

Onolememen told reporters in an interview that the Federal Government did the right thing by giving the road project out as a concession.

He said: “This is a modern way of financing projects in the country now, because it is clear to us that the budgetary allocation of the Federal Government cannot match the demand for road rehabilitation and reconstruction in this country.

“There are basic things we would do very quickly; we want to ensure that within 60 days that the sufferings on the road be reduced.

“The final design was approved in May, this year, by the Federal Ministry of Works; our estate valuers have just completed work on the enumeration of properties on the Right of Way last week. By September, full work should start. But, before then, areas requiring urgent repairs must be attended to.

“If you look at the agreement concerning the road, there are steps to be taken. In the past one year, there have been phases they (Bi-Courtney) have had to comply with.”

45 Ghanaians Deported From Nigeria

Another batch of 21 Ghanaians has been deported from Nigeria, bringing the number so far deported on the orders of Nigerian two state governors to 45.

The Nigerian High Commissioner in Accra, Mohammed Musiliu Obanikoro, has however frowned upon the action, promising to wade into it immediately.

Earlier on July 14, 2011, 24 Ghanaians were arrested and deported to Ghana - unable to pick their belongings before the unexpected action. The batch was made up of 21 men, 2 women and a girl.

In both instances, the deportations were ordered by state governors in the most populous African country which runs a federal system in which foreign affairs, defence and internal affairs are the preserves of the federal government in Abuja.

Details available to Daily Guide suggest that the latest bout of deportation saw the rounding up of 21 persons upon the orders of the Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, in Western Nigeria.

The deportees were arrested on July 16, 2011 and kept in confinement without allowing them to pick their belongings until their final forced exit from Nigeria a few days ago.

With the thought of leaving their belongings behind pinching them, the deportees were taken to the Nigeria/Benin border by road and handed over to the immigration authorities of that country.

The Beninois authorities then moved the deportees to their country’s border with Togo, Hilla Kondji, from where they were transported to the Togo/Ghana border of Aflao and handed over to Ghanaian authorities.

Daily Guide learnt that the deportees at this point were handed over to National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in the Ketu North District of the Volta Region.

Here, they were registered and taken through the standard procedure for deportees. It has emerged that no reason was proffered for their arrest and subsequent deportation to Ghana.

Ironically, more and more Nigerians, most of them without valid travel documents, continue to troop to Ghana for the purpose of mostly sojourning here.

Regarding the earlier deportation, Daily Guide was told that the Kwara State Governor who ordered the arrests did not also give any reason for the action he ordered in the state capital of Ilorin.

The treatment meted out to this group of Ghanaians was no different from the one they received at the hands of the Ondo State government in Akure, the state capital.

Observers of the relations between the two countries are apprehensive about the backlash of the Nigerian action which is in total contravention of ECOWAS Protocol.

In the 80s, the two countries were engaged in a reprisal action which saw each of them deporting aliens to their countries of origin.

Nigeria had also undertaken a mass deportation of Ghanaians from that country in a spree which earned the notorious mantra of ‘Ghana Must Go’. So many years after the unfortunate diplomatic incident, the mantra has refused to go because a bag has been named after it. The bag was the most preferred by Ghanaians returning home from Nigeria at the time.

It was Nigeria which started the deportation after demanding that every Ghanaian entering Nigeria should provide proof of possessing an amount of $50. Failure to provide led to outright deportation.

Ghana retaliated by also making similar demands, leading to the two countries engaging in a messy diplomatic row.

The authorities of the two countries sought an amicable solution to the diplomatic row which saw the withdrawal of the worrying trend eventually.

Until now, the ECOWAS protocol has held sway with citizens of each country, availing themselves of the opportunities thereof.

Ghana is home to third generation Nigerians completely assimilated into the mainstream citizenship of the country.

Descendants of Captain Glover’s 600 Hausa soldiers deployed to the then Gold Coast formed the Gold Coast Constabulary, a nucleus of today’s Ghana Armed Forces and police service.

Most of them married here after disbandment and have been finely assimilated into the country. It is therefore absurd when the two countries engage in such nasty diplomatic reprisals.

Ghanaian authorities might not want to go the way of their Nigerian counterparts but if they do, the repercussions could shake the foundation of ECOWAS.

Both countries, previously part of the British colony, spent same currency under the British West African monetary system.

The Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Alhaji Musiliu Obanikoro, in an interview with Daily Guide, condemned the action of the governors, describing it as the work of overzealous public officials.

He promised wading into it with the view to reviewing the trend. “If it really happened, we would take action to remedy the situation. Ghana and Nigeria cannot afford to return to the old days. Our relations have improved so much that we cannot afford to allow a few officials to cause friction between us. I would take action. I condemn it in totality and would get to the bottom of it,” he said.

Regarding the suspicion that the governors were responding to the danger posed by the extreme Islamic grouping, Boko Haram, he said Ghana does not have Islamic extremists.

US to sell Alamieyeseigha’s N91m house

The United States government has put the $600,000 (N91m) house of a former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, in Rockville, Maryland, up for sale.


This is sequel to the filing of a forfeiture order by the Kleptocracy Team of the US Department of Justice on the house in March and a separate one in April on $400,000 (N60m) in a Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC account in Massachusetts.


Both assets were described as proceeds of corruption acquired during his tenure from 1999 to 2005.


Alamieyeseigha was impeached in December 2005 by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and was consequently prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a 40-count charge of money laundering.


He was eventually convicted in 2007 on a six-count charge and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, although he was expected to spend two years.


He forfeited shares worth over N1bn in the defunct Bond Bank and a luxury penthouse in Cape Town, South Africa, which has three en-suite bedrooms, two lounges, a designer kitchen, an entertainment room, five plasma screen television sets and a sound system worth half a million rands to the Bayelsa State Government.


Other properties forfeited were located in Abuja and Ikoyi in Lagos State. US Assistant Attorney-General Lanny Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division had given an indication of the move to seize Alamieyeseigha’s property in a speech at the Franz-Hermann Brüner Memorial Lecture at the World Bank on May 25, 2011.




“The Kleptocracy Team recently brought its first cases, and we expect more to come in the near future. Let me provide a specific example.


“Diepreye (Solomon Peter) Alamieyeseigha, also known as DSP, was the elected governor of the oil-producing Bayelsa State in Nigeria from 1999 until his impeachment in 2005.


“According to court papers, DSP’s official salary for this entire period was approximately $81,000, and his declared income from all sources during the period was approximately $248,000.


“Nevertheless, as governor, DSP accumulated enormous wealth through corruption and other illegal activities. He acquired at least four properties in the United Kingdom worth approximately $8.8m, he had money in bank accounts around the world, and he also acquired property in the United States.


“When he was ultimately arrested at Heathrow Airport in 2005, the Metropolitan Police Service in London found approximately $1.6m in cash in his house.


“In March and April of this year, we brought two separate civil forfeiture actions to recover over $1,000,000 in what we allege are DSP’s ill-gotten gains. In Maryland, we are seeking forfeiture of a private residence worth more than $600,000, and in Massachusetts we are seeking forfeiture of close to $400,000 in a fidelity brokerage account.

How Did The British Run An Empire With Such A Small Army?

The British army is due to be reduced to 82,000 by 2020, prompting claims it will be the smallest it has been since the 19th Century. But if Britain had a small army then, how did it control an empire? Considering the British Empire at its peak included a quarter of the world's population, But the British Empire managed to maintain hegemony over dozens of colonies with a relatively tiny number of men.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox announced this week he planned to cut regular army numbers to 82,000 - 120,000 in total including the Territorial Army (TA) - by 2020. It was widely reported this was the smallest it had been since the Boer war. So has the army ever been smaller than it will be in 2020?
Scene from Cecil Rhodes BBC documentary The British Empire's expansion into Africa was driven by traders like Cecil Rhodes

"The first regular army - the New Model Army [of England] - was created by Oliver Cromwell and it grew in size from 44,000 to 68,000," says Rylance.

The army kept growing throughout the 18th Century (as the British army after the acts of union of 1707) and after the Napoleonic Wars it fell to 92,000 in 1817, before growing again as the British Empire expanded.

But Michael Codner, head of military science at the Royal United Services Institute, says Britain has never had a large army.

"What we needed was the Royal Navy and a system of indigenous constabularies overseen by a small but professional British army," he says.

Military historian, Dr Huw Davies, from King's College London, points out India was garrisoned by hundreds of thousands of locally-recruited sepoys, supervised by fewer than 30,000 British troops.

"The empire had to pay for itself and had to be profitable and if you put too much into building up the army the empire is no longer a profitable enterprise," he says.

BREAKING NEWS: Amy Winehouse, 27, found dead at her London flat.

Amy Winehouse has been found dead at her home in London.

The Back To Black singer was found at the property by emergency services at 3.54pm. Her death is being treated as 'unexplained' by police.
Winehouse was apparently 'beyond help' when paramedics arrived, according to Sky sources.
Two ambulance crews arrived at the scene within five minutes and a paramedic on a bicycle also attended, according to a spokeswoman.
'Sadly the patient had died,' she added.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: 'Police were called by London Ambulance Service to an address in Camden Square NW1 shortly before 16.05hrs today, Saturday 23 July, following reports of a woman found deceased.
'On arrival officers found the body of a 27-year-old female who was pronounced dead at the scene.
'Enquiries continue into the circumstances of the death. At this early stage it is being treated as unexplained.’
It is not known whether Amy’s father Mitch actually knows about his daughter’s death and Sky News have confirmed that he is currently on a plane to New York to take part in a Jazz festival.
Winehouse had been seen with her goddaughter Dionne Bromfield earlier this week as the teenager took to the stage at the iTunes festival.
She refused to join in for Mama Said, but did support the 14-year-old with a few dance moves before urging the crowd to buy Dionne's new album Good For The Soul.
Winehouse's appearance at the concert came after she cancelled her European tour following a disastrous performance in June when she stumbled onto the stage in Belgrade and gave an incoherent performance appearing very disorientated and removed from reality.

Following the concert which saw fans enraged and the subsequent video that circulated to millions she cancelled the remaining dates of her European tour.
A statement released by the troubled singer's spokesperson said that the singer would be given 'as long as it takes' to recover.
The statement read: 'Amy Winehouse is withdrawing from all scheduled performances.
'Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen.'
Winehouse had been working on her long-awaited new album, the follow-up to her 2006 breakthrough multi-million selling Back To Black, for the past three years.
Winehouse has had a troubled life which has included various stints in rehab for drug and alcohol addiction.
In an interview in 2008, her mother Janis said she would be unsurprised if her daughter died before her time.
She said: 'I've known for a long time that my daughter has problems. But seeing it on screen rammed it home. I realise my daughter could be dead within the year. We're watching her kill herself, slowly.
I've already come to terms with her dead. I've steeled myself to ask her what ground she wants to be buried in, which cemetery. Because the drugs will get her if she stays on this road.'I look at Heath Ledger and Britney. She's on their path. It's like watching a car crash - this person throwing all these gifts away.'
As well her battles with drugs and alcohol, Winehouse also had a troubled marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil, who she divorced in summer 2009.
Fielder-Civil and Winehouse married in 2007 in Miami. The pair's relationship - heavily documented by the media - saw them appearing in public bloodied and bruised after fights.
It is also alleged former music video producer Fielder-Civil was the one who introduced the Back to Black star to heroin and crack cocaine.
Amy's father Mitch previously spoke out about how his daughter stayed away from drugs prior to meeting her ex-husband.
In a previous interview last year he said: 'He's not entirely responsible, she's got to take a portion of the responsibility, but it's clear, it really kicked off when they got together.'
Most recently, Winehouse was romantically linked to film director Reg Traviss, who she dated for a few months last year.
And Mitch also gave the new man his seal of approval.

Ghana, West minister order massive arrest to all Gays (homosexual)

Ghana’s Western Region Minister, Paul Evans Aidoo MP has ordered the immediate arrest of all homosexuals in the country’s west.
Aidooo has tasked Ghana’s Bureau of National Investigations and security forces to round up the country’s gay population and has called on landlords and tenants to inform on people they suspect of being homosexuals.
“All efforts are being made to get rid of these people in the society,” he said.



The move by the Minister follows months of campaigning by the Christian Council of Ghana which last week called on Ghanaians not to vote for any politician who believes in the rights of homosexuals.
Muslims and Christians in the Western Region have been staging protests ever since a local media report claimed there were around 8000 homosexuals and lesbians in the district.
However, a lawyer at Kwame Nkrumah University, Ernest Kofi Abotsie, questioned the legality of the move.
Abotsie said laws outlawing “unnatural canal knowledge” in the Ghanaian criminal code were ambiguous and had not been defined to mean homosexuality, and it was wrong for politicians to be telling police how to carry out their duties.

Jonathan Backs Push For New Revenue Formula.....

GOVERNORS have won their battle for more cash, with the President agreeing that the revenue allocation formula should be dumped for a new one.
After a “business-minded” session, President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday night backed the governors’ request to enable them pay the N18,000 minimum wage and address infrastructure.
The President and the governors also agreed to set up a committee to address the Sovereign Wealth Fund and its management.
Besides, the governors urged the President to prevail on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to provide records of crude oil being sold and the proceeds.
According to sources, most governors at the meeting canvassed for the review of the revenue formula to be able to pay the N18,000 minimum wage and meet other socio-economic challenges that could lead to better infrastructure, promote job creation and enhance standard of living.
It was gathered that the governors took note of the fact that the last review of the revenue allocation formula was in 2002.
They claimed that the present formula is not equitable and could leave most states crippled.
The revenue allocation formula is: Federal Government (52%); States (26.72%); and 770 Local Government Areas (20.60%).
A committee raised by the Nigerian Governors Forum, headed by Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, has recommended a drastic reduction in the Federal Government’s allocation.
The governors are recommending this formula: Federal Government (35%); States (42%); and Local Governments (23%).
A source close to the Presidential Villa meeting said: “We were persistent in demanding for the review of the revenue allocation formula. We also submitted our proposed review to the President for his consideration and other relevant agencies.
“Armed with facts and figures, the President admitted that ‘the review is long overdue and it will be done.’ This assurance from the President gave us some hope.”
Another source at the meeting, however, said: “After the governors submitted their proposal on revenue formula to the President, he was non-committal on the percentage the Federal Government will concede to states and local governments.
“But he promised that the review may be early next year. That is still promising.”
Responding to a question, a third source said the governors sought to know the state of things in NNPC, especially the proceeds from crude oil sales.
The source added: “Governors are worried that the more oil prices rise per barrel, the more our reserve is depleted.
“They, therefore, persuaded Mr. President to compel the NNPC to make its records available so that we will know how many barrels of oil we are selling daily, the accruing revenue to the country, where the proceeds are kept and what goes into the Federation Account.”
A governor reportedly said: “We are after transparency in the oil sector because there is secrecy in how we manage our oil proceeds.
“The President told us that he has an audit report on NNPC and oil proceeds which he is willing to share with us. I think we may soon meet on the actual situation in the oil sector.
“We know that we have been benefiting from money made from oil, but as governors in a Federal system, we do not know how much the nation is making daily, monthly or per year.
“So, we cannot say whether we are actually getting our due or being shortchanged by those in charge.
“If we are fully in the picture of oil cash, we will appreciate when certain financial decisions are taken by the Federal Government.”
The Sovereign Wealth Fund and its management also came up at the session.
While some governors praised the spirit behind the Fund, others felt the principle of Federalism ought to apply to make it discretionary for states.
Another source said: “After arguments for and against, we agreed to raise a committee to look into all issues raised by the governors.
“The President and the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, will constitute those who will serve on the committee.”

5 Reasons Why America Is Worse Than Nigeria

Have you always dreamt about going to America? Many Nigerians envision America as a land of gold and honey. A land where the government showers you daily with piles of cash, and a land where everything is free. Well, they are wrong. There is nothing of that sort in America, and recent studies and accounts have shown that it is actually better for you to stay in Nigeria than it is to go to America. Here are five reasons why.

1. Debt: The mirage that anything and everything is possible in America is a lie. Worst of all, to new immigrants, the amount of credit offered in America is so attractive that by the time you know it, you will be chin deep in Debt. Debt that will most likely take you the rest of your natural life, and half of your children's to pay off.

2. Stress: America is the capital of stress. With 12 hour shifts and continuos work, the labour takes a heavy toll on its people, unlike in Nigeria. In Nigeria, you are the boss. You decide when to work and for how long. There is not a widespread practice of 24hour shifts and round the clock work, making it much better for your health and etc. The Stress in America might cause diseases previousl unexperienced by the average Nigerian. Diseases such as High-blood pressure, Hyper tension, and Arthiritis.

3. Professional Devalue: America can be a welcoming place for highly educated and well-off immigrants but also a nightmare for others. It is often known as the "graveyard of occupations" meaning that one's previous education and occupation can easily be rendered worthless in America. There was a woman who was very well off in Nigeria. She was the head chef of a 5-star hotel back in Nigeria and upon her arrival in the US, her degree and occupation was declared worthelss. She was turned down by many other hotels and had to assume a job as a frycook at McDonalds. There is also another account of a Local Governor from Nigeria who held many outstanding degrees from Universities in Nigeria, but was denied a reasonable job in America. In short, their lives were restarted.

4. Prices: Things have become very expensive for Americans. Things ranging from household items to entire homes, and combined with the constant devalue of the Naira, the US can be a financial nightmare for Nigerians. An ordinary 4-bedroom, single family house in the US will cost atleast $500,000 which is N83,000,000, More than enough to errect a 10 bedroom mansion with a boys-quarters and a gate in Nigeria. A brand new jeep in the US can easily cost $40,000 which is N6.6 million, more than enough to buy TWO jeeps in Nigeria.

5. Cultural Diffusion: The thing that every Nigerian regards with utmost importnace is his/her cultural background. America is a slaughter house for African cultures. People emmigrate form Nigeria and give birth to their children in the US. As their children grow up, the parents avoid teaching them their native language, and from then on the children are at a loss. Then, their parents avoid teaching them about their culture and tradition. Lastly, with all this not given to them, their children effectively turn into AAsand are estranged form the culture sand tradition of their homeland, ultimately deciding their destiny in life.

Uk Deports 61 Nigerians

SIXTY-ONE Nigerians, including three minors, were yesterday deported from Britain.The deportees were flown into the country in the early hours of the day in a chartered aircraft.

They also included 47 males and 11 females who were received and screened at the cargo terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport by the officials from the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).

An immigration source, who pleaded anonymity, said they were deported for immigration-related offences.

Some of the deportees alleged that most of them were picked up by the police in Britain and found out that their visas had expired.

A deportee, Mrs Eniola Adefuja, said that her visa had expired since May and she was still in the process of renewing it when she was picked up by the police.

She added that she was not allowed to pick up her personal effects before being flown to Nigeria.

Another deportee, who simply identified herself as Juliet, claimed that she was also arrested by the British Immigration officer over expired documents.

“My visa expired and they said I could no longer reside in the UK; that is why I was brought back home,” she said.

43,000 Ghost Workers Discovered By Fg In One Year

Former Finance Minister, Mr.
Olusegun Aganga, said at the
weekend that the Federal
Government had removed a
total of 43,000 "ghost
workers" from the payroll of its ministries, departments
and agencies (MDAs) within
the last one year. Aganga, who spoke with
journalists in Lagos shortly
after receiving the Young
Men's Christian Association
(YMCA) award for exemplary
public office life, said this was achieved through the
implementation of the
Integrated Personnel and
Payroll Information System
(IPPIS). He said the payroll of the Federal Government before
IPPIS implementation had
been 112,000 for the 36 MDAs. Aganga pointed out that the
implementation of IPPIS was
part of the efforts to reduce
recurrent expenditure of the
government. "As part of the Federal
Government's effort to reduce
the level of recurrent
expenditure, in particular,
personnel cost, which
represents more than 50 per cent of recurrent expenditure,
we have deepened what we
called the IPPIS system. IPPIS
system, which is biometric, is
a system where the data of
every employee of government has to be
captured and your payment is
made directly into your bank
account. The nominal payroll
of the Federal Government
was supposed to be 112,000 employees. Based on what we
did through the IPPIS, we
were able to remove 43,000
from the payroll. This will lead
to significant savings for the
Federal Government," he said. The former finance minister
said the government had to
trim its personnel cost, which
formed a major part of the
unnecessary costs distorting
the country's expenditure pattern. Personnel cost increased, he
disclosed, from N850 billion to
N1.3 trillion between 2009 and
2010. . . .  .  .   .

Boko Haram Sect Splits

MAIDUGURI -  Confusion has crept into the camp of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram which has unleashed a reign of terror in the northern part of the country for several months as the sect has split into two factions. One faction, the Yusufiyya Islamic Movement, YIM, has vowed to expose the other faceless group, which it described as evil group.

The Yusufiyya group is made up of followers of slain leader of the Islamic sect, Mallam Mohammed Yusuf.
 This development came as President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, held  talks with elders from Borno State, over growing insecurity in the state, which is believed to be the abode of the sect.

The Yusufiyya Islamic Movement, in a two-page statement contained in leaflets yesterday, condemned the attacks and bombing of residences and places of worship by the other sect that claimed to be fighting a Jihad in the North. The leaflets were distributed on Tuesday to the various wards, Post Office Area and media houses in Maiduguri, Borno state capital.

Confusion, misinterpretation

The leaflets read in part: “The Yusufiyya Movement has come to mean different things to different people in the last few months. This confusion and misinterpretation have made it necessary for us to come out publicly with the clear truth regarding our concept, struggle, aim and ultimate objective, as our declaration would guide in distinguishing the Yusufiyya movement from the various labels ascribed to us, as the Boko Haram.

This is necessary in the light of genuine concern by individuals and groups to the mass suffering of innocent citizens caught in the cross fire between our members and the Nigerian troops. This concern has again brought to the fore, the daunting issue of reconciliation, through dialogue, with the Nigerian authorities and individual leaders involved in the Unclad abuse of our birthright to the peaceful propagation and practice of our religion as we understand it.”

The sect argued that it was in the process of exercising their right to propagate their religion as they understood it, that their leader, Mohammed Yusuf was killed as well as the destruction and confiscation of their landed and moveable property in Maiduguri. Following their leader’s murder, the members therefore “resolved to wage a struggle between justice and injustice, between truth and falsehood, right against wrong, in which the sect was sure of victory.”

The statement, however, noted that the public must know that the Yusufiyya Islamic sect is far from the image of the heartless terrorists, arsonists or sadistic robbers painted by other people with a distinct agenda, saying “it is therefore unbecoming to attribute attacks on the civilian population or places of worship to our group, the Yusufiyya Islamic Movement”.

Referring to the factions in the Boko Haram sect, the statement further explained that; “ours is a clear fight for the blood of our founder, Mohammed Yusuf and other leaders who were slain in cold blood by former governor of Borno State (names withheld), the former Borno state commissioner of police and the late President”, adding that the former president “has since been seized by Allah in an answer to the sect’s prayer for support against his aggression”.

“We therefore distance our group from all the bombings targeted at civilians and other establishments and equally condemn them and pray that Allah expose those who perpetrated them and attributed them to us.”

Exonerating the Yusufiyya sect from other factions of Boko Haram sect, the statement  declared: “We are concerned that some people with evil motives have infiltrated our genuine struggle with a false holy war that is outright un-Islamic. We call on this evil group to desist, failing which we shall have no option than to expose and hunt them.

“Finally, we have resolved to temporarily halt our fight against the assassination of our leaders in compliance with the prohibition of fighting in the holy month of Ramadan.”

JTF in Borno to restore order

The Joint Security Task Force (JTF) spokesman,  Lt.Col. Hassan Mohammed confirmed the statement and distribution of the leaflets on Boko Haram factions and temporary ceasefire in Borno State.

He said: “The JTF is on top of the insecurity situations in Borno State. The factions being created in the Boko Haram sect and the temporary ceasefire from the Yusuffiyya Islamic sect could bring peace and the restoration of law and order by nipping all acts of terrorism by the other factions of Boko Haram sect.”

Speaking on the alleged excesses of soldiers in fighting terrorism and other acts of violence, Mohammed said: “We are here in Borno to restore law and order and not to intimidate or harass any residents of the affected wards in Maiduguri metropolis.”

He said, “the truth of the matter, is that terrorism is the enemy of the entire world, including the killings and bombings of Maiduguri residents and their places of worship”. He added that if the people could not live in peace without the protection of their lives and property, soldiers would not have place or relevance in any democratically elected country, like Nigeria.

Nigerian soldiers, according to him, are learned and civilized professionals that are here in Borno State to protect people’s lives and property.

Military to remain in Borno— FG

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, met behind closed doors with a forum of elders from Borno State; North East Elders and Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, over the growing concern of insecurity in the North, following activities of the radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram. It was resolved that the military will remain in Borno State until enduring peace is restored.

Those who attended the peace talks included Vice President Namadi Sambo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke; Chief of Defence Staff, National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azaazi; ACF Board Chairman, Gen Jerry Useni; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed and the Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe.

The meeting which began at about 2:00 pm, held at “House 7” of the Presidential Villa, perhaps to avoid the media that usually swarm on those suspected to have met with the President over sensitive issues.

The elders who arrived Abuja on Tuesday were said to have been accommodated at the Sheraton Hotel, before they were conveyed in a 30-seater Toyota coaster bus to the venue of the meeting.

Information Minister, Mr Labaran Maku who briefed reporters after the meeting, said, all the parties agreed that the army should remain in the state till further notice.

Broad based consultations

“There were broad-based consultations on the outcry for the withdrawal of military. But in the light of this discussion, the meeting generally agreed that it is premature to withdraw the military. What was needed was that if there are cases of individual misbehaviour by members of the Joint Task Force, the authorities will look into those cases”, he said.

He added that “right now we know that one or two soldiers who were found to have done things in excess are being questioned by the relevant authorities.  What is important is that the army are playing a great role and with the situation we are in now, if you withdraw the army, we don’t know what will happen.”

According to him, “what is most important is to manage the military until such a time that it is clear that some of the potent threat are lowered”.

He said: “The President this afternoon held a broad-based consultation with leaders from Borno State, the North East and Arewa Consultative Forum on the security situation in Borno State and other parts of the north.”

“This meeting was broadly attended by political leaders. The meeting explored different options, consulted widely on what we can do together to bring about peace and security in Borno State and other affected areas. The meeting was very fruitful and indeed, this is the beginning of further dialogue to find solution to this problem.

Movement For The Creation Of FESTAC STATE

Since the senate indicated interest in the creation of states to rectify the imbalance in the voting powers of a certain geopolitical zone over the others, a sudden beehive of activities has been going on, political consultation, alliances fashioned out to promote particular interest. Communities has voiced their desire to stand alone as a state, regions has clamored to have the new states created out from their enclaves to promote and enhance rapid development of their area. Others in the clamoring, want their new state to address what they see as long neglect and overshadow of their interest and voices by the other areas. No where is this clamor more pronounce than in the delta, The Aniomas. The Urhobos and the Itsekiris.

The Aniomas, are Igbos and Igboloid clans whom despite having the state capital of delta in the area has raised their voices to the abysmal development effort and at times total shun they as a people get from their other state's men.

A Mr festus ochi attested to that and lamented :" at times even Warri people behave like we are not part of the state, they allocate everything to themselves. This is the only state where another region in the state is more prominent than the state capital."

No doubt the creation of delta state has always been a worry to a lot of the minorities in the state who felt they all deserve their own state to carter to their own aspirations. However, in as much as the senate wishes to create more state i doubt the senate would be willing to create a state for every agitating group, neither would they want to create the states based on tribal affiliation or identity, as what the country needs at this time is more togetherness , more unity. would the Anioma people agree to this ? we would have to wait to find out.



Also, on a more bizarre note i would say, some groups are petitioning for the creation of a Festac state out of the present Lagos state. The group indicated the population of their area as a worthy criteria for their demand and the solvency of their area, its accessibility to the ocean and the diverse cultures and people in their area.


The leader of one of the groups, a Mr James Umunna indicated the abuse of power and resources being imparted by the Alawusa leadership of the state.
He complained of total neglect of their infrastructures and people,  he said: " we have suffer a lot in this Lagos, is not as if our area hasn't the resources or manpower, yet Alawusa taxes us but won't repair our roads, our sewage has burst since . . . i cant even remember, the excreta now overflows onto the roads, yet Alawusa wouldn't do anything to help us."


The leader of the other group, a Mr benjamin Nwokaturuocha, asked our reporters to come with him to see the state of neglect the government has conferred to the area.
He also indicated as another reason why the creation of a Festac state is necessary as the total neglect of the people of Festac town in the scheme of appointments in the present state.

He said:" could you imagine of over 10 government offices in this area, not more than five festac people are employed in them. Alawusa keeps on bringing people from outside this area to occupy positions here, is that fair ?

"even the small small contracts are still outsourced, could you believe that ? he asked. "




Anyway, i guess we would have to wait for the senate to draw up the guide lines for a state creation before we can figure out the answer to Mr Nwokaturuocha's question and a lot more.

Nigeria Spends N98 Trillion Importing Food Between 2007 And 2011

The Nigerian food import bill between 2007 and 2010 was N98 trillion, according to Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, the new Minister of Agriculture.

Adesina stated this on Monday in Abuja when he assumed duty in Abuja. He added that over N635 billion was spent to import wheat, N365 billion on rice, N217 billion on sugar and N97 billion on fish importation.

He noted that in spite of the volume of food importation, the natural and agricultural endowment of the country, its productivity had been “very low”, adding that such a development contributed to the growing food insecurity in the country.

The new minister, however, said that Nigeria was not lacking in the production of cassava, having been adjudged the largest producer of the commodity in the world with 45 million tonnes.

Adesina regretted that in spite of this advantage in the production of the commodity, the nation accounted for zero per cent of global value added.

On the other hand, Thailand that accounted for 10 per cent of cassava production had 80 per cent added value, he observed.

He described the Nigeria status quo in agriculture as not acceptable and called for urgent attention to be given to the agriculture sector.

“In those years, Nigeria accounted for over 60 per cent of the global supply of palm oil and 35 per cent of groundnut,” he said. “It also accounted for 23 per cent of groundnut oil and 15 per cent of cocoa, while farmers from North to South made money from their sweat. The quality of lives improved, children went to good school, our Nation was food self-sufficient, farmers fed the nation but alas today the glory has been lost.”

Adesina promised to promote the transformation agenda of the government stressing that President Goodluck Jonathan had set agriculture as one of the major forces to drive the agenda.

"We will revolutionalise agriculture and transform the sector as a business that must work for small and commercial farmers, that will unlock wealth and allow Nigeria to meet its food requirement and diversify income of the nation," he said.

Awo And The Creation Of States [1987] By Ken Saro Wiwa

I am a Khana. The Khana along with their cousins, the Gokana, Tai and Eleme have, since 1947, been grouped as Ogonis, in the Ogoni Division. Today, the Khana and Gokana are in the Bori Local Government Area, the Tai and Eleme are part of something called Otelga, a hybrid Local Government consisting of the Okrika Ijaws, the Ndoki Igbos and the Tai and Eleme. We belong to Rivers State.

The Ogoni number about 500,000, which makes me an extreme minority in a Nigeria of one hundred million people. The first secondary school in Ogoni country was established one hundred years after the first secondary school in Yorubaland, the CMS Grammar School in Lagos (1858). These two facts alone, in the first instance, establish my pitiable plight. I am unfortunate to be a Nigerian. I would rather not be, but I am doing my level best to be one, and a good one at that. Being a Nigerian means that my brother Nigerian of the Bura ethnic group in Borno State has been told that I am a "Southerner," equal to the Yoruba or Igbos who are numerous, well-educated and are after the jobs which the "northerner" ought to have. I wander, therefore, through the Federal Civil Service and am lost in the competition between "northern" and "Southern" Nigerians, between the Igbo and the Yoruba, between the various clans and religions of the various peoples of Nigeria, between personal ambition and greed. I am lost. I cannot truly answer the name Nigerian. [, ]

I was a graduate student when the cataclysmic events of 1966 happened. Apart from my revulsion at the needless murders of the innocent, nothing upset me more than Ojukwu's dishonest formulations and his attempt to kidnap the Ogoni, among others, into his Igbo empire called "biafra." I knew that he pinned his hopes of the economic viability of "biafra" on the oil of the Ogoni and the Ijaw. I rebelled. I became Secretary of a small committee which met nights in Port Harcourt and issued a communiqué calling on Gowon to create a Rivers State by decree.

When, by sheer quirk of fortune, this happened in 1967, I abandoned family and caution, crossed the fighting lines and found myself in Lagos. There I became a member of something called the Interim Advisory Council of Rivers State and, subsequently, Administrator for Bonny. I returned to the war front and struck up friendships with gentlemen like Sani Bello who comes from Kontagora, Akinrinade from Ife, Obasanjo from Abeokuta, Yakubu Danjuma from Takum, Dan Ato, now deceased, from Bida. I had reason to hope that my nightmare as an Ogoni in Nigeria was about to end.
With the war ended, and as a Commissioner in Rivers State, I soon found that the Rivers State for which I had fought did not end my nightmare. In the first place, oil money from Ogoni country (as well as Ijaw country) was being carted away to Lagos, leaving the Ogoni illiterate and backward. This is anti-federalism. Worse still, the Ijaws were taking their frustrations out on the non-Ijaws of the State. For the Ijaws alone number more than the eight other ethnic groups in Rivers State put together. Though historically disunited, the Ijaws find unity when it comes to lording it over the non-Ijaws. The Ijaws will want to perpetuate this. Today, there is not even a Commission from my Local Government Area in the Rivers State Cabinet such as it is. My dilemma as an Ogoni is not about to end.

Lost in this dreadful nightmare, I went in 1971 to see Chief Awolowo at the Federal Ministry of Finance. There was nothing I told the sage that he was not aware of. He showed me his writings on the issue and bade me seek the mid-Southern State he had proposed in 1966. Thus was the quest for a Port Harcourt State begun. In 1974. When we started, there was no shortage of opponents. To the Ijaws, I became a traitor. [, ] The creation of this State would alleviate my nightmare and show Nigeria how much it has robbed and neglected the Ijaws of the oil-bearing Delta.

So, what do I really want? I want a place where my children can regain the independence which was the Ogoni patrimony before the advent of colonial rule and before Nigeria's independence consigned them to slavery at the hands of their neighbours. I want the option of CHOICE. And I am not begging for it. I DEMAND it. And I also want that option for Hauwa Madugu, the 21-year old Youth Corper in my office. She is a Jenju from Gongola State. So that we can both be better citizens of Nigeria and end our collective nightmare.

‘Nigeria’ll overtake US if it has 24 hours electricity, security’

As Nigeria has set a target of being among the 20th best economies in the world, a Nigerian living in the United States, Dr. Anselm Anyoha, has said that the country has the potentiality to excel.
Speaking with Saturday Sun, he said that with 24 hours electricity and security, among others, Nigeria could overtake such countries as United States and China.
He spoke on this and other things.
How would you rate Nigerians living in the USA?
I would identify Nigerians living in USA in three categories. One, apathy: To describe those who have given up hope on Nigeria; Two, confrontational:  Those who attack and oppose everything that comes out from the Nigerian leadership at home; three, nostalgia: Those who are looking for opportunities to contribute and to add to the quality of leadership and development in Nigeria.  You have to understand that most Nigerians living in the USA have tough love for Nigeria. We all want nothing but excellence for the motherland even though we might be approaching it from different angles.
Since he came to office, President Jonathan has been urging Nigerians in Diaspora to return home. What do you think? Are you thinking of heeding the call to return home?
The president is definitely making the right call at the right time.  Roughly, half of my classmates from medical school are abroad. These are the generation of Nigerians that I like to call the ‘independent day babies’ because they were born in the sixties.  Every generation has its domineering psyche. My generation is lucky because our parent’s sense of nationalism that existed at this point in historical time rubbed off on us.  As such, we carry ourselves differently, we behave differently and we have a peculiar sense of patriotism. The question is where is this generation now in terms of national consciousness?  It saddens me to tell you that most of us are languishing in the nebulous cloud called Diaspora. This generation of Nigerians that are repository of knowledge and experience are running out of productive juice. The time to put them to use in Nigeria is now.  Please do not misunderstand me.  I am not taking anything away from other generations. It is just that those Nigerian born in the sixties are special.  The sixties in Nigeria was an era of nationalism.  Those Nigerian children born in the sixties have in them that which no other generations of Nigerians have.
With your experience in the USA would you accept government appointment if given?
What do you do when you are going to turn the fabulous 50 and you have practised medicine for the last 25 years? For me, there will be nothing more gratifying and honorable than to serve the motherland in a public capacity. Very often solutions to problems can be clearer when one is looking in from the outside. The same reason taking a vacation is a good thing, because one has stepped outside the confines of one’s environment to reevaluate conditions. Therefore looking at Nigerian needs from the viewpoint of united state has some special merits.

USA experience has taught me that premium is paid for only results and hard work, irrespective of one’s education and titles. Everybody is rewarded more or less on his or her ability to deliver on goals. In the USA, it is inevitable that one has to joggle many balls and wear many hats at the same time. With a family of three children, I have run my own private medical practice in the United States for nearly 15 years. I have also participated in the Nigerian socio-political mix. I am the chairman of the State of Connecticut branch of PDP, USA chapter. I was also the Secretary General (operation) of the GNGG USA, an organisation that campaigned for the president abroad during the last election. I am the publicity secretary of Igbozue, a socio cultural organisation that caters for need of the Igbo in the State of Connecticut. I am a member of the city of Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce. I am a Major in the American army reserve. I have written a book, published newspapers and so on. Yes, I am at the service of the president or any leadership that needs my participation, energy, and fervour advisory roles in areas of health, medicine, security, power or safety.
What would you say about President Jonathan’s cabinet?
I do not personally know the members of his cabinet, to make an informed opinion about them. However, what is more important is not from where each of the president’s cabinet members began, but where they would take the country to in the next four months or four years. Hopefully, the president has chosen people he is comfortable with; people that will help fulfill his agenda.  I think that the president has genuine intention for the country and abundance of goodwill from the Nigerian public.

People have areas of strength and areas of weaknesses. Oftentimes, public servants start strong only to quickly go astray. To err is human. Developed countries, such as the United States, have recognised this human frailty and have put multiple layers of checks and balances to combat it. For example, government employees as well as their supervisors need to be supervised up to the last chain of command. Regularly, verifiable accountability should be baked in the cake of all public servants. Trust alone, as a measure of moral virtue in public service, is folly.
What do you think will make Nigeria develop like USA?  If you set an agenda for the government what will you suggest? And what do you think would help Nigeria achieve its aim of being among the first 20 economically vibrant nations in the world by 2020?
Simple, give Nigeria 24 hour per day electric power and I can guarantee you that the country will take off, like Brazil and China. Add security to the equation and in 20 years Nigeria will overtake the United State of America in development. Who do you think most of the top doctors and engineers and IT experts, and professors, accountants, transportation moguls, scientists in America are?  They are Nigerians. Never for a second doubt the trajectory, the ‘I can do it attitude’ of a Nigerian. Motherland is severely handicapped by lack of electricity and security. And that is why I also have interest in these fields. I know that I can contribute to solving some of these problems ones and for all. Forty years ago I used candles to light my room in the village. In 2010, when I visited home, I still used candles to light my room. This ought to stop.
We understand that you established an annual academic award programme in your hometown. What is this about and what informed it?
Thank you so much for asking me to talk about this. I can tell you without hesitation that this is what I consider my most rewarding accomplishment. I was born into a business family. Every grown-up I knew was a trader. My dad was a businessman.  I used the word ‘was’ because I lost my dad (the Mbamaonyuku 1 of Akokwa) recently. I feel very teary whenever I remember the death of my father. But I found my academic epiphany any in life.

The point is that not every child born in the village or urban community gets an early academic epiphany.  Often, there are no significant role models. The Anyoha Annual Academic Award is intended to stir among students the impetus to compete and to be recognised and rewarded. For a young mind, this is certainly a big deal. I give out certificates and financial awards to the first, the second and the third prize winners. A lot goes into preparation and competition. Participating schools in my home town, Akokwa, field in four of their top students at SS3 level. The exam is a 100 multiple choice questions in areas of physics, chemistry, biology, English and mathematics. The exam material are prepared in the USA and mailed to Nigeria each year. My secondary school teacher is one of the exam proctors and I liaise with the town union to give out both the certificates and monetary awards during charismas celebration. The community gets so much pomp and satisfaction doing this. We have done this since 2008. I have given more than N300, 000 in awards only. Proctors are compensated for their time and efforts. Yearly T-shirts are provided and the students get to take photograph with community leaders.
What also informed your philanthropic gestures in the areas of medicine?
Simple gestures do make huge differences in people’s life. There are so many medical needs at home.  As a paediatrician, I like to consult, diagnose and give out medications at local hospital in my village. Folks are always appreciative. You can see the smiles on their faces.  Also I send drugs to community and urban hospitals whenever I can. Sending medicine to Nigeria costs me only hundreds of dollars at a time, but it helps better lots of ailments and suffering.  I get lots of positive feedback from the beneficiary hospitals, doctors, parents and children. There are plenty of organisations in the United States that give out medicines to physicians on humanitarian bases. But, of course, the physicians have to pay for cost of transportation to Nigeria.  Medications, such as antibiotics and asthma medication, are life savers when used appropriately. This is a little price to pay considering how much Nigeria has done for me. Did you know that I attended medical school for free in University College Hospital, Ibadan? I do not remember asking my father for school fees. But that was in the mid eighties. I have a lot to be thankful for. Giving a little back is the least that I can do.
Are you interested in politics?
I am not interested in ‘politicking,’ which I define as trickery and deception, but I am interested in politics.  Politics, to me, is a means through which interested parties thrash out their differences in order to reach a compromise for their benefits and the benefit of the citizenry in the interest of peace, equity and justice. Humanity will always compete for food, power and pleasure. No two persons think alike and as we begin to dialogue with one another we can accommodate each other’s need and that is what politics should be. Good politics create good policies while bad politics create backward policies.

Nigerian Singer, Lami Adopts A Whole Orphanage

Lami might be new to the music industry but she's making a good move outside music, giving back to the society as if she has made so much from her music career.

The UN ambassador for peace is setting an example for many celebs as she adopts a whole orphanage (The Nigerian Red Cross Society Motherless' Babies' Home) through her NGO, be the change.

Lami said this after visiting the orphanage
"I have been seeking to support a specific cause in the society and have considered a number of institutions. But when I visited the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Motherless Babies' Home, Makoko and shared experiences with the kids, my heart settled on them."