Saturday, 26 July 2014

Why Abdulmutallab failed to blow up our plane – US

Abdulmutallab
The United States has said that the Nigerian terrorist, Umar Abdulmutallab, failed to successfully carry out a bomb attack in 2009 because the explosives he was wired with became ‘degraded’ after he wore the same pair of underpants for two weeks.
Abdulmutallab had, at the age of 23, confessed to and convicted of attempting to detonate plastic explosives hidden in his underwear while aboard a Northwest Airlines Flight 253, en route from Amsterdam to Michigan, US on December 25, 2009.
However, United States officials explained that the bomb failed to detonate aboard the flight, which was carrying nearly 300 people, but caused a brief fire that caused burns to his groin.
He was sentenced to life without parole in February 2012 after he pleaded guilty to all charges on the second day of his trial the previous October.
The U.S. Head of the Transportation Security Administration, John Pistole, said during the week that the bomb failed to detonate because of how long Abdulmutallab had been wearing his underwear.
Pistole said, “The bomber had had the device with him for over two weeks.”
When he was then asked whether the bomb had become ‘damp’ Pistole replied that the explosive had become damp due to the length of days Abdulmutallab carried the device in his underwear.
During his trial, Abdulmutallab said the bomb in his underwear was a ‘blessed weapon’ to avenge poorly treated Muslims around the world.
However, after the bomb failed to detonate, passengers pounced on Abdulmutallab and forced him to the front of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 where he was held until the plane landed minutes later.

Lagos massage parlours where sex is ‘after-service’ bonus

Body massage
Some people say that passion often flows when a man and a woman are left in a room long enough. This seems to be true of some service jobs that pitch both sexes together as service providers and clients.
Dalliance between male hairstylists and female clients
Kunle Olutayo, a male hair stylist, gets an average of ten female customers a day.
Although not bad in terms of good looks, Olutayo grew up as a shy little boy, particularly around girls until his painful fortune changed about seven years ago when he became a hairstylist. Shortly after starting the job following a six months’ training, Olutayo could not believe his luck.

With an endless string of female customers, he no longer had to worry about his failing nerves since some of his female customers were woman enough to take the initiative.
Olutayo was busy fixing the hair of one of his numerous female customers when our correspondent visited the salon he shares with four other stylists around the famous Ikeja Under-bridge in Lagos.
As he attached a weave-on to the customer’s hair, the two joked about the lady’s receding hairline. Some of the customer’s hair was falling off at the front and Olutayo teased her about it being one of the signs of old age.
Olutayo is close to many of his customers and has dated a few, even though he repeatedly described it as bad for business. When he was still new on the job, he was overwhelmed by the surplus number of women he encountered daily and so indulged himself when he could.
However, Olutayo has since learnt a few lessons.
“This job is not for womanizers. If you’re a womanizer, stay away from this job because you will continue to lose money. When I first started the job, it exposed me to so many women for the first time. I used to be very shy but on this job, I met women who seduced me. Some of the women would seduce their stylists to avoid paying for the service, which also means not paying on subsequent visits.
“So a womanizer has a lot to lose as a hairstylist. Now, I’ve learnt my lesson, I no longer sleep with my clients anyhow. I only date one lady customer now and that limits my loss. Before now, I used to forgo a lot of money to female customers that I had affairs with,” he said.
Explaining how his seducers perform their act, Olutayo demonstrated with his eyes, feigning sexual interest and willingness and hands, rubbing on our correspondent, who had briefly assumed the role of a stylist.
“The women won’t open their mouths to say they want any hairstylist, but once they are seated and you’re about to start fixing their hair, they can say they don’t have money and need to fix their hair for an important occasion, or say they can only afford an amount not up to half the price of the materials to be used and the service.
“While they are appealing, they are caressing you with their hands and looking at you with funny eyes (seductively). Some may call ahead to say they don’t have money. In such cases, negotiations can be done over the phone.
“If I’m interested, I only have to tell the customer that I’ve always liked her and ask for her affection in return. Almost 100 per cent of the time, they are open to an arrangement or rendezvous that could later lead to a hotel room,” he said sheepishly.
Special hotel booking called ‘short time,’ which is for an hour or two, is usually used for such rendezvous.
Saturday PUNCH findings reveal that many of the male hairstylists who actively womanize often fall under two categories- those who are new on the job and those who could not complete their apprenticeship for some reason.
A source explained that the newcomers are too inexperienced to deal with the temptations associated with their new job, while those in the other category are too grateful for their fortune in spite of their inability to complete their training that they over-indulge themselves in their good fortune.
“I look at some of them (hairstylist womanizers) and I shake my head. They lose in so many ways because if the customer cannot pay for the weave-on, the stylists may have to use their own weave-on as well, fix the hair free of charge, pay N1,500 or N2,000 for the ‘short time’ they will spend at the hotel with the customer, possibly buy drinks there and even miss one or two other customers that will call at their shops while they are away,” said Segun, a male hairstylist with eight years’ experience.
Although, the category of women who visit male hairstylists range from students to workers in practically all fields, from Olutayo’s experience, the women who are open to such dalliances are usually those referred to as club girls.
A cross section of male hairstylists said the next category of women usually open to having romance with them are single mothers. But with the single mothers, male hairstylists need not worry about not getting paid.
For instance, a male hairstylist, who identified himself as Johnson, narrated his experience with a female customer he once had a sexual affair with.
According to Johnson’s account, his romance with the woman started after his third visit to her Lekki residence for home service. Johnson does home service for customers who are willing to pay extra which has been factored in due to the distance, transportation cost and so on.
“The woman never negotiated any amount I charged and she always paid me.
“It started innocently when she asked me to come and fix her hair at home, before it later graduated to sex. She was a single mother with one daughter, so she usually asked me to come in the morning when her daughter would be in school,” Johnson said.
Johnson added that he had noticed that a lot of his older female customers like to date young boys judging by their discussions at the salon, jokingly, describing salons as homes of gossips and rumours.
Most women confirmed that they prefer male hairstylists to their female counterparts in a poll conducted by our correspondent.
‘I’m in love with male hairstylists’
One of the respondents who identified herself as Nkem, admitted to having fantasized about dating her “handsome male hairstylists” countless times but couldn’t bring herself to initiate a move.
“I actually go to the salon that I use because of the male hairstylists. They are very handsome and sometimes I wish that one of them would ask me out but it has not happened yet. I think male hairstylists are better than the female ones because a man would know what fits you better than a woman,” she said.
Another place that promises an abundance of passion is a massage parlor because it usually pitches both sexes together alone.
Visiting massage parlors for the wonders of the experienced hands of masseurs and masseuses is not yet a popular pastime in the country, however, the trend is growing by the day.
The idea of having a massage is therapeutic. It also helps the client to relax and be released of stress and body pains, but investigation shows that often times in Nigeria, clients wish for more than stress and pain relief. Our findings show that many male clients get sexually aroused and get an erection within a few minutes of body massage.
Happy hour
A cross section of masseuses said many of the clients who visit their parlors ask for ‘happy hours’ or ‘happy ending massages.’ These are erotic massages that end with hand jobs, blow jobs or sex.
“When some of the clients come in, they ask, ‘do you do happy hour or happy ending’ and we say no. The best thing is not to start what you won’t be able to finish; so we tell them that we don’t do such things here, but I know that some massage parlors do it abroad,” said Franca Oriakhi, the Managing Director of World Beauty Salon and Spa, Surulere, Lagos.
Another beauty therapist, Ruth Zobeashia of Rutiana Perfection Parlor, Ikeja in Lagos, also shared similar experiences on the job.
Zobeashia, who has had over 10 years’ experience as a masseuse, said, “Most of the Nigerian men who come here, once they see that it’s a beautiful lady that will attend to them, what goes to their head is sex after five minutes of massage.
“Some of them will say, ‘Can you suck me? Can you make me come? I will pay you extra for doing it.’ I tell them that we don’t offer anything beyond massage here. When I explain to them that I can’t do it, then they stop visiting. What most of them want is sex and not massage, really. It’s the whites (foreigners) who really understand the essence of massage and some blacks too that come here,” she said.
Zobeashia recalled how she had to escape through a bathroom window about seven years ago while giving a man a massage. The client had wanted sex also.
Recounting the incident, she said, “We get all kinds of harassment and embarrassment on the job. I was giving a man a massage one day when he insisted that he wanted to have sex with me. I told him that I needed to use the bathroom. It was through the window that I managed to get out.
“Some of the men will say that they have girls who tended to their needs where they used to have massage and so I tell them to go back there. One day, I asked a client demanding for sex if he would be happy if his wife was sleeping with her clients. I was shocked when he replied that he didn’t care, ‘after all, that’s her job.’”
Interestingly, some of the harassment are not limited to male clients, according to Zobeashia, who has received sexual invitations from female clients too. Some female clients who are lesbians also ask to be caressed and erotically fingered in their private regions during massages.
“Lesbians come here and want the same thing the men want. A man having trouble with his marriage once told me that he was advised by a friend to visit a massage parlor to get the sexual satisfaction his wife denied him at home,” she continued with a surprise look on her face.
Investigation indeed shows that some massage parlors offer sexual pleasures in Ikeja, Ikoyi and Lekki areas of Lagos. Many of such parlors keep the information within a circle, largely made up of foreigners.
A Briton who had a chat with our correspondent online named a few spas and massage parlors in Lagos that offer ‘happy hours’ or ‘happy ending’ massages. He also said there were masseurs and masseuses who service clients at home, with massage and sex.
“Some of us in the Nigerian white community patronize these places. Some Nigerians also know about them as well. There is a spa in Lagos with Asian women as masseuses, where clients can pay for what they want. Massage parlors that have happy endings are common in Asia, so maybe that’s why some Nigerians ask for such services here after experiencing it elsewhere,” he commented.
But that is not all; tattooists also deal with temptations from customers of the opposite sex. In Lagos, tattooists are predominantly males and are often required to tattoo on female erotic parts like the breasts, buttocks, thighs and the vagina (the female reproductive part).
Tattooists are seduced by clients too
A tattooist, Abisola Ojikutu of Bizzysaki Tattoo Studio, Ikeja, told our correspondent that he sometimes gets seduced by female clients, but quickly added that in spite of it, he still strives to maintain professionalism on the job.
“I tattoo almost all parts of the body, including body parts of members of the opposite sex because it’s my job. I tattoo their private parts and do breast enlargement and other stuff. Yes, seduction happens because we are humans but I act professionally. And I have to also consider my money, so I act like I’m not moved. Even if a lady seduces me as a tattoo celebrity, we suspend all till after work,” he said.

Soldiers arrest bomber disguised as woman in Kaduna

The suspect disguised in hijab and wearing brassiere (r) in Kaduna... on Wednesday.
The Nigerian Army has apprehended a suspected insurgent in relation with the twin bomb blast that rocked Kaduna on Wednesday.
The twin-bomb attacks which resulted in the deaths of over 100 innocent citizens, targeted a former military Head of State, General Mohammadu Buhari and a prominent Islamic cleric, Sheik Dahiru Bauchi.
A statement released on the official website of the Nigerian military, defenceinfo.mil.ng, stated that a military patrol team arrested the man who was disguised as a woman immediately after the blast took place in the area. It was further revealed that the young man was arrested while trying to fizzle into a crowd of onlookers.
The statement added that the suspected bomber was prevented from being lynched by an angry mob by the troops who took him away in an armored personnel carrier.
“Troops are holding a man suspected to be connected with the explosion targeted at General Buhari on Wednesday.
“The young man, who was apprehended by a military patrol team that swooped on the area immediately after the explosion, had disguised as a woman clad in female garb to exude femininity with a brazier affixed to his chest.
“The suspect was arrested while trying to fizzle into a crowd of onlookers when the patrol team arrived the scene.
Youths in the area attempted to mob him while he was being arrested but were restrained by troops who quickly whisked him away in an armored personnel carrier.
“He is currently being interrogated by security agencies in a bid to ascertain his links,” the statement read
Meanwhile, the Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria has condemned the attacks, saying it was planned to cause unrest in the country.
The group described the blasts as “assassination attempts” on Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi and Buhari.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its President, Shehu Sani, the group said that the incidents had “once again demonstrated the annihilating danger faced by the Nigerian state.”
According to the statement, the attacks, if successful, could have led to a civil unrest, which is what the attackers wanted.
The statement said, “The ongoing insurgency and the overall security situation in the country should be a matter of concern to all. With the attack on these two prominent Nigerians, it is clear now that we are in a situation where everyone is vulnerable.”

Politicians, businessmen are our biggest customers – Body part dealers

The suspects.
Barely three weeks after a suspected den used by ritual killers was discovered in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, police in the state have tracked down a syndicate which specialized in the sale of human parts in Baruten Local Government Area of the state.
The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ambrose Aisabor, said a human head, arms and other parts of the body were recovered from the suspects at Tabira Village near Okuta area of Baruten.
One of the two main suspects, Abubakar Ladan, confessed that he was a supplier of body parts to some unnamed businessmen, politicians and other people who need them for rituals,explaining that their biggest customers were politicians and business people.
The other suspect, Amos Kareem, who told our correspondent he was from Kaduna State, alleged that he was sent by Ladan to get some human parts under duress.
He said, “Ladan sent me and threatened that he would kill me if I did not go to a burial ground at Tabira and dig up the corpses.
“I undertook this assignment to save my life. This is the first time I am involved in this act. I did not intend to get anything from this act.
“When I entered the deserted burial ground, I had no idea people were watching. As soon as I had finished and tried to leave with the human parts, I was arrested. What I did is wrong and I will not do it again.”
“He (Ladan) said if I could handle the job successfully, those who contracted him to get the body parts would give me a motorcycle and that he would give me a car.”
But Ladan who said he was an indigene of Sokoto State, claimed that he was contracted by Alhaji Jubril Kabira, who was also arrested along with them.
“The Alhaji was the one who promised that if I could get the human parts, he would give me a car and give the grave digger a motorcycle,” he said.
He said he had never engaged in that kind of business before, which was why he in turn contracted it out to Kareem.
But Kabira said that he was framed by Kareem and Ladan. According to the man, who claimed to be the head of the Fulanis and Hausa in Tabira Village, he was in the habit of accommodating Fulani or Hausa people who migrate into the town until they could get accommodation of their own, which was how he knew the duo.
He said, “I am from Zamfara State. These men are simply lying. The human parts were not even found in my house,” he said.
But the commissioner of police said the suspects were arrested at about 10.35pm on Tuesday in the village. He added that the command’s detectives, who were acting on intelligence, arrested Kareem and found the human parts in his house after a search was conducted.
Aisabor said, “When they were interrogated, they told us that they sell human parts to politicians, business and some other people. So we are going to go after their customers.”
The CP also said the command had also arrested five suspected members of a robbery gang, Mohammed Kuruwa, Manu Sabo, Jenyun Abdulah, Sonde Landa and Dauda Salaudeen.
According to him, a stolen unregistered Bajaj motorcycle, one locally made revolver gun and one live cartridge were recovered from the suspects.
He stated that on July 16, a camp said to belong to Alhaji Musa Muazu at Tenebo Village via Kaiama in Kaiama LGA of Kwara State was broken into by unknown robbers who made away with various   valuable items.
He stated that later that day, a man was sighted wearing one of the clothes stolen in the man’s house. The suspect was said to have been arrested while Sabo was with him at the time fled.
Aisabor said Sabo was arrested at Venra Village with the unregistered motorcycle three days later.
“When Sabo who was searched, the locally made gun with one live cartridge concealed neatly in a black polythene bag in a compartment of the motorcycle was recovered. The suspects have confessed to being members of a robbery gang terrorizing the area,” he said.
In another case, the command also arrested six suspects for criminal conspiracy and armed robbery.
The suspects, Abdulwahab Yusul, Adamu Mohammed, Wale Olanrewaju, Garuba Musa, Ayuba Haruba and Usman Muazu, were arrested with a stolen Renault truck, 364 pieces of new tyres, one Toyota Camry car, 12 cartoons of incense sticks and 83 pieces of umbrella.
According to the police, two men, Alhaji Umar Ahmed and Alhaji Mansur Bello of 29 Pelewura Way, Apapa Lagos, reported at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad Office in Ilorin that on the previous day, they were attacked by robbers at about 10.45pm along the Ogbomosho-Ilorin Express Road.
The Renault truck with Lagos registration number KRD 774XF in which they were traveling was loaded with ago-chemical and other goods worth about N14m recovered from the suspects.
Aisabor said the suspects almost killed the escort of the truck as the victim is currently receiving treatment at a hospital. He assured that the police had launched a manhunt for other fleeing members of the gang.

WE’LL RESIST MOVES TO IMPEACH YOBE GOVERNOR - APC.

Photo: WE’LL RESIST MOVES TO IMPEACH YOBE GOVERNOR - APC.  Yobe State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday described alleged plans by certain politicians in the North East region to initiate the impeachment of the governors of Yobe and Borno  States as provocative.  A statement signed by the state secretary of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Bakabe,  said it will consider such reports as mere speculation but warned that any such move will amount to overheating the polity and creating political instability in the two states.  “The claim to deliver Yobe State to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 is wild, misleading and intended to score cheap political relevance”.  “Yobe State had suffered tortuous neglect and marginalisation by the PDP led government in the last 15 years in terms of insecurity and infrastructural development to warrant electing the party in 2015.  “It is too soon for the people of Yobe State to forget this deliberate neglect not to think of delivering the state to PDP,” it stated. The party commended its three senators, six members of the House of Representatives and the entire 24 members of the State House of Assembly for their loyalty to the party and supporting the state government to improve the lives of the electorates.  It advised those it described as “political trespassers” to stay away from the state saying it is an insult on the psyche of the state and it’s people that a total stranger  who has no political connection with Yobe State will determine the course of its political leadership and direction in 2015. 
Yobe State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday described alleged plans by certain politicians in the North East region to initiate the impeachment of the governors of Yobe and Borno States as provocative.

A statement signed by the state secretary of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Bakabe, said it will consider such reports as mere speculation but warned that any such move will amount to overheating the polity and creating political instability in the two states.“The claim to deliver Yobe State to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 is wild, misleading and intended to score cheap political relevance”.

“Yobe State had suffered tortuous neglect and marginalization by the PDP led government in the last 15 years in terms of insecurity and infrastructural development to warrant electing the party in 2015.

“It is too soon for the people of Yobe State to forget this deliberate neglect not to think of delivering the state to PDP,” it stated.
The party commended its three senators, six members of the House of Representatives and the entire 24 members of the State House of Assembly for their loyalty to the party and supporting the state government to improve the lives of the electorates.

It advised those it described as “political trespassers” to stay away from the state saying it is an insult on the psyche of the state and it’s people that a total stranger who has no political connection with Yobe State will determine the course of its political leadership and direction in 2015.

National Emergency Number is: 112. PLEASE DO NOT RUSH INTO A DISASTER SCENE. REPORT IT. THANK U.

Photo: National Emergency Number is: 112.  PLEASE DO NOT RUSH INTO A DISASTER SCENE.  REPORT IT. THANK U.

Impeachment: Rivers Assembly says no plan to remove Amaechi.

Photo: Impeachment: Rivers Assembly says no plan to remove Amaechi.  The Rivers State House of Assembly says it is not in anyway contemplating the impeachment of the state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.  There have been insinuations that some lawmakers loyal to Governor Amaechi have been bought over by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to start an impeachment process against the Governor.  This is coming on the backdrop of the recent spate of impeachment of Governors who are opposed to the President Goodluck Jonathan led Federal Government.  However, Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Chidi Lloyd in an interview with DailyPost said Governor Amaechi is yet to violate any act or law that may warrant his impeachment.  Lloyd also noted that the seventh Assembly has gone a long way in the positive representation of their constituents since the Assembly was inaugurated.  “It is important to let you know that the Rivers State House of Assembly as presently constituted is not in any way considering impeachment of any public officer.  “The state Assembly has come a long way. We have a tradition in Rivers State not to bring down our own. Every Rivers son and daughter holds this virtue very high. Rivers people have a very high moral standing.  “No matter what the issues are, we do not think that bringing down one another will help in the development of the state because we are all equal stakeholders in the state.  “So the 25 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly that are patriotic and are loyal to Rivers State are not anyway considering any such moves.  “There have been rumours about some members meeting with certain people, but the members as I know them, all have the interest of the state at heart.  “So since the interest of the state is an ideal that we share; it is not likely that impeachment is in the offing”, Lloyd said.  He hinted that there was no personal grudge among the thirty one lawmakers, adding that the bone of contention has to do with interest.  He said: “As members of the Assembly we have all been brothers and sisters for 3 years before the crisis, and God is going to do it at the appropriate time.  “When God does it and restores peace to this state and the state Assembly, it will be like a dream.  “This is politics, nobody is lacking any piece of livelihood.  “What we have is only a clash of interest. When interests clash, you are bound to have misunderstanding.  “The most important thing is that the issue of this state is more important than the interest of any politician. Peace will reign no doubt”, he hoped.  DailyPost recalls that two weeks ago, Chidi Lloyd on behalf of twenty five members of the assembly loyal to Governor Rotimi Amaechi, formally announced their defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC. 
The Rivers State House of Assembly says it is not in anyway contemplating the impeachment of the state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

There have been insinuations that some lawmakers loyal to Governor Amaechi have been bought over by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to start an impeachment process against the Governor.

This is coming on the backdrop of the recent spate of impeachment of Governors who are opposed to the President Goodluck Jonathan led Federal Government.

However, Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Chidi Lloyd in an interview with Daily Post said Governor Amaechi is yet to violate any act or law that may warrant his impeachment.

Lloyd also noted that the seventh Assembly has gone a long way in the positive representation of their constituents since the Assembly was inaugurated.

“It is important to let you know that the Rivers State House of Assembly as presently constituted is not in any way considering impeachment of any public officer.

“The state Assembly has come a long way. We have a tradition in Rivers State not to bring down our own. Every Rivers son and daughter holds this virtue very high. Rivers people have a very high moral standing.

“No matter what the issues are, we do not think that bringing down one another will help in the development of the state because we are all equal stakeholders in the state.

“So the 25 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly that are patriotic and are loyal to Rivers State are not anyway considering any such moves.

“There have been rumors about some members meeting with certain people, but the members as I know them, all have the interest of the state at heart.

“So since the interest of the state is an ideal that we share; it is not likely that impeachment is in the offing”, Lloyd said.

He hinted that there was no personal grudge among the thirty one lawmakers, adding that the bone of contention has to do with interest.

He said: “As members of the Assembly we have all been brothers and sisters for 3 years before the crisis, and God is going to do it at the appropriate time.

“When God does it and restores peace to this state and the state Assembly, it will be like a dream.

“This is politics, nobody is lacking any piece of livelihood.

“What we have is only a clash of interest. When interests clash, you are bound to have misunderstanding.

“The most important thing is that the issue of this state is more important than the interest of any politician. Peace will reign no doubt”, he hoped.

Daily Post recalls that two weeks ago, Chidi Lloyd on behalf of twenty five members of the assembly loyal to Governor Rotimi Amaechi, formally announced their defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

2015: APC will disgrace Wike, others collecting Abuja money on behalf of Rivers people – Senator Abe.

Photo: 2015: APC will disgrace Wike, others collecting Abuja money on behalf of Rivers people – Senator Abe.  Senator Magnus Abe, representing Rivers South-East senatorial district in the National Assembly, has expressed confidence that the All Progressives Congress, (APC) will disgrace the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) during the 2015 general elections in the state.  Abe made this comment at Opobo Town while speaking during an empowerment programme for women and youths of the 11 wards that make up Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of the state.  According to him, PDP members in the state are middlemen, who are in Abuja to negotiate how to trade the future of Rivers State and its people.  “What are the middlemen doing now? They are in Abuja trying to sell your future. They are promising people that if they give them money, they will deliver Rivers State to them”, he said.  “They are not asking you; they are not talking to you; they are not asking you what you think; they are not asking you what you like; they are not coming to look for you, but they are in Abuja collecting money on your behalf.  “We will together, working together, acting together, redefine the politics of Rivers State, and you will be the determinant factor. We will banish middlemen from our politics. By the time we finish with them, they will remain in Abuja; they will not come back here”, Abe added.  The senator added that Governor Rotimi Amaechi has eliminated the middle-men from governance of the state, making it possible for dividends of democracy to directly get to the people at the grassroots.  Meanwhile, the PDP has criticised Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi for engaging in political campaign under the supposed grounds of touring of local government areas across the state.  In a statement issued on Thursday in Port Harcourt, the PDP described Amaechi’s action as a breach of the Electoral Act as “Governor Amaechi and his political office seekers are using the tour to campaign and solicit for votes from the unsuspecting members of the areas visited for the APC.” 
Senator Magnus Abe, representing Rivers South-East senatorial district in the National Assembly, has expressed confidence that the All Progressives Congress, (APC) will disgrace the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) during the 2015 general elections in the state.

Abe made this comment at Opobo Town while speaking during an empowerment program for women and youths of the 11 wards that make up Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of the state.

According to him, PDP members in the state are middlemen, who are in Abuja to negotiate how to trade the future of Rivers State and its people.

“What are the middlemen doing now? They are in Abuja trying to sell your future. They are promising people that if they give them money, they will deliver Rivers State to them”, he said.

“They are not asking you; they are not talking to you; they are not asking you what you think; they are not asking you what you like; they are not coming to look for you, but they are in Abuja collecting money on your behalf.

“We will together, working together, acting together, redefine the politics of Rivers State, and you will be the determinant factor. We will banish middlemen from our politics. By the time we finish with them, they will remain in Abuja; they will not come back here”, Abe added.

The senator added that Governor Rotimi Amaechi has eliminated the middle-men from governance of the state, making it possible for dividends of democracy to directly get to the people at the grassroots.

Meanwhile, the PDP has criticized Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi for engaging in political campaign under the supposed grounds of touring of local government areas across the state.

In a statement issued on Thursday in Port Harcourt, the PDP described Amaechi’s action as a breach of the Electoral Act as “Governor Amaechi and his political office seekers are using the tour to campaign and solicit for votes from the unsuspecting members of the areas visited for the APC.”

Jonathan, His $1billion Boko Haram Loan, And 2015 Election.

Photo: Jonathan, His $1billion Boko Haram Loan, And 2015 Election.  There comes another request for loan designed to immiserate the country more than ever before and for nothing but the injurious pleasure of winning an election at all cost. Boko Haram can make a bomb out of anything, but the bomb Mr. Jonathan makes on paper since he became President hurts the most.  Nigeria fought an extensive and expensive civil war without borrowing a Kobo. Yet, almost a Trillion Naira has been committed to fighting a rag tag army of terror with no appreciable result. Huge security votes has gone into private pockets instead of keeping Nigerian secure. $20billion vanished into thin air and explained away without consequence. Repatriated Abacha loot from Liechtenstein and Switzerland were taken in without any explanation to Nigerians on how it will be spent; and may likely bed up in private pockets as it usually is. Four hundred thousand barrels of crude are stolen under official cover on daily basis yet, the President wants to convince the country he needs $1billion Boko Haram loan? Not so fast Mr. President!  We continue to underrate this President at our own peril. I maintain he is the most treacherous politician we have ever heard and he improves on that his credentials every time. He gift wrapped his sinister request as the much needed weapon in the battle against terror, believing no one will have the gall to object, so he can get away with another bowl of gravy for his gravy train. Does anyone have the faintest idea why the President is collaterizing Nigeria’s security? If the President truly mean well for Nigeria, why can’t he get an interest free loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) when the CBN sits atop $40billion in foreign reserve?  Susan George in her book; A Fate Worse Than Debt wrote: “Debt is an efficient tool. It ensures access to other people’s raw materials and infrastructure on the cheapest possible terms. Dozens of countries must compete for shrinking export markets and can export only a limited range of products because of Northern protectionism and their lack of cash to invest in diversification. Market saturation ensues, reducing exporters’ income to a bare minimum while the North enjoys huge savings.” How are we supposed to ever be independent if we wallow in debt? Nigeria’s internal and external debt profile has risen with the government of Goodluck Jonathan. With spiraling debt, this country will spend more on debt repayment and less and less on health, education and development while the people’s standard of living gets eroded more and more. He is arguably the most profligate and prodigal Nigerian President ever!   With 2015 in sight, the country’s fear is being mined for electoral gains and that is the saddest part of all!  Why is it that the only movement this country makes is to the bottom? Why is the President taking on more debt when the country’s developmental indices are swinging down? Education standards are going down, health standards going down and infrastructure where there is; is literally breaking up. Is Boko loan what we need at a time of declining earnings from crude oil, escalating insecurity, unfavorable terms of trade, spiraling internal and external debts?  It is about time Nigerians understand that they are ensconced in the wilderness with Jonathan and his PDP band of looters. He carries on with no understanding of governance but a mastery of suffocating politics intended to exact maximum benefit to the favoured and awful pain for the masses. Nigeria is saddled with an irredeemable short termist, whose overriding interest is the next elections and power for its own sake. In just four years, Goodluck Jonathan has played a pivotal role in derailing the economic and political stability of Nigeria that held so much promise under the stewardship of Obasanjo. He continues to indulge in a reckless game of financial profligacy, hounding the opposition and a systematic erosion of Nigeria’s fragile fault lines of ethnicity and religion with impunity. His nonchalance has deepened the intractable Boko Haram conflict with grave implications for Nigerian sovereignty. His “I don’t give a damn” attitude has plunged the entire Northeast into despair with Boko Haram hoisting their flags on their land, collecting toll and creating an alternate government.  This Boko loan may sound like a good idea to some people given the enormity of the security threat facing the nation but we are not deceived. We know the leaders of Nigeria most often act in ways that are not consistent with the nation’s interests. We are at a perilous crossroads, Nigerians must resist any, and all attempts to further subjugate them and imperil future generations. This “request” for loan must be rejected. We must not let the President exploit our fears by afflicting us with a greater evil. He has lost our confidence and majority of this great country’s citizens are asking questions. The President must answer these pertinent questions or forget it. Are you telling the truth? Is your focus on the nation and national interests? Are your words consistent with what is already known to be true? Why have you refused to name, shame and arrest the sponsors of Boko Haram? What exactly is the Boko loan for? What will it buy that has not been budgeted for in the trillions of Naira devoted to security in current and past budgets?  It is all too sad that the man who was fought for to become President by the civil society in conformity with the constitution, is now incapable of reaching out with sensitivity to his hurting people. He has demonstrated a total lack of interest in the life of the average Nigerian. He has not a singular idea what the people’s emotions, needs, obstacles, and strong points are. The Boko loan has no military component whatsoever. Actually, there is nothing military about it; it is about wining the 2015 elections at all cost. It is about putting party goals above national goals. It is about building an electoral war chest by exploiting our collective fear of terror and dancing on the graves of those who have lost their lives in the hands of terrorists. If we allow Mr. Jonathan get this loan, he cannot be trusted in expending it. He is a spendthrift; his abysmal record at mismanaging the nation’s resources since he assumed power among several other financial abuses is there for everyone to see.  What exactly is this loan expected to achieve? If the President commits half the energy he commits to assaulting democracy to attacking terrorism, Boko Haram would have been history long ago. How do we believe a President who did not give a rat’s tail about the plight of poor peasants in the hands of Boko haram until the public relations firm of Levick was hired? How can we believe you when you have governed like a warlord giving contracts to party bosses, cronies, and militants while leaving our soldiers to face a better kitted and equipped enemy?  Sir, Nigerians cannot applaud your conceited request for $1 billion Boko loan. Actually, there is no need for any loan. If you are truly interested in fighting terror, ask the Central Bank for an interest free loan and go to the National Assembly to show us how you plan spending the money. We are tired of you, using Abu’s money to entertain Abu. Let Abu entertain himself; if he so wishes. We have the benefit of your record. We suspect this loan will be used to buy the election and the electorate, pay the security agencies to intimidate voters and the opposition and whatever is left will be for your party while the hapless majority suffers continued deterioration in standard of living. We already had a foretaste of militarized elections in Ekiti. We don’t want to sit on our hands and let you get a loan on our behalf to fight legitimate dissent.  TO all long suffering Nigerians, the ball is in your court. If the President insists on putting his ambition before caution, it is your collective duty to stop him from inflicting the consequences of his jamboree on you. Reject the Boko loan!  Bámidélé Adémólá-Olátéjú. 
There comes another request for loan designed to commiserate the country more than ever before and for nothing but the injurious pleasure of winning an election at all cost. Boko Haram can make a bomb out of anything, but the bomb Mr. Jonathan makes on paper since he became President hurts the most.

Nigeria fought an extensive and expensive civil war without borrowing a Kobo. Yet, almost a Trillion Naira has been committed to fighting a rag tag army of terror with no appreciable result. Huge security votes has gone into private pockets instead of keeping Nigerian secure. $20billion vanished into thin air and explained away without consequence. Repatriated Abacha loot from Liechtenstein and Switzerland were taken in without any explanation to Nigerians on how it will be spent; and may likely bed up in private pockets as it usually is. Four hundred thousand barrels of crude are stolen under official cover on daily basis yet, the President wants to convince the country he needs $1billion Boko Haram loan? Not so fast Mr. President!

We continue to underrate this President at our own peril. I maintain he is the most treacherous politician we have ever heard and he improves on that his credentials every time. He gift wrapped his sinister request as the much needed weapon in the battle against terror, believing no one will have the gall to object, so he can get away with another bowl of gravy for his gravy train. Does anyone have the faintest idea why the President is collateralize Nigeria’s security? If the President truly mean well for Nigeria, why can’t he get an interest free loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) when the CBN sits atop $40billion in foreign reserve?

Susan George in her book; A Fate Worse Than Debt wrote: “Debt is an efficient tool. It ensures access to other people’s raw materials and infrastructure on the cheapest possible terms. Dozens of countries must compete for shrinking export markets and can export only a limited range of products because of Northern protectionism and their lack of cash to invest in diversification. Market saturation ensues, reducing exporters’ income to a bare minimum while the North enjoys huge savings.” How are we supposed to ever be independent if we wallow in debt? Nigeria’s internal and external debt profile has risen with the government of Goodluck Jonathan. With spiraling debt, this country will spend more on debt repayment and less and less on health, education and development while the people’s standard of living gets eroded more and more. He is arguably the most profligate and prodigal Nigerian President ever!

With 2015 in sight, the country’s fear is being mined for electoral gains and that is the saddest part of all!

Why is it that the only movement this country makes is to the bottom? Why is the President taking on more debt when the country’s developmental indices are swinging down? Education standards are going down, health standards going down and infrastructure where there is; is literally breaking up. Is Boko loan what we need at a time of declining earnings from crude oil, escalating insecurity, unfavorable terms of trade, spiraling internal and external debts?

It is about time Nigerians understand that they are ensconced in the wilderness with Jonathan and his PDP band of looters. He carries on with no understanding of governance but a mastery of suffocating politics intended to exact maximum benefit to the favored and awful pain for the masses. Nigeria is saddled with an irredeemable short termist, whose overriding interest is the next elections and power for its own sake. In just four years, Goodluck Jonathan has played a pivotal role in derailing the economic and political stability of Nigeria that held so much promise under the stewardship of Obasanjo. He continues to indulge in a reckless game of financial profligacy, hounding the opposition and a systematic erosion of Nigeria’s fragile fault lines of ethnicity and religion with impunity. His nonchalance has deepened the intractable Boko Haram conflict with grave implications for Nigerian sovereignty. His “I don’t give a damn” attitude has plunged the entire Northeast into despair with Boko Haram hoisting their flags on their land, collecting toll and creating an alternate government.

This Boko loan may sound like a good idea to some people given the enormity of the security threat facing the nation but we are not deceived. We know the leaders of Nigeria most often act in ways that are not consistent with the nation’s interests. We are at a perilous crossroads, Nigerians must resist any, and all attempts to further subjugate them and imperil future generations. This “request” for loan must be rejected. We must not let the President exploit our fears by afflicting us with a greater evil. He has lost our confidence and majority of this great country’s citizens are asking questions. The President must answer these pertinent questions or forget it. Are you telling the truth? Is your focus on the nation and national interests? Are your words consistent with what is already known to be true? Why have you refused to name, shame and arrest the sponsors of Boko Haram? What exactly is the Boko loan for? What will it buy that has not been budgeted for in the trillions of Naira devoted to security in current and past budgets?

It is all too sad that the man who was fought for to become President by the civil society in conformity with the constitution, is now incapable of reaching out with sensitivity to his hurting people. He has demonstrated a total lack of interest in the life of the average Nigerian. He has not a singular idea what the people’s emotions, needs, obstacles, and strong points are. The Boko loan has no military component whatsoever. Actually, there is nothing military about it; it is about wining the 2015 elections at all cost. It is about putting party goals above national goals. It is about building an electoral war chest by exploiting our collective fear of terror and dancing on the graves of those who have lost their lives in the hands of terrorists. If we allow Mr. Jonathan get this loan, he cannot be trusted in expending it. He is a spendthrift; his abysmal record at mismanaging the nation’s resources since he assumed power among several other financial abuses is there for everyone to see.

What exactly is this loan expected to achieve? If the President commits half the energy he commits to assaulting democracy to attacking terrorism, Boko Haram would have been history long ago. How do we believe a President who did not give a rat’s tail about the plight of poor peasants in the hands of Boko haram until the public relations firm of Levick was hired? How can we believe you when you have governed like a warlord giving contracts to party bosses, cronies, and militants while leaving our soldiers to face a better kitted and equipped enemy?

Sir, Nigerians cannot applaud your conceited request for $1 billion Boko loan. Actually, there is no need for any loan. If you are truly interested in fighting terror, ask the Central Bank for an interest free loan and go to the National Assembly to show us how you plan spending the money. We are tired of you, using Abu’s money to entertain Abu. Let Abu entertain himself; if he so wishes. We have the benefit of your record. We suspect this loan will be used to buy the election and the electorate, pay the security agencies to intimidate voters and the opposition and whatever is left will be for your party while the hapless majority suffers continued deterioration in standard of living. We already had a foretaste of militarized elections in Ekiti. We don’t want to sit on our hands and let you get a loan on our behalf to fight legitimate dissent.

TO all long suffering Nigerians, the ball is in your court. If the President insists on putting his ambition before caution, it is your collective duty to stop him from inflicting the consequences of his jamboree on you. Reject the Boko loan!
 Bámidélé Adémólá-Olátéjú.

[PHOTOS] APC Presidential Aspirants thus far. We expect more to join the race soon.

"The party's presidential candidate for the 2015 general election would emerge from an open contest" - Chief Oyegun (APC Chairman).

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has offered to work with President Goodluck Jonathan in the battle against Boko Haram.

Photo: The All Progressives Congress (APC) has offered to work with President Goodluck Jonathan in the battle against Boko Haram.  The All Progressives Congress (APC) has offered to work with President Goodluck Jonathan in the battle against Boko Haram, and has called for a national stakeholders’ conference to fashion out a comprehensive counter-insurgency blueprint for the nation.   The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and APC had often traded words over who is behind the insurgency, but the opposition has now offered to work with the ruling party over the menace. APC, in expressing shock  at Wednesday’s bombings in Kaduna which killed no fewer than 50 persons, also lambasted the PDP government for its handling of the situation.   The APC spokesman Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the attempted assassination of Gen Muhammadu Buhari had changed the narrative about the insurgent group and knocked the bottom off the “sinister, irresponsible and partisan colouration” given to the insurgency by the government.   The party said while no one had claimed responsibility for the attack, the mere fact it occurred was a “lose-lose situation for the Jonathan administration”. It  said: ”Whether it is Boko Haram or not, one thing remains: this government has failed woefully in its core constitutional duty of protecting the security and welfare of the citizenry. And we mean all the citizens, not just the leaders! ”And contrary to the simplistic and clearly selfish portrayal of the Boko Haram insurgency as a sinister plot to bring down the government of Jonathan, it should now be clear to the government that has engaged in ceaseless finger-pointing instead of tackling the insurgency headlong that Boko Haram is an enemy of Nigeria and of all of humanity.   ”It is a real problem that is capable of consuming this country if immediate and urgent steps are not made now by the FG to move away from its politicization of the crisis, its decision to use it as a trump card for President Jonathan’s re-election and exploit it as a ticket to international relevance for the President. If anything untoward had happened to Gen. Buhari on Wednesday, the consequences are only better imagined than witnessed! ”If indeed the APC is behind Boko Haram and Gen. Buhari is a sympathizer of the evil group, as the FG wants the world to believe, could it be that the insurgents do not know their leaders or sympathizers, assuming they are behind the attack? If they are not responsible for the attack, doesn’t that support the theory in some circles that Boko Haram has become a franchise; hence there is the Boko Haram of Abubakar Shekau and the political Boko Haram? “Whatever happens now, the satanic and repulsive theory of the PDP-led FG that the opposition APC is using Boko Haram to truncate the Administration of Jonathan is up in flames.   Therefore, it is time for them to change the narrative, see Boko Haram for what it is – an enemy of Nigeria – and rally the citizenry, irrespective of their political, ethnic or religious affiliation, behind the government’s efforts to tackle it decisively. It advised that as a first step, “President Jonathan must immediately stop the wasteful contract he signed with the US-based firm Levick to help demonise the APC as the sponsor of Boko Haram, and to demonise any Nigerian who is perceived to be an enemy of the government.   It is this kind of demonisation, using pseudo and out-of-job analysts that helped to set the stage for Wednesday’s failed assassination attempt against Gen. Buhari. ”Then the President must address Nigerians to tell them that Boko Haram is not just an enemy of his government, it is an enemy of the opposition, of Christians, of Muslims and of the different ethnic groups.   ”Instead of dividing Nigerians along religious, ethnic and political lines, President Jonathan should borrow a leaf from his predecessors. Obasanjo never said the Niger Delta militancy was aimed at his government or his people, he tackled it headlong. Yar’Adua it was who finally ended the militancy, without saying it was aimed at his government or his people.”   The party restated its earlier position that only “a non-partisan approach would galvanise Nigerians against Boko Haram, which is rooted more in the years of bad governance that have resulted in mass unemployment, massive corruption, and economic imbalances and made the youth to become hopeless, thus creating an army of willing tools for criminal activities”.   APC urged the government to engage in new thinking instead of throwing money into what has become a bottomless pit, and creating an avenue for some unpatriotic citizens to feed fat on the insurgency. ”After almost five years and 14 billion US dollars, Boko Haram is stronger today than ever. Whereas the average death toll in the previous years has been 1,500, more than 3,500 people have been killed so far this year!   There is no stronger evidence that what is needed to successfully fight Boko Haram is not just 1 billion dollars, but a comprehensive approach that includes efforts to tackle the social and economic roots of the insurgency,” the party said.   culled from The Cable. 
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has offered to work with President Goodluck Jonathan in the battle against Boko Haram, and has called for a national stakeholders’ conference to fashion out a comprehensive counter-insurgency blueprint for the nation.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and APC had often traded words over who is behind the insurgency, but the opposition has now offered to work with the ruling party over the menace. APC, in expressing shock at Wednesday’s bombings in Kaduna which killed no fewer than 50 persons, also lambasted the PDP government for its handling of the situation.

The APC spokesman Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the attempted assassination of Gen Muhammadu Buhari had changed the narrative about the insurgent group and knocked the bottom off the “sinister, irresponsible and partisan coloration” given to the insurgency by the government.

The party said while no one had claimed responsibility for the attack, the mere fact it occurred was a “lose-lose situation for the Jonathan administration”. It said: ”Whether it is Boko Haram or not, one thing remains: this government has failed woefully in its core constitutional duty of protecting the security and welfare of the citizenry. And we mean all the citizens, not just the leaders! ”And contrary to the simplistic and clearly selfish portrayal of the Boko Haram insurgency as a sinister plot to bring down the government of Jonathan, it should now be clear to the government that has engaged in ceaseless finger-pointing instead of tackling the insurgency headlong that Boko Haram is an enemy of Nigeria and of all of humanity.

”It is a real problem that is capable of consuming this country if immediate and urgent steps are not made now by the FG to move away from its politicization of the crisis, its decision to use it as a trump card for President Jonathan’s re-election and exploit it as a ticket to international relevance for the President. If anything untoward had happened to Gen. Buhari on Wednesday, the consequences are only better imagined than witnessed! ”If indeed the APC is behind Boko Haram and Gen. Buhari is a sympathizer of the evil group, as the FG wants the world to believe, could it be that the insurgents do not know their leaders or sympathizers, assuming they are behind the attack? If they are not responsible for the attack, doesn’t that support the theory in some circles that Boko Haram has become a franchise; hence there is the Boko Haram of Abubakar Shekau and the political Boko Haram? “Whatever happens now, the satanic and repulsive theory of the PDP-led FG that the opposition APC is using Boko Haram to truncate the Administration of Jonathan is up in flames.

Therefore, it is time for them to change the narrative, see Boko Haram for what it is – an enemy of Nigeria – and rally the citizenry, irrespective of their political, ethnic or religious affiliation, behind the government’s efforts to tackle it decisively. It advised that as a first step, “President Jonathan must immediately stop the wasteful contract he signed with the US-based firm Levick to help demonize the APC as the sponsor of Boko Haram, and to demonize any Nigerian who is perceived to be an enemy of the government.

It is this kind of demonization, using pseudo and out-of-job analysts that helped to set the stage for Wednesday’s failed assassination attempt against Gen. Buhari. ”Then the President must address Nigerians to tell them that Boko Haram is not just an enemy of his government, it is an enemy of the opposition, of Christians, of Muslims and of the different ethnic groups.

”Instead of dividing Nigerians along religious, ethnic and political lines, President Jonathan should borrow a leaf from his predecessors. Obasanjo never said the Niger Delta militancy was aimed at his government or his people, he tackled it headlong. Yar’Adua it was who finally ended the militancy, without saying it was aimed at his government or his people.”

The party restated its earlier position that only “a non-partisan approach would galvanize Nigerians against Boko Haram, which is rooted more in the years of bad governance that have resulted in mass unemployment, massive corruption, and economic imbalances and made the youth to become hopeless, thus creating an army of willing tools for criminal activities”.

APC urged the government to engage in new thinking instead of throwing money into what has become a bottomless pit, and creating an avenue for some unpatriotic citizens to feed fat on the insurgency. ”After almost five years and 14 billion US dollars, Boko Haram is stronger today than ever. Whereas the average death toll in the previous years has been 1,500, more than 3,500 people have been killed so far this year!

There is no stronger evidence that what is needed to successfully fight Boko Haram is not just 1 billion dollars, but a comprehensive approach that includes efforts to tackle the social and economic roots of the insurgency,” the party said.

culled from The Cable.

Omisore/PDP thugs shot this man dead today at Ilesha.

Photo: Omisore/PDP thugs shot this man dead today at Ilesha. 
WE PRAY FOR PEACE.

Between kerosene and rice, what do I choose?

Photo: Confused.Com: Between kerosene and rice, what do I choose?  Confused. Troubled. Bewildered. Disoriented. Puzzled. Perplexed. Befuddled. Between sixes and sevens.   Adjectives fail to accurately describe my current state. Never have I had to make a more difficult choice in my life. I’ve made choices for the past 15 years but this time I feel like I’m caught between a rock and a hard place. I have a feeling that I’m damned if I do and I’m damned if I don’t. I’m trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea- and one of the choices represents the sea, literally speaking.  I feel like the character, Alice in the classic ‘Alice in Wonderland’ when she came to a fork in the road.  ’Which road do I take?’ she asked.  ‘Where do you want to go?’ responded the Cheshire Cat.  ‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered.  ‘Then,’ said the Cat, ‘it doesn’t matter.”  My dilemma is the choice I have to make between kerosene and rice. I have been offered both but I need to choose only one. I was offered four liters of kerosene in exchange for four years of penury.   I was offered four ‘kongos’ of parboiled rice for another four years of continuity. Is this a fair exchange? I’m one of the estimated 500 million poor households who use kerosene worldwide because I have no access to electricity and gas. So I use kerosene. For cooking and for lighting. For me, it’s an essential commodity.   It’s the very essence of my base life. In spite of adulteration leading to explosions,emission of carbon dioxide leading to air pollution and impairment of lung functions, I trudge on. By the way, you use cooking gas but you give me kerosene? And how do I survive on just four liters? Will you bring more the day after?  Rice. Rice has replaced garri as the staple food on my table because the price of garri has caught up with the price of rice. I used to eat rice before only on special occasions and at events but now I eat it everyday. I can’t afford it fried so I eat it plain. I may be lucky to get the ‘jollof’ or ‘fried’ variety when people like the ‘oferror’ celebrate their vanities. But I’m not being offered that.   What I’m being given is plain rice. And Northcote Parkinson said, ” Without the curry, boiled rice can be very dull”. I’ve been wondering why the language being spoken now is rice until I saw what Vikrant Parsai wrote- “If you give me rice, I’ll eat today; if you teach me how to grow rice, you’ll never see me again.” So in order to keep me in perpetuity, you give me rice. Confucius also wrote , “Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life.  ” So after this four ‘kongos’ of rice, what comes next especially when you’re not giving me Uncle Ben’s but a strange variety from Thailand, mixed with stones and very starchy?  I shudder at the short-sightedness of both the giver of kerosene and rice. The duo emphasize immediate gratification and represent the Jacobic tendency to offer porridge in exchange for my birthright. Neither cares about the future and none talks about it. They play upon the fact that I’m moved by what I eat.   So I am offered conflicting choices. Talk is cheap, but talk does not cook rice- kerosene does. On the other hand, kerosene will be a waste if there’s no rice to cook.   So what do I choose?  By Bayo Adeyinka. 
Confused. Troubled. Bewildered. Disoriented. Puzzled. Perplexed. Befuddled. Between sixes and sevens.

Adjectives fail to accurately describe my current state. Never have I had to make a more difficult choice in my life. I’ve made choices for the past 15 years but this time I feel like I’m caught between a rock and a hard place. I have a feeling that I’m damned if I do and I’m damned if I don’t. I’m trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea- and one of the choices represents the sea, literally speaking.

Photo: Between kerosene and rice, what do I choose?  Confused. Troubled. Bewildered. Disoriented. Puzzled. Perplexed. Befuddled. Between sixes and sevens.   Adjectives fail to accurately describe my current state. Never have I had to make a more difficult choice in my life. I’ve made choices for the past 15 years but this time I feel like I’m caught between a rock and a hard place. I have a feeling that I’m damned if I do and I’m damned if I don’t. I’m trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea- and one of the choices represents the sea, literally speaking.  I feel like the character, Alice in the classic ‘Alice in Wonderland’ when she came to a fork in the road.  ’Which road do I take?’ she asked.  ‘Where do you want to go?’ responded the Cheshire Cat.  ‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered.  ‘Then,’ said the Cat, ‘it doesn’t matter.”  My dilemma is the choice I have to make between kerosene and rice. I have been offered both but I need to choose only one. I was offered four liters of kerosene in exchange for four years of penury.   I was offered four ‘kongos’ of parboiled rice for another four years of continuity. Is this a fair exchange? I’m one of the estimated 500 million poor households who use kerosene worldwide because I have no access to electricity and gas. So I use kerosene. For cooking and for lighting. For me, it’s an essential commodity.   It’s the very essence of my base life. In spite of adulteration leading to explosions,emission of carbon dioxide leading to air pollution and impairment of lung functions, I trudge on. By the way, you use cooking gas but you give me kerosene? And how do I survive on just four liters? Will you bring more the day after?  Rice. Rice has replaced garri as the staple food on my table because the price of garri has caught up with the price of rice. I used to eat rice before only on special occasions and at events but now I eat it everyday. I can’t afford it fried so I eat it plain. I may be lucky to get the ‘jollof’ or ‘fried’ variety when people like the ‘oferror’ celebrate their vanities. But I’m not being offered that.   What I’m being given is plain rice. And Northcote Parkinson said, ” Without the curry, boiled rice can be very dull”. I’ve been wondering why the language being spoken now is rice until I saw what Vikrant Parsai wrote- “If you give me rice, I’ll eat today; if you teach me how to grow rice, you’ll never see me again.” So in order to keep me in perpetuity, you give me rice. Confucius also wrote , “Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life.  ” So after this four ‘kongos’ of rice, what comes next especially when you’re not giving me Uncle Ben’s but a strange variety from Thailand, mixed with stones and very starchy?  I shudder at the short-sightedness of both the giver of kerosene and rice. The duo emphasize immediate gratification and represent the Jacobic tendency to offer porridge in exchange for my birthright. Neither cares about the future and none talks about it. They play upon the fact that I’m moved by what I eat.   So I am offered conflicting choices. Talk is cheap, but talk does not cook rice- kerosene does. On the other hand, kerosene will be a waste if there’s no rice to cook.   So what do I choose?  By Bayo Adeyinka. 
I feel like the character, Alice in the classic ‘Alice in Wonderland’ when she came to a fork in the road.

’Which road do I take?’ she asked.

‘Where do you want to go?’ responded the Cheshire Cat.

‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered.

‘Then,’ said the Cat, ‘it doesn’t matter.”

My dilemma is the choice I have to make between kerosene and rice. I have been offered both but I need to choose only one. I was offered four liters of kerosene in exchange for four years of penury.

I was offered four ‘kongos’ of parboiled rice for another four years of continuity. Is this a fair exchange? I’m one of the estimated 500 million poor households who use kerosene worldwide because I have no access to electricity and gas. So I use kerosene. For cooking and for lighting. For me, it’s an essential commodity.

It’s the very essence of my base life. In spite of adulteration leading to explosions,emission of carbon dioxide leading to air pollution and impairment of lung functions, I trudge on. By the way, you use cooking gas but you give me kerosene? And how do I survive on just four liters? Will you bring more the day after?

Rice. Rice has replaced garri as the staple food on my table because the price of garri has caught up with the price of rice. I used to eat rice before only on special occasions and at events but now I eat it everyday. I can’t afford it fried so I eat it plain. I may be lucky to get the ‘jollof’ or ‘fried’ variety when people like the ‘of-error’ celebrate their vanities. But I’m not being offered that.

What I’m being given is plain rice. And North cote Parkinson said, ” Without the curry, boiled rice can be very dull”. I’ve been wondering why the language being spoken now is rice until I saw what Vikrant Parsai wrote- “If you give me rice, I’ll eat today; if you teach me how to grow rice, you’ll never see me again.” So in order to keep me in perpetuity, you give me rice. Confucius also wrote , “Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life.

” So after this four ‘kongos’ of rice, what comes next especially when you’re not giving me Uncle Ben’s but a strange variety from Thailand, mixed with stones and very starchy?

I shudder at the short-sightedness of both the giver of kerosene and rice. The duo emphasize immediate gratification and represent the Jacobic tendency to offer porridge in exchange for my birthright. Neither cares about the future and none talks about it. They play upon the fact that I’m moved by what I eat.

So I am offered conflicting choices. Talk is cheap, but talk does not cook rice- kerosene does. On the other hand, kerosene will be a waste if there’s no rice to cook.

So what do I choose?

By Bayo Adeyinka.

See No Evil. Hear No Evil. Stealing is not Corruption.

Photo: See No Evil.  Hear No Evil.  Stealing is not Corruption.  If you have been wondering why the government of Goodluck Jonathan has achieved precious little in the monumental fight against corruption in Nigeria, the answer is very simple. There is actually no corruption in Nigeria. Nigerian politicians are thieves, but they are not corrupt. This is the erudite position of our dear president, who happens to be the first president in the history of Nigeria to have the distinction of a Ph.D.  President Jonathan says: ”What many Nigerians refer to as corruption is actually stealing. Stealing is not the same thing as corruption.” This is a profound statement that has since become the subject of many doctoral dissertations on Nigeria.  It has also provided a very Nigerian contribution to the English language. Nigerian “doublethink” Our president is not alone in this assessment. The Chairman of the ICPC (Independent Corrupt Practices Commission), Ekpo Nta, agrees with Mr. President. He also insists it is wrong to confuse stealing with corruption. The distinguished chairman says: “Stealing is erroneously reported as corruption. We must go back to what we were taught at school to show that there are educated people in Nigeria.” He then likened the Nigerian penchant to regard theft as corruption to be as erroneous as calling a roadside mechanic an engineer.  This perspective has brought great relief to Nigerians. We always thought there was too much corruption in the country, so it is fantastic to learn that there is no corruption at all. We are just thieves. It is necessary to bring this new insight to the attention of Transparency International, which persists in listing Nigeria as one of the most corrupt countries. We need to tell the world that we have “re-based” the corruption index in Nigeria and found it to be totally non-existent. The only problem here for Ekpo Nta is that we might have to scrap his organisation.  If there is no corruption in Nigeria, there is no point having an Independent Corrupt Practices Commission. Since Mr. President educated us that corruption is different from stealing, other eminent Nigerians have also found it necessary to make similar Orwellian clarifications towards the obfuscation of the truth.   Rabiu Kwankwaso was a very good and upright public-servant as PDP Governor of Kano. But after he switched to the APC, he became negatively transformed. Accordingly, President Jonathan was quick to inform Nigerians that the governor corruptly enriched himself with public funds. This is what happens when politicians move from the PDP to the APC. They become corrupt and are then handed over to the EFCC. But if they are smart and quickly return to the PDP, their EFCC file is promptly closed. “Stealing public funds is a sign of progressive politics.”  A PDP Senator confessed that on Election Day, the electoral officials in his constituency were surprised to see his mother at the polls. “Mama, what are you doing here?” they berated her. “Don’t you know that you have already voted?” Two local chiefs then complained to the Senator afterwards that they were not allowed to vote for him. When he made enquiries as to why this was so, the electoral official involved was irritated. “Honorable Senator,” he declared, “you won the election by a landslide in this constituency, so what are they complaining about?” “That is not the issue,” protested the Senator, “they want to be able to vote for me themselves.” But the electoral officer refused to be persuaded. “Then Senator, they must be traitors,” he declared. “If they are still complaining, even though you won the election, it means they were not planning to vote for you. We cannot allow that to happen.”   There are now so many doctors in Nigeria. Many of these are doctors of ignorance. Time was when having a doctorate signified you have attained the height of academic excellence. Not any more in Nigeria. Doctorates are now bought and sold in flea-markets. Just give a few million stolen naira to any of the “jekuredi” universities and they will readily award you a Doctor of Philosophy in a field of your choosing. If you don’t have stolen money to throw around; don’t let that deter you. Just award the degree to yourself. How do you think the late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister obtained his doctorate? Ekiti state is said to have the largest concentration of doctorates in the country. But you can tell that this does not mean they are educated because they voted for Fayose instead of Fayemi. That should tell you how uneducated they really are.  Femi Aribisala. 
If you have been wondering why the government of Goodluck Jonathan has achieved precious little in the monumental fight against corruption in Nigeria, the answer is very simple. There is actually no corruption in Nigeria. Nigerian politicians are thieves, but they are not corrupt. This is the erudite position of our dear president, who happens to be the first president in the history of Nigeria to have the distinction of a Ph.D.

President Jonathan says: ”What many Nigerians refer to as corruption is actually stealing. Stealing is not the same thing as corruption.” This is a profound statement that has since become the subject of many doctoral dissertations on Nigeria.

It has also provided a very Nigerian contribution to the English language. Nigerian “doublethink” Our president is not alone in this assessment. The Chairman of the ICPC (Independent Corrupt Practices Commission), Ekpo Nta, agrees with Mr. President. He also insists it is wrong to confuse stealing with corruption. The distinguished chairman says: “Stealing is erroneously reported as corruption. We must go back to what we were taught at school to show that there are educated people in Nigeria.” He then likened the Nigerian penchant to regard theft as corruption to be as erroneous as calling a roadside mechanic an engineer.

This perspective has brought great relief to Nigerians. We always thought there was too much corruption in the country, so it is fantastic to learn that there is no corruption at all. We are just thieves. It is necessary to bring this new insight to the attention of Transparency International, which persists in listing Nigeria as one of the most corrupt countries. We need to tell the world that we have “re-based” the corruption index in Nigeria and found it to be totally non-existent. The only problem here for Ekpo Nta is that we might have to scrap his organization.

If there is no corruption in Nigeria, there is no point having an Independent Corrupt Practices Commission. Since Mr. President educated us that corruption is different from stealing, other eminent Nigerians have also found it necessary to make similar Orwellian clarifications towards the obfuscation of the truth.

Rabiu Kwankwaso was a very good and upright public-servant as PDP Governor of Kano. But after he switched to the APC, he became negatively transformed. Accordingly, President Jonathan was quick to inform Nigerians that the governor corruptly enriched himself with public funds. This is what happens when politicians move from the PDP to the APC. They become corrupt and are then handed over to the EFCC. But if they are smart and quickly return to the PDP, their EFCC file is promptly closed. “Stealing public funds is a sign of progressive politics.”

A PDP Senator confessed that on Election Day, the electoral officials in his constituency were surprised to see his mother at the polls. “Mama, what are you doing here?” they berated her. “Don’t you know that you have already voted?” Two local chiefs then complained to the Senator afterwards that they were not allowed to vote for him. When he made inquiries as to why this was so, the electoral official involved was irritated. “Honorable Senator,” he declared, “you won the election by a landslide in this constituency, so what are they complaining about?” “That is not the issue,” protested the Senator, “they want to be able to vote for me themselves.” But the electoral officer refused to be persuaded. “Then Senator, they must be traitors,” he declared. “If they are still complaining, even though you won the election, it means they were not planning to vote for you. We cannot allow that to happen.”

There are now so many doctors in Nigeria. Many of these are doctors of ignorance. Time was when having a doctorate signified you have attained the height of academic excellence. Not any more in Nigeria. Doctorates are now bought and sold in flea-markets. Just give a few million stolen Naira to any of the “jekuredi” universities and they will readily award you a Doctor of Philosophy in a field of your choosing. If you don’t have stolen money to throw around; don’t let that deter you. Just award the degree to yourself. How do you think the late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister obtained his doctorate? Ekiti state is said to have the largest concentration of doctorates in the country. But you can tell that this does not mean they are educated because they voted for Fayose instead of Fayemi. That should tell you how uneducated they really are.

Femi Aribisala.

Presidency acting as if Osun election is war – APC

Photo: Presidency acting as if Osun election is war – APC  The Osun State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has lamented that the deployment of Joint Task Force in the state has energised some hoodlums to the point of killing two people in Ilesha on Friday during the campaign of Iyiola Omisore, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the August 9 election.  A statement sent to newsmen yesterday alleged that thugs went into an orgy of destruction, knocking down posters and billboards of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola with sadistic impunity while security forces looked the other way.  “Less than 10 days ago, the APC held a huge rally in Ilesha without a single loss of life, but today that Omisore campaigned in Ilesha, two people had already died. How many more dead bodies will litter the streets of Osun, because Jonathan wants to continue to be president and Omisore is seeking to be governor Osun,” it quipped.  “Their JTF is to identify residences of the leaders of All Progressives Congress on the hit list of PDP in order to arrest them on the eve of the election and possibly assassinate some in order to create an intense atmosphere of fear and scare of as many voters as possible from participating in the election.  “The APC wants the world to know that we are not second-guessing the presidency because our sources are authentic.  “On August 9, the PDP will begin the process of virtually destroying Nigeria, starting from Osun.  “Once again, we want the Presidency to think twice before plunging into this dangerous enterprise because it will significantly destabilise Nigeria, and more importantly truncate democracy.  “With the introduction of the Joint Task Force into Osun, the Federal Government is putting the State of Osun on a war footing.  “Let the Nigerians who love this country prevail on the Presidency that this is not a war that the Federal Government can win. It is supposed to be an election in a state that has the reputation of being one of the most peaceful in the country.”.  The statement added that the necessity for irrational deployment of JTF does not exist in Osun, except for the rabid and unbridled ambition of PDP to capture Nigeria. 
The Osun State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has lamented that the deployment of Joint Task Force in the state has energized some hoodlums to the point of killing two people in Ilesha on Friday during the campaign of Iyiola Omisore, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the August 9 election.

A statement sent to newsmen yesterday alleged that thugs went into an orgy of destruction, knocking down posters and billboards of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola with sadistic impunity while security forces looked the other way.

“Less than 10 days ago, the APC held a huge rally in Ilesha without a single loss of life, but today that Omisore campaigned in Ilesha, two people had already died. How many more dead bodies will litter the streets of Osun, because Jonathan wants to continue to be president and Omisore is seeking to be governor Osun,” it quipped.

“Their JTF is to identify residences of the leaders of All Progressives Congress on the hit list of PDP in order to arrest them on the eve of the election and possibly assassinate some in order to create an intense atmosphere of fear and scare of as many voters as possible from participating in the election.

“The APC wants the world to know that we are not second-guessing the presidency because our sources are authentic.

“On August 9, the PDP will begin the process of virtually destroying Nigeria, starting from Osun.

“Once again, we want the Presidency to think twice before plunging into this dangerous enterprise because it will significantly destabilize Nigeria, and more importantly truncate democracy.

“With the introduction of the Joint Task Force into Osun, the Federal Government is putting the State of Osun on a war footing.

“Let the Nigerians who love this country prevail on the Presidency that this is not a war that the Federal Government can win. It is supposed to be an election in a state that has the reputation of being one of the most peaceful in the country.”.

The statement added that the necessity for irrational deployment of JTF does not exist in Osun, except for the rabid and unbridled ambition of PDP to capture Nigeria.

MUST READ | Lagos Launch Counter-Terrorism Campaign | PLEASE READ & STAY SAFE.


Lagos has launched a counter–terrorism campaign to ensure safety of citizens.

Police spokesperson Ngozi Braide, a deputy superintendent (DSP) at a news conference yesterday, urged citizens to be vigilant.

She said: “You must strive to know not only the person living in your house but in the surrounding environment. Find out their means of livelihood. Observe what your neighbor normally brings home at night and what he normally leaves with in the morning.‘’Landlords should conduct background checks on all their prospective tenant. They should meet with their tenants from time to time. Community leaders, working in conjunction with the local police, are encouraged to form neighbourhood associations to appraise the security situation in their areas.

Do not keep any object that will aid criminals to have easy access to your premises, like ladder beside the wall. Owners of uncompleted buildings must clear them of undesirable persons or request the assistance of security agencies to do so where necessary.

“Park owners, garage operators and operators of shopping malls must ensure that they thoroughly scan, search and take stock of all vehicles parked within and around the premises of such public places.

“Hotels and hospitality industries should always screen their guests and lodgers properly and ensure that they obtain accurate details of all guests. Corporate citizens high-end commercial and residential establishments, institutions mega churches/ mosques and individuals with valuable assets, including hotel an park owners are encouraged to install Closes Circuit Television (CCTV) and other surveillance systems strategically on their promises to help in monitoring and capturing criminal activities.

“Draw the attention of the police or other security agencies to vehicles parked or abandoned by unknown persons. Empty containers, gas cylinders, dustbins and other receptacles not in use must be properly disposed of or kept away from the reach of unauthorised persons.

“Do not allow unknown persons to drop or abandon bags, boxes, fruit barrows or trolleys, articles of trade, cartons or any wrapped or sealed containers around your premises. Legitimate sellers of chemicals such as fertilizer, ammonia products, acid, etc should be wary of persons they sell such products to. All suspicious orders should be immediately reported to the security agencies.

“Always check your surroundings for suspicious, unexplained and dangerous objects and immediately inform the police where any such object is found. Never accept to take possession of or watch over any bag or object kept by unknown person or persons. Be vigilant at public places as objects such as bombs can be kept by unscrupulous person in unattended bags, packages, containers, cars. In the unforeseen circumstances of a bomb blast, stay away from the blast scene.

“Avoid the temptation of rushing to the scene (except your work with any of the Security or Emergency Management Agencies).

Remember, terrorist often detonate secondary explosives in order to harm innocent by standers and on-lookers. Always report suspicious person or movement with your neighbourhood to the police or other security agencies through available means of communication”.

7 Exercises That Will Transform Your Body



Exercises That Will Transform Your Body

Looking for some effective ways to transform your body? There are a few great exercises that will help you to reach your fitness goal. These exercises are easy but effective in strengthening your body along with burning unwanted calories. However, sticking to these exercises is not enough to transform your body, you should also eat healthy and get enough sleep regularly. Don’t waste your precious time doing other workouts, here are seven exercises that will help you transform your body in no time.

1. Jumping rope

 Jumping rope 

When was the last time you jumped rope? Perhaps in your childhood. Jumping rope is a cheap and easily portable exercise that you can do almost anywhere. This workout burns more calories per minute than any other workout. Get jumping for a perfect exercise and plenty of fun. One of the best things about jumping rope is that you can do it with your kids. Moreover, jumping rope is a fantastic way to fit in a highly effective cardio session when you are on the go. Simply toss your jumping rope in your carry-on and you don’t need to look for the nearest gym. So, who said jumping rope is only for kids?

 

2. Squats

 Squats 

The squat is a compound, full-body exercise that works more than one muscle group. This powerful exercise helps tone your glutes, strengthen your body and burn a lot of calories. To boost your calorie expenditure and raise your heart rate, you can try to do jump squats. Or stay in a squat hold with dumbbells in the hands to increase the resistance as well as feel the burn. Doing squats regularly is one of the best ways to transform your body as well as improve your physical health. If you sit all day at work or at home, you are at higher risk of serious disease. Why not do several squats whilst waiting for your dinner to cook, the kettle to boil, or your PC to boot up? Sometimes multitasking is a great thing! 

 

3. Pushups

 PushupsUnfortunately, many people avoid doing pushups since this exercise is a bit harder to perform, but it can do wonders for your body. There are plenty of different pushups that work the different muscles in the shoulders and arms. Try to vary your pushup style to lower your risk of becoming bored with exercise. Not only do pushups work the upper body, but also work the core. Do pushups a few days a week to help sculpt the arms and overall transform the body. Plus, pushups are good for your heart and cardiovascular health and this exercise helps to improve your posture. Just make sure you do them correctly – learn to do pushups with your back straight to reduce back pain and avoid straining your back.

 

4. Lunges

 Lunges 

To tone the muscles in your legs try doing lunges. Lunges give you such amazing results because they isolate every leg individually, helping transform your body. To add some cardio and boost the intensity, do some jump lunges. I suggest you to do 3 sets of 10 lunges a day for the best results. Since lunges are a very effective workout for strengthening, sculpting and building a few muscle groups, why not do them every day? Even if you have a super busy schedule, you can still find time to do several lunges. Stop making excuses and start exercising to transform your body today. 

 

5. Swimming

 Swimming 

The great news for all lovers of swimming and for those who are trying to transform their bodies – swimming is a super effective workout that will bring you astonishing results. Swimming helps strengthen your core and work different muscle groups. Swimming boasts numerous health benefits. It helps to reduce your blood pressure, strengthen your heart and improve your aerobic capacity. Plus, swimming is a wonderful way for your family to get moving and have plenty of fun together. Though, this exercise is not as portable as jumping rope. 

 

6. Running

 Running 

There are many benefits of running. It helps to relieve stress, improve your heart health, reduce the risk of depression, burn mega calories and improve your overall health. Running can actually transform the body like nothing else. It builds strong, toned legs and makes them look thinner. I enjoy running, especially early in the morning, and I think it’s one of the best exercises to do every day. I always feel a great sense of accomplishment after my run. If you don’t feel like running, try jogging. Not only does jogging help to burn calories, it also helps to improve your overall health. 

 

7. Cycling

 Cycling

A cycling workout is a foolproof way to get a great sweat and work your legs. Cycling is a wonderful exercise since you can push yourself at a higher intensity. It strengthens your legs, arms and back, encourages your heart to work more efficiently and aids in weight loss. Cycling is also one of the easiest ways to fit exercise into your everyday routine since it’s a great means of transportation. It gets you fit, saves you money, and is good for your health. Bring along your significant other or friend, or cycle solo, and ensure you get the most out of your workout.
So there you have it! The list of the most effective exercises that will definitely help you transform your body. Just make sure you do them on a regular basis to see the best results. What’s your favorite exercise?