| I Killed My Wife For Daring To Laugh At Me - Man Confesses | Mr Olumide's Blog Posted: 28 Jul 2017 03:55 AM PDT For daring to continuous laugh at him, a man has confessed to killing his wife. The said man confessed a witness. The murdered woman has been identified by FBI officials as 39-year-old Kristy Manzanares from Utah. Kristy was murdered on Tuesday in a sad case of domestic violence. The incident happened aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Alaska.
According to Fox13now.com Kenneth Manzanares, the victim's husband was arrested and charged with murder.
An FBI agent revealed that a witness entered the couple's cabin and found Kenneth Manzanares with blood on his hands and clothing.
"She would not stop laughing at me," Kenneth Manzanares told the witness, according to a search warrant affidavit. The couple have three children together.
Kenneth was caught as he was trying to drag his wife's body to the balcony before he was stopped by a witness. "My life is over," Kenneth Manzanares spontaneously told investigators as he was being searched for physical evidence, according to the affidavit. "He was very worked up, he said, 'Everyone, we need all medical, security, all personnel to deck 9 and deck 14', and that scared me because I'm on deck 14," recounted Megan Morr, a passenger on the Emerald Princess. According to KSTU, passengers say they heard two men and a woman fighting on their balcony, an argument they say then continued on in the hallway. "People were running through the hall with blood all over them and trying to get security," Morr said. Passengers say they didn't know the 39-year-old Utah woman was dead in a room. All they saw was a man trying to jump off the ship. "They were on deck 7 and he tried to run up to deck 9 to jump off the ship, but security grabbed him before he could jump," Morr said.  culled from MPNB Mr Olumide's Blog |
| Horrific moment man brutally kills ''cheating wife' in the street and no one helps her | Mr Olumide's Blog Posted: 28 Jul 2017 03:55 AM PDT A man suspected who suspected his wife was having an affair,attacked he in the streets by using a knife to slash her neck repeatedly. According to the video posted on Live Leak, Lian Tong who tried to run,eventually succumbed as he kept stabbing her, then he ran away. There were so many witnesses around who just watched but some women can be seen frantically making phone calls(probably to the police) However,he noticed she was still moving, and returned to stabbed several times in a row, ensuring she was dead. He has been arrested .  culled from MPNB Mr Olumide's Blog |
| Photos Of Nigeria's Indigenous Armoured Vehicles Posted: 28 Jul 2017 03:32 AM PDT Nice job by Proforce Ltd.. The firm was incorporated in 2008 as a total defence solution provider specialized in armoured vehicles manufacturing and personal protection. The company's focus is on the delivery of confidence in protective mobility. They have developed a vibrant market for security and mobile protective products within Nigeria and Africa. More photos below: PROFORCE exploits deep technical know-how to deliver outstanding security solutions.
 culled from Olu famous Mr Olumide's Blog |
| ''2nd Time is a charm''- 9ice' ex-wife Toni Payne hints at being engaged after finding true love | Mr Olumide's Blog Posted: 28 Jul 2017 03:20 AM PDT 9ice's ex-wife,Toni Payne seems to have found love again and is probably engaged.The mother of one took to Twitter to gush about finding true ;love despite her f ailed marriage to the Nigerian musician. She also said the second time is the charm and said the first one feels like turmoil with constant emotional ups and downs.  culled from MPNB Mr Olumide's Blog |
| Dabota Lawson goes swimming with her daughter | Mr Olumide's Blog Posted: 28 Jul 2017 02:50 AM PDT
Ex-beauty queen,Dabota Lawson has made sure her daughter's face is concealed from the public.The beauty entrepreneur shared this cute photo in a swimsuit as they spent some time at their home pool.  culled from MPNB Mr Olumide's Blog |
| Amazon CEO Jeff Bridges dethroned by Bill Gates hours after becoming World's Richest Person | Mr Olumide's Blog Posted: 28 Jul 2017 02:50 AM PDT Hours after surpassing Microsoft founder, Bill Gates to become the world's richest man , Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has lost the title again. He became the richest man in the world on Thursday morning after making $1.5 billion overnight,thanks to a surge in amazon shares which grew his fortune to over $90 billion. He lost the title later in the day when Amazon's stock dropped, returning him to second place, with a net worth just below $90 billion. Bill Gates is back to being the world's richest man. Bill Gates has been top on the list for 18 out of the 23 years the Forbes Richest list was initiated.  culled from MPNB Mr Olumide's Blog |
| 4 Questions Pastors Should Ask Their Congregants Posted: 28 Jul 2017 02:27 AM PDT I'm confident most church members never analyze why they feel the way they do about their pastors, either positively or negatively. But I always wanted to know what was going on with them. For 42 years I pastored six churches, as well as serving on the staff of another church for three years. During those times, four areas used to concern me, to bug me actually, about our people. Whenever I would mention them to my ministry colleagues, most shrugged and said, "Not me. I don't want to know that." 1. Why are you leaving?No matter how large or successful your ministry, people will leave from time to time and join a church down the highway. I wondered why. Pastor Ross Rhoads led one of the largest churches in Charlotte, NC at the time, easily twice the size of First Baptist Church where I was serving. But we had a lot in common–age, experience, demanding schedules (preaching four services each Sunday!), and such–and enjoyed a friendship. That particular day, for some reason we began talking about people who leave our church to join another in the area. I said, "I know we can't pick up the phone and call them and say, 'Why did you join that other church? Did we let you down in some way?' But I'd like to know. We could learn a lot by knowing why people leave." "Not me," said my distinguished colleague. "I don't want to know." He laughed and added, "I can't handle it." (An interesting admission from perhaps the most admired pastor in town.) I know that feeling, of course. Ask any pastor. It feels like a rebuke when members leave your church for another in the same community. And no one in his right mind goes around seeking rebukes and asking unhappy people to dump on us. And, I suppose that's how it would feel to most pastors to want this information. So, even though I rarely got it, I wanted to know why they left. 2. Why are you unhappy? The question assumes that some in the church will be unhappy with the preacher. Sad to say, that's almost always the case. Since our church doors are open to "whosoever will," there is no requirement of maturity or wisdom or Christlikeness from our congregation. So, a certain contingent in every church seems to be forever unhappy with something going on or someone in leadership. (Note to the leadership: If you cannot handle some people in the church being unhappy with the pastor, you will be forever upset. Likewise, the perfectionist pastor will become a neurotic, running around trying to please everyone. Best to accept the reality that no congregation is going to be free of those who wish the Lord would take this preacher and send them a good one!) I wanted my disgruntled members to analyze their unhappiness and tell me what they found. Perhaps the knowledge would help me. Failing that, perhaps we could help them. In my last pastorate I invited criticism. "Tell me what concerns you," I said. "Anything that bugs you, strikes you as wrong, or offends you. I'll even take anonymous notes." I wanted to know. "If we are doing something wrong, please tell me what it is. If you are unhappy with my preaching, tell me why. If something happened in the church that is a problem for you, please let me know about it." We provided several ways they could register their unhappiness. Each Sunday, we circulated a "pew register" in which everyone on a row signed in. At the end of the line they sign, there was room enough to leave a comment. They might want to send a note in the mail. Or, they could write a note and hand it to an usher or deacon. The day I started this, Mike Skiles–the kind of deacon chair every pastor would love to have–wondered if I knew what I was getting into. "Preacher, I don't think I'd do that! People don't mind telling you what they think! You're making trouble for yourself." I understood where he was coming from. I said, "Mike, they're going to tell someone. And I'd a lot rather it be me than their neighbors or family members." Furthermore, I thought it might help people to be asked to analyze why they were unhappy. They might learn something helpful about themselves. I wish I could report some great blessings or discoveries from this, but 20 years later, none come to mind. The church was becoming healthier, however, after recovering from a split 18 months before I arrived. This might have been a small factor. 3. How am I doing? I'd been at the First Baptist Church of Columbus, MS for four or five years and felt that things were going well. We had a full staff of ministers, the church was growing, and I had reached the point where the uneasiness inside me said I needed to do something for personal growth. But I didn't know what. So, I asked the deacons to do something risky. "I want you to evaluate me." We had to discuss what that meant and how they would do it. There was no manual on this subject and they had no history of such a thing. This church was (and still is) used to long pastorates. My two predecessors stayed a quarter-century each. The congregation was stable and the demands they made on their pastor were not unusual nor burdensome. But even though they would have allowed me to settle in and grow comfortable, I didn't want to become stale. So, I asked for the evaluation–and got more than I bargained for. For reasons long forgotten, the deacons decided to go all out. They went through the church rolls and picked out every seventh name and made personal visits into their homes. They compiled a questionnaire of three pages, in which members were asked to rate the preacher on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the best). A typical question asked: Do you feel the pastor relates well to the church as a whole? (a blank followed each one) Children? Youth? College students? Young adults? Mature adults? Elderly? Another question asked: "Have you been to a funeral conducted by the pastor? If yes, what was your opinion of the way in which it was conducted?" Four lines were left for the member to write their answers. Obviously, this was a major task the deacons took upon themselves. Compiling the results was a huge job. Then, at the completion, the leadership made transparencies of the results and displayed them on a screen before all the deacons and me. This was the first I'd seen of the results. And, the result was excellent. There was no problem to cause me concern. (Which is probably the reason I remember it so well! Had the report been negative, I might not have been so quick to recommend it to my friends.) 4. What would it take for you to decide to leave this church? Over the years, I asked this question of our membership from time to time. The reason was simple. Many people abandon a church for the flimsiest of reasons. I've known them to leave because they didn't like the new pastor's style. They left because the preacher didn't visit their mama in the hospital. He said something from the pulpit that offended them. He failed to attend their daughter's senior recital. They taught Sunday School for years and were not appreciated sufficiently. The new pastor made some changes which they disliked. The church moved a Sunday School class to a new room. The old Sunday School teacher died and a new one came. The new pastor doesn't wear a necktie. The church installed a drum set. Or screens on the wall. Or disbanded the choir. On and on and on. You think people would not leave a church for such silly reasons. But they do. So, even though I'm not asking them to tell me what answers they come up with, it would do most people a world of good to ask themselves this question and try to answer it: "What would have to happen to get me out of this church?" [written by Joe McKeever]  culled from Olu famous Mr Olumide's Blog |
| Meet Jeff Bezos, The New World's Richest Man Posted: 28 Jul 2017 01:32 AM PDT Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has overtaken Bill Gates and is now the richest person in the world, with a fortune topping $90 billion for the first time ever. When markets opened on Thursday, Bezos had a net worth of $90.6b, putting him $500m ahead of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Amazon stock opened up 1.6% on Thursday, adding $1.4b to Bezos' net worth. That was enough to put him ahead of Gates, who was last surpassed on Forbes' real-time rankings for just two days nearly a year ago by Spanish retail giant Amancio Ortega. Forbes started tracking billionaires around the globe in 1987. Bezos is now the seventh person to hold the title of the world's richest person and the third American to top the global ranks besides Gates and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett. While Gates and Buffett both appeared on Forbes' first ranking of America's 400 Richest people in 1982, Bezos is a newer addition to Forbes' wealth rankings. He first appeared on the Forbes 400 in 1998, a year after Amazon went public, with a $1.6 billion fortune. Bezos ranked third richest in the world on Forbes 2017 list of the World's Billionaires, published in March, with a fortune of $72.8 billion. Bezos would be nowhere close to being the world's wealthiest person had Gates not given so much of his fortune to philanthropy. Gates, who created the Giving Pledge with Buffett to encourage billionaires to give at least half of their wealth to charitable causes, had given away $32.9 billion over the course of his lifetime through end of 2016. Forbes estimates that Bezos, who has not signed the pledge, had given approximately $100 million to charity through the end of 2015. In June, Bezos tweeted out a request for ideas for his philanthropy, garnering thousands of responses. Bezos attended Princeton and then worked at a hedge fund before starting his online bookseller in a garage in Seattle in 1994. Amazon has since grown into an online retail behemoth selling a wide range of products. It also offers cloud services through its Amazon Web Services division, known as AWS. Outside of his day job, Jeff Bezos owns aerospace company Blue Origin and the Washington Post. Gates fortune is built on software firm Microsoft, which he founded in 1975 with his friend Paul Allen. Gates has sold off much of his Microsoft stake but still owns about 2% of the company's shares, worth about $12.4 billion -- just under 14% of his fortune. His investment firm Cascade Investments has ploughed Gates' money into a wide variety of assets, including public stocks, real estate, private equity and venture capital. Gates owns stakes in companies as diverse as Canadian National Railway, hygiene technologies firm Ecolab and Mexican Coke bottler Femsa.
 culled from Olu famous Mr Olumide's Blog |
| A Prayer To Know God's Will For Your Life Posted: 28 Jul 2017 12:32 AM PDT For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11. Whenever I want something so badly that I can't trust my own heart, I ask God for a Brick Wall. We tend to seek God's will in a way that implies we need to take action, but what if it's inaction that puts us on the path God asks of us? Not all decisions are black or white, good or bad. Sometimes something that appears good can be placed in front of us, but not all good things are part of God's plan for our lives.
Let me be clear, there is no "magic prayer" that can keep us from making the wrong decision. I would also like to clarify that this is something that helps me when I am faced with a decision and my own desires are preventing me from thinking clearly or even caring if what I want is in God's plan for me.
God knows what he's doing. Sometimes I forget, but he has a plan. I struggle with figuring out what that plan is most of the time, but one step I will never leave out is the Brick Wall Prayer. God knows my heart. He knows what I desire. He wouldn't withhold something out of spite. He has plans to "prosper [me] and not to harm [me], to give [me] a hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). I challenge you to take this prayer, mold it to fit your own life, and see how it changes your perspective.
The Brick Wall Prayer:
God, you know me better than I know myself. You know my fears and my desires. You know how much I want this. You know how much I will be devastated if this doesn't happen. I know you love me. I know you have a plan for me. Please, Lord, don't let my desires blind me to your will. If this is not within your plan for me, throw up a Brick Wall. Give me an obstacle I cannot get past. Help me follow your will, Father. Give me peace about whatever is to come. If this falls through, I will know it is your hand.
Thank you Father for loving me, Amen.
[written by Rachel-Claire Cockrell]
 culled from Olu famous Mr Olumide's Blog |
| Revenue sharing formula unconstitutional – Senate Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:52 PM PDT  • As bill to cut EFCC powers scales through
By Christiana Ekpa and Ikechukwu Okaforadi Senate yesterday declared the nation's revenue sharing formula unconstitutional, urging the Federal Government to table the proposed revenue sharing formula before the National Assembly for deliberation and passage into law.
The Senate equally directed the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission to review the present revenue allocation formula to reflect the present and changing economic realities of the country.
It also urged the commission to discharge its constitutional duties and functions.
This is just as it passed the Bill establishing the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Agency (NFIA) as an independent agency, which has shrunk the powers of the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.
Senate action followed a motion moved by Sen. Adamu Aliero (APC-Kebbi) on "The Need for Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission to discharge its Constitutional Functions under paragraph 32 of the Third Schedule to the Constitution" duringThursday's plenary.
He said the pursuant to paragraph 32 of the Third Schedule of the Constitution, the Commission was established to among other things review from time to time the revenue allocation formula and principles in operation.
"This is to ensure conformity with changing realities provided that any revenue formula which has been accepted by an Act of National Assembly shall remain in force for a period of not less than five years from the date of the commencement of the Act."
He said the present Revenue Allocation Formula had been in operation before the commencement of this democratic dispensation in 1999.
"It is close to about 20 years since the present democratic dispensation didn't have a revenue allocation formula that has been approved by the National Assembly.
"The present formula came about in 1998. And every revenue formula is supposed to be reviewed after every five years," Aliero said.
The lawmaker further said there was no extant Act of the National Assembly accepting the present Revenue Allocation Formula which meant the formula in use presently was unconstitutional.
"The constitution does not contemplate that a particular revenue formula is to be in force for eternity, in fact the constitution requires the formula to be reviewed every five years.
"The current formula is blind to present and changing economic realities and unjustifiably skewed in favour of the Federal Government."
He said that most of the states were under the bailout of the Federal Government which runs into billions of Naira.
Aliero added that as a result of the bailout, most of the States were deeply indebted and the fear was that successive State Governments were going to inherit huge and insurmountable debts.
He said unless the present formula was reviewed in favour of the States and Local Governments, real growth and development would continue to elude this great country.
Seconding the motion, Sen. Matthew Urhoghide (PDP-Edo) acknowledged that the sharing formula must be reviewed.
According to him, the sharing of revenue from the Federation Account to a very large extent has been bedeviled because states and local governments have become very lazy to look for other sources of revenue.
"The sharing formula must be such that it is able to stimulate the zeal that the states and local government require to be able to generate their own funds," he said"
The resolutions of the motion were unanimously adopted by the lawmakers when put to a Voice Vote by the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki.
On the EFCC powers, recall that the NFIA was under the EFCC, but the passage of the Bill has made the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) autonomous from EFCC.
This will pave the way for Nigeria's re-admittance into the EGMONT Financial Intelligence Units Group, from which she was suspended earlier this month.
Recall that Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), a unit within the EFCC, has been representing Nigeria in the Egmont Group since 2007.
But the chairman of the Senate committee on Anti Corruption, Chukwuka Utazi, had brought a motion informing the senate that Nigeria has been suspended by the Egmont Group, urging the lawmakers to split the Unit from EFCC to ensure that Nigeria is re-admitted into Egmont Group.
He said the group had insisted that Nigeria's continued membership is dependent on autonomy of the NFIU from the interference of the EFCC boss.
Speaking on the need for the federal government to reverse the suspension, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekwerenmadu, said the issue with the suspension is where the agency should be domiciled.
Rising from the above situation, the Senate yesterday passed the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Agency Bill as a central body in Nigeria responsible for receiving, requesting, analysing and disseminating financial intelligence reports and other information to law enforcement agencies.
This was sequel to the consideration of the report of the Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes presented to the Senate by its chairman, Sen. Chukwuka Utazi, during plenary.
The Bill which was only read for the first time on Thursday July 20 passed second reading on Tuesday and was approved by the upper legislative chamber on Thursday, exactly one week after.
The Egmont Group is a network of national financial intelligence units and the highest inter-governmental association of intelligence agencies in the world, with 154 member countries including Britain and the U.S.
With the passage of the Bill, the NFIA would now be domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and also report to the National Assembly. from peoples daily |
| Lake Chad: NNPC suspends operation temporarily Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:47 PM PDT  •As ASUU confirms death of 5 UNIMAID staff
From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri Following attacks by the Boko Haram on officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, soldiers as well as other civilians in the Lake Chad Basin, the Federal Government has announced a temporary suspension of oil exploration in the region.
Tuesday's attack on oil workers by the Boko Haram insurgents near Jibi Village in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State, led to the death of several persons.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, stated government position yesterday, saying that Nigeria would only resume its search for oil in the Lake Chad Basin when it gets security clearance.
He also said that oil exploration was ongoing in Borno despite Boko Haram attacks, because of security assurance from the military.
Kachikwu told journalists in Abuja, that the attack on oil workers by the insurgents was a major setback to Nigeria's quest for oil in the northern part of the country.
According to the minister, the Federal Government would release the details of those who lost their lives during the attack as soon as collation which is ongoing is completed.
He condoled the families of the victims of the Boko Haram attack.
Recall that the NNPC had given the names of members of the exploration crew attacked to consist of staff of the Geology Department of the University of Maiduguri hired as sub-contractors to two NNPC subsidiaries: the Integrated Data Services Limited, IDSL and Frontiers Exploration Services, FES.
Meanwhile, the Borno chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has confirmed that five members of staff of the University ofMaiduguri, (Unimaid) comprising Mr. IdrisAbubakar Njodi, younger brother to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, were among those killed by the Boko Haram insurgent in the Tuesday deadly attack on oil exploration team in Borno state.
Our correspondent gathered that, already, the funeral prayers of late Idris Njodi was held around 10.30 at the University's central Mosque.
Similarly, it was gathered that the 30 corpses, which were discovered from the scene, were conveyed to Maiduguri in two army ambulances and four pick-up vans.
The corpses were deposited at the morgue of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).
Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU), Unimaid chapter, Dr. Dani Mamman, confirmed this to newsmen, saying four other staff involved in the attack were still missing.
According to Dr. Mamman, two of the slain persons were academic staff in the department of geology; two were technicians, while the other was a driver.
He said a statement issued by the military that all the abductees were rescued was misleading, saying they ought to have made it clear that they recovered dead bodies of the victims.
"When the military declared that all the kidnapped persons were rescued, anxiety and happiness pervaded us, thinking that they are alive. However, to our dismay, rather than seeing our staff alive, the military deposited their corpses", he cried.
He urged the security agents to intensify efforts towards rescuing the missing. from peoples daily |
| Northern govs, monarchs debate restructuring in Kaduna Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:47 PM PDT  From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna
19 Northern States Governors Forum and traditional rulers from the region yesterday met in Kaduna to discuss the position of those calling for restructuring of the country and those agitating for freedom.
Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the 19 Northern Governors, Kashim Shettima , who is also the governor of Borno state said as northern political and traditional leaders they cannot ignore such political landscape happening to the detriment of the wellbeing of the people and development of the region."
The chairman represented by Katsina Governor Aminu Masari said no doubt Nigerians have constitutional rights to express their views on issues, noted that what the country has witnessed in the last few months was all manner of political agitations, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous.
"While some arguably more moderate and mature voices have advocated for the scrapping of the 1999 Constitution and a return to the 1963 Republican Constitution with its own emphasis on regionalism, others have called for the practice of "true" or "fiscal" federalism.
"Yet another group is aggressively seeking to commit the nation to adopt the Report of the 2014 Constitutional Conference as the authoritative basis for discussing restructuring, while at the extreme end of the scale, we have the champions of a separatist agenda who are hell-bent on balkanizing the country.
"It is common knowledge that following the recent upsurge in the clamor for restructuring and even secession, the Acting President held a series of meetings with all stakeholders from all sections of the country. He has at other occasions also pledged that the Federal Government was looking into the matter with a view to coming up with a position.
"The ruling party, the All Peoples' Congress to which 17 of the 19 Northern States Governors belong, has also since constituted a committee to handle the issue. I have no doubt in my mind that the combined effect of these efforts have to a reasonable extent defused tension and calmed frayed nerves across the country.
"It is also my expectation that at the end of this meeting today and, God willing, tomorrow's meeting of the Governors, the Forum and our esteemed royal fathers will adopt a consensus position on restructuring of the country that will be reflective of the general overall interest of the people of Northern Nigeria and which will attract popular acceptance, " he said.
Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai said, the contemporary needs of the people require to explore collaborations, common approaches and best practice to rid the region of the fetters that hold it back.
" I wish to propose that we discuss and outline our views on the question of the constitutional arrangements of this country. We should point the way forward with specific proposals that strengthen our country while devolving powers to the states and local governments, " he said.
On his part, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, called on the northern governors to work on their implementation strategies as that is the only way to move forward.
"During our last meeting 6 months ago, we spent a lot of time and so many things were discussed. But from the earlier discussion, is the North much better? If yes, it means we are making progress, and if No, why?
"All that has been the problem is to implement decisions taken at such meeting by everybody. Therefore, I think we are not short of solutions or further recommendations to all our problems, but what we are short of is sincerity, commitment to really do what we say publicly and openly . I think if we don't change, our situation will continue to get worse.
"I think at this meeting, we need to discuss what came out of the January meeting, how far we have gone in trying to implement some of the decisions we have taken and chart the way forward.
"I will like to also once more remind us, so many of us who are also religious leaders , to be careful with their utterances against inciting and ambiguous words on issues.
"What we do or how we go about some of these issues , I think it is important for us as leaders to watch our words . you don't make ambiguous statement which will be very difficult to withdraw, because the social media is so negative now that people formulate stories , that never existed and polish it to be true, "he said from peoples daily |
| Senate probes harassment of Nigerians in Bakassi Peninsula Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:47 PM PDT  By Christiana Ekpa
The senate has vowed to investigate the recent harassment of Bakassi indigenes in Cameroon which led to the death of some Nigerians and their mass return.
The Upper Chamber equally directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to immediately submit the Green Tree Agreement entered into by Nigeria and Cameroon on June 12, 2006 for ratification.
The Upper Chamber further called on the Cameroonian Government to respect the provisions of the agreement entered into with Nigeria on the ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula.
This followed a six-point motion by Sen. Rose Oko(PDP-Cross River) and co-sponsored by five other lawmakers.
The senate also called on the executive arm of government to come up with a clear policy on the protection of indigenes in the Diaspora, including Cameroon.
While condemning activities of the Cameroonian gendarmes against Nigerians in the Bakassi Peninsula, the senate further called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to immediately send relief to returnees.
Presenting the motion, Sen. Oko, said the Bakassi indigenes of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States had resided in the geographic area known as the Bakassi Peninsula for generations.
She added that following agreements and treaties from 1885 between Britain, Germany and France over the boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon and actions between the two governments, the ownership of the Bakassi Peninsula became contentious.
According to her, Cameroon on March 29, 1994, took the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and on Oct. 10, 2002, the court ruled in favour of Cameroon.
She stressed that following the judgment, the two countries signed the Green Tree Agreement with several provisions that would not affect Nigeria negatively.
"The Green Tree Agreement provided that Cameroon would not force Nigerian nationals living in Bakassi Peninsula from peoples daily |
| Constitution amendment: Reps sack SIEC, states/ LG joint account Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:47 PM PDT  By Musa Adamu
The House of Representatives yesterday voted overwhelmingly to delete State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) from the Constitution, effectively making the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the only body recognised by law to conduct elections.
Voting to confirm or reject the report of the Committee on the amendment of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the House also voted 286 to 10, abolished the vexed issue of State/Local Government joint account.
The House, which voted on 32 proposed Bills up for amendment, also granted autonomy to the State Houses of Assembly, approved Independent Candidacy and voted to strip power of the President to assent to amendments.
Other Bills that got thump up of the lawmakers are Legislative Autonomy, Separations of the office of the Minister of Justice from Attorney General, Accountant General of the federal government from the Accountant General of the Federation.
The House also reduced the length of time within which the Federal Government may spend money before appropriation from six months to three months, stripped the President Powers to appoint Auditor General of the Federation and rejected the proposal to create more state and adjust boundary.
The Not-To-Young-Run Bill also scaled through as well as the 35% affirmative action for women as ministers, members of the Council of states to include former Senate President and House of Reps Speakers as members and devolution to states.
The Bills to make the appointment of a minister from the FCT in place of minister of the FCT, however, did not make it inspite of spirited efforts by its promoters. from peoples daily |
| Errr.....See this father & son shoot | Mr Olumide's Blog Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:45 PM PDT Something isn't right here and it has nothing to do with the cute little boy!  culled from MPNB Mr Olumide's Blog |
| FG, Kano govt to end marginalization of disabled students Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:37 PM PDT  From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
The Federal Government in collaboration with the Kano State Government have moved against discrimination of students with disabilities.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 62nd National Council on Education (NCE) meeting held at Affiscent in Kano State yesterday, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Alhaji Husaini Adamu said the meeting was to evolve an approach to that would remove barriers that prevents pupils' full access to education.
According to Adamu, the theme of this year's meeting titled "inclusive education; creating quality learning opportunity for all; implication for currency in education in Nigeria " was aimed at addressing the marginalization of students with disabilities from those without disabilities.
He added that the programme advocates the development and design of schools, classrooms, programmes and activities that foster all students learning together.
Earlier in his remarks, Deputy Governor of Kano State, Professor Hafiz Abubakar said the state government had developed a draft policy document on inclusive education, adding that it was gradually creating enabling environment that ensures every child has access to education.
Abubakar, represented by Special Adviser on Education, Dr. Bakare Ado Hussain said the policy of inclusiveness complimented all other existing policies. from peoples daily |
| Minister commends IPCR on peace promotion, conflict resolution Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:37 PM PDT By Ochiaka Ugwu The Minister of Foreign Affair, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama has commended Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) for being in the forefront of promoting peace and effecting proper conflict resolution mechanism.
Mr. Onyeama who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye said this during his remarks at the 5th International Africa Peace and Conflict Resolution Conference hosted by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) in collaboration with Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution (CAPCR) in Abuja.
The theme of the two-day conference is "Restorative and community justice: challenges, lessons and prospects".
Speaking also, former Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari while calling for the review of the Nigeria's judicial system to ensure sustainable peace and stability, stressed the need for us to follow early warning with early action mechanism as a means to curtail violent conflicts.
Gambari said that the importance of restorative justice and community-based systems for social accountability and response to criminal or violent conflicts could not be relegated to background.
On his own, Director-General of IPCR, Prof. Oshita Oshita informed that, "as an important part of peace building process, restorative justice focuses on healing building and rebuilding for both offenders and victims. from peoples daily |
| 12 states yet to access 2015 UBE Fund -Minister Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:37 PM PDT From Mustapha Adamu, Kano The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu has revealed that twelve states of Nigeria have not accessed the Universal Basic Education (UBE) fund for 2015.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the ministerial session of the 62nd National Council on Education (NCE) in Kano yesterday, Adamu wondered why the state governments of the federation failed to apply for the fund in order to develop basic education.
According to him, only less than half of the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory accessed the UBE fund for 2016.
He attributed the poor implementation of basic education in the country to failure of the state governments in the country to access the fund. from peoples daily |
| Kebbi emerges Africa rice capital Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:37 PM PDT From Ahmed Idris Birnin Kebbi The West Africa Rice Farmer Associations has applauded the Kebbi state governor for providing enabling environment for rice farmers in the state, Nigeria and West Africa as a all.
Briefing newsmen shortly after paying a courtesy call to the kebbi state governor yesterday, the Team Leader who is from Benin Republic Mr. Pascal Branme said that they are in kebbi state on a study tour with high confidence about the capability of Nigerian to attaining food security.
Mr. Pascal stated further that the progress made so far on rice production as made an impact on the people most especially the teaming youth.
Members of the team were from Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Benin and Niger Republic while the team described Kebbi State as the "RICE CAPITAL OF AFRICA".
"With what kebbi state is producing now we have named it as the capital of all West Africa rice producing state, we satisfied with what we saw" he added.
In his response, the Kebbi State Governor who was represented by the Hon. Commissioner of Agriculture Alhaji Garba Dandiga expressed delight about the visit, assuring that Kebbi state was always willing to assist other African Countries to learn more about rice cultivation. from peoples daily |
| Osinbajo commissions N1.5bn Indorama fertilizer plant in P/Harcourt Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:37 PM PDT By Lawrence Olaoye Acting President Yemi Osinbajo will today inaugurate a new world-class fertilizer plant built by Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to a statement made available to newsmen by his spokesman, Laolu Akande, the plant with production capacity for 1.5 million Metric Tons of Urea fertilizer is considered the world's largest single-train Urea plant.
Eleme Petrochemicals Company Ltd, now Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited was privatized in 2006 after the sale of Federal Government's 75 percent shares to a core investor through a competitive bidding process.
The Plant has a production capacity of 4000 metric tons (MT) of nitrogenous fertilizer per day or 1.5 MT per annum and was built with an investment of USD 1.5 billion.
The fertilizer plant is supported by a Port Terminal at the nearby Onne Port Complex, and a Gas Pipeline of 83.5KM for gas supply.
The plant will bring about a green revolution in the agriculture sector not only in Nigeria but also in other parts of Africa and beyond, in line with the economic diversification of the Buhari administration.
Besides making fertilizer available to farmers nationwide at affordable cost, the plant will also boost crop yield for farmers and help in minimizing the food grain deficit in Nigeria. from peoples daily |
| Buhari rebounds, what next jackals, hyenas? Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:37 PM PDT  Villascope with Lawrence Olaoye
e-mail: lawrenceolaoye8@gmail.com | Text: 08036236703 (SMS only) Pictures don't lie. Recent pictures of President Muhammadu Buhari with governors have confirmed that he is fast recuperating. To some, this is answered prayers. To others, including those hyenas and jackals in the corridor of power, it is a nightmare.
Though those who are supposed to know have consistently maintained that the President, who left the shores of the country since the 7th of May for medical attention in London, the United Kingdom, is responding to treatment, doubting Thomases in the political circles have not only refused to believe, but have laboured hard to convince Nigerians to believe otherwise.
With all pictorial evidences indicating that the President may have fully recovered, some die hard pessimist, who have taken opposition politics to the realm of satanism, still argued that those pictures depicting governors sitting around Buhari were cloned! One of Buhari's critics, who is also a governor of a state in the South West, took humor to the highest level by claiming that the picture released showing the President with the governors was taken on Sallah day, when Buhari was not even in the country.
Nothing seems to convince those who had already made up their minds that the President will not survive his ailment. Even when the Acting President visited his boss in London and came to inform Nigerians that Buhari was making tremendous progress, doubters said he never met him. They challenged Osinbajo to provide pictorial or video evidence.
When the first set of governors led by the Chairman of the APC Governors Forum (APCGF), who is also the governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, visited the President last Sunday, doubters said it was an arrangement with his core loyalists and stakeholders in the ruling party who will likely not tell Nigerians about the true state of their President's health. The Sunday team consisted of the National Chairman of the APC, John Odigie-Oyegun, Minister for Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, Nasarawa state governor, Tanko Al-Makura, Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello and his Kaduna state counterpart, Nasirel-Rufai.
On Monday, the President wrote to thank the Chairman of the African Union and President of Guinea, Alpha Conde, for the nationwide prayers held last week by Guineans for his recovery and good health.
According to a statement made available to newsmen by his Special Adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari in the letter dated July 24th also expressed his readiness to lead the "2018 AU Theme on the Fight against Corruption" as nominated by his fellow African leaders at the 29th Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on July 4, 2017.
Buhari's nomination to lead the AU theme on fight against corruption is an indication that the international community has come to terms with the reality that the President has indeed recovered. But his traducers at home would not have none of that as they insisted that he is on life support.
In an obvious attempt to prove that the President is hale and hearty, another set of governors, led by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Zamfara state governor, Abdulazeez Yari, was invited to have audience with the President in London on Wednesday.
Aboard this latest delegation were the governors of Akwa-Ibom, Emmanuel Udom and Ebonyi, Dave Umahi. Others on the seven-man delegation of the NGF included the governors of Borno, Kashim Shettima, Benue, Samuel Ortom, Kano, Abdullai Ganduje, and Oyo, Abiola Ajimobi.
On their return, the Akwa-Ibom governor testified to the good health of the President cautioning against political mischief.
Now that photo evidence abound, the narratives have changed. Critics have come up with scientific explanation for Buhari's rebound. They have insisted that the President, whom they claimed has been on life-support machine since June, had been induced by steroids. According to them, he will return to his 'original vegetable state' immediately after the celebrated meetings with the governors. Ha ha! How can one please these pessimists?
Now that Nigerians are sure that Buhari is ok and earnestly waiting for his return, those hyenas and jackals waiting for the Lion King to pack-up before they feast on his carcass will have to communicate with their feet.
Those politicians who have been making moves to undermine the President's authority while he was away must begin to fine tune their strategies and await the consequences of their actions.
Those who have engaged themselves in intensive lobby to take the President's job either now or in time to come must have to come to the reality of the impending homecoming of the anti-corruption crusader. Those who had betrayed the trust of Baba Maigaskiya by their words and action while he was away would have to find refuge because their day of judgement is fast approaching. from peoples daily |
| Floods destroy 60, 000 fish farms in Delta Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:37 PM PDT  From Osakhare Erese, Asaba
Flood menace which has continued to wreak havoc across Delta State, has destroyed no fewer than 60, 000 fish farms in Awai Camp 74, Ugbolu and Illah communities in the state.
Owners of the fish farms who addressed journalists yesterday in Asaba, said they have continued to count huge loss after they have lost their fish ponds to the flood which swept across the state for three days and destroyed their ponds including fish worth millions of naira.
The spokesman for the fish farmers, Mr. Ajiro Akporerie explained that last year 2016 rainfall in a similar way destroyed their fish ponds; a situation they have hardly recovered when another unexpected happened.
While appealing to public spirit bodies, individuals and the state government to come to their aid, Mr. Akporerie lamented that many of them took loans to set up their fish ponds, disclosing their creditors may not wish to understand their predicaments.
"Many of us took loans for the fish ponds, our fish are destroyed, ponds are taken over by flood where are we starting from?"
Expectedly, the heavily down pour of three days back culminated in the overflow of the River Niger into the Awai Camp 74 fish pond. Investigation revealed that the failure of the state government to channel all flood water from Okpanam road, other parts of Asaba and its environs into the Awai River, may have resulted in the destruction emanating from the flood menace.
Victims who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity said: "This flood has finished us, we were just recovering from last year 2016 disaster, here is another flood sweeping away our sweat".
But in a swift reaction, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah who however, sympathized with the victims/owners of the fish farms, said the state government was compiling the loss the flood caused, adding the state government was committed to ensure comfortable lives for all Deltans.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Government has given financial assistance to the victims of rainstorm and flood disaster in the state.
Presenting the financial assistance to the victims in Asaba, the Commissioner, Bureau for Special Duties, Barr. Ernest Ogwezzy, said that the gesture was to ameliorate their plight and cushion the effect of the disaster on them.
The commissioner commended Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for his commitment to the welfare of Deltans, particularly victims of natural disaster.
He urged Deltans to sustain their support for the Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa administration as he was committed to bringing more prosperity for all Deltans as encapsulated in the SMART Agenda.
In her remarks, the Director of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mrs. Gladys Puegeren, said that Dr. Okowa is a responsive and pragmatic governor whose responsiveness has resulted to efficient and effective service delivery by SEMA.
Also following the devastating effects of flood in Delta State, especially in Asaba and its environs, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), yesterday visited the state capital for an on-the-spot assessment of the natural disaster, with a view to collaborating with the state government on how to assist victims.
The NEMA team, led by the Head of Operations in charge of Edo, Delta and Bayelsa States, Mr. Walson Brandon, was conducted round the affected areas by the Commissioner in charge of the Bureau for Special Duties, Barr. Ernest Ogwezzy. from peoples daily |
| Court sets August 7 for hearing on Melaye’s recall Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:37 PM PDT  By Paschal Njoku, Abuja
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday abridged time and consequently granted an application by the Independent National Electoral Commission seeking accelerated hearing of the suit filed by the embattled Senator representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, Dino Melaye, challenging moves to recall him.
INEC had begun the process of recalling Melaye before he filed the suit seeking to halt his removal from the senate.
Before now, Justice John Tsoho, who initially was handling the case before the court embarked on vacation on July 10, had adjourned the suit to September 29.
But in a bid to bit the 90 days time frame for recall as provided for in the Constitution, INEC brought an application before Justice Dimgba, the vacation judge, an sought for accelerated hearing.
In a brief ruling, Justice Dimgba agreed with INEC that the matter should be heard speedily and therefore granted the reliefs as prayed.
However, the court could not proceed to hear the substantive matter as well as an application by INEC seeking to vacate the interim exparte order granted by Justice Tsoho, which ordered the contending parties to maintain status quo pending the determination of the suit.
INEC is contending that the ex-parte order "as it stands on 6th day of July, 2017 is in violation of the right to fair hearing under Section 36 (1) as well as infringement of one of the constitutional duties of the defendant/applicant as conferred on it by Sections 1 and 69 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.
Besides fair hearing, the electoral body is arguing that the interim order ought not to have been made considering the nature of the claims sought in the substantive matter vis- a- vis the constitutional duty conferred on it to act within statutory time frame.
But hearing could not go on yesterday as a result of applications by two lawyers, Anthony Adeniyi and Ponsak Bigun, who sought to be joined in the legal feud as co-defendants and co-plaintiff respectively.
In view of the development, Justice Dimgba had to direct the applicants, Chief Olowo Cornelius, John Ajorin and Mallam Yusuf Adamu who are seeking to be joined as co-defendants and Michael Olowoleyemo, seeking to be joined as co-plaintiff to file all their processes before August 7, 2017.
Earlier, the vacation judge had asked Sulayman Ibrahim, counsel representing INEC, and Melaye's lawyer, Nkem Okoro to address the court on the motion praying the vacation judge to hear the matter expeditiously.
In his submission, Ibrahim prayed the court to give the summons filed by Senator Melaye accelerated hearing because the 90 days allowed for the recall process to be completed is constitutionally time bound.
Ibrahim insisted that the said 90 days is sacrosanct, and therefore urged the court to order accelerated hearing of the suit.
On his part, Okoro said that his counter affidavit and averments were not denied by the defendant.
He said that INEC who waited for three weeks before responding to Melaye's suit cannot suddenly turn round to demand that matter be treated with utmost urgency.
While Adeniyi said that his clients the petitioners: Chief Olowo Cornelius, John Ajorin and Malam Yusuf Adamu have filed their joint applicationsince 28, June 2017, Bigun said he filed Olowoleyemo's application yesterday. from peoples daily |
| NAF operationalises units in Katsina Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:37 PM PDT By Ese Awhotu The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has commissioned the 213 Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Katsina and the Quick Response Wing (QRW) Daura thus formally marking the beginning of operations in the 2 units.
A NAF statement yesterday, said that the idea behind the establishment of the new units is to extend the reach of the NAF to the Northwest Geopolitical Zone, having already made appreciable contributions in different theatres of operations across the country.
The 213 FOB is thus structured to shorten NAF's response time while extending its reach in supporting air operations to deal with threats to Nigerians.
While commissioning the new units, the Special Guest of Honour, the Executive Governor of Katsina State, Right Honourable Aminu Bello Masari, lauded the decision of the Federal Government in establishing the NAF units in Katsina.
He stated that NAF's presence in Katsina was long overdue considering its strategic importance, being a border state.
He expressed his belief that the presence of the NAF in Katsina would go a long way in complementing the efforts of the Nigerian Army troops in boosting security in the State.
He requested members of the NAF's host communities to give maximum support to the NAF. Governor Masari was also full of praises for the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who he acknowledged had done so much to reposition the NAF as one of the best air forces in Africa.
He commended the standard of buildings on the NAF bases, saying that they indicated a leader that cares for the welfare of his personnel, adding, "the other arms of the Armed Forces should emulate the NAF".
In his remarks at the occasion, the CAS stated that the 213 FOB would accommodate some platforms and specialized equipment whenever the need arises. He added that the regiment wings in Katsina and Daura, with their specially trained personnel, would provide the necessary protection for NAF personnel and equipment, in addition to responding in aid to civil authority, when called upon to do so. He then charged the NAF personnel to conduct themselves professionally and treat all citizens with respect and dignity. Air Marshal Abubakar, who seized the opportunity to announce the establishment of a Central Flying School in Katsina, also expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for creating the enabling environment for the NAF to fulfil its statutory responsibilities. Meanwhile, as part of the NAF's corporate social responsibility to its host communities, the CAS handed over a fully furnished block of 4 classrooms constructed by the NAF at Muhammadu Buhari Primary School in Daura. The CAS and his team had since returned to Abuja. from peoples daily |
| We’ll stop Boko Haram ambushes, Defence minister assures Posted: 27 Jul 2017 09:37 PM PDT By Lawrence Olaoye Minister of Defence, Gen. MonsurDan-Ali, has given the assurance that the military would do everything within its powers to stop the ambush of its men by the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents in the North east.
The military and other paramilitary agencies have recently lost some of their men in ambushes by the insurgents.
The minister gave the assurance while briefing newsmen after a closed door meeting with the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday. Also at the meeting are the service chiefs.
The minister said "We just finished a meeting with the Acting President and the three Service Chiefs. We agreed that they should move back to the Command Centre again and see what are the things happening there.
"We have also agreed that we should get more surveillance devices, cameras that will be able to see distant attackers coming to the position of our troops. So also the period of the raining season is a difficult moment for us.
We cannot dominate the environment like what we do during the dry season but effort is geared towards the regaining back our areas and we assure that all these ambushes that are happening regularly would be stopped." from peoples daily |
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