Thursday, 7 March 2013
Wednesday, 6 March 2013
2015:No hiding place for PDP–Senator Ashafa
Bareehu Olugbega Ashafa represents Lagos East Senatorial District at the Senate where he is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing, Lands and Urban Development among other Committees. He met with some newsmen in Lagos, and asserts that the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC), is a tool that will cement the unity of a project called the nation. RAZAQ BAMIDELE, brings the excerpts:
Alarm over third mainland bridgeThe alarm I raised over the frightening state of the third mainland bridge in Lagos is neither false nor with political motives to score any cheap popularity. You know the bridge is plied by people of all tribes across the globe and not Lagos residents alone. The alarm raised was as a result of a report by Professor JHT Kim, Head of the Concrete Structural Engineering Laboratory, Yousel University, Seoul, Korea, who came on a research in December 2012 and conducted an underwater examination of the structures holding the bridge and said the damages to the structure was worse than what he had been briefed.? Since disaster does not discriminate, the alarm is imperative for something to be done urgently to avoid avoidable catastrophe, which when it happens, will be too overwhelming to bear.
I believe, like any other well meaning individuals that it is better to organize than to agonize. Take for instance, if somebody had raised such an alarm before Dana Airline embarked on the ill-fated flight that ended up in disaster last year, the agony caused would have been averted. So, this warning must be heeded to forestall a repeat of the Dana episode.? However let me express appreciation to the leadership of the Senate over the prompt action taken, by setting up an investigative committee to work on the alarm, and submit its reports within two weeks because of the urgency the matter deserves.
Formation of APC
It is the best thing that has ever happened to this country in her almost 100 years of existence. By next year, this country will attain the age of 100 years. And I can assure you that this country will not break up according to the wishes of some people. And the evidence is in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
APC has been accepted by the masses of this country having realized its rescue mission mantra. In 2015, there would be no hiding place for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as it would be thrown out of office by the Nigerian people through the ballot boxes. The importance of the APC transcends electoral victory. With its formation, the unity of this country has been further cemented.” Some pessimists have been saying that Nigeria would break up by 2015 at about the age of 100 years. But going by how the APC came into existence the caliber of the members across the country in it, it is a pointer that the party has become a saving grace. I am confident that the new party would survive. It would also interest you to know that other parties, like the United Peoples Party (UPP), are also coming on board.
Ashafa and Lagos 2015
What you read in a newspaper publication was also read by me the way you read it. It still remains a rumour, and speculation, and we should allow it to remain so for now. I think it is too early for anybody to start aspiring to be anything in 2015.
2015 is more than two years away and Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), is doing a wonderful job in the state. He started where Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu stopped, and he has been a good Ambassador of this state. He needs our support and should not to be distracted. All of us have a lot of work on our hands. Why can’t we concentrate on that, and leave 2015 in the hand of God?
And to answer your question that if I am called upon to serve as governor in 2015, what would I do? Well, my simple answer is, why can’t we wait till then? When our great party reaches the bridge, it will decide how to cross it.
On my electoral promises
Whilst contesting for the office, my electoral promises were centered around a Four Cardinal Agenda, with an acronym EYES. Effective representation, Youth Empowerment, Educational Enhancement and Sustainable Agricultural Development. And I can tell you without being immodest that I have not disappointed my people and my party. On effective representation for instance, I have sponsored and co-sponsored many Bills and Motions, among which are: Income tax holiday Bill for Corporate Companies (Sponsored)?Bill on the creation of an Agency which would cater for the promotion and preservation of our local languages (Sponsored), Same Sex Marriage Bill (Co-Sponsored), Motion on the Lagos Flood (Co-sponsored) and Motion on the creation of unemployment Data and creation of job centers in the Country. (Co- sponsored).?others are Motion on the solutions to terrorism in Nigeria (Co-sponsored), Motion on the deteriorating Services of GSM operators in Nigeria (Sponsored), Bill on Treaty-Making Process (Amendment Bill), Bill on Criminal Code (Amendment Bill), Social Housing Bills (Co- sponsored) and Motion on the imminent collapse of the Third Mainland bridge, Lagos.?
On Youth Empowerment
Well, just let me mention a few items more because the list of our modest achievements in all other sub-headings is endless. A total number of 230 young men and women have benefited from the Monthly free ICT program. 27 Brand new computer sets with printers have also been awarded to participants that excelled in their final exams?. Many graduates – within and beyond the Lagos East Senatorial District – have been employed, through my influence, into some federal parastatals; like the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Civil Defense Corps and the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Prison Service, Nigeria Television Authority etc.?15 Graduates have just concluded their training in a 6 months Youth Energy Career Program._
Financial assistance to constituents across the Senatorial District to assist them to expand or create small scale businesses in order to cut down on the number of unemployed persons within our area._
There are also the purchase of phone calls gadgets, Barbing tools, Vulcanizing tools, GCE Forms for some young males and females in the Senatorial District while 20 people were assisted to get employment with Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI).
DPO, 9 others killed as Boko Haram members torch police station, bank
Barely 17 hours after the assassination of Mobile Police Training Camp, MPTC, commandant and a traditional ruler, gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect attacked the Gwoza Divisional Police Station and Mainstreet Bank, killing the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Abubakar Digire Ahamdu, his deputy; and eight civilians caught up in the crossfire on Monday.
Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State is a border town with Cameroun; and 135 kilometres south-east of Maiduguri, the state capital and epicenter of activities of the Islamist sect group.
Five of seven suspected terrorists arrested by JTF in connection in Maiduguri, Borno on Thursday (21/6/12).
The gunmen, according to residents who do not want their names mentioned for security reasons told Vanguard that the attackers used Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, and petrol-bombs in torching the police station and the bank, before carting away undisclosed amount of money from the bank some 750 metres away from the torched station.
Narrating the incident, a source said: “We were about going to bed when we heard multiple explosions and gunshots at the divisional police station on market road. The dogs started barking, while the few people remaining at the main junction of Maiduguri-Mubi road; ran for safety, as the gunmen exchanged gunfire with the policemen at the station for over two hours.
“Twenty minutes after, I heard another explosion at the Mainstreet Bank premises; followed by sporadic gunshots that lasted for another half an hour. My neighbours hurriedly shut their doors, because the gunmen could burst into their houses.”
Another source from the Gwoza GeneralHospital also told newsmen that the bodies of the DPO and seven others were brought in by the police in two Hilux patrol vehicles for identification.
He further disclosed that the gunmen got into the bank, after dragging the bank manager from his house at gunpoint to its doors, before carting away undisclosed sums of money from the strong room and torching it at about 10.25pm.
Another resident said that their children and wives could not sleep, as the gunshots continued into the early hours of Tuesday.
“The whole area covering Gwoza Wakane and the residential north flank of Market road were scary with sporadic gunshots that lasted for over four hours. This is the first time in Gwoza we are having this type of multiple attacks by Boko Haram gunmen”, said residents.
The Borno State Police Command spokesman, Gideon Jibrin, yesterday confirmed the incident, adding that there have been no arrest made, as investigation has commenced.
Pope’s election: Fake Cardinal storms Vatican
A fake bishop managed to hoodwink senior cardinals gathered at the Vatican to discuss arrangements for the election of the next Pope. German-born Ralph Napierski was pictured with senior clerics as they arrived for the start of the College of Cardinals meeting which Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor was also attending.
Mr Napierski was seen shaking hands with unsuspecting Cardinal Sergio Sebiastiana outside the Vatican’s Pope Paul VI hall, with several other priests in his entourage who were also thought to be bogus. Alert Swiss Guards rumbled him because his vestments were wrong and because they noticed his purple sash was really a scarf and he was also wearing an odd-looking fedora hat. The other giveaways were the shortness of his black cassock and the crucifix around his neck on a short chain.
Before being spotted Mr Napierski had told reporters his name was Basilius and that he was a member of the non-existent Italian Orthodox Church. Initially there were reports in the Italian media that he was part of a stunt by Australian TV but this proved false. Mr Napierski also said the Catholic Church had made “serious mistakes” by allowing priests accused of sex crimes to move to different parishes elsewhere and cover up scandals instead of dealing with them.
The imposter has a website in which he claims to be a bishop with a Catholic organisation called Corpus Dei. It shows him dressed in robes and he describes himself as a “slave and apostle like St Paul”, although it is littered with spelling mistakes. On YouTube, Mr Napierski has also uploaded several videos in which he describes the benefits of the “ancient hidden spiritual practice of Jesus Yoga” and his website goes on to add that he is “fighting the heresy and false movements inside the Roman Catholic Church”. Vatican officials tried to play down the incident with spokesman Father Federico Lombardi saying: “I’m not aware of this at all.
I was inside the hall and all those inside were real cardinals.” Meanwhile, there was fresh embarrassment for former Pope Benedict after an Italian TV station broadcast claims from sex abuse victims that he had ignored a report 10 years ago on a paedophile priest. According to investigative show Le Iene, the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was informed of sex abuse claims surrounding a priest from Savona in northwest Italy called Father Nello Giraudo. A letter was shown on the programme dated September 2003 from the then Bishop Domenico Calcagno, who was in charge of the diocese in which Mr Giraudo practised, to Cardinal Ratzinger and it asked for “courteous advice” on how to deal with the allegations surrounding him.
In his letter Bishop Calcagno, who is now a cardinal at the Vatican, even suggested that an appropriate course of action would be to distance the under-suspicion priest from “having contact with children or adolescents” but it was claimed it went unanswered. Several of Mr Giraudo’s victims also described the abuse they suffered at the hands of the priest, who was jailed for 12 months last year after plea bargaining to a charge of sexually abusing a 17-year-old boy. The victims expressed their anger at the fact Cardinal Ratzinger who was elected Pope less than two years later in 2005 did nothing despite his attention being drawn to the priest’s behaviour. It is not the first time the ex-Pope has been accused of dragging his heels over abuse cases. Three years ago it was suggested he did the same with a priest also accused of paedophilia in his former hometown of Munich.
How northern governors split Boko Haram
The recent split in the ranks of the Islamist insurgent group, Boko Haram, leading to a division over a ceasefire, has been traced to a recent peace initiative spearheaded by the Northern States Governors Forum, NSGF.
The peace offensive, which saw a delegation of the forum meet with the second-in-command of the Boko Haram group, it was learnt yesterday, may also have opened way for the proposed presidential visit to Maiduguri, Borno State, scheduled for tomorrow.
The peace initiative, under the auspices of NSGF, was spearheaded by the Committee on Reconciliation, Healing and Security headed by Ambassador Zakari Ibrahim, a former Director-General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, NIA.
It also recommended a comprehensive amnesty for the combatants and rehabilitation of all those affected by the crisis.
The committee, Vanguard learnt yesterday, has written the chairman of NSGF and Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, detailing a rundown of the process that led to the declaration of the ceasefire which has now been rebutted by the acclaimed leader of the group, Abubakar Shekau.
C’ttee’s letter to NSGF
In the letter dispatched to Governor Aliyu, yesterday, and which gave an account of the visit to Borno and Yobe states by a sub-committee of the main committee, Ambassador Ibrahim was quoted to have said: “In Maiduguri, the Committee was able to meet with some people strongly believed to be members of the sect, and had very useful discussions with them which culminated into the offer for ceasefire and subsequent press briefing by the leader, which has given rise to the confidence building that culminated in the visitation by the Chief of Defence Staff and other security chiefs, the Vice President and 10 All Progressive Congress, APC, governors.
Left: Governors Jonah Jang of Plateau; Umaru Al-makura of Nassarawa; Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara; and Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto, at a Northern Governors’ Forum in Abuja
“The meeting was held at the Government House, Maiduguri, where useful and important critical issues were discussed and at the end they vowed to cease hostilities and are prepared to surrender themselves and their weapons.
“During the discussions, the leader of the group, who is second-in-command to Imam Shekau, promised to meet and convince him to publicly renounce hostilities and also designate a place of his choice for further discussions and negotiations with the Federal Government.
“They also dissociated themselves from other criminal groups that perpetrate all sorts of atrocities in the name of Boko Haram for various selfish reasons, and promised to assist authorities in fishing out all such perpetrators of criminal acts.
Sect’s demands
“Having agreed to cease hostilities, they also made certain demands: That all detainees against whom a case of criminal involvement was established should be prosecuted by courts of competent jurisdiction.
Conversely, all those against whom there is no evidence of criminal involvement should be released unconditionally;
“An area should be designated for all combatants to voluntarily surrender themselves and their weapons without fear of harassment or molestations.”
Recommedations
In their recommendations on the way forward, the committee said: “This Committee should arrange for further visits to Borno and Yobe states to meet with this group and other groups that have now indicated their willingness to come into the peace process. Accordingly, these discussions should be in conjunction with the governments and the Elders Forum of each of the states.
“This Committee recommends that the President visits Borno, Yobe and Kano states and should meet not only governments of these states but also with a cross section of the elders of the various communities.”
The committee sugested that the President should declare a general and unconditional amnesty; order the immediate release of all detainees against whom there is no established case of criminal involvement, and the immediate prosecution of those against whom there is evidence of criminal involvement, before courts of competent jurisdictions.
On Yusuf’s killers
Other recommendations are that the protracted court case against the suspected killers of Mohammed Yusuf should be brought to a quick determination;
Federal Government should consider not only the rehabilitation of combatants, but also compensation for those who have suffered in one way or the other during the period as a sign of goodwill and national cohesion; and some of the northern governors should accompany the President on his visit to the states.
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Don’t sign yourself into slavery, Etim tells Mba
Worried by the high level of interest and controversy raging over Super Eagles player, Sunday Mba , ex- international, Etim Esin, has advised the Nations Cup’s hero, to be cautious in taking decisions to move to Europe for greener pastures. Sunday Mba‘s impressive showing at the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa has seen his stock rising and the midfielder is currently weighing offers from foreign clubs.
Concerned about the tussle of ownership of the player between Rangers International of Enugu and Warri Wolves, coupled with various offers from many clubs, Etim ‘the Maradonna’ warned Mba to be wary of signing himself into slavery. Esin, speaking with Daily Sunsports, said the exploits of the former Rangers young player at the African Cup of Nations in South Africa had marked him as a brilliant player of invaluable proportion. According to Esin, the unhealthy tug of war by the two Premiere ship Clubs and the hurry to go to Europe as exhibited by the player might adversely affect his market value.
He advised him to exercise restraints and focus more on shoring up his profile before he takes the big leap to Europe. “It is worrisome that this young player who rescued Nigeria with the crucial goals he scored against Cote d ‘Ivoire and Burkina Faso to give us the AFCON trophy is now in the centre of ownership tussle by Nigerian clubs who sloppily failed to put their affairs and management of players movement in the right perspective. “The kind of brilliant performance and goals Mba scored at the Nations Cup clearly sets him out as a player with great potentiality who commands a market value of 4million pounds and above.
“ I understand that some clubs abroad are showing interest in signing him on, but with this kind of interests coming his way, Mba, if not properly guided, might end up signing himself into slavery. “I am concerned about his haste to cross over to Europe and my advice would be for him to stay behind and work on shoring up his profile. “It would favour him more if stays in Nigeria, sort out his present problems and play the 2014 World Cup as a local league player because playing at such level will definitely sky rocket his market value.
Suspected three headed baby delivered in Katsina
Malumfashi (Katsina State) – A baby girl with what appears to be two heads has been delivered at the General Hospital, Malumfashi, Katsina State.
The baby has also has a cleft palate and stunted fingers.
The 19-year-old Zainabu Dahiru gave birth to the baby with no eyes on Sunday night.
The baby’s father, Malam Dahiru Umar, at his residence at Unguwar-Sodangi in Malumfashi on Tuesday that the baby was born through normal delivery.
Umar, a 25-year-old petty trader, said the baby was their first and his wife attended regular ante-natal care during pregnancy.
He said he burst into tears on sighting the baby and sympathetic hospital workers told him that they could not offer any medical assistance beside the delivery.
He said the workers informed him that his wife was in stable condition and referred the baby to Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika, near, Zaria.
Umar appealed to government, wealthy individuals and non governmental organisation’s for support.
Meanwhile, effort to speak with Medical Director of the General Hospital failed.
However, a paediatrician, Dr Ahmad Bala, who spoke to NAN, said the baby needed maximum medical examination to ascertain the nature of the abnormalities.
Bala said the medical examination would include physical checks, X-ray and other diagnosis that would equipped a physician to speak properly on the matter at hand and possible remedies.
The new born baby and her mother were still at home.
When shown the photograph of the baby, a gynaecologist at the Garki Hospital, Abuja, Dr Kayode Obende, said the condition was called encephacele.
According to Wikipedia, the free encycopaedia, encephalocele is a neural tube defect characterised by sac-like protrusions of the brain and the membranes that cover it through openings in the skull. These defects are caused by failure of the neural tube to close completely during fetal development.
Encephaloceles cause a groove down the middle of the skull, or between the forehead and nose, or on the back side of the skull.
The severity of encephalocele varies, depending on its location.
Encephaloceles occur rarely, at a rate of one per 5,000 live births worldwide.
Encephaloceles of the back of the head are more common in Europe and North America, while encephaloceles on the front of the head more frequently occur in Southeast Asia, Africa, Malaysia, and Russia.
Ethnic, genetic, and environmental factors, as well as parental age, can all affect the likelihood of encephaloceles.
The condition can occur in families with a family history of spina bifida.
Although the exact cause is unknown, encephaloceles are caused by failure of the neural tube to close completely during foetal development. Research has indicated that teratogens (substances known to cause birth defects), trypan blue (a stain used to colour dead tissues or cells blue), and arsenic may damage the developing foetus and cause encephaloceles.
Proper levels of folic acid have been shown to help prevent such defects when taken before pregnancy, and early in pregnancy. It is recommended that women who may become pregnant take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Dies At 58, From Cancer
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| Hugo Chavez |