Linda Godwin mother of one suffers from breast cancer ( PHOTO )

Linda Godwin is a 24 years old lady, hails from nwangele local govt.in imo state.she's married with a son she resides at 11, odofin street in olodi apapa,Lagos. A pretty lady with a lot to give to her family and to the world. But then she faces a huge problem she is diagnosed with breast cancer and she is currently undergoing chemotherapy in LUTH. Her doctor says the cancer is at its advanced stage abs if not properly taken care of she could lose her life she needs your assistance. The cancer is fast spreading and her right hand is affected. For affirmation you could call her directly on her nunber:08171334776. And while you do that,please say a prayer for her.She is need of over 2 million naira to make living better.And I'd you would want to donate to her just so she can have a chance to be a mother and a wife again place send your donations to Linda GODWIN. 0035014567. Diamond bank nothing whatsoever is too little.

How man was bathed with acid by ‘professional colleague

For Monday Obinnah, the 15th of June, 2013 was a day he would always remember for the rest of his life because it was a day he had a close shave with death. Today, he is still battling with the pains of an acid bath allegedly inflicted on him by a professional colleague and some hoodlums.

Obinnah who is now in pains narrated his ordeal to Saturday Vanguard, amid sympathizers who thronged daily to console him.

The middle aged man said he is an employee of an advertising firm that is based in Lagos with special attention on outdoor advertising.

The victim, Monday Obinna

According to him, “I am a marketing officer and North Central supervisor of ‘Ahaa Media’ and we specialize in outdoor advertising which include the mounting of billboards across the country.

”On that fateful day, I travelled to Makurdi to supervise and monitor our billboards in the town, but to my chagrin, I saw that one of our authorised billboards located on Otukpo road, close to Sev-Av Foundation Headquaters had Hero larger beer illegally advertised on it without due authorization.

“I made enquiries as to who posted the advertorial to no avail. I had no option but to climb the board in an attempt to remove the advertised image.

“While I was doing that, one Chidiebere Okugo who claimed he is the sales representative of the firm whose product was advertised on the board, mobilized hoodlums who assisted him to attack me while I was still hanging on the billboard.

“They used dangerous weapons including sticks, stones and what I later realised was a chemical to force me down, but I refused because the way they confronted me, I was afraid for my life.

“And in their desperation to get me down from the billboard, they struck and cut down one of the electric power lines that was close to the billboard which fell on me and almost electrocuted me.

“At that point, I fell down and they descended on me, but I was lucky to have been rescued by a team of Police men from the command headquaters. It was at the police station that I noticed that parts of my body were peeling off.”

He said after making his statement at the station, he was granted bail and rushed to a hospital in Makurdi for first aid treatment and afterwards transferred to the National Hospital Abuja and later to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital where he underwent plastic surgery and is currently battling with pains and life threatening burns on parts of his body.

Meantime, Saturday Vanguard gathered from the First Information Report, FIR, filed at the Police station by the lead accused, Chidiebere Okugo, a sales representative of the firm whose product was advertised on the billboard, where he claimed that the advert billboard belonged to his company.

He also claimed that he noticed the burns on the victims body when he was taken to the Police station. “It was at the Police station that I noticed injury on the man’s body.

“I noticed that his leg and other parts of his body were peeling off and I do not know how to describe it.

“As a sales representative of my company covering Makurdi only, my work does not cover billboards but to my knowledge, the billboard in question is our company’s billboard.

“The branding department of our company told me that they are the people who mounted the billboard. I will be surprised to know that my company does not own the billboard in question.

“I am not aware that the billboard is being claimed by another company. Though I was aware that the victim was rushed to the National Hospital Abuja, I did not order anybody to beat him up”, Okugo said.

Meanwhile, a Makurdi based legal practitioner, Terfa Akosu has taken up the matter in pursuit of justice for the victim.

Akosu told Saturday Vanguard in Makurdi that he opted to take up the matter againt the accused and his firm because “the treatment meted out to the victim was dastardly, brutal and beyond comprehension.

“That the young man is still alive today is just by the share grace of God and we strongly believe that justice would be done in the matter to serve as deterrent to others ,” Akosu said.

Navy arrests five pipeline vandals, recovers 3 boats, 126 Jerry-cans

Naval operatives attached to NNS BEECROFT, Apapa,  Lagos at the early hours of  yesterday,engaged some pipeline vandals who were siphoning petroleum  products from a vandalised pipeline, in a shoot-out, at Majidun area of Ikorodu.

At the end of the shoot-out,five suspects,among them a nursing mother were arrested,with the recovery of a total of 126 jerrycans filled with the siphoned products.

Also recovered were four boats used by the suspected vandals.

Parading the suspects before newsmen, the Commander NNS Beecroft, Commodore Chris Ezekobe, said the suspects were  among several others who had allegedly converted  Majidun area into a safe haven for their criminal activities.  He explained that the arrest was sequel to an intelligence report received that vandals were operating in the area following which a team of naval operatives mounted surveillance at the area.

”Yesterday morning, at about 2am, the Naval men stormed the water front at Majidun area of Ikorodu. The vandals opened fire at the approaching security men.

”In the exchange of gun fire, some of the vandals abandoned their already syphoned products and fled. “ Ezekobe said.

During the operation, Ezekobe said it was observed that the villagers were aiding and abating the illicit business,informing that plans were ongoing to carry out raid in the area with a view to arresting those involved.

He further explained that  the raid on vandals which is ongoing was in-line with the Chief of the Naval Staff zero tolerance to illegal bunkering and pipe line vandalism.

However, it is sad  to note that after much effort is put at arresting these vandals, they are released the next moment.

”If there was casualty or the damage of equipment on our side during the operation, how does one explain the death to the deceased family or how will one explain damaged equipment to the authority. We put in so much only for someone to set them free” he said.

However, the suspects denied the allegation,saying they were only at the scene for their daily bread.

The nursing mother who identified herself as Elizabeth Akinbotu  claimed She was around the area to fetch fire wood when the operatives stormed,adding that she was arrested  in her bid to escape in one of the boats.

Others identified as  Segun Ogunsemore( 22) and Muni Ogunsemore( 20). Who are brothers claimed they were only going to check their fish nets when they were apprehended.

Their claim according to Ezekobe would be determined at the end of preliminary investigation,evenas he warned vandals to stay clear of the Command’s juridiction or have same fate befall them.

APGA Disqualifies Soludo

The screening panel of the All Progressive
Grand Alliance (APGA) Friday disqualified six
of the party's aspirants, including one of the
front-runners, Prof. Charles Chukwuma
Soludo.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of the
Gubernatorial Screening panel, Alhaji Tayo
Sowunmi, Secretary, Mr. Ifrani Mbaeri and a
member, Chief Onwuka Ukwa, said at the
conclusion of the panel's sitting Friday, six of
aspirant's failed to scale through the test,
while seven scaled through.

Crowds Watched A Man Electrocute Himself

A 25-year-old man committed suicide on Thursday morning by electrocuting himself on an overhead power line in Nakuru, Kenya.
According to an eyewitness, Susan Wachuka, the young man removed all of his clothing before climbing the transmitter line.

“We thought it was usual of him to UnCloth,” she said.

The man, who was only identified by the locals as Emmanuel, is said to have been a carpenter who was having mental problems, adding that he was always quiet.

Kenya power staff arrived at the scene but were forced to wait for crime police officers for three hours before removing the body.

The workers were forced to switch off power at the zone so as to retrieve the body from the power lines.

See photos below…

Aderonke Kale - Female Two-Star General In The Nigerian Armed Forces

INTRODUCTION
When the words 'Nigerian Army' are mentioned, the first image that flashes across the minds of many is a mass of gun-totting, stern-faced, camouflage-wearing, MALE soldiers. LOL! Let's face it, many of us do not really think of women when talking about or thinking of the NA. Well, there are women in all the arms of the gallant Nigerian Armed Forces and today, we are taking a look at the first Nigerian woman to ever become a Major-General (two-star general) in the Army and in any of the three wings of the Nigerian Armed Forces (including the Navy and Air Force). Her record remains unbroken till date in the Nigerian Army but has been equalled by Rear Admiral Itunu Hotonu of the Nigerian Navy . Enter, MAJOR-GENERAL (Dr.) Mrs. ADERONKE KALE.

EDUCATION & MEDICAL CAREER
Major-General Ronke Kale (rtd) trained as medical practitioner before she decided to enlist in the Nigerian Army as an officer. It is quite interesting to know that she did so when even fewer women were donning the uniform of the military (it was not even until November 2011 that the first female hostel in the Nigeria Defence Academy, NDA, Kaduna was commissioned, for how many female students? 20). And as for the curious medical professionals, Major-General Kale's area of specialty is psychiatry. She was inspired to join psychiatry by the late medical giant, Professor Thomas Adeoye Lambo. Africa's first professor of psychiatry. Now, let the buga start, Dr. Bo..lol!

JOINING THE ARMY & AS A MAJOR-GENERAL
As a colonel and medical commandant (Commanding Officer) in the Nigerian Army, she attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS SEC12), Kuru, Plateau State in the year 1990 (she was of the same set with retired Lt. Gen. Victor Samuel Leonard Malu who was to later become the Chief of Army Staff). Upon graduation from Kuru (she received her graduation certificate in 1990 as a colonel from General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who was the military president), she returned to the Military Hospital, Benin, Edo State and resumed duties as the Commanding Officer. While in the army, she was a close associate of IBB's chief of intelligence, Colonel Halilu Akilu.

From there, she was later moved to Lagos State where she served as the Deputy Commandant of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps , Ojo where she was later promoted to the rank of a Brigadier General, thus becoming the first woman in Nigeria to become a one-star general (but please note that the first woman to be commissioned an officer in the Nigerian Army is Risquat Finni, who later retired as a Lieutenant Colonel).

This amiable physician was the first female military officer to reach the rank of a major-general (mind you, that's solid two-star general) when she became the Commandant of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps and School (NAMCS) and later bowed out without any blemish in her medical or military career. The Nigerian Army Medical Corps has been described as one of the components of combat service support. Its main function is to provide adequate medical care for the entire Nigerian Army, and in addition to being the second of the four principal services, it is also the only one that is mainly administrative. As the Commandant of the Corps, he/she reports to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) concerning the efficiency and quality of the medical, dental, pharmaceutical and nursing services received by personnel of the Nigerian Army. The NAMC has the following units:

-Field Ambulance (Fd Amb)
-Regimental Aid Post (RAP)
-Company Aid Post (CAP)
-Main Dressing Station (MDS)
-Advanced Dressing Station (ADS)
-Field Hospital (Fd Hosp)
(Credits: Armed Forces Command And Staff College, Jaji)
So as you can see, her role was far from being a minor one.

It was in the year 1994 that she broke the record not only in Nigeria but in West Africa with her appointment as the first ever female Major General in the Nigerian Army. Her job was to see to the psychological problems of the personnel of the Nigerian Army in addition to other duties related to administration and management. The military all across the globe, is one institution that is beset with a lot of psychological trauma and if not properly managed, can have devastating consequences. An appropriate example is the United States military which has one of the most shocking rates of suicide and intimate assault in the world.


RETIREMENT
Retirement came in 1996 under the Abacha regime. She retired honourably and till date, Major-General Kale (rtd) remains a mentor to many Nigerian women, especially those in the military. Some analysts have described her retirement as an ethnic purge by Abacha under the circumstances of an alleged coup reportedly masterminded by Lt. General Oladipo Diya of the Yoruba ethnic group as she was retired alongside a batch that included many others from her geopolitical zone (we cannot make any progress as a nation if all these annoying ethnic wars are not sorted out).


THE GENERAL TODAY
On the 13th of February, 2012, she was honoured at the 17th THISDAY Annual Awards for Excellence (Lifetime Achievement Awards). The only female tw0-star general today in the Nigerian Armed Forces is Rear Admiral Itunu Hotonu of the Nigerian Navy

Is 123-yr-old Carmelo Florest, The World's Oldest Man?

A Bolivian man born in 1890 - and still going strong - has been revealed as the oldest living person ever recorded, it was reported today.

Carmelo Flores Laura turned 123 last month, according to Bolivia's civil registry.

Yet the herder, from the mountain village of Frasquicia, 50 miles outside the capital La Paz, is still healthy, walks without a stick and doesn't wear glasses, according to reports.





Mr Laura, who lost his wife ten years ago, told Bolivia's Rede Uno TV station that he believes the secret to a long life is taking daily long walks, and never eating pasta or sugar.

Instead, he said he has spent his life eating cananhua, a wild species of quinoa which is rich in protein and amino acid.





He added:'I've never been lazy. I always shared the cooking with my wife.

'We would only eat what we could find growing wild. We ate mostly skunk meat. I still go on long walks every day.'

The Bolivian's biblical age means he would easily overtake the current oldest living person, 115-year-old Japanese woman Misao Okawa.

And he would beat Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 age 122, as the oldest verified age on record.

The oldest ever man, Japanese Jiroemon Kimura, died this year age just 116.

In order to claim the title, Mr Laura's documents now need to be verified by a Guinness Book of Records official.

Guinness World Records says the oldest living person verified by original proof of birth is Misao Okawa, a 115-year-old Japanese woman.

Guinness spokeswoman Jamie Panas said it wasn't aware of a claim being filed for the Bolivian.

'I should be about 100 years old or more,' Flores says. But his memory is dim.

Although birth certificates didn't exist in Bolivia when he was born, Mr Laura's birth date is confirmed on his baptism certificate, considered an authentic record of birth in the country.

Hairy Dog Portrayed As African Lion In Chinese Zoo Exposed

Dog passed off as lion in Chinese zoo

By CNN Staff

Zoo in China substitutes dog for lion

Hong Kong (CNN) - A zoo in China has angered visitors by trying to pass off a hairy dog as a lion, Chinese state media reported.

A visitor, surnamed Liu, told the state-run Beijing Youth Daily she discovered the fraud when visiting a zoo in a park in Louhe, a city in the central province of Henan, with her son.

As they approached the cage marked "African lion," they were shocked to hear the beast inside emit a bark.

It was a Tibetan mastiff -- a large, hairy breed of dog.

"The zoo is absolutely trying to cheat us," Liu said. "They are trying to disguise dogs as lions."

Other species in the park were similarly mislabeled, the newspaper reported, with another dog in the wolf cage, and a white fox on display in the leopard enclosure.

The head of the park's animal department, Liu Suya, told CNN that the animals had been substituted for various reasons, and would be back in their rightful place soon.

The lion and leopard had both been removed for breeding, she said, with the Tibetan mastiff placed in the lion's cage temporarily "due to safety concerns."

Similarly, the dog had been placed in the wolf enclosure to breed a hybrid wolf-dog, she said. "We're not doing it out of shortage of funds," she said.

The substitute lion has drawn ridicule on Chinese social media, with one commenter describing the situation as "absurd."

Number Plate: FRSC To Impound Vehicles Oct 1

The Federal Road Safety Commission in Rivers State says it will impound vehicles without the new number plates at the expiration of its October 1 deadline.

The Sector Commander, Dr. Kayode Olagunju, announced this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

Olagunju said the enforcement would begin as scheduled if the Federal Government did not extend the deadline.

He said the use of old number plate and driving licence was partly responsible for the high rate of road traffic offences.

The sector commander added that the situation had made it difficult for road safety officials to track down offenders.

Olagunju said, “The present number plate and driving licence is meant to enhance the credibility of data and it will enhance safety of lives on the highways and assist in the area of security.

“The plate is highly reflective and which means the issue of collision (accident) at night is tackled.

“The present number plate is attached to individual rather than vehicles and which means that if I’m going to sell my vehicle now, I’m not expected to sell my vehicle with my number plate.

“When people know that when they commit traffic offences and they can be easily traced due to the number plate system, definitely, the rate of traffic offences will be on the decline.”

MTN Blackberry Internet Service Down!!!

I wonder what the hell is wrong with MTN Nigeria  . BIS has been unavailable for over twelve (12) hours and yet MTN has not deemed it fit to send an apology to subscribers on why the service is down or when it would be fixed. 

All the customer care agents keep saying is "We apologize...bla bla...kindly perform a hard reset and...bla bla bla". Hey, that is stale news! We are sick and tired of apologies.

Even when the service is back up, one would still not get any compensation for the time lost.

This is complete fraud . It's high-time we subscribers start getting value for paid services.

MODs, please move to front page. I need this message to get out to them. We've had enough of this poo!

MTN Nigeria, fix your service issues and show some genuine concern for your customers OR lose them.   

Seriously considering legal action....

Cameroon's President Orders Pentecostal Churches Closed

August 15, 2013 Cameroon's President Paul Biya has ordered the closure of nearly 100 Christian churches in key cities.
Cameroon's President Paul Biya has ordered the closure of nearly 100 Christian churches in key cities.

Yaounde, Cameroon (CNN) -- Cameroon's President Paul Biya has ordered the closure of nearly 100 Christian churches in key cities, citing criminal practices organized by Pentecostal pastors that threaten the security of the West African nation.

But Pentecostal pastors said the move is evidence of Biya's insecurity about the churches' criticism of the government.

Biya is using the military to permanently shut down all Pentecostal church denominations in the nation's capital, Yaounde, and the North West Regional capital, Bamenda, which have the largest Christian populations in Cameroon.

More than 50 churches have now been closed, with the government targeting nearly 100 in eight other regions.

"We will get rid of all the so-called Christian Pentecostal pastors who misuse the name of Jesus Christ to fake miracles and kill citizens in their churches. They have outstretched their liberty," Mbu Anthony Lang, a government official in Bamenda, told CNN Wednesday.

Nearly 500 Pentecostal churches operate in Cameroon, but fewer than 50 are legal, he added.

On Sunday, a 9-year-old Christian girl collapsed and died during a prayer session in Winners' Chapel, a Pentecostal church in Bamenda. The girl's mother, Mih Theresa, told CNN Wednesday that the pastor intended to cast out the numerous demons that were in control of her daughter's life.

"I want the government to stop these pastors who use mysterious powers to pull Christians and kill then for more powers. All my children have ran away from the Catholic Church in search for miracles, signs and wonders," she told CNN while holding back tears.

Another Christian, Mveng Thomas, said his marriage ended abruptly when a Pentecostal pastor ordered his wife to dissolve their union. He said the pastor described him as "an unrepentant devil."

Pastors marched against the government's decision Wednesday in Bamenda and Douala. Pastors said the Biya government sees the mass proliferation of churches as a threat.

Boniface Tum, a bishop of the Christian Church of God in Yaounde, said that Biya, who has been president since 1982, is becoming insecure about the freedom of speech within these churches.

"Authorizing only the Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Muslim, and a few other churches, is a strict violation of the right to religion," Tum added.

Targeted Pentecostal Christians in Bamenda are transforming their private homes into churches.

North West Regional governor Adolphe Lele L'Afrique said Wednesday that police had discovered the abduction of 30 children under age 18 by a pastor in Bamenda. The pastor said he wanted to remove the children from a bad society, Lele added.

Government officials also say that some pastors convince congregants that they do not need professional medical treatment for their ailments.

"How can a pastor say the sick needs no medical doctor? We need sanity in our Christian lives," Nyang Blaise, a youth leader for Biya's ruling party, CPDM, told CNN.

One woman said her mother was refusing cancer treatments because of her pastor.

"My mother's condition is worsening after doctors confirmed she had cancer. She is dying silently, and yet we cannot persuade her to see a doctor for proper treatment, against her pastor's wish," Deborah Tanyi said.

Egyptian Protesters Push An Armoured Police Van Off A Bridge,

It was a horrifying moment when a police van was recently pushed off a bridge in Cairo by angry protesters. As if that was not enough, demonstrators attacked the burning wreckage, throwing stones at it.

The dramatic pictures show the van being ambushed by dozens of people before crashing through a protective fence on the bridge. It then falls upside down and then rolls onto its roof as it lands. Blood can then be seen on the ground as nearby police officers pull injured men out of the crushed vehicle.

It is not known how many people were on board and how many people survived the fall, but bloodied men were seen lying around the van moments afterwards. Unconfirmed reports on Twitter claimed five were dead.

At least 278 are said to be dead and hundreds more injured after a day of bloody violence sparked when security forces stormed a camp to clear protesters supporting deposed President Mohamed Morsi.

Meanwhile, Egypt's interim President, Adly Mansour, declared a month-long state of emergency and night-time curfew in Cairo and ten provinces. His vice president, Mohamed ElBaradei, resigned in protest at the bloody crackdown.

According to reports, the United States has called for urgent restraint, warning that the 'the world is watching.' The state of lawlessness in the country is really horrifying!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKC-KmqojME

Oil activities cause N160trn devastation in N’Delta – Kuku

LAGOS — The Federal Government, yesterday, said it will cost about N160 trillion ($1 trillion) to restore the environment in the Niger Delta, following the devastation brought upon the region by crude theft, illegal bunkering and oil exploration activities.

Speaking at a conference on Oil Theft and Illegal Bunkering in the Niger Delta, in Lagos, Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, said oil theft had attained a worrisome dimension and had become a problem of urgent and strategic national importance.

He said that while several estimates have been made regarding the cost to the national economy in lost revenue and pipeline repair, no one had calculated the cost to the environment and the livelihood of the people of the Niger Delta.

Kuku said: “Its impact on the communities of the Niger Delta, on our environment, our health and our livelihood is even more serious.

“In many communities, fishing and farming are no longer possible because of the damage to the environment on which our people depend for their livelihood.

“No one has calculated the cost of restoring the environment. But extrapolating from the cost of restoring aquatic life in the Gulf of Mexico, following the BP Gulf Coast spill of 2010, the cost to the Niger Delta will amount to more than $1 trillion.”

Perpetrators feared

He added that the incidence of illegal oil activities was attaining a dangerous trend and was already undermining social structures, noting that if allowed to fester, it could turn the Niger Delta into a gang land, as perpetrators of the crimes are feared, revered and commended in some communities.

Kuku said: “Like most illegal economic activities, it hardly takes time before arms, drugs, gangs and other anti-social activities become part of the deadly mix.

“I am not sure we are there yet. But if we, the community leaders of the Niger Delta, and governments at all levels do not act decisively, we will unfortunately get there soon.”

*File Photo: Activity at a vandalised oil pipe

‘Oil companies are involved’

Speakers at the conference organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, also accused oil companies operating in the region of collusion.

According to them, the government, through the Joint Task Force, JTF, cannot cover all the pipelines in Nigeria.

They said that it was the responsibility of the oil companies to monitor their facilities with advanced information communication and technology equipment.

Elder Timi Ogoriba, a prominent Niger Delta activist, said it was time perpetrators of crude theft and illegal bunkering were identified and brought to book, adding that this will help address the issue.

Also speaking, Mr. Patrick Akpobulokemi, Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, branded some of the oil majors as hypocrites, displaying double standards in their operations in Nigeria.

He said the problems in the Niger Delta were as a result of greed and insincerity on the part of the oil companies and other stakeholders.

He said the oil majors were made to be responsible in their home countries and in other countries where they operate.

On Bonga spill

Akpobulokemi, citing an incidence, said: “There was an oil spill in Bonga and Shell was fingered for the spill since the ruptured pipeline belongs to it.

“Instead of accepting the responsibility for the spill, Shell resorted to arguments and denials, saying the spill was caused by a third party and not its fault.

“These can not happen elsewhere. In the West, BP has been barred from oil contracts in the United States, following the spill in the Gulf of Mexico. These things can only happen in Nigeria.”

Similarly, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, also accused oil companies of thievery, saying that the larger incidents of crude theft take place at the various export loading terminals in the country.

He said: “What you see in the creeks is child’s play compared to what happens at the terminals. The biggest crude theft takes place at the export loading terminals.

“Nigeria is the only country where vessels load with plus five percent, and this should not be.”

He said the oil companies must redefine their processes and also adopt practices and measures that will put a stop to the menace.

‘Evils of oil’

Speaking further, Akpobulokemi, noted that but for the efforts of Mr. President, he would have concluded that oil was a curse to Nigeria.

He argued that oil discovery had brought about mental laziness, numerous environmental and health problems as well as societal ills.

He said: “Oil is the cause of numerous problems in this country. It is the reason people are engaged in underage marriage; it is the reason for the numerous politicking; the talk about zoning is because of oil; in some local governments, things are not done as they should be done.

“The officials receive their allocations and share it among themselves; then you see them in Abuja, instead of in their local councils. This is because there is free money to be shared and all these is because of oil.

“The distortion in our thinking is because of oil. Marriages are breaking up because of oil. Nigeria would have grown bigger and we would have excelled more than this if not for oil.”

Solutions

On the way forward, Ezeoba said the oil majors should adopt scientific practices and the use of advanced technology in their production activities, while also clearly establishing a right of way for their pipelines to ensure proper surveillance.

He further called on the oil companies to revisit their Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, practices, making sure that the socio-economic imperatives of the community within which they operate are fully respected and taken care of.

Ezeoba said: “The mentality of handouts must stop. The community must have a hand in deciding what constitutes CSR.

“Also, the oil majors should ensure that their CSR is tilted towards human capacity development. That is, their CSR should empower people to fend for themselves.

“This will make the people become change agents and drive development in the region.”

He urged the oil majors to have a rethink in their approach towards securing their economic assets such as the pipelines, noting that if the pipelines were adequately secured, incidences of oil theft will be reduced.

He said: “Make products available to the people of the Niger Delta. It is a shame that although oil is obtained from their domain, the people hardly see it, and when they do, the products are sold for thrice the official prices.”

He emphasised the need for enhanced collaboration between agencies of government, the communities, oil companies and other stakeholders.
Alaibe, Akpobulokemi,

Abolurin

The former chief executive of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Timi Alaibe, called for proper diagnosis of the number and volume of oil being spilled, adding that appropriate technology will help address the issue.

Akpobulokemi argued that military approach cannot stop the menace. He called for a robust surveillance system, while youths will be actively engaged by the oil companies, especially by creating employment opportunities for them.

The Commandant-General, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, Dr. Ade Abolurin, said modern scientific equipment were necessary, while oil companies should give communities avenues for manpower development.
Roll call

Other personalities at the conference were Professor Gabriel Darah, who chaired the panel during the discussion segment; Elder Timi Ogoriba, a prominent Niger Delta activist and Reverend Nnimmo Bassey, Coordinator Oil International.

Others are Major-General Bata Debiro, Commander, Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield; Che Ibegwura, community leader from Rivers State; Mr. Bayo Olowoshile, General Secretary, Petroleum and Natural Gas Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, among others.

Aluu 4: Dog was used to torture victims – Policeman

PORT HARCOURT — A police officer, Mr. Raphael Ezechi, told a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, at the resumed hearing in the killings of four University of Port Harcourt, UNIPORT, students in October 2012 in Omuokiri, Aluu community, that a dog was used to torture the students before they were set on fire.

Mr. Ezechi of the State Criminal Investigative Department and a Deputy Superintendent of Police, led in evidence by the Solicitor-General of Rivers, Mr. Rufus Godwins, narrated that “a team of policemen from Isiokpo Division was dispatched to the scene of the incident to rescue the students but due to the distance, the students were set ablaze before the arrival of the police.”

Suspects in the murder of The UNIPORT FOUR at the Rivers State High Court,Port Harcourt, yesterday. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke

The witness, said he took photographs of the deceased and a dog, said to have been used to torture the students, adding that information was also gathered from the Internet which were recorded.

The defence counsel, however, objected to the prosecution’s move to tender the photo evidence as exhibits, contending that the police officer was not the maker of the said documents.

The defence argued that no proper foundation had been laid for the admissibility of the photographs, urging the court to reject same.

Responding, Mr. Godwins, the prosecution counsel said that the foundation was laid from records of proceedings by the court and urged the dismissal of the objection, which he described as misconceived by the defence.

Man’s decomposing corpse discovered in Lagos home

LAGOS — The Lagos State Police Command has begun investigation into the discovery of a man’s decomposing corpse in his apartment at 9, Ezemegbu Drive, Okota area of Lagos.

Two persons, a security guard attached to the building and a woman have been arrested in connection with the discovery.

The deceased identified as Sylvanus Ikelie Okoye, from Abidi Umu Ochi, in Anambra State and a trader in Lagos Island,  was reportedly last seen two weeks ago,with his whereabouts unknown and his apartment under lock and key.

Residents said they had been perceiving stench but never suspected it was that of a decomposing corpse, until yesterday.

Eye witnesses told Vanguard that landlord of the three-storey building met the guard discussing in hush tone with someone. Out of curiosity, he was said to have requested to know what the discussion was all about, only for the security man to inform him that Ikelie’s keys and phone were  handed over to him two weeks ago.

The landlord was said to have contacted policemen at Ago division who visited the house, comprising eight flats, consequent upon which the apartment was  opened, only to discover Okoye’s decomposing body.

A pestle and a knife suspected to have been used to murder the 39-year-old man were reportedly found in the apartment .

When Vanguard arrived the scene, yesterday, occupants of the building were no where to be found while everyone approached kept mum.

A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “The landlord said they have been perceiving foul odour which they assumed was from a dead rat. The security man said a woman who sells provision downstairs gave him, Okoye’s key and phone. On her part, we heard she said the  items were given to her by an unknown visitor to keep for the owner.

“Everyone who knew him described him as an easy going fellow and an introvert. We were all surprised that a thing like this happened without anyone’s knowledge until now.”

The deceased’s brother, Edmond Okoye, who was invited by the police said he did not know that his brother had been missing since two weeks. His late brother, according to him, was not married.

He said: “I was called by the landlord that they have not seen my brother for sometime  and that his phone and house key were in their custody. I rushed to his place  and when  we opened the door to his flat, we saw his body smelling. A rope was tied to his neck,with a pestle and a knife on his bed.

He, therefore, appealed to the police to carry out a thorough investigation to ascertain the cause of his brother’s death and bring the perpetrators to book.

How fake army major duped citizens of N10m, vehicles

BENIN CITY— SOLDIERS attached to the Edo State joint military anti-robbery unit, code named Operation Thunder Storm, yesterday, paraded one Kabiru John from Nasarawa State, who allegedly defrauded  several persons of over N10 million while parading himself as an army major.

Parading the fake army major and other suspected criminals at the 4 Brigade Army Headquarters, Benin City, Army Public Relations Officer, Capt. Roselyn Managbe, said the suspect had perpetrated frauds, including tricking one Ayeni Friday and  one Tony Kabaka into parting with their vehicles.

Kabiru John, the fake army major

She explained that Kabaka parted with his Lexus SUV , in exchange for securing entry into the army school for his son, as promised by the fake army major.

Kabaka, chairman of Akugbe Ventures, is one of the consultants to the Edo State government on revenue generation. Managbe said soldiers from the brigade also arrested suspected robbers, including Monday Aigbe, an ex-convict and a suspected narcotic dealer, Mrs. Josephine Ochini.

According to her, “on June 20, 2013, one Mr. Ayeni Friday of 17, Eguaeveon Avenue, Benin City complained to troops of Operation Thunder Storm that he gave his vehicle, a blue Chrysler 300 2005/2006 model without registration number to one Major John Kabiru of 4 Brigade Provost Company for repairs on May 28, 2013. He said efforts to retrieve his car from him proved abortive.

“Our preliminary investigation revealed that Mr. Kabiru John had been parading himself as a major in the Nigerian Army. It was also revealed that he claimed to be serving in 4 Brigade as the Officer Commanding the Provost Company. It was further revealed that he was always seen around dressed in full military gear while involving himself in all forms of shady deals and duping unsuspecting victims.

“Mr. John Kabiru confessed that the Lexus SUV which was recovered from him with registration number EDO BF 607 USL belonged to one Mr. Tony Kabaka of 18, Etete GRA, Benin-City.

“The suspect claimed that he trickishly collected the Lexus SUV from the victim with the promise that he would secure admission for his son into the Nigeria Defence Academy. He also confessed that he had duped several unsuspecting persons under the pretext of either helping them to join the Nigerian Army or securing admissions for their wards into military institutions.”

Dismissed from army  in 2006

John who claimed to have joined the army in 2003 said he was dismissed in 2006. He also said he graduated in Electrical Engineering, from Nasarrawa State Polytechnic.

He said: “I served at 82 Battalion, Jos, but I was dismissed in 2006, with the rank of private. I was doing it (impersonating) because friends that I knew thought I was still in the army. I have learnt to think good things, I have learnt to stay out of crime and stop parading myself wrongly.”

Some of the items recovered from the fake army officer included one fake JTF staff tag, International passport, combat gears, an army kit bag, a digital camera and vehicle number plate.

Okagbare, Fraser, Felix, Ahoure face off in 200m final

It will be another four-way battle tonight as Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare attempts to add another medal to her long jump silver medal when she squares off against  Jamaican Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce, Allyson Felix and Murielel Ahoure in what promises to be a hotly contested 200m final in Moscow.

Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce took the third 200 metre semi final, clocking 22.55 in Moscow,  ahead of Ukraine’s Mariya Ryemyen (22.70) with ChaRonda Williams of the US (22.80) in third.

American Allyson Felix (22.30) held off Nigerian Blessing Okagbare (22.39)to win the second women’s 200m semi final in at the World Championship in Moscow

Third was American champion Kimberly Duncan in 22.91.

I would be lying if I say I have never been sexually harassed – Halima Abubakar

MAYBE Halima Abubakar isn’t the saintly type but the sexy actress has proved times without number that she is, most often than not, on the level, when she’s put on the spot. Juliet Ebirim ran into her at Iyabo Ojo’s beauty shop opening on Sunday and a conversation ensued, as usual on a variety of issues:

HOW would you describe yourself?

Simple, the girl next door.

What are some of the movies you’ve featured in?

Cloud of Pain, Desperate Girls, Shadows and so on. There are a lot of  them, I don’t have them all in my head right now, a lot of things in my head.

Apart from acting, what else do you do?

I’m a businesswoman, a philanthropist and a student of life; I’ll say that’s quite a lot of work.

Halima Abubakar

What are some memorable moments  or high points in your career?

Any time I have a script to work on, whenever I receive an award or acknowledgement from people who genuinely like what I do, I feel really connected. I feel proud and happy.

Do you have any regret?

Every step in every single aspect of my life has been part of a journey, so I won’t say I regret this or that. I’m just going to say I am grateful to be here.

What are some challenges you encountered in the course of your career?

Before you go into anything in life, you have to go through a process and that process brings fruitfulness. So I’m going to say being able to go through all the stress and coming out smiling is one of the greatest gift in life. To be able to do something and say “Oh my God, I can’t believe I just did that” has been my joy.

So the experience so far has been worthwhile?

To an extent, yes. Being alive has been worthwhile. I shouldn’t say something that will make God angry, should I? (Laughs) God brought us here for a reason. So I just live my life – the girl-next-door.

What can you say about sexual harassment in the movie industry, and has it ever happened to you?

Won’t I be lying if I say nobody has harassed me? I’m a lady. It’s totally untrue when people say they’ve never been harassed.

How were you able to scale through?

It might come in the form of “toasting”. I wasn’t “blocked” now. While some will just tell you to your face. As a woman you have to respect yourself and set boundaries regardless of what people think. Some people think that sleeping with someone will give them what they’re looking for, but it doesn’t. That’s the way I see life. You are not supposed to do anything (sleep with someone).

So what I do is, I look at the person’s face and tell him this is wrong, because I’m sure that aside from me, he will harass another person. The only easy way is to disgrace the person so that he will be shy to do that to the next person.

You mean you disgrace the person?

Of course . My dear, I’m not there to joke, neither am I there to be rude to anybody. But you know, you meet some very rude people that don’t know how to talk.  So when you meet such people, you just give it back to them. You raise your voice and embarrass them, they won’t try it again.

Do you have  a unique physical attribute that has really helped in projecting you?

No, I don’t.  None.

Would you act nude for any reason?

No.

Have you dated anyone in the industry?

Definitely. Am I a child? I have and I’m not lying about it.

You are a businesswoman, what kind of business are you into?

I’m a farmer. I’m into poultry and the regular cropping. I have cattle, sheep, lots of chicken, eggs, apples, yams and so on.

Who do you draw inspiration from?

I just pray. I don’t draw inspiration from anyone.

Don’t you have role models?

Well, I love Angelina Jolie because of how wonderful her heart is. She’s human and I see her as flawless. She’s one person I look up to. In Nollywood, I admire a lot of people.

Are you in any serious relationship at the moment?

I’m not interested in that question.

Can anyone or anything make you stop acting?

Yes, I won’t act forever. I ‘ll go behind the cameras. I’m not one of those actors that will say I’m good in every way or that I must be in every movie that I produce. I don’t have to be. I’ll take the free time I have when I’m free.

What advice do you have for aspiring stars?

They shouldn’t be swayed by what they see on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or what they think people’s lives are like or that people’s lives are secure. These things deceive a lot. I don’t want them to be like ‘I saw this lady driving this—, this is what I want.’

No, if it is real, you have to work towards it. I don’t believe in being in a hurry to get anything. Yes, it took me twelve years, but it doesn’t have to be that for you. I don’t want them to regret it, when they look back at their lives.

As young people, I want them to be proud of who they left behind and who they are becoming.

29 ex-militants trained as pilot to attend courses in Germany, UK

Twenty-Nine repentant Niger Delta militants recently trained in aviation academies in South Africa as pilots are to be type-rated by German carrier, Lufthansa Airlines in Frankfurt, Germany, and CAE Aviation facility, Oxford, United Kingdom.

The ex-militants, trained under the platform of Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, would be type-rated in Boeing and Airbus aircraft, having acquired Private Pilot Licenses, PPL, and Commercial Pilot Licenses, CPL.

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman Presidential Amnesty Programme, Mr Kingsley Kuku, yesterday, in Lagos at a conference on oil theft and illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, said officials of Lufthansa Airlines and CAE Aviation will be in the country next week to follow up on the development.

He expressed delight that the two aviation institutions accepted to give the pilots type-rating courses, and advised the pilots not to allow themselves to be carried away by the success recorded so far.

Kuku, who noted that more of the ex-militants were being trained in aircraft piloting in South Africa, Greece, Jordan and United Arab Emirates, also implored the pilots to re-double efforts and perform better than they did at the Afrika Union Aviation Academy and Flight Training Services in South Africa.

On crude oil theft, Kuku said that the stealing of about 400,000 barrels of crude per day was an economic crime against Nigeria, which had reached an alarming proportion and requires full military might and the collaboration of stakeholders to fights.

Applauding the strides of the Navy and the Joint Task Force, JTF, in combating the scourge, he described the magnitude of the current oil theft in the Niger Delta as “blood oil crisis” only matched by the notorious Sierra Leonean “blood diamond.”

He said the situation might degenerate to a point where government would no longer be able to fund developmental programme, if steps were not urgently taken to deal with the scourge.

He said that the most effective way of dealing with pipelines vandalism and oil theft was to make Niger Delta indigenes actively involved in securing oil infrastructure and be made part owners of oil resources, even as he called for an effective collaboration between oil companies and states in the Niger Delta to check the scourge.

“Nigerians must see oil theft as a war against Nigeria, and those behind it must be treated as economic criminals,” he said.

Kuku traced oil theft to the doorsteps of rich oil cartels and very wealthy individuals in Nigeria and outside, who have the wherewithal to bear the attendant high costs, including demurrage, noting that the phenomenon was too sophisticated and expensive for the average person in the region to handle.