PDP holds solidarity rally for Saraki in Kwara
The party members marched through all the streets in Kaiama, the Headquarters of the local council.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the rally came up a day after Saraki declared his intention to contest 2019 presidential election on the platform of PDP.
All political office holders from the area at both the state and local government levels participated in the rally that lasted for hours.
Mallam Abubakar Abdullahi-Bata, the Chairman of Kaiama Local Government Council said that the rally was staged to express the support of the people of the area to the leadership of Saraki.
According to him, the large turnout has corrected an insinuation that PDP is dead in the community.
“The people of Kaiama are for Saraki because we believe in his leadership.
“We are ready to follow him to any party he wishes to lead us to because we have benefited immensely from him,” he said.
He expressed confidence in the ability of the Senate President to govern Nigeria well and deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.
Dr Aminat Ahmed, the state Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, who also took part in the rally, said it was organised to correct the misconception that the people of Kaiama had rejected the leadership of Saraki.
She assured PDP of victory in Kaiama in the forthcoming 2019 general elections.
Mallam Ahmed Ibn-Mohammed, who is representing Kaiama/Kenmaji/Wajibe constituency, noted that Saraki’s belief in the youth was what endeared him into the minds of the people of the area.
“For giving a youth like me an opportunity to represent my people at the state Assembly is a manifestation of his visionary leadership and belief in the youth”, he said.
Not easy to be old
In the language of aviation, we often say that old people have already collected their boarding passes and are only waiting for their flights to be called.Ray Ekpu
The irony is that 70 brings a sense of urgency to your thoughts, the urgency to complete projects earlier started, urgency to bring ideas and plans to fruition because you have reached 70, the proverbial three score and ten. Three score and ten seems to be regarded as the dividing line between living and dying, even though many people don’t reach it and some people exceed it. But, ironically, this is no longer the age for urgency because age and its deadly claws have taken urgency away from your steps, your voice and your actions.
Your sense of urgency at 70 is stymied by the drawbacks of age and, if a disease accompanies it, your urgency is broken into small steps. You walk slowly, gingerly, sometimes with a walking stick to stabilise your steps. The swagger is gone, the spring is out. Your feet can step on an ant but may not kill it. There is a reluctant dragging of the feet, an uncoordinated choreography of distressed movement. This is the age of “where are my glasses?” when they are just sitting right there on your nose. I hope I haven’t made life at 70 look very dreadful. This script is basically a generalisation and not an exercise in specificity about ageing.
In the language of the street and aviation, we often say that old people have already collected their boarding passes and are only waiting for their flights to be called. They are at the departure lounge and have no idea whether their flight will depart on time or will be delayed. This flight is never cancelled and will never be cancelled because it is not organised by uncaring and irresponsible Nigerian airlines. It is organised by Someone who is eminently efficient: God. But this is one occasion anyone would be happy to have his flight either cancelled or delayed. It never happens.
At 70, you have lost the fear of 70, the fear that had been gnawing at your vitals as to whether or not you would reach that mythical age of septuagenarianism. If you have brought up your children well, you are assured that those children will lengthen the family tree in a way that brings honour to the family and to themselves.
As you were walking towards 70, you must have had your travails. Travails are everybody’s lot. No one goes through life without going through travails. They are the hurdles we must skip over, the roadblocks we must go through and the thorns we must part in order to reach the roses. Travails are challenges that test our will and bring out the best in all of us. They are not stones on which we must break our heads. They are tunnels through which we must pass in order to reach the silver lining ahead. These travails may be the loss through death of one or two parents, a bad patch at school or at work, a broken friendship, unanticipated enemies, a bad business deal, a road, rail, water or air accident. Or it may be a sudden discovery in your system of an unknown ailment with an unknown cure, which may make it difficult for you to reach your manifest destiny. Such challenges, such travails, such tribulations are part of any person’s historic journey. Those are the fragments that constitute your story and your history and your life’s abiding narrative.
The longevity age in Nigeria is said to be about 53 years. Anyone who has gone past 53 is extremely lucky because, in Nigeria, there are many things that make life brutish and short. A short list: fumes from I-better-pass-my-neighbour generators, petrol tanker fire, a house that collapses like a house of cards, fake drugs from India, expired tyres from China, expired drugs from pharmacies, misdiagnosis by doctors, bullets from hired assassins, armed robbers and kidnappers, accidental discharge from drunken policemen, extra-judicial murder from security personnel, etc, etc. Anyone who survives beyond 53 years in Nigeria, can call himself a cat with nine lives. Ours is a tough country in which to live. No question about it. However, Nigerians are devouring longevity literature and are living long, even though they may be in the minority. Mr. Akintola Williams, Nigeria’s leading accountant, has just marked his 99th year on earth. He still moves about, bent by age, but admirable in his well-cut suits and ties. We look forward to his 100th next year.
A few months ago, I was at a Zenith Bank branch on Acme Road in Ikeja and I got a pleasant surprise. I was in the queue waiting to present my cheque for encashment. A pretty young official of the bank came to me and said: “Please, sir, come and sit down here. I will get the cheque cashed for you.” She took the cheque from me and returned speedily with the money. I had to ask for her name because she did not know me and I did not know her. She was just helping an old man on a queue. I don’t know if that is the policy of the bank but the young lady, Mrs. Enoho Okpako, impressed me endlessly as a symbol of courtesy and respect and customer-friendly disposition, which you do not find in many Nigerian institutions. Since she did not know me before she did the favour I assumed that that is the way she is. The bank is lucky to have someone like that. That impression that Mrs. Okpako gave me is long-lasting because you get to meet a lot of disrespectful people in offices in Nigeria. It is as if they are saying to old people in their hearts “why doesn’t this one die and stop coming here to bother us?” That may be an uncharitable way to put it, but there is a definite loss of respect for the etiquette of proper public engagement, especially among young people. In this era of cellphonemania, many of them show little interest in listening to the customer. They are more interested in yammering on the phone with their ears blocked.
Robbie Keane, not Henry my toughest opponent - Joseph Yobo
The defender, who played in the Premier League with Everton and Norwich City on a Radio programme, Sports Zone on Lagos Talks 91.3fm said in a lengthy interview that his toughest opponent was Robbie Keane.
The defender feted at some point as one of the fastest defenders in the Premier League after careful consideration said he found it difficult whenever his team lined-up against Keane's side. He noted that the spatial awareness and excellent movement of the wily striker always caused problems.
"The few times I played against him, I was not very fit, I wasn't so ready. He is very clever. He is not one of those that you can just pick and mark [man-mark]," Yobo said.
"He knew where the spots were, where to get the ball, what to do. He was one of the most intelligent players I played against."
"With Henry and other players, you know they are quick, you know they will try to dribble but with Robbie Keane, it was so difficult to say what he had in mind. I spoke to my colleagues also and they said he is difficult," the defender continued.
Yobo got the first of his torturous times against Keane in January 2003. Keane had moved to Tottenham Hotspur from Leeds during the summer transfer window; the Irish striker scored a hat-trick with Yobo beaten expertly for two of the goals. When they met again in 2004, Yobo came out with Everton beating Spurs and the defender scoring a goal. The pair faced-off in the Merseyside derby after Keane moved to Liverpool from Spurs in 2008. The only duel between the pair ended with Keane's Liverpool defeating Everton 2-0 with Keane the provider for both goals.
In 2009, Yobo stymied Keane, ensuring the game between Everton and Spurs ended goalless. Yobo made 220 appearances for Everton before he moved to the Turkish League with Fenerbahce. The former Super Eagles captain eventually made his way back to the English shores with Norwich City but the menacing Keane was already across the Atlantic with LA Galaxy.
Yobo had 101 international caps playing for the Super Eagles. He captained Nigeria to lift the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.
We will not accept any election that fails to meet electoral guidelines – INEC
National Commissioner, Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Mr Adedeji Soyebi, stated this at a voter sensitisation organized by the commission in collaboration with the European Union (EU), Not-Too-Young-To-Run Movement and other agencies, at the University of Port Harcourt.
He said that INEC would continue to ensure that elections were determined by votes as it would not tolerate unwholesome acts in the conduct of elections.
Soyebi said that so far the commission had registered no fewer than 33 million people, with youths occupying over 60 per cent on the record breakdown.
He said that the sensitisation, targeted at encouraging more youth participation across the six geo-political zones, had so far covered Lagos, Kano, Rivers and Federal Capital Territory.
“The youths form a very significant figure as regards election, not only are they top by numerical strength but by participation and diligence. We, therefore, urge them to shun electoral violence.
“In the forthcoming 2019 general elections, an estimated 650,000 -700,000 youths drawn from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), tertiary institutions and other youth bodies would be directly engaged by INEC,” he said.
In a contribution, Mr Sobari Loveday, President, Student Union Government (SUG) of the university, thanked INEC and its partners for choosing the institution as contact point to other institutions in the region.
On behalf of students and volunteers he promised to engage positively in the electoral process.
Sobari also urged students who were yet to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to take advantage of INEC’s one week presence on the university campus to collect their PVCs.
In his remarks, EU Ambassador, Mr Ketil Karlson, charged the youths to shun electoral violence, vote-selling and other vices that threatened the electoral process.
He condemned the high level violence recorded in the suspended Aug. 17 bye-election in Rivers, and urged the youths not to allow themselves to be used to disrupt elections.
“We don’t want the type of violence recorded in the suspended bye-election to repeat in the 2019 general elections.
“The EU shall ensure robust partnership with INEC, security operatives, the media and other organizations to achieve free, fair and credible elections,” he said.
see what fans are saying after lukaku missed this goal
— el maèstro (@_edanto) August 27, 2018
Instead of taking a touch, Lukaku hit it early to try and impress Jay Z who is 100% not watching. Stupid fool—
(@Mxncz) August 27, 2018
To be honest it’s unreasonable to expect Lukaku to score there. Man United aren’t 3-0 up against a relegation team so how can he score?— LFC Stanley House (@LFCStanleyHouse) August 27, 2018
What's the definition of " won ti GBA penalty lo throw in"— OMO OLORIRE (@YBCBG_FWESHA) August 27, 2018
Me: lukaku
Ffs Lukaku… ntanga can't score, can't trap, can't pass, can't run with the ball… what's he there for? pic.twitter.com/wnR5JVKQtf— Liso (@mitch_officiall) August 27, 2018
Reformed SARS: New rules of engagement
- No FSARS personnel is allowed to interfere in any civil matter.
- They are not allowed to interfere in cyber crime (yahoo yahoo).
- No FSARS personnel is allowed to conduct a stop and search exercise unless there is a distress call from victims or members of the public.
- They are not allowed to be involved in commercial matters (debt recovery, landlord vs Tenant issues).
- They are also not allowed to interfere in any social/relationship cases (marital matters, boyfriend/girlfriend relationship).
- They are strictly for armed robbery and kidnapping cases!
EFCC vs Jang: Judge chides EFCC for delaying proceedings
He was reacting to the plea by counsel to EFCC, Mr. Henry Ejiga, who said the commission could not produce the witnesses in court, yesterday for security reasons. The case was slated for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The judge said if, for security reasons, the commission could not produce the witnesses in its custody, it should have produced the ones not in the commission’s custody, who were not at any security risk. He added that he was neither for the prosecution nor for the defence, but that he was out to use the Sword of Righteousness. Ejiga had cited security reasons why the EFCC could not produce the witnesses to testify in court, saying: “We are of great constraint as we have made effort to ensure that we produce the witnesses so that proceeding can go on. But unfortunately, we were informed of some security challenges, as a result, we are unable to present the witnesses today (yesterday). Infuriated by the delay in proceeding, lead counsel to the defendant, Mr. Robert Clarke (SAN) warned that “criminal trials are enjoined by the law to be speedy, because of that presumption that we are still innocent, we should not be treated as criminals. Justice delayed is justice denied.” Ruling, Justice Longji adjourned the case till October 30 and 31, and November 1, 2018, warning the EFCC and its counsel not to find reasons to ask for another adjournment.
Killings: How does Buhari sleep at night?
The Dead Dance With The Living In Madagascar
Madagascar, also known as the "eighth continent", boasts of rainforests, beaches, historic burial grounds and plants that are found nowhere else in the world.
Named after the island in the same place, the country located in East Africa is home to the fourth largest island in the world.
Since the arrival of humans on the island in 350 BC, the island has witnessed the stages of civilisation and different cultures.
One of these is the 17th-century burial rite known as Famadihana which literally translates to "turning of the bones".
Famadihana involves the digging up a corpse to dance with it. The burial rite is done every seven years by the family of the dead.
Famadihana. Photo: dig
The celebration kicks off with music trumpets and chants of joy. While this is being done, digging commences. An elder, preferably one from the family, takes up the duty of invoking the dead body to join the living. This act is important: it is the only chance of the dead to revisit the world and relive his activities which they sometimes invoke through black magic
The body is cleaned and wrapped in expensive clothing like silk before they are raised high by relatives to dance around with it. Women who are not able to give birth cut a patch of the cloth and place under their bed with hopes of blessings.
Relatives also avail the opportunity to tell the dead the happenings they have had since their departure. Natives claim that the dead respond in acknowledgement.
After this is done, the bodies are turned upside-down as a seal of their journey to the spirit. It is only after this is done that the body can finally go to its resting place
PDP throughout its 16 yrs borrowed N6trn, but Buhari-led APC in 3 years borrowed N11trn – Tunde Bakare
Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly (LRA) has said that Nigerians will weep should they truly know what President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government has done to the country.
Regretting the danger the actions of Buhari’s government portends to the future of Nigeria, Bakare said, “If you truly know the truth, you will weep, if you know how much we are owing as a nation, you will weep. For 16 years of PDP they borrowed N6 trillion, for three years of APC, they borrowed N11 trillion.
“And they are not going to pay the debt. You and I, and our children, and our children’s children will pay the debt, unless they write them off again.”
This was even as the Lagos-based clergy and a onetime running mate to Buhari, lambasted the President for attending the wedding of son of Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the daughter of his counterpart, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje in Kano on Saturday when 110 Dapchi schoolgirls from Yobe State are still in captivity.
Pastor Bakare spoke during a Sunday service in his church in Lagos, saying that he cannot understand what Buhari and other governors were doing at the wedding in Kano with other peoples’ daughters still in the captivity of the terrorists government told Nigerian have been totally defeated.
The Dapchi schoolgirls have remained in the captivity of the Boko Haram terrorists since they were kidnapped from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe, on February 19, two weeks ago.
Bakare said, “Forgive my ill-mannerism, but I could not comprehend why a governor will celebrate the wedding of his daughter, and another governor of his son, on the front pages of newspapers, flashing it before our eyes, when other peoples’ daughters are in captivity.
“If any of them had lost a daughter in that captivity, would they celebrate that way? I know the Bible says rejoice with them that rejoice, but I do not know what the president of Nigeria was doing there.
“And somebody came to say, let me explain to you, it is Islamic tradition, before this time, about January, they had agreed, that he (Buhari) will be the one to give the bride away and (Bola) Tinubu will be the one to pay the dowry, and present the son, and they agreed long before now.
“I looked at him and said the president of Nigeria wanted to come to my daughter’s wedding, and I said to him, sir, don’t come. That is beneath your office. Face the work of the state and keep serving.
“And 22 governors showed up to mark register, when 110 daughters of citizens of your nation were captured by Boko Haram that you said you have already technically defeated?
“It just shows how insensitive our leaders are. We have gotten to a stage that our president has become a king and a monarch. That his son who rode his pleasurable bike that almost claimed his life, will be returning from an overseas trip, where he had received special healthcare that Nigerians cannot afford, that it took a whole minister of state to go and welcome him, because he has no job.”
Researchers discover new HIV antibody
Researchers said they have discovered an HIV antibody that can suppress the virus for nearly six months without additional treatment.
The new study involved about half of a group of monkeys, infused with a broadly neutralising antibody to HIV combined with an immune stimulatory compound.
The findings, released at the 25th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston, lend a
clue to strategies that attempt to achieve sustained, drug-free viral remission in people living with HIV.
Being supported in part by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the study may have targeted the viral reservoir, populations of long-lived, latently infected cells that harbour the virus and that lead to resurgent viral replication when suppressive therapy was stopped.
“HIV excels at evading the immune system by hiding out in certain immune cells,” said NIAID Director Anthony Fauci.
“The virus can be suppressed to very low levels with antiretroviral therapy, but quickly rebounds to high levels if a person stops taking medications as prescribed.”
“The findings from this early stage research offer further evidence that achieving sustained viral remission without daily medication might be possible,” he added.
In the study, scientists from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center infected 44 rhesus macaques with simian human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV), an HIV-like virus commonly used in nonhuman primate studies.
They then initiated daily antiretroviral therapy (ART) during acute infection to suppress the virus to below detectable levels in the monkey’s blood.
After a 96-week treatment, researchers divided the monkeys into four equal groups and continued to administer ART for 16 additional weeks, with an aim to determine whether the combination of HIV antibody and immune stimulant could reduce the viral reservoir while virus replication was well controlled by the ART.
After discontinuation of ART, the virus rebounded in the blood of all 11 monkeys that neither received HIV antibodies or immune stimulant after a median of 21 days.
The experts also said six of 11 monkeys that received the therapy combination showed a delayed viral rebound after a median of 112 days, and five others of the 11 did not rebound for at least 168 days.
“Our findings suggest that the development of interventions to activate and eliminate a fraction of the viral reservoir might be possible,” said Dan Barouch, principal investigator of the study.
The researchers said compared with the antiretroviral therapy which needs to be taken daily, antibodies to HIV tend to last longer in the body and have shown promise for longer-acting HIV therapeutics and prevention modalities.
Mourinho brushes off Rashford concerns as World Cup looms
Manchester United's English striker Marcus Rashford (L) Manchester United's English midfielder Jesse Lingard (C) and Manchester United's Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho (R) arrive for the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on February 25, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Oli SCARFF /
Jose Mourinho has played down concerns over Marcus Rashford's lack of game time for Manchester United as the World Cup looms, saying England boss Gareth Southgate will pick the forward if he trusts him.
The 20-year-old made an immediate impact when he made his debut for the club two years ago and was fast-tracked into Roy Hodgson's Euro 2016 squad.
Rashford has won 15 caps and become an important member of the England set-up but manager Southgate is reported to be concerned about his lack of starts for United ahead of the World Cup in Russia.
However, Mourinho has played down concerns over a player who last started a Premier League match on Boxing Day.
"No, I don't reassure anyone," the United boss said ahead of his side's match against Crystal Palace on Monday. "The main reassurance for him is that he is always selected.
"There is not one single match when Marcus is not selected to start or to be on the bench."
Mourinho cited Sergio Romero as an example of a player who does not play regularly for his club but who plays for his country. Romero is Manchester United's reserve goalkeeper but is first choice for Argentina.
"So, it's up to Gareth Southgate," said Mourinho. "If he trusts him, he selects him. It doesn't matter if he plays or if he doesn't play for Manchester United."
Mourinho says Rashford remains a key player at United, with his ability to play in different attacking positions.
"At his age, what he's doing is more than enough and the experience he's getting at every level is more than enough for us to be happy with what we think is going to be his future," Mourinho said. "It's as simple as that.
"But because he had such an impact at the beginning, probably people expect him to play even more than he does and score even more than he does and perform even more than what he does but it is not so simple."
Two kids die, 98 injured in school bus accident in Jos
Two pupils of Our Lady of Fatima School, Kuru, near Jos in Plateau, lost their lives in an accident involving their school bus on Monday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
An official of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) at the site of the incident, told NAN that the early morning accident, which occurred around Mararaba-Jama’a road, was as a result of brake failure.
“A total of 10o children and seven staff were in the bus; two children were killed instantly, while those injured have been taken to hospitals,” the official told NAN, pleading anonymity.
According to the official, one boy and one girl lost their lives.
He added that 18 kids were taken to Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, Jos, 76 to the Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos while four others were rushed to Bukuru Specialist Hospital.
Meanwhile, Gov. Simon Lalong has visited some of the injured children taken to Plateau Specialist Hospital.
Lalong, who visited the children on their individual beds, spoke to them in whispers, urging them to be strong.
Mr Yakub Dati, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, later told NAN that the governor had promised to pay the medical bills of those involved in the accident.
HOW I WAS ROBBED IN LAGOS BY "ONE CHANCE
Part 3 (Conclusion)
Having debit cards is not bad, but carrying debit cards around is dangerous. It's in fact, a crime to carry many cards with zero balance around. At this point I think I should say this, when it comes to saving money in your bank account, it's better you have a designated account and subscribe to almost nothing. Not Mobile App. Not internet banking. Not USSD. Not even a cheque book. Just nothing.
Immediately after I contacted my family members, a bike rider who took the other lady to the nearest police station came to take me there as well. I politely asked that I be taken to the closest branch of my bank where my salary account is domiciled. The bike rider without hesitating obliged my request. I quickly explained my plight to the security and demanded to meet with a staff. One of them rushed to the branch manager who dialed contact center. After the call, using her phone she sent a mail with all my details. Then we rushed in, she signed in and placed a lien on the funds in my account. Not a kobo had left. I was grateful.
My other bank was a trekkable distance away, I trekked there. Explained to the security guard manning the entrance door, it was still past 7 and he explained that the banking hall wasn't open. I told him I needed my card blocked, he pointed me to the ATM. 'Mr.! Stop acting like a princupality! I know about self service and that I can hotlist my card through an ATM but I can't remember my card details.' Just then, a staff of the bank came in and asked what the issue was, I went straight to the point and made my simple request, he showed me the ATM, I told him I couldn't remember those details especially the last 4 digits of my card. Then he said l'll need to fill a form. At the sound of a form, I took offense. Is the Nigerian bank now like our Federal hospitals and Health centers where they watch a dying patient give up the ghost in the corridor because they need to 'fill form and pay some ridiculous amount' before treatment will commence. I made it clear that if withdrawals are done on my account from the time I got to the branch and my account gets cleared, they'll pay down to the last kobo. I made it clear that customer's instruction superseded any other instruction or form I needed to fill. Everything can be regularised later. First things first.
When the staff saw my understanding of banking, he asked for my account name, I provided that. He asked for the name of the branch where the account was opened, I provided that. Then he asked for my mobile number tied to the account. I did. All these answers were to help him get my account number from the system cos I couldn't correctly remember my account number and I wasn't ready to gamble with it. He went in with that information and came out shortly smiling. Your card has been blocked and the last transaction on your account was an inflow from Chinasa on the 3rd of February. 'Thanks', I said smiling back.
I called a relation working in a bank next through the help of a family member who had come to my rescue and was now driving me around. I got my card blocked as well. From there I went to my last bank that was actively for savings. There I met no resistance. The customer service agent cooperated well and after asking all security questions made sure to block the card. She wrote down my balance in the account and put the paper in my hand. 'Sorry', she said.
"Thank you", I responded.
Next was to block my SIM card. That was equally successful. I did that over the phone. By the time I was done, I couldn't believe it. That I was alive and well. No tooth lost. I could still see. I wasn't bleeding. I had all my monies intact. I was not in shambles so to say.
By the time I got to the office that day, as I recounted my ordeal, it dawned on me that this pattern has been going on for a while. These guys are on the roads of Lagos unleashing havoc and making the city unsafe. It is to this end I've decided to share my experience and hope someone learns from this. We cannot be too careful but as much as we can, ensure you take adequate measures to protect yourself.
HOW I WAS ROBBED IN LAGOS BY "ONE CHANCE
Part 2
Not knowing where we were or where we were driving to, we had driven for close to one hour cos when they threw out the mama from the bus after seeing that she didn't have money neither did she have a debit card, they instructed her not to shout when they drop her off. They showed her their gun and as expected, she complied.
When the door opened, I wished for an escape myself, I was far inside on the floor in between the legs of a man holding a knife, they told us (the lady behind and I) to be quiet. We made no sound. The drop off was very quick too and the bus zoomed off. I think I saw the woman raise her hands to the sky and thanked her 'God'. Our God must be on their way, I remained hopeful.
Still driving, a call came in. It was from the gang member who was with our cards. Six cards in total. I had four while the lady behind had two. The caller confirmed that all my pins were correct but that the lady behind gave them the wrong pins. I think at that point she got stabbed. There was frustration by the reaction of everyone in the bus, including me. Just gives them the correct pin so we can be free please. What is money compared to life?
Because the longer we stayed with them, the more ideas of evil they may have.
From slaps from left and right, she gave the right pin. They called back the guy at the ATM stand and he confirmed it. But there was yet another bad news for them...
The ATM wasn't dispensing cash!
When I heard it, I knew my own God had arrived. But bad news for me, one of the guys suggested he tried another machine in a different bank so off he continued while we drove. Some guy advised that it was already very bright and since the cards were in their position they should look for a lonely path to throw us out. The rest of them concurred. The search for a lonely place at past 7 was not easy to find. After another long drive in curses and threats, we were given the ground rules.
'Now you guys will go down, but first, we go apply aboniki balm for your eyes... Don't worry, we go lead you down, don't shout. When you get down, no shout! If you shout, we will shoot!'
"I no go shout!" I nodded "but I beg, no rub me robb for eyes, I get eye problem"
'E be like say this girl no serious o! We go give her HIV o!'
"I no go shout, just drop me"
The lady behind, wailing and pleading promised not to shout too. They took out generous amount of aboniki balm and applied into our eyes that was when we both began to cry like babies   
The bus halted. We were led down and the engine started. But guess what!
In our semi blind state, that lady began to shout, "thief! Thief! Thief! Somebody help me! I've been robbed! Catch them for me!"
Ah! Please I need to see. Where am I? I continued crying.
Just then, some good Samaritans appeared and began asking questions. Someone gave me handkerchief, I tried and tried to clean off the balm but it kept hurting. I begged for a phone and called a family member. The tears after a while washed away the balm and its effects, then my eyes became clear. Where I saw myself was at ketu. I said a quick prayer. Turned to look at my fellow victim but she was nowhere to be found. My head was pounding, without cash or phone, I asked for water from the crowd that looked at me with pity. One man said everyday, they drop off victims along that road. Another asked if I was touched, I said I was beaten. He sympathized with me. Then I remembered my debit cards...
WHAT TO DO AFTER YOU'VE BEEN ROBBED...
1. I'll advice, just the same way you memorize numbers of close friends and family members, memorize your bank's contact center number. I guess no one may have told you this before but hear it today. Call Contact Center! If you can't call, send an email. That number is as important as your account officer's number. Make sure you put a call through.
2. If for any reason you're unable to reach your banks via telephone, visit the nearest branch. Get your card hotlisted! Block your card! Don't waste time before doing this. You may ask, why block a card after I've been robbed and money withdrawn from my account? I'll respond by saying, you never know who will pay in money in another two to three hours time. With that card active with them, you're perpetually doomed. Get the card blocked! And do so immediately.
3. Immediately you walk into a banking hall, get a customer service agent place a lien on your account. There's a limit to how much can be withdrawn daily. In case they have reached that limit, make sure you place hold on the balance in your account.
4. Desist from saving bank SMS alerts on your phone when you have an attractive closing balance. You can always request for statement of account or email alerts instead.
5. If transfer was done through POS, keep calm. Your funds can be traced. There is a money trail and you 'can' get your money back and even get the criminals arrested....
More to come
HOW I WAS ROBBED IN LAGOS BY "ONE CHANCE"*
PART 1
I feel compelled to share my story out here so others can learn and act even more smartly when faced with these robbers while on transit.
The rate of crime in Lagos is increasingly alarming and our security forces are almost oblivious to what area boys/jobless youths/touts are doing to innocent and unsuspecting passengers on the streets of Lagos.
It was a bright and early Monday morning in Surulere where I live, I had just prepared for work and ready to hit the road before traffic starts building up on our roads for Monday mornings are usually very busy with meetings and appointments that no one dares to miss. I, like the many others who were at the junction at that time stood waiting for our rides. Some were waiting for their staff bus, some friends and colleagues, others commercial buses enroute their destinations. My mobile phones were dead due to the epileptic power supply in my area so I couldn't contact the colleagues I drive with to work. While I stood at the bus stop, a yellow commercial bus drove by... Half empty.
"CMS! CMS!"
Without suspecting, I flagged it down. Joined the bus together with a bystander (male). As the bus drove off, it continued to pick other bystanders who posed like they were rushing off to their businesses that early. I would later find out that they were a gang of robbers save for an elderly woman and a lady who sat at the back and quarreled with the guy who wouldn't close his legs for her to be comfortable on the journey.
Midway through, we were all asked to pay for the fare, I brought out the only cash on me, a crisp N1,000 note and paid. Everyone in the bus paid too. The guy next to me demanded for change, I echoed his request as well. The conductor responded by acknowledging his indebtedness to us. There was mild traffic. They made to divert. One passenger behind said he needed to alight from the bus. The conductor told him to be patient for the driver to park well but he was impatient, nudging the lady beside him to give way.
"Haba! You wan fly?" The lady angrily shouted.
"I say shift make I come down" The impatient guy responded.
"O'l boy, wait make we park well na" The conductor said multiple times.
I couldn't be bothered by all the drama behind and I concluded within me that those duo behind simply lacked manners for CMS buses by that time carried well mannered people who were rushing to their corporate offices with many dressed in suits and ties. Well, with a few exceptions being cleaners, drivers, security guards of companies. It was always easy to spot. One thing was common, time. Time, which is always of the essence.
That argument before I knew it, turned into a wrestle. Things happened so fast. In a split second I was on the floor. It was a command that I obeyed. The lady behind had been pushed to the middle and the phone in her hand snatched. She screamed while I shivered. The bus kept moving. In my heart of hearts, I thought that fateful Monday was going to be my last. The man beside me, fair in complexion, collected my hand bag and began searching through it. He got hold of my Android phone which was dead and asked me to put it on. I told him innocently that the battery was dead. He thought I was lying and a slap would do the trick, so he slapped me hard. I begged him. I begged him with tears in my eyes to believe me. The guy next to him matched me to shut up.
"I say on this phone before I rape you here!"
'Ah! Please don't touch me. The battery of the phone is dead. It died over ten hours ago. Since last night!'
I noticed after I said that that I was speaking English with an accent to boys who are hungry. So I switched to pidgin.
"How you dey take unlock your phone?"
'Na pin!' I said with a shaky voice.
"Pin or pattern!? " The coarse voice barked back.
'Pin!'
"Wetin be the pin?" He demanded to know
'1233' I told him truthfully.
"Put your head down! Your hands flat! Close your eyes!"
'My head dey down. Abeg don't hurt me. No wound me aabeg!'
"Shut up your mouth!" He brought out a sharp table knife.
The other guy was still searching through my bag. One with my wallet. The men in front asking the guys behind what they could find in the bag. I had no cash except for the one I paid the conductor with but I had four debit cards. They had found three.
With a slap, they asked for my pin, unknown to me, they had a POS terminal with the chairman in front. I gave a wrong pin. They tried it and it was incorrect. There and then, I thought I felt my tooth leave my mouth for the slap was unleashed out of anger. I began to pray for if I'll die, I shouldn't die because of debit card pin that was incorrect. Three words I began to mutter...
'Nothing missing. Nothing stolen. Nothing destroyed.'
The lady behind was being rough handled. The mama in front was being harassed. They began to search me roughly. I had a sanitary pad in my handbag just for keepsake. I was calm. They threatened to rape me, it was still dark, I was well covered and the bus was tight but still I prayed. 'Nothing missing. Nothing stolen. Nothing destroyed'.
Then the guy with my bag took out my work ID. it was like he struck gold. He told the one with my purse to search for my bank's debit card. It was hiding somewhere in the purse. That card warehouses all my funds. That card was really liquid. After what looked like minutes, he found it and demanded for the pin. I gave him the correct pin. He typed it on his phone. Asked me for the balance in the account, I said 5k. What befell me made me see stars. I quickly increased it to 20k. Told them I was just a contract staff who only got a job one month ago. So they asked, 'savings or current?'
"Current!" I can't die lying.
They got the pins of all my four debit cards and just when one of the guys got off the bus to an ATM for cash withdrawal, I suddenly felt calm. The words I had been muttering began to give me peace. I will leave in one piece.
The bus driver continued to drive.
I kept praying inside.
The men made suggestive comments.
The lady behind kept screaming as they tortured her...
Our end was near....
WHY NIGERIANS MUST UNCONDITIONALLY SUPPORT BUHARI’S QUEST TO CLEAN THE AUGEAN STABLE – CHRIS OKOTIE
These, certainly are not the best of times for the grex venalium (the venal crowd) popularly known by ordinary Nigerians as treasury looters. The ongoing battle by President Muhammadu Buhari against this corrupt cabal who have held this nation hostage for years leaves no one in doubt that it is no longer business as usual for politicians of fortune.
It is a mistake to assume, that this is President Buhari’s private battle to clean the Augean stable. Rather, it should be seen as a determined effort to right the wrongs of the bad leadership which has been the bane of Nigeria’s development for decades.
Previous attempts to fight corruption were somehow symptomatic but the present government has adopted a strong, pathological approach that aims to get to the root of the matter, which is why every Nigerian should give the president total support.
What is being done now, if carried to the logical conclusion, would free the country from the labyrinth of a deeply entrenched tribe of Machiavellian politicians whose sole purpose for seeking power is to loot our common patrimony. When former President Goodluck Jonathan emerged on the scene, he came across as a power –shy, harmless politician on whose shoulders providence placed the leadership of this great nation at a critical period in our political evolution.
His moving story of grass to grace, with the memorable line that he went to school like many Nigerians without shoes, caught the attention of the electorate who gave him the mandate in his first-ever quest to seek elective office in 2011. Once on the Presidential seat in that enclave called Aso Rock, we saw a different Jonathan altogether.
Never has a President in this country come to power with such level of goodwill and blew it just as fast as Dr. Jonathan. Perhaps, overwhelmed by the demands of office, or ill-prepared for its challenges, the first president from a southern minority exhibited poor governing capacity and inherent weakness unbecoming of the leader of a huge country like ours.
He had to be goaded to act with firmness when occasion demanded, which was why he virtually lost control of his presidency to his cronies. His appointees and associates went about looting the public treasury with unprecedented impunity; not even the intermittent public outrage moved President Jonathan to sanction them. And when he did, it was either too little or too late. Corrupt ministers were relieved of their posts with slaps on the wrist, while nothing was done about their loot.
With the current anti-corruption saga, we can now understand why Jonathan and his PDP cohorts spared no expenses to buy themselves back to power. This time however, the fairy tale run of Goodluck failed them. The hapless President was sent packing. Serendipity was out of kilter! That era of impunity ended suddenly, but we cannot just sweep what happened during the PDP government under the carpet.
Regardless of who is involved, justice must be done to send a clear message that leaders must be accountable even after they leave office. I perceive that this is what President Buhari is trying to prove, that is why I support him. The charge of selective prosecution and the ethnic or religious card being played by some to discredit this Anti-corruption war is nothing but a mischievous charade.
Those arrested for suspected corrupt practices cut across the party, ethnic and religious divide. Nigerians must therefore, not fall for the antics of the venal rich, who are fighting back, using media propaganda to win sympathy. One is however, constrained to raise this point because of a public statement credited to Anthony Cardinal Okogie in which the Catholic prelate expressed reservations about the government’s philosophy in prosecuting the Anti-corruption war vis-a-vis the Rule of Law and his perceived thinking that other governance issues are not being addressed as should.
The cardinal is entitled to his opinion, but there is no factual evidence to support this claim. The venerable Cardinal is unappreciative of the dialectics of change within the Nigerian context. The Nigerian scenario is indicative of an aberration embedded in our political genes. Whereas politics and economics are sociological kinsmen, yet politics maintains an ascendancy over economics in practical realities.
The hoi polloi determines the political leadership but economic superintendence is the prerogative of the elite. Nigeria’s existential bane is not lack of professors in mantled academia, nor is it a paucity of economic knowledge in the geo-political arena. Rather, it is leadership, leadership and yet leadership. Ad nauseam!
Leadership is the terra-firma upon which the citadel of progress can be erected. If the foundation be destroyed by corruption what can the righteous do? It is my founded expectation that the respected cardinal would urge the government to probe the leadership of CAN, PFN and other pseudo religious organisations who acquired their fabricated titles under spurious Christian nomenclature.
If Attahiru Bafarawa was the accredited agent of the Muslim prayers welfare package, who then collected on behalf of the multitudes of Christians? Who? Who is that Christian proboscis whose insidious suction availed himself of billions of naira on behalf of the followers of Christ? Who is that Judas? Maybe Judases? What about Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor’s one-plane airline becoming the surreptitious instrumentality for some covert military operations involving over 9 million dollars in South Africa?
All sacred cows must become secularized. Government must ascertain the scope of pecuniary inducement that informed their political alignments in the 2015 elections. What an irony, that those who should scrupulously guide the people are themselves poisoning the water from which the flock will drink. Corruption is a hydra headed monstrosity that must be confronted by the gladiators of righteousness. For indeed, he who dares to face his maker, will not tremble before the Sons of men.
Satis verborum!
We must understand that even if the law is an ass, corrupt folks must not be allowed to ride it out of the dragnet of the law when apprehended. The present campaign is a challenge to the integrity of our jurisprudence. Members of the bar and bench are Nigerians, and they must not sabotage the efforts of this government to restore sanity to governance in this country. There’s nothing the EFCC has done so far to suggest that it disrespects the rule of law. The president himself has said, ‘You cannot fight impunity with impunity’.
-Rev Chris Okotie.
Robert Mugabe has been reported dead. HARARE, ZIMBABWE
Former Zimbabwean long serving president Robert Mugabe died peacefully Sunday at his home in Harare, according to a statement from his family. The cause of death was not given.
A statement from Mugabe’s wife, Grace Mugabe, said: “My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Robert Gabriel Mugabe, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather has passed away at 94 years of age. His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa issued a statement saying that he and first lady Auxilia Mnangagwa were “greatly saddened” to hear of the former president’s death.
“Ex-president Mugabe was a great Zimbabwean who gave many years of dedicated service to our country,” Mr Mnangagwa said.
“The Zimbabwean people will always admire Robert Mugabe’s devotion to duty, his personal character, and the honorable conduct of his administration. We mourn the loss of such a leader, and our longest serving president will always have a special place in our Nation’s memory. On behalf of all Zimbabweans, Auxilia and I offer our deepest sympathies to Grace Mugabe and all of the family. Our thoughts and prayers will be with them in the hours and days ahead,” – he concluded.
Robert Gabriel Mugabe, 94, was the longest serving President of Zimbabwe, serving from 1987-2017.
As one of the leaders of the rebel groups in opposition to white minority rule, he was elected Prime Minister in 1980, serving in that office as head of the government, until 1987, when he became the country’s first executive head of state.
He had led the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) since 1975.
As of August 2017, he was the world’s oldest and one of the longest serving Head of State.
His 36-year rule has been characterised by gross human rights violations, resulting in him joining the world list of dictators.
Mugabe rose to prominence in the 1960s as the leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) during the conflict against the conservative white-minority government of Rhodesia.
SHOCKING NEWS: PARENT CONFIRM FIVE YEARS OLD DAUGHTER PREGNANT IN PLATEAU STATE
Parent Confirms Five Years Old Daughter Pregnant In Plateau State – A five years old girl in what can only be described as incredible has been confirmed pregnant in a remote village of Kanke local government area, Plateau State.
Wonders shall never end, what we should no is that the world is at the end time.
Reports say that the father told newsmen that, his daughter of Five years began to complain of excruciating pains in her groin which they didn’t pay commensurate attention to. After a while, they noticed that her breasts were developing, all of which they attributed to early adolescence precocity.
Their fears was confirmed after tests were carried out on her when they noticed her protuberant tummy. The pregnancy test came back with a positive verdict.
According to reports, the locals and family of the girl are still in a state of shock, considering the girl’s age and biological placing.
The child’s parents said, the perpetrator of the strange act is not known but the police has begun an inquiry with the view to unmask the identity of the perpetrator behind the heinous crime.
This is noting but end time. All in the scripture has been fulfilled.
How Nigerians are suffering themselves
It is the business of the government to provide for security and well being of the citizen irrespective of tribal and background.
Development is human centred, that is the holistic improvement in the life's of individual in all ramifications. Using Abraham Maslow hierarchy of needs as the theoritical framework of analysis in this study, because man must eat before doing anything(Engel). The economical situation of inidividual citizen in the country has been subjected to the rise and fall in dollar- an alien currency (agent of imperialism),this is because the economy of the country was integrated into the economy of the industrial capitalist of the west ( Claude Ake 1981:12).
With the discovery of oil in the 19's, the agricultural sector was relegated to it minimal level and instead for our past leaders to restore the glory and honour of the sector to what it to be in the epoch of the country as one of the best exporter in cocoa, groundnut, timber and rubber, but the case is vice-versa, and a nation who refused to develop it own resources for consumption for the populace but depend on the external forces for covertion of its resources can not develop, although every nation have the indices of development but utilization of all these indices is the problem.
Confronted with all these contradiction it was inevitable for dollar not to rise against Naira, the rational is crystal clear because the bedrock of the state economy is crude oil and the price is falling dramastically in the international market, therefore, the effect will be on our economy, that is all imported goods and services will be inflated in price.
But the modus-operandi of this write up, is about how local markerters inflate the price of all goods and services lying against rise in dollar, imagine the price of pure water increase just because of dollar, are we importing pure water? Increase in the price of cow meat? Are we also importing cows? Also increase in locust bean from #20 to #30, just because of dollar, even the Yaba made clothes and Shoes labelled made in USA increased, I don't blame the producer of Aba and Yaba goods because one's Nigerians knows that this commodity is made from Aba or Yaba then it is not original, but the made in USA, Germany, Italy are the original.
Though globalization is the highest stage of capitalism for now because the more developed the productive force the more advance a society will be, the interaction of the third world with the West is one sided, been to the extent that if America caught cold the third world countries will sneeze ( Causality theory).
I hereby recommend that will should re-oriented ourselves and the government should make the agricultural sector encouraging for the youth. For you to fight an alien and oppressive culture you must embraced your language, let patronize our local made goods and shun imported goods and services. (Gbadebo Ibrahim 2016)
DADDY FREEZE REACTS TO KIKI OSINBAJO’S PROPOSED MARRIAHE TO BOLA SHAGAYA’S SON
Controversial OAP, Daddy Freeze just reacted to the news of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s Daughter Damilola getting married to Shamsideen Oluwaseun Bakare, the son of one of Nigeria’s richest businesswomen, Hajia Bola Shagaya.
Charity Uzoechina, the daughter of Redeemed Christian Church of God Pastor, Raymond Uzoechina, who made headlines with her story of conversion to Islam, was set to marry the lawyer who handles her controversial case in court but the Niger state Government called it off.
Aisha (formerly known as Charity) Uzoechina, 26, was supposed to be marrying her Muslim lawyer, Barrister Tijani, reportedly on May 2. However, the Governor of Niger state, Babangida Aliyu, where Uzoechina resides, ordered that the wedding to be stopped as he got information that Aisha’s parents were not informed of her upcoming wedding.
According to Vanguard, imams and other Muslim clerics were already gathered when the wedding was canceled.
Zuma refuses to resign, says he is being victimised
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