Liz Anjorin Converts To Islam, Changes Name To Aisha - Islam for Muslims

PHOTOS: Actress, Liz Anjorin
Converts To Islam, Changes
Name To ‘Aisha’
Yoruba actress, Lizzy Anjorin
has converted to a muslim and
now goes by the name ‘Aisha’.
The actress has obviouslsy paid
her dues in the industry and
she’s making waves one of
which was the success of the
shooting of her forthcoming
thriller entitled “Kofo De First
Lady.”
The Badagry Lagos State-born
mother of one is said to have
travelled to India, Morocco,
Cameroon and other
neighbouring countries to shop
for her newly re-branded fashion
out fit called Pick Me Reloaded,
at Ogba, Lagos.
Lizzy who is said to have
travelled to Mecca this year has
joined the list of Nigerian
celebrities who have visited the
holy land.
Posted by Deoluon October 13,
2013.

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ASUU Rejects N600 Billion Offer

ASUU rejects N600 BILLION
offer
Varsity teachers remained
adamant last night, saying their
strike would go on, despite the
government’s shifting of its
position. The strike has been on
for four months.
More cash has been pledged for
projects on the campuses.
Besides, the earned allowances
due to the teachers have been
increased from the initial N30
billion offer, which the Academic
Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) rejected. The teachers
are insisting on the 2009
agreement, which they say
President Goodluck Jonathan
was part of. Besides, they say,
they do not trust the
government.
According to a circular by the
Vice Chancellor of the Federal
University, Otuoke, Bayelsa
State, Prof. Bolaji Aluko, to the
staff of the school, quoted
yesterday by the news website,
Sahara Reporters, the
government has pledged to
spend N200 billion on the
universities in the 2014 budget
and the same amount annually
for the next three to four years.
This is in addition to the N100
billion already made available
this year, but which ASUU has
rejected.
The government has also
increased to N40 billion, as a
first installment, funds for the
payment of earned allowances
to the striking lecturers – an
improvement from the N30
billion previously released.
On the earned allowances,
Aluko said: “Government will top
it up with further releases once
universities are through with the
disbursement of this new figure
of N40 million. So, Vice-
Chancellors are urged to
expedite this disbursement
within the shortest possible
time using guiding templates
that have been sent by the
CVC,” the circular said.
Aluko said the latest
development followed meetings
on September 19 and Oct 11 of
representatives of the
Association of Vice-Chancellors
of Nigerian Universities, led by
its Chairman, Prof. Hamisu of
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
University (ATBU) and ASUU
representatives led by its
President, Dr.Nasir Fagge, with
Vice-President Namadi Sambo
and Minister of Education
Nyesome Wike.
A source in the Ministry of
Education last night also
confirmed that the meeting took
place.
“But the government decided to
leave the announcement of the
decision to the ASUU chiefs,”
the source said.
It was gathered that Sambo
urged ASUU to call off the
strike, as he apologised for the
“take-it-or-leave-it” comments
credited to Minister of Finance
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at the
beginning of the strike. The
Minister did not seem to have
been involved in either meeting,
perhaps as the government’s
way of soothing the feelings of
the university teachers.
Other points of agreement at the
meetings include:
•Project Prioritisation:
Universities will now be allowed
to determine their priorities and
not be “rail-roaded” into
implementing a pre-determined
set of projects with respect to
the NEEDS assessment.
Decisions are not to be
centralized;
•TETFund Intervention: The
government assured the
teachers that the operations of
the TETFund will not be
impaired, and that the regular
TETFund intervention
disbursement to universities will
continue, unaffected. So the
NEEDS assessment capital
outlays are in addition to
regular TETFund intervention;
•Project Monitoring: A new
Implementation Monitoring
Committee (IMC) for the NEEDS
Assessment intervention for
universities has been set up to
take over from the Suswam
Committee. The new one is
under the Federal Ministry of
Education and chaired by the
Minister of Education. In
addition, to build confidence
and ensure faithful
implementation and prevent any
relapse as before, the Vice
President will meet quarterly
with the implementors to
monitor progress.
.Blueprint: ASUU was mandated
to submit a blueprint for
revitalising the universities to
the Vice President.
Prof. Aluko stated that a signed
document will soon be issued to
itemise the full issues on which
the consensus was reached.
But ASUU last night was
unimpressed with the new offer.
National Treasurer Dr. Ademola
Aremu said the offer failed to
meet the teachers’ expectations.
He said the offer falls short of
the agreement signed with
ASUU by the government.
Aremu insisted that ASUU would
not end the strike until the 2009
agreement is fully implemented
by injecting N500 billion into
the universities yearly to shore
up the system’s quality.
Aremu, who spoke to our
correspondent on the telephone,
said any offer below what is
contained in the signed
agreement, would amount to
unilateral repudiation of an
agreement the government
willingly signed in 2009.
According to the unionist, ASUU
is not making any new demand,
but a mere implementation of an
agreement. He pointed out that
the Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) signed by
both parties in 2009 stated that
the government would commit
N1.5 trillion to the system in
three years.
He said: “ Even if the Federal
Government made that promise,
it would be a unilateral
repudiation of the 2009
agreement. By now, the
government should have
injected N500 billion. That
amounts to N100 billion in 2012
and N400 billion in the current
year.
“As a matter of fact, any new
commitment from the Federal
Government is belated.
Implementation of the
agreement ought to have started
before this year. I don’t think
there is any way we can trust
this government, going by its
past behaviour on this issue.
“The mandate from our principal
as at the last time we met was
that we won’t end the strike
until the agreement is fully
implemented.
“We do not need promises
again. What we need now is
actual implementation. What if
they do not release the funds
again after making the promise?
“It was this same Mr President
that mid-wifed the agreement in
2009 when he was the Vice
President. The MoU was in his
custody. He studied the
agreement well before asking
then President Umaru Yar’Adua
to sign it. We can’t trust this
government.

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N255m Car Scandal: Minister Stella Oduah Gets 72hrs To Resign

The heat is on. Nigeria's most
visible anti-corruption watchdog
led by a former legislator, Hon.
Dino Melaye, has given Nigeria's
Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah
72 hours to resign from office.
The ultimatum follows
revelations that she arm-twisted
a cash-strapped agency, the
NCAA, to purchase two armored
BMW 760 Li cars for her at
highly inflated prices.
Obascotec gathered from a
top source in Abuja that even
President Goodluck Jonathan is
shocked at Stella Oduah's
spending of N255m for just two
cars but he can't do anything
due to some reasons.
Anyway, Dino Melaye said his
group will embark on series of
actions to force President
Jonathan to fire the Mrs. Oduah
as a minister of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria as well as
order her to return the $1.6
million to the Nigeria Civil
Aviation Authority, which was
forced to buy the cars.
Dino Melaye said the purchase
of the vehicles was done in
violation of the various rules and
law guiding such high-level
procurement by government
officials, particularly the
monetiazation policy of federal
government.
First, Dino Melaye said he is
heading to court next Tuesday
to force the EFCC to prosecute
the Minister.
On the cost of the vehicles,
Melaye described them as
“unconscionable,” recalling that
the Speaker of House of Reps
also purchased two Armored
Mercedes Benz S-600 B7 grade
armored cars a year ago for less
than $800,000.
He also disclosed that he had
requested for quotations from
Germany that show that the
vehicles actually cost less than
$200,000 each. Even then, he
stressed, the Minister has no
right to purchase the vehicles
for her personal use in the first
place.
Stella Oduah is the co-chair of
President Jonathan’s main
presidential campaign team,
Neighbor-2-Neighbor hence she
may not be sacked since
Jonathan is known to romance
corrupt people openly.

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Popular Muslim Cleric Rapés & Beats His 5yrs Daughter to Death

Wonders, they say, shall never
end. A conservative Muslim
preacher in Saudi Arabia has
been sentenced to eight years in
prison and 800 lashes for raping
his five-year-old daughter.
The preacher, pictured above, is
known as Fayhan al-Ghamdi. He
usually preached on television
as a good man. But he lost he
sense of decency and violated
his daughter of just 5years. Not
only did this Muslim cleric raped
his young daughter, he also beat
her mercilessly, leading to her
death.
Fayhan was convicted of beating
his daughter Lama with canes,
burning her with electrical
cables, crushing her skull and
tearing off her nails. She was
also raped repeatedly and died
later in a Saudi hospital.
Saudi Arabia is know to follow a
strict interpretation of Islam
under which murder, drug
trafficking, rape and armed
robbery are capital crimes, with
execution mostly by firing
squad. But in the case of Muslim
preacher Fayhan, he was
sentenced to just 8years in
prison .
The case of Lama caused a
public outcry and brought to
light sensitive issues
surrounding the ambiguity of
punishment for Saudi fathers
found guilty of murdering their
own children.
Saudi officials say the popular
Muslim preacher was not given a
harsher sentence because the
girl's mother accepted 1 million
riyals, roughly $267,000, from
him (her ex-husband) as "blood
money," which is allowed in
litigation under Saudi law.
The Egyptian mother, who
acquired Saudi nationality
through her ex-husband, said
she is a poor woman with no
income. By accepting the money,
she waived the right to demand
retribution against Fayhan for
the death of their daughter.
Some are however alleging that
the woman was pressured to
accept the money.

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The Healing Power Of Bitter Kola

Bitter kola is a type of nut
mostly found in several parts of
Nigeria and West-Central Africa
as a whole and the tree grows in
the (tropical) rain forests. Its
biological name is “Garcinia
kola” and it belongs to the family
of “Guittiferal”. Bitter Kola has
been identified as a potent
antibiotic which could be
effective in the treatment of
many diseases confronting
people today.
The fruit, seeds, nuts and bark of
the tropical tree have been used
for centuries in traditional
medicines to treat many forms of
ailments. Below are the benefits
of Bitter Kola:
Chewing bitter kola relieves
coughs, hoarseness, bronchial
and throat troubles. Several
studies discovered bitter kola to
be a remedy for dysentery,
osteoarthritis, antidote against
poisoning and considered an
aphrodisiac.
Improves lung functions
Bitter kola has been used for
centuries to treat chest colds in
traditional medicine, but
research has taken a look and
found out why it is effective. A
study in the 2009 issue of The
Internet Journal of Pulmonary
Medicine, performed on mice,
reports that Garcinia kola
improved respiratory function
after 28 days of use of a
Garcinia extract. Written by
Simon Adekunle of the Ekiti State
University in Nigeria, the study
shows that Garcinia kola works
by dilating the alveolar ducts
and sacs in the lungs by
improving the strength of the
fibers in the lung tissue. Bitter
kola’s beneficial lung properties
are attributed to its high
antioxidant content.
Bitter Kola health benefit for
malaria
Considerable experimental
studies found the chemical
constituents in bitter kola have
anti-malaria properties. That
aside, traditional healers have,
for years, prescribed bitter kola
for the treatment of malaria
infections.
Researchers who reported that
bitter kola had anti-malaria
effect in the 2010 issue of
Journal of Medicinal Plants
Research, from a survey of
plants used by traditional healers
in the Democratic Republic of
Congo, attributed this to its
quinones content.
Further more, kolaviron, the
powerful chemical compound
found in bitter kola, was
reportedly tested on a malaria
parasite and found to inhibit
malarial activity.

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Bail Granted To ALUU 4 Suspects

This morning October 17th
2013 , A high court sitting in
Port Harcourt granted bail to
four out of the twelve persons
facing trail in the murder case of
the four Uniport students. The
four are: Omoikiri Aluu monarch:
Alhaji Welewa, Okoghiroh
Endurance, Ozioma Abajuo and
Chigozie Evans Samuel.
Presiding Judge, Justice Letan
Nyordee granted them bail on
grounds that their offense is not
a capital offense and is bailable.
They were granted bail to the
tune of N2 million with two
sureties and the court asked the
sureties to submit their
passports. The sureties mus also
have landed property in Port
Harcourt and must show means
of livelihood and evidence of
paying tax for two years. The
other eight suspects were
refused bail due to the murder
charges against them.
The court also admitted the
photographs negatives and the
Youtube CD of the incident
tendered as exhibits in the
matter.

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Zuriel Oduwole Becomes Ambassador In Tanzania

Zuriel Oduwole, a Nigeria wonder
girl advocating for education for
the girl child in Africa at the age
of 10 already became the
youngest person ever
interviewed by Forbes. Now
Zuriel is 11 and she has been
appointed Ambassador in
Tanzania. It was the girl’s
second country stop on her East
African leg to launch the
acclaimed Dream Up, Speak Up,
Stand Up program, aimed at
inspiring and motivating Africa’s
girls.
When the girl’s plane landed,
she was welcomed by senior
officials of the Tanzanian State
House, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, and Ministry of Education
On the first day Zuriel visited
one of the oldest academic
institutions in Dar Es Salaam, the
Olympio School. In the afternoon
of October 11th, the day
designated by the UN to
celebrating the Girl Child, she
attended the United Nations
UNFPA event in Dar Es Salaam,
which focused on reducing the
incidence of child marriage in
Tanzania.
She later gave exclusive
interview to the national ITV
network. Her stay, rich in events,
was followed by formal invitation
by the First Lady to the State
House. Madam Salma Kikwete
praised Zuriel for attracting
attention to the issues of girls
education to several African
leaders.
It is important to mention that
Zuriel has interviewed at least
nine African leaders, including
the Tanzanian head of state.
First Lady then formally
appointed her an Ambassador
for the largest foundation in
Tanzania focused on gender
issues – Wanawake na
Maendeleo Foundation [WAMA]
of which she is the founding
Patron.
Mrs. Kikwete then presented
Zuriel with several gifts and an
intricate three-foot statue of
unity, the same type presented
to the US President, to
symbolize the effect of Zuriel’s
programs in the lives of Africa’s
young
women.

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ASUU Strike: FG Agrees On N200b In 2014 Budget On Universities -

Towards ending the ongoing
ASUU strike, the Federal
Government has committed to
spending N200 billion in the
2014 budget on the universities
as well as on each of the next
three-four years until the
universities are brought to
world-class standard. This is in
addition to the N100 billion
dedicated and already made
available for 2013.
The government has also
increased to N40 billion as a
first installment, funds for the
payment of earned allowances
to the striking lecturers, an
improvement from the N30
billion previously released.
This information is contained in
an internal Federal University of
Otuoke statement by Professor
Bolaji Aluko, its Vice-
Chancellor, seen on Wednesday
night by SaharaReporters.
On the earned allowances, he
explained, “Government will top
it up with further releases once
universities are through with
the disbursement of this new
figure of N40 million, so Vice-
Chancellors are urged to
expedite this disbursement
within the shortest possible
time using guiding templates
that have been sent by the
CVC,” the circular said.
Professor Aluko said the
development followed meetings
on September 19 and Oct 11 of
representatives of the
Association of Vice-Chancellors
of Nigerian Universities, led by
CVC Chairman, Prof. Hamisu of
ATBU and ASUU
Representatives led by its
President, Dr. N. Fagge with the
Vice-President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, Arc.
Namadi. Sambo, Minister of
Education Barr. N. Wike and
others.
Of great interest to
stakeholders, Vice-President
Sambo, appealing to ASUU to
call off the strike, apologized
for the "take-it-or-leave-it"
comments credited to the
Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala at the onset of
the strike. The Minister did not
seem to have been involved in
either meeting, perhaps as the
government’s way of soothing
the feelings of the university
teachers.
Other points of agreement at
the meetings include the
following:
Project Prioritization:
Universities will now be allowed
to determine their priorities and
not be “rail-roaded” into
implementing a pre-determined
set of projects with respect to
the NEEDS assessment.
Decisions are not to be
centralized.
TETFund Intervention:
Government assured that the
operations of the TETFund will
not be impaired, and that the
regular TETFund intervention
disbursement to Universities
will continue, unaffected. So the
NEEDS assessment capital
outlays are in addition to
regular TETFund intervention.
Project Monitoring: A new
Implementation Monitoring
Committee (IMC) for the NEEDS
Assessment intervention for
universities has been set up to
take over from the Suswan
Committee. The new one is
under the Federal Ministry of
Education and chaired by the
Honorable Minister of
Education. In addition, to build
confidence and ensure faithful
implementation and prevent any
relapse as before, the Vice
President will meet quarterly
with the IMC to monitor
progress.
Blueprint: ASUU was mandated
to submit a blue print for
revitalizing the Universities to
the Vice President.
Prof. Aluko further stated that a
signed document will soon be
issued to itemize the full issues
on which the consensus he had
outlined here, as brokered by
AVCNU, was reached.

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NLC Mobilises To Fight S*xual Harassment, Child Labour -

The Women’s Wing of Nigerian
Labour Congress, NLC,
yesterday, said that it was
mobilising to fight s*xual
harassment against women,
child labour and under-age
marriage.
Speaking to newsmen in Lagos,
Ms Olubunmi Abikoye, the
Chairperson of Lagos wing of
the NLC, told newsmen: “We
are working on a programme to
move against women’s s*xual
harassment and child labour,
including under-age marriage,
before the year runs out.
“We are mobilising support to
show that we are not in
support of all the s*xual
harassment that is going on at
an alarming rate, both in the
public and private sectors. We
also frown at child marriage
and say no to it.”
According to Abikoye, the union
was partnering with some non-
governmental organisations
and women’s groups in various
organisations, market women
and the grassroots, to carry
women from all cadres along.
She also called on the Federal
and state governments to revert
maternity leave for women to
84 working days, instead of the
current 84 days that included
weekends.
She said: “The 84 days with
weekends are not enough for a
woman, who has carried a
pregnancy for nine months, to
take care of herself and her
baby after birth.
“Government should, therefore,
revert to the 84 working days
maternity leave.”
Abikoye also advised women in
the private sector to watch out
for clauses that peg maternity
leave at one month and reject
them, while signing
employment contracts.
She said that the wing was
working with various women’s
groups to identify other areas
where women’s rights were
being violated and to tackle
them.
She expressed concern about
the violation of women’s rights
in the banking and insurance
sectors, adding that the union
had identified some local and
international firms that
employed children, and would
picket them.

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ASUU Strike Might End Today -

Introduction: Following two
meetings (on Thursday
19th Sept 2013 and Friday
11th Oct 2013) of
representatives
of the AVCNU (Association
of Vice-Chancellors of
Nigerian
Universities, led by CVC
Chairman, Prof. Hamisu of
ATBU)
and ASUU Representatives
(led by its President, Dr.
Fagge)
with the Vice-President of
the Federal Republic of
Nigeria,
Arc. N. Sambo, Minister of
Education Barr. N. Wike and
others, all Vice-Chancellors
have been urged to inform
and
enlighten academic and
other staff on the following
developments so that we
can ensure a return to
normalcy in
our universities within the
shortest possible time.
Earned Allowances: The
N30 billion already released
will
now be increased to N40
billion, and should be
regarded only as first
installment, and not a once-
and-for-all payment.
Government will top it up
with further releases once
universities are through
with the disbursement of
this new
figure of N40 million, so
Vice-Chancellors are urged
to
expedite this disbursement
within the shortest possible
time using guiding
templates that have been
sent by the CVC.
2. NEEDS Assessment
Capital Money: Government
was
cognizant and mindful of
the ability of Universities to
effectively/efficiently utilize
the N100 billion fund
immediately, hence that
figure. However, in addition
to
this N100 billion dedicated
and already to be made
available for 2013, N200
billion (increased from N150
billion previously agreed)
will now be earmarked in
the 2014 Budget as well as
each of the following three-
four years until the
Universities are brought to
world-class standard.
3. Project Prioritization:
Universities will now be
allowed
to determine their priorities
and not be “rail-roaded”
into
implementing a pre-
determined set of projects
with respect to the NEEDS
assessment. Decisions are
not to be centralized.
4. TETFund Intervention:
Government assured that
the
operations of the TETFund
will not be impaired, and
that the regular TETFund
intervention disbursement
to Universities will continue,
unaffected. So the NEEDS
assessment capital outlays
are in addition to regular
TETFund intervention.
5. IMC: A new
Implementation Monitoring
Committee
(IMC) for the NEEDs
ASSESSMENT intervention
for
universities has been set up
to take over from the
Suswan
Committee. The new one is
under the Federal Ministry
of
Education and chaired by
the Honorable Minister of
Education. In addition, to
build confidence and ensure
faithful implementation and
prevent any relapse as
before, the Vice President
will meet quarterly with the
IMC to monitor progress.
6. Blueprint: ASUU was
mandated to submit a blue
print
for revitalizing the
Universities to the Vice
President.
7. Official Agreement
Document: A signed
document
would be issued very soon
to itemize the full issues on
which this present
consensus outlined here,
brokered by AVCNU, has
been reached.
8. An Appeal to Call Off
Strike: The Vice-President
Sambo appealed to ASUU
to call off the strike and
apologized for the "take-it-
or-leave-it" comments
credited to the Hon Minister
of Finance. All other parties
present at the meetings
also prevailed on the ASUU
leadership to consult
objectively with its
members to get them to
agree with what is now on
the table and to call off the
strike as soon as possible
after the Sallah break of
Tuesday/Wednesday
October 15/16 2013.
9. ASUU President
Responds: At both
meetings, the President of
ASUU thanked the VP for
taking over
negotiations and promised
to consult with his ASUU
Constituency.
We keep our fingers firmly
crossed, as we await both
the
official consensus
agreement document and
full ASUU
reaction. Statesmanship
from all sides is called for at
this point in time.
Signed:
Prof. Mobolaji E. Aluko
Vice-Chancellor
Federal University Otuoke.
This sounds encouraging,
and we don't think ASUU
will reject this new
negotiation. Let's see what
happens next

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Hundreds Suspected Boko-Haram Detainees Killed In Military Camps- amnesty Int'l

Amnesty International has
called for investigation
About 1000 suspected Boko
Haram militants died in
detention in the first half of
2013 alone, London-based
rights organization,
Amnesty International, said
Tuesday.
Some of the dead were
beaten and shot without
getting medical attention
while others die due to
harsh detention conditions
such as over-crowded jails
and starvation.
“The evidence we’ve
gathered suggests that
hundreds of people died in
military custody in 2013
alone. This is a staggeringly
high figure that requires
urgent action by the
Nigerian government,” Lucy
Freeman, Amnesty
International’s deputy Africa
director, said in a
statement.
“The details of what
happens behind locked
doors in these shadowy
detention facilities must be
exposed, and those
responsible for any human
rights violations brought to
book.”
The Nigerian army said it
has not seen the report and
will respond when it is
made available to them.
A large proportion of these
deaths are reported to have
happened in Giwa military
barracks, Maiduguri in
Borno State, and Sector
Alpha, commonly referred to
as ‘Guantanamo’ and
Presidential Lodge (known
as ‘Guardroom’) in
Damaturu, Yobe State.”
Detainees in these
detention centres told
Amnesty International that
people die daily in “both
Giwa and Sector Alpha from
suffocation or other injuries
due to overcrowding, and
starvation. Some suffered
serious injuries due to
severe beating and
eventually died in detention
due to lack of medical
attention and treatment.”
Some of the atrocities
perpetuated in these camps
are summary execution and
detainees being shot in the
legs during interrogations.
“Hundreds have been killed
in detention either by
shooting them or by
suffocation…There are times
when people are brought
out on a daily basis and
killed. About five people, on
average, are killed nearly on
a daily basis,” a senior
army officer told h asked
not to be named told
Amnesty International.
“International standards, as
well as Nigerian laws,
require that deaths in
custody must be
investigated thoroughly and
impartially,” said Ms
Freeman. “Detainees have
human rights and these
must be respected in all
instances.”
Hundreds of suspected
Boko Haram militants are
held in mostly secret
detention centres across
the country without charge
and no access to lawyers
and family members.

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Read This Exposé On Why Jonathan Doesn't Deserve 2nd Term

It is all too glaring. Even
to the not-so-politically
conscious, it is evident
that President Goodluck
Jonathan will save
himself and this country a
lot of trouble if he does
not seek re-election in
2015. Do not get me
wrong. I am not talking
about his constitutional
eligibility. This is not an
argument about his rights
as a citizen to vote and
be voted for. This is not
even about the intrigues
and politics of 2015 that
have factionalised his
party into a breakaway
group known as the New
PDP. Nigerians know that
they are birds of the same
feathers who will soon
find compromise under
their old battered
umbrella.
Of course, President
Jonathan has all the
rights in the world to seek
another term. After all,
against all odds, despite
the fact that he had no
known track record of
performance.
Nigerians, rightly or
wrongly, kept faith with
him in 2011. They also
supported him in his
trying times - when a
devious cabal almost
denied his ascendancy as
President after the death
of his boss, Umaru
Yar’Adua.
Never mind these latter
day ethnic bigots now
whipping up sectional
sentiments and making it
seem that Jonathan is
being criticised because
of his ethnic background.
It is either they have no
sense of history or are
deliberately creating a
decoy to detract Nigerians
from the real issues about
the Jonathan’s
Presidency.
But Nigerians know their
recent history. It bears no
repeating. They know that
during Jonathan’s dark
days, it was the
opposition block and a
vociferous media, those
now being harangued and
labelled anti-Jonathan,
that marched on Abuja
and vehemently
demanded that his rights
be respected. But that
was then. Now, times
have changed. Now, it is
about the moral
justification of re-
contesting a lacklustre
Presidency.
Having assessed the man
and his Presidency, I have
come to the conclusion
that this President may be
pushing his luck too far if
he decides to seek
another term in 2015. The
circumstances of his
emergence should speak
to the President himself.
He must be thankful for
his ‘’good luck’’ and
Nigerians for getting this
far. But he must not over
reach himself. He has
been vice-president. He
also completed the late
Yar’Adua’s tenure. Now,
he is mid way in his
tenure of a four-year term
as an elected President.
Looking back, President
Jonathan’s style, his
attitude to governance
and the precarious state
of our nation, have shown
that Nigerians were naïve
in entrusting him such an
epic responsibility in the
first place. A second term
will be asking for too
much from a President
who has so far not shown
the capacity to make a
radical difference in a
nation adrift. And the
President must know that
blind ambition is the
Achilles heel of an ego-
driven leader. He must not
allow himself to be
afflicted by its dangerous
virus.
Now is the time for him
to reflect and quietly ease
himself out in 2015. It will
be the right thing to do.
That will be the path of
honour. If this President is
discerning enough, he
would know that there is
massive discontent in the
land. A general angst
hangs precariously in the
air. Not even the curious
afterthought of a National
Dialogue will douse an
imminent danger that
lurks ahead. The
President must know that
he stands on the threshold
of history if he takes the
honourable way out in
2015. He could choose
the Mandela option.
Indeed, this President has
two choices ahead of him
in 2015. One can lead to
perdition. The other, to his
eternal redemption; the
choices are his. He could
decide to listen to the
babbles of sycophants
and ethnic praise singers
egging him on;
threatening fire and
brimstone if he does not
get a second term. At
worst, he could decide to
bully his way out of his
party convention; make
the 2015 election a do-or-
die affair and sit tight till
2019. The consequences
will be dire. That may be
his Russian roulette. If he
takes the hard way, he
must know that his
ambition could drag the
country to the edge.
Already, the year, 2015,
ominously hangs on us
like the sword of
Damocles. It is a
portentous year. The
balkanisation of Nigeria
has been predicted for
this date. But no one
knows yet what form the
distingeration will take. It
may never happen. But
make no mistake. Our
brand of politics is too
divisive. Ethnic mistrusts
run too deep. They could
trigger a chain of events
that may spiral out of
control. Let it not be said
that it is the over ambition
of one man that drove our
country to the path of
extinction. On the other
hand, he could write his
name in gold by rejecting
all selfish entreaties to
perpetuate himself in
power till 2019. Either way
is his choice to make.
There are many things
wrong with the Jonathan
Presidency. Where does
one begin without
sounding like a broken
record? Is it his record of
performance? Is it his
lackadaisical approach to
governance? Is it his
pandering to a corrupt
elite? Is it his
indecisiveness and lack of
political will to fight
corruption- all of which
has combined to create a
vicious cycle of impunity?
Name it: It is no longer
news that the President
cannot fight corruption.
He confirmed this himself
recently when he was
reported to have blamed
Nigerians for encouraging
corruption. He said he
would not name corrupt
individuals because he
‘’feared being attacked’’.
Now, that’s our
Commander-in-Chief.
But I am not surprised.
Under Jonathan, buck
passing has become an
effective excuse for non-
performance. Our
Commander-in-Chief is
afraid of rocking the boat.
Our President is afraid of
naming and shaming
those that have stolen us
blind. If our President
cannot name names for
the fear of being attacked,
then who will? Can
somebody tell this
President that the buck
stops at his table? At his
recent media chat, the
President said corruption
is not Nigeria’s major
problem. What more do
we need to know that a
President who denies the
existence of corruption
which is the bane of
underdevelopment cannot
take us to the Promised
Land?
Really, where does one
begin to talk about the
disappointment of this
administration? Do the
stark realities of its
failures not stare us in the
face? Never before has a
Presidency been this
divisive. Jonathan, rather
than being a unifying
figure, has been the most
divisive president in
Nigerian history. It is
scary. In 2011, when
ordinary Nigerians gave
him a Pan-Nigerian
mandate, never for once
did they imagine he would
clandestinely pursue a
sectional, ethnic mandate
that would prop up ethnic
bigots championing
sectional interests.
These ethnic champions
are making him look more
of a sectional President
than a Nigerian leader.
What about the state of
our nation? The economy
is comatose, the claims of
the likes of Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala
notwithstanding. All
national and international
development indices have
shown that poverty
continues to drive
ordinary Nigerians to their
deaths. Unemployment
rate is at an all time high.
A recent report by the
World Bank has confirmed
that unemployment is
first-time high under the
Jonathan administration.
Yet, only his Finance
Minister and the
administration believe that
the economy is buoyant.
And to think this is
happening in a
government that promotes
a culture of waste and
mindless borrowing
leaves a sour taste in the
mouth. The strike by the
Academic Staff Union of
Universities continues to
linger. The Niger Delta
does not fare any better,
the shambolic amnesty
programme
notwithstanding. Poverty
in the region continues to
grow. Isn’t it delusional to
think that because we
have a Niger Deltan
president, the region will
be transformed into the
Dubai of our time?
But now the depressing
news out of the delta is
that of unparalleled oil
theft threatening the
economy and
environment. The Niger
Delta Development
Commission reeks of
corruption. A culture of
entitlement inimical to
genuine development
pervades the entire
region. In saner climes,
this President would have
been impeached a long
time ago. But our National
Assembly is part of the
rot. Certainly, this is not
the breath of fresh air
Nigerians were promised.
The air of the Jonathan
Presidency has become
dangerously polluted and
toxic. In 2015, if our
situation does not
radically change for the
better, Nigerians must
collectively tell this
President he does not
deserve a second term

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FG Finally Agrees to Meet ASUU's Demands after Over 100 Days

Towards ending the
ongoing ASUU strike, the
Federal Government has
committed to spending
N200 billion in the 2014
budget on the universities
as well as on each of the
next three-four years until
the universities are
brought to world-class
standard as demanded by
ASUU leadership.
This is in addition to the
N100 billion dedicated
and already made
available...
Government has also
increased to N40billion as
a first installment, funds
for payment of earned
allowances to the striking
lecturers, an improvement
from the N30 billion
previously released.
This information is
contained in an internal
statement at the Federal
University of Otuoke by
Professor Bolaji Aluko, its
Vice-Chancellor.
On the earned
allowances, Prof. Aluko
said “Government will top
it up with further releases
once universities are
through with the
disbursement of this new
figure of N40 million, so
Vice-Chancellors are
urged to expedite this
disbursement within the
shortest possible time
using guiding templates
that have been sent by the
CVC.”
Professor Aluko said the
development followed
meetings on September
19 and Oct 11 of
representatives of the
Association of Vice-
Chancellors of Nigerian
Universities, led by Prof.
Hamisu of ATBU and
ASUU reps led by its
President, Dr. N. Fagge
with the Vice-President of
the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, Arc. Namadi.
Sambo, Minister of State
for Education, Nyesom
Wike and others.
In the interest of peace,
Vice-President Sambo
appealed to ASUU to call
off the strike and
apologized over the "take-
it-or-leave-it" comments
made by the Minister of
Finance, Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala.
Other points of agreement
at the meetings include
the following:
Project Prioritization:
Universities will now be
allowed to determine their
priorities and not be “rail-
roaded” into implementing
a pre-determined set of
projects with respect to
the NEEDS assessment.
Decisions are not to be
centralized.
TETFund Intervention:
Government assured that
the operations of the
TETFund will not be
impaired, and that the
regular TETFund
intervention disbursement
to Universities will
continue, unaffected. So
the NEEDS assessment
capital outlays are in
addition to regular
TETFund intervention.
Project Monitoring: A new
Implementation
Monitoring Committee
(IMC) for the NEEDS
Assessment intervention
for universities has been
set up to take over from
the Suswan Committee.
The new one is under the
Federal Ministry of
Education and chaired by
the Honorable Minister of
Education. In addition, to
build confidence and
ensure faithful
implementation and
prevent any relapse as
before, the Vice President
will meet quarterly with
the IMC to monitor
progress.
Blueprint: ASUU was
mandated to submit a
blue print for revitalizing
the Universities to the
Vice President.
ASUU leadership will now
meet to decide if the
government should be
trusted again, this time.

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HIV-Positive Woman Arrested For Breastfeeding Neighbour’s Baby

A Zimbabwean woman, 39-
year-old Annie Mpariwa who
breastfed a neighbour’s baby
without her consent faces a
possible two-year sentence for
deliberately infecting another
person with HIV after she
tested positive.The case was
deferred to October 24 to allow
a second HIV test to be
performed on the toddler. The
child’s initial results were
negative. Mpariwa was
arrested last week on charges
of common nuisance and
should the child test positive;
the charge will be raised to
“deliberately infecting another
person with HIV”. The mother
of the 14-month-old baby said
seeing her child being breastfed
by her neighbour was
traumatising.
She alleged that her neighbour
snatched the child while she
was playing outside and hid her
in her room. After searching for
the child for quite some time,
she went and knocked on
Mpariwa’s rented room and got
no response. Upon peeping
through the window, she saw
her breastfeeding the little girl.
I was shocked. I nearly
fainted,” she said, adding that
her bosoms were leaking milk
yet she was not a nursing
mother or pregnant.
This is really sad. If you were
the parents of this child what
would you do?

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Activist Set For Hunger-Strike Over ASUU Strike

A frontline Nigerian rights
activist, Comrade Emmanuel
Onwubiko, is set to go on a
hunger strike as his
contribution towards ending
industrial action by the
Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU), which has
crippled the country’s public
universities since July 1.
ASUU is seeking to force the
federal government to fulfill an
agreement reached in 2009
under which government is
supposed to have committed at
half a trillion naira to the
country’s university sector.
ASUU has rejected the N130
billion offered by the Goodluck
Jonathan administration,
insisting on full implementation
of the agreement.
Writing on his Facebook wall,
Onwubiko, National Coordinator
of the Abuja-based Human
Rights Writers’ Association of
Nigeria (HURIWA), said: “Watch
out: I will announce the date for
commencement of a two-day
hunger strike in support of
ending ASUU strike, reopening
public universities and
adequately funding them and
for lecturers engaging in sex-
for-marks to be identified and
prosecuted by ICPC/and/or
EFCC. When the date is
disclosed, I will solicit your
support and prayers.”
Contacted this morning,
Onwubiko, who is also a
Columnist with News Express,
said that there is no going back
on the hunger strike. He
disclosed that it would hold
“next week Tuesday/
Wednesday,” adding: “I will
issue a press release today.”

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Presidency Begins Clampdown On New PDP & G-7 Governors

As was widely reported on
Tuesday, the
Presidency may have
tactically commenced its
total clampdown on
members of the New
Peoples Democratic Party
and the G-7 Governors
oppose to the policies and
style of leadership under
President Goodluck
Jonathan.
As you read this, an event
centre in Abuja called A-
Park that is owned by
Sen. Aisha Al-Hassan, a
staunch member of the
factional PDP, which is
located near OAU
Quarters in Maitama,
Abuja, has been marked
for immediate demolition
by the authorities.
This is after one of the
Governors' landed
property was revoked and
another Governor's lodge
sealed.
Senator Al-Hassan had
been served a notice of
demolition by the Federal
Capital Territory. But she
insisted that she was
given permission to build
the event centre, adding
that she will be left with
no choice but to approach
the court.
Credible sources in Abuja obascotec
told that
more of such demolitions
will take place, using
agencies of government
under the control of the
Presidency until all the
G-7 governors agree to
support Jonathan and his
2015 ambition.
Reacting to the
victimization of its
members and supporters,
the New PDP said: “What
we have in the country is
the combination of
military and democracy,
which is militocracy. What
is happening is against
the dictates of chapter 4
section 40 of the 1999
Constitution which allows
freedom of association
and liberty to freely
associate .
“Democracy in Nigeria is
gradually under threat,
there are no longer rights
to association, this is not
good for the development
of democracy in the
country. This is like the
era of impunity. Atrocities
are gradually being visited
on our members because
of our decision to oppose
what is going in the PDP.
"But we cannot be
intimidated. We will
continue to fight for what
is right and just in the
country.”

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Jonathan's Conference: The Right Thing At The Wrong Time

Expectedly, the most
discussed issue since
October 1, 2013 is the
proposed national
conference consented to
by President Goodluck
Jonathan in his
Independence Day
broadcast. Since then, the
President has gone ahead
to inaugurate the Femi
Okurounmu-led National
Advisory Committee on
National Dialogue.
My take on this whole
issue is that it is a right
thing being done at the
wrong time. Yes, it is
better to jaw-jaw than to
war-war. However,
convoking a national
dialogue on the eve of an
election year is ominous.
Also, the quick succession
in which the opponents of
the idea became the
proponents is suspect...
First, Senate President
David Mark welcomed the
idea on resumption from
the National Assembly’s
recess in September
before the President
established a 13-member
committee on October 1.
The nation’s No. 1 and 3
citizens are known
antagonists of the idea
before now.
My main bother about the
timing of the conference
is that it may affect the
proper planning for the
2015 elections. Election
needs a painstaking
planning and enormous
funding; with all the
energy, time and
resources being
channelled towards a
national dialogue,
inadequate resources may
be made available to the
Independent National
Electoral Commission to
prepare for the 2015 polls.
Given that the
Okurounmu’s committee
has been given six weeks
to plan for the conference,
all points to the fact that
the main conference will
take place in 2014.
The Obafemi Awolowo
Foundation held a
colloquium on October 7
where it tried to do
agenda setting by asking
for a nine-month
conference of 400
delegates 90 per cent of
whom will emerge by
electoral colleges from
wards, local governments,
states and zonal levels on
a non-partisan basis. The
remaining 10 per cent, it
was suggested, would be
nominees of professional
bodies, trade unions, civil
society organisations,
which of course should
include youths, children
and women as well as
pan Nigerian religious
bodies. My concern is
that instead of INEC to
focus on preparations for
2015 polls, it might end
up being saddled with
organising or supervising
election of persons to
attend the national
conference and the
proposed referendum on
the outcome.
Is there really a way we
can have the dialogue
without the 2015 elections
being hampered or are we
going to have the
conference and still allow
INEC to go on with the
preparation for the polls?
What if the conference
resolves to alter the
current political structures
and systems? For
instance, what if it
resolves that we go back
to parliamentary system
of government as some
have said that the cost of
running a presidential
system is too prohibitive?
What if we decide to try
out unicameral legislature
as against the current
bicameral structure? What
if we agree to reduce or
increase the number of
states, local government,
federal constituencies,
state constituencies, etc?
Some people have also
suggested going back to
the First Republic regional
structure.
Others have called for the
scrapping of the State
Independent Electoral
Commission and its
functions being taken over
by INEC. What if the
conference approves the
proposition of a single
term of six or seven
years? Will it take effect
immediately or post 2015
polls? Will there be a new
constitution to be drafted
after the national
dialogue? The implication
of all these posers is that
the conference may very
likely impact negatively on
the plans for 2015
elections. If there is no
election in 2015, what
then happens? The
current political office
holders get to stay on?
Will that not confirm the
suspicion that the motive
for acceding to the
national dialogue is self-
serving rather than
altruistic? Or, will there be
an interim government?
I would have preferred a
situation where the
conference would have
held last year (2012) so
that the implementation of
the resolutions would not
hamper the preparations
for the next polls. What
that would also have done
for us was to save the
nation the enormous
resources already spent
on constitution
amendment currently
being pushed through the
national assembly. As it
were, both chambers
embarked on nationwide
public hearings with the
House of Representatives
holding historic peoples
public sessions in the 360
federal constituencies.
At present, the National
Assembly is expected to
set up a conference
committee to hamonise
the positions of the two
chambers, vote on the
proposals and send
sections that get two-
thirds majority approval to
the state Houses of
Assembly for possible
concurrence. If the
National Assembly had
not been tardy with its
constitution amendment
timeline and had met the
June 2013 proposed end-
date, that exercise would
have been concluded
before this scheduled
conference. Is our country
so rich to afford all these
exercises?
It would seem most of the
Nigerian political,
business and religious
elites and opinion
moulders have bought the
idea of national
conference and are willing
to give the President the
benefit of the doubt, but
let it be on record that I
warned the nation that it
is a right idea being
implemented at a very
wrong time. When Kenya
did her own in 2010, the
elections were some three
years ahead (the elections
held in March 2013). I
would rather we give INEC
the needed support and
resources to organise a
better election in 2015
than spending 2014
discussing Nigeria and
putting the election
management body in a
state of suspended
animation or uncertainty.

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Photos Of Ex- Governor Uzor Kalu's Cars, Houses & Private Jets

He was an ordinary trader
before he became a
governor. Where did Uzor
Kalu get money to buy all
these?
Check out photos of his
expensive cars and
houses abroad below...

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FOR YOUR OWN GOOD: 30 Ways To Protect Your Sperm

1. Do not have
unprotected sex. Sexually-
transmitted diseases,
such as gonorrhoea and
Chlamydia, can damage
the sperm-producing cells
that block the tubes
carrying sperm from the
testis to the penis.
2. Avoid pesticides that
control pests in the
garden and on the farm.
Such chemicals can
damage the sperm-
reproducing organs.
3. Avoid insecticides
sprayed to kill mosquito.
Such chemicals can
damage the sperm-
reproducing organs.
Therefore, if you must
spray your room against
mosquitoes, allow at least
one hour before going
back to the room.
4. Avoid exposure to lead
fumes generated in the
manufacture of small cell
batteries and in bullets.
Such fumes can reduce
sperm count through their
negative effects on the
hormones and the testis.
5. Avoid exposure to
heavy metals like
cadmium from the
manufacture of heavy
batteries, as they
negatively affect the
hormones.
6. Avoid exposure to paint
fumes and plastic
softening chemicals like
phthalates, hydrocarbons
such as ethylbenze,
benzene, toluene, and
xylene, as they destroy
the sperm-producing cells
and hormones.
7. Minimise exposure to
e-rays, as the sperm germ
cells are very easily
damaged by the gamma
rays.
8. Minimise exposure to
radiation, as the sperm
germ cells are very easily
damaged by radiation.
9. Avoid fumes generated
by welders and iron
smelters, as their heat can
affect sperm production
and lead to low sperm
count.
10. Avoid exposure to
accumulated old
newsprints, as the carbon
can lead to low sperm
count.
11. Avoid wearing tight
pants and trousers, as the
heat generated can cause
low sperm count.
12. Avoid children with
mumps as having mumps
in childhood can cause
irreversible damage to the
testis. Therefore, never
allow a male to visit other
children that have
mumps.
13. Minimise your
consumption of alcohol as
drinking to excess can
cause low sperm count
and also reduce libido,
causing you to have a low
sex drive.
14. Do not smoke, as
cigarette smoking can
damage the testis and
lower sperm count, lower
the ability of sperm to
move and lower the
lifespan of the sperm.
15. Do not eat too much
saturated fat, as they
reduce the efficiency of
the hormones and
enzymes that help in the
sperm production
process.
16. Do not eat food or
supplements with soya
beans, as soya beans
convert to the female
hormone oestrogen, which
tends to neutralise the
male hormone
testosterone, which is
needed for men to
reproduce sperm.
17. Minimise your intake
of refined carbohydrate
like white flour, white
bread and white rice, as
they reduce the efficiency
of the hormones and
enzymes that help in the
sperm reproduction
process. Instead, eat more
of the unrefined
carbohydrate like brown
rice, wheat bread and
oats.
18. Do not become
constipated, as this can
obstruct blood flow to the
testis. Therefore, eat more
dietary fibres.
19. Do not eat a poor
diet, as this affect the
quality of the sperm.
Instead, eat more whole
grains, vegetables and
fruits.
20. Do not take artificial
sweeteners like
nutrasweet, candarell and
sweetex, as they reduce
sperm count.
21. Avoid excessive
consumption of raw
lemon, as this may inhibit
the enzymes responsible
for sperm production and
libido.
22. Do seek immediate
medical help if one or
both of the testes are un-
descended from the
abdominal cavity into the
scrotal sac, as this can
significantly reduce sperm
production.
23. Do not sit for long
periods of time in one
position if you are a long
distance driver, drive a
small sport car, or a chief
executive having many
board meetings in leather
chairs, as this can
increase the temperature
around the scrotum which
can reduce sperm count.
24. Avoid traumatic injury
around the testes, as this
can damage the sperm-
producing cells.
25. Avoid bicycling, as
this can damage the tube
carrying the sperm.
26. Avoid stress, as this
can decrease the sperm
count and lead to
production of abnormal
sperms.
27. Avoid obesity,s as this
can reduce blood flow to
the testes, making the
sperm production process
more difficult and
significantly reduce libido.
28. Avoid substance
abuse like cocaine or
heavy marijuana use, as
this can lead to low
sperm count and
deformed sperms.
29. Avoid poor nutrition,
as this affects the quality
of the sperm.
30. Do not have children
at a late age, as the
quality of the sperm
decreases with age,
leading to more difficult
conception and greater
possibility of having
children with deformities

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